Outside of Game of Thrones, there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence of coins being placed on the eyes of the dead. I saw one example of Polish folklore who believed that when a person died with their eyes open, they were searching for a loved one to drag into death with them, so heavy coins were placed to keep their eyelids closed and protect their living family.
I also remember reading in a 40 year old novel that silver coins were placed on the eyes of vampire victims to prevent them from returning as undead. Obviously that one isn’t a reliable source, but shows the idea has been around for a while.
FYI - Game of Thrones places stones with eyes painted on them on their dead, not coins. So I thought that’s where my confusion was coming from, but I may have been exposed to the coin-on-the-eyelids you mention here.
Outside of Game of Thrones, there’s a lot of anecdotal evidence of coins being placed on the eyes of the dead. I saw one example of Polish folklore who believed that when a person died with their eyes open, they were searching for a loved one to drag into death with them, so heavy coins were placed to keep their eyelids closed and protect their living family.
I also remember reading in a 40 year old novel that silver coins were placed on the eyes of vampire victims to prevent them from returning as undead. Obviously that one isn’t a reliable source, but shows the idea has been around for a while.
FYI - Game of Thrones places stones with eyes painted on them on their dead, not coins. So I thought that’s where my confusion was coming from, but I may have been exposed to the coin-on-the-eyelids you mention here.