# Reaper, Grimm Reaper **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503 "2001-08-16T03:10:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hippy144](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90db22/32.png) [@Hippy144](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy144)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/1 "2001-08-16T03:10:19Z")
So what religion does the Grimm Reaper belong to? I heard he might be from German Mythology, but I haven’t been able to find anything conclueding that. And even if he is from German Mythology, why is it so common in cartoons and such? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/2 "2001-08-16T05:41:43Z")
The Grim Reaper (one m, this is why it was difficult to find) came, most likely, from Greek mythology: [http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html](http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html) The god Cronus, the measurer of time, morphed into Death. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/3 "2001-08-16T11:17:20Z")
**Ch** ronos, time, is not the same as the Titan **C** ronus, the father of the gods. It is possible that they are related (or confused): From the linked article: > [@](#): > > Also note that the origins of words in Ancient Greek are uncertain. It could be that Chronus and Cronus were supposed to be the same thing originally, or that Cronus originally did mean crow. We don’t have enough information on the beliefs of the pre-Greeks to know if Cronus was intended to be a crow or not. Many people think the three words coming together was just a silly coincidence, but there’s no firm proof one way or another. If refering to _time_, it is safer to always use the initial _chi_, Chronos. When refering to the Titan, it is safer to use Cronus (or, more in keeping with the Greek, which had the _kappa_, but no letter “C”, Kronos). ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/4 "2001-08-16T14:27:56Z")
Here’s an interesting tidbit: I was told that the Grim Reaper was often portrayed as being Arabic (or at least from a desertey eastern climate). I was told this is why he is often wearing sandles. I have no idea why, or if this is even true. Anyone care to corroborate? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/5 "2001-08-16T14:44:16Z")
I’ve never heard that, although in ancient times, sandals were pretty common footwear for many people around the Mediterranean, inculding the Greeks. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/6 "2001-08-16T16:02:05Z")
Baby New Year is portrayed in old illos as having a hourglass & sickle (you know what I mean, but I can’t recall how to spell “sythe”). The Old Year also is seen with farm implement & hourglass. Then, Death is a skeleton with farm implement & hourglass. Too much to be a co-incidence. Connections? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/7 "2001-08-16T16:30:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor \* > **but I can’t recall how to spell "sythe"** Don’t let the **sc** ythe **sc** are you. You can _see_ it, but it’s _silent_. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/9 "2020-03-02T19:10:26Z")
Grim Zombie? ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/10 "2020-03-02T23:31:11Z")
[The usual source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_(personification)#The_Low_Countries) hints at a Low Countries origin of the blade-bearing Reaper: > [@](#): > > In the [low counties] the personification of Death is known as Magere Hein (“Meager Hein”) or Pietje de Dood (“Peter the Death”)… Related archaic terms [include] **Maaijeman (“mow-man”, a reference to his scythe).** > > The concept of Magere [skeleton] Hein predates Christianity… So Death reaped before Xians polluted Belgium and Nederlands. My rough searches reveal no other presumed sources of the Reaper. The scythe itself seem to have originated in a [neolithic Ukranian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cucuteni%E2%80%93Trypillia_culture) culture circa 5000 BCE so I wonder if death-reaper personification sprang forth there also. Once Death harvests a life, what next? Anything? Lacking evidence, we can only fantasize. Death’s trophy skulls become goblets, bowling balls, bricks, votive holders, whatever. The Grim Reaper’s closet is filled with skins to don for parties. Harvested heads sing in a cosmic chorus e.g. the Big Bang’s background frequency. Or maybe the dead are put to work keeping the Fatal Scythe sharp and clean. Failure is no option. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/11 "2020-03-02T23:43:47Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Baby New Year is portrayed in old illos as having a hourglass & sickle (you know what I mean, but I can’t recall how to spell “sythe”) You forgot the “l”. ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/12 "2020-03-02T23:53:34Z")
The Grim Reaper and zombies, a natural pairing. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/13 "2020-03-02T23:55:39Z")
> [@Hippy144](#): > > why is it so common in cartoons and such? To belatedly answer this question, I think it’s because cartoons require readily identifiable personifications of abstract concepts like death. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/14 "2020-03-03T00:07:37Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > The Grim Reaper (one m, this is why it was difficult to find) came, most likely, from Greek mythology: > > [http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html](http://www.mythology.com/cronus.html) > > The god Cronus, the measurer of time, morphed into Death. The actual Greek god of death was Thanatos, who typically carried a sword and an upside-down extinguished torch. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/15 "2020-03-03T00:29:53Z")
The reaper comes as an early avatar of harvest based cultures. You are the stalk of grain. The reaper comes across the field, taking slow steps, but inevitably arriving to swing the scythe and cut you down. If you have ever watched an experienced reaper work, it’s easy to see why he represents the inevitability of death. Rhythmic, slow, but inevitable. (A good one leaves no stalk standing behind him in the field.) The dark cowled robe is the grim aspect. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/16 "2020-03-03T00:59:09Z")
“That’s an interesting technique you use, cutting one blade of grass at a time.” WHAT OTHER WAY IS THERE? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/17 "2020-03-03T02:41:53Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > The actual Greek god of death was Thanatos, who typically carried a sword and an upside-down extinguished torch. His modern incarnation is Jeff Probst. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/18 "2020-03-03T18:56:51Z")
I’ve read in a few books of Jewish folklore that rather than a scythe, death is thought of as carrying the same a knife used to ritually slaughter livestock. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/19 "2020-03-03T20:15:13Z")
Well, that’s cast rather a gloom over the evening, hasn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/20 "2020-03-03T20:17:44Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, that’s cast rather a gloom over the evening, hasn’t it? I think I get the reference " It was . . . the salmon mousse!" ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503/21 "2020-03-03T23:08:17Z")
Going back to Greek mythology, Atropos used scissors/shears to cut the threads of life. Kinda lot of redundancy in Greek myth, huh? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reaper-grimm-reaper/76503.md?page=2)