We continue our series on the deeper meaning of the Game of Thrones house symbols with a look at the Targaryens.
Works Cited & Consulted:
* Martin, George R.R. “A Song of Ice and Fire.” Bantam Books.
* Empower Yourself with Color Psychology
* Color Wheel Pro
* Color Meanings
* “Dragon Symbolism & Meaning.” What Is My Spirit Animal.
* “Dragon Totem.” What’s Your Sign.
* “Dragon Spirit Animal.” Spirit Animal.
* “Dragon Symbolism.” Ancient-Symbols.com.
* Russo, James. “15 Things You Didn’t Know About House Targaryen.” ScreenRant, 5 Mar. 2017.
* freeguess. “An Analysis of House Words.” /r/asoiaf on Reddit, 5 Jan. 2013.
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Transcript provided by Youtube:
00:09
In Game of Thrones, the Targaryens bring the magic and the fury.
00:12
They represent a vitality and a mystery both inspirational and terrifying.
00:17
The Targaryen sigil is a red three-headed dragon on a black field.
00:21
Like their bold colors, the Targaryens are raw and ruthless.
00:24
Like their dragons, they are larger-than-life, connected to the essential
00:27
mysteries and powers of life itself.
00:30
The Targaryens ruled the seven kingdoms for centuries, until the Baratheons seized power
00:34
in Robert’s Rebellion, and the long Targaryen rule was terminated.
00:43
Just as many believed dragons to be extinct, they wrongly believed the Targaryens to be
00:47
out of the picture after this point.
00:50
So the appearance of Daenerys and her dragons signals the rebirth of the Targaryen House,
00:54
a drastic upheaval of the current world order, and the return of magic itself to Westeros.
01:18
Overall the Targaryens represent mythic power, inner-vitality, destiny, leadership
01:23
the interconnectedness of creation versus
01:25
destruction, and madness.
01:38
The Targaryen motto, “Fire and Blood,” evokes powerful, intimidating and violent imagery.
01:43
Blood pumping through our veins keeps us alive, but the word “blood” makes us think of
01:47
bloodshed — something the Targaryens won’t shy away from in the name of their cause.
01:52
Fire is likewise a symbol of vitality and survival, but it’s equally as deadly and
01:56
extremely difficult to control.
01:58
A contained fire is inner life and a powerful spirit, but a rapidly spreading wildfire symbolizes
02:04
the Targaryen madness, a destructive force that’s not in control of itself.
02:08
Fire is the life force, the antidote to ice or the anti-winter.
02:12
So while the show continues to warn that Winter is Coming — and the White Walkers with it
02:16
Daenerys’ Targaryen fire may be the harbinger of Summer that is needed
02:20
to counter, or balance, that cold.
02:22
But fire also burns so hot that it’s hardly a precise instrument targeting only the
02:27
guilty or the intended enemies. A fire-breathing dragon can easily
02:30
destroy many innocent bystanders in the vicinity.
02:33
Like fire, Daenerys herself is not a person of middle ground — she is all or nothing.
02:40
Fire and blood are also the ingredients that make Dany’s dragons come to life.
02:44
Her eggs hatch thanks to the combination of fire from the funeral pyre and the organic
02:49
life matter (or blood) of the bodies of Drogo, and the witch who performed blood magic on him.
02:53
The blood of their motto can also refer to how the Targaryens keep their bloodline pure
02:58
through incest.
03:00
Pure Targaryen blood allows them to connect with dragons, but centuries of incest mean
03:04
that they’re prone to Madness.
03:05
In the books, many state of Targaryan rulers,
03:08
“madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin”.
03:20
The Targaryens reflect this
03:21
duality of the life cycle: creation as much as destruction.
03:24
Their ancestor, Aegon Targaryon — also
03:27
known as Aegon the Conqueror and Aegon the Dragon — united six of the seven kingdoms
03:31
of Westeros (except for Dorne, which joined later),
03:34
while Daenerys’ father the Mad King wanted to “burn them all.”
03:38
This duality is in our minds as we watch Dany. Driven by an inner fire to champion oppressed
03:43
peoples, she seems to represent a purity of purpose and a solid moral code that departs
03:48
from the usual selfish ambition that drives most of Westeros.
04:09
Yet that same fire drives her also to claim the Iron Throne
04:12
that she views as her destiny and inheritance.
04:22
So we have to wonder whether her noble mission can remain pure or selfless, or whether her family’s
04:27
madness and inner-destructiveness will overcome her like it eventually did her father.
04:41
The raw, primal Targaryen red and black — in comparison to the more muted Stark grey and
04:46
white or the noble Lannister crimson and gold — represent straightforward power and vitality,
04:51
a strong, ruthless enemy with its own unbending rule of law.
04:55
Daenerys’ basic red and black threaten to tear down the more ornate artifices that houses
05:00
like the Lannisters have built.
05:02
Red is a warm and bold color associated with action, passion, and the will to survive.
05:07
It signifies leadership, determination, ambition and empowerment.
05:12
This is symbolic of the transformation we witness in Daenerys:
05:15
She begins as a meek and
05:16
unobtrusive character, not one we’d immediately predict would dominate.
05:20
Yet she perseveres and gains confidence
05:22
to become a passionate and motivating leader
05:23
undergoing empowerment until she embodies the red dragon.
05:27
Meanwhile, red is also a ruthless and aggressive color.
05:31
While Dany is merciful towards the innocent, she is unforgiving of the harsh masters
05:35
that commit wrongdoings.
05:37
Black also indicates intimidation and power.
05:39
And it relates to the unknown and the mysterious — what can’t be seen, or is in the dark
05:44
— which is what Daenerys is in Westeros, a mystery to the other players in the game of thrones.
05:57
Black suggests the hidden power of death and destruction
06:00
that she may rain down on her enemies.
06:04
In the history of A Song of Ice and Fire, the Targaryens weren’t the only family who
06:08
could control dragons, but they’re the last family of dragon-riders to
06:11
survive the Doom of Valyria.
06:13
It is said that Targaryens have “the blood of the dragon,” an animal that breathes fire.
06:27
Aegon established the ruling Targaryen dynasty in 1 AL or 1 AC, standing for After Landing or After Conquest,
06:34
which suggests in this world he’s the equivalent of a Jesus Christ figure.
06:38
He forged the Iron Throne was from swords of his enemies, heated with Dragon fire.
06:42
The elements of the throne symbolically link the Dragon and fire — and thus the Targaryens — to power itself.
06:49
The throne reminds us that power is never secure and should never become complacent,
06:53
just as no one can ever sit comfortably on the swords of the Iron Throne.
06:57
It’s key that, while the Targaryens possess superhuman strengths, their power has limits.
07:02
They can’t fully control either their fire or their dragons.
07:05
They are personally fire-resistant (and we’ve seen Daenerys live through some fire), but,
07:11
according to George RR Martin, they’re not totally immune.
07:15
Likewise, the dragons may submit to their dragon-riders, but the animals are still their
07:19
own beings who may act in their own interest.
07:27
But these forces that aid the Targaryens aren’t enslaved, and the Targaryens aren’t guaranteed
07:32
to remain master of them.
07:33
Thus the House embodies a key truth about power and its boundaries: every person who
07:37
rules must remember that power is not absolute or infallible.
07:41
It’s subject to consent and respect, and only lasts as long as one’s subjects, the
07:46
gods and/or fate will allow.
07:47
The three heads of the dragon on the sigil symbolize Aegon the Conqueror
07:51
and his two sisters (who were also his wives). Aegon broke with Targaryen tradition
07:56
by marrying not just one of his sisters but both.
07:59
The prophecy of the dragon who has three heads,
08:00
suggests there must be three dragon-riders
08:03
to take back the Iron Throne for the Targaryens together.
08:06
Speculations about these three riders include Dany, Jon and potentially someone else, like
08:10
Tyrion.
08:11
Tyrion has a connection with the dragons, which some interpret as a sign
08:14
of Targaryen blood. And the Mad King may have taken liberties with his mother, Joanna.
08:18
But, according to the books, one can still be a dragon-rider even without Targaryen blood.
08:23
Continuing on this theme of three, Daenerys receives three dragon eggs
08:27
as a wedding gift. And while the dragons aren’t three-headed, she does have three of them
08:30
Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.
08:33
All three are named after men in Danny’s life,
08:35
and the colors and characteristics of each dragon, like the Starks’ direwolves, are indicative of their namesakes.
08:41
Drogon, who is named after Dany’s late husband, Khal Drogo, is black with red markings, the
08:46
Targaryen colors.
08:47
The largest, most aggressive, and most fiercely protective, he is the dragon Dany rides.
08:52
Drogon has the most personality of the three, just as — of the three men after whom Daenerys
08:56
named her dragons — Khal Drogo was her closest bond.
08:59
Viserion and Rhaegal were named after Dany’s two brothers — Viserys and Rhaegar.
09:03
Viserion has cream and gold colored scales with red-orange wings.
09:07
The cream coloring is symbolic of the Valyrian features, characterized by very fair skin
09:12
and silver hair, while his gold coloring symbolizes the way Viserys died.
09:24
Rhaegal’s green and bronze coloring is also indicative of how his namesake was killed
09:28
Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar on the green banks at the Battle of the Trident
09:33
While we think of Game of Thrones as a fantastical world, it’s notable that, when we first
09:37
enter it, telling one of the Lannisters in King’s Landing about dragons sounds crazy
09:44
The revelation that magic exists is just as shocking to them as it would be to us
09:57
Daenerys’ dragons, as well as the Valyrian steel and the children of the forest
10:01
prove that magic is still there, lurking and ready to rise again.
10:05
After Drogo dies and Danny hatches the eggs, she awakens to a key piece of herself
10:10
and claims her right as the heir to the once-great house Targaryen.
10:13
She begins to understand her own power.
10:16
The Ultimate Targaryen, Daenerys inspires viewers.
10:19
She’s a self-empowered beacon of strength who stands for justice, beautiful noble power
10:24
and a pure sense of purpose.
10:25
Yet we’re always aware of the threat that the other side of her Targaryen nature will rear its
10:30
ugly head.
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This post was previously published on Youtube.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video