Thanatos (End of Us) by J. Maya: A Myth Professor’s Review
How does this sound: a pop song featuring the Greek god of death? Cool, right? Read all about J. Maya’s “Thanatos (End of Us)” and its mythological background.
The word thanatos (θάνατος) means “death” in Greek, and Thanatos with a capital T refers to the god of death.
Singer-songwriter Janani K. Jha, also known as J. Maya, uses this mythological figure effectively to trace the end of a relationship . . . and create a catchy breakup song!
As a Classics professor who frequently teaches mythology courses, I am always excited to discover new songs inspired by ancient myths. Read on for my impressions of “Thanatos (End of Us)” and to learn all about the song’s namesake, the Greek god of death.
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J. Maya: Thanatos (End of Us)
J. Maya released “Thanatos (End of Us)” on June 11, 2021 and by the end of the month it had reached 100,000 streams on Spotify. So, what is the fuss all about?
According to J. Maya, this single is what happens when a Greek mythology nerd writes a break-up song. She revealed on her Instagram that the song “tells the story of a relationship on its last legs: the desperate attempts to enjoy its final moments & the anxious anticipation of the end.”
The sad but beautiful lyrics do indeed convey this bittersweet tension between treasuring the present and longing for a better future. I enjoy “Thanatos (End of Us)” more every time I listen to it.
The lyrics don’t rely on Greek mythology as much as those of J. Maya’s debut single “Achilles Heel”, but mythology is still at the heart in the figure of Thanatos.
My favorite part is the chorus, aka the part that mentions Thanatos. I am a Classics professor, after all.
Here are the lyrics:
I know you know we both see the end of us
Chorus, “Thanatos” by J. Maya
Of us, of us, of us
Drowning in the dark we’re calling Thanatos
Too much, too much, too much
Follow my lead, take my hand
Things don’t always go to plan
Close your eyes, let’s misbehave
While you dig my grave
You may ask: who is Thanatos? Why does he appear in J. Maya’s single? Let me put on my professor’s hat and explain the mythological context.
Thanatos: Greek God of Death
As I mentioned earlier, the word thanatos (θάνατος) means “death” in Greek (both ancient and modern). The ancient Greeks personified death, just as they personified many elements and concepts in the world around them. And so Death became a god.
If you are familiar with Greek myths, you probably know that the Greek underworld is populated by quite a few ominous figures. We have Hades, brother of Zeus and lord of the underworld, and his wife/niece Persephone, goddess of spring and queen of the dead.
Other prominent denizens of the underworld include Charon, the ferryman, who conveys the souls of the dead across the river Styx, and Minos, who judges the departed.
Even Hermes, the messenger of the gods, has a connection with death. He is a psychopomp – which is just a fancy way of saying that he guides the souls of the dead to the underworld. (Where, presumably, he deposits them near Charon’s ferry.)
So how does Thanatos fit into this picture? This depends a bit on the time period, but for the most part, we can say that Thanatos was the agent of death. He would come to end the life of mortals, and sometimes he would take them away to the underworld (instead of Hermes).
Who is Thanatos, according to the ancient Greek poets?
Thanatos the Executioner
Hesiod informs us in his Theogony (7th century B.C.E.) that Thanatos is the son of Nyx (Night) and the brother of Hypnos (Sleep). While Hypnos is calm and gentle to humans, Thanatos has an “iron heart” that is “ruthless in his breast”. He is hateful even to the other gods, and he never releases his prey (lines 757-766).
This idea of Thanatos as relentless and pitiless appears also in Euripides’ tragedy Alcestis (438 B.C.E.). Alcestis, wife of Admetus, has agreed to die in her husband’s place. Thanatos arrives to end her life and refuses to spare her, despite Apollo’s most determined pleading.
Thanatos is especially pleased about Alcestis’ impending death because she is so young; her early demise will bring him extra honor. So he drags her away to the underworld.
Thanatos is not always depicted negatively, however, as we shall see.
Thanatos, God of Peaceful Deaths
J. Maya, in her promotions for “Thanatos (End of Us)”, has noted that Thanatos is the god specifically of peaceful deaths. Given the negative portrayal of Thanatos in Hesiod, Euripides, and other authors, where does this idea come from?
To start with, let’s go back to Homer’s Iliad, our earliest extant Greek poem (dating – probably – to the 8th century B.C.E.). The Iliad tells part of the story of the Trojan War, and in Book 16 the Greek Patroclus kills the Lycian Sarpedon.
Sarpedon is the son of Zeus, and Zeus is very distraught at his death. He can’t save his son, but he instructs Apollo to take proper care of his body. Among other things, the “twin brothers Hypnos and Thanatos” carry Sarpedon back to his homeland for burial (Iliad 16.671 ff.).
Ancient Greek vase-painters were fond of the moment when Hypnos and Thanatos lift Sarpedon up from the battlefield. The most famous depiction is on the Euphronios Krater.
Thanatos (right) and Hypnos (left) raise up the sprawling body of Sarpedon, while Hermes stands between them and watches.
Jaime Ardiles-Arce (photographer). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
On this vase, Thanatos and Hypnos look exactly alike: they have wings, tidy beards, and helmets. Thanatos does not create a particularly sinister atmosphere; rather he is doing the bidding of Zeus and escorting Sarpedon to a proper burial. Sarpedon has died a noble death on the battlefield, and his courage is rewarded.
In her book Reading Greek Death, renowned scholar Christiane Sourvinou-Inwood argues that originally the image of Thanatos and Hypnos with a body signified the “good death” of a warrior in battle.
Eventually, this iconography came to be applied to good deaths more broadly, in the sense of a socially good death followed by an appropriate burial. So we find images of Thanatos and Hypnos carrying women and children.
It’s always hard to determine exactly what ancient people believed about their gods, but it seems that Thanatos could be ambiguous. He could be the relentless agent of death, but he could also carry the dead to their final resting place.
It is this, perhaps, that ultimately led to the later association of Thanatos with peaceful deaths.
Greek Myth in Thanatos (End of Us)
What does all of this mean for J. Maya’s single? Given her goal of expressing the emotions, both good and bad, surrounding a dying relationship, Thanatos is an excellent choice.
He is inexorable – you can’t stop his arrival – but he can also be gentle, like his brother Hypnos.
The couple in the song is “calling Thanatos” to come and put an end to their relationship. But there is also a decided note of nostalgia.
The speaker, regardless of their protestations, does not seem to be completely ready to cut ties. Thanatos, as the god of peaceful death, will come and quietly release them both.
If you haven’t listened to “Thanatos (End of Us)” yet, do it now!
And if you are a Greek mythology fan, I have some recommendations for you.
Homeric Hymns: Don’t Miss These Iconic Myths
6 Reasons You Should Read Apollonius’ Argonautica
Love this write-up!!!!!! Thanks for the intricate analysis — so enjoyed reading every word of this :’) <3
Thank YOU for writing such beautiful songs! I’m so glad you enjoyed the analysis and thanks for stopping by 🙂