Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones, Interviews with Historians, Vikings September 30, 2014

The Ironborn and the Viking Warrior: An Interview with Ian Stephenson

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One of the more direct parallels between George R.R. Martin’s characters and historical cultures is that of the Ironborn and Vikings. Theon Greyjoy spent his formative years away from Pyke, in a foreign land amongst a society that could not be more different from the Ironborn. The Ironborn are fiercely proud of their heritage, they cling to the belief in the Old Way, where a man’s worth was judged primarily on his skill as a raider. The Ironborn disparage the…

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Game of Thrones September 25, 2014

Not So Crazy Fan Theories?

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Many of us are familiar with the more popular Game of Thrones/ASOIAF fan theories like the often quoted (“R+L=J”), but how about some of the more exotic ones? Recently The Mary Sue contributor Carrie Tupper wrote a fantastic series about some of the more “out there” theories, and a few of them are strangely tasty. Carrie Tupper based the theories on the wonderful tumblr blog A Song of Theories and the Westeros forums. Definitely check out her articles: The Wild World…

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Art, Game of Thrones September 19, 2014

A cursed match? Botticelli & the Purple Wedding

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Many A Song of Ice and Fire fans have a bone or two to pick with the Game of Thrones TV show. They feel the television show is adulterating the beloved novels. And, that’s fair. The television adaptation can be omissive and sometimes alters the original storyline. But it is worth pointing out that film is not an inferior medium to literature: film is not the ugly red-haired step-child of the literary world. Film conveys its artistic worth through different channels: costume, music,…

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Cersei Lannister, Dark Ages September 16, 2014

Brunhild: The Original Queen Cersei

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We are delighted and honored to have this article by historian and novelist John Henry Clay. Dr. Clay is a lecturer in medieval history at Durham University and the author of The Lion and the Lamb, an epic novel of Roman Britain. If Cersei is ever brought to trial, chances are that her list of crimes will be topped by the murder of her husband, King Robert Baratheon. No doubt she’ll plead her innocence. After all, she didn’t exactly murder Robert. She…

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Game of Thrones August 30, 2014

Game of Thrones’ Emmy Winning Costume Design for 2014

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The camera often doesn’t do justice to the detailing in Game of Thrones’ costumes. These exquisite works of art reveal character and mood — and even reflect the character arc. Game of Thrones Costume Designer Michele Clapton and her team’s Emmy for costume design for “The Lion and the Rose” (the Purple Wedding) is well deserved. As the (head) Costume Designer for Game of Thrones, Michele Clapton overseas the creation of over 120 costumes per season from her office in Belfast,…

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Game of Thrones August 18, 2014

Ned’s Honor: Was Ned Stark the Villain?

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I’d wager that most people reading this article think of Ned Stark as one of Game of Thrones‘ heroes. Ned has integrity and principles – he won’t stand for a wrongful claimant on the throne, especially not the product of his best friend’s two-timing wife’s incest. Ned has a code. He refuses to be an accessory to  killing Cersei’s children or the innocent Targaryen princess across the sea. This articles argues that the very reason George RR Martin created Ned is to make us…

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Game of Thrones, War of the Roses August 4, 2014

Guardians or Guards? Theon Greyjoy and the House of Stark

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A Polite Fiction We’ve spent the last few weeks discussing the story of one of George R.R. Martin’s more divisive characters, Theon Greyjoy. We have looked at his relationship with Robb Stark, we’ve examined the effects that being held hostage for a decade have had on Theon, we’ve discussed choices he was forced to make between his two families and the crimes he committed in the pursuit of ambition. If we take a closer look at Theon’s relationship with his…

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Game of Thrones, War of the Roses July 17, 2014

Brothers Apart: Oathbreakers and Turncloaks

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As viewers we tend to see Theon as Robb Stark’s adopted brother, therefore we see his betrayal as an unnatural thing. When we look at Edward IV’s younger brothers, George Duke of Clarence and Richard III, we see George as the betrayer and Richard as the loyal one. Is it not natural to support one’s own brother over a cousin? Or was George’s decision a little closer to that of Theon Greyjoy’s, choosing between a father and a brother? Theon…

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Princes in the Tower, Richard III, Theon, War of the Roses July 3, 2014

Richard III, Theon Greyjoy and The Lost Princes

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I often forget exactly why the people of the North loathe Theon Greyjoy. Theon Turncloak. Many Northerners still believe Theon Greyjoy murdered Bran and Rickon, the last sons and heirs of the beloved house of Stark. However we know that Theon did not murder Bran and Rickon. It is true he murdered two innocent children, a terrible crime of which he should not be absolved. But Bran and Rickon still live. And in A Song of Ice and Fire there…

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George, Duke of Clarence, Theon, War of the Roses June 25, 2014

Betray or Obey? The Other Side of Theon Greyjoy and George Duke of Clarence

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Olga Hughes, editor of Nerdalicious, takes another look at the Theon and Clarence. She finds the parallels between them complex and even finds Theon oddly sympathetic. George Duke of Clarence is a serviceable villain; after all, there are not many historical figures of well-known royal houses that betrayed their own brother. Yet research on George has previously not been easily accessible, and despite a new biography being published this year, it will be some time before George Plantagenet is reassessed on…

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