History of Westeros (Game of Thrones)

The longest running feud in the history of Westeros plays a significant role in the Dance of the Dragons / House of the Dragon as well as in A Song of Ice and Fire. We’ll look at how this endless cycle of violence started vs. how it’s going, some guesses at the future and everything in between. Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threa...

Long before humankind existed, let alone raised structures of note, the gods shaped the planet’s natural wonders via their whims and wars for people like Lomas Longstrider to discover and catalogue for others. In this companion episode to Lomas Longstrider and the Wonders Made By Man, we explore the natural wonders of the world according to his book “Wonders”. He named 7, but we only know 1, so we...

When we think of explorers we think of the Sea Snake and Elissa Farman, who had an urge to discover. Or Nymeria and the Rhoynish refugees, who were forced into seeking new lands. Notably these names are all nobles. They had their own ships, their own crews, their own funding, and all the security and safety that brought with it. Our subject today is Lomas Longstrider, who explored farther and wide...

Throughout the series, a large number of characters have gone missing. Some have run off of their own accord, others perhaps seized against their will. Some we last saw in great danger while others, well, they’re not so easy to categorize. This episode is dedicated to those characters who have been on the pages but don’t have known locations, let alone fates. This includes a very wide variety of i...

A thousand years ago, Karlon Stark put down a rebel lord and was rewarded with lands and a castle he named Karhold. The Karhold Starks became House Karstark, greatly benefiting Winterfell and the reverse to the Dreadfort. Over the centuries, the Starks and Karstarks would intermarry several times, renewing their ancient ties through marriage alliance. But the events of ASOIAF have seen great chang...

Once the closest thing to a town in the lands beyond The Wall, something terrible and mysterious befell Hardhome about 600 years ago. It has since become an overgrown ruin, shunned and considered accursed… Yet despite that, it is suddenly important again - as hordes of refugees flee there, following the dreams of a woods witch. As reports reach Jon of wights in the woods and waters, dreams reach M...

“How often do you think about the Roman Empire?” is a fun question that went viral in 2024, but in this episode we’re concerned more with how often GRRM thought about Rome (and not just the empire) when writing ASOIAF. We’ll also take a few minutes to talk about how HBO’s Rome was pivotal to the making of HBO’s GoT. Rize: https://rize.io/u/westeros and use promo code WESTEROS for a 25% discount of...

A look at the early life of the man who became the most devious in the Seven Kingdoms. We’ll delve into his days on the street, learning to steal and survive, to the mummer’s troupe and being sold for a ritual that maimed him. When left to die, he vowed to live, and what a life it was for the Spider… From near death to Prince of Thieves and a lifelong partnership with a certain bravo named Illyrio...

The second half of Aziz's discussion with Alt Shift X. This portion includes spoilers for all Dune books and includes discussions on themes and parallels... and some major differences as well.

He’s an undead ranger and skinchanger with an elk and ravens… and a mission. He saves Sam & Gilly and leads them to the Black Gate at the Nightfort so they can bring Bran and friends to him on the other side… because he cannot pass. He leads them far to the north and on the way he kills turncloak rangers, makes cannibals of them all, and calls himself “your monster, Brandon Stark”. He helps th...

DUNE is one of the most successful sci fi creations of all time, and GRRM is absolutely one of the many who was influenced by it. In this episode, Aziz and Alt Shift X discuss both authors, their styles and the many parallels to Dune found in ASOIAF. There are NO spoilers for Dune 2 the movie in this episode - but look out for part 2 of this episode, which WILL have spoilers. Bonus Eps & More...

Aegon and Visenya faced no true threats to their reign from the outside, but the biggest problems can start from within, and even the first House of the Dragon was troubled by such. An abundance of Targaryen births late in the Conqueror’s reign set off issues of succession, marriage, dragon-bonding and other matters of power and status. Meanwhile King’s Landing was growing even faster just outside...

The First Dornish War was Aegon the Conqueror’s last war. For the rest of his reign he was largely concerned with peace. However, enforcing peace in warlike Westeros is no easy thing. Did Aegon actually rule well, or was everyone just afraid of him? Did his policies lead to the many civil conflicts that came less than a generation after his death? Go to https://magicmind.com/westeros and get up to...

The deaths of Queen Rhaenys and even moreso, Princess Meria, led to the end of the First Dornish War. But ultimately the final decision was made by Aegon upon receipt of the mysterious letter that he burned immediately afterwards. What was in the letter? That, and the legacies of Rhaenys and Meria are the focal points of this episode. Get up to 56% off at https://magicmind.com/westeros with our co...

A strange but true fact about the First Dornish War: by far the longest and most brutal phase came after the Conqueror declared victory and took most of his troops home. We break down the assassinations, bounties, raids and other shameful acts of intrigue that came to define the conflict more than battles ever could. You get 1 month for free, when you’re subscribing for 3 months at: https://magicm...

Last time we discussed the first few years of Aegon’s reign. The final subtopic we covered was the peaceful attempts to bring Dorne into the realm. We wondered what kind of offers and/or threats were made… regardless, though, they didn’t work. You get 1 month for free, when you’re subscribing for 3 months at: https://magicmind.com/JANwesteros And with our code WESTEROS20, it’s an extra 20% off, wh...

An episode with a lot of sisters… The Three Sisters, meaning the islands north of the Vale and South of White Harbor… and the Two Sisters, meaning Aegon’s Queens. Mighty though they are in war, and we’ll see more of that… along with their brother, it’s time to see how they are as rulers. You get 1 month for free, when you’re subscribing for 3 months at: https://magicmind.com/JANwesteros And with o...

The end of 2023 features a gift from GRRM - a handwritten outline for AFFC! This scroll contains his plans for many of the POV characters. Among other things, it seems to confirm a few existing theories... Link to the outline if you'd like to peruse it ahead of time: https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/18519cz/spoilers_extended_grrms_20032004_outline_for_affc/ You get 1 month for free, wh...

No character represents the concept of revenge or the blood feud like the Red Viper. It is ironic, and quite intriguing that his paramour Ellaria Sand is quite likely the character who best represents opposition to these cycles of violence... and unlike Oberyn, she's still alive and still fighting for peace, while one of her daughters, named Elia for Oberyn's beloved sister, is joining the...

It has been said that tough places breed tough people, and it seems to be true even amongst the noble Houses of Westeros. We take a look at the families who have staked their claims in the most extreme and remote locations. Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.com Nina: goodqueenaly.tumblr.com Sean's YouTube: bit.ly/3818H9X w...

Most bent the knee to the overwhelming might of the dragons. This may have made Aegon overconfident, as he assumed the submission of Dorne and a few other holdouts. That they defied the Conqueror makes them all the braver, or perhaps all the more foolish. Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.com Nina: goodqueenaly.tumblr.com...

With Harrenhal a smoking ruin and the largest army ever seen in Westeros defeated with ease, many rulers decide, at last, that they have no choice but to bend the knee to Aegon the Conqueror. We examine the events of the time as well as how these legends appear to the characters and how they manifest within ASOIAF ~300 years later. Use code 50westeros at https://www.hellofresh.com/50westeros for 5...

The Long Night, Azor Ahai, Strange Stone, Dragonlords, the Amethyst Empress & ancient bloodlines. This joint episode w/Mythical Astronomy of Ice & Fire has it all! Published October 8, 2016. Check out LmL's show at: lucifermeanslightbringer.com Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.com www.historyofwesteros.com

The largest army Westeros has ever seen vs. Vhagar, Meraxes and Balerion - the only time the three fought together. It's shock and awe with dragons... but it's not the battle that we consider the best part of this story. He wasn't taking on a hated tyrant, rather quite the opposite. The Gardeners were the most famous family in Westeros, and the Lannisters had a castle even Balerion cou...

Queen Visenya, riding Vhagar, accompanies Lord Daemon Velaryon to force the submission of the Vale. Gulltown, one of the five true cities of Westeros, is where the action begins... and is the same place Robert's Rebellion began. Bonus Eps & More - www.patreon.com/historyofwesteros Shirts & Stickers - historyofwesteros.threadless.com Nina: goodqueenaly.tumblr.com Sean's YouTube: bit...