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His task was to accompany the deceased to Hades, the Greek afterlife. Thanatos is depicted with wings and a smouldering flame in some illustrations. Thanatos was the deity of sleep’s twin brother, Hypnos, and both were depicted as young, pleasant men.
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That was the Greeks’ approach, and death was given the moniker Thanatos. Chronos eating his offspring was a lyrical metaphor for time devouring everything, as in the old adage “nothing lasts forever.” Why not make death nice if you’re going to give it a human face? Credit: ArtStation Chronus and Cronus are combined to become the Grim Reaper, who wields a scythe. Cronus was a harvest god who wielded a sickle, an instrument used in grain harvesting. Read More: Azazel: The Yellow-Eyed Prince of Hell Greek concept of DeathĬhronos, often known as Father Time, was the monarch of the titans and the father of Zeus in Greek mythology. Thousands of souls are transported with each scythe movement. The scythe is a symbol of Death reaping the souls of sinners, much like a peasant harvesting corn in his field. It’s worth noting that the deceased body was never wrapped in a black sheet or shroud instead, the winding sheet or shroud was always white. Death’s robe, also known as the black mourning robe, dates back to the early fourteenth century and is remarkably similar to the robe worn by the priest or monk who presided at the deathbed. Credit: ArtStationĭeath is known as the Grim Reaper in modern European folklore, and is shown wearing a dark hooded cloak and holding a scythe. Harvesters used scythes to reap or harvest crops that were ready to be picked from the ground… And, well, that’s what happens when humans die: they’re removed from this planet. The gown is said to be reminiscent of the robes worn by religious dignitaries during burial ceremonies at the time. Read More: Lilith Is The Mother of All Demons Why is Death Skeletal?īut what is the significance of the skeletal figure? What is the significance of the scythe? What is the significance of the robe? Skeletons are symbols of death, depicting the decomposed human body. Death was certainly on the minds of the surviving Europeans, and it is hardly unexpected that they drew up an image to represent it. The first plague outbreak happened between 13, and outbreaks recurred multiple times after that. The epidemic is said to have killed around one-third of Europe’s population, with some sections of the continent suffering significantly higher losses than others. During this time, Europe was suffering with the Black Death, the world’s worst pandemic at the time, which was thought to be the outcome of the plague. During the 14th century, the Grim Reaper is said to have appeared throughout Europe.