From: C.D.GRAHAM (GRAHAMCD@charlie.aston.ac.uk)
Date: Thu 20 Mar 1997 - 10:06:00 EET
>> Would be nice for someone to provide me with a
summary of the ancient greek legends of the Earth bound River of the styx and
the personal views of how they are translated to a gloranthan setting <<
The river Styx bordered the part of Hades called Tartarus on its Western
Side. The Styx's tributaries encircled the rest of Hades. Hades was, early
in Greek mythos, believed to have lain far to the west beyond the horizon
where the river Oceanus, which encircled the earth began. Charon was the
ferryman for the dead, accepting a coin for passage accross the river.
Thetis dipped her son Achilles in the Styx to make him invulnerable, holding
him only by the heel which remained dry.
The river itself, was a goddess, born like most river deities of Oceanus and
Tethys. When the gods started warring, Styx was the first of the uncommitted
lesser deities to bring her children to the aid of Zeus. Zeus honoured her by
stating that the most inviolable oaths should be by its waters. (water from
the Styx was poured during taking of the oath - there were penalties for
breaking it ).
Other legends are mostly on how people cross the Styx to and from Hades.
Brian
Fantome@eworld.com <SPACE RESERVED FOR RENT>
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