Grim Reaper (death) : Myth And Legend

Today we’re going to take you into the twists and turns of myths and legends about the Grim Reaper: the most famous representation of death. She is often represented as a skeleton wrapped in a long veil, holding a long worn scythe in her hand. A terrifying “fictional” character who has come to snatch up poor mortals!

Between theories and realities that can raise the shadow of a doubt, here’s something to make your horror night even creepier than expected! 👻

1) The History of The Grim Reaper

A. Who is the Grim Reaper ?

The Grim Reaper is a frightening creature embodying the God of Death. She is depicted as a skeleton in a long black robe. This entity appears when your time is up and reaps your soul before sending you to the afterlife. While her personality and work are as mysterious as death itself, one thing is for sure: this is not someone you want to meet anytime soon! 😱

This allegory of death exists in every culture, and throughout all the history we know. Our ancestors actually took a friendlier approach to the passing of time. For example :

Thanatos (Greek god of death) was an attractive young man with a noble heart.

The Valkyries (Norse mythology) were beautiful and heroic women who decided which Norse soldiers should die in battle.

B. Origins of the Middle Ages : the Black Death

The turning point in our attitude toward death came in the 14th century, when Europe was ravaged by the Black Death. In some cities, one in five people died of the plague. Decaying corpses piled up in the streets and everyone had loved ones to mourn…

During the black death, artists began to paint death as a horrific figure coming from a mysterious shrine. Skeletons, armed with murderous tools, danced among plague victims in the street or rode white horses with carts full of corpses. 💀

Eventually, a black-cloaked figure (the first recognizable Grim Reaper) began to appear at the head of these abominable processions. His black tunic and curved scythe may have been inspired by plague doctors. The latter wore a black shroud and bird-shaped masks to protect themselves from contamination.

The name “The Grim Reaper” did not appear until the 19th century, although “The Grim Reaper” had been the nickname of death since the 13th century.

2) Characteristics of the “God of Death”

A. Long Black Cape and Sickle

Unlike previous personifications of death, the Grim Reaper has a macabre appearance. In fact, many Halloween costumes were inspired by him! The Grim Reaper’s first approaches begin with a long black cape. The cloak wraps around the specter’s entire body as well as his face under a deep hood. It is usually loose and tattered, so that black pieces float in the wind as she moves. 💨

In his hand, the reaper carries a scythe, a long pole with a curved blade attached to the top (also called a “sickle“). The specter of death can also carry an hourglass, which he uses to measure the time left in a lifetime. Finally, he can travel on the back of a ghostly white horse or in a chariot pulled by white horses.

Few people have seen the figure under the black cloak and survived to tell the tale. Most legends describe the Grim Reaper (English nickname) as a skeleton (white bones and an empty skull) but a few claim that nothing is hidden under that dark hooded cloak.

B. Personification of Death

The Grim Reaper’s appearance is chilling, but she is not as demonic as she seems. She is, above all, a hard worker. Her job is to collect souls when they reach the end of their lives on earth. She is extremely diligent and always meets her deadlines! ⏱

Some might think that the Reaper, like an assassin, is obnoxious because it kills people without flinching. But there is an important difference. Assassins kill people without a care in the world. The Grim Reaper kills people because it is their fate to die. In many ways, his work is beneficial. It puts an end to the suffering of the elderly or sick and prevents overpopulation.

C. Why does Death have a Scythe ?

The Reaper has an important job and special skills. Her signature, and most mysterious skill, is her ability to separate the soul from the body. Most stories claim that the mere presence of this specter causes the soul to leave the body. With a simple wave of her finger (or her sickle), she harvests the souls.

Once the reaper has gathered your soul, it will serve as a guide to help you make your way to the next realm. A few stories describe heroes who managed to trick the Reaper or convince him not to take their souls. In some cases, the Reaper even gave people talismans that made them immortal! 😳

3) Myths and Beliefs around Death

A. Legend of the Grim Reaper

The days of silly superstition and magic are over. However, many people still hold on to this ancient belief, especially in modern western folklore. When people don’t understand something or are afraid of it, they tend to create more manageable and tangible explanations. 🤔

When death takes the form of a “human” entity, it humanizes one of humanity’s most abstract concepts. In the same way, primitive peoples created stories that personified the moon, thunderstorms, meteor showers, eclipses, and any other natural phenomenon. Even the most advanced cultures still maintain certain traditions that protect them from the fear of death.

The Grim Reaper appears in religious texts from the fourteenth, fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, which gives credibility to the legend (or at least enhances its popularity). Religion thrived for centuries on people’s fears. It pointed to demons, witches… and practiced exorcisms as well as many other dark and occult topics. 😰 From then on, it is not surprising that the image of death (Grim Reaper), a physical representation of death, has become a real symbol of mythology and popular culture.

B. The Spectre of Death is Scary

Today, the image of the grim reaper does not instill the same level of fear as it once did. It has even taken root in the cultural collective! Nowadays, it entertains us and many people use it to express part of their personality.

At the end of the day, the Grim Reaper really does have deep roots in the Black Death of the 14th century, there’s no denying that. Nevertheless, death has always been a subject of fascination and fear for humans! 🕯 From Anubis to the jackal head, (god of death in Egypt) and everything after, humans will always find a way to dispel their fear and anxiety about death.

Death is THE great social equalizer. That’s why anyone would be afraid to see a cloaked figure in the distance, holding a scythe, slowly approaching… and counting the last grains of sand! ⏳

4) The Grim Reaper in Modern Western Folklore

You’ve inevitably seen this personification of death everywhere in our society whether it’s through art, music, movies or even video games. No surprise, it is often through series, horror games, punk rock bands or morbid artworks that we find the Grim Reaper.

We have prepared a small list in which you can find indirect (or direct) references to it! 🤗

A. The Grim Reaper in the Movies 📽

Although the American horror movie “Grim Reaper” released in 2007 is entirely devoted to her, she can be found at several points in many movies like:

Skinwalkers ; a thriller by James Isaac released in 2007.
Death Takes a Holiday ; an excellent drama by Mitchell Leisen released in 1934.
The Seventh Seal ; the famous Swedish drama by Ingmar Bergman in 1957.
The Book of Life ; a 2014 animated fantasy film by Jorge Gutierrez.
Date VS Death ; a 2011 horror film by Patrick Hagarthy.

B. The Grim Reaper in Art 🖼

Many paintings (like this Reaper wall arts) can be found in many different eras, often associated with war or misfortune. Present in every generation and all over the world, you can find art expressing this entity very often:

The Triumph of Death ; an oil painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, in 1562. Now on display at the Prado Museum in Madrid.
Death Plays Chess ; a painting by Albertus Pictor painted in 1480, now on view at the Taby Church, Stockholm.
The Vision of Death ; France is honored by Gustave Doré with a painting from 1868. That said, it is now a private owner who displays the painting in his home.
The Death of the Gravedigger ; painted between 1895 and 1900 by Carlos Schwabe, this reaper painting is exhibited at the Musée d’Orsay.

C. The Grim Reaper in Video Games 🎮

Inevitably, as a specter associated with death, the Grim Reaper is often featured in video games. She’s often an enemy in the course or a final boss, but she’s sometimes a playable character too! Maybe you’ve played some of them?

“Grim Reaper” in The Sims ; when a character dies, she appears to collect their soul.
“Black Sprinter” in Justice League Superheroes ; when the famous hero Flash’s life is too low, the specter starts chasing him!
“Thanatos” in God of War ; we already quickly touched on it above, and we’ll see more about this character later, but you can come across this Reaper during the game when fighting against the Gods.
The Bones from Final Fantasy ; when a death spell is used, a skull appears as a punishment for the opponent.
“Reaper” in Kingdom Hearts ; a boss who lives up to his name. He collects souls to make ghouls that you will have to fight afterwards. In short, a tough battle awaits you!

D. The Grim Reaper in Music 🎵

In a lot of modern as well as ancient music, you can find references to the Grim Reaper. It is not always a sad reference. In fact, each artist can give it the meaning he wants.

“Grim Reaper of Love” by The Turtles ; a pop song from the 60s.
“Lucky to be Alive” by Cheap Sex ; music between hard rock and punk rock from 2004.
“Storm” by Pete Tong ; a house music DJ who illustrates death in one of his tracks.
Grim Reaper, Soul Reaper, White Reaper,… ; a bunch of bands (often punk rock) have a name containing the soul collector. We let you discover all this by yourself, the list is long!

E. The Grim Reaper in Books 📚

In the same way as music, the soul-collecting spectre can be found in literature. That said, it appears more often in movies or video games. We found you a series of books (available in e-book) little known that will make you discover another vision of death.

“Grave Witch” by Kalayna Price ; a story between black magic, death, and investigations by a private investigator.
“Existence” by Abbi Glines ; by dint of always being around a macabre world, you end up meeting the Grim Reaper, and falling in love with him!
“First Grave on the Right” by Darynda Jones ; an expert in macabre stories, the author wrote about a part-investigator, part-soul collector employee.
“Graveyard Job” by Angela Roquet ; the perfect love story between an apprentice Grim Reaper, an Angel and Death itself.

5) Other Forms of the Grim Reaper

As we mentioned at the beginning, the so-called goddess of death can be represented in many ways depending on folklore and civilizations. That said, the principle of collecting souls to send them to the afterlife is always present. 👀 Each form of the Grim Reaper is accompanied by tales and legends, so all you have to do is choose your favorite story!

A. Mexican Grim Reaper : Santa Muerte

The Mexican Grim Reaper is called the “Santa Muerte”. This tradition dates back to before the Spanish colonization, when the indigenous tribes of Mexico practiced a death cult similar to the Day of the Dead. Like the Western Grim Reaper, Santa Muerte has a skull instead of a head and holds a scythe.

B. Breton Grim Reaper : Ankou

In Lower Britain, the Breton Grim Reaper is called “Ankou” (Breton for “anxiety, pain”). Rather than representing death itself, it is commonly believed that Ankou is a servant of Death and Fate. He functions as a psychopomp: he comes to fetch the souls of the dead and guides them into the afterlife. For some, he was the king of the dead: a being ruling over an otherworldly kingdom hidden in the mountains.

Ankou is often depicted as a tall, thin old man with long white hair, or as a skeleton or shadowy figure. He is dressed in a black cloak, a wide-brimmed hat covering his noseless face. Like the Grim Reaper, he holds a scythe with the sharp edge outward. In his wrapped skeleton, his head continuously rotates 360 degrees so he can see everything and drives a creaking cart pulled by black horses, known as the “chariot of death.

C. Greek Grim Reaper : Thanatos

The Greek God of Death is a version of the Grim Reaper that originated in Ancient Greece: Thanatos. According to mythology, he is the god of non-violent death and has been depicted as an old man (or young boy) with a gentle demeanor. He is considered kind and is the twin brother of Hypnos, God of Sleep.

His mission: to escort the souls of the dead to the mythical Charon in order to transfer them to the underworld. The Greeks did not consider this form of the Grim Reaper as evil: they simply saw it as inevitable. The sisters of Thanatos (named Kères), on the other hand, are goddesses of violent death! 🔪

D. Grim Reaper in Religion : Azrael, the Angel of Death

The God of Death in Religion is known as Azrael. The Islamic text calls our Grim Reaper the “Angel of Death”. He is an archangel generally described as a servant of Allah charged with sounding the famous day of the resurrection of the dead! This servant of God is also present in the Hebrew and Sikh tradition.

E. Norwegian Grim Reaper : Pesta, the Black Death

The Goddess Pesta comes from the time of the Black Death. She is depicted as a hideous old woman who carries a broom or rake. 🧹 If you see this other form of the Grim Reaper and she carries a rake, members of your family will die. And if she uses a broom, everyone in the house will die! She is associated with death and disease.

F. Japanese Grim Reaper : Shinigami

The Japanese Gods of Death (called “Shinigamis”) are similar to the western version of the Grim Reaper. The notable difference is that these death spirits are numerous and like to work in pairs. They ensure that the individual dies at the right time and do not commit any murder themselves. ❌

After the individual dies, they are responsible for taking him or her to the underworld. They are generally described as dark and evil and can only be seen by people about to die.

G. Nordic Grim Reaper : Hel and Valkyries

Hel (meaning “hidden”) is a Nordic Goddess of Death who rules the underworld. She is the daughter of Loki and the giantess Angrboda, which means that she is the sister of the wolf Fenrir and the serpent Jormungand. She belongs to a very dangerous and not very respectable family!

This goddess of the underworld is generally presented as being rather greedy and cruel. Legend has it that she has a perpetually sinister and ferocious expression on her face.

Still in Scandinavian mythology, the work of the Valkyries consists in distributing death on the battlefields (a bit like the Grim Reaper). Why do they do this? To bring the souls of fallen warriors to Odin! These souls will be used to help the gods in the battle of the end of the world: Ragnarok. They are very picky, always choosing their souls carefully.

H. Egyptian Grim Reaper : Anubis

Anubis is considered the Egyptian God of Death in charge of leading the dead to their judgment. Usually depicted as a man with a jackal head, he is also in charge of funerals and embalming. He does not carry a sickle like the Grim Reaper, but rather a flail.

His mother (Nephthys) is the Goddess Protector of Death.

I. Chinese Grim Reaper : Yama and Heibai Wuchang

The Chinese God of Death is considered the lord of the underworld. Sometimes called King Yama or Emma, he decides whether you go to heaven or hell (he makes his decision by looking at a scroll he keeps near him). Yama is a popular myth: he can be found in Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, Buddhist and Indian culture! 🌏 He is known as a wrathful god and is usually depicted with the face of an ogre or something similar.

In the Chinese religion, there are two gods Hei Bai Wu Chang (working for Yama) whose job is to escort the dead to the underworld. They are black and white (Yin and Yang) and their statues usually depict them with fierce collars on their faces and long red tongues (to scare off evil spirits)! 👻 Black was for evil, while white was for good.

J. Scottish Grim Reaper : Cu Sith

The Scottish God of Death is a giant green dog. The mere sight of him is a bad omen: a harbinger of death to come. It is said that he is capable of catching souls and taking them to the afterlife!

It is usually a silent creature when it hunts. However, legend has it that when he attacks, he always warns with three terrifying, heart-rending barks! By the time the barking sounds, if you are not in a safe place, you will be so terrified that it will cost you your life. This is literally the very definition of being scared to death! 😵

6) Routine of a Soul Reaper (History)

To finish this long article on the Great Reaper, we found a great story written by an English blogger named Terri Kue ! Welcome to the death routine, the perfect story to tell for Halloween:

Terri Kue
“I’m walking through the streets.
It’s daylight and the sun seems to be trying to blind me.
I wouldn’t be out if I had a choice, but people just have to die in the morning.
The clicking of my heels against the sidewalk echoes, though no one hears it but me.
As I walk, small animals avoid me, even though I’m sure they’re not able to see me.
I am not able to explain it, but animals seem to have the ability to sense me, while humans do not detect my presence.
This has always been the case, even with dinosaurs and those that preceded them.
This must be scary, I must admit, for these animals.
Throughout their lives, they are able to sense me, even when they are about to die and I am right next to them.
Living in fear of me all their lives, that must be hard.
Not that I care.
Anyway, today I am about to collect a human.
I quickly move my body and my long dress as a human runs along the sidewalk.
They aren’t able to see or smell me, but I certainly don’t appreciate being crossed.
I sigh in annoyance as I turn around and give them a dark look.
As I did, I smile as I watch a car run off the road and collide with a youngster.
I’m supposed to collect someone else’s soul, but I can always collect more along the way.
I laugh at the crying as I make my way to the wreckage, my shoes soaked in blood once more.
I watch the faces change from the horror.
I throw them a mocking smile, lift my scythe and forcefully collect the souls of the still breathing bodies.
I savor the anguished screams as his soul enters my body.
I look at the soulless body and the rubble surrounding it.
I sigh and turn around, continuing on my way.
It was a normal day, after all.
Nothing exciting at all.”

7) The Reaper is also on Rebel Skull !

If you’ve made it to the end of this article, you must be really passionate about all the myths and legends surrounding this unique spectre. And you know what? Rebel Skull offers many derivative products around the Grim Reaper: Tattoos, T-Shirts, Jewelry… a real panoply! 🤩

The Grim Reaper T-Shirt : a great classic that speaks volumes with its provocative look!
The Grim Reaper Skull Ring (Steel) : very worked jewel with the famous scythe that you now know better than anyone else on a unique 3D look that makes the difference!
The Reaper Hoodie : an exceptional style with a 3d design even more detailed than on film! And as a bonus, on all our articles, the delivery is offered to you with no minimum purchase amount! What to impress all your entourage.

Did you like this article ? Don’t hesitate to give us your feedback in the comments, and tell us your best stories about the soul collector!