The Macabre Origins of the Grim Reaper

There are fewer images of Death personified than the scythe-wielding skeletal form of the Grim Reaper. But where did it come from? You may have heard that this haunting figure emerged as a result of the Black Plague, but that’s only a fraction of the story.

Featuring Caitlin Doughty – Ask A Mortician, this episode looks at the long history of skeletal Death in religion, literature, art, and pop culture. From violent reaper to dark lover and virtually everything in between, there’s a lot more to Death than, well, Death.