In the Brothers Grimm tale “Godfather Death,” a candle represents each person’s remaining lifespan. Death shows his godson a room containing candles of different sizes, each corresponding to a human life.
The godson becomes a doctor and receives special knowledge from Death. He can tell whether a patient will live or die by seeing Death’s position beside the sickbed. When Death stands at the patient’s head, the person can recover; when Death stands at the feet, the patient is doomed.
The candles make the story’s central idea visible: life lasts only as long as the person’s candle continues to burn. The tale is often grouped with stories about personified Death and medical bargains. Its ending emphasizes that even special knowledge cannot let a human outwit Death permanently.