Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Death comes to all living things on earth, but in many cultures, death is not the end but rather a transition from one existence to another. And in many cultures, there is a being whose presence heralds death's arrival and guides the deceased to the afterlife: the psychopomp. The most famous depiction of a psychopomp may be the grim reaper, but as you'll soon find out, psychopomps come in a variety of shapes and sizes!

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MYTHOLOGY HAS BEEN TOLD AND RETOLD IN MANY FORMS ACROSS TIME, STORIES AND ACCOUNTS MAY VARY.

MUSIC:
"The Dread" by Kevin MacLeod
"The Elder Path" by Adrian von Ziegler

CLIPS:
"Aurora Borealis Time Lapse" National Geographic

OPENING:
fiverr.com/saif_edits

ARTISTS FEATURED:
Alvaro Fernandez Gonzalez
John Everett Millais
Adam Oehlers
David Franco
Darko Topalski
Marta Danecka
Sabetelli Decameron
Silvia Puglisi
RavenMadWolf art
Johan Gustaf Sandberg
Xiaofanchuan art

REFERENCES:
bigthink.com/thinking/psychopomps
psychopomps.org/what-is-a-psychopomp.html
scienceabc.com/social-science/what-is-the-grim-reaper-origin-story.html
britannica.com/story/where-does-the-concept-of-a-grim-reaper-come-from
historicmysteries.com/heibai-wuchang-reapers-chinese-underworld
study.com/learn/lesson/xolotl-god-myth-symbol.html
mfnerc.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/000_writeup.pdf

If we used your artwork please let us know so we can give proper credit!