Stygia

Stygia is a name used in myth, literature and fantasy to evoke the river Styx and the underworld. It is derived from Styx, a deity and river in Greek myth. In modern usage, Stygia often denotes darkness, gloom, or a realm associated with death or curses; the adjective "Stygian" means of or relating to the Styx, extremely dark and foreboding.

In classical mythology, Styx is one of the rivers of the underworld; as a boundary between the living and the dead, gods swear oaths by Styx. The term Stygia appears in later writings as a poetic or fictional place associated with the underworld.

In popular fantasy, Stygia is the name of an ancient fictional empire in the Hyborian Age of Conan the Barbarian. It is depicted as a theocratic and necromantic realm, distinguished by sorcery, mummies, and serpent cults; its most famous wizard is Thoth-Amon. The culture and political structure center on priest-kings and magi, and the empire is often portrayed as adversarial to other Hyborian kingdoms.

Across other works, the name Stygia has been used for fictional realms or nations that are archaic, decadent, or occult. The specific geography and rulers vary by work. In scholarly or encyclopedic references, Stygia is treated as a mythic toponym connected to Styx and to the broader concept of the underworld.