creepylittleworld:

The belief in the Grim Reaper most likely stems from an old practice dating as far back as the 9th century in Romania and Hungary. When a person died, a sickle was laid on his/her body to remind them that they could no longer wander the land of the living. The sickle portrayed the cutting down of life - the sickle being used for cutting crops.

(via coffeespook-deactivated20111108)