#that includes explaining the valyrian phrase ?

[jozor-johai]

So do you think Dany and Jon are just two Heads of the Dragon? and if so, who do you think is the third? my money's on Bran as like, the Ice Representative to balance out Dany's fire and Jon's Ice/Fire dealies.

Thank you for this ask, sorry it took ages to respond.

Say that we know (or we think we know) that two "heads" of "the dragon" are Jon and Dany—insofar as we even think we understand what that phrase is supposed to mean (an assumption that I think is worth questioning as well, but that's not a task for now).

Here's what I love about this question—the issue of "who/what is the 'third head'" comes up as a literal question in a religious sense when Arya is talking to the Sailor's Wife in Braavos. There's a statue to the god Trios, and the Sailor's Wife can't tell us the purpose of one of the heads:

Three-headed Trios has that tower with three turrets. The first head devours the dying, and the reborn emerge from the third. I don't know what the middle head's supposed to do.

GRRM is definitely referencing the concept of the "three headed (dragon)" when he invented Trios; the imagery is too central and too specific for that not to be the case. What's fun, of course, is that we're all asking ourselves the same thing—what (or who) is that middle head?

I like your suggestion about Bran. It's a pretty unorthodox idea, because most people assume/expect that the three heads of the "dragon" must be Targaryen or at least Valyrian... but I don't think one needs Valyrian blood to ride a dragon, so as far as I'm concerned Bran is an option. He's a cool idea, too, because of his attachment to the North, the far North, and maybe even the "Ice" concept, like you say. Bran's also a powerful skinchanger—or, in training to be one—and there's not a doubt in my mind we're going to see some dragons get skinchanged. GRRM has been asked about that idea before and he's gleefully dodged answering it.

That would also be interesting because it's worth remembering that Jon is technically not canonically a Targaryen (yet), or even a contender to be a "head of the dragon" (yet). We think we've figured it out (and we probably have) but it's still technically a mystery. In that sense, then, if I was going to lean on the comparison with Trios, I would say: perhaps by now we should have met the first "head" —the "death" head—and we should have met the last head— "rebirth" head—so we should be missing this middle head whose purpose we don't know. However, we think we've figured out that Jon is the marriage of Ice and Fire, so maybe he's the "unknown" middle head—and then Dany is, on one side, the "rebirth" head (of fire?), and we should have met the "death" head (of ice?) already, but we don't know who it might be. Perhaps it's Bran!

If I'm being honest, I personally haven't thought too much about solving the third head of the dragon issue. It's clear to me that some key piece of the puzzle is being intentionally obscured from our view, so it feels like a fool's errand to be confident in solving it at this point. I realize that's a lame answer, but it's the truth—I try to approach these things beginning with how they work in the story and how they work with the symbolism at play, so without being sure how the "three heads" are even supposed to work I haven't tried to solve this mystery.

If there are truly three people who are going to be the "three heads of the dragon," I think the rules of good storytelling limit our options to characters that were introduced in AGOT. If we limit that to POVs—which is not necessarily a valid assumption, but I think is likely—then that's only Tyrion, Bran, Arya, or Sansa. I'm torn on the common "Tyrion Targaryen" theory... I don't really like it, but it would explain why he's included as a POV in AGOT and why he makes the shortlist for possibilities here (among other things). Bran would be a much more interesting option, though.

The thing is, I'm ultimately not convinced the "three heads" are going to work like we expect. Yes, it's said that Aegon, Rhaenys, and Visenya were the "three heads," but who knows if the common understanding of that is true? Plus, the person who presents the idea to Dany of the need for "three heads" to ride the three dragons is Jorah... who I don't think knows shit about dragons. So my mind is wide open when it comes to possible interpretations of the "three heads of the dragon."

[fractallogic]

so i realized that when I'm going through a medium-strength depressive episode, I want to learn languages and do vocabulary and stuff like that... so i turn to duolingo, usually

unFORTUNATELY, duolingo also makes me mad because everyone's like "oh duolingo is awesome, it's the best, you *really learn a language* with duolingo" and I'm constantly finding errors in the languages I know and inconsistencies with the languages I don't and it's only a small part of any given language pedagogy and it's just so FRUSTRATING, and possibly more so because they didn't fucking hire me to highlight and fix any of these problems any of the four times that I applied and did the initial interest interview

and now they're really going hard on "we teach ENDANGERED languages" when the navajo course is seven units long and the fucking high valyrian course is 29 units long. you don't learn shit in seven units. like idk if the hawaiian course is any better!! and there are, in all likelihood, issues with getting additional approval from tribes, etc. to share their language, and issues getting native or very good speakers to record stimuli, and honestly I started the navajo course because I wanted to see how they dealt with navajo morphosyntax (so far: not well) and that's probably also a stopping point... but you can't tell me you're going to Teach Me Navajo in any meaningful way, which imo is even more disrespectful than just like... not having it.

and THEN you even compare western european courses like french/spanish/german to, idk, finnish, and the former courses all have these extensive "guidebooks" for grammar, they include notes and conjugation tables, etc etc etc, and finnish has ... a list of some of the sentences and phrases that you learn. is it LIKELY that someone's learning finnish from english as their very first non-english language? no, probably not (and i KNOW duolingo's research scientists have the data that can back that up). would it still be USEFUL to have those same tables and notes and so on? ABSOFUCKINGLUTELY. is it useful to have cultural elements like a finnish instrument called a kantele and being able to say "matti is a finn with sisu"? YES. but do they fucking bother to explain what either of those things are? NO.

and like, the thing about duolingo is that they make these extensive claims and it's used in classrooms now (?!) and they're seen as this super high-prestige program among language nerds, and it's just WRONG, and it really pushes my buttons. memrise doesn't make the very strong claim that you use it to learn a language; it really bills itself as more of a vocabulary practice tool (which both of these are), and i'm happy with that. there are memrise-made courses and user-made courses, and they're like "here are certain guarantees we can make about the general quality of the memrise courses, which we cannot make about the user-made courses", which I am also very much fine with. memrise hides some of its stuff behind a paywall, which, fine (caveat: I paid for a lifetime memrise membership—which is a big reason why I'm so !!! MY ACCOUNT WAS STOLEN !!! about the whole thing), but there's so much free content that imo the paywall is really just a nice bonus and not actually the necessary things to have. more and more it feels like duolingo's paywall is blocking some of the necessary stuff (like a personalized practice session, which I feel like is simple enough to program in and not necessarily worth a whole-ass paywall) and is also really expensive, AND without any options for a lifetime membership/single-pay model, afact.

maybe I would feel differently if i worked for duolingo. i would definitely feel differently if i was just a language-learning enthusiast instead of a linguist who literally specializes in how people learn words and word pieces in languages that are different from their primary language. duolingo is just TOO BIG FOR ITS BRITCHES and self-important and it needs to be knocked down several pegs.

[lassieposting]

Ooh I can take a crack at this! Translation for English speakers:

From The Lord of the Rings To Dune: How To Create A Language

The creators of new languages for works of fiction explain how they invented the likes of Chakobsa or Valyrian.

(Original article by Jaime Rubio Hancock, 31.03.2024)

The Fremen people of the movie Dune live in the desert, where we find Paul Atreides, the saga's protagonist, and they speak a language called "Chakobsa". In Frank Herbert's books, the language appears as phrases and random words, but for the movies (directed by Denis Villenueve) - especially the second film - something more was needed. So linguists Jessie & David J Peterson created an entire language, complete with vocabulary, morphology and grammar.

As they explained in a video call, it's not always necessary to construct an entire language for a book:

"The author can control what the reader sees and hears," David explains, "And maybe it's enough to simply say that 'they [the characters] speak in their language". But in a show or a movie it's not so easy to use those kinds of techniques because the audience sees what the cameras show. For this reason, it's often not enough to include the odd phrase like, "Vii minaazashaho vejii ho Chausij?" ("Do you really think he's the Chosen One?") You might also need to know how to say, "Nice coffee, mate," ("Oggori cheshii, e akshahii,") in addition to putting together a structure to help create new words and phrases if they're needed.

The Petersons began with some terms included in Herbert's novels, in a language influenced by Romani and Slavic languages with terms from Arabic. These elements served as a starting point, in a project similar to that of Dothraki and Valyrian from the series Game of Thrones (adapted from the languages included in the works of George R. R. Martin), which David worked on alone.

Although they were not starting entirely from scratch, constructing a language may seem to be an unfathomable task. Where do you begin? Is it enough just to invent a list of words? How does the grammar work? How should it sound? These are some of the steps addressed by language creators (called ideolinguists, or more commonly, conlangers).

The Precursors: There have been constructed languages since long before fantasy and science fiction sagas: about nine centuries ago, religious figure and philosopher Hildegard of Bingen invented her "lingua ignota". This language, as David J. Peterson explains in his book The Art Of Language Invention, is more a list of words similar to Latin, created with aesthetic and religious objectives, but it's still one of the first examples of how the more than 7,000 languages spoken worldwide may fall short for us.

Precisely, one of the first language creators wanted to put something in order after the fall of the Tower of Babel. As Umberto Eco wrote in The Search For The Perfect Language (17th or 18th century), there were dozens of attempts to create a logical, universal language that would avoid the semantic differences [of natural languages] and which would help us come to rational, indisputable conclusions. However, the work of thinkers such as John Wilkins, Joachim Becher and Cave Beck never resolved any great philosophical dispute. Nor did any attempts to create an auxhiliary international language to help avoid international conflicts - such as Volapuk, created in 1879 by German religious figure Johann Martin Schleyer, or Esperanto, created in 1887 by Ludwik Lejzer Zamenhof - come to aught.

The first writer to use a completely constructed language was J. R. R. Tolkien. The British author of The Lord of the Rings, first published in 1954, worked for decades on vocabulary and grammar for Elvish languages such as Sindarin and Quenya.

2. First Things First: Culture. In his book, Peterson emphasizes the importance Tolkien gave to the history and culture of his world: languages are not just experiments and mind games (although they can be both those things) - they are born in a society and they evolve alongside it. This could be our history if, for example, we wanted to invent another language derived from Latin, but we could also situate ourselves in a completely different world, as happens with the languages of Game of Thrones. We could also create alien languages, as David J. Peterson did for the series Defiance, creating five languages for different races of extraterrestrial humanoids.

In the case of Dune, Jessie & David J. Peterson had to distance themselves from some of the ideas of the novels, in order to take into account what we know about the evolution of language. In the books, many of the words on the planet Arrakis are identical to those used on Earth, despite thousands of years having passed. "It's not reasonable for them to be recognizable," David explains.

Some language creators also build entire worlds, such as American writer Mark Rosenfelder, creator of Verdurian, a language spoken by 55million people on the planet Almea in his book In The Land Of Babblers. On videocall, Rosenfelder recounted that when working on a new language, he begins with a very detailed culture and takes into account the geography, economy, customs and history of the speakers.

3. Know your fundamentals. Jessie and David J. Peterson explain that they prefer to begin with the system of sounds used in the language and later move onto the morphology, syntax and the rest of the grammar system. They move from the most basic to the most complex parts of languge creation, in order to build on solid foundations.

There are dozens of questions. Which consonants and vowels do you need? Are there cases, as there are in Latin? Is the word order of a sentence fixed? How do you indicate plurality? How are verbs conjugated? Do you need a different writing system, like in Chakobsa? It could also be a sign language - for Dune, the Petersons also created the "battle language" of the Atreides, although in this case it's treated more like a code than a language.

Constructing words, Jessie Peterson's favourite part, doesn't only consist of inventing a list of terms that sound unusual. "It's not about saying, for example, that 'this word means sheet', but about knowing the structure of the words and applying it." It's a little like how in Spanish we do not simply adopt new words (for example, tuit, meaning "tweet"), but create derivatives in a natural way (tuitear, meaning "to tweet"; tuitero, meaning "author of a tweet, tweeter")

One question that doesn't have an easy answer is when to stop. When can we decide that the language is "finished"? The answer is usually "When the linguist (or the producer of the film the linguist is working on) decides that that is enough". Which could be never - Rosenfelder continues working on Verdurian even 30 years after first publishing the language online.

4. Why are we creating the language? Only a few languages are created for a work of fiction. Aside from the ones already mentioned, you could add Na'vi from the movie Avatar, created by linguist Paul Frommer, or Klingon, created for Star Trek by Marc Okrand. This is one of the most well-known and popular conlangs, with translations of Shakespeare, dictionaries and original works, as well as Learn Klingon courses on language apps.

Rosenfelder explains that creating a complete language for a novel or series - your own or someone else's - is not always necessary, although "It can add attractiveness and realism". But there are thousands of conlangers making languages purely for pleasure, and without thinking about whether it could end up in a film or book. They share their creations in forums, where they receive comments from other conlangers on how to improve their work, and often they begin with Rosenfelder's online guide, published online in 1996 and later expanded upon in various books.

Some of the Petersons' favourite languages are exactly those invented by conlangers just for fun. In his book, David speaks about Rikchik, a language invented by Denis Moskowitz for a race of intelligent aliens who communicate with their seven tentacles. Rosenfelder adds the example of Fith, created by Jeffrey Henning with a structure similar to that of some computer programming languages. As Jessie Peterson explains, "When someone constructs a language, they can express their creativity throughout the entire process." In her opinion, it's about "the best way of playing with language."

Very nice conlang article in El País with me and Jessie if you can read Spanish.

[whateverthedragonswant]

3x04 - When Mhysa Became Master

I'm on such a GoT kick right now which is weird since I'm rewatching Stranger Things, still in the middle of The Boys, and checking out other shows. But, here we are.

I've always loved this scene because it is such a powerful one for Daenerys but rewatching this, man it's just so impactful and continues to lay the groundwork for what's to come, not only in the last season but even season 5.

This really was a brilliant scene and masterfully sets up the Breaker of Chains arc for her. But besides the obvious clues we get about dark!Dany now looking back, there are a few subtle ones here that I definitely missed myself.

1) "A dragon is not a slave"

While I knew that the "Mhysa is Master" was playing under the surface here, and that Dany is really talking about herself (and Drogon who represents her) with this phrase, I could never quite put it into words of a good enough argument/point (to explain when having debates with the Dany-was-a-hero-to-the-end crowd I mean) to showcase just why Dany makes her speech to the Unsullied and offers to let them go should they choose to do so besides the obvious manipulations. But now, after rewatching this scene, I finally got my answer.

Those who saw Dany's dark nature, those who saw it upon rewatch after the series ended, we all know this speech was done in order to gain loyal followers. After all, who would fight harder for you: people who are paid to fight for you, people who are forced to fight for you, or people who believe in you? And as much as I hate to say it, she chose the army well. Not only was their reputation fierce and their strength ruthless when called upon, but they were essentially a slave army.

During the conquering of Astapor, what does she do? She holds the whip and tests it out. Sure enough, the Unsullied follow her commands and when she is assured she has control, she then makes her move. By commanding the Unsullied to slay the masters, to slay the soldiers, and to strike off the chains off of every slave they see. I'll go into this a bit further below, but ultimately, Dany has equated herself to a slave. "A dragon is not a slave" is said to Kraznys when he says what line? "Tell the bitch her beast won't come." Because Drogon is chained and he is resisting Kraznys, refusing to heed his commands. A lot of people thought at the time that she may have been reacting to him calling her a bitch but she's not. She didn't react the other times he did, including just before she tests out her commands on the Unsullied. Some thought she waited until she had the Unsullied, some thought she chose the moment carefully; they were all correct.

The fact that the sequence goes like this:

Dany (aka her commanding them) - "Unsullied! Forward march! Halt!"

Kraznys - (after failing to command Drogon): "Tell the bitch her beast won't come."

Dany - "A dragon is not a slave."

It's brilliant (I hate to give D&D any kudos after that finale buttttt they did get it right here) and very powerful. In a subtle way, she is letting us the audience (as well as Kraznys and everyone) know that she is in control, and she is no slave. She now holds the whip. Literally.

She purposely chose that moment to make it known that she knew Valyrian to Kraznys because she now had his and everyone else's attention, including ours. And she purposely at that moment made it known that she is no slave. Dragons do not play well with others and she even says it herself with that line, they do not take orders or follow others. She then commands the Unsullied (again, while holding the whip) to kill all of the Masters and those who protect them. (a precursor of things to come aka getting rid of anyone who doesn't bend the knee and/or stands in her way so basically "What do dragons eat anyway?" "Whatever they want"). Then, once the thing is done, she mounts a white horse and makes her speech to the Unsullied.

2) "Mhysa is Master"

When she makes the speech to the Unsullied after the conquest, she tells them that they are free and that anyone who wants to leave will be able to do so safely should he choose it:

"You have been slaves all your life. Today you are free." - she is making sure not only to remind them of who they were before she came along but also who freed them

"Any man who wishes to leave may leave, and no one will harm him. I give you my word."

Then she asks the them if they will fight for her:

"Will you fight for me? As free men?"

That is when the Unsullied start thumping their spears to show her support and they choose to join her and fight for her.

At the time, a lot of people thought 'Oh, the Unsullied are grateful, she freed them, of course they would join her, she is the Breaker of Chains after all.' But they're only half right. We find out as does Dany that these are boys that have been taken from their families at a very young age to be castrated and start training. Brutal training that is designed to strip them of their empathy and the sole purpose of following orders: a slave army. Had they chosen to leave, where would these soldiers have gone? They have no families, no home outside of the one they just helped to sack, they're eunuchs so they unfortunately cannot go start families of their own should they choose to, the only thing they have ever known is the life of an Unsullied. And here's the thing: Daenerys knows this. So of course she is going to make that offer, knowing full well what the end result was most likely going to be. Not to mention, she just freed them. One thing Daenerys is, whether you love her or hate her, is shrewd. She is keenly intelligent and actually is brilliant in her tactics at times (regardless of whether they were wrong or not) which makes her a more than worthy player of the game, and correctly as one of the main contestants and last parties standing near the end. It absolutely makes sense that she is the one to be able to overturn the Lannister rule in Westeros, not only because she is a Targaryen (the last ruling family before the Lannisters) but also because she is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve her goal and what she believes is hers by right/destiny.

So, she's very well aware that she just had a slave army turn on their own masters and fight for their freedom gain her an army. That's powerful stuff because wouldn't it make sense that they would look at that afterwards and go, oh we weren't able to do this until this person came along and made it okay for us to do it? Even if they never thought of it before, they've now made the mental link of her representing their freedom, even before she says it. Brilliant. Tactics. (not saying it's right at all, just saying she is very cunning & calling it what it is, intelligent -> which also leads to the arc that GRRM intended for her from the beginning: a powerful figure that grew in strength and power and was beheld by all to be the savior when really they were the worst possible person to put in power because power corrupts)

(another example of her using this type of manipulation)

(another example of her using this type of manipulative tactic btw - this is presumably when Dany and Grey Worm discussed their plans for KL before Jon arrived - as if Missandei never told Grey Worm what she brought with her, especially after he had been so vulnerable with her but I digress, this is to solidify Grey Worm's loyalty and determination to help her carry out her plans to rip the Lannisters out root and stem, to use his anger and pain to her advantage, why else save Missandei's collar for that moment & offer it to Grey Worm, another former slave? when it could have happened before Varys' execution? when she was mourning Missandei and Rhaegal?)

(yep)

But back to the 3x04 moment:

And here's even more of a kicker, Dany is still holding the whip as she makes this speech. She only drops it to the ground after the Unsullied has agreed to fight for her and they are marching out of Astapor. Thus we get that powerful image of her tossing it and of the soldiers stepping over it. On the surface, it speaks to freedom overcoming the slavery that was happening. She is now officially the "Breaker of Chains". But in reality, this is the first trickling of "bend the knee or die" theme that will continue to play throughout her story in the series that gets darker and darker as time passes. Their freedom that she offered wasn't real. If it was, they would have never had her holding the whip in her hand as she mounted the horse. They would have never included that shot of her tossing the whip. She could have tossed it before she got on the horse to indicate that her offer of their freedom was genuine. It makes you wonder just what she would have done had one of the Unsullied stepped forward and said "yeah, thanks for freeing me and all, but no thanks, I think I'm gonna get a nice little house by the sea but best of luck with that and everything". She wouldn't have been able to do much about a whole army should every single one of them decided to take off but a few? 10-20 max? It would have been very interesting. And like I said, she knew that 95% of them weren't going anywhere. She could have easily had the Unsullied line the Masters up and done what she does in Mereen or even later on in KL. She could have taken control of the city then and only killed the soldiers. But no, she wanted the Unsullied to kill their masters and to free their fellow slaves, because it served her interests in the long run.

And they even solidify this later on in season 5 when they revisit slavery in Mereen and how one of the former slaves asks if he can be sold back to his master. Dany doesn't understand and is outraged (because again, 'why would a dragon be willing to go back into chains? plus, I am your savior and rescued you from slavery, how dare you?') but eventually allows it, with conditions. It is to be done her way, she is the one that gets to decide, and that is that. 'Be thankful, old man' basically. And while this is also meant to show that Dany doesn't know the culture of the people she's conquered (and that she didn't even consider some of her supposed subjects or what issues might arise because again 'conquer, conquer, conquer') which foreshadows her time in Westeros and her less than stellar reception by the Westerosi, it also proves again yet another fact of her story: Mhysa is Master.

3) The Savior Of All...or is she?

Dany has just conquered Astapor and killed the "evil men". This should be a victorious moment for her, for all really. So why do we get a shot of her like this?

Why do we see her dark silhouette here? Why is she still holding the whip? (At this point, the city has been conquered and all the evil men are dead so why is the whip still needed if she was about to offer the Unsullied freedom?) Why is she blocking the sun here? Why do they have smoke billowing through as Jorah makes his way over to her? For realism? Not so much. If this is a victorious conquest done for the right reasons, you don't include a shot like this afterwards:

Because this is an "evil man", right? A master? So why do we care that he's dead? Isn't it good that he's dead? So why would we be shown not only his charred body but him on his back, with his hand up as if to protect himself or as if he was in pain as he died? And again, why the smoke? And why is it the same type of image we see in 7x04, 7x05, 8x05 and 8x06? If these are all "evil men" then why did they choose to put this in here? At this moment right when she becomes the Breaker of Chains? ...uh huh.

And why are we shown this right before we are shown the Unsullied troops and Dany walking among them?

And why did she need to get on the horse to speak to them and make this speech when she had no problem commanding them before the mayhem (meaning it was less than quiet before this moment) from the front?

(because she needed to be above them, literally, and she needed for all of them to see her - at the time she gave the orders, they didn't need to see her, they just needed to follow her commands; this also shows the similar beginning of both dialogues by calling out to the Unsullied the way she does btw)

Why did they decide to not only have Dany up front in this shot but to match her outfit to Missandei's while showing the exact opposite in the coloring of the fabrics? In the same sequence all of the Unsullied are again below her?

(it's not because Dany is the queen they all chose here or because she's royalty at all, it's because Missandei was gifted to her when Dany went to buy the Unsullied and she now belongs to Dany, which is why they put that blue lining into Missandei's cape but gave Dany that one white shoulder while Missandei's same shoulder is bare - they purposely were trying to show you this through the contrast besides all the obvious clues with the lighting, the framing, and the music cues -> Dany is not a savior here or a breaker of chains, these people unfortunately are still in chains, but different ones: Dany's)

And even more so, why during the rightful conquest, do we see this image?

After hearing a man screaming in pain in the background as Drogon lights the place up? And why does the camera then focus on the puff of smoke that rises from all of this and they choose to end their shot there before it transitions into the charred man above?

Dany is not a savior or even a liberator. When she liberates people, it's not a good thing. But this is how she grew in power and notoriety on this side of the sea: she not only gave these people something they had never seen before (dragons who had been extinct until hers were born & her unable to be burned) and then continued to do so/utilized that to gain more and more followers. Think of the image she gave the Khalasar at Vaes Dothrak after killing the Khals. Every single Dothraki bent the knee. Think of the speech she gave the Dothraki. (from a white horse to a dragon btw) Think of Kinvara's scene with Varys and Tyrion, and how the Red Priests and Red Priestesses were willing to spread the word about Dany. That they were convinced that she is the one who was promised by their Lord of Light. She was even able to sway Tyrion to her side, who didn't believe in anyone before her as he says.

Belief was her greatest weapon. Not just others' belief in her but also her own belief in herself and what she considered to be her destiny.

And she knew exactly how to use it.

That's not a savior or a hero.

This scene really set it all up. Not that there weren't hints before, but whoa did we get a glimpse underneath the surface once she got an army at her disposal. Powerful, powerful stuff.

[racefortheironthrone]

To this: "Do you think that the later Targaryens are aware that "the blood of the dragon" phrase might be more than just metaphorical? How do you think Dany would react?" you said no and badly. What they mean abou the blood of the dragon phrase? What does it mean that it might be more than just metaphorical

"Sheltered there, amidst the great volcanic mountains known as the Fourteen Flames, were the Valyrians, who learned to tame dragons and make them the most fearsome weapon of war that the world ever saw. The tales the Valyrians told of themselves claimed they were descended from dragons and were kin to the ones they now controlled.

The great beauty of the Valyrians—with their hair of palest silver or gold and eyes in shades of purple not found amongst any other peoples of the world—is well-known, and often held up as proof that the Valyrians are not entirely of the same blood as other men. Yet there are maesters who point out that, by careful breeding of animals, one can achieve a desirable result, and that populations in isolation can often show quite remarkable variations from what might be regarded as common. This may be a likelier answer to the mystery of the Valyrian origins although it does not explain the affinity with dragons that those with the blood of Valyria clearly had.”

“In Septon Barth’s Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns , he speculated that the bloodmages of Valyria used wyvern stock to create dragons.” (WOIAF)

I guess I’ve never spelled this out explicitly, but here goes:

Valyrian magic was entirely based on fire and blood. This latter included the use of sorcery to cross-breed species that cannot normally breed; i.e breeding non-flying firewyrms with non-firebreathing wyverns to create dragons.

Scholars know that the Valyrians’ appearance may be related to selective breeding, and that the Valyrians claimed to be biologically part-dragon.

What is the conclusion? Valyrian bloodmages gave Valyrian dragonriders the ability to tame/control dragons by “splicing” in dragon DNA, so that the dragons of Valyria would recognize Valyrians as “kin” rather than “prey.” 

This did not involve CRISPR, but “careful breeding.” 

[inky-duchess]

Part 1 Do you have any conlangs? I'm making one/two, but I don't know if it's enough. My story follows characters that live in different parts of the content (and when they eventually meet, I want them to be able to understand each other without the translator) and I don't really feel like making a conlang for every single country.

Part 2 Would it be realistic for 8 or so kingdoms to speak one language with different dialects (but still be able to understand each other)? Or should I make 'English' (called something else in my story) my Latin? Sorry if I sound confusing.

Part 3 My idea is to have a language barrier that further separates already isolated West (they will befrom the rest of the continent so I am leaning towards the one language with different dialects solution, but I am not sure. I really need your advice! You are my savior! Thank you for your time! Again, sorry if I sound confusing! And sorry for long ask!

I do have about five languages in the entire world of TTK, which includes Thirteen Kingdoms, about 8 city states, two continents. This is mainly because I took inspiration from 16th century Europe: where the most popular spoken languages were English, French, German, Italian, Spanish but Latin or French were used as an common languages interchangeable through borders.

Most fantasy novels do include lands divided by tongue and dialects as only natural since they take from our own world. GRRM is an example for this. Every city in Essos save the Dothraki Sea, speak a dialect of Valyrian, the language of their conquerors and founds. Even Slaver's Bay's language of Ghiscari is a mangled version of Valyrian. Dialects are common in continents even in countries. Ireland has numerous dialects of Gaelige: Munster, Connaught and Ulster/Donegal. They have the same bones but different inflections and pronunciation. I can honestly say it is a pain in the arse to listen to another dialect of a language you sort of know, as you are translating somebody's else's languages as you are translating your own words in your head.

The one thing I will advise is to write the history of your land first. When you track the wars, invasions, alliances, you can literally track language. Dialects are caused when language is effected by other languages. Strictly speaking from an Irish point of view, we do not speak English but a hybrid sort of English known as Hibernian English which leads us to use Gaelige structure and phrases with English words and not realise it. I was in my last year of school when my English teacher pointed it out for us. For example an Irish person would not say that someone yelled at them, they would say someone "gave out to them" which comes from the Gaelige as a direct translation. Dialects are a bastards of two languages crossing over. It is up to you to build the history to explain the dialect.

[pr]

please tell me this sanitized version of arya stark's story. like i am dying to hear this version of events that included high valyrian call and response but managed to exclude literally everything else besides "smol girl fite" apparently.

Taken from a friend of a friend.

This friend of mine has been very consciously raising her young daughter outside of stereotypical gender norms. They’ve done quite a number on my friend, and she’s like, “Nope, my kid’s life will be different.”

Her daughter is small for her age, and will probably remain small. This has affected her self-confidence. Earlier this year, my friend decided to tell her daughter a slightly sanitized version of Arya Stark’s journey in GoT, to basically demonstrate how a small girl could learn to be badass.

Six months go by, and the daughter turns from 5 to 6. Her mom asks her what she wants for her birthday. The daughter says, “I want to learn how to fight.” So my friend, who has zero martial arts experience, looks up a place, and they go there.

The moment they get there, my friend is thinking, “This may not be the right place.” It’s a Krav Maga/MMA gym. Lots of burly dudes beating the crap out of each other, basically. Not your kid-friendly karate dojo.

But she doesn’t want to tell her daughter that they have to leave because the place is filled with intimidating men – it would pretty much fly in the face of everything she’s trying to teach her. So she says, “Okay. I don’t know if they have a kid’s class here. Why don’t you go ask who the teacher is, and then ask them?”

So her daughter walks up to one dude, asks for the teacher, then gets pointed to this tattooed, musclebound dude with his head shaved and a goatee. As my friend put, “The guy looked like your bigger, meaner younger brother.”

She trails behind her kid a bit, ready to step in, and listens in. Her daughter walks up the guy and says, “Hi! Do you have classes for kids? I want to learn how to fight.”

The guy looks down at this wee little girl, and he says, “Uh, well, no, we don’t really. Maybe I can talk to your mom and suggest some places for you? This isn’t really a place for little girls.”

Her daughter reaches into her jacket pocket, pulls out a nickel, holds it out to the guy and says, “Valar morghulis.”

The guy takes the nickel, looks at it, then says, totally deadpan: “Valar dohaeris. Of course I can teach you.”

The mom comes over and says, “I thought you said you didn’t have kid’s classes?” The guy says, “We do now. Come into the office and we’ll work up a training schedule.” The mom: “Do you have any idea how much it’ll cost?” The guy holds up the nickel. “She’s already paid up.”

[silkygoldmilkweed]

Everything Is SanSan, SanSan Is Everything, 1/? -  “The Bear and the Maiden Fair”

This might be one of a series. 

This is basically a “subtweet” post which is part designed to make myself feel better bc the negativity from a fellow Tumblr person I admire bummed me and partly because I think my show-only vantage point actually could be valuable in thinking about the story and the characters we all love.

OK. So. I’ve noticed some aggressive SanSan/GOT pessimism around here lately, which I totally accept especially if your fandom started with the book series. The book story is subtle and much more romantic than show-only SanSan. But as a show-only, I feel bound to defend the romance embedded in the series, because I think it is absolutely there, just presented in different terms than the books.

The book series gives SanSan the gift of Sansa’s internal experience. 

For my money, one of the reasons (one but not the only) GRRM made Sansa a POV character is because it amused him greatly to try to explain the fierce, unstable, dangerous, strong Hound from the extremely unreliable POV of a dreamy, gentle, ultravulnerable, isolated, young, romantic-minded little girl, Sansa Stark.

ANYWAY. On the show we don’t get to know Sansa’s thinking, or anyone’s thinking for that matter: We can see only the actions of the characters. 

On the show, Sansa is forever passive and susceptible, and Sandor’s POV is opaque, clouded by both his own recalcitrance and emotional challenges and by the fact that GRRM keeps him deliberately to the side. 

(I personally believe Sandor is one of the four most important characters in the story. Jon, Dany, Sansa, Sandor are my power quad; more on that later).

So. Camera’s POV. It’s different than the internal POV of the books, but it is also a gift in that we get new insights to the same material because of the different story medium.

We can learn a lot about the endgame from how the show cuts the stories into individual episodes, each with a theme. We can learn a lot from how the stories braid together within an episode: What scene leads into what other scene? Which themes are reflected widely, and which get brief treatment? Which phrases of dialogue and which musical refrains are repeated? 

For my money, the show uses minor and disposable characters to reflect back on the grand themes of the show, even when the main characters who will ultimately carry out the related plots are sidelined.

So. 

Let’s just say, hypothetically, that the main theme of the story is “the things I do for love” and the main characters of A Song of Ice and Fire are Sandor and Sansa (”he is the prince who was promised and his is the song of ice and fire”), whereas the main characters of “A/The Game of Thrones” are Jon and Dany. 

Let’s concede, for the purposes of argument, that GRRM and D&D are bound and determined to hide the SanSan for the nearly the duration of the story, for two reasons: (1) plot twists and surprises make for good drama, (2) Sandor x baby!Sansa as a pairing is legitimately illegal child pornography and every kind of creepiness, which all of them well know and strongly oppose. And that was GRRM’s point all along: Drogo is a barbarian who buys the little girl and rapes her and puts a baby in her and doesn’t think twice about it, and Sandor Clegane is a good man who puts his selfish desire to fuck her bloody second to his sworn duty to protect her and keep her safe and do the same for all her family (Arya). (I will go to my grave swearing that they aged up Dany, Jon, Robb, Theon and not the others–including Joff and Tommen–because there was simply no way to write their sex lives out of the story; therefore they had to be played by adults or the story collapsed.) 

FORBIDDEN LOVE OF SANDOR AND SANSA get two seasons of setup just so they’ve actually met each other and had a couple of common experiences (arguably only one the two seasons has any meaningful interaction between them as a “pairing” of any kind) and then there is very very little to no TEXT ABOUT THEIR PAIRING for five years. (There are, however, many missed connections, several suggestive images and symbols of their relationship, and the incontrovertible fact that the Hound never even looks at another woman after Sansa and that Sansa fears or loathes every man who crosses her path after the Hound, and that they are both objectively lonely for the duration of seasons three through seven.)

The five years and the weak first two years are understandably alarming to book readers. It is, indeed, thin gruel compared to the books, but I don’t think the SanSan is eliminated from the show, not one bit.

QUESTION: How do you possibly tell the story of this epic fucked-up love without putting any evidence of epic unrequited inappropriate unrequited passion and love onscreen until the very end of the story when it is finally the future and it’s OK for our lovers to finally consummate their “marriage” and express their feelings physically? This is a dilemma, guys.

ANSWER: You gotta use the SUBTEXT. You bury the exposition and narration of the epic love in other stories, so that long after all the characters in those other characters are dead and buried, you still have the assertions that support your ideas about the role of love in human life. 

So. Let’s take a look at a good example. Let’s do the episode “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” which I picked because it has the line “Most men fuck like dogs,” which I consider an explicit reference to the topic of the Hound, Sansa and sexuality (as a tangible expression of love). 

(See also: the earlier statement “The Dothraki take slaves like a hound takes a bitch,” as there are a lot of SanSan shadows cast by the Dany-Drogo relationship. I think Dany-Drogo is how George scratched his beauty-and-the-beast itch in the first book.) 

“The Bear and the Maiden Fair” turns out to be what I consider to be an exceedingly clear case, not least because “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” is both a pretty clear restatement of George’s “the beast and the beauty” trope, not to mention the explicit nature of the song lyrics themselves.

So, if I rewatch the episode with the presumption that

Sandor and Sansa are the beating heart of the epic hero tale, a saga of ice and fire that will be sung for a thousand years

and with an assumption that the scenes featuring Sansa and Sandor themselves (the “text”) are just one way that D&D/GRRM can tell us their story, what subtext do we find? Let’s look.

LOVE STORY, ROBB-TALISA: Robb is a ginger!Stark who takes after Cat. He has many parallels with fellow king Jon–especially in the show–but he also has some subtler ties with Sansa that I think are not unimportant. (In re the Jon thing, I don’t think it’s a mistake that D&D replaced Jeyne Westerling with Talisa from Volantis, a “foreign whore” who speaks Valyrian–they were setting up the Jon-Dany parallels and problems years in advance.) 

After they dispense with some political setup for the Red Wedding (sniff), Robb and Talisa start doing their newlywed thing under Cat’s critical eye and after a minute we cut to them enraptured with each other, enjoying the afterglow of their lovemaking/sex on a pile of Northern furs. The love theme that was first played in season two, “I am hers, she is mine”, plays as they kiss. The title of this song is taken from the Westeros marriage vows, wherein the officiant also says, “I hereby seal these two souls, binding them as one for eternity.” (This will be crucial when Stark blood and soul marriage and consciousness-merging through warging turn out to be the key to defeating the Night King.)

Robb: “If you don’t put some clothes on I can’t promise I won’t attack you again.” 

The conflation of sex and combat is perfect George. The cock is the sword, and the sword is the cock. 

The idea of losing your sexual prowess and being a “broken sword” comes up later in the episode in reference to Jaime (sword hand amputated) and Theon (rendered dickless by Ramsay), but Robb is very intact, very virile and an exemplar of a good man and good husband in this story, with his great weakness being…love. Love is the death of duty. He broke his oath to marry Talisa, and he pays with this life. But in these last days before his doom we see he has achieved reproductive success along with his battle victories. The seed is strong. The sword is powerful and hard and used correctly. Etc. 

It’s not enough to have a strong sword OR a hard dick. You must have BOTH to win in George’s world. Walder Frey is reproductively successful but a coward. Stannis Baratheon is a true soldier, but he fails as a family man. Robb is winning on both fronts. George gives him that as a gift to honor him before he cuts him down at the Red Wedding.

And when, in due course, Talisa reveals that she is pregnant, she strangely asks, “Are you angry with me?” And Robb graciously and intensely replies, “Angry? You are my queen.” This is a throwaway line because we know the reign of Robb and Talisa is all but over. 

But any good man’s beloved wife is his queen, regardless of whether or not she wears a crown. “I love you. Do you hear me? I love you,” says good king Robb to his wife. 

They are greedy and happy and good and doing all the right things, except they are cursed by the gods for oathbreaking, as we will see two episodes in the future.

LOVE STORY, JON-YGRITTE-OFELL: Here’s our boy Tormund with his timeless sex advice: 

“Most men fuck like dogs. No grace. No skill. A few dozen thrusts and done. You need to be patient. Give her time. Your cock shouldn’t go her until she’s slick as a baby seal and then you go inside, but slowly. Don’t jam it in like you’re spearing a pig!”

This is great sex advice for Jonno and I’m sure Dany (and Ygritte) appreciate his diligent study. But it’s also about Sandor and Sansa and the audience. You need to be patient. Give her time to grow up. Your cock shouldn’t go near her until it’s winter and the she-wolf is in heat and wants it so badly she gets wet at the thought of you. And then still take it slow. Which he will, of course. Because season eight Sandor is a man. Seasons one through four Sandor was a dog. This is better articulated in the books, but it’s visible to some extent in the show as well. Dog!Sandor is an animal. But he re-emerges as a man, and as he gets closer and closer to Winterfell he becomes more and more of a prince, and more of brave Florian to Sansa’s Jonquil. 

OK, so after Tormund, we start up with the Jon-Ygritte-Ofell love-triangle setup. In this situation, Jon is Joffrey, Ygritte is Sansa and Ofell is Sandor, which is a dark mirror which will totally fuck your head, but I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what George/D&D are playing with. You’re rooting for the opposite man in this scenario, compared to the original, which sounds like typical George. Go King Joffrey! Boo true knight Sandor!

Sidebar: I think the fact that Ygritte is a ginger is absolutely intentional and also a crucial part of Jon’s misidentification as the PTWP, but let’s just set that aside for the moment and see what else they’re serving up.

LOVE STORY, JON-YGRITTE-OFELL: This dialogue is Ygritte and Ofell, but read it with her as Sansa and him as Sandor and Jon as Joffrey and with my edits and tell me it’s not exactly about all the issues in the first act of the SanSan relationship. Sandor would never been this whiny externally but hell if he didn’t nurse some of this internally:

Sansa: “You’re jealous.” Sandor: “Of course I’m jealous. Should be with one of your own. Sansa: “And you’re one of my own? I’ve never heard a kind word from your mouth.” Sandor: “You would. If you were mine. I’d tell you that you’re beautiful, and fierce, and wild. I’d be good to you. You love him?” [Sansa nods.] Sandor: “’Cause he’s pretty? Is that it? You like his pretty hair and his pretty eyes? You think pretty’s going to make you happy? You won’t like pretty so much when you find out what he really is.”

* Of course I’m jealous. I think Sandor is beside himself with jealousy in season two but has no honorable recourse and hardly knows what to do he is so enraged by his own feelings, his own vulnerability and above all, Sansa’s abuse at the hands of her truly evil future husband. “Fuck the king” and his desertion at the Blackwater is the ultimate expression of this. Hell if Sandor is going to die fighting on behalf of his romantic rival when he just go straight to Sansa and offer to die on her behalf instead.

* Should be with one of your own. Sandor sees the wolf in her that no one else knows is there, not even her. 

“Your father was a killer. Your brother is a killer. Your sons will be killers someday. You should be with one of your own: a killer, someone with wolf blood, like the family of killers with wolf blood that you were born into.”

* I’ve never heard a kind word from your mouth. We don’t know that Ofell is a dick to Ygritte, but it doesn’t matter and we also don’t care. This isn’t their story, not really. This scene exists to develop Ofell as a romantic adversary to Jon on one level, but we already know that Jon has the upper hand, because plot armor. 

So this scene also serves as an exploration of what Sandor and Sansa might have said to each other in a parallel universe or in a continuation of their story after “Blackwater.” Partly because of circumstances, but moreso because the Hound is an emotional cripple, his courtship technique is AWFUL. I think he’s being warged, which is a cheat on her part (plus she’s totally artless and has no idea she’s doing anything), but I also think that regardless of how it started, the Hound is madly in love with Sansa Stark. Warged and madly in love with a virtual stranger are the same feelings, ultimately, which is George’s whole point.

You can’t help who you love. 

Love’s this involuntary nightmare where you are taken over body and soul, consumed internally by your feelings for someone outside you. It is a fire on the inside and it burns. Poor Hound can’t handle any more burning circa King’s Landing, so he lashes out in anger at the girl he loves. 

Sansa almost never hears a kind word from Sandor’s mouth, he’s always either yelling or indifferent or patronizing or glaring or sneering or otherwise making it very clear that he is not her friend. Except he is her only friend and he wants to be her husband, although even he doesn’t know that, not really. He doesn’t know how else to relate to her other than with fear and rage and lust. There is no reality he can conceive of in which they are a loving couple, in which he plays the fool to her cunt. It’s just impossible on every level, which of course is also absolutely intentional on George’s part. 

George R.R. Martin gives Sansa and Sandor every obstacle described in the “course of true love never did run smooth” scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

We only get to see his feelings for her in King’s Landing in his actions toward her (he protects her as best he can and he tries to educate her and he is the only one who fights for her), but this hints at what they might have said to each other if they were able to speak about their feelings.

* You would. If you were mine. I’d tell you that you’re beautiful, and fierce, and wild. I’d be good to you. It always breaks my heart that inasmuch as Sandor thinks himself unworthy of the princess, he is also sure that he would be “good to her” if she gave him a chance, certainly relative to Joffrey, but I think also on his own terms if they were able to ever find a moment where they weren’t in terror for their lives. Finding this moment is the basis of every Blackwater AU in existence. But in the show the moment must be withheld until season 8. 

If they don’t fuck us over, and I don’t think they will, seeing Sansa and Sandor flirt awkwardly and try to be good to each other, after so many years of suffering and abuse at the hands of bad men (Sansa) and wandering lost and homeless in the wilderness (Sandor), is sure to be one of the great delights of season eight. 

Sansa and Sandor are beloved characters, Sophie and Rory are beloved actors, and even though the general audience doesn’t yet know they want those two to be happy together, once they get a hint of it they are going to lose their minds.

Also, a word about “beautiful and fierce and wild”: Circa season three, Sansa is mostly beautiful. But she has a fierceness to her. She stands up to Joffrey more than Sandor ever did until the Battle of the Blackwater. “It’s not my place to question princes,” says he. Meanwhile, she sasses the hell out of Joffrey for as long as she dares.

But I think beautiful and fierce and wild is mostly Sansa’s true future identity. She is a lady dire wolf. As a full-grown alpha female with her pack, she will be fierce in defense of her family (buh-bye Ramsay and Littlefinger) and wild given the chance (Sandor’s not going to know what hit him once she gets him in bed). 

I think “beautiful and fierce and wild” is the Sansa equivalent of Sandor being “brave and gentle and strong.” They aren’t there yet in these early years. He’s not gentle. She’s not fierce. But what their soul marriage does, and what any good marriage does, is allows a couple to share character qualities and benefit from each other and be stronger together. She gentles him. He makes her fierce. 

One half of the union gives the gift of her strength when the other half is dying alone in the wilderness. One half of the union sends his aggression and skill at self-preservation when the other is a prisoner being beaten into submission. 

One heart, one soul, one flesh. I am yours and you are mine. I hereby seal these two souls.

In the mythological context of the show, the skinchanging is what does it. But George is really playing with the beauty of a good marriage. 

* “Cause he’s pretty?” “what he really is” Joffrey was pretty. Sandor is ugly, and sensitive as hell about it. But Joffrey is a monster. And Sandor is a prince. This isn’t just D&D trolling Kit about his looks or Ofell correctly identifying Jon as a mole and a liar, this is about Sansa’s golden prince being a lie and Sandor’s scars hiding his nobility from the world.

Remember what I said about we are gifted with the camera’s POV for sharing SanSan information as subtext?

As Ygritte processes this courtship gesture by Ofell, the camera stays on her while Sansa begins speaking over her. GINGER!Sansa’s voice over GINGER!Ygritte’s face is how we are led into this crucial Sansa speech in a scene with Marge in King’s Landing. (Remember what I said about the camera’s revealing POV?!)

Sansa: "Growing up at Winterfell, all I wanted was to escape. To come here, to the capital. See the Southron knights in their painted armor and King’s Landing after dark, all those candles burning in all those windows. I’m stupid. I’m a stupid little girl with stupid dreams who never learns.” (The stupid dreams? That’s George thinking about the nature of foolish romantic love and the power of dreams. On a literal level, this ties in to a future reveal that Sansa wargs the Hound, allowing them to connect in dreams if not in reality. Her dreams matter. Her prayers matter. Her regret and wishes matter. She is a powerful witch whose potential is totally unfocused. Her dreams may be stupid, but they are powerful as hell. And it all ties back to Winterfell too, in some way that I don’t understand at all but that will no doubt be revealed in S8.)

The ginger link, the visual transition from one ginger woman to another, is crucial. 

The Red Woman is a 5,000-year-old interpretation of a prophecy about the Warrior of Light who brings the Dawn. The warrior has a red woman: this much they know from their prophecies. But they don’t know the name of the warrior or the name of his wife, she whom he loved most in the world. It’s Sansa and Sandor, but the acolytes of R’hollor keep warping the details in a cosmic game of telephone. But they are sure about the red woman part, so sure that it’s an elemental part of their religion.

Melisandre, and every priestess of R’hollor who wears the ruby, is doing a Sansa Stark cosplay.

When Mel later tells Jon “You know nothing, Jon Snow,” quoting from Ygritte, she knows that because she has been looking into the flames and the Red God showed her a different, but related, red woman. 

SANSA STARK, SEX OBJECT: The next two scenes deal explicitly with Sansa Stark as an object of desire and as a sexual being. But it’s not in relation to the Hound. It’s in relation to the Imp, a very different kind of beast. Marge gives her a lecture about having to learn her own sexual tastes, and that Tyrion’s kindness matters a great deal more than his body. Even though it is not ideal that Tyrion is a Lannister, he’s not the worst case scenario as far as men go. Still Sansa is clear that she doesn’t desire Tyrion. She wants something else.

Meanwhile, as Tyrion contemplates his marriage to Sansa and the prospect that any legitimate son of Sansa Stark’s would be a potential future Lord Paramount of the North (Robb still lives but the show/George and the Lannisters are already playing the game as if he’s been eliminated from the board). This is more about the question of reproductive success. If the woman you want or need to impregnate doesn’t want to open her legs for you, you either fail to procreate with her or you must take her by force.

True marriage, which is sacred to the gods, involves–no, requires–sexual intercourse.

And then Bronn and Tyrion appear to remind us that it’s too soon for Sansa to be considered in this light. “She’s a child.” “She’s a foot taller than you.” “She’s a tall child.” 

“I don’t pay you to put evil notions in my head.” “You pay me to kill people who bother you. The evil notions come free.”

Sandor has “evil notions” about Sansa. Tyrion has “evil notions” about Sansa. That they do not act on them or even intimate them, is to their great credit and why we are able to view them as good guys in the series, despite their myriad other character flaws. (Tyrion does admit he wants Sansa, and Sandor’s look after she thanks him for saving him at the Bread Riots is raw desire, but neither of them ever even suggest anything improper to Sansa.) Littlefinger later not only acts on the evil notions but is also greatly interested in Sansa’s claim to the North, which also doesn’t much interest the Hound or the Imp. 

Inasmuch as we will all eventually know and accept that SanSan are soulmates and will be retroactively livid that Sansa refused to go with Sandor at the Blackwater and be equally angry at him because he was too scared to kidnap her, and then be further enraged that the writers put her through unspeakable horrors that all could have been resolved if the Hound had been narratively “allowed” to claim Sansa at an early day, we are being reminded, it’s not time yet. Ned Stark’s promise of a match with someone brave gentle and strong was for someday, when you’re older. It’s not time yet. She’s still too young. She’s a tall child. It’s not time yet.

And then we get Arya hating Beric because he’s a liar (oathbreaker!), and lots of Braime love with more story beats about oaths and promises and protecting women, like all true knights do. And there’s some Shae-Tyrion nonsense, which I both never understand and never find believable. (Maybe those problems are related?) 

The Hound appears for just one minute in this SanSan-heavy episode (yes, SanSan-heavy!), just long enough to snatch Arya before someone else can get her. 

Oh, and he does find time to call her a wolf-girl so as to remind us that wolves and hounds are the same–but for the line between wild and tame. 

Why does Sandor take Arya but not Sansa? It’s been said many times by writers wiser than I that the Blackwater scene is basically Sandor failing at the freefolk practice of wife-stealing. He proposes marriage, essentially, and she says no, which is reasonable because it is the worst marriage proposal of all time. Now, that it is a marriage proposal is not to say that he was going to carry her away for immediate wedding-night fucktime action. 

I think the Hound knows better than anyone in the world that he is not allowed to touch Sansa Stark. He wouldn’t lay a finger on her except to help her. But metaphorically and subtextually, the moment is erotically loaded. The (future) fucking is implied. And so, because he is a true knight and a true gentleman and above all, truly madly in love with her, he is unable to be pragmatic about saving her from the Lannisters because the moment is too much about his own desire and his own emotional vulnerability to his beautiful princess. Her response to him means everything and when it’s a rejection he can’t bring himself to go on. He’s crushed.

So why does Arya get the full rescue treatment, albeit unbeknownst to Arya herself? Arya is different from Sansa in several ways: (1) She’s even younger, if not more vulnerable, (2) she is no other man’s woman, (3) he doesn’t want to fuck her. Arya’s not Sandor’s opposite number in a classic yin-yang masculine-feminine dynamic. She’s a spunky tomboy girl who is basically his mini-me. And since she’s all but an orphan, even if Cat isn’t yet quite dead, and since she belongs to no other man, she is the Hound’s for the taking. He has only the best of intentions toward her, although we don’t realize that at this point in the series. He essentially adopts her on the spot. He announces himself as her protector without saying as much and pledges his sword to her without making any such oaths. She doesn’t understand–and why would she?–so they are at loggerheads for months, but he has basically knelt before her and promised to serve her in perpetuity, and give his life for hers if need be. Why? Because she’s Sansa’s sister, and Sansa is his wife, and what’s Sansa’s is his and what’s his is Sansa’s. A good man protects his family. His whole family.

Or, in animal terms, he is a lone wolf who begins to form his own wolf pack by altruistically adopting a stray lone wolf pup. Unusual, although not unheard of in the animal kingdom, but not a terrible strategy for building up the strength of your pack. And as we know, “in winter, we must protect ourselves…the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”

Anyway, then there’s some more Lannister drama and some Braime oathkeeping and devotion–this episode is maybe Jaime’s finest hour–and Myranda and Ramsay talk about Theon’s cock before they cut it off but I can’t bear to watch any Theon scenes so even if that scene is relevant I can’t tell you about because that shit is unbearable to watch.

And then there’s also some more Jon-Ygritte romance.

Jon: When a girl sees blood and collapses. Ygritte: Why would a girl collapse? Jon: Not all girls are like you. Ygritte: Girls see more blood than boys.

This hits so many story points at one time. “Fire and blood” are the Targaryen house words, which makes the dragons the perfect red herrings for the fact that fire and blood are also the crux of SanSan. The Targs are crucially important but they are also the cover story for all the epic love business between Sansa and Sandor. “Girls see more blood than boys” is about so much: (a) Sansa’s first flowering–blood on the mattress that Sandor witnesses that means that it’s time for Joffrey to begin raping Sansa, technically his betrothed but really Sandor’s wife and altogether an impossible situation. (b) Sandor himself attesting “I should have fucked her bloody” which is on one level an explicit rape threat but also a plaintive wish that he could be the one to “blood his sword” with her virgin blood. © “blood of my blood” (d) “She needed your blood.” (e) “I’m in this world a little while longer to…defend my blood.” (f) “Childbirth is a bloody business.” 

Everything about the dynasties and names and clans and family and making babies is about blood. (”Family and honor–that’s all you lords and ladies ever talk about.”)

SIDEBAR. This (from the books) is Lady Barbrey (Ryswell) Dustin about Sansa’s martyred Uncle Brandon: “Brandon loved his sword. He loved to hone it. ‘I want it sharp enough to shave the hair from a woman’s cunt,’ he used to say. And how he loved to use it. ‘A bloody sword is a beautiful thing,’ he told me once.” “Brandon was never shy about taking what he wanted. I am old now, a dried-up thing, too long a widow, but I still remember the look of my maiden’s blood on his cock the night he claimed me. I think Brandon liked the sight as well. A bloody sword is a beautiful thing, yes. It hurt, but it was a sweet pain.”

CROSSREFERENCE: “Any man dies with a clean sword, I’ll rape his fucking corpse.” I believe in the books this is a Gregor Clegane line, but they transferred it to Sandor in the show to put a finer point on the fact that the sword is the cock and the cock is the sword, but you must wield both equally well or you will be considered a failure of masculinity in the terms of George’s feudal Westeros.

As for the fire? That’s love. That’s passion. That’s the suffering. Sandor’s is the heart of fire, and he burns for Sansa Stark. He is the burnt prince. He is the burnt sword. 

Anyway more Ygritte-Jon: 

“You’re mine. And I’m yours. And if we die, we die, but first we’ll live.” “Yes. First we’ll live.”

There are the MARRIAGE VOWS AGAIN, even known to the Freefolk. “You’re mine and I’m yours.”

And then AGAIN, the love theme music rises, as it did for Robb and Talisa, but now for Ygritte and Jon. “I Am Hers, She Is Mine.” This is the main love theme on the show until Jonerys gets their own “Truth” years later.

Ygritte’s words are a variation on “Valar morghulis. Valar dohaeris.” All men must die. All men must serve. All women must die. All women must serve. 

Perhaps the best case scenario for the feudalism and patriarchy of Westeros is that in an exceptionally rare circumstance, you actually get to serve someone you love. You get to devote yourself to someone you really love, and are not just bound to by fealty. That person might be a woman you love, or it might be a worthy, truly good king you actually wish to serve and die for.

Ygritte’s words are, of course, also a rationale for fucking before it’s too late to fuck. Robb and Talisa succeeded on those terms, at least. Ygritte and Jon pulled it off, as is articulated here. 

And in this episode, emancipated libertine Margery Tyrell specifically encourages Sansa as to her sexual freedom and right to explore, in this episode: “We women get so few chances to try things before we’re old and gray.” I consider this a key part of the personal growth that grown Sansa will bring to her adult relationship with Sandor. 

The days are passing quickly now. We fuck now or we may fuck never.

Finally, I’d like to offer a word from my girl Osha, a sage of the freefolk if ever there was one. She tells Bran (and Rickon??), Jojen, Meera and Hodor the story of her lost love.

“I had a man once. A good man…I was his. And he was mine. But one night [he] disappears. People said he left me. But I knew him. He’d never leave me. Not for long. I knew he’d come back. And he did.”

“I don’t know how I got the knife, but when I did, I stuck it deep into his heart, and he hardly seemed to notice. I had to burn our hut down, with him inside.” –Osha.

She’s talking about her husband Bruni who was turned into a wight by the Walkers. 

She uses the language we’ve already heard related to marriage. “I was his. And he was mine.” This, too, is SanSan subtext.

“A good man.” –> This is Sandor, although we might not know it at this point. Years later, Beric says, “We need good men to help us,” and Sandor deflects, but by then we all know the truth that Sandor is, indeed, a good man. 

“One night he disappears.” –> This is just the beginning of Sandor’s time away from Sansa. They have an incredibly long separation ahead of them, but at this point in season three we’re still closer to the night he left, the night of the Blackwater, than we are to his return. This harks back to a scene with Marge in ep one of season three where she talks to war orphans about how their fathers went away to fight in the war and never came back, and also Shae and Sansa talking the night of the Blackwater. Shae said, “Some of those boys will never come back” and Sansa said, “Joffrey will. The worst ones always do.” The good ones like Sandor seem to vanish off Planetos itself. She knows he wasn’t killed in the battle–he deserted–but he’s gone just the same.

“People said he left me. But I knew him. He’d never leave me. Not for long. I knew he’d come back. And he did.” –> Devotion. Trust. And promises to us, the audience, that they will be reunited someday.

And then the death imagery. It’s probably just imagery, but it hits all the SanSan. “I stuck it deep into his heart.” –> “That’s where the heart is. That’s how you kill a man.” “I had to burn our hut down, with him inside.” –> There’s your fire imagery. The fire frightens the Hound. The fire drives him out of the “home” he doesn’t share with Sansa in King’s Landing, but where at least they got to see each other, sometimes. Later, very similar language appears in the first scene with Sandor, Arya, the farmer and Sally. Arya explains the Hound’s gruffness by saying that their “hut burned down” while he was off fighting in the war, “and my mother with it.” Both are references, oblique though they may be, to the situation that drove Sandor away from Sansa and set in motion their long separation, which was nothing that Sandor would have planned or accepted had he been in his right mind, which had absolutely was not, for several reasons: fire fear, alcoholism, witch warging and Joffrey-adjacent derangement.

In conclusion, I think Game of Thrones is a historical romance, but Jonerys is the history, while SanSan is the romance. Jon and Dany’s journeys are vitally important, but it is Sandor and Sansa’s love that will give them more than a graveyard to rule over. Sandor and Sansa will bring the dawn and herald the spring that the Targaryens will use to bring prosperity and abundance back to all the people of Westeros.

Father, Mother –> Jon, Dany

Warrior, Maiden – Sandor, Sansa

Smith –> Tyrion

Stranger –> Arya

The absolute brilliance of George (and D&D, yes, them too) is that they’ve created a story that reads equally well on several levels. There’s the face value and the text, which is as intriguing as anything, and then there is the mythological, psychological and metaphorical subtext, which tells a different and even deeper story. They resonate together, they reflect each other, they all stand on their own and yet they are intimately connected.

I believe GOT/ASOIAF is truly a masterwork, and the layers upon layers of meaning are one reason why.

And I believe that SanSan is not just endgame as hell, people, it’s the whole darn ballgame.

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George R.R. Martin May Never Finish Game of Thrones… and That’s OK

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With The Winds of Winter still pending, we imagine the unexpected advantages of a world without a literary Game of Thrones ending.

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Feature

TV

Alec Bojalad

Game of Thrones

Apr 6, 2019

George R.R. Martin

HBO

A Song of Ice and Fire

Editor's Note: This article does not contain Game of Thrones spoilers past season 3.

Can God make a boulder so big he can’t lift it?

That was a question once posed to me by a pastor at a catechism class as a teen. He asked it with fake exasperation, as though it was all anyone was talking about in hushed tones in the kitchen in-between masses at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church.

My peers and I had never actually heard of it, but apparently it was a popular “what if” amongst the heathenry to pull a “Gotcha!” moment on God and prove there was one thing the infallible deity could actually fail at. Either he failed to make a boulder so big he couldn’t lift it or he just failed at lifting said boulder. Checkmate, theists.

“Don’t worry about it,” Pastor Woods said. “It’s a paradox beyond our understanding but yes, God can build that boulder and yes, he can also lift it somehow.”

George R.R. Martin, writer of “A Song of Ice and Fire” and mastermind of the literary basis for Game of Thrones, enjoys a saint-like appearance. After all, he crafts entire worlds out of nothing and may as well be God’s second cousin. The “boulder” test is therefore an apt one. And it’s clear that George R.R. Martin may have created a boulder so big that he cannot lift it.

One of the internet's favorite pastimes is being angry. And a frequent target of that anger is Martin and the increasingly lengthy wait-times between volumes of his magnum opus. The fifth book in ASOIAF, A Dance With Dragons, came out on July 12, 2011. That represented an almost unheard of wait-time from the previous book for the series. The fourth book, A Feast for Crows, had been published on Oct. 17, 2005. The internet was, as always, angry. This entire Goodreads thread is devoted just to users pondering why this 1,300-ish page book took so long to write.

read more: Game of Thrones Season 8 - Everything We Know

Granted, Martin did himself little favors—continuously offering new potential release year targets on his charmingly dated (and still active) LiveJournal blog. Still, A Dance with Dragons eventually saw the light of day and all was forgiven. Martin even offered up a compelling reason for the perceived delay. He was dealing with what he called a “Mereeneese Knot.” The Meereeneese Knot refers to the issue Martin had with the plot simply growing too large and the characters becoming too geographically disparate, and his struggle to begin the process of bringing them all together.

It was taken for granted by fans that the Meereeneese Knot dilemma had been solved with the release of A Dance With Dragons and that the sixth book, The Winds of Winter, was just around the corner. Now here we stand, a full eight years later and still no release date for The Winds of Winter in sight.

Every new Martin LiveJournal blog post is met with a fury of speculation and renewed fervor. Just this summer, Martin posted a blog entry that seemed to fully suggest Winter was finally coming. “Alas, Valyria” it was titled, and the text simply read “Alas, alas, that great city Valyria, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Surely, this was it! This was the hour that the book would finally be announced—and it made sense so close to the timing of the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere. Nope. No book. By all accounts, it seems to be referring to the introduction of the language High Valyrian into the Duolingo language app.

Despite the internet’s repeating assertions to the contrary, George R.R. Martin is not a troll. He’s presumably out there, typing away on his ancient word processor, trying to finish The Winds of Winter. What we fail to realize, however, is that this is a series that just might not be possible to finish.

The Meereeneese Knot is Martin’s self-created boulder, and he’s having trouble lifting it. When it’s all said and done, he may never be able to do so. Think about the sheer size of these books for a moment. The “A Song of Ice and Fire” series to date is approximately, 4,500 pages. That’s just counting the number of pages of the published work—it doesn’t even factor in the number of manuscript pages that were produced and then eventually cut.

Beyond that, page-length alone doesn’t even come close to telling the story of how massive the world George R.R. Martin has created is. A Wiki of Ice and Fire currently has 7,297 pages devoted to basically every proper noun that has ever appeared in the books. That includes details of the sprawling geography and every single branch on hundreds of family’s trees.

Sometimes, as a thought experiment to conceive of how truly massive this “boulder” is, imagine how many characters you would be realistically satisfied with receiving the very last scene of in a seventh book. Think of Tyrion gazing out at the encroaching spring over the top of the Wall. Or Sandor burying his brother Gregor and saying a silent prayer to all the victims lost in their cycle of family violence. Or even a pack of wolves, traversing a snowy hellscape—no humanity in sight.

That’s the thing about the sheer enormity of “A Song of Ice and Fire”—it’s not filled with just mentioned yet never seen characters, or hard to pronounce foreign cities the plot will never advance to; it’s filled with characters whose stories are rich enough to form the backbone of an entire other fantasy series.

read more: Game of Thrones Season 8 Predictions and Theories

Think of Beric Dondarrion is a knight tasked with tracking down and defeating a monstrous eight-foot murderer. In the process, he is killed and brought back to life by a combination of blood magic and friendship. This is done seven times until he finds his ultimate purpose in life and passes the gift of life on to a slain mother. That’s…. aweseome. And Beric is only like 30th on the “Song of Ice and Fire” call sheet.

Perhaps, this world of Ice and Fire is too big, too detailed, too richly-realized to ever be finished. In hindsight, maybe it’s more surprising that we ever expected it could be finished than it is that Martin is currently struggling with it.

And that leads me to another achingly saccharine and likely boring childhood anecdote. The first time I heard the phrase “making lemons out of lemonade” was many years before I heard the paradox “can God make a boulder so big he can’t lift it?” I was around five-years-old and had just broken my collarbone by falling off the side of a couch, at a hilariously low-height, and onto some plastic Power Ranger toys. I had been fitted with a cast that covered my entire chest to keep my smashed collarbone into place.

This was annoying, I announced to my mother.

“Oh well, you’ll just have to make lemonade out of lemons,” she told me. After she explained to me what that meant, I decided that my bulky cast kind of resembled the White Ranger’s breastplate armor (yes, the Power Ranger toys had got me in this mess, but I weren’t going to let them take everything else away, damn it).

What do we do now that every passing day makes a conclusion to “A Song of Ice and Fire” less likely? We turn that cast into the White Ranger’s armor, damn it.

For starters, “A Song of Ice and Fire” is going to get an ending of sorts in the form of Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones has diverged fairly extremely from its source material at this point. Season 8 will be the final season of Game of Thrones, and the story will have an ending. Martin even shared some information about the overall ending of the series with showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. How much of that ending resembles what would have been the ending to “A Song of Ice and Fire” may never be known, but at least it’s something.

Those in desperate need of a conclusion can choose to treat the Thrones ending as canon. Those who don’t enjoy the Thrones ending can just choose to ignore it. It’s like Schrodinger’s ending for fantasy books. It will simultaneously exist and not exist.

Wouldn’t everyone opt to accept the show’s ending regardless of how perfect or imperfect it may be? Not necessarily. As a culture, our perception of endings seems to be evolving. Think back to 2010 when Lost was about to air its final episode. There was an ongoing cultural discourse over how it needed to “stick the landing.” Most seem to agree that the show did not do so, and in the process it ruined our cheerful memories of the entire series (for my thoughts on the matter, you can click here).

Then in 2017, Lost creator Damon Lindelof ended another sci-fi-adjacent show in HBO’s The Leftovers, and the discourse was much different before the episode aired.  Many previews tried to predict how the series might ultimately end, but very few if any of them adopted a “they’d better not fuck this up” tone. There was almost no conceivable ending that could have sullied our fond memories of many, many hours of TV.

“A Song of Ice and Fire” is of course much different from The Leftovers and really any other mainstream entertainment than we currently have. “A Song of Ice and Fire” is as much the World of Ice and Fire as it is the story. Planetos, as fans often call the planet made up by the continents Westeros, Essos and Sothoryos, is a huge fictional entity with an almost literally infinite amount of possible stories to be told. There are thousands and thousands of years of Planetosi history to imagine and thousands and thousands of theoretical miles to be covered. The World of Ice and Fire is so massive and is filled with so much potential that it may as well be the World of… well, just the world. As in planet Earth.

In some aspects it seems silly to impose an ending on “A Song of Ice and Fire,” because it (probably) wouldn’t constitute the ending of Westeros. As fellow HBO classic The Sopranos taught us, endings are relative. (UPCOMING SPOILERS FOR THE SOPRANOS FINALE). The Sopranos rather brilliantly just… ends. It ends as the screen jarringly and abruptly cuts to black when Tony Soprano looks up in a diner to see who has walked through the door. Is it his daughter Meadow coming through the door? Or an assassin? A giraffe? It doesn’t matter because the story is over. It ends, right there at the diner. Stories are little more than windows. Sometimes you find a frame big enough to fit one character’s entire life story. But you’ll never find a frame big enough to encompass the entire entire world.

There are already many endings in “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Those endings come on the battlefield as nameless Stark and Lannister soldiers die on a forested Westerland battlefield. They come at The Twins in the form of a dagger slashing across a mother’s throat. They even come in the form of an unexpected crossbow bolt on the toilet. It would come as a surprise to the literal hundreds of dead Ice and Fire characters that there is another “ending” to this “story.” As far as they're concerned, it already happened.

Maybe Martin will one day be able to lift this unliftable boulder and finish this series. Whether he does or not—it won’t mean the end of the Game of Thrones franchise. There are more books to come (not canon ASOIAF books, but presumably at the very least some unauthorized guides or essay texts), more shows to come, and countless other avenues the IP will reach into.

read more: Game of Thrones: Ranking All the Villains

When you play the A Game of Thrones card game, presumably you won’t care whether the series has an ending or not. You’ll get to make your own as you play. When you play Game of Thrones Risk, you get to decide the fates of Westeros and Essos for yourself anyway, book endings be damned. And when you play one of the many Game of Thrones video games in existence and those still yet to come, you’ll have many more endings to contend with.

Whether Winter and then Spring ever come or not for “A Song of Ice and Fire” is irrelevant. The series already features its fair share of endings. All signs point to this series standing the test of time so that there can be many more fan-generated endings to come. Martin created the unliftable boulder and now we can all decide for ourselves if we want to try to lift it for him.

A version of this article ran in July 2017.

Alec Bojalad is TV Editor at Den of Geek and TCA member. Read more of his stuff here. Follow him at his creatively-named Twitter handle @alecbojalad

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24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

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24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

  24 Large ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

On this listing, we check out what sort of fan theories, each wacky and practical, people have give you which may reveal each the previous and the long run. Spoilers for all of “Recreation of Thrones” so far and possibly the rest of the present. Additionally Learn: 12 Dumb and Debunked ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories

Tyrion Targaryen The concept right here is that the Mad King Aerys raped Joanna Lannister (within the books it is stated that he had a factor for her) and that is the place Tyrion got here from. So Tywin’s complete hatred for the dude has deeper motivations than simply that Joanna died giving delivery to him or that he is a dwarf. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: Explaining the Tyrion Targaryen Fan Idea

Jon Snow and Sansa Stark Are Gonna Get Married The concept right here is that since Jon’s mother and father are literally Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen — which means Ned Stark is NOT his father — Jon and Sansa are cousins as an alternative of siblings and no one would assume it is bizarre in the event that they acquired collectively to solidify their maintain on the North. Or possibly even to put declare on all of Westeros.

Prince Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was secretly annulled The usual story of Robert’s Riot says that occasions had been set in movement when Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark. We all know additionally that Jon Snow is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s child, and there is purpose to consider the kidnapping was not truly a kidnapping. However what if additionally Rhaegar was truly married to Lyanna? In actual fact, this one was confirmed within the Season 7 episode “Eastwatch,” when Gilly found the information of Excessive Septon Maynard, who served below the Mad King. He famous that he annulled Rhaegar’s marriage, after which married him to another person. As followers anticipated, that feels like Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was annulled, and he was married to Lyanna — which might make Jon Snow Rhaegar’s trueborn son and inheritor.

Jon Snow is Azor Azhai aka the Warrior of Gentle aka the Prince That Was Promised It appears apparent (too apparent?) at this level that Jon and his Valyrian metal sword is the one who will lead human forces into battle, and to victory, in opposition to the White Walkers. And even Melisandre believes it — although solely after years of claiming it was Stannis and by accident main him to break. So “Recreation of Thrones” might but pull one other “Recreation of Thrones” on us in that regard by proving this idea mistaken.

Truly, Jaime Lannister is the actual Prince That Was Promised This one includes the belief that some phrases had been translated mistaken within the prophecy of the one who would save the world from the White Walkers — based on the intrepid fan who got here up with this idea, the Valyrian phrases for “lord” and “gentle” are curiously much like the phrases for “gold” and “hand.” And who’s the one character on “Recreation of Thrones” with a gold hand? None apart from Ser Jaime.

The Evening King is the ‘final hero’ of legend We’re studying rather a lot in regards to the guidelines of the White Walkers in Season 7, however one fan idea posits the Evening King was truly created a lot later, as a method of stopping them. As an alternative of being the primary White Walker, the Evening King is definitely “the final hero,” the man credited with main the cost to cease the Walkers hundreds of years in the past throughout the Lengthy Evening. On condition that some assume the final hero is the Westerosi model of the Azor Ahai delusion, this concept would add some twists to the Evening King as a personality.

Or Wait, Possibly Davos is the Prince Who Was Promised There’s an argument to be made that it is Davos Seaworth who’s truly Azor Azhai. One eagle-eyed Redditor put collectively a idea suggesting that Davos fulfills not less than an excellent chunk of the prophecy. An enormous half comes from the argument that it is Davos, and never Melisandre, who revives Jon Snow. If you happen to interpret a number of the prophecy as metaphorical, Davos matches as much as with a number of it.

Missandei is a Faceless Man The Faceless Males are certainly going to have an enormous half to play within the endgame of “Recreation of Thrones” contemplating Arya’s complete arc these previous two seasons, however they have not been immediately concerned in any respect to date. Or possibly they’ve? Missandei has ridiculous language abilities and a nearly-always-consistent tone of voice — these are Faceless Males traits. Additionally Learn: All 48 ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fundamental Characters, Ranked Worst to Finest (Images)

Littlefinger will marry Cersei Like Cersei, expensive ole Petyr Baelish most likely seems like he has nothing to lose now, with Catelyn lengthy since useless and her daughter apparently spurning his advances after he acquired her into that horrific mess with Ramsay. However he nonetheless has one enormous ambition — to rule Westeros. After that face he made at Sansa within the season 6 finale, it could probably shock precisely nobody if he marched the Knights of the Vale south and tried to kind a union with Cersei. And he or she’ll want the assistance with Daenerys knocking at her door.

Sam is the one who will determine the best way to beat the White Walkers There’s gotta be a purpose why Sam goes to start out season 7 down on the Citadel as an alternative of any of the locations the place stuff occurs. Our guess is he is going to determine what the Walkers’ thermal exhaust port is. That is not a butt joke — it is a “Star Wars” reference.

Bran will by accident let the White Walkers by means of the Wall There is a line of thought that when the Evening King contact Bran in his dream whereas he was up on the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave, it made it so the Walkers might go any magical barrier separating him from them. And guess what the most important magical barrier of all of them is? The Wall, based on Uncle Benjen.

Cersei, the Mad Queen With no kids left to guard and struggle looming with Daenerys, it positive is simple to ascertain Cersei going full psycho this yr. A lot of what occurs on “Recreation of Thrones” is historical past repeating itself — and with Dany working very exhausting to keep away from fulfilling her father’s Mad legacy, Cersei, against this, most likely is not going to carry naything again anymore.

Jaime will kill Cersei Manner again within the day, Cersei and a pal visited a witch who advised her she can be queen till a youthful and extra stunning girl forged her down (Margaery?), after which she can be killed by “the valonqar,” which interprets to “the little brother.” That might be Tyrion, or her twin Jaime, who was born moments after Cersei. Others beforehand additionally thought it may be Tommen, as a really scrumptious “Recreation of Thrones” twist — however clearly Tommen is not going to be killing anyone after leaping out that Purple Preserve window.

Truly, Cersei will kill Jaime The longer Season 7 goes on and the extra strikes Cersei makes, the extra it appears that evidently she’s ruthless sufficient to do what her brother cannot. Jaime has been rising softer and extra merciful for years, ever since he spent all that point with Brienne of Tarth. Cersei even warned him in Season 7 Episode 6 to not ever betray her once more. Jaime’s rapidly turning into a legal responsibility, however his love for Cersei means he cannot actually activate her. Particularly together with her new being pregnant discuss, it looks like she’s manipulating and maneuvering Jaime.

Euron Greyjoy is a warlock Numerous little particulars within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books that make rising Westeros supervillain Euron Greyjoy even spookier have not made their manner into the present but, however they nonetheless might. One is a sequence of clues that means Euron might be a warlock like people who Dany encountered in Qarth on the Home of the Timeless. Within the ebook, Euron is described as having pale blue lips as a result of he is been ingesting Shade of the Night, the favourite drink of the warlocks. He additionally says some cryptic traces that counsel he may be controlling, or assume he is controlling, storms. If he does certainly have some cool magical powers from his time spent in Qarth, it could make Euron a extra formidable enemy — particularly as a result of it could give him incentive to attempt to take the dragons from Dany, because the warlocks beforehand stated the presence of dragons amplifies their powers.

Bran made the Mad King go mad When Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven traveled again to the occasions exterior the Tower of Pleasure within the Could eight episode, Bran was apparently in a position to shout and be heard by the youthful model of his father, Ned Stark. What if, going again additional, the “whispers” that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen heard had been merely Bran attempting to speak to him and it was truly he who set in movement the occasions of the present? The occasions of season 6, episode 5 — wherein Bran sees a fleeting imaginative and prescient of the Mad King — appear to point that is very attainable. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’: All the pieces Bran Stark Noticed in His Flashback Montage In ‘Blood of My Blood’

One thing’s magic about Jon Snow’s sword, Longclaw After Episode 6 of Season 7, “Past the Wall,” followers thought they caught sight of one thing bizarre happening with Longclaw, Jon Snow’s Valyrian metal sword. When Jon emerges from the frozen lake, some say it appears to be like just like the eyes on the sword’s wolf head pommel open. Might there be one thing extra happening with Longclaw than we but know? In response to the episode’s director, Alan Taylor, the reply isn’t any. Then once more, it might all be misdirection to throw followers off the scent.

Bran travels to the previous and is Bran the Builder, who constructed the Wall and based Home Stark. Bran the Builder is a legendary determine who led the trouble to place up the Wall eight,000 years earlier than the occasions of the present, after the Lengthy Evening wherein the White Walkers invaded the primary time.The particulars of how this is able to work usually are not identified, however this can be a good one. Particularly since Bran the Builder is who the current day Bran Stark was named after.

Arya will change into Girl Stoneheart Within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, Catelyn Stark doesn’ts tay useless after the Purple Marriage ceremony. She’s revived and turns into the silent and vengeful chief of the Brotherhood With out Banners, Girl Stoneheart. Since Catelyn stayed useless within the present, the thought right here being that in a little bit of artistic license within the adaptation, Arya will perform as Girl Stoneheart as an alternative. It could be a pleasant payoff on all that point Arya spent with the Brotherhood again in Season 2.

Sansa is pregnant with Ramsay Bolton’s baby “I can nonetheless really feel what he did in my physique standing right here proper now,” Sansa advised Jon Snow in regards to the residual impact of Ramsay’s horrific sexual abuse of Sansa. The thought, based on some followers, is that she’s not merely referring to the trauma, however that she’s saying she’s pregnant. At this level, most likely an excessive amount of time has handed for this one to hold any weight, but it surely was an fascinating thought whereas it lasted. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories: Is Sansa Stark Pregnant?

#CleganeBowl The youthful Clegane, often called the Hound, actually hates his older brother, the Mountain. Each had been thought useless, however each are once more alive. And followers consider that earlier than the story of “Recreation of Thrones” ends the 2 will meet and at last have it out in a battle to the dying. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: All About The ‘CleganeBowl’ Idea

Gendry is vital to beating the White Walkers This can be a fan idea reaching again years due to the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, however with Gendry’s return in Season 7, it is abruptly very related. It means that Gendry’s blacksmith capabilities shall be important to defeating the White Walkers, as a result of he has expertise with working Valyrian metal, the magical, super-special alloy that may truly kill White Walkers. Gendry apprenticed below Tobho Mott, a grasp armorer from Qohor, and he is the man who turned Ned Stark’s Valyrian metal greatsword Ice into two smaller swords — Brienne of Tarth’s Oathkeeper, and King Joffrey’s Widow’s Wail. So whereas Gendry won’t be capable to make new Valyrian metal blades, he can nonetheless work with the stuff, a ability that’s nearly nonexistent in Westeros.

The Evening King is without doubt one of the dragon riders Followers have anticipated two different individuals to journey Dany’s dragons into battle alongside her, very like the Targaryens did after they first conquered Westeros. However the occasions of the penultimate episode of Season 7 has confirmed a longstanding idea — that the Evening King would kill one in all Daenery’s dragons and switch it right into a wight. That truly occurred, with Viserion resurrected to journey for the facet of darkness. Followers have speculated that, not solely is Viserion undead, however he’ll truly change into an ice dragon somewhat than a hearth dragon. That will surely even the chances some, taking away a few of Daenerys’ fire-breathing air superiority.

Dragonglass is pooped out by dragons somewhat than simply being obsidian Does this matter? No, and we’ll most likely by no means discover out anyway. However it’s humorous.

[nobodysuspectsthebutterfly]

While I’d like to answer you, I’m afraid you have a lot of problems with your original question, which is a major reason you’re getting unhelpful results.

First of all, it is significant that it’s not only Rome that’s GRRM’s inspiration for Valyria and its Doom. While yes, ancient Rome (known-world-spanning empire with slavery and advanced technology such as its famous roads) was a reference, others include Atlantis (legendary magical/technologically advanced land destroyed in a cataclysm) [1] [2]  and the various Egyptian dynasties (incest to keep the blood of the gods pure, to consolidate power).[3] [4]  Atlantis in particular, in the fantasies of the sword-and-sorcery series and classic superhero comics that GRRM loves, has those rare escapees from its downfall, heirs of its magic and supernatural technologies.

Secondly, regarding the Targayen/Valyrian phenotype, GRRM realized (unfortunately too late), that it would have been more interesting if he had made the Valyrians black. Though he also admits that choice would have had its own issues, we can understand that it is only that their appearance is different that’s what matters:

...I wanted the Targaryens, and by extension the Valyrians from whom they were descended, to be a race apart, with distinctive features that set them apart from the rest of Westeros, and helped explain their obsession with the purity of their blood. To do this, I made a conventional ‘high fantasy’ choice, and gave them silver-gold hair, purple and violet eyes, fine chiseled aristocratic features.

So I strongly suggest you step away from concepts of “Aryan ubermenchen”, it’s hugely warping your thesis. If the Valyrians are “superior” in any way, it is not because they are blond or “albino” (which they are not; Bloodraven was the only actual Targaryen with albinism, and please note that particular phrasing has been frequently used to denigrate a character while also denigrating a disability). Their appearance is “a conventional high fantasy choice” and they could have looked like anything else had GRRM decided such. (Purple hair and silver eyes perhaps, but he probably wished to avoid such artificial “anime” looks much like he’s averse to DnD “dark elves”. Or perhaps dark hair and grey eyes, as Tolkien used for his own Atlantis-inspired Numenoreans, but GRRM decided to give that particular look to the Starks instead.) Mind you, the fact that this “conventional high fantasy” appearance involves light-colored hair and eyes and “aristocratic features” is very probably due to unexamined white supremacy in the fantasy genre, but nevertheless it’s not a deliberate “master race” reference by GRRM. (However, if you are interested in actual blond ASOIAF characters in relation to fascist imagery, I highly recommend this essay series.)

Third: I do not recall anywhere in the series or within TWOIAF or Fire & Blood where any Valyrians or Targaryens declare a “divine right” to rule. “Divine right” or being chosen by the gods appears nowhere in any mention of the Valyrian imperial conquest of Essos. Aegon the Conqueror, when he sent his letter to the Seven Kingdoms declaring himself the sole king of Westeros, did not cite the approval of any gods, and was crowned by his sisters as “Aegon, First of His Name, King of All Westeros, and Shield of His People,” while bearing a heraldic banner that Westerosi lords understood to mean he was now one of them, now following the customs of Westeros. And though Aegon and his dynasty sought the blessing of the High Septon of the Faith, so did the succeeding Baratheon kings.

Furthermore, if there is any sense of godly approval for Targaryen rule, it just puts them equal to other monarchs of Westeros and Essos. Notably, the Durrandon and Gardener kings claimed to be descended from gods, and other monarchs claimed descent from legendary heroes; and the ironborn believe their entire race to be “chosen of the Drowned God”. Also (since I’m genuinely confused by this assertion of Targaryen “divine right”), if you refer to the address “your Grace”, or the phrase “by grace of the gods King of Westeros”, again please note that is the title and styling of every monarch (and even lords), not specifically Targaryens. (And interestingly, while Daenerys does use the address “your grace”, the styling “by the grace of the gods” has never once appeared in her titles.) Or perhaps you’re simply misunderstanding the phrase “rightful king” or “by rights”? That does not mean “divine right”, but only “by justified claim”.

The only thing I can think that remotely approximates what you might consider divine right for the Targaryens is the Doctrine of Exceptionalism? But that declaration of the Faith does not state that Targaryens are superior, only that they are different, not the usual span of humanity and thus are an exception to the laws of the Seven that judge incest an abomination. Yes, it cites their atypical appearance and ability to ride dragons, and their origins in Valyria, but only in regards to the Faith tacitly ignoring their marriage practices, nothing to do with them being more suited to rule or chosen by the gods.

Also, it’s significant that while Fire & Blood put a name to the reason why the Targaryens could get away with incest while Jaime and Cersei’s children are called abominations, that book also showed the Doctrine to be flawed in many ways. First, the belief that Targaryen exceptionalism includes resistance to illness was tragically disproven with the death of little Princess Daenerys (and less called out, the deaths of Maegelle and Baelon, etc). Second, the Targaryen otherworldly appearance is unconnected to their ability to ride dragons, as seen with black-haired Rhaenys Targaryen (the Queen Who Never Was) and Rhaenyra’s brown-haired brown-eyed pug-nosed eldest sons, all three dragonriders. The dragonseeds also confuse the matter, since while many had the Targaryen appearance, their actual ancestry is not fully known and certainly was mostly peasant stock. Even Addam of Hull causes an issue, since if his father was Corlys Velaryon it’s notable that the Velaryons, while Valyrian, were never dragonlords (though apparently there was some Targaryen daughters who married into the family, but the last one generations before Aegon I). And it’s strongly implied that the dragonseed Nettles (“black-haired, brown-eyed, brown-skinned”) might have no Valyrian ancestry at all and tamed her dragon by acclimatization.

So. Issues with your question now dealt with, on to the question itself. What do the Valyrians represent, and what does Daenerys's conquest represent in re their legacy? To put it as simply as possible: the Valyrians were a magical people with notable gifts and powers unmatched by any in the world. They represent a lost age of wonder and terror, dreams and nightmares, beauty and horror, fire and blood. The magic they used to bond with their dragons (which may have involved atrocities), and the inbreeding they believed was required to keep it strong, left a legacy which was felt in their Targaryen descendants down to Daenerys herself. Their other legacy -- the slavery learned from Old Ghis, the hundreds of thousands enslaved to feed the Valyrian lust for power and precious resources -- was eventually the cause of their doom, with the birth of the Faceless Men within the mines. But Valyria’s greatest sin still lives on, and notably Daenerys has made it her mission to confront and end this legacy of her ancestors in Slaver’s Bay, and may well soon among the Dothraki and in Valyria’s children, the so-called “Free” Cities; and as well with Valyria’s cruelest fanboy, Euron Greyjoy. These legacies of Valyria given to Dany -- her deep opposition to slavery, and the magic within her -- as well as her rights and responsibilities to Aegon the Conqueror’s united Westeros, will all unite when she faces her destiny to confront the ultimate enslavers of humanity, the true enemy, the Others.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

If GRRM will give us any more meaning than that, well... we’ll just have to see what happens in the books. And let me just say, if you don’t wish to check all the links above but still want to see the best answer to a question (unfortunately) just like yours, I strongly suggest you read this excellent post. Hope this helps!

One question I’m still curious about in ASoIaF is “what are the Valyrians meant to represent”?

Because at face value they seem to almost be living affirmations of the concepts behind feudalism and divine rule. They’re this ethnicity of albino ubermeschen who tame dragons and who built an empire on sorcery and military power to the point where they seemed to literally warp reality to their purposes.

They were destroyed, but an offshoot of their people, keeping up the same social practices of divine right and massive incest - just minus the direct slavery - goes on to conquer an entire continent.

That, and the magic of the world seems to grow weaker without their dominance. Or at least without the presence of their mystical dragons, which only they can hatch and train.

I’m just looking for where this thread is going. Of course the Valyrians were not always GOOD rulers, in Essos or Westeros, but they are indisputably powerful and “important”, and Daenerys doesn’t look like she’s going to refute this destiny in the books.

I don’t think GRRM would be so stupid or weird to just have unironic ubermeschen in this story, but I’m wondering if - besides the Doom, the slavery, and a few bad kings - he really has made any refutation that the Valyrians ARE better than everyone else.

[takenews-blog1]

24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/24-large-game-of-thrones-fan-theories-for-season-7-and-past-images/

24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

  24 Large ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

On this listing, we check out what sort of fan theories, each wacky and practical, people have give you which may reveal each the previous and the long run. Spoilers for all of “Recreation of Thrones” so far and possibly the rest of the present. Additionally Learn: 12 Dumb and Debunked ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories

Tyrion Targaryen The concept right here is that the Mad King Aerys raped Joanna Lannister (within the books it is stated that he had a factor for her) and that is the place Tyrion got here from. So Tywin’s complete hatred for the dude has deeper motivations than simply that Joanna died giving delivery to him or that he is a dwarf. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: Explaining the Tyrion Targaryen Fan Idea

Jon Snow and Sansa Stark Are Gonna Get Married The concept right here is that since Jon’s mother and father are literally Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen — which means Ned Stark is NOT his father — Jon and Sansa are cousins as an alternative of siblings and no one would assume it is bizarre in the event that they acquired collectively to solidify their maintain on the North. Or possibly even to put declare on all of Westeros.

Prince Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was secretly annulled The usual story of Robert’s Riot says that occasions had been set in movement when Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark. We all know additionally that Jon Snow is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s child, and there is purpose to consider the kidnapping was not truly a kidnapping. However what if additionally Rhaegar was truly married to Lyanna? In actual fact, this one was confirmed within the Season 7 episode “Eastwatch,” when Gilly found the information of Excessive Septon Maynard, who served below the Mad King. He famous that he annulled Rhaegar’s marriage, after which married him to another person. As followers anticipated, that feels like Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was annulled, and he was married to Lyanna — which might make Jon Snow Rhaegar’s trueborn son and inheritor.

Jon Snow is Azor Azhai aka the Warrior of Gentle aka the Prince That Was Promised It appears apparent (too apparent?) at this level that Jon and his Valyrian metal sword is the one who will lead human forces into battle, and to victory, in opposition to the White Walkers. And even Melisandre believes it — although solely after years of claiming it was Stannis and by accident main him to break. So “Recreation of Thrones” might but pull one other “Recreation of Thrones” on us in that regard by proving this idea mistaken.

Truly, Jaime Lannister is the actual Prince That Was Promised This one includes the belief that some phrases had been translated mistaken within the prophecy of the one who would save the world from the White Walkers — based on the intrepid fan who got here up with this idea, the Valyrian phrases for “lord” and “gentle” are curiously much like the phrases for “gold” and “hand.” And who’s the one character on “Recreation of Thrones” with a gold hand? None apart from Ser Jaime.

The Evening King is the ‘final hero’ of legend We’re studying rather a lot in regards to the guidelines of the White Walkers in Season 7, however one fan idea posits the Evening King was truly created a lot later, as a method of stopping them. As an alternative of being the primary White Walker, the Evening King is definitely “the final hero,” the man credited with main the cost to cease the Walkers hundreds of years in the past throughout the Lengthy Evening. On condition that some assume the final hero is the Westerosi model of the Azor Ahai delusion, this concept would add some twists to the Evening King as a personality.

Or Wait, Possibly Davos is the Prince Who Was Promised There’s an argument to be made that it is Davos Seaworth who’s truly Azor Azhai. One eagle-eyed Redditor put collectively a idea suggesting that Davos fulfills not less than an excellent chunk of the prophecy. An enormous half comes from the argument that it is Davos, and never Melisandre, who revives Jon Snow. If you happen to interpret a number of the prophecy as metaphorical, Davos matches as much as with a number of it.

Missandei is a Faceless Man The Faceless Males are certainly going to have an enormous half to play within the endgame of “Recreation of Thrones” contemplating Arya’s complete arc these previous two seasons, however they have not been immediately concerned in any respect to date. Or possibly they’ve? Missandei has ridiculous language abilities and a nearly-always-consistent tone of voice — these are Faceless Males traits. Additionally Learn: All 48 ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fundamental Characters, Ranked Worst to Finest (Images)

Littlefinger will marry Cersei Like Cersei, expensive ole Petyr Baelish most likely seems like he has nothing to lose now, with Catelyn lengthy since useless and her daughter apparently spurning his advances after he acquired her into that horrific mess with Ramsay. However he nonetheless has one enormous ambition — to rule Westeros. After that face he made at Sansa within the season 6 finale, it could probably shock precisely nobody if he marched the Knights of the Vale south and tried to kind a union with Cersei. And he or she’ll want the assistance with Daenerys knocking at her door.

Sam is the one who will determine the best way to beat the White Walkers There’s gotta be a purpose why Sam goes to start out season 7 down on the Citadel as an alternative of any of the locations the place stuff occurs. Our guess is he is going to determine what the Walkers’ thermal exhaust port is. That is not a butt joke — it is a “Star Wars” reference.

Bran will by accident let the White Walkers by means of the Wall There is a line of thought that when the Evening King contact Bran in his dream whereas he was up on the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave, it made it so the Walkers might go any magical barrier separating him from them. And guess what the most important magical barrier of all of them is? The Wall, based on Uncle Benjen.

Cersei, the Mad Queen With no kids left to guard and struggle looming with Daenerys, it positive is simple to ascertain Cersei going full psycho this yr. A lot of what occurs on “Recreation of Thrones” is historical past repeating itself — and with Dany working very exhausting to keep away from fulfilling her father’s Mad legacy, Cersei, against this, most likely is not going to carry naything again anymore.

Jaime will kill Cersei Manner again within the day, Cersei and a pal visited a witch who advised her she can be queen till a youthful and extra stunning girl forged her down (Margaery?), after which she can be killed by “the valonqar,” which interprets to “the little brother.” That might be Tyrion, or her twin Jaime, who was born moments after Cersei. Others beforehand additionally thought it may be Tommen, as a really scrumptious “Recreation of Thrones” twist — however clearly Tommen is not going to be killing anyone after leaping out that Purple Preserve window.

Truly, Cersei will kill Jaime The longer Season 7 goes on and the extra strikes Cersei makes, the extra it appears that evidently she’s ruthless sufficient to do what her brother cannot. Jaime has been rising softer and extra merciful for years, ever since he spent all that point with Brienne of Tarth. Cersei even warned him in Season 7 Episode 6 to not ever betray her once more. Jaime’s rapidly turning into a legal responsibility, however his love for Cersei means he cannot actually activate her. Particularly together with her new being pregnant discuss, it looks like she’s manipulating and maneuvering Jaime.

Euron Greyjoy is a warlock Numerous little particulars within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books that make rising Westeros supervillain Euron Greyjoy even spookier have not made their manner into the present but, however they nonetheless might. One is a sequence of clues that means Euron might be a warlock like people who Dany encountered in Qarth on the Home of the Timeless. Within the ebook, Euron is described as having pale blue lips as a result of he is been ingesting Shade of the Night, the favourite drink of the warlocks. He additionally says some cryptic traces that counsel he may be controlling, or assume he is controlling, storms. If he does certainly have some cool magical powers from his time spent in Qarth, it could make Euron a extra formidable enemy — particularly as a result of it could give him incentive to attempt to take the dragons from Dany, because the warlocks beforehand stated the presence of dragons amplifies their powers.

Bran made the Mad King go mad When Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven traveled again to the occasions exterior the Tower of Pleasure within the Could eight episode, Bran was apparently in a position to shout and be heard by the youthful model of his father, Ned Stark. What if, going again additional, the “whispers” that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen heard had been merely Bran attempting to speak to him and it was truly he who set in movement the occasions of the present? The occasions of season 6, episode 5 — wherein Bran sees a fleeting imaginative and prescient of the Mad King — appear to point that is very attainable. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’: All the pieces Bran Stark Noticed in His Flashback Montage In ‘Blood of My Blood’

One thing’s magic about Jon Snow’s sword, Longclaw After Episode 6 of Season 7, “Past the Wall,” followers thought they caught sight of one thing bizarre happening with Longclaw, Jon Snow’s Valyrian metal sword. When Jon emerges from the frozen lake, some say it appears to be like just like the eyes on the sword’s wolf head pommel open. Might there be one thing extra happening with Longclaw than we but know? In response to the episode’s director, Alan Taylor, the reply isn’t any. Then once more, it might all be misdirection to throw followers off the scent.

Bran travels to the previous and is Bran the Builder, who constructed the Wall and based Home Stark. Bran the Builder is a legendary determine who led the trouble to place up the Wall eight,000 years earlier than the occasions of the present, after the Lengthy Evening wherein the White Walkers invaded the primary time.The particulars of how this is able to work usually are not identified, however this can be a good one. Particularly since Bran the Builder is who the current day Bran Stark was named after.

Arya will change into Girl Stoneheart Within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, Catelyn Stark doesn’ts tay useless after the Purple Marriage ceremony. She’s revived and turns into the silent and vengeful chief of the Brotherhood With out Banners, Girl Stoneheart. Since Catelyn stayed useless within the present, the thought right here being that in a little bit of artistic license within the adaptation, Arya will perform as Girl Stoneheart as an alternative. It could be a pleasant payoff on all that point Arya spent with the Brotherhood again in Season 2.

Sansa is pregnant with Ramsay Bolton’s baby “I can nonetheless really feel what he did in my physique standing right here proper now,” Sansa advised Jon Snow in regards to the residual impact of Ramsay’s horrific sexual abuse of Sansa. The thought, based on some followers, is that she’s not merely referring to the trauma, however that she’s saying she’s pregnant. At this level, most likely an excessive amount of time has handed for this one to hold any weight, but it surely was an fascinating thought whereas it lasted. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories: Is Sansa Stark Pregnant?

#CleganeBowl The youthful Clegane, often called the Hound, actually hates his older brother, the Mountain. Each had been thought useless, however each are once more alive. And followers consider that earlier than the story of “Recreation of Thrones” ends the 2 will meet and at last have it out in a battle to the dying. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: All About The ‘CleganeBowl’ Idea

Gendry is vital to beating the White Walkers This can be a fan idea reaching again years due to the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, however with Gendry’s return in Season 7, it is abruptly very related. It means that Gendry’s blacksmith capabilities shall be important to defeating the White Walkers, as a result of he has expertise with working Valyrian metal, the magical, super-special alloy that may truly kill White Walkers. Gendry apprenticed below Tobho Mott, a grasp armorer from Qohor, and he is the man who turned Ned Stark’s Valyrian metal greatsword Ice into two smaller swords — Brienne of Tarth’s Oathkeeper, and King Joffrey’s Widow’s Wail. So whereas Gendry won’t be capable to make new Valyrian metal blades, he can nonetheless work with the stuff, a ability that’s nearly nonexistent in Westeros.

The Evening King is without doubt one of the dragon riders Followers have anticipated two different individuals to journey Dany’s dragons into battle alongside her, very like the Targaryens did after they first conquered Westeros. However the occasions of the penultimate episode of Season 7 has confirmed a longstanding idea — that the Evening King would kill one in all Daenery’s dragons and switch it right into a wight. That truly occurred, with Viserion resurrected to journey for the facet of darkness. Followers have speculated that, not solely is Viserion undead, however he’ll truly change into an ice dragon somewhat than a hearth dragon. That will surely even the chances some, taking away a few of Daenerys’ fire-breathing air superiority.

Dragonglass is pooped out by dragons somewhat than simply being obsidian Does this matter? No, and we’ll most likely by no means discover out anyway. However it’s humorous.

[takenews-blog1]

24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

New Post has been published on https://takenews.net/24-large-game-of-thrones-fan-theories-for-season-7-and-past-images/

24 Large ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

  24 Large ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fan Theories for Season 7 and Past (Images)

On this listing, we check out what sort of fan theories, each wacky and practical, people have give you which may reveal each the previous and the long run. Spoilers for all of “Recreation of Thrones” so far and possibly the rest of the present. Additionally Learn: 12 Dumb and Debunked ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories

Tyrion Targaryen The concept right here is that the Mad King Aerys raped Joanna Lannister (within the books it is stated that he had a factor for her) and that is the place Tyrion got here from. So Tywin’s complete hatred for the dude has deeper motivations than simply that Joanna died giving delivery to him or that he is a dwarf. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: Explaining the Tyrion Targaryen Fan Idea

Jon Snow and Sansa Stark Are Gonna Get Married The concept right here is that since Jon’s mother and father are literally Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen — which means Ned Stark is NOT his father — Jon and Sansa are cousins as an alternative of siblings and no one would assume it is bizarre in the event that they acquired collectively to solidify their maintain on the North. Or possibly even to put declare on all of Westeros.

Prince Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was secretly annulled The usual story of Robert’s Riot says that occasions had been set in movement when Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped Lyanna Stark. We all know additionally that Jon Snow is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s child, and there is purpose to consider the kidnapping was not truly a kidnapping. However what if additionally Rhaegar was truly married to Lyanna? In actual fact, this one was confirmed within the Season 7 episode “Eastwatch,” when Gilly found the information of Excessive Septon Maynard, who served below the Mad King. He famous that he annulled Rhaegar’s marriage, after which married him to another person. As followers anticipated, that feels like Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia Martell was annulled, and he was married to Lyanna — which might make Jon Snow Rhaegar’s trueborn son and inheritor.

Jon Snow is Azor Azhai aka the Warrior of Gentle aka the Prince That Was Promised It appears apparent (too apparent?) at this level that Jon and his Valyrian metal sword is the one who will lead human forces into battle, and to victory, in opposition to the White Walkers. And even Melisandre believes it — although solely after years of claiming it was Stannis and by accident main him to break. So “Recreation of Thrones” might but pull one other “Recreation of Thrones” on us in that regard by proving this idea mistaken.

Truly, Jaime Lannister is the actual Prince That Was Promised This one includes the belief that some phrases had been translated mistaken within the prophecy of the one who would save the world from the White Walkers — based on the intrepid fan who got here up with this idea, the Valyrian phrases for “lord” and “gentle” are curiously much like the phrases for “gold” and “hand.” And who’s the one character on “Recreation of Thrones” with a gold hand? None apart from Ser Jaime.

The Evening King is the ‘final hero’ of legend We’re studying rather a lot in regards to the guidelines of the White Walkers in Season 7, however one fan idea posits the Evening King was truly created a lot later, as a method of stopping them. As an alternative of being the primary White Walker, the Evening King is definitely “the final hero,” the man credited with main the cost to cease the Walkers hundreds of years in the past throughout the Lengthy Evening. On condition that some assume the final hero is the Westerosi model of the Azor Ahai delusion, this concept would add some twists to the Evening King as a personality.

Or Wait, Possibly Davos is the Prince Who Was Promised There’s an argument to be made that it is Davos Seaworth who’s truly Azor Azhai. One eagle-eyed Redditor put collectively a idea suggesting that Davos fulfills not less than an excellent chunk of the prophecy. An enormous half comes from the argument that it is Davos, and never Melisandre, who revives Jon Snow. If you happen to interpret a number of the prophecy as metaphorical, Davos matches as much as with a number of it.

Missandei is a Faceless Man The Faceless Males are certainly going to have an enormous half to play within the endgame of “Recreation of Thrones” contemplating Arya’s complete arc these previous two seasons, however they have not been immediately concerned in any respect to date. Or possibly they’ve? Missandei has ridiculous language abilities and a nearly-always-consistent tone of voice — these are Faceless Males traits. Additionally Learn: All 48 ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Fundamental Characters, Ranked Worst to Finest (Images)

Littlefinger will marry Cersei Like Cersei, expensive ole Petyr Baelish most likely seems like he has nothing to lose now, with Catelyn lengthy since useless and her daughter apparently spurning his advances after he acquired her into that horrific mess with Ramsay. However he nonetheless has one enormous ambition — to rule Westeros. After that face he made at Sansa within the season 6 finale, it could probably shock precisely nobody if he marched the Knights of the Vale south and tried to kind a union with Cersei. And he or she’ll want the assistance with Daenerys knocking at her door.

Sam is the one who will determine the best way to beat the White Walkers There’s gotta be a purpose why Sam goes to start out season 7 down on the Citadel as an alternative of any of the locations the place stuff occurs. Our guess is he is going to determine what the Walkers’ thermal exhaust port is. That is not a butt joke — it is a “Star Wars” reference.

Bran will by accident let the White Walkers by means of the Wall There is a line of thought that when the Evening King contact Bran in his dream whereas he was up on the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave, it made it so the Walkers might go any magical barrier separating him from them. And guess what the most important magical barrier of all of them is? The Wall, based on Uncle Benjen.

Cersei, the Mad Queen With no kids left to guard and struggle looming with Daenerys, it positive is simple to ascertain Cersei going full psycho this yr. A lot of what occurs on “Recreation of Thrones” is historical past repeating itself — and with Dany working very exhausting to keep away from fulfilling her father’s Mad legacy, Cersei, against this, most likely is not going to carry naything again anymore.

Jaime will kill Cersei Manner again within the day, Cersei and a pal visited a witch who advised her she can be queen till a youthful and extra stunning girl forged her down (Margaery?), after which she can be killed by “the valonqar,” which interprets to “the little brother.” That might be Tyrion, or her twin Jaime, who was born moments after Cersei. Others beforehand additionally thought it may be Tommen, as a really scrumptious “Recreation of Thrones” twist — however clearly Tommen is not going to be killing anyone after leaping out that Purple Preserve window.

Truly, Cersei will kill Jaime The longer Season 7 goes on and the extra strikes Cersei makes, the extra it appears that evidently she’s ruthless sufficient to do what her brother cannot. Jaime has been rising softer and extra merciful for years, ever since he spent all that point with Brienne of Tarth. Cersei even warned him in Season 7 Episode 6 to not ever betray her once more. Jaime’s rapidly turning into a legal responsibility, however his love for Cersei means he cannot actually activate her. Particularly together with her new being pregnant discuss, it looks like she’s manipulating and maneuvering Jaime.

Euron Greyjoy is a warlock Numerous little particulars within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books that make rising Westeros supervillain Euron Greyjoy even spookier have not made their manner into the present but, however they nonetheless might. One is a sequence of clues that means Euron might be a warlock like people who Dany encountered in Qarth on the Home of the Timeless. Within the ebook, Euron is described as having pale blue lips as a result of he is been ingesting Shade of the Night, the favourite drink of the warlocks. He additionally says some cryptic traces that counsel he may be controlling, or assume he is controlling, storms. If he does certainly have some cool magical powers from his time spent in Qarth, it could make Euron a extra formidable enemy — particularly as a result of it could give him incentive to attempt to take the dragons from Dany, because the warlocks beforehand stated the presence of dragons amplifies their powers.

Bran made the Mad King go mad When Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven traveled again to the occasions exterior the Tower of Pleasure within the Could eight episode, Bran was apparently in a position to shout and be heard by the youthful model of his father, Ned Stark. What if, going again additional, the “whispers” that the Mad King Aerys Targaryen heard had been merely Bran attempting to speak to him and it was truly he who set in movement the occasions of the present? The occasions of season 6, episode 5 — wherein Bran sees a fleeting imaginative and prescient of the Mad King — appear to point that is very attainable. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’: All the pieces Bran Stark Noticed in His Flashback Montage In ‘Blood of My Blood’

One thing’s magic about Jon Snow’s sword, Longclaw After Episode 6 of Season 7, “Past the Wall,” followers thought they caught sight of one thing bizarre happening with Longclaw, Jon Snow’s Valyrian metal sword. When Jon emerges from the frozen lake, some say it appears to be like just like the eyes on the sword’s wolf head pommel open. Might there be one thing extra happening with Longclaw than we but know? In response to the episode’s director, Alan Taylor, the reply isn’t any. Then once more, it might all be misdirection to throw followers off the scent.

Bran travels to the previous and is Bran the Builder, who constructed the Wall and based Home Stark. Bran the Builder is a legendary determine who led the trouble to place up the Wall eight,000 years earlier than the occasions of the present, after the Lengthy Evening wherein the White Walkers invaded the primary time.The particulars of how this is able to work usually are not identified, however this can be a good one. Particularly since Bran the Builder is who the current day Bran Stark was named after.

Arya will change into Girl Stoneheart Within the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, Catelyn Stark doesn’ts tay useless after the Purple Marriage ceremony. She’s revived and turns into the silent and vengeful chief of the Brotherhood With out Banners, Girl Stoneheart. Since Catelyn stayed useless within the present, the thought right here being that in a little bit of artistic license within the adaptation, Arya will perform as Girl Stoneheart as an alternative. It could be a pleasant payoff on all that point Arya spent with the Brotherhood again in Season 2.

Sansa is pregnant with Ramsay Bolton’s baby “I can nonetheless really feel what he did in my physique standing right here proper now,” Sansa advised Jon Snow in regards to the residual impact of Ramsay’s horrific sexual abuse of Sansa. The thought, based on some followers, is that she’s not merely referring to the trauma, however that she’s saying she’s pregnant. At this level, most likely an excessive amount of time has handed for this one to hold any weight, but it surely was an fascinating thought whereas it lasted. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ Theories: Is Sansa Stark Pregnant?

#CleganeBowl The youthful Clegane, often called the Hound, actually hates his older brother, the Mountain. Each had been thought useless, however each are once more alive. And followers consider that earlier than the story of “Recreation of Thrones” ends the 2 will meet and at last have it out in a battle to the dying. Additionally Learn: ‘Recreation of Thrones’ 101: All About The ‘CleganeBowl’ Idea

Gendry is vital to beating the White Walkers This can be a fan idea reaching again years due to the “A Track of Ice and Fireplace” books, however with Gendry’s return in Season 7, it is abruptly very related. It means that Gendry’s blacksmith capabilities shall be important to defeating the White Walkers, as a result of he has expertise with working Valyrian metal, the magical, super-special alloy that may truly kill White Walkers. Gendry apprenticed below Tobho Mott, a grasp armorer from Qohor, and he is the man who turned Ned Stark’s Valyrian metal greatsword Ice into two smaller swords — Brienne of Tarth’s Oathkeeper, and King Joffrey’s Widow’s Wail. So whereas Gendry won’t be capable to make new Valyrian metal blades, he can nonetheless work with the stuff, a ability that’s nearly nonexistent in Westeros.

The Evening King is without doubt one of the dragon riders Followers have anticipated two different individuals to journey Dany’s dragons into battle alongside her, very like the Targaryens did after they first conquered Westeros. However the occasions of the penultimate episode of Season 7 has confirmed a longstanding idea — that the Evening King would kill one in all Daenery’s dragons and switch it right into a wight. That truly occurred, with Viserion resurrected to journey for the facet of darkness. Followers have speculated that, not solely is Viserion undead, however he’ll truly change into an ice dragon somewhat than a hearth dragon. That will surely even the chances some, taking away a few of Daenerys’ fire-breathing air superiority.

Dragonglass is pooped out by dragons somewhat than simply being obsidian Does this matter? No, and we’ll most likely by no means discover out anyway. However it’s humorous.