why is death depicted as the grim reaper?

Answer 1

Because the Pillsbury Dough Boy didn't look tough enough.

Answer 2

The Grim Reaper is Death with a capital D. He is perhaps the most recognized entity of all time, neither ghost nor god; the Grim Reaper is a psychopomp who’s job is to conduct the souls of the recently dead into the afterlife. He is often depicted as a tall pale skeletal figure shrouded in a long, dark, black hooded cloak wielding a scythe which he uses to harvest souls with, although some accounts say he just touches the person to pop their soul so they don’t feel pain when they die. When he moves, he seemingly glides rather than walking. The Grim Reaper is known for not saying much, always having a grin on his face, and of course being the main focus of attention in whatever room he is in. He is able to turn his head completely around a la Linda Blair so that he can survey his domain; The Reaper must be vigilant lest someone try to cheat him.

He rides in a rickety old coach drawn by white horses that makes a god awful noise due to the stones he carries in it. When he takes someone’s soul, he drops off a stone. The Grim Reaper is not an omnipresent personification of death in charge of the entire world, but rather each area has their own Grim Reaper who serves as the Grim Reaper of the area until such a time as they find a replacement.

Decorations of him haunt tombs and graves, often with the engraving of “Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar and Thief…You will one day be were I am.” In some artwork the Grim Reaper is portrayed locked in embrace of Life (often pictured as a young woman.) The point is that life and death are connected and that life is as fleeting as the sweet bloom of youth.

The origins of the Grim Reaper go back far into the past and he was known by many names. In old Celtic folklore he was known as L’Ankou, sometimes called Father Time. To the Greeks he was known as Cronus and the Romans called him Saturn.

The Grim Reaper can teach us much. He serves as a reminder that life is short and to make the best of every day (eat dessert first and dance now), to cut away the dead wood and move ahead. The Grim Reaper also reminds us to care for out dearly departed. Go to the cemetery and care and lovelying tend a grave; go to a funeral and speak. Remember those you miss, however painful.

Answer 3

To reap is to collect a harvest. The harvest of the souls of the dead is a very grim business indeed.

A much more human look at the grim reaper or DEATH can be found in the Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. I recommend them highly.

Answer 4

I know the real answer to that: it goes back to Greek mythology. The grim reaper comes from the Greek god Chronus, who, unhappy and rebelous, castrated his father Uranus with a sickle. Before he died, Uranus told his son that he, too, would have a son who would be his destruction. That is why he became fearful and "grim." He became so defensive that he ate alive each of his children as soon as they were born. One, through a trick played by his mother, escaped this fate---Zeus. He eventually did rise up and defeat his father, just as predicted, and became King of the gods.

Answer 5

When the reaper was swung in the days of old it was at the end of harvest. To reap is to collect.
Sometimes collecting is a grim job.

Answer 6

Human Beings were never suppose to die.
Adam let Death into the Creation.
Death is the last enemy that will be destroyed in the lake of fire.
Then, we will live---a looooonnnggg time.
Ditto.......

Answer 7

its natural to fear the unknown
plus the ego takes credit for everything
and is full of pride
like a control freak
so death is its ultimate reliquishing of control
funny how we are not scared to go to sleep though

Answer 8

if death was depicted as a big white bunny, people wouldn't take him seriously...

Answer 9

it's both a frightening and an awe-invoking image. there also something naturalistic about it...that he comes to reap when it is someone's "time" ->implying that that there is a time when a person is ready to die.