Father Time

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 ^[1] 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.^[2][3]

In popular culture

• Father Time appears as a recurring character in The Smurfs voiced by Alan Oppenheimer.
• Father Time appears as one of the main characters in Histeria! voiced by Frank Welker.
• Father Time appears in The Santa Clause 2 and The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause portrayed by Peter Boyle. He is shown as a member of the Council of Legendary Figures.
• "Father Time" is a character in "Jude the Obscure", a novel by Thomas Hardy. Father Time is Jude Fawley's son who is dreadfully melancholy, and commits suicide at a young age.
• Old Father Time is a weather vane at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, in the shape of Father Time.
• Father Time is a song played by power metal band Stratovarius on the album Episode
• Father Time is likely the inspiration for the champion Zilean, the Chronokeeper, from the game League of Legends.
• Father Time appeared on Timmy's Secret Wish on The Fairly Oddparents, being an old man who likes saying "Xylophone" and "Yahoo!"
• Father Time appears in the television special Rudolph's Shiny New Year voiced by Red Skelton, who also narrated the special.

See also

• Chronos
• Zurvan

References

External links

• Old Father Time