Father Time
Encyclopedia
Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, somewhat worse for wear, dressed in a robe, carrying a scythe
and an hourglass
or other timekeeping device (which represents time's
constant one-way movement, and more generally and abstractly, entropy
). This image derives from several sources, including the Grim Reaper and Chronos
, the Greek
god Lord of time in Greek mythology.
Around New Year's Eve
many editorial cartoons use the convenient trope of Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or "the Old Year") who typically "hands over" the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year
(or "the New Year") or who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
and an hourglass
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
or other timekeeping device (which represents time's
Arrow of time
The arrow of time, or time’s arrow, is a term coined in 1927 by the British astronomer Arthur Eddington to describe the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time...
constant one-way movement, and more generally and abstractly, entropy
Entropy
Entropy is a thermodynamic property that can be used to determine the energy available for useful work in a thermodynamic process, such as in energy conversion devices, engines, or machines. Such devices can only be driven by convertible energy, and have a theoretical maximum efficiency when...
). This image derives from several sources, including the Grim Reaper and Chronos
Chronos
In Greek mythology, Chronos in pre-Socratic philosophical works is said to be the personification of time. His name in Greek means "time" and is alternatively spelled Chronus or Khronos.Chronos was imagined as an incorporeal god, serpentine in form, with three heads—those of a man, a bull, and...
, the Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
god Lord of time in Greek mythology.
Around New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
many editorial cartoons use the convenient trope of Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or "the Old Year") who typically "hands over" the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year
Baby New Year
The Baby New Year is a personification of the start of the New Year commonly seen in editorial cartoons. He symbolizes the "birth" of the next year, and that the "old" year is gone; in other words, a "rebirth"...
(or "the New Year") or who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.
In popular culture
- Father Time appears as a recurring character in The SmurfsThe Smurfs (1981 TV series)The Smurfs is an American animated television series that aired on NBC from September 12, 1981 to August 25, 1990...
voiced by Alan OppenheimerAlan OppenheimerAlan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
. - Father Time appears as one of the main characters in Histeria!Histeria!Histeria! is a 1998 American animated series created by Tom Ruegger and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Unlike other animated series produced by Warner Bros. in the 1990s, Histeria! stood out as the most explicit edutainment program in order to meet FCC requirements for...
voiced by Frank WelkerFrank WelkerFranklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
. - Father Time appears in The Santa Clause 2The Santa Clause 2The Santa Clause 2 is a 2002 American comedy film and the sequel to the 1994 film, The Santa Clause. All the principal actors from the first film reprise their roles, except for Peter Boyle, who returns portraying a different minor character...
and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape ClauseThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape ClauseThe Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is a 2006 American film, the sequel to The Santa Clause and The Santa Clause 2. This is the third and final film in the trilogy. This film was also scheduled as a Disney Channel Original Movie....
portrayed by Peter BoylePeter BoylePeter Lawrence Boyle, Jr. was an American actor, best known for his role as Frank Barone on the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, and as a comical monster in Mel Brooks' film spoof Young Frankenstein ....
. He is shown as a member of the Council of Legendary Figures. - "Father Time" is a character in "Jude the ObscureJude the ObscureJude the Obscure, the last of Thomas Hardy's novels, began as a magazine serial and was first published in book form in 1895. The book was burned publicly by William Walsham How, Bishop of Wakefield, in that same year. Its hero, Jude Fawley, is a working-class young man who dreams of becoming a...
", a novel by Thomas Hardy. Father Time is Jude Fawley's son that is dreadfully melancholy, who commits suicide at a young age. - Old Father TimeOld Father TimeOld Father Time is a weather vane at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, in the shape of Father Time removing the bails from a wicket. The weathervane is a total of 6 ft 6 in tall, with the figure of Father Time standing at 5 ft 4 in...
is a weather vaneWeather vaneA weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
at Lord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket GroundLord's Cricket Ground is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and Wales Cricket Board , the European Cricket Council and, until August 2005, the...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in the shape of Father Time. - Father TimeFather Time (song)-Personnel:*Timo Kotipelto - Vocals*Timo Tolkki - Guitars, vocals on "Kill The King"*Jari Kainulainen - Bass*Jens Johansson - Keyboards*Jörg Michael - Drums...
is a song played by power metalPower metalPower metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band StratovariusStratovariusStratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...
on the album EpisodeEpisode (album)Episode is the fifth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released in 1996 through Noise Records. This is the first recording to feature keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Jörg Michael, who would form part of the band's most stable line-up for nine years.-Track... - Father Time is likely the inspiration for the champion Zilean, the Chronokeeper, from the game League of LegendsLeague of LegendsThe BetFred League of Legends was a darts tournament featuring some of the legends of the game of darts which commenced in May 2008. The tournament is broadcast on Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom....
. - Father Time appeared on Timmy's Secret Wish on The Fairly Oddparents being an old man who likes saying Xylophone and Yahoo!