![]() ![]() Artwork from the era sometimes shows the skeleton holding a crossbow or some other medieval weapon. It was during this time that artists started depicting death as just that: a skeleton, waiting in the wings to take loved ones away at a moment’s notice. And as the plague ravaged cities and countryside alike, death came closer to to the average person’s life than ever before, lurking like an ever-present spirit. It was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, killing at least 25 million people with just its first outbreak. Grim Reaper and the PlagueĪn epidemiological event known as the Black Death or simply “the plague” changed the way the average person viewed death in the 14th century. It’s thought that the Grim Reaper appeared in around the 14th century when a specific historical event unfolded. Throughout history, there have been numerous psychopomps, from other human versions to animals, like ravens.Ĭompared to ancient angels of death, the Grim Reaper is a relatively recent addition to the psychopomp ranks. The Grim Reaper is a psychopomp: a creature (in this case, roughly human in form) that guides departed souls to the afterlife. But who is the Grim Reaper, really, and how did Grim Reaper imagery come to represent death? Where Does the Grim Reaper Come From? The figure holds a scythe and is thought to escort departed souls to the afterlife. The Grim Reaper traditionally looks like a skeleton wearing a black, hooded cloak. What Happens When You See the Grim Reaper? Does It Actually Kill You?.And the most recognizable embodiment of death itself is a dark, mysterious figure known as the Grim Reaper. In October 2022, Blue Öyster Cult supported Deep Purple at a series of shows in the UK.Personifying death is one way that human beings have historically come to grips with our mortality. So, I’m riding that horse in the direction it’s going.”īlue Öyster Cult released their 15th album, The Symbol Remains, in 2020. If the cowbell has been at all an annoyance for Blue Öyster Cult, it’s got to be 10 times worse for Christopher Walken. ![]() It was quite a surprise and phenomenal in its endurance and the way it’s worked its way into the culture. “The band had no idea it was coming, either. “It’s really funny,” said Dharma in 2019 of the SNL skit. Unlike Ferrell’s character, Bouchard covered the bell in gaffer tape and hit it with a timpani mallet to keep the sound down. The actual recording of “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” does feature cowbell, played by the band’s former drummer Albert Bouchard. Throughout the skit, the recording is cut as Will Ferrell’s cowbell playing dominates the other instruments. “I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell,” says Walken’s character in the skit. We purposely let people do that, draw their own conclusions from the lyric.” They’re certainly open to interpretation, and everybody seems to have their own thoughts about what stuff means. “But Blue Öyster Cult’s lyrics have always been, not obtuse, but deep. “It’s not about suicide, although people kind of get that from the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ reference,” said Dharma. Juliet then responds by also taking her own life, which led many people to believe “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” was about suicide, which appalled Dharma. ![]() In the play, Romeo swallows poison when he believes Juliet is dead. We’ll be able to fly (don’t fear the reaper) Referencing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet in a verse, some listeners initially believed the song was about something entirely different.Īre together in eternity (Romeo and Juliet)Ĥ0, 000 men and women every day (like Romeo and Juliet)Ĥ0, 000 men and women every day (redefine happiness)Īnother 40, 000 coming every day (we can be like they are)īaby, take my hand (don’t fear the reaper) Further into the lyrics, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” is also a semi-love song, transcending one’s physical existence on earth. ![]()
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