The Origins Of The Grim Reaper

Everybody’s heard of the Grim Reaper. I remember drawing an A3-sized one back in my early school years. I don't know why I chose that character, if I were to ask myself that question today, I would answer “because it makes me feel something”. 

Sewing and reaping go hand in hand, It is an interesting name the Grim Reaper but it also makes sense, the Grim Reaper reaps the souls of the dying or dead and of course, the reaping of souls from the dying is a grim thing that must be done. 

The book “The Victorian Book of the Dead” by Chris Woodyard, says that the imagery of the skeleton with the scythe goes back to the Middle Ages; there is a 14th-century image of a skeleton reaping victims of the Black Death. The skeleton in the robe however dates back to the 15th century, but the classic grim reaper we know today is primarily a 19th-century image. This example can be found in the illustrations by John Leech of ‘The Ghost Yet to Come’ in ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens.

I can see where all the modern illustrations get their inspiration from now. Also, it is a tad more terrifying to dream of a black hooded form coming for me in the night than it is to see an ivory-white skeleton, if I saw the latter I might think of Spooky Spooky Skeletons… Or maybe not.

When Thinking of antique Victorian-era jewellery, I can imagine skeletons, I can imagine Memento Mori, I can imagine coffins, I can't imagine the Grim Reaper however. I think this links back to the purpose of mourning jewellery (which is different to Momento Mori). I feel that mourning jewellery’s purpose was very subjective and closely linked to a loved one who had passed. Memento Mori, however, was supposed to be a reminder of death, to encourage people to live life to its fullest, not to scare people into cowering away from everyday life, awaiting the day for the Grim Reaper to come and collect one’s soul. I need to do more research on the whole idea of Momento Mori…