𝐎𝐎𝐂; 𝙾𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚝𝙳 𝚂𝟸 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚢
Okay, so I wanted more Valyria and dragon lore and that new season 2 opening delivered on both, if only a little bit. Below cut, I will try to break down the first sequences of the opening pertaining Valyria with some theories. As always, a reminder that these things are just my interpretation to be used only in this RP blog, and it is in no way to be considered canon unless so specified.
(Doesn't really contain spoilers about HotD, only the use of the first 3 opening theme scenes to elaborate on dragon lore/valyria theories).
The first one is pretty straightforward. Valyria was built on blood, and so that shows here, which transitions into the next scene, where we see Valyria (particularly, the Anogrion, which we are told was the 'source of power' of the valyrian bloodmages) be formed or 'weaved' from this first sequence of the blood.
We then get the blood continuing the path down to the figure that looks almost like a sphynx, with wings of fire, body of a dragon/lizard creature, and a valyrian head. This is reminiscent to the song Daemon sings to Vermithor, especially with the next sequence:
We see a valyrian seemingly 'offering' themselves to the creature, while apparently being stabbed, with their blood gathered in a bowl. We also see glass candles, three to be specific. Again, the number three, like the song tells of a 'winged leader, fire breather, two heads to a third sing'. In the original english song (not the literal translation) it's more clearly stated:
"One who breathes fire,
one who bears wings,
but two heads need three,
and a spell that sings."
The song is describing a ritual, more specifically, a bloodmagic ritual:
"Follow my voice
blood magic old
the price has been paid
as the fires foretold.
In visions of flame
listen to me
the spell that needs three
is made whole through me."
What I initially take from this all is that we're being shown how the dragon bond was formed. This could also explain why Daemon sings this to Vermithor as a way of 'appeasing' the dragon, as it was once part of the spell/bloodmagic used to bond with the dragons. It would seem that the ritual requires a union of dragon and human blood (DNA?) for the bond to happen, which explains various aspects about Dragonlords and dragons themselves.
The intermarrying to keep the blood pure. GRRM has said that not all valyrians practiced this, only/mostly the Dragonlord or noble families. If only the blood of that original valyrian that was part of the ritual to bond with the dragons is what works then, of course, you would have to preserve that blood as pure as possible. However, does this mean that only certain dragons (from the lineage of that original dragon that bonded with the original family member) can bond with that family? Can this be used as an explanation to why the Cannibal ate other dragons, because he was hatched from an egg that was already there from the original valyrians that founded Dragonstone and not Targaryen bonded dragons? Does this confirm that Dany's eggs are Dreamfyre's? Maybe, maybe it's coincidence. I personally prefer to not take it as coincidence, especially for the sake of lore building.
The miscarriages and 'dragon/lizard babies'. If the dragon bond is through a magical fusion of human and dragon blood, then this means Dragonlords have dragon DNA in them, which of course, would probably not make for a great combination sometimes. And we get the deformities and dragon features in the unborn babies from that dragon DNA overpowering the human. It's no surprise that miscarriages can also be common because of some 'error' or incompatibility on the cellular level (magic can only do so much I guess?).
The creation of dragons. In TWOIAF and F&B both we are given the possibility that dragons were actually created. In the song/spell, I believe we are given a little hint to support that theory in the very first stanza: "One who breathes fire, one who bears wings, but two heads need three."
One who breathes fire = fire wyrms. We are told these are essentially blind, wingless, worm-like lizards that live under the Fourteen Flames. This can be supported with the appearance of Caraxes, the Blood Wyrm (the dragon looks like a winged worm pretty much), and the 'dragon' that hatched to little Laena Velaryon (a wingless wyrm, maggot-white and blind).
One who bears wings = wyverns. We are told they are reptiles that look like smaller dragons since they have wings, but they don't breathe fire. They are wild in Sothoryos, where we know Valyrians liked to 'experiment' with creatures (because maybe a certain civilization already did as much? little bit more on that below).
In the rest of the song, we have the "But two heads need three" and "The spell that needs three is made whole through me". That second one is particularly interesting to me with the 'made whole' part. It could simply be symbolic only to the dragon bond, since the literal translation of the song says "To bind the three, to you I sing". I think this can be taken as in a fusion of three DNAs are needed to create the dragon, as much as three 'heads' are needed to forge the original dragon bond of a valyrian Dragonlord lineage.
The 'three' aspect is the base of a lot of things throughout the whole of ASOIAF, it's not exclusive to just one particular thing, or even the prophecy itself. So I do believe that it's possible it can apply to both the dragon bond and the creation of dragons. I would go as far as to wager that the hidden symbolism behind the Targaryen three-headed dragon is not just to represent the conquerors, but the original recipe of the 'three ingredients' (for lack of a better term) necessary for dragon creation, dragon bonding, and all else that the three symbolism is used for valyrians and bloodmagic. Let us not forget that the 'Fire and Blood' the Targaryens use is also based on Valyrian culture as a whole, not exclusive to the Targaryens alone, as Fire and Blood are what valyrian magic was rooted on.
However, it's important to note that we are also given in books how dragons pre-date Valyrians, and the existence of ancient Dragonlords before the founding of the Valyrian Freehold. What is an even older civilization that started out great but descended into brutality and slavery, that also practiced incest, dark arts (like manipulating DNA of creatures?), necromancy, bloodmagic, etc.? The Great Empire of the Dawn.
It's an old and pretty possible theory that GRRM might be giving us clues through Dany's dream of those 'gemstone eyed kings' that valyrians are either directly descended from this civilization or are its inheritors, and it's from their legacy that valyrians 'learned' how to forge the dragon bond ( and other magical aspects, including valyrian steel, which is also very likely forged through bloodmagic ). It could be valyrians did not create dragons but instead this older civilization ( that, interestingly, occupied the east of Essos, very likely Asshai, which is often used as the place from where dragons 'originate' from).
All of these things tie into the show's theme regarding prophecy but also how dangerous dragons are, because everything that made Valyria powerful is built on bloodmagic. I will not go into details because I don't want to use spoilers, but I believe that opening tapestry was purposely done to support these theories exposing the 'wrongness' of the dragons and their power. And how eventually, bloodmagic always has a price.
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I just love the difference between the same dialogue happening in ch.1 and ch. 67. Chapter one as a whole sounds like a retelling of an old legend. It makes Crown Prince of Xianle look like a serene person, without a worry in his heart. It's like he's either brimming with confidence of a diety or plain arrongat. And this is how he went down in history.
While in reality Xie Lian had a long day, seen some concerning things, had the same dirty and wounded kid clinging to him for dear life twice in short period of time, had been doubting subservience to gods for a while now, but most importantly?
A massive crowd of common folk just cheered for him in the streets. It wasn't enlighment or ignorance, it was warm support of his people that made him brave enough to challenge heavens But it wasn't in a legend. It didn't go down in history.
So, I wanted to make something to show that difference between legendary Xie Lian and real Xie Lian.
Handwritten text under cut, just in case.
“Then, Your Highness, let me ask you. If the heavens really do convict you? Will you apologize then?”
“If that should happen, then, the heavens are in the wrong. I am right. I will stand against the heavens and defy until the end.”
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