Charun

In Etruscan mythology, Charun (also spelled Charu, or Karun) acted as one of the psychopompoi of the underworld (not to be confused with the lord of the underworld, known to the Etruscans as Aita). He is often portrayed with Vanth, a winged goddess also associated with the underworld.

Origins

His name was imported from Greek Charon, although it is uncertain whether Etruscans had a native name for a god of the underworld before this. As suggested by alternations in the Etruscan language such as θu "one" changing to θunśna "first", lev "lion" (from Greek leōn) and Apulu (from Greek Apóllōn), words ending in -n after u were disappearing from the language which is why we see his name spelled Хarun and later Хaru.

Appearance

The Etruscan Charun was fundamentally different from his Greek counterpart. Guarding the entry to the underworld he is depicted with a hammer (his religious symbol) and is shown with pointed ears, snakes around his arms, and a blueish coloration symbolizing the decay of death. In some images he has enormous wings. He is also depicted as a large creature with snake-like hair, a vulture's hooked-nose, large tusks like a boar, heavy brow ridges, large lips, fiery eyes, pointed ears a black beard, enormous wings, discolored (pale cream, bluish or greyish)skin, and snakes around his arm.

Charun (disambiguation)

Charun was a god in Etruscan mythology.

Charun may also refer to

See also

List of demon lords

This a list of demon lords in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. In the 2nd Edition, the demon lords were known as "Abyssal lords".

Abraxas

Abraxas, known as the Unfathomable, is the demon lord of magic words, arcane secrets, and talismans, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Abraxas dwells on the 17th layer of the Abyss, known as Death's Reward.

Abraxas was one of many demon lords that was mentioned only by name in a list in the original Monster Manual II (1983). Abraxas received further details in third edition in Fiendish Codex I: Hordes of the Abyss (2006). Abraxas received further description in the fourth edition book Demonomicon (2010).

In Armies of the Abyss (2002) by Erik Mona, Abraxas is known as the Supreme Unknown and described as resembling a bare-chested man with the head of a rooster and a lower body made of writhing snakes. His areas of concern are listed as magic, occult lore, and dangerous secrets. In this book, Abraxas is the head of a twisted cult based loosely on historical Gnosticism, teaching that the gods are evil tyrants who have imprisoned souls in mortal bodies, while the true world of pure spirit, the Pleroma, lies beyond. In the world of Armies of the Abyss this is portrayed as a devious lie on the part of Abraxas, whose Abyssal layer is actually a trap for his deluded followers. Souls that come to Abraxas's realm experience ten years of bliss before being annihilated and devoured by the Abyss, fueling Abraxas's power. While Abraxas's cult is deliberately offensive to the gods, they experience little prosecution as they are for the most part blameless ascetics who make their living selling protective charms.