Who is The Grim Reaper?

Death has existed in many societies since the beginning of history. Since the 15th century, it is shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large scythe and clothed in a black cloak with a hood.  It is sometimes called Angel of Death or Devil of Death.  Death is generally described as the spirit that guides the spirits of the dead to the afterlife rather than being a diabolical entity.

The Ancient Greeks do not view death as evil.  Death or Thanatos is often viewed as a bearded and winged man, but has also been portrayed as a young boy.  His twin brother Hypnos is the god of sleep.  His job is to escort the deceased to Hades in the underworld.  He hands over the dead to Charon, or “The Grim Reaper” as the Westerners will say.

To the Welsh, or British, he is Angeu.  A man in a hooded black robe, carrying a scythe, riding in a cart collecting the dead.

The Baltics view her as a ugly, old woman with a poisoness tongue. 

The Hindu scriptures call death, Yuma or Yama.  the “lord of death’ rides a black buffalo and carries a rope lasso to carry the soul back to his abode, called “Yamalok”.  Yama in Himduism and later became Yanluo in China and Enma in Japan. Enma rules the underworld, just as Hades did and decided your path, heaven or hell.

In Islam, Death is represented by Azra’il , Allah’s archangels.  Who is the Angel of Death? When God wanted to create Adam, he sent one of the Angels of the Throne to bring some of the Earth’s clay to fashion Adam from it. When the angel came to earth to take the clay, the earth told him: “I beseech you by the One Who sent you not to take anything from me to make someone who will be punished one day.” When the angel returned empty-handed, God asked him why he did not bring back any clay. The angel said: “The earth besought me by Your greatness not to take anything from it.” Then God sent another angel, and another to no avail.  God decided to send Azra’il, the Angel of Death. The earth spoke to him as it had spoken to the others, but Azra’il said: “Obedience to God is better than obedience to you, even if you beseech me by His greatness.” And Azra’il took clay from the Earth’s east and its west, its north and its south, and brought it back to God. God poured some water of paradise on this clay and it became soft, and from it He created Adam.

No matter what you believe or not believe, one fact is that Death is inescapable.  And each day we are one step closer to meeting the Grim Reaper.