“A cloth dragon on poles,” Dany explained. “Mummers use them in their follies, to give the heroes something to fight.”

[Leonardo]

“A dead man in the prow of a ship, a blue rose, a banquet of blood . . . what does any of it mean, Khaleesi? A mummer’s dragon, you said. What is a mummer’s dragon, pray?”
“A cloth dragon on poles,” Dany explained. “Mummers use them in their follies, to give the heroes something to fight.”

 

I won't go over how many theories there are regarding what mummer's dragons are, but this line really stuck out to me upon re-reading a quote. If Daenerys comes to Westeros and her and Aegon do come to blows, they will likely paint her as a villain and run a smear campaign, in order to make out Aegon as a hero and savior. I'm also trying to remember if the words 'mummer's dragon' are said anywhere but in this passage. That line of Daenerys is especially interesting considering the circumstances...

 

Just something I was thinking about and wanted to make note of.

[RoamingRonin]

That line has always stuck with me and gives me hope Dany's invasion will have noble motives.

Just because the people view her negatively doesn't mean she won't be the hero of the conflict. The Dornish folk have poor opinions of Doran but he's actually looking out for their best interests. Public opinion matters but they don't always have all the information to accurately assess the situation.

We know Aegon is backed by Illyrio and Varys and we know all of the things they've done to support him. The smallfolk don't. It seems likely Aegon will be hailed as a savior and Dany will ride in with dragons and a host of unsavory people... but she'll be coming to dethrone a puppet king and his nefarious council.

[Queenstorm]

something about this post got at my memory, wasnt Aegon on a pole boat? So he could be the mummers dragon (not a targaryen) that varys and illyrio are using to give the people of westeros (the heroes) something to fight for? Just a thought 

[LiveFirstDieLater]

FYI: asearchoficeandfire.com is invaluable for looking up things like that!

But if you just look up "Mummers" there are lots of fun quotes... Like Varys's story about his past. (You have to sort though the bloody mummers, but meh)

[Lost Melnibonean]

3 hours ago, Queenstorm said:

something about this post got at my memory, wasnt Aegon on a pole boat? So he could be the mummers dragon (not a targaryen) that varys and illyrio are using to give the people of westeros (the heroes) something to fight for? Just a thought 

"Pole boat"--nice! 

[Good Guy Garlan]

I wonder if there's more to that quote. Like, if Aegon's going to be the reason Dany finally (finally) gets her act together and heads to Westeros to fight for the throne. 

But yeah, she's totally gonna be seen as a villain by the people in Westeros. I mean, the Mad King's daughter showing up with the Demon Monkey, the Ironborn, Dothraki, and a Red Priest. It's a PR disaster waiting to happen. 

[LiveFirstDieLater]

6 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

I wonder if there's more to that quote. Like, if Aegon's going to be the reason Dany finally (finally) gets her act together and heads to Westeros to fight for the throne. 

But yeah, she's totally gonna be seen as a villain by the people in Westeros. I mean, the Mad King's daughter showing up with the Demon Monkey, the Ironborn, Dothraki, and a Red Priest. It's a PR disaster waiting to happen. 

I hate to be trite... But when you have dragons, who gives a shit about the peasant popularity contest 

 

now if there are dragons on both sides... Well then you have a ball game

[Lost Melnibonean]

4 hours ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

I wonder if there's more to that quote. Like, if Aegon's going to be the reason Dany finally (finally) gets her act together and heads to Westeros to fight for the throne. 

But yeah, she's totally gonna be seen as a villain by the people in Westeros. I mean, the Mad King's daughter showing up with the Demon Monkey, the Ironborn, Dothraki, and a Red Priest. It's a PR disaster waiting to happen. 

It's "twisted little monkey demon."

[Leonardo]

7 hours ago, LiveFirstDieLater said:

I hate to be trite... But when you have dragons, who gives a shit about the peasant popularity contest 

 

now if there are dragons on both sides... Well then you have a ball game

I think it's a ball game regardless; Maegor had the biggest dragons of the past few hundred years and STILL never ended his war with the faith militant. Dany's are less than a tenth the size of Balerion at best I reckon, and will more be a banner for her cause and a reminder of Aegon the Conqueror than truly potent war machines. Also great for travel at high speed

 

Aegon will undoubtedly have the faith of the seven on his side as Varys alludes to in the epilogue, and likely a much larger army at his disposal and some impressive castles. I think it's already a ball game with that in mind, just that Dany is holding an ace and queen while Aegon holds a king and jack, with two more cards still waiting to be laid on the table... In a Texas Hold 'Em analogy ;D

[Good Guy Garlan]

1 hour ago, Leonardo said:

I think it's a ball game regardless; Maegor had the biggest dragons of the past few hundred years and STILL never ended his war with the faith militant. Dany's are less than a tenth the size of Balerion at best I reckon, and will more be a banner for her cause and a reminder of Aegon the Conqueror than truly potent war machines. Also great for travel at high speed

 

Aegon will undoubtedly have the faith of the seven on his side as Varys alludes to in the epilogue, and likely a much larger army at his disposal and some impressive castles. I think it's already a ball game with that in mind, just that Dany is holding an ace and queen while Aegon holds a king and jack, with two more cards still waiting to be laid on the table... In a Texas Hold 'Em analogy ;D

Agreed, not to mention that Aegon might also get Dorne, aka Targ Kryptonite

[239JMFL34109]

2 minutes ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

Agreed, not to mention that Aegon might also get Dorne, aka Targ Kryptonite

i think people are talking themselves into a great battle between them. When i think he wants a queen she will say prove you are aegon and ride the black dragon. So bam dead aegon. 

[LiveFirstDieLater]

1 hour ago, Leonardo said:

I think it's a ball game regardless; Maegor had the biggest dragons of the past few hundred years and STILL never ended his war with the faith militant. Dany's are less than a tenth the size of Balerion at best I reckon, and will more be a banner for her cause and a reminder of Aegon the Conqueror than truly potent war machines. Also great for travel at high speed

 

Aegon will undoubtedly have the faith of the seven on his side as Varys alludes to in the epilogue, and likely a much larger army at his disposal and some impressive castles. I think it's already a ball game with that in mind, just that Dany is holding an ace and queen while Aegon holds a king and jack, with two more cards still waiting to be laid on the table... In a Texas Hold 'Em analogy ;D

It's a cute analogy, I like it. What suit, Hearts? Is Jon the king of spades? haha

But I was alluding to the fact that I think all the Dragons don't have to be on the same side... I have to imagine that two dragons with riders will fight at some point...

[Good Guy Garlan]

14 minutes ago, 239JMFL34109 said:

i think people are talking themselves into a great battle between them. When i think he wants a queen she will say prove you are aegon and ride the black dragon. So bam dead aegon. 

I'd be so pissed if that happens, though. It would be a repeat of Quentyn, and Aegon would've been a terrible waste of pages. 

[239JMFL34109]

Just now, Good Guy Garlan said:

I'd be so pissed if that happens, though. It would be a repeat of Quentyn, and Aegon would've been a terrible waste of pages. 

i don't think it is going to be that but more political backstabbing them duels on the battlefield. 

[RoamingRonin]

15 hours ago, Queenstorm said:

something about this post got at my memory, wasnt Aegon on a pole boat? So he could be the mummers dragon (not a targaryen) that varys and illyrio are using to give the people of westeros (the heroes) something to fight for? Just a thought 

The quote indicates the dragon is the thing the heroes fight against, not fight for. I imagine it's a show put on during festivals: some costumed hero does choreographed fighting against a line of guys under a cloth dragon and he "slays" it for the crowd.

In this vision, the crowd approves of the dragon rather than fearing it.

The popular interpretation is that Aegon (the cloth dragon) arrives in Westeros and defeats the Lannister/Tyrell alliance and takes the throne. The people of King's Landing cheer the return of Rhaegar's heir. There's a period of peace under the rule of the "true" king. But then Dany lands with her army and her dragons and thus begins the second Dance of the Dragons.

[Brianstorm]

Makes it sound like the mummer already knows the cloth dragon isn't the hero and has set it up to be easily overcome

[The Drunkard]

5 hours ago, 239JMFL34109 said:

i think people are talking themselves into a great battle between them. When i think he wants a queen she will say prove you are aegon and ride the black dragon. So bam dead aegon. 

I don't think so. There's an SSM where GRRM mentions that a book will focus on the second dance of dragons, and that girl Arianne meets dreams of dragons dancing around and killing people, which would seem to suggest there'll be a costly war.

I expect he'll be initially successful, beating some of the armies thrown his way and rallying enough of the south to be a credible opponent. By the time Dany arrives he won't need her dragons and he won't want a co-ruler, and Dany isn't going to settle for being a trophy wife, so they'll come to blows.

As to the quote, if it's meant to be significant, maybe it's meant to suggest that a regime led by Varys, Illyrio, JonCon, the High Septon and certain Sand Snakes won't be a great one. Although I don't see an invasion of Dothraki, ironborn and R'hllor zealots being too great either.

[Company of the Cat]

17 hours ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

I wonder if there's more to that quote. Like, if Aegon's going to be the reason Dany finally (finally) gets her act together and heads to Westeros to fight for the throne. 

But yeah, she's totally gonna be seen as a villain by the people in Westeros. I mean, the Mad King's daughter showing up with the Demon Monkey, the Ironborn, Dothraki, and a Red Priest. It's a PR disaster waiting to happen.                                 

You are my new favourite person. 

Also, I think you're right. It's possible that she's going to be largely misunderstood by the Westorosi and it'll be interesting to see how Dany would react to this.. reaction? 

[WSmith84]

1 hour ago, Company of the Cat said:

You are my new favourite person. 

Also, I think you're right. It's possible that she's going to be largely misunderstood by the Westorosi and it'll be interesting to see how Dany would react to this.. reaction? 

It will be an interesting thing to observe. In Slavers' Bay, Dany is used to having the (majority of the) common people on her side, regardless of what the rich and powerful think of her. In Westeros, maybe no one will want her ruling. It would be fascinating to see what she makes of that. And if she finds out about the threat of the Others, that will add an extra dimension to it all.

[Neptunium]

9 hours ago, Good Guy Garlan said:

I'd be so pissed if that happens, though. It would be a repeat of Quentyn, and Aegon would've been a terrible waste of pages. 

This is just speculation, but bear with me for a minute.

I like to think that Dany will issue an open challenge for Aegon to claim one of her dragons (i.e. "Sure, I'll marry Aegon and support Aegon's claim... if he can prove who he has by taming a dragon"), a challenge to which he won't respond. The people (high-born and low-born alike) might be excited by this at first, but when as time passes they might become increasingly suspicious and doubt Aegon's identity.

I doubt it would be the end of it, but it will contribute to Dany's war effort all the same (just like rumour of Joffrey's parentage didn't make everyone run to Stannis, but it made people doubt Joffrey and benefited Stannis' campaign all the same) and make many lords just that little bit more likely to switch sides.

In the end, if Dany wins, I imagine people would act like "Of course he wasn't a Targaryen, he couldn't ride a dragon!". Of course, we know that having Targaryen blood isn't a guarantee that you can tame a dragon (see Quentyn), and Aegon might not want to take the risk even if he might have the potential (I imagine he might be compelled to try it at first, but wise counselling (particularly from Doran, after hearing about Quentyn) might convince him otherwise.

 

So it's possible Dany tears down the mummer's dragon not by proving Aegon's a fake, but by convincing Westeros that he is. I suspect he's a fake; but I also suspect that the reader might not learn more about the truth than now.