Rivers of the Underworld

"Of course we have rivers in our Underworld, where else would we dump the trash? Empty soda cans, last Friday's leftovers, the hope and dreams of humanity that were crushed the moment they realized they've been wasting their lives away contributing nothing to the world when they died. You know, trash."

- Belphegor.

The Rivers of the Underworld are the supernatural rivers that may appear in an Underworld that usually separate/connect the mortal plane from the afterlife.

Overview
The Rivers of the Underworld would crisscross, and flow around but never outright intersecting with each other. Many of these rivers were perceived as the physical barrier between the Underworld and the mortal world, for mortals could not cross it to enter the Underworld, and the dead could not cross it to escape.

These rivers are usually lorded over by a Psychopomp or a boatman like Charon of Greek mythology, where they would bring the souls of the deceased to the bank the river and the ferryman would transport the souls across the river on his skiff. Transport was dependent upon payment though, for during funeral rites, coins would be left in the eyes, or mouth, of the deceased.

They appeared in several religions and mythologies, with many being later absorbed in the Christian view of Hell.

Known Rivers of the Underworld

 * River Styx: Greco-Roman River of Boundary and Hate
 * River Phlegethon: Greco-Roman River of Fire
 * River Acheron: Greco-Roman River of Sorrow
 * River Lethe: Greco-Roman River of Forgetfulness and Oblivion
 * River Cocytus: Greco-Roman River of Lamentation
 * Gjöll: Norse River of the Niflheim
 * Hubur: Mesopotamian  River of the Irkalla
 * Sanzu: Japanese-Buddhist River of the Afterlife
 * Vaitarna: Hindu River of Naraka
 * Tuonelan virta: Finnish River of Tuonela
 * Black River: Abrahamic River of Hell's Circle of Anger

Trivia

 * The rivers that appear in Hell are known as the Rivers of Hell.

Image Sources

 * (Rivers of the Underworld.jpg) Underworld by jbrown67