The High Tower Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 Hi, first post so apologies if this has been asked/answered before. So there seem to be a few mentions of a golden sword that Jaime used to kill Aerys. Any thoughts as to what happened to it? I recall it only being referenced in the past tense. I assumed Jaime stopped using it after that and wondered if it might A) be in a vault in Casterly Rock and no longer used or B ) melted down or otherwise destroyed because of the profane history connected to it. Knights cherish their blades and even name them so it would be strange if Jaime just generally liked changing swords, and more likely it seems that this one was retired and replaced. Of course it's also entirely possible it has no significance at all and GRRM just mentioned it being golden in passing as it suits Jaime's character and association with his family. But what do you think happened to this potentially legendary blade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaime4Brienne Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I just quickly scanned Storm of Swords Chapter 11. Jaime says in his dreams he has a gold sword but when he's actually thinking of when he killed Aerys there is no mention of what the sword looked like. (that I could find). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dina of Oldstones Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 “Kingslayer,” he pronounced carefully. “And such a king he was!” He lifted his cup. “To Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. And to the sword that opened his throat. A golden sword, don’t you know. Until his blood ran red down the blade. Those are the Lannister colors, red and gold.” - Catelyn VII, A Clash of Kings I think the usage of a golden sword drives home, that on that day, Jaime was very much acting as a Lannister, rather than a member of the Kingsguard. He chose his Lord Lannister father's life over Aerys' and used his own personal judgement as a lion of Lannister to weigh up that the innocents of Kings Landing's were worth more than one awful King. I've never noticed the colour symbolism before, thank you for bringing it up As for the sword? Jaime struggles with the fact that he broke his vow and attempts to partially keep his Kingsguard vows by not breathing a word of the incidents leading up to Aerys death. He hates the whispers of "Kingslayer!" trying to own it and not wanting to lose face, so I would not be surprised if he quietly retired the sword, and opted for another one without a tainted past. Nothing in the text that I've seen to suggest that though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady bonehead Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 I'm not sure but I think he had a golden sword on another occasion, probably not the same one, just a random sword that had been gilded for decorative reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joy Hill Posted April 1, 2016 Share Posted April 1, 2016 When he has his confrontation with Ned and pulls out his sword, doesn't Ned describe it as the golden sword that drunk Aerys's blood? Maybe that's the sword Jaime lost in the whispering woods (in a Stark bannerman's skull). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkSister1001 Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 On 4/1/2016 at 0:33 PM, Joy Hill said: Maybe that's the sword Jaime lost mislaid in the whispering woods (in a Stark bannerman's skull). There, fixed. And welcome all newcomers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valens Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Because it took a golden sword to kill a king. You can't kill a Targaryen king with a regular sword! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shostak Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 If it was a literal golden (gilded) sword, it likely got lost at the Whispering Wood as had been suggested. However, he may have just been speaking metaphorically, by claiming that when he killed Aerys he acted as a Lannister (golden sword) rather than a kingsguard (white sword). In the same way he later points out that he had literally put on his golden armour rather than his white set before doing the deed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The High Tower Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 Interesting ideas, thanks for your thoughts. Maybe there really is a lot of symbolism in this minor, apparently throwaway thing. I like the idea that he was acting as a Lannister with this choice. Although, if that were true he might have used a crossbow haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aryagonnakill#2 Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 There's no way a kingsguard would use an actual golden sword, that sword would not be functional. The pommel could have been gold, or it could just be a metaphor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The High Tower Posted June 15, 2016 Author Share Posted June 15, 2016 Wasn't he wearing golden armour too though? Not his usual Kingsguard white enamelled get-up. That would further suggest that he was in Lannister mode. Also it could have been a gilded blade, a solid gold blade would indeed be woefully impractical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OuttaOldtown Posted June 15, 2016 Share Posted June 15, 2016 Is that what Cersei calls it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shireen Purratheon Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 On 6/15/2016 at 4:09 PM, Cowboy Dan said: Jaime's arc was the one that first woke me up to the color symbolism in the series. I think the sword its self matters less than what it represents so we don't know where it is. Gold is the color most associated with Jaime. He's a member of the White Swords yet wields gold sword, golden armor, and when Bran sees him in visions he is always shining gold. He has two secondary colors: first red and later white. Early in AFFC the importance is basically spelled out. Anytime a narrator says "this character never does this" then has the character do that exact thing, it's usually important. So red represents glory and white represents honor. Early on Jaime is heavily associated with red and glory but chooses honor and the white after his experiences with Brienne and the de-handing. Though later in AFFC when he travels to Darry and Riverrun he wears crimson because he's there for Cersei and Kevan respectively, not for any knightly vows. He also literally gives away his red sword when he does the honorable thing in sending Brienne to look for Catelyn's kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Warning Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 Jaime probably just gets his swords gilded to match his armour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dofs Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 The sword was 100% gilded, no way he would use a sword made from actual gold. I am also not sure the sword was of any importance. Jaime had probably changed it at some point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brightstar_ Posted June 17, 2016 Share Posted June 17, 2016 On 6/15/2016 at 9:01 PM, aryagonnakill#2 said: There's no way a kingsguard would use an actual golden sword, that sword would not be functional. The pommel could have been gold, or it could just be a metaphor. It's obviously a gilded sword, gold is way too soft to actually be useful in combat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Castellan Posted June 18, 2016 Share Posted June 18, 2016 Yes, just matched his armour no doubt. He deliberately dressed in gold didn't he, but forgot to change his cloak to crimson? He regretted soiling his white cloak, can't remember where this memory occurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamSongs Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 On 6/17/2016 at 9:15 PM, Castellan said: He regretted soiling his white cloak, can't remember where this memory occurs. In ASOS, he tells Brienne that the white cloak soiled him. In that same chapter, he recalls wearing his gold armor and wishes he had taken off the white cloak as well. I believe its from Jaime II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamSongs Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 Working on a Jon reread this afternoon and found this in one Eddard's chapters in AGOT: 'Jaime Lannister poked at Ned's chest with the gilded sword that had sipped the blood of the last of the Dragonkings.' So Jaime kept the sword and had it at least through AGOT. Most likely, it was lost in the Whispering Woods when he was taken captive by Robb's forces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raisin' Bran Posted June 20, 2016 Share Posted June 20, 2016 DreamSongs seems to know his Lannister chronology well. I think that losing the sword at Whispering Woods is the most likely explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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