Blog Post # 7 : Grim Reaper Promotes Anti-Smoking and Anti-Drunk Driving

" 7. The Grim Reaper Society is an anti-smoking movement and accounting of smoking-related deaths.

8. The Reaper is also used to discourage young people from drinking and driving in a campaign by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, and others. "

                         ~ Source : Halloween Monster Trivia: 13 Facts About the Grim Reaper by Janna Weiss.

             I have never thought that the Grim Reaper can create an influencing figure in the society. It means that Grim Reaper has successfully done a good job to encourage people to do what is right in order to live longer. Since Grim Reaper personifies death, and people did not want to die that easy, government committees created campaigns and blog sites that can affect their fellow country men.

                In an article created by Jason Cherkis and Zach Carter , "WOW!!! A Remembrance Day I’ll Never Forget" posted on THE GRIM REAPER SOCIETY page, they describe one of the biggest events that was successfully held. This is about the biggest anti-tobacco protest  in Washington DC.

" A couple of blocks further and I see about 100 people (mostly highschool-aged kids) on the sidewalk… some in costumes (including less-elaborate [if I may be so bold] Grim Reapers, cigarettes, etc.), most carrying placards (in English and Thai)…and ALL wearing very cool t-shirts that say, “TOBACCO KILLS!” in big bold letters on the front and “5,400,000″ (plus some other text) on the back. And there are at least 2, maybe 3 dozen helmet-wearing police officers. And I’m thinkin’, “This is cool!” "

- one of the  authors of the article "WOW!!! A Remembrance Day I’ll Never Forget"  

             This campaign also encourage the government to create a law regarding the price of tobacco products. They want to higher the price of the goods so that only few people can afford to buy cigarettes. Also, they strive to have a law that implies the cigarette companies to provide large warning advertisements outside the cigarette and tobacco boxes.

             As what I had read, this event became really successful. Everyone believes in what the Grim Reaper can do, and it can make you feel chills through your spine. I also think that it is really great to take part of a campaign event like this because it encourage people to stop smoking. We all know that, "SMOKING KILLS", and we have the obligation and the responsibility to save the youth. It is also our mission to create a better world for the third generation, a world with no cigarette and tobacco smoke so that we will not acquire "second hand smoke diseases".

              Another thing that the Grim Reaper encourage is Anti- Drunk Driving. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission produced a campaign activity called " Shattered Dreams". Shattered Dreams is a dramatization of an alcohol-related crash on or near a high school campus, complete with police and EMS response, emergency room treatment, family notifications, and the arrest and booking of the driver. The crash scene drama is played out before the student body during a school day.

               On a news article from the Llano News, " COMMUNITY NEWS : “Shattered Dreams” Coming to Llano High School ", it reminds us all of the dangers associated with underage drinking and driving.

 "It reminds us that too many young lives have already been lost and countless others severely impaired because of the tragic consequences of underage drinking and when drinking is combined with driving…”            ~ [Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission]

                As the simulation goes on, an image of the Grim Reaper made a tour through the accident. It serves as a reminder that someone is injured or killed as the result of drunken driving every. It is really obvious to use Grim Reaper as their character for death. A follow-up assembly is held the following day featuring students who portrayed accident victims as well as representatives from the emergency first respondents.

                It is a really good technique to leave lessons about disadvantages of drunk driving. That is the goal of Shattered Dreams – to help students, parents and the community realize the potential consequences of drinking and driving.

"Statistics show three-fourths of students consume alcohol by the end of high school. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States."  ~ Frisco Independent School District

             I think this is a good way how to get peoples attention and inspire them to do better to survive. Say "No" to cigarettes and tobacco, and say "No" to alcoholic beverages if you want to live your life longer!

                          

Blog Post # 6: Grim Reaper Enters the Idiot Box

             Nobody can never guess the new image of the Grim Reaper. He is indeed the sinister guy wearing a black cloak and wielding an incredibly large scythe. No matter how hard I try, I cannot imagine him in a really good image, not scary but friendly. Did you know that the Grim Reaper also enters the show business? In fact, he also has Children-Friendly programs, Romantic Dramas and Prank shows.

              I have never seen Death this funny. In some programs, he made friends with kids or become their over-protective school principal. In an article by Mark Bozon, posted last OCTOBER 18, 2006, he revealed here that in a famous cartoon show produced by Cartoon Network, Death here appears really friendly and is tricked by Billy and Mandy (show's main protagonists). This article is entitled " The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy ".

"If you like random hilarity, lots of violence, and Weird Al, you might want to check this out."
    -Mark Bozon

                In this cartoon show, Grim met Billy and Mandy tries to take the soul of Billy's hamster, Mr. Snuggles. Knowing his purpose, Mandy challenged Grim in a deal. If she and Billy lose then Grim can take Mr. Snuggles and if they win, Mr. Snuggles will live and Grim will be their best friend forever. The challenge was Limbo, which Grim's choice, in the Limbo Realm. But Mandy cheated by using Mr. Snuggles' unusual trick. Well, to cut the story short, Mandy and her brother win and become "FRIENDS FOREVER" with Grim.

               I also found another cartoon, I mean Japanese anime that features the Grim Reaper. In an article, "Enter the World of Soul Eater" by David Smith, produced last June 13, 2008, he exposed here a new image of the Reaper. Imagine Grim Reaper has a son. And, yes, here he is a School Principal of Death Weapon Meister Academy, located in the fictional Death City. It acts as a training facility for humans with the ability to transform into weapons, as well as the wielders of those weapons, called meisters. He plays here a really big role. Not only as a principal, but also a very powerful figure. Shinigami sealed the first Kishin Asura (His first son, created from the Fear he took out of his soul) under Shibusen and rooted his own soul to Death City to keep him sealed, which is why he cannot leave Death City.

“	If you don't shut up I'm going to use my Reaper Chop to split your head open!	”
—Shinigami, Episode1

Lord Death in Soul Eater

              In most cases, Shinigami comes off as a bit of a joker with a cheerful demeanor. He also prefers to be optimistic and treats every situation as such. He also has a great sense of humor. Shinigami also seems to be a understanding & lenient individual, contrasting to the the general people thinking of him as a strict person who is bound by rules. 

              Okay, Let us move further. As what I have said earlier, I also discover a new character of a Grim Reaper. In this Korean Drama, he is not called neither as the Grim Reaper nor as the Angel of Death. He has an more complicated figure here, he is called the Scheduler. Of course, just like before, his job is to take the souls of the mortals who need to leave. But there is a more great purpose why he is chosen as the Scheduler, it is because he has a mission to accomplish before he leave together with the souls with him. By the way, the Korean Drama that I am talking about is 49 Days.

Jung Il-Woo as Scheduler

               In this show, you will not see a skull in a black cloak wielding a large scythe because everything is modernized. Scheduler is a good-looking young man, and he takes the souls using an "Elevator-like" chamber, where the souls enter. He thought that his only mission is to fetch the dead mortals' souls, but as the story goes on, it is revealed that he is a mortal too, and he needs to find his beloved girlfriend which he left alone without any formal goodbye.

             Have you ever watch a prank show like " Just for Laughs "? This is well-know pranks show. It is a silent comedy/hidden camera reality television show. This series' format is a hidden camera comedy show, playing silly pranks on unsuspecting subjects while hidden cameras capture peoples' responses. This show uses the Grim Reaper as one of their Halloween pranks and that is really funny that is why people love the show. I will show you one of the Grim Reaper pranks.

               If you want news about how effective a Grim Reaper prank can be, visit this article " Watch hilarious floating grim reaper prank that scared the life out of park joggers." by Ben Burrows. 

Blog Post # 5: Grim Reaper Dominates Literature

             Even the Grim Reaper can dominate the Pop Culture. Grim never fail to surprise us. Authors also create fiction novels and stories about the Grim Reaper. When you say Pop Culture, it refers to the cultural activities or commercial products reflecting, suited to, or aimed at the tastes of the general masses of people. Since the Reaper is really mysterious, writers from all over the word use his image to create impressive and amazing works that satisfies the mass.

             As I look through the internet, I found a very interesting article discussing about the Grim Reaper and how he affects the Pop Culture. It is written by William Harris entitled " How the Grim Reaper Works: The Grim Reaper in Popular Culture ".

              It really interesting though. Well, it gave me several reasons to look for books that are deeply related to the Grim Reaper. And here are some:

               The book made by Terry Pratchet : The Discworld novels, he feature Death as an ally of mankind. In other words, Death here is really kind! Wow!

               The second book "the Sand Man" by Neil Gaiman discusses about a groundbreaking series of comic books in which Death appears as a girl.

                The last book, " Undeadly " by Michele Vail, tells a story of a girl who tries to revive his boyfriend-to-be, and there are weird things happening after that. Clearly, Grim Reaper has a great participation in this story. Can you imagine, a girl tricking the Reaper for a person's revival? Kinda' crazy but sound interesting.

                Can you imagine Death to receive a very friendly image? Well, there are some books that are intended to be read to children. An article by Ella Rain caught my attention. There are really books for children that tells about Grim Reaper. " Grim Reaper Books for Kids ". Imagine the faces of the children who are reading the book by Rachel Lynette, "The Grim Reaper". the book is particularly about a dying man who sees the Grim Reaper.. the rest follows an adventure I think. Children love Halloween and the Grim Reaper is the perfect figure of it instead of pumpkin lanterns and trick or treat!

                 When you say literature, does it only refer to books? A big "NO!". When you say LITERATURE, you can also refer to screenplays, poetry, and song lyrics. As what I had said a while ago, Grim Reaper also dominates the screenplays, poetry and song lyrics.

The Grim Reaper also plays a key role in the following works:

• "(Don't Fear) The Reaper," a song released by Blue Öyster Cult in 1976 and now regarded as a rock classic
• "Because I could not stop for Death," a poem by Emily Dickinson, in which the narrator shares a carriage ride with Death
• "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, in which the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, cloaked and skeletal, appears to show Scrooge how he will die
• "Death Takes a Holiday," a 1934 film about Death's decision to take a break from his normal business to see what it's like being mortal; a 1998 remake, "Meet Joe Black," starred Brad Pitt in the role of Death.
• "Scream," a 1996 homage to slasher flicks in which a murderous teen stalks his victims in a Reaper-like costume
• "Dead Like Me," a Showtime series that explores the lives (or afterlives) of a group of grim reapers who walk among the living

                                                                                       -  by William Harris " How the Grim Reaper Works: The Grim Reaper in Popular Culture ".

              It really looks interesting finding unexpected influence of a very scary figure in Halloween. 

Blog Post # 4: Cheat the Game of the Grim Reaper.

"For we know that when this tent we live in now is taken down... when we die

and leave these bodies...we will have wonderful new bodies in Heaven, homes

that will be ours for evermore, made for us by God Himself, without human hands." 

II Corinthians 5:1 (Living Bible)

             We all know that someday, Death will knock at our doors. We will never know when and where, whether it is now, later or soon. It is the game of the Grim Reaper. Grim Reaper knocking on your door, are you willing to open it?

             There are so many people who cheated the game. Till now, they are still alive and kicking. Want to know some of them? As I look through the internet, i saw this article, " 7 CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE CHEATED DEATH " by Ryan Penagos. Does it make any sense? Wow! They were really able to cheat Death. They tricked the Grim Reaper and left him dumb founded. Can you imagine that?

             I can also present you some of the famous actors in Hollywood who cheated death so many times. I visited this site : "Celebrities Who Cheated Death" which was written by Fox News Writers. Did you know that Jackie Chan, a famous Chinese Action star also tricked the Reaper? He suffered so much from injuries from stunts he made. He Broke his nose, fingers of his hands, ankles, cheeks and even his skull! He's experience when filming the "Armour of God" (1996) was a near death experience. During this film, he fell out of a tree and fractured his skull. He was left with a permanent hole in his head. A hole in his head?!

             Have you ever though of being struck by lightning, seven times and remain alive? Or, do you imagine yourself to survive from a plane crash?  These kinds of incidents can make someone die easily. But there are some who again tricked the Grim Reaper's game. Check out this article by Dio Genes, " Top 10 Amazing People Who Cheated Death ". You will found out here some of the amazing stories of the people who were able to survive from the scythe of death.

              Since I am talking about people who almost experience death, let us define " Near Death Experience (NDE)". According to Ed Grabianowski on his article, " How Near-death Experiences Work ", he revealed here that the term “near-death experience” (NDE) was coined in 1975 in the book Life After Life by Raymond Moody, MD.

" But what exactly are NDEs? Are they hallucinations? Spiritual experiences? Proof of life after death? Or are they simply chemical changes in the brain and sensory organs in the moments prior to death? "                                                                                        
" A near-death experience is any experience in which someone close to death or suffering from some trauma or disease that might lead to death perceives events that seem to be impossible, unusual or supernatural. While there are many questions about NDEs, one thing is certain -- they do exist. Thousands of people have actually perceived similar sensations while close to death. The debate is over whether or not they actually experienced what they perceived. "  - Ed Grabianowski

               I have not experienced Near - Death situations, but you know, I am very prone to accidents. I am an accident - prone person. Since I was still a little child, Lady Luck was never on my side. A vehicle hit me, I almost drown a many times, but fortunately, I am still here, writing this blog and pursuing my dreams.

                There will come a time that when Death knocks on your door again, there is nothing you can do but to answer him. But, there are those times that you will be very lucky not to cross him early. This time, you won for now. Do not forget to thank God that you still wake for another beautiful day.

Blog Post # 3: Death Fear...

             Grim Reaper personifies Death. Death is a natural part of life. We say death is inevitable, which means, it is something unavoidable and we all have to face it sooner or later. Why do many people think death is scary or frightening? Why do people fear death? I also fear death. I really do not know why and how. The only thing I know is that, I want to continue living and I want to be with the people I treasure.

              Did you know that, everyone of us has this "instinctive desire to live and go on living"? It is maybe the reason why we see death as a violent end to everything we value, like friends, family and even material things. Sometimes, we immerse ourselves into something totally unknown, and surroundings that are frighteningly strange for us. It is just like swallowing a whole capsule of new medicine, unfamiliar and hard to engulf. We have this saying, "To see is to believe". However, before we can accept something we have not seen before, we need to do things that can make it credible and easier to have faith in.

            Death is not the end of everything, not even the end of life. It is believed the start of a new existence for a new life, the beginning of another chapter of life.

            On the article, "Seven Reasons People Fear Death" by Deborah Schaub, there are seven main reasons why people fear death.

1. Fear of the Unknown. People fear things that are strange looking and unfamiliar to us. If we do not know about anything from that something, it gives us the reason to be scared of what we do not know. To cut it short, anything that is strange creates a terrifying aura.

2. Religion Issues. People fear death because of the religion issues such as Heaven and Hell. Also, Angels and Demons, and God and Satan, belong to this religion issues. There are also some beliefs that converts faith into fear.

3. Fear Of The Dying Process. Accidents, murders and suicides are part of this reason. We fear death because we do not know on how are we going to die.

4. Fear The Loss Of Control. We fear losing control. Losing control to our living bodies and the activities we are doing, like studying, spending leisure time at more, can cause fear of death.

5. The Fear Of, What Will Become Of My Family. We value our love ones. When the time comes, when we were about to leave the mortal world, we create fear of leaving our love ones behind. We can never be with them again after death, unless they also die.

6. The Fear Of Being Replaced And Forgotten. When people die. some of their relatives do not mind if they still remember the dead. People fear isolation and the state of being forgotten with or without purpose.

7. Lastly, The Fear Of Not Achieving. The reason why most people fear death is because they do not achieve anything that they wanted to do. They fear death because their "Bucket List" is not yet done.

             There are so many reasons why people fear death and all of them are applicable and true.

             How can you relate the Grim Reaper in the fear of death? Let's go to the article made by Lisa Fritscher, "What Is the Fear of Death Symbols?". She discussed here the three kinds of "Phobia" which are related to the Grim Reaper, the Thanatophobia (fear of death), Necrophobia (fear of death symbols), and Phasmophobia (fear of ghost).

             Thanatophobia came from the name "Thanatos", the angel of death in Greek mythology. It is obviously about the fear of Death. It was not actually death that people feared, because nobody believes in his or her own death. Furthermore, that which one does fear be death itself, because one has never died.

               Necrophobia is the fear of death symbols. Grim Raper is one of those things that represents death. It is more on the fear of corpses, tombstones, graveyards, and coffins. It came from the Greek word "Nekros" means corpse.

             Last but not the least is the Phasmophobia. It is identified as a fear of  ghosts and other supernatural entities. This kind of phobia can be acquired from movies and religious beliefs.

              To end all of this, I will leave something....

 " Death is a part of life, don’t live your life fearing it. " - D. Schaub

Blog post # 2: Grim Reaper Around the Globe

              We now know that the Grim Reaper is a skeleton wearing a black robe, and some sinister guy wielding a large scythe and handling a hour glass. To tell you the truth, it is not only the image of the Grim Reaper. But, the idea of where the Grim Reaper came from is really complex. Stories change from time to time. It will be very difficult to find its very origin, and there is no good evidence to prove it. But, before I discuss the different faces of the "Angel of Death", let's try to tract down its history.

Cronus , Greek God of Harvest, holding
a scythe and a hour glass.

              J. Touchette said that the idea of the Grim Reaper comes from the Greek God Cronus (Chronos), in his article "Origin of the Grim Reaper". He said that Cronus is known as the Father Time. He is associated with the Grim Reaper because the reaper takes Cronus' image with the hour glass and the scythe on hand. The story about Cronus eating his children means that time devours all things, in other terms, "nothing lasts forever." There are three Greek words that makes great connection of the Grim Reaper and Cronus, these are; Chronos ("time"), Cronus ("the Greek God of Harvest before Demeter"), and Corone ("crow").

Thanatos, Greek God
of Silent Death. A winged
youth armored with a sword

              The Grim Reaper also took its image from the Norse Corpse Goddess, Valkyries and also to the Greek God Thanatos, the escort of the dead to the underworld. As you can see, the Grim Reaper's job derives from what Thanatos do for the Greek God Hades. He sends the mortal's souls to Hades, who is waiting in the underworld.

               But still, it is really hard to know if he is real or not. The Grim Reaper itself breaded new found imagination to some ancient authors and storytellers. The thing is, the Grim Reaper becomes a great story to re-tell by the most promising writers like, Homer, who uses Thanatos as the Grim Reaper, together with his twin brother, Hypnos, the Greek God of Sleep in writing his famous story, the "Illiad".

              Now that we are through in checking the short origin of the Grim Reaper, let us proceed on how the Grim Reaper is depicted in different places around the world. Since the world is full of different kinds of people, it is indeed that different types of culture arises. The world is old, and so its' culture and beliefs.

              From the article, "Grim Reaper - Death" by the fantasy writer, T. F. Walsh, he said that in other culture, the Grim Reaper is represented as an angel, a skeleton, an old hag, and even a God or a Goddess

According to the article, in Greek Culture, Thanatos is the Angel of Death. Just like what I had said a while ago, he is a young man with wings armored with a sword on his hand. His duty is to send the deceased's soul to Hades in the underworld.

Ankou

              In the Celtic Folklore, the Grim Reaper is known to be called Ankou, skeleton who rides on a cart wearing a large hat on his head. He has a "Revolving Head", which literally sees everything around him.

               In Norway, the Grim Reaper is called as "Pesta the Plague Hag". Pesta brings either a broom (which signals that everyone will die) or a rake (which signifies that some will survive).

              In Germany, Odin is the Major God in Norse mythology. People also call him as "Grimnir". Together with Valkyries, they established the idea of the Grim Reaper.

              Lithuanians believe that Grim Reaper's counter part is Giltinė, an ugly woman with a long blue nose and a poisonous tongue. Hindus believe that the Angel of death is Yama or Yamaraj, their God of the Underworld. In Chinese mythology, people believed in The God of Death named Yanlou. While in Japanese mythology, Izanami is their Goddess of Death.

White-robed Reaper

              In an article written by an anonymous writer, entitled "Angel of Death - The Grim Reaper", there is a White-Robed Reaper. Instead of wearing a black robe, the Reaper wears a white robe. He still has the job to bring the souls to the Realm of the Unknown.

              This only signifies that we have an enriched culture throughout the years. Even if we have different depictions of the Grim Reaper, we still came up with the idea about his job, to guide the dead person's soul to the gates of the Afterlife, either in Heaven or in Hell. Sounds a kind of scary, right? Well, that's life!

Blog post # 1: Grim Reaper Who?

              We often hear the word “Grim Reaper” when October 31 appears in our calendar every year. Halloween, also called as the Hallows’ Eve, because it is the evening before All Saint’s Day. Young children dressed themselves with their “spookiest” costumes, and played pranks in the neighborhood in order to have candies and sweets. Nevertheless, how can you relate the Grim Reaper to Halloween? What comes in your mind when you heard the word "Grim Reaper"? Death, yes, death.

              The Grim Reaper. How does he look like? What is his purpose? Well, according to Kum Martin, an online leading expert, and the writer or the article, “Grim Reaper Origin and History”, he said that Grim Reaper is the symbol of death. He is usually depicted as a skeleton wearing a black cloak and handling a large scythe and a hour glass. In other folklore and myths, he rides on either a horse or a carriage. He emits this "sinister character" thing, which is why most people fear seeing him. 

              The Grim Reaper is also known as the "Angel of Death"(Malach HaMavet), "Devil of Death", "Angel of Dark and Light" or "Angel of the Abyss". But, in the end, we all refer to Death. Grim Reaper personifies death. People fear death even though we do not know something true about the Afterlife and even if death is inevitable.

               Not only seeing the Grim Reaper makes the people shiver with anxiety, but also the message it conveys whenever you see him can scare all the living. Then, what is it about him that is interesting? The answer is, he is believed to be the carrier of the souls to the Afterlife. In some cases, the Grim Reaper can actually cause the victim's death, that is why people fear to see him. When you see him, it means that it is your time to leave the mortal world. But, in some other stories, the Grim Reaper has no control on who dies first and next, because he merely guides the souls of the dead to its way to the Afterlife.

              Just like Lady Justice, the blind lady holding a sword and a scale who symbolizes Blind Justice, Grim Reaper is also filled with so much meaning. In the article " How the Grim Reaper Works: Symbolism of the Grim Reaper" by William Harris, he tells about what the image of the Grim Reaper symbolize. 

              First is the Skeleton or Skull. It mainly refers to the fear of obliteration. Well, it will surely make sense if death is depicted with skeleton, bones and skulls.

              Next is the Black Cloak or what the Reaper wears. It means that mourning is next to death. Since the ancient times, cloaks are used when people mourn their love ones death. Also, "Black", the color of the cloak means evil. This also makes the Grim Reaper more mysterious.

               

              The Scythe. The scythe represents the role of the Reaper. Denotatively, scythe is used to reap, cut, or grain grass. Just like what farmers do their crops, the Grim Reaper harvests the souls needed to be brought either in Hell or in Heaven.

              Lastly, the Hour glass. Whenever you say "hour glass", you refer to time. The Grim Reaper holds an hour glass too. He let us know that our days are numbered, and when the sand on the first bulb runs out, it is our time to leave, whether we like it or not.

              In conclusion, the Grim Reaper, also known as the "Angel of Death" is the one of personifies Death.  He creates a very important persona in our culture. However, I wonder why the personification of death, could not have a friendlier image. It is maybe because, we all know that Death is the antithesis of Life. And maybe, death is a real mystery to us mortals.