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!