So how does pouring molten gold on someone's head kill you?

[Angel Eyes]

I was re-reading Viserys getting killed by Khal Drogo by pouring a pot of molten gold on his head. So how does that work?

[chuck norris 42]

Ghengis Khan executed some pesky trouble makers by pouring molten  silver into their eyes and ears

 

Molten metal would transfer heat really really fast, the eyes and inner ear would get very hot and fry brain cells.

If his mouth was open and he was face up there would be molten gold near his brain stem  

[Ser Petyr Parker]

You're confused about how pouring something over at over 1,000 °C over someone's head might kill them?

[Angel Eyes]

2 hours ago, Ser Petyr Parker said:

You're confused about how pouring something over at over 1,000 °C over someone's head might kill them?

Well, it kinda heated up fast right? Or the Dothraki cook their soup really hot.

[4 Eyed Crow]

Here's an article:

Game of Thrones exposed: How molten gold would really kill you

Quote

Their conclusion? While the molten metal might choke you, burn your lungs and rupture your organs, it’s ultimately the steam that’s likely to kill you first.

While Viserys didn't have the gold poured directly down his throat, we can only imagine the effect of the steam coating his head would have been similar.

And steam, of course, is very very hot. As Daenerys says about her brother: “He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.” 

If molten lead produced this result, then molten gold would be more than enough to kill you, though the Dothraki may not have heated it in the most realistic way. 

[Ghost+Nymeria4Eva]

I always wondered about that too. It's interesting to note about what @chuck norris 42 said about Genghis Khan. But that was of course poured into the body. Drogo pours molten gold onto Visery's head. I always supposed he died of a heart attack. The heat, the pain and the fear could have terrified him enough to result in a heart attack and, you know, death. It's also possible the metal poured down his face and over the nostrils cutting the air supply. 

[Ser Petyr Parker]

On 05/09/2017 at 8:43 PM, 4 Eyed Crow said:

Here's an article:

Game of Thrones exposed: How molten gold would really kill you

If molten lead produced this result, then molten gold would be more than enough to kill you, though the Dothraki may not have heated it in the most realistic way. 

In the end that article doesn't really add much. Since the steam is just a product of heating an organism largely made up of water, it's just a roundabout way of saying the heat kills you. You might just as well say "It's not the hot gold that kills you but the hot skull!"

[Orphalesion]

On 9/5/2017 at 3:40 PM, Angel Eyes said:

Well, it kinda heated up fast right? Or the Dothraki cook their soup really hot.

That was just for dramatic effect, the scene wouldn't have worked the same way if Drogo had taken the time to properly melt down gold in a realistic manner before pouring it on Viserys.

[iliescu]

Pouring gold one someones head kills the other guy and not you.

[Angel Eyes]

On 9/11/2017 at 11:41 PM, Orphalesion said:

That was just for dramatic effect, the scene wouldn't have worked the same way if Drogo had taken the time to properly melt down gold in a realistic manner before pouring it on Viserys.

Would have been more dramatic if the gold was glowing, like in real life.

[dbunting]

All for dramatic affect of course. The heat of the gold would have basically cooked his brain. If he lived he would have been brain dead either way. His eyes would've popped from the heat/steam and then the gold would have better access to his brain.

[TyrionFan82]

Well it was for dramatic effect and a work around to kill him. Plus, Viserys could have no way survived that. He would've been burnt past recognition and his eyes would have popped out, it would've gone down his throat, there was no way he'd survive.