Giving human qualities to death isn’t a new thing, but it may help us to accept it as a normal part of life.

Maybe he’s holding a book or petting a cat. Maybe your Reaper is smoking a cigarette or perhaps drinking a cup of coffee-even skeletons need a boost, sometimes. Nearly-Human ReaperĪ common Grim Reaper tattoo style is to have your Reaper doing something random that the death lord wouldn’t normally be doing. To make it even more light-hearted, you can add cute elements to fill out the picture, like some hearts. It’s no longer dark and frightening, but instead, it’s about as scary as a children’s character! If you choose to add some color to your cartoon, it could be a way of minimizing death-taking away its authority and the hold it has over you. It may be indicative of death being nothing to fear, or just another fun part of life. If you’re cool with Grim and want something a little more fun, you could go for a cartoon-style Reaper.Ī black cartoon Reaper retains some of its creepiness and soul-collecting persona. When you consider the detail in the facial structure, the folds of the cloak, and the nicks in the scythe blade, you begin to appreciate the degree of realism that can be achieved. You could also go for something with much more detail. If you want something in-your-face and striking, this style works. The classic creepy tattoo can be solid black, which creates a very bold, almost tribal feeling. If you want to add something small but effective to enhance the scariness, red eyes or a drop of blood will make it pop. These tats won’t have many colors in them. If you want a detailed, scary-looking, proper Grim Reaper-like tattoo, then something classic will achieve that. There are a few specific themes you can choose from depending on how you want your Reaper to be portrayed. If you’re interested in a more light-hearted Grim tat, you can always change up the color of his robes, or have his hood thrown back from his head. His robes are also similar to that of a monk or priest, which indicates a certain amount of authority.įor a classic Reaper look, go with dark colors and a hood covering his skeletal face. He wears black, which is associated with mourning and funerary processes. The Reaper’s clothing adds an air of mystery and mysticism. To express the idea that death isn’t a finality, make the scythe on your tattoo smaller than it should be. If you want a creepy Reaper tattoo, you can use the blade of the scythe as a weapon and add some drops of blood. It’s simply a tool to help us transition from one place to another. It’s not a blade that’s meant to injure or kill the person destined for death. This element of the Reaper is meant to be metaphorical and not literal. The enormous blade carried by the Grim Reaper is a symbol of the human soul being harvested or reaped-plucked from the body like crops from the Earth. Scythes were commonly used agricultural tools in the 8th century. Showing the Grim Reaper’s skeleton on a tat instead of just a black cloak reinforces the idea of being lifeless. Skeletons are a fairly obvious symbol of lack of life. Each is symbolic of an element associated with death and dying, and when it’s made part of a tattoo, it emphasizes a dark theme. There are a few elements that make the Grim Reaper who he is and contribute to his instant-recognition kind of fame. The continent was dealing with the Black Death pandemic at the time, so even those who managed to escape illness were, quite literally, surrounded by death all the time. The concept of this death figure came about in Europe around the 14th century. A lighter, more shaded Reaper perhaps matched with a rose could show acceptance of death. A black, evil Reaper waving a bloody scythe could represent the darker side. You can easily alter the meaning behind your tattoo by changing the design. The ill-reputed Grim Reaper can mean something negative, but it can also have some really positive symbolisms, such as accepting our mortality and remembering what’s important in this life. While that portrayal may be relevant to some, for those who’ve embraced the idea that we move on to another place after this life, the Reaper represents new beginnings and is a guide into whatever comes next.

Well, that may be true, but it’s not always in a creepy, coming-to-get-you sort of way. Everybody knows that the Reaper represents death, right?

Grim reaper scythe and lamp tattoo