
Death has been
personified as a figure or
fictional character in
mythology and popular culture since the earliest days of storytelling. Because the reality of
death has had a substantial influence on the human psyche and the development of
civilization as a whole, the personification of Death as a living, sentient entity is a concept that has existed in many societies since the beginning of recorded history.
In the United States, death is usually shown as a skeletal figure carrying a large
scythe, and wearing a midnight black gown with a hood, while in Europe it is often depicted similarly, but dressed in white, which is the traditional colour worn at funerals in many places.