Page 45 2023 Home For The Holidays Lincoln Daily News November 23, 2022 While Saturn’s scythe is a farming tool, the one Father Time wields has more somber meaning behind it. The scythe represents the cycle of birth, growth, and death. Father Time’s scythe represents the flow of time that cannot be stopped and that will eventually cut down all living things. Together, the gods Cronus and Saturn likely inspired the visual depiction of Father Time. Having been inspired by ancient Greek and Roman gods thousands of years ago, it is difficult to narrow down an exact moment when Father Time was first introduced into the public consciousness. This is also partly due to the fact that the depiction of Father Time as we know it today has evolved over time. Father Time has appeared in several works of art, some dating back to as far as the 16th century. The more modern version of the figure has appeared in countless books, movies, and television shows. Father Time has even appeared in several comics and graphic novels. Father Time also made an appearance in the 1976 Rankin and Bass film Ruldoph’s Shiny New Year, touting his famous scythe and large beard. Baby New Year also made an appearance in this film wearing his top hat. The history of Baby New Year is a bit more well-documented. According to Country Living, Baby New Year has been around since approximately 600 BC. Like Father Time, Baby New Year was inspired by a Greek god, this one being Dionysus, the god of wine and fertility. Each year, when the Greeks would celebrate Dionysus, they would also parade around a baby in a basket. This baby would represent the birth of Dionysus, which coincided with the new year. These cultural practices eventually led to the creation of the idea of Baby New Year. This figure, like Father Time, continued to evolve over time. One of the most popular modern interpretations of Baby New Year comes from illustrator J. C. Leyendecker and a series of New Year covers he created for the Saturday Evening Post between 1907 and 1943. These covers show Baby New Year interacting with things from that period in time. A few covers depict Baby New Year touting a top hat, something that has become largely associated with the modern interpretation of the character. The 1911 cover specifically shows Baby New Year interacting with Father Time. Click here to view these covers for yourself. When did the figures Father Time and Baby New Year begin being depicted together? Both have a common origin in Greek mythology, but many may not realize that Cronus is the grandfather of Dionysus. Cronus was the father of Zues, who fathered Dionysus. This could have lent some inspiration to the idea that Baby New Year becomes Father Time over the twelve month calendar year. The earliest depiction of these two figures together seems to be the aforementioned Saturday Evening Post cover published at the end of 1910. While there are a few instances of Father Time and Baby New Year being depicted together before this, Leyendecker seems to be the first to pair up the more modern interpretations of these figures. Continued --
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