Why Does Death Have a Scythe?

The scythe is an image that reminds us that Death reaps the souls of sinners like the peasant who harvests corn in his field. ... Cronus was a harvest god and carried a sickle, which is a tool used in harvesting grain. The Grim Reaper carrying a scythe is derived from a combination of Chronus and Cronus.

Why did the Grim Reaper have a scythe?

In early renderings, the Reaper is shown holding arrows, darts, spears or crossbows. These are the weapons he uses to strike down his victim. Over time, a scythe came to replace these other instruments of death. A scythe was a tool used to reap, or cut, grain or grass.

When did death get a scythe?

Scythes only come into broader use during the early 13th century, which is incidentally when we also find the first depictions of death carrying a scythe. The "Grim Reaper" as we would call it has its first peak in popularity during the 14th and the 15th century.