The Power of Foresight in Grimm's "Godfather Death"

A man works very hard but there is no one left to ask to be the godfather as his 13th child is on the way. He rushes out into the street and is approached by three prospects. The first is God, whom he rejects because of the unfair assortment of lots, the second, the Devil, he rejects because of his trickery. The third, however, he accepts because he treats everyone equally: Death.

The boy starts to grow up, and his godfather gives him a gift that will make him rich and famous: he will be a physician who will be able to tell who will die and who won’t. His fame spreads, and when the king is ill, he sees that the king will die. However, thinking the godfather will be indulgent with him, the physician uses trickery to save him. He does get a pass, but then when he sees that the beautiful daughter of the king is sick and he can marry her if he saves her, he counts on his relationship with Death to spare him once again.

This time, Death grips him with his icy hand and takes him down into a cavern filled with candles. These, he explains, are the lives of each human on earth, and the more one is burned down, the less that person has to live. The physician asks to see his own, and it’s a mere nub. He asks to be saved, and he is told another would have to die in his place. When Death goes to light the big candle with the little one’s flame, he drops it and kills his wayward godson.

Chapters:

00:00 Reading of “Godfather Death”

07:27 The Original Tale Without Death’s Trick

09:00 Death is Friendly

11:36 God Shows Up at the Beginning

20:00 First Thought, Best Thought

25:50 The Devil as Godfather?

30:49 Why He Says No to God’s Offer

35:36 Death’s Gift of Life

47:25 “Be on Time, Death”

48:18 Why Does the Physician want to Save the King?

57:58 Death’s Revenge

1:06:31 The Doctor and his Godfather, Death

1:16:24 Living in the Present and Learning how to Die

1:25:10 Religious Need for a Figure of Death

1:26:43 Does Closeness to Death Help the Physician Heal?

1:28:46 There’s No Changing Your Nature

1:34:42 Trying to Control Others is Like Necromancy’s Dark Side

Thank you for watching! Please check out:

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About our guest:

Ian Reclusado is currently off exploring the poetic wilds of psychology, neuroscience, and spirituality.

He also offers guidance services for those interested in delving into their own inner wilderness.

You can find his weekly dispatches at www.thekindknife.com or follow him on Instagram: @ian_reclusado

I plan to conduct more interviews with various guests, so please check back later for those.