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Death in mythological portrayals Several mythologies had gods who embodied Death or aspects of Death: Hindu mythology In the Hindu scriptures known collectively as 'Vedas', the lord of death is called Yama, or Yamaraj (literally "the lord of death"). Yamaraja rides a black buffalo and carries a rope lasso to carry the soul back to his abode called "Yamaloka". It is his agents, the Yamaduts, who carry the souls back to Yamalok. Here, all the accounts of the person's good and bad deeds are stored and maintained by Chitragupta, which allow Yamaraj to decide where the soul has to reside in his next life, following the theory of reincarnation. It is believed that souls may experience re-birth in hellish, or heavenly worlds on returning to the Earth again, depending upon their actions having been of a good or bad nature in this lifetime. The ones who practice good karma and bhakti throughout their lives are granted Moksha, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and all the suffering and limitation entailed in embodied worldly existence. Yama is also mentioned in the Mahabharata as a great philosopher and devotee of Sri Krishna. In Japan In Kojiki, after giving birth to the fire-god Hinokagutsuchi, the goddess Izanami dies from wounds of its fire and enters the perpetual night realm called Yominokuni that the gods thereto retire. After Izanagi, her husband, failed in the attempt to reclaim her from the land of Yomi, in a brief argument with Izanagi, she claimed to take 1000 lives every day signifying her position as the goddess of death. Another popular death personification is Enma (Yama), also known as Enma Ou and Enma Daiou (Enma King, Enma Great King — translations of Yama Rājā). He originated as Yama in Hinduism, later became Yanluo in China, and Enma in Japan. He is from Chinese Buddhism, and before that, from India. Enma rules the underworld, which makes him similar to Hades, and he decides whether someone dead goes to heaven or to hell. A common saying parents use in Japan to scold children is that Enma will cut off their tongue in the afterlife if they lie. There are also death gods called shinigami, which are closer to the Western tradition of the Grim Reaper. Shinigami (often plural) are common in modern Japanese arts and fiction, and essentially absent from traditional mythology. In Slavic paganism Old Slavic tribes viewed Death as a woman in white clothes, with a never-fading green sprout in her hand. The touch of the sprout would put a human to an everlasting sleep. This image survived Christianization well into the Middle Ages, only being replaced by the more traditional European image of a walking skeleton as late as in the 15th century. Death (angels) in religion
Form and functions The angel of death was created by God on the first day (Tan. on Gen. xxxix. 1). His dwelling is in heaven, whence he reaches earth in eight flights, whereas pestilence reaches it in one (Ber. 4b). He has twelve wings ( xiii). "Over all people have I surrendered thee the power," said God to the angel of death, "only not over this one which has received freedom from death through the Law" (Tan. to Ex. xxxi. 18; ed. Stettin, p. 315). It is said of the angel of death that he is full of eyes. In the hour of death he stands at the head of the departing one with a drawn sword, to which clings a drop of gall. As soon as the dying man sees the angel, he is seized with a convulsion and opens his mouth, whereupon the angel throws the drop into it. This drop causes his death; he turns putrid, and his face becomes yellow ('Ab. Zarah 20b; in detail, Jellinck, "B. H." i. 150; on putrefaction see also Pesiḳ. 54b; for the eyes compare Ezek. i. 18 and Rev. iv. 6). The expression "to taste of death" originated in the idea that death was caused by a drop of gall ("Jew. Quart. Rev." vi. 327). The soul escapes through the mouth, or, as is stated in another place, through the throat; therefore the angel of death stands at the head of the patient (Jellinek, l.c. ii. 94, Midr. Teh. to Ps. xi.). When the soul forsakes the body its voice goes from one end of the world to the other, but is not heard (Gen. R. vi. 7; Ex. R. v. 9; xxxiv.). The drawn sword of the angel of death, mentioned by the Chronicler (I. Chron. xxi. 15; comp. Job xv. 22; Enoch lxii. 11), indicates that the angel of death was figured as a warrior who kills off the children of men. "Man, on the day of his death, falls down before the angel of death like a beast before the slaughterer" (Grünhut, "", v. 102a). R. Samuel's father (c. 200) said: "The angel of death said to me, 'Only for the sake of the honor of mankind do I not tear off their necks as is done to slaughtered beasts'" ('Ab. Zarah 20b). In later representations the knife sometimes replaces the sword, and reference is also made to the cord of the angel of death, which indicates death by throttling. Moses says to God: "I fear the cord of the angel of death" (Grünhut, l.c. v. 103a et seq.). Of the four Jewish methods of execution three are named in connection with the angel of death: burning (by pouring hot lead down the victim's throat-- similar to the drop of gall), slaughtering (by beheading), and throttling. The angel of death administers the particular punishment which God has ordained for the commission of sin. A peculiar mantle ("idra"-according to Levy, "Neuhebr. Wörterb." i. 32, a sword) belongs to the equipment of the angel of death (Eccl. R. iv. 7). The angel of death takes on the particular form which will best serve his purpose; e.g., he appears to a scholar in the form of a beggar imploring pity ( 28a). "When pestilence rages in the town, walk not in the middle of the street, because the angel of death i.e., pestilence strides there; if peace reigns in the town, walk not on the edges of the road. When pestilence rages in the town, go not alone to the synagogue, because there the angel of death stores his tools. If the dogs howl, the angel of death has entered the city; if they make sport, the prophet Elijah has come" ( 60b). The "destroyer" ("") in the daily prayer is the angel of death (Ber. 16b). Midr. Ma'ase Torah (compare Jellinek, "B. H." ii. 98) says: "There are six angels of death: Gabriel over kings; over youths; Mashbir over animals; over children; Af and over man and beast." Death and Satan The angel of death, who is identified by some with Satan, immediately after his creation had a dispute with God as to the light of the Messiah ( 161b). When Eve touched the tree of knowledge, she perceived the angel of death, and thought: "Now I shall die, and God will create another wife for Adam" ( xiii., end; compare Targum Yer. to Gen. iii. 6, and i. § 25). Adam also had a conversation with the angel of death (Böklen, "Die Verwandtschaft der Jüdisch-Christlichen mit der Parsischen Eschatologie," p. 12). The angel of death sits before the face of the dead (Jellinek, l.c. ii. 94). While Abraham was mourning for Sarah the angel appeared to him, which explains why "Abraham stood up from before his dead" (Gen. xxiii. 3; Gen. R. lviii. 5, misunderstood by the commentators). Samuel told Sarah that Abraham had sacrificed Isaac in spite of his wailing, and Sarah died of horror and grief ( xxxii.). It was Moses who most often had dealings with the angel. At the rebellion of Korah, Moses saw him (Num. R. v. 7; Bacher, l.c. iii. 333; compare Sanh. 82a). It was the angel of death in the form of pestilence which snatched away 15,000 every year during the wandering in the wilderness (ib. 70). When Moses reached heaven, the angel told him something (Jellinek, l.c. i. 61). When the angel of death came to Moses and said, "Give me thy soul," Moses called to him: "Where I sit thou hast no right to stand." And the angel retired ashamed, and reported the occurrence to God. Again, God commanded him to bring the soul of Moses. The angel went, and, not finding him, inquired of the sea, of the mountains, and of the valleys; but they knew nothing of him (Sifre, Deut. 305). Really, Moses did not die through the angel of death, but through God's kiss (""); i.e., God drew his soul out of his body (B. B. 17a; compare Abraham in Apocryphal and Rabbinical Literature, and parallel references in Böklen, l.c. p. 11). Legend seizes upon the story of Moses' struggle with the angel of death, and expands it at length (Tan., ed. Stettin, pp. 624 et seq.; Deut. R. ix., xi.; Grünhut, l.c. v. 102b, 169a). As Benaiah bound Ashmedai (Jew. Encyc. ii. 218a), so Moses binds the angel of death that he may bless Israel ( 199, where "lifne moto" Deut. xxxiii. 1 is explained as meaning "before the angel of death"). Solomon once noticed that the angel of death was grieved. When questioned as to the cause of his sorrow he answered: "I am requested to take your two beautiful scribes." Solomon at once charged the demons to convey his scribes to Luz, where the angel of death could not enter. When they were near the city, however, they both died. The angel laughed on the next day, whereupon Solomon asked the cause of his mirth. "Because," answered the angel, "thou didst send the youths thither, whence I was ordered to fetch them" (Suk. 53a). In the next world God will let the angel of death fight against Pharaoh, Sisera, and Sennacherib (, Isa. 428). The teaching of God shields one from the power of the angel of death. The children of Israel have accepted the Torah only in order that the angel may have no power over them ('Ab. Zarah 5a). Since death results only from sin, it can not, of course, come to those who live in accordance with the Torah. Although the sentence of mortality once pronounced could never be recalled ('Ab. Zarah 5a), yet the angel of death may not visit teachers of the Law; he is rather their friend (ib. 35b), and even imparts learning to them (Ber. 51a). Scholars and the Angel of Death Talmud teachers of the fourth century associate quite familiarly with him. When he appeared to one on the street, the teacher reproached him with rushing upon him as upon a beast; whereupon the angel called upon him at his house. To another he granted a respite of thirty days, that he might put his knowledge in order before entering the next world. To a third he had no access, because he could not interrupt the study of the Talmud. To a fourth he showed a rod of fire, whereby he is recognized as the angel of death (M. K. 28a). He often entered the house of Bibi and conversed with him ( 4b). Often he resorts to strategy in order to interrupt and seize his victim (B. M. 86a; Mak. 10a). The death of Joshua ben Levi in particular is surrounded with a web of fable. When the time came for him to die and the angel of death appeared to him, he demanded to be shown his place in paradise. When the angel had consented to this, he demanded the angel's knife, that the angel might not frighten him by the way. This request also was granted him, and Joshua sprang with the knife over the wall of paradise; the angel, who is not allowed to enter paradise, caught hold of the end of his garment. Joshua swore that he would not come out, and God declared that he should not leave paradise unless he was absolved from his oath; if not absolved, he was to remain. The angel of death then demanded back his knife, but Joshua refused. At this point a heavenly voice ("") rang out: "Give him back the knife, because the children of men have need of it" (Ket. 77b; Jellinek, l.c. ii. 48-51; Bacher, l.c. i. 192 et seq.). Rabbinic Views The Rabbis found the angel of death mentioned in Psalms lxxxix. 45 (A. V. 48), where the Targum translates: "There is no man who lives and, seeing the angel of death, can deliver his soul from his hand". Eccl. viii. 4 is thus explained in Midrash Rabbah to the passage: "One may not escape the angel of death, nor say to him, 'Wait until I put my affairs in order,' or 'There is my son, my slave: take him in my stead.'" Where the angel of death appears there is no remedy (Talmud, Ned. 49a; Hul. 7b). If one who has sinned has confessed his fault, the angel of death may not touch him (Midrash Tanhuma, ed. Buber, 139). God protects from the angel of death (Midrash Genesis Rabbah lxviii.). By acts of benevolence the anger of the angel of death is overcome; when one fails to perform such acts the angel of death will make his appearance (, viii.). The angel of death receives his order from God (Ber. 62b). As soon as he has received permission to destroy, however, he makes no distinction between good and bad ( 60a). In the city of Luz the angel of death has no power, and when the aged inhabitants are ready to die they go outside the city ( 46b; compare Sanh. 97a). A legend to the same effect existed in Ireland in the Middle Ages ("Jew. Quart. Rev." vi. 336). In Christianity Death is personified occasionally in the New Testament. The first such reference is perhaps Acts 2:24 - "But God raised Him Jesus from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." Later passages, however, are much more explicit. Romans 5 speaks of Death as having "reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses," and various passages in the Epistles speak of Christ's work on the Cross and His Resurrection as a confrontation with Death. Such verses include Rom. 6:9 and 2 Tim. 1:10. Despite Jesus' victory over it, Death is still viewed as enduring in Scripture. 1 Cor. 15:26 asserts, "The last enemy to be destroyed is death," which implies that Death has not been destroyed once and for all. This assertion later proves true in the Book of Revelation. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews declares that Satan "holds the power of death" (Heb. 2:14), perhaps equating the two. It is written that the Son became human that by his death he might destroy the devil; this is the head of the Beast referred to as, "One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed." (Rev. 13:3) If the head that was fatally wounded but healed refers to Death, this accords with 2 Tim. 1:10, which states that Jesus "has destroyed death," and the implication that death was yet to be destroyed in 1 Cor. 15:26. But it could alternately refer to the Devil separately, who was also said to have been destroyed, and yet has revived. That is, whether Death is the Devil or an agent of Satan is unclear. The final destruction of Death is referenced by Paul in the fifteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians; he says that after the general resurrection, the prophecies of Isaiah 25:8 and Hosea 13:14 - "He will swallow up death forever," and "Where, O death, is your sting?" (Septuagint), will be fulfilled. According to Paul, the power of Death lies in sin, which is made possible by the Law, but God "gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." That victory over Death is prophetically revealed in the Revelation of John, discussed below. In the visions of John, Death is personified as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Rev. 6:8 reads, "I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth." In Rev. 20:13-14, in the vision of Judgment of the dead, it is written, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death." This describes the destruction of the last enemy. After this, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev. 21:4) In Roman Catholicism, the archangel Michael is viewed as the angel of death, carrying the souls of the deceased to Heaven. There, he balances them in his scales (one of his symbols). He is said to give the dying souls the chance to redeem themselves before passing as well. In Mexico, a popular Catholic "cult" regards the personification of death as a saint, known as Santa Muerte. The figure is uncanonized and the Church refuses to acknowledge its existence. In Islam Death, as of one of Allah's angels, is spoken of in the Qur'an: The angel of death, who has been charged with you, will gather you; then to your Lord you will be returned. (32:11). He is traditionally known by the name of "Izrail" (not to be confused with Israel, which is a name in Islam solely for Prophet Ya'qoob/Jacob), the English form of which is Azrael. He is charged with the task of separating and returning from the bodies the souls of people who are to be recalled permanently from the physical world back to the primordial spiritual world. This is a process whose aspect varies depending on the nature and past deeds of the individual in question, and some suggest that Azrael is also accompanied by helpers or associates. Apart from the characteristics and responsibilities he has in common with other angels in Islam, little else concerning Azrael can be derived from fundamental Muslim texts. Many references are made in various Muslim legends, however, some of which are included in books authored by Muslim poets and mystics. For instance, the following tale is in the Masnavi, written by the well-known Maulana Rumi: Death as a fictional character The character of Death is typically depicted in the West as wearing a dark hooded cloak and wielding a scythe. In many icons of the resurrection of Jesus, Death is portrayed as a skeleton who is bound hand and foot lying amid other bones under the earth. In Eastern Orthodox theology, Death is one of humanity's three enemies; the other two are sin and the Devil. This figure of Death is also known as the Grim Reaper. Death, in this guise, appears also on one of the Tarot arcana. While in Germanic folklore, including English, Death is male (der Tod), in Latin folklore it is female (la muerte, la mort). In Mexico, death is sometimes referred upon as La Calaca, a skull-like character that comes and takes people away when they die. The allegorical figure of Death appears many times in the works of Albrecht Dürer and Terry Pratchett. Pratchett's Death is substantially different in that he is, as mentioned in the Discworld Compendium, "on our side" against the ruthless Auditors, personifications of cosmic Law, and he has an unexplained affection for kittens. To contrast with the normally dark and antagonistic classical depictions of Death, many comedies portray him as a somewhat sympathetic character, an average Joe who's simply doing a necessary and unpleasant job, such as the film Death Takes A Holiday and the cartoon The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. A skateboarding company named Blind has a logo that is supposed to resemble the Grim Reaper. List of works using Death as a fictional character Death in popular fiction The character of Death has recurred many times in popular fiction. He has made appearances in many stories, from serious dramatic fiction to comedy, including playing roles in science fiction and fantasy stories. Movies Death appears in Woody Allen's Love and Death and Deconstructing Harry as well as his play Death Knocks. Death Takes a Holiday was a 1934 film directed by Mitchell Leisen, and written by Maxwell Anderson. Death (Fredric March as Prince Sirki) decides to take a holiday from his usual business to see how the mortals live. Complications ensue as those who should have died do not. Death Takes a Holiday was remade in the 1998 film Meet Joe Black, directed by Martin Brest and starring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. While Meet Joe Black touches briefly on the consequences of a world where Death is not doing his job, its focus is on Death's experience as a human, and on the personal relationships within the family he chooses to stay with. In 1957, Swedish director Ingmar Bergman made The Seventh Seal, an influential (and heavily symbolic) movie depicting one of the most famous moments in the fictional portrayal of Death. In the movie, a medieval knight plays a game of chess with Death, with the knight's life depending upon the outcome of the game. The concept of playing games with Death has been used (and spoofed) many times since Bergman's movie. A 1968 short film called The Dove deliberately spoofed this famous movie scene, a young couple challenge Death to a game of badminton. Woody Allen has written a short story in which Death loses a game of gin rummy after clumsily entering a man's apartment and trying to cow him into going quietly. Bob Burden's surrealist comic book, "The Flaming Carrot", features a cover in which the title character rejects Death's offer of playing chess and suggests instead lawn darts. In The Sims, a player can sometimes win back a recently-deceased Sim by challenging Death to rock-paper-scissors. In the 1991 comedy Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Death is played by William Sadler After the witless protagonists are killed by their evil robot counterparts, Death comes to collect them. Bill and Ted give Death a wedgie(melvined) and run away. Later, after they accidentally get sent to Hell, the duo find Death again. Death tells them that they can challenge him to a contest, and if they win, they will be brought back to life. Bill and Ted beat Death at Battleship, Clue, and Twister. Death stubbornly demands a rematch after each loss. After he accepts his defeat Death takes Bill and Ted to Heaven to find the greatest scientist in the Universe: a pair of Martians known as "Station." By the end of the movie, Bill and Ted find that Death isn't evil; he's just an okay guy doing his job, and Death becomes the bass player for their rock band, Wyld Stallyns. In the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Last Action Hero, the character of Death from Bergman's Seventh Seal is brought into the real world temporarily, played by Ian McKellen. In the short-lived TV series Big Wolf on Campus the main character goes on a frantic gaming spree in which he loses several games to Death, a reverse-spoof of Bill and Ted, as well as Ingmar Bergman. In Dogma, The Angel of Death, named Loki (played by Matt Damon) is portrayed as an angel, banished forever in Wisconsin with fellow angel Bartleby (Ben Affleck) by God for refusing to kill anymore. The two angels try to take advantage of the plenary indulgence loop-hole in order to get back into Heaven, unaware that doing so would bring about the end of creation. Along the way, Loki kills an entire boardroom of sinning corporate execs. Flash cartoon Weebl & Bob parodied this concept in their episode "Art". Death is portrayed by Monkey, and the characters are sitting on a chessboard, while Weebl & Bob bemoan (naturally) their lack of pie. In Oliver Stone's 1991 film The Doors, Jim Morrison is haunted by Death, appearing in several scenes portrayed by Richard Rutowski. Death can be seen dancing behind him in orgiastic concert scenes or appearing in the background watching Morrison at bars, parties or on the street. In a scene deleted from the theatrical release, Death bumps into Morrison at an airport bar, heavily intoxicated and on his way to the ill-fated Miami show in 1969, inquiring, "how's it going?" and closing with a cryptic, "See you around, Jim." In a number of comedy roles, the character of Death has had a Swedish foreign accent, paying homage (sometimes unintentionally) to his role in The Seventh Seal. In Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, in which he is designed by Terry Gilliam and voiced by John Cleese, he breaks up a dinner party - along with its annoying hosts and guests - prematurely. Death makes a few cameos in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, most notably, sitting right behind the Behemoth in the town meeting. In the 2006 film A Prairie Home Companion, Virginia Madsen plays "Dangerous Woman", also named "Asphodel" (a flower sacred to Persephone that, and as the character's name, sounds suspiciously like Azrael), who may very well be the Angel of Death. In the 2006 film Click, the Angel of Death is portrayed as an eccentric technology enthusiast who goes by the name of Morty (played by Christopher Walken), a pun on the Latin word mortis, death. It is from him, in a Bed, Bath and Beyond store, that protagonist Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) receives a universal remote control, which has adverse effects on Michael's life. Ultimately, Morty teaches Michael lessons concerning family and work, as well as facing the consequences of his actions. In the 2006 film Scoop, directed by Woody Allen, the Grim Reaper is seen as the captain of a ship which sails the recently deceased across the River Styx. Despite the foreboding atmosphere, the mood on the ship is quite jovial and one character is seen performing a magic act for the others' enjoyment. The Reaper says no words and ignores the passengers. He is also seen coming into the world of humans briefly to collect a spirit who dove off the ship. Television
Literature In Book II of Paradise Lost by John Milton, Death, along with Sin, holds the keys to the locked Gates of Hell. After God and his angels defeat Lucifer (now Satan) and banish him and his followers to Hell, God commands Sin and Death to never unlock the gates. Satan, upon hearing that God has created a new world and new beings, Adam and Eve, sets out to cause their downfall. Arriving at the Gates of Hell, Satan converses with Sin and Death and learns of Death's creation. Sin is the daughter of Satan and became pregnant with Satan's child. The birth was extremely painful for Sin; so painful that she cried out "Death!" as the unnamed entity was born. The caves of Hell echoed back "Death" and her son became known as Death. Death then raped his mother who subequently gave birth to monstrous dogs who bite and gnaw at her and travel to and fro her womb at will causing her immense pain. According to Sin, Death despises everything living and has the power to destroy anything except God. Sin warns that Death can destroy Satan and that the only reason she is spared (yet tortured) is that Death cannot exist without Sin. Satan nevertheless demands that the gates be opened. Death, unafraid of Satan, calls him a "false fugitive," (Book II, 700) commands him to retreat, and warns, "with one stroke of this Dart, strange horrors seize thee and pangs unfelt before." (Book II, 703-704) By promising Sin and Death a world where they, "shall dwell at ease," (Book II, 840-841) Satan persuades Sin and Death to open the gates to allow him passage through Chaos to Earth. When word reaches Sin and Death that Satan succeeds, they begin to construct a road connecting Hell to Earth. Satan, on his return from Earth, notes of the road being built and instructs Sin and Death to be his ambassadors on Earth. Death is described as a, "shape had none distinguishable in member, joint, or limb, or substance...Black it stood as Night..and shook a dreadful Dart; what seemed his head the likeness of a Kingly Crown had on." (Book II, 667-673) A female characterization of Death appears briefly in Samuel Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series of fantasy novels features a modernised Grim Reaper, who is the central character of On a Pale Horse, the first book in the series. In this personification, Death is an office held by a mortal. The mortal holding the office of Death is protected from aging, fire, disease and other dangers by the cloak he wears. When not wearing the cloak, the office holder is subject to any and all dangers and consequences just as any other mortal. The person holds the office of Death until they themselves die, usually because they become careless over time, and are themselves killed by someone they have come to collect. This person then takes over the office, and the cycle begins anew. The character of Death is also a major player in the humorous Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett, where he is perhaps paradoxically seen as an ally of humanity, since he is a part of the natural order of things and often finds himself defending humanity against threats to that order. As a tongue-in-cheek allusion to The Seventh Seal, he doesn't like chess, because he cannot remember HOW THE LITTLE HORSE-SHAPED ONES MOVE. He speaks in a hollow yet heavy voice, often expressed in small caps, and eschewing the use of quotation marks. Due to the rule that Death must appear personally to wizards who are about to die, particularly the failed wizard Rincewind, Death sometimes appears, having been snatched from some important business arrangement, most notable being appearing with a drink and hors d'ouevres, claiming I WAS AT A PARTY. He can also be summoned directly via the Rite of Ashk'Ente. Death's realm of influence is limited to the Discworld — in one book (The Colour of Magic), a reference is made to Death's professional pride in his devotion to traditionalism in the use of a scythe, whereas the Deaths of other worlds have invested in combine harvesters. In the book Reaper Man, Death was temporarily deposed by the Auditors of Reality, who claim to Azrael, Death of Universes, that by gaining a personality he has become inefficient. During the time he spent as "Bill Door," a farmhand, numerous other Deaths emerged — one for trees, tortoises, etc. The Death of Humans, when he finally emerged, was a cloaked figure on a skeletal horse, with curling wisps of smoke instead of a face, wearing a crown. At the end of the book, Death takes up his old position and draws all the superfluous Deaths into him, save for the Death of Rats, who becomes a recurring character, and the Death of Fleas, who does not. In the book Mort, he finds his work boring and takes on an apprentice (the titular) Mort, who promptly annoys his new master by failing to kill a princess and creating a paradox, since reality insists that she is dead in spite of her being alive. It is also revealed in this book that everyone has an hour-glass that determines the span of their life, and that Death's own hour-glass contains no sand. In Johnny and the Dead, a character that can be assumed to be Death (as it speaks in small caps) carries William Stickers away on a boat, Charon-style. In Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories Death is seen as the ruler of a gloomy realm, and who is always sad himself. In one story, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser have to steal Death's mask, and in others, Death tries to take the famous pair, only to be thwarted by their sorcerous mentors and their own uncanny good luck. Death has quotas to meet, designated by the deceased's roles in life, and when the quota includes "two heroes," Fafhrd and the Mouser are first on his list. Interestingly, Leiber's version of Death is aware that at some point in the future, he himself is fated to die. In Death and Dr Hornbook by Robert Burns, death is portrayed as an emaciated, elderly, gruff, somewhat blue-collar man exactly 6'2" in height. Comics
Computer and video games In the PC game The Sims, Death will come to collect the souls of dead Sims; the player may have the option of challenging Death to a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors in exchange for the life of the dead. In The Sims 2: University expansion pack the player can bring the dead back to life with a special phone; however, they will need to pay a certain price or the chosen sim will come back as a zombie. In the English release of Fire Emblem, one of the characters,an assassin called Jaffar, is known by his colleagues as the Angel of Death for his ability to kill in a single blow. In Grabbed By The Ghoulies for the Xbox, if certain conditions for leaving a room are not met, the Grim Reaper appears-Occasionally, the condition itself is that you evade the Reaper for a certain time. Whatever background music was playing is replaced by deadly silence, broken only by the occasional toll of a bell, and the sounds of the Reaper himself. He extends one hand as he chases you, and will kill you if he touches you with it, but is indifferent as to the souls he takes-he will happily destroy any Ghoulies in the room who would love nothing more than to speed you on your way to joining him. Whenever he takes a soul, be it yours or that of a Ghoulie, he flips his scythe around and plays a guitar riff on the blade. In Theme Hospital, when a 'bad' patient dies, the Grim Reaper appears from a hole in the ground, takes the person to Hell, then closes up again. The Castlevania series of video games portrays Death as the right hand man of Dracula, and must be defeated in most incarnations of the series. He is said to be best friends with Dracula, and is usually the boss right before the dark lord. He is the last line of defense. Death appears in all but two of the Castlevania games. In Guilty Gear one Testament a gear, seems to be the portrayal of a Gothic modern day Death, complete with Bishounen looks, demonic assistant and Blood Scythe. In Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, the level 2 boss Hell Vanguard (who also appears regularly as a mid-level boss) resembles the Grim Reaper, in that he wields a scythe and wears a black cloak over his skeletal body. Many of his attacks are heralded by a bell toll. In Final Fantasy VI, the final boss Kefka appears as a destructive angel. In Final Fantasy VII, the summon Hades greatly resembles the Grim Reaper minus the trademark scythe, waving his bony hands over a cauldron. Also in the Final Fantasy series, the recurring Death spell manifests a reaper-like being. Manny Calavera, from Grim Fandango, is a travel agent to the afterlife. Death also makes an appearance in the games based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld. The second Discworld adventure game directly centers around Death's dissatisfaction with the manner in which he is usually received compared to the service he renders-no longer satisfied to be seen as an evil being bent upon stealing every living soul, he refuses to return to his duties until Rincewind can find a way to give him a more positive image. In HeXen II, Death appears as the 'end boss' for Mazaera, the game's second continent (or segment). The other three horseman of the Apocalypse, appear as 'end bosses' for the game's other continents. In the NetHack computer game, Death is one of the Four horsemen of the Apocalypse, which the player meets at the very end of the game. The Grim Reaper appeared in the Nintendo 64 game Conker's Bad Fur Day (Gregg the Grim Reaper) who is very short and comical and hates cats (because it's rumored that they have 9 lives). Death has appeared in the MediEvil series of video games. In the very first game of the series, you must collect lost souls for him, and he will get your character, Sir Daniel Fortesque, across the water in the Pools of the Ancient Dead. In the remake, MediEvil Resurrection, Dan visits him in the level "Return to the Graveyard" and implores his help against the evil wizard, Zarok. In the PlayStation Portable game Death, Jr. you play as the son of Death. While you don't get to see Death himself, his son is essentially him only shorter. In the Super Famicon/PlayStation 2 game Romancing SaGa, Death appears as one of the three gods of evil. He lives in the netherworld and acts as the guardian of souls. He also makes deals with anyone that reaches him. In Mega Man X4, when going through the third stage ("special weapon") after defeating all the 8 Mavericks/Irregulars once again, either X or Zero (depending on which character the player chose at the start) will face off against their nemesis Sigma. Sigma will take on 3 forms, the first picturing him hovering cloaked in a black cape and wielding a beam scythe. In "" ("Riviera the Promised Land") for the Wonderswan Color and Gameboy Advance, Death is the final Accursed. He resides within Mireno Cemetery which is tied close to his character. In Gauntlet Legends and its sequel , Death appears as an enemy that drains your character's health or experience accompanied by the narrarator's memorable saying "Use magic to kill Death!". He can only be destroyed with magic and appears various times in the game. In the game Feel the Magic: XY/XX, Death appears as an obstacle in the "Magic touch" level. When he appears, the CPR you are performing is halted, and the girl's health lowers slowly. Death must be poked several times with the stylus to be scared off. At Halloweentime 2005, RuneScape featured The Grim Spectre of Death, who would rise from the earth when a player died, casted a mysterious spell and them and proclaimed, "(Player's name)'s soul is now claimed as my own!" This addition was removed by the early days of November. In the online Browser RPG Adventure Quest, whenever you die, The Grim Reaper appears and resurrects you, saying that his "Quota of souls has been filled". He also appears when you actvate the Blade Of Awe's PowerWord Die. He is also in the Void, and seen in some quests. In Kingdom Hearts II, a Heartless named Grim Reaper is fought in Port Royal (Although he can only take damage when all of the cursed medallions are in the stone chest). In EverQuest, players that lose their corpse will find it in a zone called ShadowRest. The Keeper of Lost Things, the NPC that conjured up players bodies, is depicted as a hooded figure that resembles Death. Also, higher level Necromancers and Shadow Knights can summon a spectre that is a legless figure with a skull and skeletal hands along with a scythe. In Shadowgate On the NES when a player dies, death comes and tells them that their adventure has ended, whenever they fall down a pit, the game saids that death is waiting to catch them at the bottom. Also, if the player smashes the wrong mirror in the mirror room, he/she is sucked into space where the Grim Reaper quickly embraces them. In Secret of Mana, whenever one of the three playable characters dies, they turn into a ghost and the Grim Reaper appears over their head. In the video game "Guitar Hero", the ultimate unlockable rocker is a character by the name of "Grim Ripper", a play on the word "Reaper". He is dressed in the hooded black cloak customary to the Grim Reaper. He has two large skeletal arm like appendages coming out of his back, and instead of a guitar he plays his scythe, which has been stringed up as a guitar. In Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call, there are four fiends in the form of a hooded skeleton riding a horse. These are loose adaptations of the four riders of the apocalypse in the Christian Bible. They get their names from the colour of the horse they ride, and they each have unique weapons: The White Rider uses bow and arrows. The Red Rider uses a sword. The Black Rider uses scales. The Pale Rider uses a scythe. In the German RPG Maker game "Alex der Weltenretter" ("Alex the savior of the world") by Kelven, Death is a playable character. He also makes a cameo appearance in Alex 2. He is portrayed with a very classic look and cynical personality. Music Other Bibliography See also | |||||||||||||||
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