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Tragedy at Summerhall - My Opinion


Ser Cold Fingers

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Like many of you, I love the Tales of Dunk & Egg. They are fun to read and add some great background on people and places for the main series. And because I do enjoy Dunk & Egg…that makes me want to know all I can about their lives…including their demise at Summerhall.

It is well known that Aegon V was obsessed with bringing dragons back to Westeros. With the kingdom crumbling around him due to the events described in TWoIaF, Aegon decided he must try to hatch the dragon eggs. He may have read something to make him believe it would work, he may have dreamed it, believing that he had a green-dream, or someone convinced him he would succeed.

TWoIaF Excerpt


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 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.

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.

It is unfortunate that the tragedy that transpired at Summerhall left very few witnesses alive, and those who survived would not speak of it. A tantalizing page of Gyldayn’s history – surely one of the very last written before his death – hints at much, but the ink that was spilled over it in some mishap blotted out too much.

FROM THE HISTORY OF ARCH-

MAESTER GYLDAYN

… the blood of the dragon gathered in one …
… seven eggs, to honor the seven gods,

though the king’s own septon had warned …
… pyromancers …
… wild fire …
… flames grew out of control … tower-

ing … burned so hot that …
… died, but for the valor of the Lord Com-

man …



So what happened at Summerhall? As far as the events go…this is my opinion on what happened.

At the time of the Tragedy at Summerhall, magic (as strong as we know it now in 300AC) had not returned to the world and that is why the eggs did not hatch (at least we currently have no proof any hatched). Daenerys did have magic (stronger magic) on her side (i.e. across the world spells are easier to replicate, glass candles are burning, she survived the fire unburnt, etc.).

"Perhaps magic was once a mighty force in the world, but no longer. What little remains is no more than the wisp of smoke that lingers in the air after a great fire has burned out, and even that is fading. Valyria was the last ember, and Valyria is gone." ~Maester Luwin to Bran, ACoK Chapter 28, Bran iV

A part of Dunk's dream in The Sworn Sword helped me come to this theory.

The Sworn Sword Excerpt

The spade slipped from Dunk’s hands. “Egg,” he cried, “run! We have to run! ” But the sands were giving way beneath their feet. When the boy tried to scramble from the hole, its crumbling sides gave way and collapsed. Dunk saw the sands wash over Egg, burying him as he opened his mouth to shout. He tried to fight his way to him, but the sands were rising all around him, pulling him down into the grave, filling his mouth, his nose, his eyes . . .



Since this is Egg, or a grown up version of our beloved Egg...he did try to take all precautions while attempting to hatch the eggs. Or Ser Duncan convinced him to take extra precautions....either or.

Because Wildfire would be involved, this Summerhall ceremony would take place in an area designed similar to the area where Wildfire is made at Kings Landing described in ACoK, Chapter 20 (Tyrion V).

"...Above each work cell is a room filled entirely with sand. A protective spell has been laid on the floors, hmmm, most powerful. Any fire in the cell below causes the floors to fall away, and the sand smothers the blaze at once."

At Summerhall the Wildfire used to heat/hatch the eggs gets out of hand and starts to spread...but the floor above didn't give way fully and sand only trickled into the room below...this would look similar to an hour glass. The fire began to spread. Probably per Aegon’s instructions, Ser Duncan the Tall was to save the family first, which he apparently accomplished (or the quote from TWoIaF would lead us to believe). Dunk went back inside for Aegon...who, in the madness of the moment:

  • Actually believes it is working and the eggs are hatching
  • Decides to rescue the eggs
  • Or goes to the room above to ‘fix’ the problem and get the sand to drain but he falls into the sand which is draining into the room below

Any of these options would delay Aegon just long enough to make any escape/rescue attempt futile. But true to Duncan's honor, Dunk tries to save Egg...and their demise is what was described in Dunk's dream in TSS.

Thoughts?

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Interesting post, OP.

The tragedy at Summerhall is one mystery that I can't wait to learn more about. I definitely want to know what made egg believe whatever he was doing would hatch dragons.

Thanks.

I also wonder if the seven eggs were destroyed in the fire or just buried beneath the rubble? That is, assuming they didn't hatch! Rhaegar is said to spend a lot of time there, I'm wondering what all he found during his time there. Eggs? Scrolls (possibly ones that Aegon may have found and brought there)? Dark Sister?

Which in turn...could have been left at the Tower of Joy and brought back to Winterfell by Ned, instead of the bones of the northern fallen men due to physical space required to hide all these items, including a dang baby! ha!

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Good job! All very nicely comes together. Could also be that three of those eggs ended up in IIlyrio's hands.

Thanks. There were 7 eggs for the 7 gods...so who knows what happened to them. If Illyrio got his three from that stash...it would be interesting to know how he was able to obtain them. Or if Illyrio got his eggs from Varys at some point.

Really good.

Thanks.

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  • 1 month later...

i think that things are working then the maester strike sending everything out of control and in the end dunk is just able to save a few members of the family before he dies.

Do we know how old Marwyn is?

It is a theory that the Citadel is working towards ending all magic.

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I still like the theory that Maelys the Monstrous paid the Faceless men to kill Aegon V and staged the wildfire accident to make it look like Egg's fault.

Though I must say this is pretty good. The Sworn Sword details in particular are starting to sway me...

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I still like the theory that Maelys the Monstrous paid the Faceless men to kill Aegon V and staged the wildfire accident to make it look like Egg's fault.

Though I must say this is pretty good. The Sworn Sword details in particular are starting to sway me...

I never heard the Maelys theory. What did he pay the FM with? Don't say Blackfyre!!!

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I never heard the Maelys theory. What did he pay the FM with? Don't say Blackfyre!!!

...if I remember correctly, it was Blackfyre.

I know. I know. :tantrum:

But it does make sense chronologically. Maelys attacks two years after Aegon's death with the sickly Jaehaerys on the throne. He probably consolidated his power amongst the other eight during this time stretch.

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...if I remember correctly, it was Blackfyre.

I know. I know. :tantrum:

But it does make sense chronologically. Maelys attacks two years after Aegon's death with the sickly Jaehaerys on the throne. He probably consolidated his power amongst the other eight during this time stretch.

Interesting. I can honestly say I have never heard that theory before. There is some sense to it...but a big risk too.

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  • 1 month later...

Nice catch... This makes me want to re-read dunk and egg to look for other clues. Summerhall is one of the best mysteries out there! But George always leaves us clues, I bet there are more.

Have you heard of the dragon egg bomb theory?

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