Smiffys Grim Reaper Scythe

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Thanatos: In Greek mythology, Thanatos is the personification of death and the brother of Hypnos, the god of sleep. He was thought to be merciless and cruel and often appears as a flying youth carrying a sword. Bicep tattoos are great for someone who wants to draw attention to their muscles. The placement is ideal for men and women, but the bicep is considered a traditionally masculine part of the body and is often associated with masculine energy and strength. The grim reaper design will look good here, and there is enough space to allow for detailing. The visibility of the bicep also makes it a popular choice for those who want to show off their tattoo, but it can be just as easily covered up. Tattoos here usually age well because they are not directly exposed to sunlight and will not fade as fast.

Scythe. In early renderings, the Reaper is shown holding arrows, darts, spears or crossbows. These are the weapons he uses to strike down his victim. Over time, a scythe came to replace these other instruments of death. A scythe was a tool used to reap, or cut, grain or grass. Bringing this imagery to death was a natural extension of an agrarian society in which harvesting, done in the fall, represented the death of another year. Just as we harvest our crops, so does death harvest souls for their journey into the afterlife. The Grim Reaper is a psychopomp: a creature (in this case, roughly human in form) that guides departed souls to the afterlife. Throughout history, there have been numerous psychopomps, from other human versions to animals, like ravens. Koppen, Jean and Gretchen Anderson. "Thoughts on the Afterlife Among U. S. Adults 50+." Research report on AARP. June 2007. (Jan. 6, 2009)http://www.aarp.org/research/endoflife/death-dying/afterlife.html

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For thousands of years, various cultures have had figures to represent death. One of the most common and enduring of these is the Grim Reaper—usually a skeletal figure, who is often shrouded in a dark, hooded robe and carrying a scythe to “reap” human souls. But how and when did this imagery come to be associated with death? Death as a figure that takes lives with the scythe has been around for a long time, but the name Grim Reaper is more modern. a b Cassuto, U. (1962). "Baal and Mot in the Ugaritic Texts". Israel Exploration Journal. 12 (2): 81–83. JSTOR 27924890. From this came associations of death with love, leading to its portrayal as a bridegroom of young maidens during the Renaissance period.

During the historic ceremony that was televised live, a cloaked figure was spotted scurrying beneath the rood screen of the abbey, holding what looked to be a long staff, although some people described it as a scythe, something that the Grim Reaper would be holding. Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including the Fallen Angels, Free Press, pp.64–65, ISBN 978-0029070505 Ultimately, this is the "job" of the Grim Reaper -- to put a human face on the concept of death. But why did humans feel compelled to make the Grim Reaper, well, so grim? Why not make him a friendly and helpful guide to the underworld? And why, for that matter, does he have to be a guy?But any way you slice it, just a monumental amount of death causing economic, psychosocial, and cultural effects on the population, turning death into a humanoid figure, "Death, why he's just like us," may have been a way to help us cope. Death appears in "The Tale of Three Brothers" in J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a collection of fairytales featured in her Harry Potter series. Three brothers avoid Death and Death, furious at being avoided, offers the brothers gifts. Two of these gifts, the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone, lead to the first two brothers' deaths. The third brother, gifted with the Invisibility Cloak avoids Death until old age, where he then goes with Death like an old friend. These gifts became the Deathly Hallows. [50] Azrael: Azrael plays a role in Jewish and Christian mythology, but he primarily acts as a psychopomp in Islamic tradition. According to Islamic mythology, Azrael escorts each and every soul directly to Allah. Aeron (U) (Welsh origin) meaning “slaughter” or “ carnage,” portrayed as a male god of death in Welsh mythology.

The reaper holds a significant place in history and in all cultures. Because death is inescapable, there has been a need to explain the concept which led to the personification. This helped people in the past to explain certain circumstances that occurred around them. It also helped them cope with the loss of loved ones and those who felt they got the rewards of their bad deeds. In every culture, religion, belief and in all through history, there is a mention or reference to the reaper or something similar in traits. A verger is a member of the abbey community who assists with religious services, but who is not actually a member of the clergy, he is a layperson. He is basically a glorified caretaker or attendant in the abbey or other such place of worship.

Bender, A. P. (July 1894). "Beliefs, Rites, and Customs of the Jews, Connected with Death, Burial, and Mourning". The Jewish Quarterly Review. 6 (4): 664–671. doi: 10.2307/1450184. JSTOR 1450184. Browse 1828 => Word SITHE:: Search the 1828 Noah Webster's Dictionary of the English Language". 1828.mshaffer.com. 2012-06-03 . Retrieved 2012-06-03. Around the world, people evoked the dramatic figure to emphasize high death tolls by the global pandemic or as a warning of what might meet someone who fails to recognize the significant dangers of the virus.