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Rhaegar targaryen


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My own out of left field preference is that it's a prophecy of the Doom coming to Westeros, but that's likely just me being hopeful to get more historical info on said Doom... That said, I think the main text has been devoted to the Other invasion more than anything else, but that's not to say the 2 couldn't be linked! *keeps hopes up*
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Rhaegar might have read something about war surrounding the reappearance of Dragons, and initially thought he needed to be a warrior for that. His later realization that he was not the PwwP, and would instead have to die in battle in order for the PwwP to come into being might go a long way towards explaining his melancholy demeanor.
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Winter Crow,

[quote]Those questions are what I believe the key to understanding Rhaegar and his possible actions. He was, as we all know, willing to stake everything to make the prophecy come true. But why? What does it stop? Is he meant to stop the Others (which seems to be a popular theory)? Or something completely different.
Those are some good questions Aplomb... I do think they would give us a large dose of insight into Rhaegar and his personality.[/quote]

Rhaegar wasn't meant to stop the Others because he's dead. However, he originally thought he was the one to do it. The bleeding star, born among smoke and fire and all the rest of the prophetic details led him to believe that he was the Westeros version of AA. When he got older and realized it wasn't the case he started to believe that AEgon was tPwwP. IMO, Rhaegar read the prophecy and felt it was going to come true in his lifetime and dedicated his life to ensure that the Others would be stopped. Unfortunately for him he was wrong in his assumptions.

Shewoman,

[quote]Elia might have put a stop to it. According to the series, when she was born it wasn't thought she would survive (this is in A Feast for Crows) and throughout her life she was sickly. Aegon probably was already conceived at Harrenhal. Since the marriage was made as an alliance with Dorne, letting the obviously sick Dornish princess die probably wouldn't be a good idea.[/quote]

Dorne was already a part of the kingdom and his marriage to Elia was not to make an alliance. Recall that he had people looking everywhere for a suitable bride for him? Elia must have been the one who best fit the bill at the time.

I also don't think shaming and neglecting a sick, pregnant Dornish princess who happened to be his wife was a very good idea and IIRC correctly the Martell's were very pissed at him for what he had done.
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Guest Other-in-law
[quote name='snake' post='1727631' date='Mar 20 2009, 17.59']IMO, Rhaegar read the prophecy and felt it was going to come true in his lifetime and dedicated his life to ensure that the Others would be stopped.[/quote]
It's not even clear to me that Rhaegar, or any of his would-be prophecy interpreting predecessors, even connected the dots between the PtwP and the Others. Aemon seems to have, but if Rhaegar was a firm believer that the Others would be a resurgent threat, one would expect him to throw his prestige and influence behind the NW...and there doesn't seem to be any indication that he did.


[quote]Dorne was already a part of the kingdom and his marriage to Elia was not to make an alliance.[/quote] In a broad sense, most lordly marriages constitute a form of alliance in Westeros, though the Targaryens have usually stood above all that.
[quote]and IIRC correctly the Martell's were very pissed at him for what he had done.[/quote]
I think there's some indication that they were upset, but I don't know about the "very". They certainly didn't react like Brandon Stark did, and the Red Viper in particular had a fierce temperament. Also, his paramour expressed interest in a threesome with [s]Elia[/s] Cersei, so the Dornish may have a much different attitude about these things than the rest of Westeros...especially if there was a legal polygamous marriage (which they may not have known about, even if it did happen).
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[quote name='Other-in-law' post='1727654' date='Mar 20 2009, 19.26']It's not even clear to me that Rhaegar, or any of his would-be prophecy interpreting predecessors, even connected the dots between the PtwP and the Others. Aemon seems to have, but if Rhaegar was a firm believer that the Others would be a resurgent threat, one would expect him to throw his prestige and influence behind the NW...and there doesn't seem to be any indication that he did.[/quote]

Well, Melisandre's take on it is that Stannis will be the one to lead the world in the destruction of the Others and Maester Aemon seemed to be aware of the prophecy. He mentioned the War of the Dawn(or is it War for the Dawn?). He also implied that he and Rhaegar were in discussions about said war and who was to be tPwwP that would lead them. It was Maester Aemon who talked of Rhaegar thinking it was himself and then baby Aegon. They both assumed it was to be a male.

So tPwwP would lead all armies and as Stannis has shown you do not need to be a member of the NW in order to go North to defend the realm.


[quote]In a broad sense, most lordly marriages constitute a form of alliance in Westeros, though the Targaryens have usually stood above all that.[/quote]

True, but the search for a bride indicates that an alliance was not what Rhaegar was after.

[quote]I think there's some indication that they were upset, but I don't know about the "very". They certainly didn't react like Brandon Stark did, and the Red Viper in particular had a fierce temperament.[/quote]

IIRC, GRRM stated that the reason Dorne never sent more men to the war effort was because of Doran's innate caution and the fact that they were upset with Rhaegar over the Harenhall mess.

[quote]Also, his paramour expressed interest in a threesome with Elia, so the Dornish may have a much different attitude about these things than the rest of Westeros...especially if there was a legal polygamous marriage (which they may not have known about, even if it did happen).[/quote]

She did? I actually cannot recall that. I remember the Red Viper talking of threesomes they shared and how she was wild to get Cersei in their bed but nothing of Elia but it has been a couple of years since I've reread the books.
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Guest Other-in-law
[quote name='snake' post='1727816' date='Mar 20 2009, 20.06']IIRC, GRRM stated that the reason Dorne never sent more men to the war effort was because of Doran's innate caution and the fact that they were upset with Rhaegar over the Harenhall mess.[/quote]
No doubt Doran's personality had a lot to do with it. It's interesting that we don't get any angry memories about Rhaegar and Lyanna from the Dornish, but then again Arianne would have been very young when it happened, and it's since been eclipsed by greater outrages. Still, I have a hard time picturing the sort of seething rage in Dorne that we saw after Oberyn's death, because of Rhaegar. I think they were probably angry, just not[i] that[/i] angry.

On the number of men, I don't think it was a poor showing by the Dornish. They sent 10,000 men up the Kingsroad to fight for Rhaegar, which compares pretty well to the 1,800 Robb marched south with when you consider that Dorne is the numerically weakest of the Seven Kingdoms (excluding the Isles), as Doran explained about the Young Dragon exaggerating their strength.
[quote]She did? I actually cannot recall that. I remember the Red Viper talking of threesomes they shared and how she was wild to get Cersei in their bed but nothing of Elia but it has been a couple of years since I've reread the books.[/quote]
No, you're right. I mistyped, I meant Cersei. :dunce:
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[quote name='Other-in-law' post='1727846' date='Mar 20 2009, 21.31']No doubt Doran's personality had a lot to do with it. It's interesting that we don't get any angry memories about Rhaegar and Lyanna from the Dornish, but then again Arianne would have been very young when it happened, and it's since been eclipsed by greater outrages. Still, I have a hard time picturing the sort of seething rage in Dorne that we saw after Oberyn's death, because of Rhaegar. I think they were probably angry, just not[i] that[/i] angry.[/quote]

Rhaegar snubbed Elia in public. Tywin had her and her children murdered and Prince Oberyn died trying to get justice for Elia. I think that can explain the differences in attitudes. Plus, Elia died a long time ago.

[quote]On the number of men, I don't think it was a poor showing by the Dornish. They sent 10,000 men up the Kingsroad to fight for Rhaegar, which compares pretty well to the 1,800 Robb marched south with when you consider that Dorne is the numerically weakest of the Seven Kingdoms (excluding the Isles), as Doran explained about the Young Dragon exaggerating their strength.[/quote]

You would think that they would send what they could spare seeing it's Doran's sisters husband at risk, as well as his Uncle, and his niece and nephew. I actually think that Doran thought that Elia wouldn't be harmed much like Tywin felt it was not necessary. Perhpas he even felt the children would not be harmed [i]if[/i] Rhaegar lost, although that would be rather foolish since he had to know that Robert had proclaimed himself king and would need secure his throne from future Targaryen aggression.

Plus, it was GRRM that said that the reason there wasn't more was because Doran and Co. were not happy with Rhaegar. So I'll go with that.


[quote]No, you're right. I mistyped, I meant Cersei. :dunce:[/quote]

:lol: You had me going there for a bit.
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