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Introduction One of the most recognizable figures of all time is simply named, the Grim Reaper. He is typically caricatured as a skeleton wearing a black robe. His face is almost entirely hidden by his hood, his hands are mere bones, and he always has in his possession a scythe – or a sickle. In the western world, going back to the Medieval Period, the Grim Reaper often rode a pale horse or was driven in an old coach by pale white horses. The Grim Reaper can be traced back to Rome, and even further back through the mythologies of Greece. The Greek god Cronos was supposedly the original Grim Reaper. He was given a scythe (sickle) to fight his way out of the earth where he was held captive by his father. With this sickle, he escaped and then killed his father. However, trouble arose when he became so fearful for his own life that he used the sickle on everyone who came near him. The character of the Grim Reaper developed through the centuries. He became known as the one who actually came to take people away when their time was up. He supposedly had the power to determine death with the mere touch of his scythe; it was he who led departed spirits to the afterworld. In the occult world, the Grim Reaper is the symbol for death itself. He is universally held in some form or another. Eventually, everyone meets this hooded agent of death.
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