Three Heads of the Dragon: A Geographical Take

[J. Stargaryen]

I was looking at the HBO map of Westeros and Essos, and a funny thought occurred to me, one that I initially laughed off as a cute coincidence: Essos kind of looks like an animal. No, really. Specifically, the first thing that jumped out at me is that Valyria resembles a claw, or talons. The Red Waste and its surrounding lands could pass for feet and/or legs. And if it's meant to be animal-shaped, the northeast part of the continent is a tail.

I know that this is a bit further out there than the standard triple Targaryen with optional dragon theory, but hear me out. Before you dismiss this as mere crackpottery, please recall that in our own world Italy is known as the country that looks like a boot. If a real life country can look like a real life item by accident, then maybe a fictional continent in a fantasy series can look like an animal on purpose.

But where are the heads? That's where things get interesting. As you all know, just off the west coast of Essos is Westeros. Now, Westeros appears to be made up of three fairly distinct, vertically arranged sections or landmasses, when you include the lands beyond the Wall. In other words, it appears as though the three 'heads' are: the southern landmass, which is comprised of various kingdoms that form what I'll call the South; the single largest of the Seven Kindgoms, the North; and the aforementioned largely mysterious body of land often known as the Lands Beyond the Wall (LBtW).

Before we go any further, I just want to make clear that I am not attempting to say that if you look at the continents of Westeros and Essos together that you'll be able to make out a dragon with three heads. You won't. That's not the point either. I'm not bothered over being unable to visualize dragon-heads from the three landmasses of Westeros the same way I'm not bothered when I look at the night sky and try to picture this as a dragon.

Nor do I see any faces in Westeros. Except in the south, I suppose, where there is a place called the Isle of Faces. Cute, right? If that's not, might I remind you of the Neck? Did GRRM use the names, the Neck and the Isle of Faces, to nudge us toward the answer? I don't know, but I think that seems like something he might do.

Let's get back to the the THotD, and how I think this relates to that. In Dany's HotU vision Rhaegar says:

“There must be one more” [...] “The dragon has three heads.”

Because he's holding Aegon, people assume that he's talking about his children, and planning on having one more. There is some corroborating evidence for this theory, since he went out and got Lyanna pregnant with Jon Snow. But since at least one of Rhaegar's children is definitively dead, that means he was either mistaken about the requirements to fulfill this prophecy, or Westeros is flat out screwed. Naturally, most of us assume the former. If Rhaegar was wrong about the prophecy in some way, which we all pretty much universally agree on, then why are we assuming that he was right about any of it? In fact, who says this isn't an intentional misdirection by GRRM to begin with?

The typical THotD theory revolves around Targaryen savior types, and dragons who may or may not be ridden by them. But those options are unsatisfying and problematic because, for starters, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys already met those qualifications before the Conquest ever happened. So why weren't they the prophetic THotD? If not them, there were other Targaryen dragon riders post-Aegon I until the Dance of the Dragons in 129-131AL. What action, or lack there of, prevented more than 130 years worth of Targaryens from completing the THotD prophecy? If multiple dragon riding Targaryens are not what it takes to fulfill the prophecy, - they never were before, despite the aforementioned ample window - then it has to be something else.

The geographical solution to this puzzle suggests an obvious answer to this nagging question. No human that we know of, Targaryen or otherwise, has ever united the entire continent of Westeros. The Targaryens eventually formed one kingdom out of the smaller ones that already existed on the two landmasses heads south of the Wall, but they stopped there. What lies beyond the Wall? The third and final head of the dragon, separated from the other two by a magical wall of ice. Viewed in this light, Rhaegar's words make perfect sense:

“There must be one more” [...] “The dragon has three heads.”

The Wildlings call themselves the Free Folk because the kingdom of Westeros does not extend beyond the icy barrier of the Wall. But that's not all that makes the northernmost landmass different from the other two. Not by a long shot. Because the Wildlings aren't the only things that live there. It is also the realm of magical creatures, including the Others. They have been pressing south during the story, and another war between human and White Walker is inevitable. The original War for the Dawn was fought back in the Age of Heroes, thousands of years ago. Though humanity apparently won, they did not completely rid themselves of the Others. According to legend, some of the magical races helped the humans build the Wall, which largely halted humanity's expansion beyond that point in return for a barrier against the Others.

All in all, it seems like the humans made out pretty good in this deal, getting two out of the three heads. But I wonder what made the magical races agree to this division. Are the lands beyond the Wall more valuable than the other two parts for some reason? Maybe something to do with the heart of winter? Just thinking out loud here. In any case, the deal is going to be reworked shortly, with the winning side claiming all three sections of Westeros for itself.

I don't think GRRM is writing this series to tell us about the second of many Wars for the Dawn. I think he set the series during this time frame to tell us the tale of the second and final War for the Dawn. If so, that means humans need to defeat the Others once and for all. Assuming they do, that third landmass known as the LBtW will join the other two, and all three will belong to the realm of man for the first time in known history. And I think that is what it will take to realize the Three Heads of the Dragon prophecy. Until that happens, let us not forget:

"There must be one more" [...] "The dragon has three heads."

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Ultimately, I'm not sure if this is supposed to be the answer or a clue to the answer. For example, as a clue this would coincide nicely with Apple Martini's one dragon person with three heads titles theory. In other words, one king ruling all three 'heads'/sections. Alternatively, it could be one ruler per land mass; e.g., Jon in the LBtW, Aegon in the North, Dany in the south. Arrange them how you like. Also, before I forget, I do think this line of thought leaves the future of the Wall in serious doubt. Appreciate it while it's still here, folks.

Some of you are probably chomping at the bit to point out that I've used the non-canon HBO maps to make the case that Essos has the shape of an animal. That eastern Essos looks much different in the canon maps of the Lands of Ice and Fire; i.e., the pre-existing tail either does not exist, or has at least moved. It does look different, and frankly, using non-canon evidence is almost always a deal breaker for me. However, it turns out that the HBO maps are based are based on earlier versions that GRRM gave to HBO, according to Ran:

HBO's map will be inaccurate further east than Lhazar, more or less.

George completely wiped out his original plans for the areas further east about ... four weeks ago, and HBO's maps are based on older versions of his Essos map.

I'm just speculating here, but is it possible that GRRM looked at his original map of Essos and thought that it looked too much like an animal with its 'tail'? Why the significant last minute change? I can't say for sure, but attempting to obscure a clue, or the answer itself to a major prophecy would seem like a plausible explanation. Especially with such an obsessive fan base, including the likes of yours truly. :)

If there are supposed to be geographical clues, then looking to the older HBO map may prove to be a virtue instead of a vice, even though it is no longer canon. And, fwiw, this might also provide a good explanation for why GRRM only revealed the maps of the known world to us little by little for so many years. Give us enough time to sift through the evidence and a mystery like this one might be distilled down to the truth and little else.

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Thanks for reading, especially this longer version. The explanation grew in the editing. :)

[Ser Creighton]

Okay, well the new book really needs to come out.

The dragon did have two heads, or what he thought was the dragon, the Targaryen children. He already had two kids and was standing their with new born baby Aegon, then he saw Dany in like Vision. He thought he was seeing another Targaryen that he was suppose to father. "The dragon has three heads." Is a realization statement.

It's importance to the series is that it set in motion the abduction of Lyanna Stark. Which basically starts the series.Oh excuse me not abduction they lovingly ran away together, got married and had triplets and their own reality tv series called R+L=Jon.

People let me tell you about the best ship

It's a warm hearted story you'll love it front to end

People let me tell you about the best ship

Rhaegars boy, Lyanna's joy, your up your down our pride and joy.

If you need to ask if I am being sarcastic, you, you... well it's just obvious really.

[pestor]

westeros kinda looks like an old hag

[Addam of Hull]

Okay, well the new book really needs to come out.

The dragon did have two heads, or what he thought was the dragon, the Targaryen children. He already had two kids and was standing their with new born baby Aegon, then he saw Dany in like Vision. He thought he was seeing another Targaryen that he was suppose to father. "The dragon has three heads." Is a realization statement.

It's importance to the series is that it set in motion the abduction of Lyanna Stark. Which basically starts the series.Oh excuse me not abduction they lovingly ran away together, got married and had triplets and their own reality tv series called R+L=Jon.

People let me tell you about the best ship

It's a warm hearted story you'll love it front to end

People let me tell you about the best ship

Rhaegars boy, Lyanna's joy, your up your down our pride and joy.

If you need to ask if I am being sarcastic, you, you... well it's just obvious really.

If by got married, had triplets, and got their own reality tv show, you mean sparked a bloody civil war because of their eloping that ended with their death and thus subverting like 10,000 tropes about true love conquering all and living happily ever after then yes, you're correct.

[J. Stargaryen]

westeros kinda looks like an old hag

Kind of, and southwest of Highgarden I'm pretty sure you can see some dude's junk. :lol: I wouldn't worry about such specifics. After all, we could hardly expect the Targaryen sigil to appear on the map. Think in terms of constellations.

[Dornish Whine]

Got directed here from the thread about favorite new theories. I kinda like this. Even if the maps are now non-canon, the idea your stargazing has lead to may have some merit. While I agree with;

The dragon did have two heads, or what he thought was the dragon, the Targaryen children.

I think this coincides with the OP. The way things look now I think we have Aegon - the Prince that was Promised conquering the South and Jon (assuming he lives) - the Last Hero poised to conquer the North (maybe all the way to the Land of Always Winter). Now we just need Dany - Azor Ahai to land in the Vale and take the River Lands. That is my prediction/assumption for the three pronged strategy that will retake Westeros.

[Uruk-Hello]

westeros kinda looks like an old hag

Yep. Looks like a dragon's head (red waste lower jaw, lake above dothraki sea eyeball) chasing an old hag.

[J. Stargaryen]

Got directed here from the thread about favorite new theories. I kinda like this. Even if the maps are now non-canon, the idea your stargazing has lead to may have some merit. While I agree with;

I think this coincides with the OP. The way things look now I think we have Aegon - the Prince that was Promised conquering the South and Jon (assuming he lives) - the Last Hero poised to conquer the North (maybe all the way to the Land of Always Winter). Now we just need Dany - Azor Ahai to land in the Vale and take the River Lands. That is my prediction/assumption for the three pronged strategy that will retake Westeros.

Thanks, I always appreciate feedback. Especially the non-sarcastic kind.

I knew this was going to be a tough sell, but I still wanted to share it. I see what I think is a potential clue. I mean did GRRM accidentally shape Essos (vaguely) like an animal? Really? That just seems unlikely to me. Is he trolling us? I doubt it. And then you have Westeros which, like I said, appears to be made up of three large land masses. That seems like an awfully big coincidence for ASoIaF. And, BTW, GRRM has already laid the groundwork to think of these big, separate land masses as heads by calling the land connecting the North and the south the Neck.

Another thing that struck me is there's this part of the ToJ passage from Ned's fever dream that's been lingering in my mind lately:

Ned’s wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three.

Seven against three, eh? I wonder if that means something. What I'm starting to think is that the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros might become the Three Kingdoms of Westeros; the south, North, and beyond the Wall.

Just to reiterate, this would provide a good explanation for the why the 'dragon' only has two 'heads' at the moment; because there's a big friggin' magical wall blocking off the third head. If this hypothesis was as crackpot as it initially seemed to me, then it probably shouldn't be offering up such a good explanation. Not to mention, but a lot of crackpots are untestable to begin with.

[shiola]

This is an interesting theory and something I could only come up with after a lot of weed.

Nah man... the land is the dragon.. And everyone is a rider.

But, in all seriousness, although I don't think it's true I think it's really creative and I applaud you for it.

[Budj]

I like it. I never thought about the fact that the separation between North and South is the neck. This crack pottery also aligns with one of my other favorite theories that the wall is coming down. :)

I really like the interpretation that the three heads are north, south, and north of the wall (not the NW). It makes the most sense for Jon to be able to leave the watch while still focusing on the impending doom associated with it.

[J. Stargaryen]

This is an interesting theory and something I could only come up with after a lot of weed.

Nah man... the land is the dragon.. And everyone is a rider.

But, in all seriousness, although I don't think it's true I think it's really creative and I applaud you for it.

I always thought the dragon rider thing was misdirection, so I wouldn't apply that here. And, the great thing about weed is that you don't need a lot of it. It doesn't work the same way as alcohol, where the more you take the drunker you get. :D

I know that this theory is not going to be popular because it's so far off the beaten path, but I wish people could ditch their preconceptions for a few moments and consider it because it actually fits really well when you think about it. If the THotD meant three dragon riders, then why wasn't it fulfilled when Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys conquered the Seven Kingdoms? Because that seems problematic for the THotD = 3 dragon riders explanation. And if the THotD was three Targaryens, well, we've had plenty of Targaryens in Westeros for the past three centuries.

A reminder that we have a pending zombie apocalypse coming; aka, the War for the Dawn part 2. This WftD2 is going to be between humans and Others. Where do the humans live? They live in the 'south' and the North; aka, the first two heads of the dragon. Where do the Others live? They live in the lands beyond the Wall; aka, the third head of the dragon.

“There must be one more” [...] “The dragon has three heads.”

Humanity needs to defeat the Others. If/when they do this, they will add the lands beyond the Wall to the realm of man, and the dragon will have three heads.

---

Budj,

I do not believe that Chekov's Wall will still be standing at the end of the series. :)

[J. Stargaryen]

I've rewritten the OP, in an effort to clarify my reasoning. Have a look, let me know what questions or concerns you might have, or if there is anything you find problematic.

[J. Stargaryen]

Regarding the narrow strips of land connecting the South to the North, and the North to the LBtW, a little extra water in either of those areas and the narrow strips of land might disappear. I wonder if this theory doesn't maybe allow for that possibility to take place before the end of the series. Maybe the CotF will finally succeed in bringing the hammer of the waters down on the Neck, which would separate the North from the South by water. Perhaps the same fate awaits the narrow strip of land around the Wall. It shouldn't escape our attention that the Wall is a 700 foot tall, 300 mile long frozen river, after all. How much flooding would take place if it melted? Enough to separate the North from the LBtW?

[Techelles]

It's an interesting idea. Very difficult to determine one way or the other, of course, until we begin to see at least hints of the political landscape of Westeros after the Battle for the Dawn. It'd help if someone in-story had made a similar comment about the shapes of the continents while looking at a map. Tyrion seems like a character who might have made such an observation. I suppose he still could.

I agree that the coming war is not just one of many Battles for the Dawn, but the final one, and that the Others will most likely be destroyed at their source, which would free up the lands beyond the Wall and possibly even the Lands of Always Winter for human habitation. It will always be a cold place, but if the Others no longer existed there, the weather might well become more survivable. Point being that a genuine kingdom beyond the Wall could be a very real possibility by series' end. Then again, Martin could go the other way with it and obliterate a significant swath of that territory with an event similar to the Doom, which shattered an entire peninsula. Perhaps that's what it will take to destroy ice, just as it destroyed fire, leaving behind a toxic, Chernobyl-like wasteland.

I don't know if the three landmasses are specifically tied to the three heads of the dragon, but the series does often play with the idea of the rule of three, so there may well be something to their significance in that regard. If they are tied to the three heads, I'd say it's only one level of the prophecy's meaning, and by no means the primary one. For whatever it's worth, Rhaegar clearly didn't think of the heads in this way. True, his interpretations are somewhat suspect, like you said, but either one human being or three is the true crux of the prophecy, I think, so I wouldn't really call Rhaegar's interpretation wrong or an authorial attempt at misdirection. I know your idea that the land masses are only significant in so far as they are ruled by one to three Targaryens pretty much implies this, but I thought it was worth restating.

The typical THotD theory revolves around Targaryen savior types, and dragons who may or may not be ridden by them. But those options are unsatisfying and problematic because, for starters, Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys already met those qualifications before the Conquest ever happened. So why weren't they the prophetic THotD? If not them, there were other Targaryen dragon riders post-Aegon I until the Dance of the Dragons in 129-131AL. What action, or lack there of, prevented more than 130 years worth of Targaryens from completing the THotD prophecy? If multiple dragon riding Targaryens are not what it takes to fulfill the prophecy, - they never were before, despite the aforementioned ample window - then it has to be something else.

Here I'd mention that no one but Rhaegar and Aemon (and Dany, after her vision of Rhaegar) ever mentions the Three Heads of the Dragon, so whether it's even a prophecy at all is somewhat debatable at this point. Mel, for instance, seemingly has no knowledge of the three heads, yet she otherwise seems well-versed in the relevant prophecies. For my part, I'd argue that THotD is indeed a prophecy, but that it does not predate the conquest. In fact, I'd say it was only picked up by the Targaryens with the last 100-150 years, and that it then became conflated with the PtwP prophecy in the same way that that the latter became conflated with the original AAR prophecy, which is obviously the oldest. If this is the case, I expect the prophecy was revealed via Targaryen dragon dreams, perhaps even by the same Daeron who foretold the return of the dragons in the days of D&E. The Ghost of High Heart (or someone like her, perhaps from the Isle of Faces) is another possible source. I'm not saying that this means that the THotD are necessarily dragon riders, but it would explain why Aegon the Conqueror and subsequent dragon-riding Targaryens were not considered in terms of fulfilling the prophecy.

Of course, there are other schools of thought on this particular point.

[Lady Shadow Cat]

Cool idea. I know your not trying to say it looks like a perfect animal shape, but other than the claw of Valyria, I'm not seeing it on Essos. Is there a link to the map you're referring to? Maybe I'm looking at the wrong one.

[J. Stargaryen]

Cool idea. I know your not trying to say it looks like a perfect animal shape, but other than the claw of Valyria, I'm not seeing it on Essos. Is there a link to the map you're referring to? Maybe I'm looking at the wrong one.

The link seems to have vanished for some reason, but it is back in the first sentence now. Or here

I agree that the Valyrian claw is the only part with noticeable zoomorphic qualities. But if you can imagine that Valyria is a claw, and that claw is attached to an animal, then the northeast part of Essos would be its tail, and the southeast would be feet and/or legs. Does it really look that much like an animal? No, it doesn't. But does Italy look that much like a boot? No, it doesn't. Not one that I would wear, anyway. Yet Italy is known as the country that looks like a boot.

Google images for map of Europe.

---

Techelles,

Thanks for the input. You make some good points, but I get the impression that you're dismissing my theory based entirely on your opinion, which itself is based on preconceived notions. For example, I don't quite understand your reasoning behind saying that this answer could not be the primary one. It seems that you're saying the THotD must be a person or persons, but I don't see any evidence backing up your position; just a claim. Even if you're correct, I think you're underestimating the role Westeros would play in that version of prophecy.

Let's assume the THotD prophecy stems from Targaryen dragon dreams. First we'll consider the three heads to mean three Targaryens. That would conveniently put one Targaryen in charge of each section of Westeros: the South, the North, and the Lands Beyond the Wall.

Next up is the One dragon with three heads interpretation. In that case the dragon is the Targaryen ruler, and his or her three heads are the South, the North, and the Lands Beyond the Wall. Fits pretty nicely, eh? Especially when you consider that no Targaryen has ever had more than two of those heads.

“There must be one more” [...] “The dragon has three heads.”

[Lady Shadow Cat]

The link seems to have vanished for some reason, but it is back in the first sentence now. Or here

I agree that the Valyrian claw is the only part with noticeable anthropomorphic qualities. But if you can imagine that Valyria is a claw, and that claw is attached to an animal, then the northeast part of Essos would be its tail, and the southeast would be feet and/or legs. Does it really look that much like an animal? No, it doesn't. But does Italy look that much like a boot? No, it doesn't. Not one that I would wear, anyway. Yet Italy is known as the country that looks like a boot.

I kinda see it now, thanks for the link. I know what Italy looks like though lol.

[J. Stargaryen]

I kinda see it now, thanks for the link. I know what Italy looks like though lol.

I have no doubt that you know what Italy looks like. Most of us do, largely because it famously looks like a boot. Then again, when you look at it it doesn't really look that much like a boot. That's the point I was trying to make, for everyone to see.

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I think if I had just stated this theory as being about Westeros's three sections, people might have focused more on that aspect. But, you know, looking at the map was my light bulb moment, so I led with that. I think presenting the case in the order I did undermines its strength. If instead I led with the Westeros portion and then threw in - By the way, Essos kind of looks like an animal - people might have more readily accepted that part.

I think I've mistakenly given people the impression that this theory hinges how much someone think Essos looks like an animal; it doesn't. At this point I probably can't emphasize that enough. Concentrate on the fact that Westeros is made up of three distinct sections, and that only two of them belong to humans.

“There must be one more” [...] “The dragon has three heads.”

[Mart of house Stark]

Remeber the broken ARM OF DORNE ?

I'm sold on your theory :)

[Mart of house Stark]

Wasn't there some sort of prophecy in GoT about an eternal Summer ? I bet if they can conquer the heart of Winter thet might acheive that dream. And Others cannot thrive in the heat.