Until then, artworks usually portray Death as a skeleton or as the Pale Horseman of the Revelation of Saint John. The Grim Reaper, though sometimes a skeleton under the hooded black robe, carries the scythe of Cronos/Saturn, not as a scary weapon, but as a symbol, just as the scythes often used on Victorian tombstones do not indicate that the individual died in some sort of farming implement accident, but that he or she was “harvested” in the prime of life. Both figures were generally grim-faced old men (hence the term “saturnine” for a stern expression), so it is understandable how elements of their personae be came part of the Grim Reaper image that evolved, probably in the late Middle Ages or early Renaissance. His Roman counterpart was depicted in similar fashion. The figure of Time, from the Greek god Cronos, carried a scythe to represent his role as an agricultural patron. The figures who are sometimes used to represent Death and Time are frequently conflated, even outside literature, and have been for a very long time. It really is less depressing than it sounds, TRUST ME. On that cheerful note, cue up the cowbell and follow me after the jump for a look at a few recent and popular treatments of Time and Death in fantasy worlds. To personify Death, authors sometimes rely on the conventional imagery of the Grim Reaper, but when it comes to speculative fiction, on the page or on the screen, this image sometimes is conflated with another, that of Father Time, and, in the process of fusing Time and Death, these stories use creative imagery and unique symbolism to portray the brief candles that are all of our lives. While figures like Voldemort fear and flee death, it is an inevitable part of life, and no amount of Horcruxes or Invisibility of Cloaks will hide us from it forever.
One subject that frequently manifests itself in unique ways is that of Death. These techniques al so help with creating an alternate view of these subjects suitable for the alternate worlds in which these stories unfold. Since much of fantasy literature is accessible to readers of all age and education levels, writers often use a variety of methods to work around and through difficult or unsavory topics.
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