game of Thrones is a series produced by HBO (American pay-TV channel) and which was adapted from the novel created by George R. A. martin called “Chronicles of Ice and Fire”. Over eight seasons, the series presented us with a worldthe medieval marked by wars, relations of vassalage, political intrigues, betrayals, power struggles, etc. As a good fictional story, Game of Thrones also has its foot in the fantasy, featuring dragons, giants and zombies.
The plot of the series also has its relationships with the human history and with events from Norse mythology. Our goal is to bring a small overview of the historical references that Game of Thrones has. It's important to remember that we can provide some spoilers.
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Stark X Lannister: War of the Roses
The rivalry between the Stark and Lannister houses is one of the high points that move the Game of Thrones plot.
(Credit: HBO Reproduction)
THE War of the Roses it was a civil war that shook England throughout the fifteenth century. In that war, two families – Lancaster and York – fought for the English throne between 1455 and 1485. Over the years of the War of the Roses, England had the following kings:
Henry VI, Edward IV, Edward V and Ricardo III.The first association we can make between history and fiction is in the names of the families behind the struggle for power. In Westeros, the power struggle takes place between stark and Lannister and in England this dispute took place between York and Lancaster. Therefore:
You stark are a reference to York;
You Lannister are a reference to Lancaster.
Symbol of the two families that disputed the throne of England in the War of the Roses. The Tudors took power after the conflict ended in 1485.
The origin of the fights that triggered the War of the Roses dates back to the end of the 14th century, when King Edward III died. The death of Edward III happened in 1377, and the succession was passed on to his grandson, Ricardo II, son of his eldest son Edward the Black Prince.
Ricardo II (1377-1399) was King of England for 22 years, a period in which his uncles' heirs, that is, his cousins, disputed his power. This contest of power was carried out mainly by the Lancaster, heirs of John of Ghent, and by the York, heirs of Edmund of Langley, both brothers of Edward the Black Prince.
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The succession to the English throne and the reign of Richard II were interrupted in 1399 when a coup was organized by Henry IV (Lancaster). This coup paved the way for new power struggles decades later. Confusion and power struggles only returned when Henry VI assumed the throne in 1422 after his father, Henry V, died in a military campaign.
Henry VI he became known as a weak king and unfit for the administration of the kingdom. Throughout his reign, he was persuaded to marry Margaret of Anjou as a way to end the Hundred Years War (1337-1453). Throughout her life, Margaret of Anjou had a series of frictions with one of the king's advisers, Richard of York.
Henry VI was an English king and one of the main names in the War of the Roses.**
Richard of York desired the English throne, and his ambition had on its side the fact that King Henry VI was from time to time incapacitated by his mental illnesses. There are historians who suggest that he suffered from schizophrenia, while others suggest depression. In one of these outbreaks, Henry VI appointed Richard of York as regent, and after Henry VI had re-established himself, Richard of York lost his post.
The War of the Roses had as its starting point the dispute for power between Henry VI and Richard of York, which caused the Battle of Saint Albans, in 1455, which officially marked the beginning of the War of the Roses. The dispute between Henry VI and Richard continued until Richard of York's death in 1460.
Ricardo's death did not end the war, and the dispute between Lancaster and York continued. Ricardo's eldest son, named Eduardo, continued the fight and managed to defeat Henry VI, making him his prisoner.
Edward was crowned King of England in 1461 and became Edward IV, but his reign was shaken by his decision. In 1464, secretly married Isabel Woodville, daughter of an English gentry family. This decision went against its main ally, the Earl of Warwick (Ricardo Neville), who had suggested a marriage to an important royal family.
Edward IV was King of England and responsible for removing Henry VI from power.**
With this, the Earl of Warwick progressively moved away from Edward IV and, in 1469, he allied with the Lancasters. Warwick's alliance with the Lancasters was responsible for bringing Jorge Plantagenet, brother of Edward IV, to the Lancaster side. In 1470, Edward IV was deposed by a force led by Warwick and, with that, Henry VI has been restored on the English throne.
Edward IV fled to Burgundy and there restored his strength to regain the throne. Thus, in 1471, the decisive Battle of Tewkesbury, which resulted in the defeat of Lancaster forces. Henry VI's son, named Edward of Westminster, was killed, and Margaret of Anjou imprisoned. Henry VI was again taken prisoner and was eventually executed in May 1471. Warwick was killed in another battle, the Battle of Barnet.
With the defeat of the Lancasters and the restoration of Edward IV to the throne, the political situation in England was peaceful, but conflicts returned when Edward IV died in 1483. The eldest son of Edward IV, called Edward V, was crowned king, but was deposed by his uncle Richard, who claimed that Edward V was the son of an illegitimate marriage.
Ricardo was crowned as Ricardo III as late as 1483, but his reign was short. The coronation of Richard III divided the York and motivated the Lancasters to support Henry Tudor, descendant of the Lancasters. The support to Henry Tudor made him gather conditions to take the throne – what happened in 1485. Later, he married a daughter of Edward IV, named Elizabeth of York. So the king was a Lancaster, and the queen a York. The War of the Roses was coming to an end, and a new dynasty emerged in England: the Tudor dynasty.
War of the Roses Characters vs. Game of Thrones Characters
As already mentioned, the two families that vied for power in England are associated with those of Westeros. Let's look at some specific historical characters:
Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey in the series, can be associated with Margaret of Anjou, wife of King Henry VI.
(Credit: HBO Disclosure)
Margaret of Anjou: associated with cerseiLannister. She, like Cersei, was known to have a cruel and violent son, and rumors spoke of her betrayals and that her son was not her husband's son.
Richard of York: associated with Nedstark. He, like Ned, was the king's adviser and had a tragic fate: his head was severed.
Edward of Westminster: associated with JoffreyBaratheon. He was also the queen's son and known to be a cruel young man.
- Edward IV: associated with Robbstark. Son of the king's adviser, he led his family in war against enemies and married a young woman from an unknown family rather than marrying in an arranged marriage. However, Edward IV, unlike Robb Stark, became king.
Robb Stark (Richard Madden) may be a reference to King Edward IV of England. (Credit: HBO Reproduction)
Ricardo III: associated with StannisBaratheon, he was the brother of the king who conspired against his nephew for the throne. Richard, unlike Stannis, conquered the throne (if only for a short time).
Henry Tudor: associated with DaenerysTargaryen. He, like her, was a nobleman who lived in a distant land separated by a sea. In contention for the throne, he crossed that sea to become king (queen in Daenerys's case).
Other historical characters (not necessarily from the War of the Roses) that have some sort of association with Game of Thrones characters are:
Warwick: associated with WalderFrey.
Elizabeth of York: associated with Sansastark.
Ramsay Bolton: some theories associate it with Vlad the Impaler.
theonGreyjoy: associated with JorgePlantagenet.
Nordic mythology: “the winter is coming”
The Stark's appalling fear of the harsh winters of northern Westeros may be related to beliefs in Norse mythology.
(Credit: HBO Reproduction)
In Game of Thrones, the Stark house has as its great motto the phrase “the winter is coming” (winter is approaching, in a free translation). The arrival of a winter – the most severe of all – is, in Game of Thrones, the prelude to the arrival of a great evil: the King of the Night and the White walkers.
This association of great evil and a great war preceded by a great winter is drawn from the Norse mythology, a set of beliefs that was part of the religion of the Viking peoples. In the Norse belief, the fimbulvet, a long cycle of three very severe winters, would be the prelude to a great war: the Ragnarok. If you are interested in knowing more about the subject, we suggest that you read this text: Ragnarök, the end of the Nordic Universe.
Another association with Norse mythology can be drawn from the character Brandon Stark. The Stark's youngest heir throughout the series acquires an ability that allows him to see the events of the past and inform himself of the that takes place in the present by means of crows (or any other animal) that fly through Westeros and allow him to see and hear everything to his around.
In Norse mythology, crows have a similar function. Odin, the main and most powerful god of the Norse pantheon, has two ravens: Huginn (memory) and Munin (thought). both crows fly by Asgard (Land of Men in Norse Mythology) watching and listening to tell Odin the main events.
In Norse mythology, ravens had the function of informing Odin about what was going on in the land of men. (Credit: HBO Reproduction)
Other historical references
Not only the War of the Roses and Norse mythology can be related to Game of Thrones. See other historical characters that have some relationship with elements present in the series.
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall was built in the 2nd century d. Ç. to prevent the Picts and Scots from attacking the Roman lands.
Hadrian's Wall was built by the romans in the 2nd century d. Ç. and separated the Roman lands from the threats of “barbarian peoples” (Picts and scutes) who inhabited northern Britannia. In the case of the series, this association can be made with the wall protected by the Night's Watch.
In Game of Thrones, the wall separates Westeros from the “barbarian peoples” that inhabit the North, the Free Folk. In the series, the wall also has a magical connotation, as it also protects Westeros from the King of Night and the White Walkers.
Mongols
You mongolians they were a nomadic people that arose in Mongolia and inhabited the steppes of Central Asia, hence eastern Europe. The Mongols were known to be fearsome warriors and with great skill in making war on horseback. Making a parallel with the series, the Mongols associate themselves with the dothraki, nomadic warriors who inhabited Essos, that is, east of Westeros. Even the leader's name is similar: khan for the Mongols and khal for the Dothraki.
Khal Drogo, played by Jason Momoa, was the main leader of the Dothraki, the famous nomadic tribe of Game of Thrones. These warriors refer to the legendary Mongols of Central Asia. (Credit: HBO Reproduction)
Vikings
You vikings, or Nordics, were a people who inhabited northern Europe, between the eighth and eleventh centuries, and were known for being excellent navigators and for dedicating themselves to war and plunder. Vikings are directly associated with the Greyjoy, home of Westeros known for having a similar lifestyle: being great at sea and frequently looting.
Incest
Incest in royal families is not unique to Westeros. In Game of Thrones, some families are known for rumors of incest among their members (such as the case of Jaime and Cersei). In real life, this also happened in real families, like the Habsburg, stuart, Hanover and Bourbon, who became known for marriages between close relatives.
*Image credits: Kathy Hutchins and Shutterstock
**Image credits: Sergey Goryachev and Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
