European folklore, and spreading
The Grim Reaper is a personification of death which has been around since about the 15th century in Europe, and seems to be spreading around the world.
Depicted as a skeletal figure wearing a black hooded robe and carrying a scythe, the Reaper is also sometimes shown with other features such as an hourglass (representing time and the inevitability of death), wings (as the Angel of Death), a horse (usually black or white), and another weapon such as a sword.
Usually there is only one Reaper; sometimes, though, there are more than one, each designated a certain region, or sometimes one Reaper for every soul.
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