That said, there are others who choose Grim Reaper tattoos as a symbol of life rather than death. But instead of fearing it, people who get this kind of tattoo accepts this as a part of life that it’s not something we should be afraid of. The meaning often stays the same–death and its inevitability. However, there are also some people who get a tattoo of a Grim Reaper who didn’t have any traumatic pasts. It has become a sign that they were able to “cheat” death. Those who often get these Grim Reaper tattoos are people who have been through horrific accidents that could have ended their life. It may even change its meaning if there are other elements included in your design. But Grim Reaper tattoos can have varying meaning depending on the wearer. But today, they are very common among tattoo enthusiasts around the world.įor many, the Grim Reaper is merely a symbol of death. It’s still unsure where or when the first Grim Reaper tattoos were created. After all, death was a common concept when it came to art, and Grim Reapers were the face of Death. It’s not surprising when tattooing and body modifications got popular that Grim Reapers were a common choice as a design. The robe or the hooded cloak, meanwhile, is more associated with the robes that religious figures wore at the time whenever they conduct funeral services.Īfter the Black Death, art depicted Death as the Grim Reaper – a skeletal figure in a black hooded robe. The sharp blades of the scythe can cut out our lifeline when it’s time. We’re basically plucked from earth when we die. In a way, it should be a symbol of life, right? But, it’s also a great symbol of dying. Scythes are used to reap and harvest crops when they are ready to be eaten or produced. That’s why it was chosen as the symbol of death. The skeleton is what’s left of us when we die and our body decays. It was not surprising that people created an imagery of death and they chose the Grim Reaper. Known as the Black Death, millions of people died due to the plague which wiped out one-third of the continent’s population.ĭeath was all around. During this time, Europe was under the biggest and worst pandemic yet. Grim Reaper, also known as Death, was mainly believed to have appeared in Europe around the 14th century. That said, his association with time and harvest are believed to have conceived the symbolism of the Reaper’s hourglass and scythe.īut while many argue where the Reaper was really based off, the most popular origin story of Grim Reaper was during the worst time in humanity’s existence.

He carried a powerful scythe and was known as Father Time. However, some believed that Grim Reaper was more like the Greek god Chronos. Just like the Grim Reaper, he was also depicted as a skeletal figure wearing a black hooded cloak. He ushered souls of the death across the three mystical rivers of the Underworld in exchange for a golden coin or drachma. In Greek mythology, Charon was the ferryman in the Underworld. The Grim Reaper was believed to have been based off of Charon. Do All Tattoos Need to Have some Meaning?.

Grim reaper scythe tattoo