Mythology Behind The Grim Reaper.

Hi all, today, I would like to share with you the origins of The Grim Reaper. I am sure some of you may want to turn away, if you need to go ahead. For the rest of you who have stuck with me, no more interruptions, let’s go. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary has a few words for us. They define “grim” as, “fierce in disposition or action”, “stern or forbidding in action or appearance”, and “ghastly, repellent, or sinister in character”. The same dictionary defines “reaper” as “one that reaps”. And finally Merriam Webster’s defines “reaps” as “to cut with a sickle, scythe, or reaping machine”, “to gather by reaping”, and “obtain/win”. Now that we have our grammar lesson let’s hear some stories.

Personification Of Death

The Grim Reaper is the personification of death, in most cultures. In the Middle East the God of Death (Mot) was the personification of the Canaanites (an ancient civilization that resided in the Ancient Near East circa 2nd millennium B.C.) . They believed that before becoming the God of Death, he was the son of the king of Gods (El), who in his rage at loosing a contest to the storm God Ba’al, eats him. Mot is then split in half by Ba’al’s sister ‘Anat (a warrior). After some time both Gods are healed of their injuries and resume fighting. This time they are intercepted by Shapash (the sun Goddess). She offers a truce and a warning to…