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Kingsroad symbolism


FuzzyJAM

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The Kingsroad starts in Storm's End (Baratheon).  It goes to King's Landing, where it is intercepted by the Goldroad (Lannisters) and Roseroad (Tyrells) - but neither is actually part of the Kingsroad (i.e. not claiming kingship directly), they just join to it at King's Landing: they choose to attach to the Kingsroad rather than being part of it.  Now, Winterfell (Stark), that is on the Kingsroad.  And where indeed does the Kingsroad end?  At Castle Black, where a certain man of uncertain parentage stays.

Stannis, when he first tries to claim the throne, tries to march the road of kings from Storm's End to King's Landing.  He fails.  Time to try a different tact, surely?  Why not march the road of kings the other way - from Castle Black to King's Landing?  

His brother Renly, of course, never walked the Kingsroad at all: he began on the Roseroad, and failed as soon as he tried to start on the Kingsroad (died at Storm's End). 

Robb walked the Kingsroad for a time, but he went far off it (at the Crag) and when he returned, the keepers of the Kingsroad (Freys) killed him for his transgressions.  

The Ironborn have shown little care for the Kingsroad - claiming two parts of it (Winterfell, Moat Cailin), but giving them up almost immediately and failing to grasp their importance.  

Aegon is starting his own journey of the Kingsroad now, getting to Storm's End at the beginning of WoW - how will that end?

Now, some of this starts to get tenuous, I grant, and there are a variety of different interpretations that seem valid.  At any rate, I think it's most notable that the Kingsroad travels from Storms End (Baratheon) to Castle Black (Snow).  Yes/no?

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The Kingsroad starts in Storm's End (Baratheon).  It goes to King's Landing, where it is intercepted by the Goldroad (Lannisters) and Roseroad (Tyrells) - but neither is actually part of the Kingsroad (i.e. not claiming kingship directly), they just join to it at King's Landing: they choose to attach to the Kingsroad rather than being part of it.  Now, Winterfell (Stark), that is on the Kingsroad.  And where indeed does the Kingsroad end?  At Castle Black, where a certain man of uncertain parentage stays.

Stannis, when he first tries to claim the throne, tries to march the road of kings from Storm's End to King's Landing.  He fails.  Time to try a different tact, surely?  Why not march the road of kings the other way - from Castle Black to King's Landing?  

His brother Renly, of course, never walked the Kingsroad at all: he began on the Roseroad, and failed as soon as he tried to start on the Kingsroad (died at Storm's End). 

Robb walked the Kingsroad for a time, but he went far off it (at the Crag) and when he returned, the keepers of the Kingsroad (Freys) killed him for his transgressions.  

The Ironborn have shown little care for the Kingsroad - claiming two parts of it (Winterfell, Moat Cailin), but giving them up almost immediately and failing to grasp their importance.  

Aegon is starting his own journey of the Kingsroad now, getting to Storm's End at the beginning of WoW - how will that end?

Now, some of this starts to get tenuous, I grant, and there are a variety of different interpretations that seem valid.  At any rate, I think it's most notable that the Kingsroad travels from Storms End (Baratheon) to Castle Black (Snow).  Yes/no?

Honestly I think you are overthinking.

It is just like King's landing, it is a name for the main road in the kingdom which pass through the king's capital: King's landing. 

By this logic, maybe Bronze-gate, house hayford and house Darry also can make as kings? they are right on the king's road. 

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I think you're onto something. What about the roads that lead to The Eyrie or other destinations? The Inn at the Crossroads is clearly important to this, too. The rivers are also symbolic roadways, of a sort. Has anyone sorted those out?

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Ah well, Freys thing falls apart then, my mistake there.

The River Road (Tully) and High Road (Arryn) only crosses with the Kingsroad, but neither meet it in King's Landing, i.e. neither have a king, nor any influence on the Iron Throne.  One could argue that the High Road shouldn't even cross, but there you go.

And again, I recognise this is all rather tenuous, and George didn't think in enough detail for it to all work out perfectly if there's any intention here at all, but I don't think it's beyond being a possibility.  But I do think there's at least something in Renly failing before he even began (at the start of the Kingsroad), Stannis trying to become king in one way and then another (at different ends of the Kingsroad), and the fact that it starts with Storm's End (Baratheon) and ends with Castle Black (Snow/Targaryen).  These could all reasonably have been thought out by George before the series began and aren't a big stretch.  

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Nice OP. I think that it is valid foreshadowing/ symbolism. Also it is interesting that the road connects three objects (Storm's End, Winterfell, The Wall) supposedly built by Brandon the Builder. Thought the road is much younger than any of them of course. 

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I think it's a symbolism of civilization, of "The Realm" and the King's Word, Justice, and Law being able to reach all four corners of the Seven Kingdoms.  Order, stability, and promise of free and safe commerce.

I expect the Kings Road to be destroyed somehow, or overgrown/Iced Over.

 

It definitly is a good thing, and when it goes away, you'll know things have gone south :(

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i think it is pretty neat that bran the builders most famous works are connected by this road.

It would make site seeing hella convenient.

Also, Anyone else notice that the map of the north kinda looks like a dude.

dreadfort is the eye with the weeping water nearby, widows watch the nose, the neck is the neck. Bay of ice kinda looks like a demon whispering in his ear. Wasn't that where LC Mormont told Tyrion that the fisher folk "claimed" they saw White Walkers. They could of easily been The Great Walrus, but still, I think it is worth mentioning. 

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