The History of the Grim Reaper & the Deities of Death Around the World

Today we're taking a look the origin and history of the Grim Reaper as well as a look at the various deities and spirits of death from around the world.
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Intro Artwork by Markus Stadlober -

#mythology #grimreaper

[k_dawg]

"You can be a King or a Street Sweeper,
but everyone dances with the Grim Reaper"

[Hynotama]

I am a bit surprised that you didn't mention Death, the horseman of the Apocalypse. In recent years, popular culture blured the line between the reaper and the horseman from the Christian Bible. They are often portrayed to be the same entity.

[Azraelith]

Oh Death, the forgotten god... The force between light and dark... So beautiful and so ominous at the same time... ♡

[Mujahid_Mahmood]

For all those interested on some more names, some other gods relating to death include;
•Arawn — King of the Welsh Otherworld
•Yama — Vedic God of Death and Dharma (the precursor and origin of King Yan and Enma)
•Ah Puch (Alternatively: Ah Puach) — The Mayan God of Decay and the Ninth Hell
•Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl — The King and Queen duo Incharge of the Aztec Underworld
•Ereshkigal — Mesopotamian Goddess of the Underworld or Kur
•Nergal — Mesopotamian God of Inflicted death (Death by means of war, hunger, and disease)
•Mot — Canaanite God of the Dead and Death
•Veles — Slavic God of Magic, Volcanoes, and the Underworld (at times)
•Scàthach — Sometimes said to govern the Dead
•Februus — Etruscan God of purification and death
•Orcus — God of the Underworld, at times synonymous with Dis Pater
•Erlik (or Erlik Khan) — God of death and chaos to the ancient pagan Turks
•Manat — Pre-Islamic Arabian Goddes of Magic, fate, and death

[nichhodge]

Eating the food of the underworld comes up in Japanese lore too. In Greek mythology the reason Persephone had to spend half the year with Hades was because she ate the food of the afterlife

[JannaMcCue]

Nice job on this. Thanatos is a favorite of mine, as well as Hekate and Hel. I love the stories of the Chthonic deities

[georgehouliaras]

In Greece we have 3 different versions of Death, sort of.
1st and more common is Charon. In mythology, he was the ferryman of the dead. Ancient Greeks used to put a coin on the corpse of a dead family member so his soul can give the coin to Charon and cross the other side. Those without a coin were left behind by Charon and were doomed to wander forever until they found a coin. Even to this day, we Greeks refer to Charon in some of some profanities like Να σε πάρει ο Χάρος(Charon takes you) in English this may seem light but a very offensive phrase for us.
2nd is Thanatos which is literally the Greek word for Death(Θάνατος). He is the personification of Death but plays a very minor role in Greek mythology. It is the 3rd option that takes his place in all thing death related.
3rd is not a personification of death. Hades ruling his namesake realm, the realm of the dead. I don't think that I need to give any details about him. Everybody knows about him at that point.

[wcapewell]

Loved this video. Deities of death are my favourite in any mythology.

[DeWin]

One of my most favorite literary series is the Incarnations of Immortality, starting with Thanatos in On a Pale Horse, by Piers Anthony.

[jdsrcs]

The Reaper is such a great character. For myself I think my 2 favorite depictions of him are in Puss in Boots Last Wish, and on Regular Show.

[psychopompous]

Wow. I didn't realize that the Japanese Death personifications shared such striking similarities with Greek myth. Namely, Persephone and Hades.

[Elfan]

Seeing as Halloween is just around the corner, you should definitely make a video about this holiday 😊

[DrDipsht]

I have a tattoo of The Morrigan as it honors my celtic heritage but I also love its representation. I have a Brigid tattoo lol. I also have a grim reaper tattoo. It symbolizes my acceptance of the inevitable. I plan to have many more personifications of death tattoo'd on me as it's something that's always fascinated me from a philosophical perspective but also psychologically. "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds"

[SwampNymph]

According to the stories my parents told me, my departed loved ones have been visited by the souls of the already deceased to usher them into the life hereafter. I call that phenomenon “playing Grim Reaper”

[bmb]

Loved this! I really wish you would do a video on Hecate and The Morrigan! They both have fascinating stories!

[EUSilverleaf]

Oh, but I do miss the poems you recited, as when you did when you covered Anubis. Love the content. Appreciate it!

[sarahhurst]

The Grim Reaper, what an icon! And grimly so! Excellent topic, my friend! Quite timely too! Nicely comprehensive video, & brilliantly done!🔥💜🌍

[paigemoore]

Great video :) I most especially LOVE that You included the Ghede of Voodoo... They are my Guides & extremely protective & serve Justice ... Maman Brigette laughs while dealing punishment & gently smiles when healing or protecting

[ariesvixen]

I love world mythologies but they're so complicated sometimes, and this groups them together or transitions in ways that make sense as a whole rather than islands of info that never connect. So great how this takes myths from all across the world & time, then makes it interesting and easy to understand as well. Plus the corny jokes thrown in are my fave!😂

❤️ Thanks for another great video! Too often I'm just wasting time on my phone.. at least here I learn things!😅 I get more excited now about learning than I ever got while in school 😁😂

[ruyman]

A little bit of explanation for the Santa Muerte. It was created as an amalgamation of many things: mayan and aztec gods of death, the "unción de los muertos" meaning the preparation by the catholic church for terminal ill people, "dia de los muertos" as a celebration of our ancestors and family, the catrina, the image of "san pascualito" as you said, the veneration of the Virgin Mary, and the common folklore of the grim reaper from western Europe.
All this things combined created this entity of a death as a being not good or evil and in communion with God (which idea the catholic church rejects). It is adored as an alternative to the Virgin Mary (Virgen de Guadalupe). Is commonly prayed as means of protection from death and evil, and that's why it also prayed by Cartels members and criminals as a way to protect themselves because as you may know, the catholic church disapprove their way of living.