However, the tattoo artist community has been recently experimenting with grim reaper tattoos and has been designing the reaper in various vibrant colours.
Some regard the grim reaper tattoos as death tattoos and believe it is a bad sign to get the grim reaper tattoo as it represents death. So what does the grim reaper tattoo symbolise? The traditional grim reaper tattoo, done in darker shades of grey or black, is generally associated with death but can have various meanings according to the style and design of the tattoo.
The continent was hit by a deadly plague that wiped out almost a third of Europe’s population and with rampant death hitting all households, people turned to the mythical reaper as the imagery of foreboding death. Kharon ferries the souls of the humans, who have recently died and had been buried, across Styx, the river that separates the mortal world from that of the dead.īut perhaps the most infamous origin story of the reaper is the one that originated in 14th century Europe. Other mythological experts hold the belief that the reaper’s origin is hidden within the Greek legends of Kharon who served as the ferryman of the king of the underworld and the ancient Greek god of death, Hades. Cronus is usually shown in the myths as a mythical being walking around with a scythe in his hand with which he had castrated his own father, Uranus. According to the legends, Cronus usurped his father’s kingdom and ruled during the mythological Golden Age, only to be overthrown by his own son Zeus. He was the son of Gaea, the primordial Greek deity of Mother Earth, and the primal Greek god of the sky, Uranus. Some theorists believe that the reaper has evolved from the legend surrounding the Greek god Cronus who was the youngest of the first generation of Titans, the pre-Olympian gods. What does a grim reaper tattoo mean? Regarding the origin of the reaper, different theories in various cultures exist and each has its own version regarding how it came into existence. Some of the most pertaining questions surrounding the reaper are regarding its origin and true meaning. The reaper then accompanies the human soul to its final resting place, Heaven or Hell wherever it has been destined. The razor-sharp scythe is said to be used to separate the body of the mortal from their soul. Grim reapers are generally shown as human skeletons wearing a long black cloak and holding a scythe in one hand. It is the last entity you witness before descending into the afterlife. The grim reaper is said to represent death.Īccording to many legends and cultures, the grim reaper appears on the deathbed of a mortal.
Female neo traditional hooded Reaper by Justin Harris at Black Vulture Gallery in Philadelphia.If you believe in death omens and the afterlife, then this list of grim reaper tattoos are definitely for you. Dark female Reaper by Sim at Cosmic Tattoo in Essex UK. Traditional hooded Reaper by James Armstrong at Holy Mountain Tattoo in the UK.
GRIM REAPER TATTOOS FULL
The reaper is often shown in tattoo form as just a hood and skull,with its scythe, but is also often seen in full body form. Reaper horse riding by Justin Dion at Sovereign Tattoo in Portland Oregon. Dark Reaper back piece by Herb Auerbach at California Electric Tattoo Parlour in Soquel California. Dotwork Reaper riding the waves by Alicia Anderson at Village Ink Tattoos in Clearwater, FL. Reaper tattoos are usually done in American traditional style, but are also often done in black and grey, neo traditional, dotwork, and realism. Amazing torso portrait of Charon crossing the River Styx by Teresa Sharpe at Unkindness Art in Richmond, VA. American Traditional reaper by Chad Leever at Revolution Tattoo in Indiana. This version of the reaper is based off of Charon, from Greek mythology, who steers the boat across the River Styx, carrying the dead across to the underworld.
He is usually seen as frightening, but in myth does not actually kill people, he merely guides you to the afterlife. In Western culture it is often seen as a skeleton in a cloak, with a scythe or a noose, usually a male. The Grim Reaper is a sign of death in many cultures.