World of A Song of Ice and Fire
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World of A Song of Ice and Fire
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"Westeros" redirects here. For the similarly sounding town in Sweden, see Västerås.
The fictional world in which the A Song of Ice and Fire novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents. Most of the story takes place on the continent Westeros, which consists of the Seven Kingdoms and an unmapped area to the north, separated by a massive wall of ice and old magic. The vast continent of Essos lies to the east of Westeros, across the Narrow Sea. The closest foreign nations to Westeros are the Free Cities, a collection of independent city-states along the western edge of this eastern continent. The lands along the southern coastline of the eastern continent, collectively called the Lands of the Summer Sea, include Slavers Bay and the ruins of Valyria, the former home of Westeros's Targaryen kings. To the south of Essos lies the continent of Sothoryos, which in the narrative is largely unexplored.
One of the most visible traits of this fictional world is that the seasons do not pass once per year. Summer and winter can both last many years, and the duration of both can be difficult to predict.
The nature and existence of magic is a subject of debate among the characters in this series, with many individuals declining to believe in it. However, as the books progress, it becomes clear that magic does exist in this world (or used to) and is slowly returning.
Inspiration
Martin realized fantasy in Ice and Fire in the shown imaginary places in avoidance of overt fantasy elements.[1] He likes the world-building aspects of creating the world, saying "Sometimes I have so much fun creating the world that I have to smack myself around and stop from putting all the stuff actually in the stories, where it doesn't necessarily belong. But it's nice to know that it is there. It gives the world more grounding. And there are occasions where, it would come up in dialog or in story telling, and if you know what it is you can handle it more elegantly."[2] He set the Ice and Fire story in an alternate world of Earth or a "secondary world", which Tolkien pioneered with Middle Earth.[3] The story takes place primarily on a continent called Westeros, which is roughly equivalent in area to South America.[4] There is also on a large landmass to the east, known as Essos. The style varies to fit each character and their setting; Daenerys's exotic realm may appear more colorful and fanciful than Westeros, which is more based on the familiar medieval history of Europe.[5] The Sydney Morning Herald said that Westeros seems a much darker place than most fantasy realms that usually present themselves as wish fulfillment.[6]
The Ice and Fire story can be considered to be set in a post-magic world where people no longer believe in supernatural things such as magic or monsters (such as the Others, a race of icy humanoids who once terrorized the people of Westeros)[7] The characters understand only the natural aspects of their world, but the magical elements are not within their understanding.[8] One of the most conspicuous aspects of the world of Westeros is the long and random nature of the seasons.[9] Fans have developed lengthy scientific theories for the seasons, but Martin insists there is a supernatural fantasy explanation instead of a scientific one.[9] Martin rather enjoyed the symbolism of the seasons, with summer as a time of growth and plenty and joy and winter as a dark time where you have to struggle for survival.[10]
Maps
| Map | Game | Clash | Storm | Feast | Dance | (Lands) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The North of Westeros | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| The South of Westeros | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| King's Landing city map | x | x | ||||
| Beyond the Wall | x | x | x | |||
| Slaver's Bay, Valyria, and Sothoryos | x | x | x | |||
| The Iron Islands | x | |||||
| The Free Cities | x | x | ||||
| The Dothraki Sea and the Red Wastes | x | |||||
| Braavos city map | x | |||||
| "Known world" map | x |
A Game of Thrones, the first installment of the A Song of Ice and Fire series, has two maps of Westeros. Each new book added one or two maps so that, as of A Dance with Dragons, seven individual maps of the fictional world are available in the books (see table). Martin said in 2003 that readers may be able to piece together a world map by the end of the series.[11] Map artists changed during the writing of A Dance with Dragons so that the maps are available in two versions by James Sinclair and Jeffrey L. Ward, depending on the books. The old maps were redone to match the style of the new ones.[12]
Martin said in 2003 that complete world maps were deliberately not made available so that readers may better identify with people of the real Middle Ages who were unillumined about distant places.[11] He also did not "subscribe to the theory put forth in THE ROUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND [...] that eventually the characters must visit every place shown on The Map."[13] He was intentionally vague with the size of the Ice and Fire world, omitting a scale on the maps to discourage prediction of travel lengths based on measured distances;[14] however, the continent of Westeros may be considered to be roughly the size of South America,[4] Essos as being roughly the size of Eurasia,[15] and Sothoryos as roughly equivalent in size to Africa.[16]
Since the narrative does not take place on the familiar planet Earth, HBO felt that their television adaptation required a map for orientation.[17] Two years before the TV show aired, HBO contacted film editor Angus Wall of the company Elastic to figure out ways to use maps in each episode, similar to how the legend or map at the front of fantasy book work. Since repeatedly showing maps during each episode could not be made to work, the idea of maps was moved to the opening title sequence.[17] To differ from the standard tropes for fantasy maps, Elastic came up with the idea of a world inside a sphere where a computer-illusion camera pans from kingdom to kingdom.[18] Elastic took an existing map of Westeros and a hand-drawn map of Essos, both by George R. R. Martin, and played with their scale in Photoshop until the continents lined up perfectly.[17] Intending to stay as true to the books as possible, the actual dimensions, the locations and their placement, and the different terrains are all based strictly on Martin's maps.[17] Each portion of the opening titles map reflects the attitude of the shown place, like Winterfell appearing a lot more rustic. The climate of each place is also shown: Southern Westeros is more temperate, whereas Essos to the east is almost Mediterranean. The northern places gets harsher until The Wall in the farthest north is shown as a continent-wide wall of ice.[18] The first season of the show had four different versions that show the locations visited in the particular episode.[18] Martin, who did not see the sequence until the premiere, endorsed the title sequence.[17]
Martin said in 2012 that his American publisher, Bantam Books, has decided to do a map book with about a dozen big foldout maps.[2] The map book will be called The Lands of Ice and Fire with a planned release on October 30, 2012.[19] Featuring original artwork from illustrator and cartographer Jonathan Roberts, it will have a complete map of the known Ice and Fire world, and an additional world map that tracks the movements of the series' protagonists.[19] Martin took some time to develop the map of the eastern regions from his private maps, which were rather empty before, and put hills, mountains and cities on there.[2] The owners of westeros.org, who had a look over Martin's hand-drawn maps for proof-reading, said the map book would cover "everything from the Seven Kingdoms we all know and love, to the lands Across the Narrow Sea... including the fabled Yi Ti, the lands of the Jade Sea, and the mysterious Asshai-by-the-Shadow".[20] The publishers announced shortly afterwards that the map book would include "detailed versions of the western, middle, and eastern thirds of the world; a full map of Westeros, combining North and South; one of the Dothraki Sea and the Red Wastes; and the Braavos city map",[19] plus "maps of King's Landing; The Wall and Beyond the Wall; the Free Cities; and Slaver's Bay, Valyria, and Sothyros [sic]."[19] The HBO Viewer Guide also released a "known world" map for season 2 of the TV adaptation,[21] which the virtual camera of the opening titles shows first in the season 2 episode "Garden of Bones" with a pan from Westeros to the city of Qarth.
Background
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This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability. |
According to the fictional backstory of Westeros the original inhabitants were a nature worshiping race of small and magical creatures, the Children of the Forest, who carved the faces of their gods in weirwood trees. When a group of human settlers, the first men, entered Westeros some 12,500 years before the start of the series their attempts at cultivating the land led to a war with the druidic children. This war was settled after several centuries by an agreement known as "the Pact", where the first men adopted the nature gods of the children (Now known as the Old gods).[22]
After four thousand years, an enigmatic supernatural race called the Others emerged from the furthermost north and brought a dark and deadly winter into the south that lasted decades. In the War for the Dawn, the Children of the Forest and the First Men threw back the Others through the combined use of dragonglass, fire and the building of a vast Wall of ice and old magic. Approximately two thousand years afterwards, the Andals crossed the Narrow Sea from the eastern continent and landed in the Vale of Arryn. They wielded iron weapons, had tamed horses to use in battle and brought with them the Faith of the Seven. Over the course of several millennia, they subjugated the southern kingdoms but could not take the North due to its natural defenses. While the Children gradually disappeared, the First Men intermarried with their conquerors.
Over time six great and powerful kingdoms were forged across Westeros: the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of the Iron Islands, the Kingdom of Vale and Sky, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of the Storm Kings and the Kingdom of the Reach. A seventh kingdom—that of the Riverlands—was repeatedly conquered by its neighbors and eventually destroyed altogether, while the small desert kingdoms in the far south of Westeros were divided by constant war. One thousand years prior to the events of the novels, a great host of refugees from the region of the River Rhoyne on the eastern continent—displaced by the growing power of a distant empire called Valyria—crossed the Narrow Sea under the warrior-queen Nymeria and landed in the southern-most part of Westeros. The Rhoynar allied with the native Lord Mors Martell and conquered the southern peninsula of Dorne, forging another powerful kingdom by that name.
Five centuries later, the expanding Valyrian Freehold had reached the east coast of the Narrow Sea and established links with Westeros, using the island of Dragonstone as a trading port. A century later the Valyrian Freehold was destroyed by a cataclysmic disaster of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, known as the Doom of Valyria, and resulting in a smoking unstable wasteland of ghosts and legends. The Valyrian family that controlled Dragonstone, the Targaryens, spent a further century in preparing their forces, and then launched a devastating invasion of Westeros under Aegon the Conqueror. Although their forces were small, they had with them the last three dragons in the western world and they were able to use these to overtake the continent. Six of the Seven Kingdoms were conquered in this initial war, but Dorne resisted so fiercely that Aegon agreed to let them remain independent. The Targaryens adopted the native Faith of the Seven (although they still married brother to sister in the ancient Valyrian tradition in defiance of the Faith's teachings) and Westerosi customs, and within a few decades had crushed all resistance to their rule. Dorne was eventually absorbed through marriage-alliance. The last dragons died out a century and a half into the Targaryen rule, but by this time they had become the ruling power on the continent and their rule was not challenged. Rule under the Targaryen dynasty was chaotic as dependent on the strengths or weaknesses of each ruler much like the independent kingdoms before it. There were repeated instances of both prosperous / peaceful periods as well as civil wars and conflicts within the ruling family (eg, Blackfyre Rebellion) and with other Westerosi factions (eg, Defiance of Duskendale).
Fifteen years prior to the beginning of the novels, the Targaryens were displaced from power in a civil war brought about by the insanity and cruelty of King Aerys II (called "the Mad King"). Lyanna Stark, daughter of Lord Rickard Stark of the North and fiancee of Lord Robert Baratheon, disappeared with Aerys's son Prince Rhaegar. The Starks and Baratheons treated her disappearance as an abduction, and Lord Rickard's eldest son Brandon went to King's Landing with a band of young knights to demand single combat with Rhaegar. King Aerys had them arrested and ordered their fathers to come to King's Landing to answer for them. When Lord Rickard arrived, Aerys had him burned alive while his son, Brandon, strangled himself to death trying to save his father. An alliance of four of the seven great Houses, under the leadership of Robert Baratheon of the Stormlords, Jon Arryn of the Vale, and Eddard Stark of the North and by marital alliance, of Riverrun, successfully destroyed the Targaryen armies at the Trident. However, Tywin Lannister, of Casterly Rock, who had remained neutral until then, proceeded to sack King's Landing and kill King Aerys's heirs and wipe out all of the line, aside from Aerys's pregnant wife and his eight-year-old son Viserys, who fled to Dragonstone. King Aerys himself was killed by Jaime Lannister, his own bodyguard, who since then has been nicknamed the Kingslayer. Aerys' wife died giving birth to Daenerys Targaryen, who was taken to safety in the Free Cities beyond the Narrow Sea along with her brother by loyal retainers. In the meantime, Robert Baratheon took the Iron Throne and married Cersei Lannister to secure the Lannisters as allies.
The North
The North consists of the northern half of Westeros and is ruled by House Stark from Winterfell.[citation needed] The North is a vast but, compared with the rest of Westeros, sparsely populated stretch of land that bears several similarities to medieval Scotland.[citation needed] It is almost as big as the other six kingdoms combined.[citation needed] The city of White Harbor is described as a thriving port.[citation needed] The region's northern border is the New Gift, given to the Night's Watch in perpetuity by Queen Alysane Targaryen which is measured as 50 leagues from the wall.[citation needed] Illegitimate children born in the North are given the surname Snow.[citation needed]
The Wall
Night's Watch redirects here. For other uses see Night Watch (disambiguation)
The Wall is approximately 300 miles (483 km) long, 700 feet (213 meters) high, and wide enough for a dozen mounted knights to ride abreast.[citation needed] It is made of ice and magic[citation needed] and is located on the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. According to legends in the series, it was made 8,000 years ago by Brandon the Builder and the Children of the Forest, to protect the Seven Kingdoms from further attacks by the Others, a supernatural evil race from the farthest coldest north.[citation needed] The Night's Watch guards the Wall and, for thousands of years, held the high regard of both the rulers and the realm.[citation needed] Over time, the stories of The Others' evil powers, their defeat by the Children of the Forest and the First Men, and the creation of the Wall, faded into legends and eventually became children's stories.[citation needed] When the Night's Watch was held in high esteem, many of the ruling Houses and their vassals sent their sons for the honor of serving the realm against the greatest existing danger.[citation needed] In recent times, though, the Night's Watch has decreased significantly in stature, numbers, and finances.[citation needed] Of the seventeen castles along the wall, only three are still manned.[citation needed] While the Night's Watch still contains some nobles and many volunteers, it is also a receptacle for criminals and other undesirables who are seen as earning their forgiveness through honorable service. Jorah Mormont has been exiled for selling his poachers to slavers instead of allowing them to join the Night's Watch. At least some of the castles have gates opening to the north.[citation needed] Although wildlings cannot get through the wall, a few manage to scale it or sail around it near the coasts.[citation needed] To the south of the wall is a strip of land known as "the Gift", from which the Night's Watch supports itself.[citation needed] While it does border the North, the Wall and the Gift lands technically have independent and extra-legal status.[citation needed] The Night's Watch has maintained this control for thousands of years to support their guarding of the Wall; and, when the Targaryens conquered and unified the Seven Kingdoms, they allowed the Night's Watch to continue this control while nominally swearing allegiance to the Targaryen kings.[citation needed]
The Wall, which Martin believes to be unique in fantasy,[23] was inspired by his visit to Hadrian's Wall, in the North of England close to the border with Scotland. Looking out over the hills, Martin wondered what a Roman centurion from the Mediterranean would feel, not knowing what threats might come from the north.[24] This experience was so profound that a decade later, in 1991, he wanted to "write a story about the people guarding the end of the world".[25] The size, length, and magical powers of the wall were adjusted for genre demands[24]; and "the things that come out of the north are a good deal more terrifying than Scotsmen or Picts, which is what the Romans had to worry about".[26]
For television, Castle Black and the Wall were filmed in the abandoned Magheramorne Quarry near Belfast, Northern Ireland[27]. A castle with real rooms and a working elevator were built near a cliff 400 feet high.[28][25] "Working construction lifts were discovered at a nearby work site and rise 18 feet; CGI fills in the rest to make the wall appear 700 feet high."[29] The area around the elevator was painted white to make it look like real ice. Martin was surprised by the height and thought, "Oh I may have made the wall too big!"[25] Martin said "It's a pretty spectacular, yet miserable location. It is wet and rainy, and the mud is thick", which "really gets the actors in the mood of being at the end of the world in all of this cold and damp and chill".[28] The scenes shot atop the wall were filmed inside Paint Hall Studios.[27]
Beyond the Wall
A Clash of Kings takes the story to the lands Beyond the Wall, although the first five books do not explore "what lies really north [...] but we will in the last two books".[26] The TV adaptation used Iceland as filming location for the lands Beyond the Wall. Martin, who has never been in Iceland, said Beyond the Wall was "considerably larger than Iceland — probably larger than Greenland. And the area closest to my Wall is densely forested, so in that sense it's more like Canada — Hudson's Bay or the Canadian forests just north of Michigan. And then as you get further and further north, it changes. You get into tundra and ice fields and it becomes more of an arctic environment. You have plains on one side and a very high range of mountains on the other. Of course, once again this is fantasy, so my mountains are more like the Himalayas."[26]
During the first season, the HBO team used places that they could decorate with artificial snow for the north of the Wall, but a bigger landscape was chosen for Season 2.[27] "Primary filming for these scenes, which encompass both the Frostfangs and the Fist of the First Men, occurred at the Svínafellsjökull calving glacier in Skaftafell, followed by shooting near Smyrlabjorg and Vik on Hofdabrekkuheidi.[27] Benioff said, "We always knew we wanted something shatteringly beautiful and barren and brutal for this part of Jon's journey, because he's in the true North now. It's all real. It's all in camera. We're not doing anything in postproduction to add mountains or snow or anything."[27]
Winterfell
Winterfell is the name given to the ancestral castle of House Stark. Located in the cold North, it is heated by a hot spring piped through its walls.[citation needed] The castle has deep catacombs where the bodies of Starks are entombed behind statues in their likeness with a direwolf at their feet.[citation needed] The tombs range back all the way to the old Kings of the North, called the Kings of Winter, who ruled before Aegon the Conqueror and the arrival of the Andals.[citation needed]
Season 1 of the TV adaptation used the courtyard of Castle Ward in County Down, Northern Ireland for Winterfell.[27] Doune Castle in Stirling, Scotland, was also used for exterior scenes at Winterfell.[30] Saintfield Estates stood in as Winterfell's godswood (an enclosed wooded area where characters who worship the old gods can pray beside trees with faces carved in them).[27] Tollymore Forest featured prominently in the prologue of the pilot episode and the pivotal scene where the Starks first find the direwolves. Cairncastle, meanwhile, served as the location where Ned Stark beheads the deserter Will south of the Wall."[27] Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "Winterfell was based on a Scottish castle."[29]
The Neck
The North is separated from the South by the Neck, an isthmus of swampland.[citation needed] The Neck is home to small, marsh-dwelling crannogmen and ruled by House Reed of Greywater Watch. The Reeds are bannermen (vassals) of Winterfell.[citation needed] The narrowness of the region and the difficulty of the terrain along with the almost impenetrable (by southern walls) Moat Cailin make it a natural border for the North, protecting it from invasion.[citation needed]
The Iron Islands
The Iron Islands are a group of seven islands—Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde and Orkmont—lying in Ironman's Bay off the western coast of the continent. All in all, the islands bear several similarities to post-Viking medieval Scandinavia. The inhabitants of these harsh and forbidding isles are known in the rest of Westeros as Ironmen, and as "the Ironborn" among themselves.[citation needed] They are ruled by House Greyjoy of Pyke, chosen to rule the Ironmen after Black Harren's line was extinguished during the Conquest.[citation needed] Prior to the arrival of Aegon the Conqueror, the Ironmen ruled over the Riverlands and much of the western coast of Westeros.[citation needed] The Ironmen are fierce men of the sea, and their naval supremacy was once unmatched, their dark legacy of raids and pillage of the hinterlands of the western and southern regions granting them, to this day, a fearsome reputation as the "terror of the seas".[citation needed] After the Andals invaded the Iron Islands, they intermarried with the native population. Their descendents stopped worshipping the Andal religion of the Seven in favor of the worship of the Drowned God. Illegitimate children born in the Iron Islands are given the surname Pyke.[citation needed]
The Iron Islanders have a custom regarding captured women. A man's legal wife, always a woman born on the Iron Islands, is called a rock wife, and she produces his heir, but he may also take salt wives (concubines) from among women he captures during raids. The books provide few details on the lives and social standing of salt wives. It is implied that this custom fell out of practice as the Iron Islanders lost their power.
The second season of the TV adaptation takes the viewers to the Iron Islands. Many of the Iron Islands scenes were filmed at Lordsport Harbour in Ballintoy Harbour.[27] There are also reports of filming at Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, which are likely for the Iron Islands sequences.[27]
Pyke
Pyke is the seat of House Greyjoy, which for years has ruled over the Iron Islands.[citation needed] The castle of Pyke is built on the end of a rocky peninsula on the island of Pyke. Pyke's throne is the Seastone Chair.[citation needed] The endless pounding of the sea has worn away much of the rock on which Pyke originally stood, so the castle now consists mostly of a main keep on the main island and smaller towers perched on rocks in the sea.[citation needed] These towers are linked by stone arches for the smaller gaps, swaying rope bridges for larger ones. Lordsport is a village on the far end of the island, overlooked by the castle of House Botley.[citation needed]
During the Greyjoy Rebellion, Lordsport and the Botley stronghold were razed by Robert Baratheon, and Pyke was besieged and conquered by his forces.[citation needed] Balon Greyjoy was left as Lord of Pyke, but his only surviving son, Theon, was taken as hostage. From age ten to age twenty, he was fostered by Eddard Stark and raised alongside the Stark children.[citation needed] In the years since the rebellion, Lordsport has been rebuilt, except for the sept (church), and Lord Botley built a small stone keep to replace the old timber and wattle castle.[citation needed]
The Riverlands
The Riverlands are the populous and fertile[31] areas surrounding the forks of the river Trident. Centrally located between the Westerlands, the Crownlands, the Vale and The North[32] and lacking the natural defenses of other regions[33] they have seen frequent warfare.[34] At the time of Aegon's conquest, the Riverlands were ruled by Harren the Black, king of the Iron Islands. The Tullys were riverlords who rebelled against him by joining Aegon the Conqueror and ended up becoming the principal house in the riverlands.[35] Illegitimate children born in the Riverlands are given the surname Rivers.[citation needed]
Harrenhal
Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black,[36] to be the greatest castle ever constructed.[citation needed] The castle was made of black stone and had five massive towers and a great hall large enough to hold an army. Characters of A Song of Ice and Fire have referred to the castle as a monument to Harren's hubris.[citation needed] However, shortly after the castle was completed, Aegon the Conqueror began his invasion.[citation needed] Harrenhal's thick, high walls were useless against Aegon's dragons.[citation needed] Dragonfire cracked and melted the castle's stone, killing Harren and his sons.[citation needed]
Since Harren's disaster, the castle has been occupied by a variety of houses.[citation needed] Many lords and residents over the ages have met bad ends, giving the castle the reputation of being cursed.[36] This, combined with the logistical and economic difficulties inherent in keeping such an enormous castle maintained and garrisoned has made it something of a white elephant.[citation needed]
At the start of the War of the Five Kings, the castle was in poor shape, with only a fraction of it maintained.[citation needed] After Tywin Lannister seized the castle, his daughter, Queen Cersei, gave ownership to Janos Slynt, but her brother and the Hand of the King, Tyrion Lannister quickly revoked the award and sent Slynt to the Wall. Tyrion's father Tywin later gave the castle instead to Petyr Baelish, who has held nominal ownership of Harrenhal ever since, without ever setting foot in it. Over the course of the war, Harrenhal changes hands numerous times and was the site of many atrocities. After the Brave Companions mercenary company betrayed the castle's Lannister garrison, Roose Bolton took over.[citation needed] After Bolton abandoned the castle, Gregor Clegane demolished the Brave Companions and retook the castle for the Lannisters.[citation needed]
Riverrun
Riverrun is the ancestral stronghold of House Tully, lords of the riverlands since the Conquest.[citation needed] The castle is a massive structure of sandstone, triangular in shape, located at a fork of the Tumblestone River.[citation needed] Some have compared the keep to a massive ship.[citation needed] It is possible to enter Riverrun from the Tumblestone, by way of a waterway downstream from the Wheel Tower, as well as through the main entrance.[citation needed] The castle is bordered on two sides by the Tumblestone and the Red Fork. The third side fronts on a massive manmade ditch, which is flooded to create a moat when the castle is under siege.[citation needed] Riverrun is crowned by a massive watchtower, which allows defenders in the stronghold to spot enemies approaching for miles.[citation needed] This advantage, combined with the defensive barrier provided by the rivers and moat, makes the castle extremely hard to take.[citation needed]
In the books (but not the television series) Riverrun was the location of Robb Stark's elevation to the rank of King in the North. The River Lords of the Trident, who had never been part of the old Northern Kingdom, also proclaimed their support for King Robb, and devoted their armies and castles to his service (with the notable exception of Walder Frey).[citation needed] At the beginning of the War of the Five Kings, Jaime Lannister besieged Riverrun with a massive host, but he was defeated and captured by Robb Stark at the Battle of Whispering Wood. His host was later destroyed. When Lord Tywin Lannister later tried to attack into the riverlands again, Edmure Tully drove back his assaults, saving Riverrun from attack. But after the death of King Robb at the Red Wedding, the Lannisters and Freys once again besieged the castle. The siege was disorganized (due to quarrels between the leaders of the Lannister and Frey delegations) and largely ineffective, even though Ser Ryman Frey held Lord Edmure Tully hostage. Ser Brynden Tully the Blackfish was able to defy the besiegers until Jaime Lannister arrived and negotiated a settlement with the captive Lord Edmure, who surrendered the castle rather than have Jaime storm it and butcher his people. Riverrun then passed into the hands of Emmon Frey, an ally of House Lannister.[citation needed]
The Twins
The Twins are a heavily fortified set of castles connected by a stone arch bridge on the Green Fork river.[citation needed] This bridge is wide enough for two wagons to cross abreast and guarded by a tower in the middle known as the Water Tower.[citation needed] The Twins have been the seat of House Frey for over six hundred years and they have grown wealthy by charging a heavy toll on all those who need to cross, as it is the only place to do so within several days' travel.[citation needed] Because the Freys are both wealthy and numerous, they are one of the most powerful houses sworn to House Tully, able to send into war nearly one thousand knights and other cavalry and three thousand men-at-arms and still hold the Twins with a garrison of at least four hundred men.[citation needed] Still, the Freys have been of suspect loyalty in the past and the current head of the House, Lord Walder Frey, is known as a prickly and prideful old man.[citation needed]
During the War of the Five Kings, the Freys rose in rebellion against the Iron Throne for the King in the North. The rebellion was contingent on a Frey's betrothal to Robb Stark. However, after Robb Stark broke his word and married Jeyne Westerling, Lord Walder Frey plotted his revenge for the slight. Lord Frey arranged another marriage between Lord Edmure Tully and his daughter, Lady Roslin Frey. Conspiring with Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort and Lord Tywin Lannister, Lord Frey smuggled in a host of mercenaries and knights disguised as musicians. During the wedding, the "musicians" began to kill the household and supporters of the King in the North, including Robb's mother, Lady Catelyn Stark, and took Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun, captive. This event became known as the Red Wedding. Because many northmen were killed in this violation of guest right, it set much of the North against the Freys, and those who are not explicitly inimical to the Freys are still rather uncomfortable with them.[citation needed]
The Vale of Arryn
The Vale is the area surrounded almost completely by the Mountains of the Moon. The Vale is under the rulership of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility and, before Aegon's conquest, Kings of Mountain and Vale. Their seat, the Eyrie, is a castle high in the mountains, small but considered unassailable. The only way to reach the Vale is by a mountain road that is perilous, teeming with animals called shadowcats, rock slides, and dangerous mountain clans.) The mountain road ends at the Vale's sole entrance, the Bloody Gates, which consists of a pair of twin watchtowers, connected by a covered bridge, on the rocky mountain slopes over a very narrow path which is scarcely wide enough for four men to ride abreast. A little past the Bloody Gates, a huge vista opens up and the Vale of Arryn can be seen. The protection of the surrounding mountains gives the Vale itself a temperate climate, fertile meadows and woods. The snowmelt from the mountains and a constant waterfall that never freezes, named Alyssa's Tears, provides plentiful water. The Vale has rich black soil, wide slow-moving rivers, and hundreds of small lakes. The largest mountain is the Giant's Lance, which is three and a half miles high. Illegitimate children born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.[citation needed]
The Eyrie
The Eyrie is the ancient seat of House Arryn, one of the oldest lines of Andal nobility. It is situated high on the mountain known as the Giant's Lance, and is reachable only by a narrow mule trail, guarded by the Gates of the Moon and three small waycastles; Stone, Snow and Sky. Travelers must enter the Gates of the Moon and its upper bailey before being able to take a postern gate to access the narrow path up the mountain. The steps up the Giant's Lance starts directly behind the Gates of the Moon. The Eyrie clings to the mountain and is six hundred feet above Sky. The last part of the climb to the Eyrie is within the mountain itself, something of a cross between a chimney and a stone a ladder, which leads to the Eyrie's cellar entrance. Due to the Mountains of the Moon's harsh winters, travel to and from the Eyrie is possible through the mountains only in summer..[citation needed]
The Eyrie is the smallest of the Westeros great castles, consisting of seven slim towers bunched tightly together. It has no stables, kennels, or smithies, but its granary is as large as that of Winterfell and the towers can house 500 men. The granary can sustain a small household for a year or more. The Eyrie does not keep livestock on hand. All fresh foodstuffs, dairy, meats, fruits, vegetables and other such things must be brought up from the Vale below. Its cellars hold six great winches with long iron chains to draw supplies and occasionally guests up from down below. Some have great wicker baskets and others large wooden buckets big enough to hold three men. Oxen are used to raise and lower them. While many, including Lysa Arryn, claim that the Eyrie is impregnable on account of its mountainous surroundings, this advantage is not permanent, as winter snows can make supplying the fortress impossible. The Eyrie's dungeons, known as "sky cells," are particularly infamous; they are left open to the cold sky and have sloping floors that put prisoners on edge with fear of slipping or rolling off the edge in their sleep, causing many prisoners to commit suicide rather than remain imprisoned. Executions in the Eyrie are carried out via the Moon Door, which opens from the high hall onto a sickening six hundred foot drop to the stones of the mountain. The Eyrie is also unique in that it lacks a godswood.[citation needed]
The Eyrie is made all of pale stone and primarily decorated with the blue and white sky colors of House Arryn. Designed as a graceful ice castle, elegant details provide warmth and comfort with plentiful fireplaces, carpets and luxurious fabrics. Many of the chambers are cozy and warm, with magnificent views of the Vale, the Mountains of the Moon or the waterfall of Alyssa's Tears. The Maiden's Tower is the easternmost of the seven slender towers, so all the Vale can be seen spread out beyond its windows and balconies without obstruction. The apartments of the Lady of the Eyrie open over a small garden planted with blue flowers and ringed on all sides by white towers. The builders had intended it as a godswood, but the soil brought up could not support a weirwood so grass was planted and scattered statuary, with the center one of a weeping woman believed to be Alyssa Arryn, around low, flowering shrubs. The lord's chambers have doors of four inch thick solid oak, plush velvet curtains covering windows with small diamond-shaped panes of glass. The High Hall has a blue silk carpet leading to the carved weirwood thrones of the Lord and Lady Arryn. The floors and walls are of milk-white marble veined with blue. Daylight enters down through high narrow arched windows along the eastern wall, and there are some fifty high iron sconces where torches may be lit. In the High Hall, the Moon Door made of weirwood carved with a crescent moon is between two pillars and opens out to only the sky.[citation needed]
The Eyrie was held by Lord Jon Arryn, who fostered Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon prior to Robert's Rebellion, or War of the Usurper. Lord Arryn was the first to raise his banners in support of Houses Baratheon and Stark, against King Aerys of House Targaryen. After the war, Lord Arryn served as King Robert I Baratheon's Hand of the King (Prime Minister). After Lord Arryn was assassinated, his wife, Lady Lysa Arryn, took her sickly child, Robert, and fled once more to the Eyrie. Lysa refused to align herself with any of the claimants during the War of the Five Kings, but eventually pretends to a possible alliance with House Lannister after Lord Petyr Baelish agreed to marry her. Baelish killed Lysa after she attempted to murder her niece, Sansa Stark. As of Feast for Crows, Baelish rules in the Eyrie as the Lord Protector and Regent for the sickly, epileptic Lord Robert Arryn.[citation needed]
For the television adaptation, set designer Gemma Jackson said, "A lot of the mosaics in the Eyrie were based on a beautiful chapel I visited in Rome."[29]
The Westerlands
The Westerlands are the lands to the west of the Riverlands and north of the Reach. They are ruled by House Lannister of Casterly Rock, formerly Kings of the Rock. People of this region are often called "Westermen." Lannisport, lying hard by Casterly Rock, is the chief town of the region and one of the great ports and cities of Westeros. The Westerlands are rich in precious metals, mostly gold, which is the source of their wealth. Illegitimate children born in the Westerlands are given the surname Hill.
Casterly Rock
A stronghold carved from a mountain overlooking the harbor-city of Lannisport and the sea beyond, Casterly Rock is the ancestral seat of House Lannister. According to popular legend, the hero known as Lann the Clever tricked the Casterlys into giving up the Rock, and took it for himself. The Rock is renowned as the wealthiest region due to its abundance of gold mining resources, and it is one of the strongest castles of the Seven Kingdoms. It was held by Lord Tywin Lannister prior to the War of the Five Kings, but after his death, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister made one of her cousins castellan of the castle.
George R. R. Martin stated on his blog that he drew inspiration for Casterly Rock from the Rock of Gibraltar.[37]
Lannisport
A busy port under the governance of the Lannisters of Lannisport, a branch of the powerful Lannister family, whose official seat is Casterly Rock. Lannisport thrives as it is a protected, wealthy city. The city is also home to many lesser Lannisters and other people with the similar surnames, such as Lannys.
The Reach
The Reach is the most lush fertile region of Westeros, ruled by House Tyrell from Highgarden. The Tyrells were stewards to House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach before Aegon's conquest. After the last Gardener King was killed on the Field of Fire, the Tyrells surrendered Highgarden to Aegon and were rewarded with both the castle and the position of overlords of the Reach. The wealth and power of the Reach comes from their bountiful harvests of the most sought after wines and foods. During times of war, the lengthy distance of the Reach and its abundance of foods protects their inhabitants from initial famine and sickness. In a significant political maneuver during the civil war in Westeros and the War of the Five Kings, House Tyrell provides the starving populace of Kings Landing with hundreds of carts of food, ensuring the positive image of House Tyrell foremost, and the alliance for the Iron Throne with House Baratheon as secondary. Bannermen (vassals) of the Tyrells frequently fight with the Dornishmen of the south. The borderlands between the two regions, called the Dornish Marches, are populated on the north side by marcher lords loyal to the Tyrells. The most prominent city in the Reach is Oldtown. It is the oldest city in Westeros, home to the Maester's Citadel, and the previous seat of the Faith of the Seven. Illegitimate children born in the Reach are given the surname Flowers.
Oldtown
Oldtown is one of the largest cities in Westeros and is by far the oldest, built by the First Men before the Andal Invasion. It survived the invasion by welcoming the Andals rather than resisting them. The city is located in the south-western part of Westeros, at the mouth of the River Honeywine, where it opens onto Whispering Sound and the Sunset Sea beyond.
Oldtown is primarily known as the location of the Citadel, home of the order of Maesters who serve as councillors, doctors, scientists, and postmasters for the Seven Kingdoms. The city's Starry Sept was the seat of the Holy Faith of the Seven until the construction of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. Aegon the Conqueror's reign is dated from his entrance into the city of Oldtown and his acknowledgment as King by the High Septon.
Oldtown is also one of the most important ports of the Seven Kingdoms: trading ships from the Summer Islands, the Free Cities, the eastern cities, and the rest of Westeros constantly crowd into its harbors. The city itself is described as stunningly beautiful; many rivers and canals crisscross its cobbled streets, and breathtaking stone mansions are common. The city lacks the squalor of King's Landing, which usurped its position as the pre-eminent city of Westeros.
The largest structure in the city, and also the tallest structure in Westeros, is the Hightower, a massive stepped lighthouse which extends some 800 feet (240 m) into the sky and is topped by a huge beacon which can be seen for many miles out to sea. Oldtown is ruled from the Hightower by House Hightower. Originally kings in their own right, they later swore fealty to the Gardeners of Highgarden, and later became vassals of the Tyrells after the Conquest. The Hightowers are known for their loyalty and stalwartness. The current ruler of the city is Lord Leyton Hightower.
Oldtown remained aloof from the War of the Five Kings, but late in the war the Ironborn under King Euron Greyjoy launched a massive raid along the coast, conquering the Shield Islands and parts of the Arbor before trying to blockade the mouth of the Honeywine. An attempt to attack the city harbor was repulsed by the city's defenders. Oldtown remains under threat from the Ironborn.
The Stormlands
The Stormlands are the areas between King's Landing and the Sea of Dorne. In the east they are bordered by Shipbreaker Bay and the Dornish Sea to the south. Before Aegon's conquest they were ruled by the Storm Kings, and afterwards by House Baratheon, bastard relatives to the Targaryens. The Dornish Marches are located within this region, having been conquered by the Storm Kings, and are ruled by house Caron and lesser marcher lords. The marches were common battlegrounds between the Stormlands, the Reach and Dorne until the last century, when Dorne joined the Seven Kingdoms. Illegitimate children born in the Stormlands are given the surname Storm.
Storm's End
Storm's End is the seat of House Baratheon and, before them, the ancestral seat of the Storm Kings extending back many thousands of years. According to legend, the first Storm King in the age of the First Men was Durran, who won the love of Elenei, the daughter of the sea god and the goddess of the wind. He took her as wife, and in a rage her parents sent vast storms to shatter his keep and kill his wedding guests and family. Durran declared war against the gods and raised several castles over Shipbreaker Bay, each larger and more formidable than the last. Finally, the seventh castle stayed in place and resisted the storms. Some believe this is because the Children of the Forest took a hand in its construction; others believe that a young boy who grew up to be Brandon Stark, the builder of the Wall, advised Durran on its construction. The truth of the matter is unknown.
Storm's End is exceptionally formidable. In the history of Seven Kingdoms, it has never fallen to either siege or storm. Its outer defenses consist of a huge curtain wall, 100 feet (30 m) tall and 40 feet (12 m) thick on its thinnest side, nearly 80 feet (24 m) thick on its seaward side. The wall consists of a double course of stones with an inner core of sand and rubble. The wall is smooth and curving, the stones so well placed that there are nearly no places where the wind can get into cracks between the stones. On the seaward side, there is a 150-foot (46 m) drop below the wall into the sea.
The castle itself consists of one huge drum tower crowned with formidable battlements, so that from a distance enemies can see what appears to be a single huge, spiked fist thrusting towards the sky in defiance. The tower is so large that it can comfortably contain stables, barracks, armory and lord's chambers all in the same structure.
Storm's End is said to be protected by spells woven into the very walls that prevent the use of any magic against it.
Although never taken in battle, Storm's End has endured several sieges and battles in recent history. The last Storm King, Argilac the Arrogant, abandoned his impressive defenses to meet Orrys Baratheon in open battle during Aegon Targaryen's War of Conquest, and he lost. During the War of the Usurper, Storm's End was besieged for a year by the host of Lord Mace Tyrell, who commanded the landward forces, while Paxter Redwyne's fleet of the Arbor kept the castle cut off by sea. Stannis Baratheon, commanding the defense, refused to yield and his men were reduced to eating rats. A smuggler named Davos Seaworth ran the blockade to resupply the castle and Stannis rewarded him by knighting him, but he also cut off the fingertips of his left hand as punishment for all his previous smuggling. After the war, Stannis was furious when his brother Robert, now king, gave the castle to their younger brother Renly and placed Stannis in command of cold, windswept Dragonstone. This led to many years of bitterness on Stannis' part. During the War of the Five Kings, Storm's End supported Renly and was besieged by Stannis. Following Renly's death, Storm's End's castellan refused to yield. He was killed by Stannis' ally, the red priestess Melisandre, who was smuggled under the castle, where she gave birth to a supernatural assassin called a Shadow. Soon after this, the castle surrendered to Stannis's forces. Later in the war, the castle was besieged by a strong army under Mace Tyrell, but he abandoned the siege after a few weeks to return to King's Landing after the arrest of his daughter Margaery by the High Septon for supposed immoral behavior. The castle remains loyal to King Stannis Baratheon.
Dorne
Dorne is the southernmost and least populated land of Westeros.[38] The capital, Sunspear, is the seat of the ruling House Martell. As of the first four books, Doran Nymeros Martell is the Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear. Doran's sister, Princess Elia, was married in a political alliance to Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne. They had two children, a daughter, Rhaenys and a son, Aegon. During the War of the Usurper Princess Elia was captured and raped by Gregor Clegane, a House Lannister bannerman (vassal). She and her children were murdered. Prince Doran and his wife, Princess Mellaria, have three children, Arianne, Quentyn and Trystane. During the War of the Five Kings, Tyrion Lannister, as Hand of the King, turns the historical enmity of House Martell and Dorne into an alliance by sending King Joffrey's middle sibling and sister, Myrcella Baratheon, as the betrothed future bride to Trystane, the youngest child of Prince Doran, who is about her own age. The eldest child of Prince Doran, Arianne, is heir to House Martell, Sunspear and the rule of Dorne. The wealth of Dorne comes from their famous Sand Steeds, purebred horses of endurance, speed and grace, and from with spices, wines, fishing, fabrics and textiles.
Dorne is bordered by the Sea of Dorne to the north, the islands known as the Stepstones to the east, and stretches from the high mountains of the Dornish marches, the Red Mountains, separating Dorne from the remainder of the Seven Kingdoms by land. The two major passes though the Red Mountains that connect Dorne with the rest of the continent are the Stone Way Pass and the Prince's Pass. The Prince’s Pass leads to the Reach, while the Stone Way exits the mountains near Summerhall. The southern coast of the continent is bordered by the Summer Sea. It is the hottest kingdom in Westeros and the region is rocky, mountainous, arid and dry, featuring the only desert on the continent. Its rivers provide some fertile lands and even during a long summer there is enough rain and other supplies of water to keep Dorne habitable. Inland water is almost as valuable as gold, and wells are jealously guarded. Notable locations of Dorne in A Song of Ice and Fire are Starfall, the seat of House Dayne, and Yronwood, the seat of House Yronwood, the most powerful of the Martell bannermen. Planky Town is a trade port town at the mouth of the River Greenblood.
Dornishmen have a reputation for hot-bloodedness. They differ both culturally and ethnically from other Westerosi due to the historical mass immigration of Rhoynish people. They have adopted many Rhoynish customs as well, including equal primogeniture. Dorne was the only kingdom in Westeros to successfully resist Aegon's conquest. It joined the Seven Kingdoms through marriage over a century after the Targaryen invasion. This accomplishment has allowed Dorne to retain a measure of independence. Lords of the ruling House Martell still style themselves "Prince" and "Princess" in the Rhoynish fashion. Unlike most of the rest of Westeros, illegitimate children born in Dorne are treated nearly the same as legal offspring and given the surname Sand.
Crownlands
The lands surrounding King's Landing are ruled directly by the crown on the Iron Throne. Besides King's Landing, which is the largest city in Westeros, the Crownlands also include the towns of Rosby, Stokeworth and Duskendale. The Crownlands are south of the Vale, southeast of the Riverlands, east of the Westerlands and north of the Reach and Stormlands. The Targaryen kings formed the Crownlands from sparsely populated pieces of the surrounding kingdoms after their conquest. The area overlooks Blackwater Bay and the illegitimate children born there are given the surname Waters. The original Targaryen homeland on the island of Dragonstone is also considered part of the Crownlands.
Dragonstone
Dragonstone was once the westernmost outpost of the ancient Freehold of Valyria. A century before the Doom, the Targaryen family was sent to Dragonstone to rule there. When the Doom came upon Valyria, House Targaryen survived along with the last of the Valyrian dragons. Another century later, Aegon Targaryen and his sisters Rhaenys and Visenya launched a massive campaign of conquest from the island and eventually conquered all of Westeros except for Dorne. Aegon's progeny would reign as kings of the Seven Kingdoms for centuries.
Dragonstone is a massive, forbidding fortress, taking up a large portion of the island of the same name. The castle is unique in that the masons of Valyria carved its towers and keeps into the shapes of dragons and made ferocious gargoyles to cover its walls. The castle's lower levels are warm due to residual volcanic activity deep below the keep. There is a small port and town outside of the castle.
During the War of the Usurper, before to the sack of King's Landing, the Targaryen Queen Rhaella, who was pregnant, and her son Viserys were sent to Dragonstone along with part of the Targaryen fleet and a garrison of loyal soldiers. But after King's Landing fell, Robert Baratheon dispatched his brother Stannis to take the island stronghold. After a storm destroyed the royalist fleet, the Targaryen garrison tried to betray Viserys and his newborn sister, Daenerys, to Stannis (the queen had died in childbirth). But Targaryen loyalists led by Ser Willem Darry took the children away. Stannis conquered Dragonstone easily, and King Robert granted him ownership of the castle, which Stannis took as a slight, because his younger brother Renly then inherited Storm's End, the ancient seat of House Baratheon. Upon Robert's death, Stannis declared himself King, condemning the Queen's children as bastards born of incest. Dragonstone became his main seat; he returned there after the disastrous Battle of King's Landing. His councilor, the red priestess Melisandre of Asshai, tried to convince him to let her raise the "stone dragon" of the castle through blood magic, but Lord Davos Seaworth convinced Stannis to go north to the Wall to help the Night's Watch instead. After Stannis abandoned Dragonstone, Queen Regent Cersei Lannister dispatched a fleet to barricade it. However, Ser Loras Tyrell, impatient to free the fleet to protect his home castle of Highgarden, attacked Dragonstone directly. He took the castle but lost thousands of men and was himself reportedly gravely wounded. As of A Dance with Dragons, Dragonstone now once again belongs to the Iron Throne.
One scene set at Dragonstone, in which Stannis burns wooden sculptures of the Seven gods, was filmed at the beach of Downhill Strand.[39]
King's Landing
King's Landing is the royal capital of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms. It is situated on the Blackwater river on the spot where Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros to begin his conquest. The main city is surrounded by a wall, manned by a city watch nicknamed the gold cloaks, after the cloaks they wear. Within the walls, the city's natural landscape is dominated by three hills, named after Aegon and his two sisters. Poorer smallfolk (commoners) build shanty settlements outside the city. King's Landing is described as extremely populous but unsightly and dirty. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls.
The royal castle, called the Red Keep, sits on Aegon's Hill. It is the seat of the royal court. The Keep holds the Iron Throne. Aegon commissioned the throne's construction from the swords of his defeated enemies. According to legend, he kept the blades sharp because he believed that no ruler should ever sit comfortably. Centuries later, kings still cut themselves on the throne. It is a common belief that one who cuts himself on the throne has been "rejected" by the throne and is therefore not fit to rule.
The city also holds the Great Sept of Baelor, where the Most Devout convene with the High Septon. It is the holiest sept of the Seven.
The slums of King's Landing are called Flea Bottom, where residents are so poor they regularly subsist on "bowls of brown", a mystery stew that can include the meat of puppies and murder victims.
King's Landing has an estimated population of more than 500,000 as stated by Tyrion when he meets Oberyn Martell on his arrival to King's Landing.
The first season of the TV adaptation used Malta's former capital Mdina to represent King's Landing.[27] "Like King's Landing, Mdina is a walled medieval city built upon a hill, but unlike King's Landing, Mdina is an inland city—so the production was limited to interior shots such as side streets and the town gate, which can be seen when Ned Stark arrives. Nearby Ft. Manoel double as the great Sept of Baelor,"[27] which can be seen when Ned Stark is executed. Various other locations around Malta represent the Red Keep, "including the real-life residence of the president of Malta, San Anton Palace. The gates of Fort Ricasoli doubled as the Red Keep's gates; Fort St Angelo was used for the scenes of Arya Stark chasing cats; and St. Dominic monastery stood in for the scene where Ned Stark confronts Cersei Lanister in the godswood."[27] "In season two, filming for King's Landing and the Red Keep shifted from Malta to the historic parts of Dubrovnik and the Minčeta, Bokar, and Lovrijenac fortresses]] in Croatia, which allowed for more exterior shots of an authentic walled medieval city."[27] Known as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the city proved to share many characteristics with the fictional capital: it had a well-preserved medieval look, with high walls and the sea at its side. According to David Benioff, executive producer of the show, "King's Landing might be the single most important location in the entire show, and it has to look right",[27] and "The minute we started walking around the city walls we knew that was it. You read the descriptions in the book and you come to Dubrovnik and that's what the actual city is. It has the sparkling sea, sun and beautiful architecture."[40] Co-Executive Producer D.B. Weiss added "To find a full-on, immaculately preserved medieval walled city that actually looks uncannily like King's Landing where the bulk of our show is set, that was in and of itself such an amazing find".[27]
Set designer Gemma Jackson said, "When I was thinking about King's Landing, the whole red aspect of it, that immediately made me think of Rajasthan. The floor [at King's Landing] was from the Pantheon in Rome."[29]
Essos
Part of the narrative in A Song of Ice and Fire lies across the narrow sea from Westeros, an area comprising the large eastern continent named Essos and a number of islands. The toponym 'Essos' has never been used in the narrative itself, but is used in the appendix of A Dance with Dragons. Being roughly the size of Eurasia,[15] the geography and climate of Essos vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of Qohor, and extensive island chains such as Braavos and Lys. The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid wastes known as the Red Lands to the east. Beyond the Red Lands, the city of Qarth sits beside the straits that lead to the Jade Sea. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a Mediterranean climate, with a coastline along the Summer Sea and Slaver's Bay. The north coast of the mainland is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted jungle continent of Sothoryos.
The Free Cities
The nine Free Cities are Lys, Myr, Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Volantis and Tyrosh. They are independent city-states that lie across the narrow sea on the western side of Essos, mostly on islands or along the coast. Mountains to the east separate the coast from the plains of the Dothraki Sea, though gaps in the mountain range provide the Dothraki people some access to the Free Cities. The Free Cities were colonies built by the ancient Valyrian Freehold, and later declared independence after the Doom of Valyria, so as a result their languages are derivatives of High Valyrian. An exception to this is Braavos, which was founded by refugees fleeing Valyrian expansion, escaped slaves and other rabble.
Daenerys's scenes in the pilot episode were filmed in Morocco.[29] The television adaptation re-used the Jerusalem sets of Kingdom of Heaven near Ouarzazate, Morocco. "One small portion of the Jerusalem set, redressed and repainted, became the courtyard of Illyrio's manse where Dany first meets Khal Drogo."[41] "When the pilot was delivered, HBO asked for extensive reshoots, including the scrapping of all the footage shot in a landlocked part of Morocco — which was supposed to take place in Pentos, a fictional port city — and filming it again in Malta."[42] "One of Malta's most spectacular natural attractions, the Azure Window on the island of Gozo, stood in for the location of Daenerys Targaryan's wedding to Khal Drogo."[27]
Braavos
Unique among the Free Cities, Braavos was not a Valyrian colony, but a secret refuge from Valyrian expansion. A seafaring city of tiny islands located in a lagoon on the northwestern end of Essos where the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea meet. Braavos is known for its swashbuckling bravos and its Guild of the Faceless Men. It is also famed for the Titan of Braavos, both a fortress and a statue. The ruler of Braavos is known as the Sealord and it is from the sea that the city’s power and wealth flows.
Braavos has a seafaring trade culture. Braavosi ships paint their hulls purple and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home. Braavos has many moneylenders and the Iron Bank of Braavos lends money to foreign nations, including the Seven Kingdoms. The city is also renowned worldwide for its courtesans. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans has inspired many a song. They are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants pay the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos are known to kill each other in their names.
Braavosi culture has created a unique form of sword fighting, called Water Dancing. The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious bravos fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill.
Braavosi dress in flashy colors while the very rich and powerful dress in black and in blues that are almost black. [6] Officials of Braavos, called keyholders and justiciars, wear drab coats of brown or grey.
Lorath
Lorath is a port city on a group of islands. Jaqen H'ghar posed as a Lorathi for a time, wearing long hair dyed red on one side and white on the other.
Lys
Lys is another of the Free Cities that sits astride a series of islands. The Lysene have a tendency to be tall and fair of skin and eyes, unlike most inhabitants of the Free Cities. Lys is well known for its pleasure houses, training slaves in the arts of love and selling them as concubines and bed-slaves. Lys also frequently fights over control of the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. There appears to be a love goddess whose worship is peculiar to Lys.
Myr
Myr is a coastal city renowned for their master lenscrafters, intricate lace, and fine carpets. The dark eyed and dark skinned Myrmen are similar to Norvosi and Pentoshi in that they are ruled by magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. Myr is a hub of trade in both slaves and their signature green nectar wines. Myr frequently fights over control of the Disputed Lands.
Norvos
Norvos sits on the main continent in two parts, one atop a high hill and the other beside a low river. The city has three large bells, each with its own name and distinctive voice, that are rung frequently. The surrounding area is a land of rolling hills, terraced farms, and white-stucco villages. The climate is fairly mild. Norvosi can be recognized by their dyed and upswept mustaches. The city is run by a council of magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. It is also home to a group of bearded priests that train elite guardsmen. These guardsmen swear oaths of duty and consider themselves wedded to their distinctive long axes.
Pentos
Pentos is a major trading port on a bay of the western coast. Dominated by an architecture of square brick towers it is headed by a Prince that is chosen by the de facto rulers of the city, known as Magisters. Khalasars occasionally make their way this far from the Dothraki Sea, but the Pentoshi are spared much of the raiding and invasions by paying tribute to their khals. Men from Pentos wear dyed and forked beards. As in many Free Cities, slavery is outlawed, but the wealthy and powerful members of the city have the ability to flout these laws by keeping servants collared in bronze.
Qohor
The Free City of Qohor is situated on the main continent, in the vast Forest of Qohor. It is known for its fine tapestries and its smiths, who have the rare ability to reforge Valyrian steel, even directly infusing the metal with a variety of different colors. The Black Goat is a prominent god in the city. Qohor's city guard has been comprised solely of Unsullied eunuch slave soldiers ever since the Battle of the Three Thousand, when 3,000 Unsullied soldiers successfully defended the city against over 25,000 Dothraki horsemen. Guardsmen tie braids of human hair to their spears to commemorate the Dothraki cutting their braids in salute to Qohor's defenders.
Tyrosh
A coastal city-state ruled by an Archon, Tyrosh is infamous for its avarice. Traders deal extensively in slaves and Tyroshi pear brandy. The city features an abundance of pleasure houses, but they are not as highly regarded as those in Lys. Tyroshi master armorsmiths make intricate armor in fantastic shapes. Tyrosh is a popular center for the hiring of sellswords. The city is often drawn into the ongoing conflicts over the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones. The Tyroshi often wear forked beards and pointed mustaches dyed in bright colors.
Volantis
The southernmost of the Free Cities, Volantis is situated nearest Slaver's Bay and does extensive trade in slaves, glassware and wines. They are ruled by an elected triarchy. Volantene sellswords are often recognizable by their tattooed faces. It is not uncommon for the Volantene to mark their slaves and servants with tattoos as well.
Andalos
Andalos is an area of the eastern continent to the south of Braavos and to the east of the Braavosian Coastland. The headwaters of the Upper Rhoyne lie in Andalos. It is mainly made up of hills. It is the homeland of the Andals and the site of the origins of the Faith of the Seven.
River Rhoyne
The River Rhoyne is a river on the eastern continent. It begins where the Upper Rhoyne and the Little Rhoyne come together, to the southeast of the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe. From there it flows south and east where it grows more powerful as it gets fed by more tributaries, such as the Qhoyne, Noyne, Lhorulu and the Selhoru. A giant delta forms at its mouth, upon which Volantis sits. It is the homeland of the Rhoynar. It holds a god-like status among the Rhoynar, were in their faith it is called Mother Rhoyne.
Slaver's Bay
South of the Dothraki Sea is Slaver's Bay, which holds three port city-states called Yunkai, Meereen, and Astapor. The cities were built from the rubble of Old Ghis, an ancient rival of Valyria that was crushed by that nation thousands of years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire. Present inhabitants of the bay are a mixed race that speak a bastardized version of the old Ghiscari tongue. The economies of the cities are largely based on slave labor and the slave trade. Treatment of slaves is often harsh, while citizens live in relative luxury. Professional soldiers of all three cities wear outlandish costumes and hairstyles that limit their usefulness in battle. The cities' militaries are highly dependent on additional slave and mercenary armies for the actual fighting. Astapor trains and sells elite eunuch spearmen called Unsullied that are renowned for their discipline and effectiveness. Those Unsullied that have not yet been sold are used to defend the city when the need arises.
Astapor
The wealthiest of the cities, Astapor is the only place in the world where the Unsullied can be purchased. These slave soldiers require a huge investment in both time and money by the men who raise and train them, but they earn the most profitable of returns for the Good Masters of Astapor. The city itself is ancient and dilapidated, with massive, crumbling red-brick walls that the Astapori no longer man. The city is dominated by massive brick pyramids that line the waterfront of the bay, and the Plaza of Pride, which serves as an open air slave market, a marshaling area for the Unsullied, and a community gathering place. Even though the city has long passed its glory days, it is still a wealthy and powerful trade hub, with many slaves, massive fighting pits, and training areas for gladiator and Unsullied slaves.
Yunkai
The smallest of the three cities, Yunkai, like Meereen, does not trade in Unsullied but is known for its fighting pits and its pleasure houses, both of which turn out slaves at a brisk pace. The city is similar to Astapor in architecture except for its smaller size and its use of yellow brick in its buildings instead of red. The slavers of Yunkai are known as the Wise Masters. Because of the city's lack of Unsullied, it relies on a mixed professional and slave army of approximately 4,000 with at least 1,000 mercenaries. Typical for Ghiscari, Yunkai soldiers wear impractical armor and oiled hair teased into enormous shapes, limiting their effectiveness.
Meereen
The largest of the three slaver cities, Meereen has a population equaling that of Astapor and Yunkai combined. The city has architecture similar to that of its neighbors, but it is made of bricks of many colors. Its landscape is dominated by a massive pyramid, named the Great Pyramid, and the Temple of Graces, which is capped by a golden dome. Meereen is unique among the Ghiscari cities in that it is filled with many temples and pyramids. The slavers of Meereen are known as the Great Masters. They field a force of lancers equipped in traditionally extravagant Ghiscari fashion with scales of copper and lances as long as fourteen feet. Its is built on the banks of the river Skahadzhan.
Dothraki Sea
The Dothraki Sea is a vast, flat grassland inhabited by the Dothraki people, a copper-skinned race of warlike nomads with their own Dothraki language and unique culture. The Dothraki live in hordes called khalasars, each led by a chief called a khal. Khalasars are broken into groups, called khas, which are each led by one of the khal's captains, called kos. Dothraki are expert riders and their horses are of prime importance in their culture, used for food, transportation, raw materials, warfare, and establishing social standing.
George R. R. Martin said "The Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam of a number of steppe and plains cultures... Mongols and Huns, certainly, but also Alans, Sioux, Cheyenne, and various other Amerindian tribes... seasoned with a dash of pure fantasy. So any resemblance to Arabs or Turks is coincidental. Well, except to the extent that the Turks were also originally horsemen of the steppes, not unlike the Alans, Huns, and the rest."[43] However, he also noted that "In general, though, while I do draw inspiration from history, I try to avoid direct one-for-one transplants, [so] it would not be correct to say that the Dothraki are Mongols."[43]
Vaes Dothrak
The Dothraki have only one permanent city, called Vaes Dothrak, which serves as their capital. The city is filled with statues stolen from other cities the Dothraki conquered or raided. There is a law that no Dothraki may shed blood within the boundaries of Vaes Dothrak and that those who do are cursed.[citation needed] Two gigantic bronze stallions, whose hooves meet midair, form an arch above the entryway to the city.[27] For the first season of the TV adaptation, a place called Sandy Brae in the Mourne Mountains of Northern Ireland was chosen to stand in for Vaes Dothrak.[27]
Lhazar
Lhazar is a land to the south of the Dothraki Sea inhabited by the Lhazareen, a peaceful people with bronze skin, flat faces, and almond eyes. They are predominantly shepherds, called the Lamb Men by the Dothraki, who frequently prey on them. They worship a god called the Great Shepherd and believe that all of humanity is part of a single flock.
Qarth
Situated in a central location, Qarth is a gateway of commerce and culture between the east and west, and the north and south. Brimming with wealth, the city's architecture makes a grand display. It is surrounded by three walls of thirty, forty, and fifty feet in height, respectively engraved with portraits of animals, war, and lovemaking. The city's buildings are of many different colors, including rose, violet, and umber. Slender towers rise throughout the city and fountains adorn every square.
The "Daenerys VI" chapter of A Game of Thrones describes the Qartheen as "tall pale".[44] Qarth is most famous for its warlocks, who are feared and respected throughout the East, however, the warlocks' power and prestige have waned over the years. Qarth is also home to a guild of assassins called the Sorrowful Men. Qarth is governed by the Pureborn, descendants of the city's ancient kings and queens. The Pureborn also command the city's defenses. There are three principal merchant groups that battle amongst themselves and against the Pureborn for dominance of the city. They are known as the Thirteen, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood.
"The Game of Thrones production team used the island of Lokrum, just off the coast of Dubrovnik, as a stand-in for the city of Qarth near the Jade Sea, which is visited by Danaerys Targaryan in season two. A set was also constructed at the Dubac quarry in Croatia to double for the gates of Qarth."[27]
Valyria
A long-dead city, Valyria was once the capital of a great empire called the Valyrian Freehold, but it has since fallen to ruin. At its prime, the Valyrian Freehold was an advanced civilization and the dominant military and cultural power of the known world. The city was located on a peninsula of Essos, and was the origin of House Targaryen.
In the early days of Valyria, the mighty Ghiscari Empire tried to stop the city's expansion, fighting five major wars that were each won by the Valyrians. The last battle destroyed the Ghiscari Empire and its capital of Old Ghis. Over the years the Valyrians continued to conquer and colonize, building great cities and straight highways that all led to Valyria. Many smaller nations, such as the Rhoynar, fled west to avoid Valyrian expansion. Valyria took many slaves from its conquered lands and used them to mine deep into the earth. At the height of its power, the Freehold stretched over almost the entire east. Cities built by the Valyrian Freehold include Oros, Mantarys, Tyria, and all of the Free Cities except Braavos.
The Valyrian Freehold was destroyed when some as-yet undescribed "Doom" was visited upon it several hundred years prior to the events of A Song of Ice and Fire. The Doom, apparently of volcanic and seismic nature, fragmented the land surrounding the city itself into numerous smaller islands, creating the Smoking Sea (a boiling sea) between them. The area is now described as "demon-haunted", and most people are afraid to go there. It is said, "The Doom still rules in Valyria." Though the eight Valyrian Free Cities survived the Doom, and although the Targaryens who were stationed in Dragonstone were not touched by it, most of Valyria's culture, language, and craft were lost in the Doom.
Valyria is best remembered for its unique ability to raise dragons and use them as weapons of war. Much of its military strength came from the effectiveness of its dragons on the battlefield. It was the mastery of the Valyrian dragons that allowed Aegon Targaryen and his sisters to defeat the much more numerous and formidable hosts of the Westerosi kings during the War of Conquest. Valyria is also remembered for forging "Valyrian steel", a metal used to make weapons of unparalleled quality. Valyrian steel blades are lighter, stronger, and sharper than those of regular steel, and they feature distinctive rippled patterns similar to Damascus steel. The secret of forging such metal was apparently lost with Valyria, making those remaining weapons highly treasured and extremely rare. Most Valyrian steel blades in Westeros are treasured heirlooms of noble houses, each with its own name and storied history. Ice, the greatsword of House Stark, was one such blade.
Coming from an impoverished family background of former wealth, Martin always felt attracted to stories of fallen civilizations and lost empires; Tolkien's Middle Earth was also in decline with the abandoned Mines of Moria and the elves' leaving. The lost empire of Valyria in Ice and Fire was once a high civilization similar to Rome before the Dark Ages. These elements may give the story a poignant sadness.[7] Martin said in 2011 that readers will learn more about the Doom in A Dance With Dragons and in subsequent volumes, however "I don't know if you'll see Valyria itself but you'll see. You know, it's a country so there's a city in the heart of it and it's a large country, but you may see glimpses of the fringes of the Doom."[12]
Other Lands
As given in A Game of Thrones, "Magic had died in the west when the Doom fell on Valyria and the Lands of the Long Summer, and neither spell-forged steel nor stormsingers nor dragons could hold it back, but Dany had always heard that the east was different. It was said that manticores prowled the islands of the Jade Sea, that basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti, that spellsingers, warlocks, and aeromancers practiced their arts openly in Asshai, while shadowbinders and bloodmages worked terrible sorceries in the black of night."[45] Daeneryis had heard that "the first dragons had come from the east, from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea" and wondered if "Perhaps some were still living there, in realms strange and wild."[45]
Ibben
Ibben is a vast and snowy island to the far north of Essos. The Port of Ibben carries on some degree of trade with Westeros; cogs from Ibben are mentioned on several occasions. Mammoths are reported to roam "beyond the port of Ibben"; both Ibben's location and its references suggest it to be analogous to Siberia and the medieval trading city of Novgorod, which was similarly regarded to be at the end of the world. Ibben's importance in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire is extremely marginal.
Yi Ti
The novels repeatedly describe Yi Ti as a city full of wonders, lying in the far east.[46][47] As of 2012, Yi Ti has not appeared on any maps in the books, but Martin specified that "Yi Ti is to the south east of Qarth, generally, across the Jade Sea."[48] The city is first mentioned in A Game of Thones, in a section told from Daenerys's point of view: "[rumors] that basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti".[45] However, sailor stories in A Feast for Crows mention that a grey plague has hit Yi Ti.[49] The god of the people of Yi Ti is called the Lion of Night.[50] In the "Daenerys VI" chapter of A Game of Thrones, people of Yi Ti appear in the markets of Vaes Dothrak as bright-eyed men in monkey-tail hats.[44] Martin said "I am not sure to what extent those peoples [like of Yi Ti] will ever enter this present story, however... their lands are very far away."[43]
Asshai and the Shadow Lands
A land to the extreme east of Essos, across the Jade Sea, the Shadow Lands reside at the edge of the known world, beside or around the city of Asshai, often called Asshai-by-the-Shadow. In Westeros, there are many tales about the Shadow Lands, though how much fact they hold is unclear. It is said that petrified dragon eggs come from the Shadow Lands, and that dragons themselves originated there. The Dothraki believe that "ghost grass" covers the land, with stalks that glow in the dark and grow taller than a man on horseback. Natives of this place, called Shadow Men, cover their bodies in tattoos and wear red lacquered wooden masks. They are described as "dour and frightening". Some of them practice bloodmagic, using spells that require blood sacrifices. The area of the Shadow Lands and Asshai is sometimes referred to simply as "the Shadow".
Asshai is a port city that borders the Shadow Lands, far to the southeast. To go to Asshai can be described as to "pass beneath the shadow". Asshai is a popular trading destination for ships in the Jade Sea, and it exports such goods as amber and dragonglass. It holds a significant amount of arcane knowledge. Of any current location, it is the most likely to have dragonlore. Ancient books of Asshai also record the Azor Ahai prophecy followed by members of the R'hllor faith. Asshai and its people have an ominous reputation in other lands. Asshai'i are described as pale, and many have red hair,[citation needed] and having a dark and solemn appearance.[44] The Dothraki believe that Asshai'i are spawn of shadows.
Martin said in 2011 that Asshai was "kind of at the other end of the world. I'm not sure if we'll actually ever go to Asshai. You may learn more about it through Melisandre or other people remembering it or talking about it."[12]
The Summer Islands
The Summer Islands are a number of islands in the Summer Sea, to the south of Westeros, that form a single nation. The port of Tall Tree Town serves as its capital. The natives of the islands are a dark-skinned people who speak their own language and often wear capes of brightly colored feathers. Archery is an important cultural skill to the Summer Islanders. Their special bows have a longer range than most others, giving their merchant boats added defense against pirates.
Sothoryos
To the south of Essos lies the continent of Sothoryos,[51][52] also spelled Sothoros[53][54] and Sothyros.[19] The continent is first named on a map in A Storm of Swords (2000), showing the cities of Yeen and Zamettar on it.[51] The narrative itself first refers to the continent in the "The Iron Captain" chapter in A Feast for Crows.[53] In 2002, Martin described Sothoryos as "the southern continent, roughly equivilent to Africa, jungly, plague-ridden, and largely unexplored".[16] As of 2012, the novels provide not much more information about this continent. As such, A Dance with Dragons refers to the diseases on Sothoryos, mentioning that the wealthy Yunkai slave trader Yezzan zo Qaggaz, whose "eyes are yellow and he stinks",[55] "went to Sothoros [ten years ago], and he has been rotting from the inside out ever since".[55] Tyrion's thoughts about Yezzan are later described as "The lord of suet was already dying from whatever hideous disease he had brought back from Sothoryos".[56]
According to A Dance with Dragons, a corsair's road runs along the northern coast of Sothoryos,[52] and teak from Sothoryos is used to build ships.[54] Victarion feared in A Dance with Dragons that Daenerys's dragons were "no more than tattooed lizards from the swamps of Sothoryos".[52] Victarion compared some people as "squat and hairy as the apes of Sothoros",[53] and some people fighting in Daznak's Pit for Daenerys's entertainment in A Dance with Dragons were described as "brindle-skinned half-men from the jungles of Sothoros".[57] Martin said that, unlike other peoples in the novels, the brindled men of Sothoryos were pure fantasy constructs.[43]
See Also
References
Notes
- ^ Kaveney, Roz (2000). "A Storm Coming – An interview with George R R Martin". amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/tg/feature/-/49161/026-1281322-7450821. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
- ^ a b c Martin, George R.R (April 8, 2012). George R.R. Martin Interview. Eastercon. Event occurs at 58:00. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/21681757. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
- ^ Hibberd, James (July 12, 2011). "EW interview: George R.R. Martin talks A Dance With Dragons". ew.com. http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/07/12/george-martin-talks-a-dance-with-dragons/. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
- ^ a b Miller, Laura (April 11, 2011). "Just Write It! A fantasy author and his impatient fans.". newyorker.com. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/04/11/110411fa_fact_miller. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ Robinson, Tasha (December 11, 2000). "Interview: George R.R. Martin continues to sing a magical tale of ice and fire". Science Fiction Weekly (scifi.com) 6, No. 50 (190). Archived from the original on 2001-06-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20020223190420/http://www.scifi.com/sfw/issue190/interview.html. Retrieved 2012-02-02.
- ^ Birmingham, John (August 1, 2011). "A conversation with Game of Thrones author George RR Martin". smh.com.au. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/blogs/the-geek/a-conversation-with-game-of-thrones-author-george-rr-martin-20110801-1i6wj.html. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
- ^ a b Poniewozik, James (April 20, 2011). "GRRM Interview Part 4: Personal History". time.com. http://entertainment.time.com/2011/04/20/grrm-interview-part-4-personal-history/. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
- ^ Orr, David (August 12, 2011). "Dragons Ascendant: George R. R. Martin and the Rise of Fantasy". nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/14/books/review/george-r-r-martin-and-the-rise-of-fantasy.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
- ^ a b Schweitzer, Darrell (May 24, 2007). "George R.R. Martin on magic vs. science". weirdtalesmagazine.com. http://weirdtalesmagazine.com/2007/05/24/george-rr-martin-on-magic-vs-science/. Retrieved 2012-01-21.
- ^ Richards, Linda (January 2001). "January interview: George R.R. Martin". januarymagazine.com. http://januarymagazine.com/profiles/grrmartin.html. Retrieved 2012-01-21. (Interview approved by GRRM.)
- ^ a b Zadravec, Goran (December 2003). "An Interview With George R. R. Martin". mezmera.posluh.hr. http://mezmera.posluh.hr/bazaar/interview_george_r_r_martin.asp. Retrieved 2012-01-21. (Interview approved by GRRM.)
- ^ a b c Harte, Bryant (July 12, 2011). "An Interview with George R. R. Martin, Part I". indigo.ca. http://blog.indigo.ca/fiction/item/512-an-interview-with-george-r-r-martin-part-one.html. Retrieved 2012-02-15.
- ^ Martin, George R. R. (April 15, 2008). "Future meetings, POVs, Arya’s role, Eastern lands, and Assassins". westeros.org. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Future_meetings_POVs_Aryas_role_Eastern_lands_and_Assassins/. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- ^ Redman, Bridgette (May 2006). "George R.R. Martin Talks Ice and Fire". book.consumerhelpweb.com. http://book.consumerhelpweb.com/authors/marting/interview.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-21.(see http://www.consumerhelpweb.com/aboutus/aboutus.htm )
- ^ a b "The Citadel: So Spake Martin". westeros.org. February 1999. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Month/1999/02/.
- ^ a b Martin, George R. R. (March 26, 2002). "Geographical Information". westeros.org. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Geographical_Information/. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
- ^ a b c d e Perkins, Will and Albinson, Ian (June 29, 2011). "Game of Thrones Interview - A Q&A with Creative Director Angus Wall of Elastic". artofthetitle.com. http://www.artofthetitle.com/2011/05/12/game-of-thrones/. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
- ^ a b c Appelo, Tim (April 19, 2011). "Secrets Behind 'Game of Thrones' Opening Credits (Video)". hollywoodreporter.com. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/secrets-game-thrones-opening-credits-179656. Retrieved 2012-04-03.
- ^ a b c d e "The Lands of Ice and Fire (A Game of Thrones)". randomhouse.ca. http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345538543. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
- ^ García, Elio (March 06, 2012). "Announcing The Lands of Ice and Fire". westeros.org. http://www.westeros.org/ASoWS/News/Entry/Announcing_The_Lands_of_Ice_and_Fire/. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
- ^ http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/map/
- ^ "Westeros through the ages". Game of Thrones Viewer's Guide Season 2. Home Box Office inc.. http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/guide/appendix/westeros-through-the-ages/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ Patrick (May 17, 2006). "George R.R. Martin". sffworld.com. http://sffworld.com/interview/186p0.html. Retrieved 2012-01-21.(see http://sffworld.com/interviewslast.html )
- ^ a b MacLaurin, Wayne (November 2000). "A Conversation With George R.R. Martin". sfsite.com. http://www.sfsite.com/01a/gm95.htm. Retrieved 2012-01-21. (Interview approved by GRRM.)
- ^ a b c Martin, George R. R. (March 12, 2012). In Conversation With... George R.R. Martin on Game of Thrones Part 1 – TIFF Bell Lightbox. TIFF Bell Lightbox. Event occurs at 13:00 min. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGwdWUl25AU. Retrieved 2012-04-01. Transcript summary available by Ippolito, Toni-Marie (March 13, 2012). "George R. R. Martin talks to fans about the making of Game of Thrones and what inspired his best-selling book series". thelifestylereport.ca. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012. http://www.thelifestylereport.ca/2012/03/13/george-r-r-martin-talks-to-fans-about-the-making-of-game-of-thrones-and-what-inspired-his-best-selling-book-series/. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ^ a b c Roberts, Josh (March 26, 2012). "Game of Thrones Exclusive! George R.R. Martin Talks Season Two, The Winds of Winter, and Real-World Influences for A Song of Ice and Fire". smartertravel.com. http://www.smartertravel.com/blogs/today-in-travel/game-of-thrones-exclusive-george-martin-talks-season-the-winds-of-winter-and-real-world-influences-for-song-of-ice-and-fire.html?id=10593041. Retrieved 2012-03-27.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Roberts, Josh (April 1, 2012). "Where HBO's hit 'Game of Thrones' was filmed". abcnews.go.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/hbos-hit-game-thrones-filmed/story?id=16048151. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ a b Duecy, Erica (March 26, 2012). "Travels to Season 2 and Beyond with Game of Thrones Creator George R. R. Martin". fodors.com. http://www.fodors.com/news/story_5326.html. Retrieved 2012-04-12.
- ^ a b c d e Lacob, Jace (April 4, 2011). "Game of Thrones: 10 Secrets About HBO's Adaptation". The Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/04/04/game-of-thrones-10-secrets-about-hbos-adaptation-of-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-by-george-rr-martin.html. Retrieved January 9, 2012.
- ^ "Medieval keep becomes film set". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/tayside_and_central/8322843.stm. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
- ^ SSM:Strength of the regions (February 28, 2002)
- ^ "interactive viewer map". Game of Thrones Viewer's guide - Season 2. Home Box Office inc.. http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/map/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ "Riverrun". Game of Thrones Viewer's guide - Season 2. Home Box Office inc.. http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/locations/riverrun/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ SSM:Bywater, River Kings, and Dornish Heraldry (May 22, 1999)
- ^ "House Tully". Game of Thrones Viewer's guide - Season 2. Home Box Office inc.. http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/guide/houses/tully/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Harrenhal". Game of Thrones Viewer's guide - Season 2. Home Box Office inc.. http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/season2/#!/locations/harrenhal/. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
- ^ http://grrm.livejournal.com/44684.html
- ^ "The Princess in the Tower". A Feast for Crows. p. 855.
- ^ "Game of Thrones hits the beach". UTV News. http://www.u.tv/entertainment/Game-of-Thrones-hits-the-beach/4b5cbf1e-3be4-4be1-a084-0fbb536aab5e. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ "In Production - Croatia". HBO - Making Game of Thrones. http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/2012/1/17/in-production-croatia.html. Retrieved April 2, 2012.
- ^ Martin, George R. R.. "Magic in Morocco". Not a Blog. http://grrm.livejournal.com/118848.html. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
- ^ Itzkoff, Dave (April 8, 2010). "A Heroic Fantasy for Skeptics". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/arts/television/game-of-thrones-on-hbo-from-george-r-r-martin-novels.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ^ a b c d Martin, George R. R. (February 5, 2012). "Re: Dear George R R Martin". grrm.livejournal.com. http://grrm.livejournal.com/263800.html?thread=15365240#t15365240. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- ^ a b c "Daenerys VI". A Game of Thrones. pp. 587.
- ^ a b c "Daenerys II". A Game of Thrones. pp. 234-235.
- ^ "Daenerys X". A Game of Thrones. pp. 799.
- ^ "Daenerys I". A Clash of Kings. pp. 192.
- ^ Martin, George R. R. (June 12, 2002). "Eastern Cities and Peoples". westeros.org. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1214/. Retrieved 2012-05-05.
- ^ "The Queenmaker". A Feast for Crows. p. 426.
- ^ "Cat of the Canals". A Feast for Crows. p. 722.
- ^ a b "Map". A Storm of Swords.
- ^ a b c "The Iron Suitor". A Dance with Dragons. pp. 744, 746.
- ^ a b c "The Iron Captain". A Feast for Crows. p. 365.
- ^ a b "Danererys V". A Dance with Dragons. p. 395.
- ^ a b "Tyrion X". A Dance with Dragons. pp. 628.
- ^ "Tyrion XI". A Dance with Dragons. pp. 756.
- ^ "Daenerys IX". A Dance with Dragons. pp. 693.
Bibliography
- Martin, George R. R. (1996). A Game of Thrones (US paperback ed.). Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553573403.
- Martin, George R. R. (1998). A Clash of Kings (US paperback ed.). Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553579901.
- Martin, George R. R. (2000). A Storm of Swords (US paperback ed.). Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553573428.
- Martin, George R. R. (2005). A Feast for Crows (US paperback ed.). Bantam Books. ISBN 9780553582024.
- Martin, George R. R. (2011). A Dance with Dragons (US hardcover ed.). Bantam Books. ISBN 9780002247399.
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