History of Westeros

  • Home
  • Episodes
  • Valar Rereadis
    • AGOT
    • ACOK
    • ASOS
    • AFFC
    • ADWD
  • Donate
  • Patreon Supporters
  • Websites
    • Art of Ice and Fire
    • Games of Ice and Fire
  • About
  • Facebook Group

The Crypts of Winterfell

Explore the dark and ancient past of House Stark and Winterfell. The crypts, the statues, the history, the dreams, Bael the Bard, skinchangers, direwolves, dragons, the fires of the earth and so much more. Find the History of Westeros Facebook Group here.

Crypts Outline

The castle itself is peculiar in that the Starks did not level the ground when laying down the foundations and walls of the castle. Very likely, this reveals that the castle was built in pieces over the years rather than being planned as a single structure. Some scholars suspect that it was once a complex of linked ringforts, though the centuries have eradicated almost all evidence of this. – TWOIAF

By ancient custom an iron longsword had been laid across the lap of each who had been Lord of Winterfell, to keep the vengeful spirits in their crypts. The oldest had long ago rusted away to nothing, leaving only a few red stains where the metal had rested on stone. Ned wondered if that meant those ghosts were free to roam the castle now. He hoped not. The first Lords of Winterfell had been men hard as the land they ruled. – AGOT, Eddard I

Filed Under: Blog, Episodes Tagged With: audio, bael the bard, bran stark, eddard stark, house stark, jon snow, lyanna stark, ned stark, rhaegar targaryen, sansa stark, the crypts, video, winterfell

The Shadow of Summerhall: Aerys & Rhaegar (spoilers)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbgMl0LgNn0

This episode delves deep into Aerys, Rhaella, and Rhaegar Targaryen, as well as other characters who were impacted by Summerhall. There’s talk of how the Mad King could wreak havoc on the Seven Kingdoms even now…though our main focus is, of course, the Aftermath of Summerhall. Why didn’t it work? Who tried to capitalize on the instability? What impact did the event have on the survivors? What impact does it have on the current ASOIAF storyline?

The primary topics in this episode:

  1. The Day After
  2. Jaehaerys Ascends, Blackfyres Descend
  3. Aerys Ascends, Madness Descends
  4. Dragons in the Shadow
  5. Rhaegar, Who Thought Himself So Wise
  6. The Mad King’s Revenge

“Once it takes fire, the substance will burn fiercely until it is no more.”

“…many of the accounts written of Harrenhal speak of his hysterical laughter, long silences, bouts of weeping, and sudden rages.”

“Drawing on his father’s plans, His Grace put aside his grief, called his lords bannermen, and resolved to meet the Ninepenny Kings upon the Stepstones, choosing to take the war to them rather than awaiting their landing on the shores of the Seven Kingdoms.”

Your grandsire commanded it. A woods witch had told him that the prince that was promised would be born of their line.”

 

“High in the halls of the kings who are gone, Jenny would dance with her ghosts.”

 

“It was a prince that was promised, not a princess. Rhaegar, I thought… the smoke was from the fire that devoured Summerhall on the day of his birth, the salt from the tears shed for those who died. He shared my belief when he was young, but later he became persuaded that it was his own son who fulfilled the prophecy, for a comet had been seen above King’s Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, and Rhaegar was certain the bleeding star had to be a comet. What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise!”

 

“It was the shadow of Summerhall that haunted him, was it not?” “Yes. And yet Summerhall was the place the prince loved best.”

 

“He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.”

[separator type="top"]Content[/separator]

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: aerys ii targaryen, aerys targaryen, audio, barristan selmy, brandon stark, davos seaworth, duncan the tall, ghost of high heart, jaehaerys ii targaryen, jaime lannister, jenny of oldstones, joanna lannister, lyanna stark, maester aemon targaryen, post traumatic stress disorder, prince that was promised, ptsd, pyromancers, rhaegar targaryen, rhaella targaryen, rhaelle targaryen, rickard stark, shaera targaryen, steffon baratheon, summerhall, the mad king, tywin lannister, video, wildfire

The Tragedy of Summerhall

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK25XfDFsIM

The Tragedy of Summerhall was a spectacular attempt by Aegon V to hatch dragon eggs, and it failed spectacularly, killing most to all of the participants plus at least some, probably most of, the witnesses. Summerhall has some really surprising aspects to it, and explains quite a lot more than we could’ve hoped it would, despite so much of it still remaining mysterious. Not just in what happened, but in how it impacts the more recent, and even the current, ASOIAF storyline.

This episode will have a second (shorter) part focusing on the aftermath of Summerhall, examining the effects on Aerys, Rhaegar, and the realm..

The primary topics in this episode:

  1. History of Summerhall
  2. The Realm of Aegon V, Treason & Turmoil
  3. Dragon Dreams
  4. Enablers: The Wisdom & the Ghost
  5. The Ritual

“What became of the dream of dragons was a grievous tragedy born in a moment of joy. In the fateful year 259 AC, the king summoned many of those closest to him to Summerhall, his favorite castle, there to celebrate the impending birth of his first great-grandchild, a boy later named Rhaegar, to his grandson Aerys and granddaughter Rhaella, the children of Prince Jaehaerys.”

“Treason and turmoil followed, as night follows day, ending at Summerhall in sorcery, fire, and grief.”

“My brothers dreamed of dragons too, and the dreams killed them, every one.”

Daeron [the 2nd] raised a great seat in the Dornish marches, near to where the boundaries of the Reach, the stormlands, and Dorne met. Calling it Summerhall to mark the peace he had created, it was more palace than castle and lightly fortified at best; in the years to come, many sons of House Targaryen would hold the seat as Prince of Summerhall.”

 

“The last years of Aegon’s reign were consumed by a search for ancient lore about the dragon breeding of Valyria, and it was said that Aegon commissioned journeys to places as far away as Asshai-by-the-Shadow with the hopes of finding texts and knowledge that had not been preserved in Westeros.”

 

“As he grew older, Aegon V had come to dream of dragons flying once more above the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. In this, he was not unlike his predecessors, who brought septons to pray over the last eggs, mages to work spells over them, and maesters to pore over them. Though friends and counselors sought to dissuade him, King Aegon grew ever more convinced that only with dragons would he ever wield sufficient power to make the changes he wished to make in the realm and force the proud and stubborn lords of the Seven Kingdoms to accept his decrees.”

 

“The dragons are done. The Targaryens tried to bring them back half a dozen times. And made fools of themselves, or corpses.”

[separator type="top"]Content[/separator]

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: aegon the unlikely, aegon v targaryen, aemon targaryen, aerion targaryen, aerys ii targaryen, archmaester gyldayn, audio, betha blackwood, black betha, brynden rivers, daemon ii blackfyre, daenora targaryen, daeron ii the good, dragon eggs, dreams, duncan the tall, ghost of high heart, hallyne, house targaryen, jaehaerys targaryen, jenny of oldstones, prince duncan the small, pyromancers, rhaegar targaryen, rhaella targaryen, rhaelle targaryen, robert baratheon, shaera targaryen, shiera seastar, summerhall, the citadel, the mad king, the tales of dunk and egg, the tragedy of summerhall, video, wildfire

Blackfyre Rebellions: Part 2 – Daeron II the Good (spoiler free)

The son of Aegon the Unworthy had a lot to deal with after his father’s deathbed decree. Guest Steven Attewell of Race for the Iron Throne joins Aziz in discussing Daeron II, and whether or not he actually deserved to be called “the Good”. Special attention paid to the Great Bastards, Baelor Breakspear, and Dorne.

“Daeron’s reign quickly stabilized the realm, and he soon came to be called Daeron the Good by the smallfolk and noble lords alike. He was widely seen as just and goodhearted, even if some questioned the influence of his Dornish wife. And though he was no warrior—descriptions of the era note that he was small of frame, with thin arms, round shoulders, and a scholarly disposition—two of his four sons seemed all that could be wished in a knight, lord, or heir. Yet too many men looked upon Baelor’s dark hair and eyes and muttered that he was more Martell than Targaryen, even though he proved a man who could win respect with ease and was as open-handed and just as his father. Knights and lords of the Dornish Marches came to mistrust Daeron, and Baelor as well… And then they would look at Daemon Blackfyre—grown tall and powerful, half a god among mortal men, and with the Conqueror’s sword in his possession—and wonder.”

He chose to be crowned with his father’s crown—a decision likely intended to quell any remaining doubts about his legitimacy.”

 

“The line of the dragonkings had almost died out during his father’s day, but it was commonly said that Daeron II and his sons had left it secure for all time.”

 

“The eldest, Prince Baelor, won the name Breakspear at the age of seventeen, following his famous victory at Princess Daenerys’s wedding tourney; he defeated Daemon Blackfyre in the final tilt. And his youngest son, Prince Maekar, seemed like to show a similar prowess.”

 

“Aegon and Prince Daeron were quarreling over the king’s plans to launch an unprovoked war against Dorne. It was also the first (but not the last) time that Aegon threatened to name one of his bastards as his heir instead of Daeron.”

 

“He was conscientious in his duties to the realm and sought to stabilize it in the wake of Aegon’s deathbed decree.”

[separator type="top"]Content[/separator]

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: aemon the dragonknight, aerys ii targaryen, audio, baelor breakspear, blackfyre rebellion, daemon blackfyre, daeron ii, daeron ii the good, daeron targaryen, daeron the young dragon, guest, maekar i targaryen, mariah martell, naerys targaryen, rhaegar targaryen, rhaegel targaryen, video

Book Discussion: World of Ice and Fire Overview

In this discussion episode, we give our first impressions of The World of Ice and Fire. We discuss all of the immediate revelations, and the latter half of the episode contains discoveries more related to the ‘current events’ of the series.

Special attention is paid to the Kingdom of Sarnor, other ancient cultures, and the mysterious oily black stone that keeps popping up. There is, of course, a lot of discussion on House Targaryen as well. We also talk at length about the sections on Dorne. The mystery of Asshai’s children is also debated.

“On the Isle of Toads can be found an ancient idol, a greasy black stone crudely carved into the semblance of a gigantic toad of malignant aspect, some forty feet high. The people of this isle are believed by some to be descended from those who carved the Toad Stone, for there is an unpleasant fishlike aspect to their faces, and many have webbed hands and feet. If so, they are the sole surviving remnant of this forgotten race.”

Such questions abound even to this day. Before the Doom of Valyria, maesters and archmaesters oft traveled to the Freehold in search of answers, but none were ever found. Septon Barth’s claim that the Valyrians came to Westeros because their priests prophesied that the Doom of Man would come out of the land beyond the narrow sea can safely be dismissed as nonsense, as can many of Barth’s queerer beliefs and suppositions.”

“For scholars and students of history, the fall of Sallosh by the Silver Shore was especially tragic, for when that City of Scholars burned, its great library was not spared, and most of the history of the Tall Men and the peoples who had gone before them were lost for all time.”

“Florys the Fox, the cleverest of Garth’s children, who kept three husbands, each ignorant of the existence of the others. (From their sons sprang House Florent, House Ball, and House Peake).”

[separator type="top"]Content[/separator]

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: aegon vi targaryen, aerys ii targaryen, aliandra martell, asshai, audio, betha blackwood, brienne of tarth, discussion, duncan the tall, essos, five forts, h.p. lovecraft, hightower, house blackfyre, house greyjoy, house targaryen, hyrkoon, illyrio mopatis, isle of faces, joanna lannister, leng, lomas longstrider, lyanna stark, maegelle targaryen, melisandre, muppet tullys, oily black stone, others, queen nymeria, rhaegar targaryen, saera targaryen, sarnor, seastone chair, septon barth, serra, sothoryos, the rhoynar, the westerlands, the world of ice and fire, twoiaf, tyrion lannister, tywin lannister, ulthos, valyria, video, viserra targaryen, westeros, yeen, yi ti

History: Houses Lannister and Baratheon (spoiler free)

[separator type=”top”]Content[/separator]

 

Filed Under: Episodes Tagged With: argilac the arrogant, audio, brightroar, cersei lannister, durran godsgrief, field of fire, gerion lannister, house baratheon, house clegane, house connington, house dondarrion, house lannister, house marbrand, house reyne, house seaworth, house selmy, house tarth, house toyne, house westerling, jaime lannister, joanna lannister, kevan lannsiter, lann the clever, orys baratheon, rains of castamere, renly baratheon, rhaegar targaryen, rhaelle targaryen, robert baratheon, robert's rebellion, spoiler free, stafford lannister, stannis baratheon, steffon baratheon, stormlands, the grey lion, tyrion lannister, tytos lannister, tywin lannister

Search Episodes!

Follow us:

The Thrones Effect (chapter by us)

The Great Castles of Westeros: An Unofficial Guide by Joe Buckley

The Unofficial Guide to Game of Thrones by Kim Renfro

Shire Post Mint's ASOIAF coins

Fire and Blood

Illustrated A Game of Thrones

Illustrated A Clash of Kings

Illustrated A Storm of Swords

Game of Thrones: The Storyboards

Join us on Patreon to receive a custom title, early access to episodes & more!

PayPal Donations

Amazon Shopping:
Amazon (all countries)!
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks Try LISTENING to ASOIAF! Two free book downloads plus a 30 day subscription for $0 (Audible trial)
Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial

Conventions
Ice & Fire Con 2021 - we will be there! Buy your membership and include us as your referral to help the show, at no additional cost.
Con of Thrones 2021 - we will be there! Buy your membership using code HISTORY and get 5 dollars off, while helping generate free tickets for other listeners.

RSS RSS Feed

  • Aziz vs. ADwD Epilogue (2016)
  • Valar Rereadis: ADWD - Part 19 of 19
  • Valar Rereadis: ADWD - Part 18 of 19
  • When Giants Roamed... (w/Crowfood's Daughter)

Aziz & Ashaya’s Recommendations!

The Dunk & Egg Collection
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

Other Short Stories in Westeros
The Rogue Prince (Prince Daemon)
The Princess & The Queen
The Book of Swords (Sons of the Dragon)

Maesters' Hotlist
The World of Ice & Fire (Kindle)
The Lands of Ice & Fire
ASOIAF Boxed Set
A Hymn for Spring (Tower of the Hand, includes an essay on Harrenhal by us!)

Art
ASOIAF 2020 Calendar
ASOIAF 2021 Calendar
The Art of A Song of Ice and Fire
The Art of A Song of Ice & Fire: Vol. 2

Games!
Risk: Game of Thrones Board Game
AGoT: The Board Game 2nd Edition
Monopoly: Game of Thrones
Crusader Kings II
4D Game of Thrones: Westeros Puzzle

Game of Thrones on TV
Seasons 1-7 Blu-Ray Box Set
Season 7 Blu-Ray
Season 6 Blu-Ray
Get Someone Started With S1
Start Your Free Trial of HBO with Prime Video Channels

Non-ASOIAF Books Recommended by GRRM & us!
The Last Wish - Book 1 of The Witcher
The Last Kingdom - Book 1
The Accursed Kings - Book 1
The Expanse - Book 1

© Copyright 2013-2020 History of Westeros · All Rights Reserved · Created by Ash @MeereeneseKnot ·