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Daenerys Stormborn - A Re-Read Project Part I: AGoT


MoIaF

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I'm really tired of the assertion that dragon dream were dragons appear are always about Targaryans when it's simply not true. Daeron saw the return of the dragons - he knew the difference between seeing Targaryan dragons in his dream and seeing real dragons.

"I dreamed of you, said the prince.

You said that at the inn.

Did I? Well, its so. My dreams are not like yours, Ser Duncan. Mine are true. They frighten me. You frighten me. I dreamed of you and a dead dragon, you see. A great beast, huge, with wings so large they could cover this meadow. It had fallen on top of you, but you were alive and the dragon was dead.

Did I kill it?

That I could not say, but you were there, and so was the dragon. We were the masters of dragons once, we Targaryens. Now they are all gone, but we remain. I dont care to die today. The gods alone know why, but I dont. So do me a kindness if you would, and make certain it is my brother Aerion you slay.

I dont care to die either, said Dunk.

Well, I shant kill you, ser. Ill withdraw my accusation as well, but it wont serve unless Aerion withdraws his. He sighed. It may be that Ive killed you with my lie. If so, I am sorry. Im doomed to some hell, I know. Likely one without wine. He shuddered, and on that they parted, there in the cool soft rain."

Here we clearly see that Daeron knew his dream was about a Targaryan. Then Egg says to,Dunk:

"Someday the dragons will return. My brother Daerons dreamed of it, and King Aerys read it in a prophecy."

You don't think that Daeron knew the difference, he had been dreaming for years about them. Besides Daeron's dream according to Egg confirms the prophecy that King Aerys had read. And of course we know of a Targaryen that dreamt of a dragons and real dragons came. BEFORE Dany RECEIVED the dragon eggs from Illyrio she had a dream where she saw a dragon (most likely Drogon). And of course she went on to hatch the dragons.

This proves that dragon dream can be both about figurative and literal dragons.

As for the stone quotes you've provided I'm sorry to tell you but there is nothing new or groundbreaking about authors using stone as a means of concealment. It's quite a common thing to use in literature to hide under a stone. The quote I provided above shows that Dany's literal dragons weren't the only ones awoken from stone. Dany awoke herself as shown in her dream when she melted the stone with her feet and then the stone was gone once she took flight. After the death of her family she had to become a dragon. She struggled with it for four books but at the end of ADWD she finally comes to embrace it.

Not everything that happens in the books is a riddle many things are quite obvious. The dragons are important but Dany awakening herself as a Dragon is what is truly important and what many people are missing.

Exactly, Dany is not a red herring, the prophecy will most likely be fulfilled by more than one person. I don't know how many times I've repeated this but GRRM has been quite clear hat this story is not about a one true hero, many will have a hand in the final victory, whatever that may be.

Bringing the discussion back to the theme of the tread, we are begging to see the transformation of Dany in the chapter. She has began to take full control of herself and those around her. She has no one else to rely on now, now she can only rely on herself.

plus..../which i Point out all the time, none of these people, including Dany had ever seen a real dragon in real life. All the Targ's we have read about who have dragon dreams, have them without actually ever have seen a actual real-life dragon. the most they had ever seen was a drawing. I know this is a point easily dismissed by those of us fortunate enough to having Harry Potter CGI blu-rays at the touch of a button, but no one in TWOIAF has that luxury. So the idea of having a fully functional life-size dragon in a dream prior to ever having encountered one is OBVIOUSLY an inherent capability.

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plus..../which i Point out all the time, none of these people, including Dany had ever seen a real dragon in real life. All the Targ's we have read about who have dragon dreams, have them without actually ever have seen a actual real-life dragon. the most they had ever seen was a drawing. I know this is a point easily dismissed by those of us fortunate enough to having Harry Potter CGI blu-rays at the touch of a button, but no one in TWOIAF has that luxury. So the idea of having a fully functional life-size dragon in a dream prior to ever having encountered one is OBVIOUSLY an inherent capability.

Thats a good point, I agree.

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Very nice work, TheMysteriousOne. I also really like the way Maester of Ice and Fire connected Dany's dream with Bran's. Really good stuff.



Two things stood out in this chapter as parallels to other POVs.



The last of the Dragons vs. The Last of the Giants



Jorah's sorrowful face when he says Rhaegar was the last dragon is in line with the sadness of the Wildling song but Dany's own thoughts on the last dragon are more hopeful and in line with a new beginning rather than an ending. The giants are monstrous in tales but quite different in reality while dragons are glorified in tales and more monstrous in reality. The Valyrian Empire and the Targaryens used dragons to set themselves above other men while the giants seem to have been killed so that there would not be something above men--For these men who are small can never stand tall, whilst giants still walk in the light. There seems to be a parable of sorts in there that I can't quite articulate. The mood and details of the Last of the Giants also mirrors Dany's own current plight from Robert, to MMD to the new Khals taking all that she had leaving her alone with no true companion but tears.



MMD vs. Jaquen



“The price was paid,” Dany said. “The horse, my child, Quaro and Qotho, Haggo and Cohollo. The price was paid and paid and paid.”



This reminds me of Jaquen after he helps Arya break the Northmen out of prison. Jaquen is another figure who speaks of how only death can pay for life and the three lives is in line with the threes that fill Dany's story. The details are mostly inverted though. Jaquen was more or less a benevolent magical figure for Arya while MMD was hostile. Arya was powerless when she encounters Jaquen while Dany is in a position of power when she meets MMD. It is Arya that tricks Jaquen resulting in the price being paid over and over while MMD is the one employing trickery that results in the body count. Here Dany calls MMD on her responsibility while in Arya Jaquen wipes the blood on her as a sign of her responsibility for the death. MMD was also a healer and she speaks of the lives her magic had saved in her temple while Jaquen is a figure responsible always responsible for death.



I suppose we also have some Dornish juxtaposition with Gregor's head--A word, and Dany could have her head off… yet then what would she have? A head? If life was worthless, what was death?



I always connected Dany's dream here to Aerion Brightflame. Not to imply that Dany is like Aerion but Aerion is one of the Dragon Lotto losers we get more details about. Dany is about to rebirth the dragons which seems to be a central focus of the Targaryen prophetic dreams and creative suicides by fire. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that if other Targaryens were dreaming of the return of dragons that they would have had similar dreams. Aerion's thinking he was a dragon fits with Dany turning into a dragon in her dream. The wildfire could match her burning blood transformation or her vision of Rhaego's death. Her dream followed by the return of the dragons adds some truth in madness to Targaryen history. It also adds some prophetic commentary about intent. All those trying to fulfill the prophesy die while Dany succeeds merely by going about her life in ignorance of the family prophesy.



Her dream is rich in symbolic associations about magic and the future of the story but it also works on a very human level. Her life is flashing before her eyes so to speak. She is taking assessment of what she's had and lost. She's confronting the death of her child subconsciously. It works perfectly as a dream without any of the fantasy elements. Has Dany ever held a child in her life? To lose a child, your husband, your home-- it is emotionally devastating to have had so little and come so close to filling the hole inside to have it slip through your fingers all at once.



On that human level, Dany is running back to innocence.



She was walking down a long hall beneath high stone arches. She could not look behind her, must not look behind her. There was a door ahead of her, tiny with distance, but even from afar, she saw that it was painted red. She walked faster, and her bare feet left bloody footprints on the stone.




She has lost her place in the world yet again.




Drogo held her in strong arms ... “Home,” she whispered as he entered her and filled her with his seed, but suddenly the stars were gone, and across the blue sky swept the great wings, and the world took flame.





The dragon and its flame here is what blocks out the stars-- her Sun and Stars-- and marks the end of husband, child, and home yet it is the transformation into the dragon that heralds their return.



She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there. She threw open the door.




Even without the magical elements it works as the typical symbolic journey to reclaim innocence-- the transformation from naïve child to adult where the shedding of innocence and accumulation of wisdom allows for a return to innocence of a sort. Dany's transformation into a dragon is what allows her to reach the red door.



We have her waking three times which fits with this idea of the dream and her theme of threes. First she wakes in drenched in shadow with ash rising to the smoke hole. She awakens again in darkness. She is passive, she doesn't try to rise and the wind outside her tent is flapping like wings. Her transformation is outside; she hasn't internalized it yet like in the dream. Her tent shields her from it. She drinks water that is warm and flat and cherishes it. She has been in this state too long. Finally she wakes a third time to "a shaft of golden sunlight was pouring through the smoke hole of the tent." The place where ashes poured out is now a place wear golden sunlight pours in. She wants water but "as cold as you can find it" no longer satisfied with "warm and flat."



At least on a personal level, the symbolism of the dreaming sections seems to point toward a too long journey of darkness and shadow where she eventually completes her transformation into a "dragon" that allows her to return "home" to whatever she discovers as her true replacement for the house with the red door.


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Very nice work, TheMysteriousOne. I also really like the way Maester of Ice and Fire connected Dany's dream with Bran's. Really good stuff.

Two things stood out in this chapter as parallels to other POVs.

The last of the Dragons vs. The Last of the Giants

Jorah's sorrowful face when he says Rhaegar was the last dragon is in line with the sadness of the Wildling song but Dany's own thoughts on the last dragon are more hopeful and in line with a new beginning rather than an ending. The giants are monstrous in tales but quite different in reality while dragons are glorified in tales and more monstrous in reality. The Valyrian Empire and the Targaryens used dragons to set themselves above other men while the giants seem to have been killed so that there would not be something above men--For these men who are small can never stand tall, whilst giants still walk in the light. There seems to be a parable of sorts in there that I can't quite articulate. The mood and details of the Last of the Giants also mirrors Dany's own current plight from Robert, to MMD to the new Khals taking all that she had leaving her alone with no true companion but tears.

MMD vs. Jaquen

“The price was paid,” Dany said. “The horse, my child, Quaro and Qotho, Haggo and Cohollo. The price was paid and paid and paid.”

This reminds me of Jaquen after he helps Arya break the Northmen out of prison. Jaquen is another figure who speaks of how only death can pay for life and the three lives is in line with the threes that fill Dany's story. The details are mostly inverted though. Jaquen was more or less a benevolent magical figure for Arya while MMD was hostile. Arya was powerless when she encounters Jaquen while Dany is in a position of power when she meets MMD. It is Arya that tricks Jaquen resulting in the price being paid over and over while MMD is the one employing trickery that results in the body count. Here Dany calls MMD on her responsibility while in Arya Jaquen wipes the blood on her as a sign of her responsibility for the death. MMD was also a healer and she speaks of the lives her magic had saved in her temple while Jaquen is a figure responsible always responsible for death.

I suppose we also have some Dornish juxtaposition with Gregor's head--A word, and Dany could have her head off… yet then what would she have? A head? If life was worthless, what was death?

I always connected Dany's dream here to Aerion Brightflame. Not to imply that Dany is like Aerion but Aerion is one of the Dragon Lotto losers we get more details about. Dany is about to rebirth the dragons which seems to be a central focus of the Targaryen prophetic dreams and creative suicides by fire. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that if other Targaryens were dreaming of the return of dragons that they would have had similar dreams. Aerion's thinking he was a dragon fits with Dany turning into a dragon in her dream. The wildfire could match her burning blood transformation or her vision of Rhaego's death. Her dream followed by the return of the dragons adds some truth in madness to Targaryen history. It also adds some prophetic commentary about intent. All those trying to fulfill the prophesy die while Dany succeeds merely by going about her life in ignorance of the family prophesy.

Her dream is rich in symbolic associations about magic and the future of the story but it also works on a very human level. Her life is flashing before her eyes so to speak. She is taking assessment of what she's had and lost. She's confronting the death of her child subconsciously. It works perfectly as a dream without any of the fantasy elements. Has Dany ever held a child in her life? To lose a child, your husband, your home-- it is emotionally devastating to have had so little and come so close to filling the hole inside to have it slip through your fingers all at once.

On that human level, Dany is running back to innocence.

She has lost her place in the world yet again.

The dragon and its flame here is what blocks out the stars-- her Sun and Stars-- and marks the end of husband, child, and home yet it is the transformation into the dragon that heralds their return.

Even without the magical elements it works as the typical symbolic journey to reclaim innocence-- the transformation from naïve child to adult where the shedding of innocence and accumulation of wisdom allows for a return to innocence of a sort. Dany's transformation into a dragon is what allows her to reach the red door.

We have her waking three times which fits with this idea of the dream and her theme of threes. First she wakes in drenched in shadow with ash rising to the smoke hole. She awakens again in darkness. She is passive, she doesn't try to rise and the wind outside her tent is flapping like wings. Her transformation is outside; she hasn't internalized it yet like in the dream. Her tent shields her from it. She drinks water that is warm and flat and cherishes it. She has been in this state too long. Finally she wakes a third time to "a shaft of golden sunlight was pouring through the smoke hole of the tent." The place where ashes poured out is now a place wear golden sunlight pours in. She wants water but "as cold as you can find it" no longer satisfied with "warm and flat."

At least on a personal level, the symbolism of the dreaming sections seems to point toward a too long journey of darkness and shadow where she eventually completes her transformation into a "dragon" that allows her to return "home" to whatever she discovers as her true replacement for the house with the red door.

I love your interpretation!!! :bowdown:

Its very poetic fits in to the story and Dany's arc as whole.

I also love the symbolism you used of the tent!!

This quote you used is perfect and I think sums up the chapter, and I agree with you fully.

the transformation from naïve child to adult where the shedding of innocence and accumulation of wisdom allows for a return to innocence of a sort. Dany's transformation into a dragon is what allows her to reach the red door.

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Very nice work, TheMysteriousOne. I also really like the way Maester of Ice and Fire connected Dany's dream with Bran's. Really good stuff.

Two things stood out in this chapter as parallels to other POVs.

The last of the Dragons vs. The Last of the Giants

Jorah's sorrowful face when he says Rhaegar was the last dragon is in line with the sadness of the Wildling song but Dany's own thoughts on the last dragon are more hopeful and in line with a new beginning rather than an ending. The giants are monstrous in tales but quite different in reality while dragons are glorified in tales and more monstrous in reality. The Valyrian Empire and the Targaryens used dragons to set themselves above other men while the giants seem to have been killed so that there would not be something above men--For these men who are small can never stand tall, whilst giants still walk in the light. There seems to be a parable of sorts in there that I can't quite articulate. The mood and details of the Last of the Giants also mirrors Dany's own current plight from Robert, to MMD to the new Khals taking all that she had leaving her alone with no true companion but tears.

MMD vs. Jaquen

“The price was paid,” Dany said. “The horse, my child, Quaro and Qotho, Haggo and Cohollo. The price was paid and paid and paid.”

This reminds me of Jaquen after he helps Arya break the Northmen out of prison. Jaquen is another figure who speaks of how only death can pay for life and the three lives is in line with the threes that fill Dany's story. The details are mostly inverted though. Jaquen was more or less a benevolent magical figure for Arya while MMD was hostile. Arya was powerless when she encounters Jaquen while Dany is in a position of power when she meets MMD. It is Arya that tricks Jaquen resulting in the price being paid over and over while MMD is the one employing trickery that results in the body count. Here Dany calls MMD on her responsibility while in Arya Jaquen wipes the blood on her as a sign of her responsibility for the death. MMD was also a healer and she speaks of the lives her magic had saved in her temple while Jaquen is a figure responsible always responsible for death.

I suppose we also have some Dornish juxtaposition with Gregor's head--A word, and Dany could have her head off… yet then what would she have? A head? If life was worthless, what was death?

I always connected Dany's dream here to Aerion Brightflame. Not to imply that Dany is like Aerion but Aerion is one of the Dragon Lotto losers we get more details about. Dany is about to rebirth the dragons which seems to be a central focus of the Targaryen prophetic dreams and creative suicides by fire. It wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that if other Targaryens were dreaming of the return of dragons that they would have had similar dreams. Aerion's thinking he was a dragon fits with Dany turning into a dragon in her dream. The wildfire could match her burning blood transformation or her vision of Rhaego's death. Her dream followed by the return of the dragons adds some truth in madness to Targaryen history. It also adds some prophetic commentary about intent. All those trying to fulfill the prophesy die while Dany succeeds merely by going about her life in ignorance of the family prophesy.

Her dream is rich in symbolic associations about magic and the future of the story but it also works on a very human level. Her life is flashing before her eyes so to speak. She is taking assessment of what she's had and lost. She's confronting the death of her child subconsciously. It works perfectly as a dream without any of the fantasy elements. Has Dany ever held a child in her life? To lose a child, your husband, your home-- it is emotionally devastating to have had so little and come so close to filling the hole inside to have it slip through your fingers all at once.

On that human level, Dany is running back to innocence.

She has lost her place in the world yet again.

The dragon and its flame here is what blocks out the stars-- her Sun and Stars-- and marks the end of husband, child, and home yet it is the transformation into the dragon that heralds their return.

Even without the magical elements it works as the typical symbolic journey to reclaim innocence-- the transformation from naïve child to adult where the shedding of innocence and accumulation of wisdom allows for a return to innocence of a sort. Dany's transformation into a dragon is what allows her to reach the red door.

We have her waking three times which fits with this idea of the dream and her theme of threes. First she wakes in drenched in shadow with ash rising to the smoke hole. She awakens again in darkness. She is passive, she doesn't try to rise and the wind outside her tent is flapping like wings. Her transformation is outside; she hasn't internalized it yet like in the dream. Her tent shields her from it. She drinks water that is warm and flat and cherishes it. She has been in this state too long. Finally she wakes a third time to "a shaft of golden sunlight was pouring through the smoke hole of the tent." The place where ashes poured out is now a place wear golden sunlight pours in. She wants water but "as cold as you can find it" no longer satisfied with "warm and flat."

At least on a personal level, the symbolism of the dreaming sections seems to point toward a too long journey of darkness and shadow where she eventually completes her transformation into a "dragon" that allows her to return "home" to whatever she discovers as her true replacement for the house with the red door.

Absolutely phenomenal! :bowdown:

Like Queen Alysanne I really enjoyed reading your interpretation her awakening three times from her fevered dream and the symbolism of the tent. I never say it this way but it makes a lot of sense and it just goes to show the level of symbolism and imagery GRRM used in this chapter.

Something occurred to me while reading the bolded part, we know that Dany is heading to Westeros most likely to fight the Others. She's probably heading North where it will be as cold as you'll ever find. :D

Also, wanted to note that once she flies through the red door we see that she'll find a home but also a family.

"She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there."

Now, we don't know how that will turn out for Dany but it seems like Westeros we'll be the place she lives and/or dies after she finds what she is searching for.

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I love your interpretation!!! :bowdown:

Its very poetic fits in to the story and Dany's arc as whole.

I also love the symbolism you used of the tent!!

This quote you used is perfect and I think sums up the chapter, and I agree with you fully.

Absolutely phenomenal! :bowdown:

Like Queen Alysanne I really enjoyed reading your interpretation her awakening three times from her fevered dream and the symbolism of the tent. I never say it this way but it makes a lot of sense and it just goes to show the level of symbolism and imagery GRRM used in this chapter.

Something occurred to me while reading the bolded part, we know that Dany is heading to Westeros most likely to fight the Others. She's probably heading North where it will be as cold as you'll ever find. :D

Also, wanted to note that once she flies through the red door we see that she'll find a home but also a family.

"She could smell home, she could see it, there, just beyond that door, green fields and great stone houses and arms to keep her warm, there."

Now, we don't know how that will turn out for Dany but it seems like Westeros we'll be the place she lives and/or dies after she finds what she is searching for.

Thank you. I harbor a soft spot for Dany and was pleasantly surprised to see allusions towards a hopeful outcome. I'm also glad I'm not alone in seeing the tent details tracking with her story.

"Fever dreams" is also a noteworthy term for Martin to use since his own foray into vampires is Fevre Dream. Wrestling against one's beastly nature yet needing to embrace one's beastly nature to protect others (which comes toward the end there too) is a prominent theme. The ending of slavery also comes up since the timeline covers pre and post American Civil War which further touches on Dany's story. Different novel but certain themes tend to resonate with authors.

I'm not one who sees a Jon/Dany ending unfolding but your Northern catch on "as cold as you can find it" is very interesting. Really nice! You should post that in the foreshadowing thread.

On a separate note, I think it is very important that "If I look back I am lost" starts in her dream but I'm not sure how to connect it to the mantra she develops upon waking. The dream connection is something to keep in mind as it comes up in later chapters.

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Thank you. I harbor a soft spot for Dany and was pleasantly surprised to see allusions towards a hopeful outcome. I'm also glad I'm not alone in seeing the tent details tracking with her story.

"Fever dreams" is also a noteworthy term for Martin to use since his own foray into vampires is Fevre Dream. Wrestling against one's beastly nature yet needing to embrace one's beastly nature to protect others (which comes toward the end there too) is a prominent theme. The ending of slavery also comes up since the timeline covers pre and post American Civil War which further touches on Dany's story. Different novel but certain themes tend to resonate with authors.

I'm not one who sees a Jon/Dany ending unfolding but your Northern catch on "as cold as you can find it" is very interesting. Really nice! You should post that in the foreshadowing thread.

On a separate note, I think it is very important that "If I look back I am lost" starts in her dream but I'm not sure how to connect it to the mantra she develops upon waking. The dream connection is something to keep in mind as it comes up in later chapters.

Very interesting observation on GRRM's other series, Ive never read it so I can't comment much. He might not have done it on purpose but ideas tend to bleed.

I can see an ending with a Dany/Jon paring, however, whether it happens or not it doesn't bother me either way. I just want want Dany to find some happiness. :)

Thank you, my catch couldn't have been possible without your wonderful interpretation. I'll be sure to add it.

She mentions why she develops the mantra in the chapter:

"Darkness, Dany thought. The terrible darkness sweeping up behind to devour her. If she looked back she was lost."

Here we have her first mention of the phrase. I think that her fear of looking back is both conscious and subconscious. Her dream frightens her, but she learns from it. As she was running she was leaving behind her son, her husband and her home (in the Dothraki Sea) if she dwelled on it she would loose herself to her grief. She kind of has to put all that has happened to her in the back of her mind and move forward. This is not only a coping mechanism but also a way to survive.

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Oh gods, I'm late to the party. Very nice analysis TMO.

snip

These are excellent catches QA, nice. I took some notes during the re-read, but all of them have been discussed by the Good Maester, though more efficiently. :lol:

snip

Exactly my thoughts on the Dany - Bran similarities on the coma dream. Bloodraven likely sent the dream to Bran, in case of Dany it could be Quaithe (or Shierra Seastar if you will believe that)

After that, for a long time, there was only the pain, the fire within her, and the whisperings of stars. - This is what she says on waking up

The way she flies, the wings ripping from her back etc is similar to what happens to Bran as well.

Off point:

"We were too few to stop them. It is the right of the strong to take from the weak." - Our barbarians are quite practical. A show of strength on Dragonback would be enough for them to bend the knee, I expect. :lol:

I think only Dany could have hatched the eggs, but she couldn't have had hatched them, had the circumstances not been right.

So, she was necessary to hatch them, but she was not sufficient. They hatched, because it was time for them to hatch. It's like Bilbo finding the Ring. It was time for the Ring to be found, but only Bilbo could find it.

And, to make them hatch, she required a victim to be burned alive. She had that victim.

Precisely put. And we can never decide whether the circumstances brought her on this path or whether she just paved the way with her actions, most probably it was a bit of both.

snip

Excellent analysis Ragnorak. :thumbsup:

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Public Services Announcement


PatrickStormborn will post his analysis by Friday, March 14.

Now, back to our regularly schedule discussion.

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This is great news. Perhaps we'll get more information on the dragon and rider bond as well as the origins of Nettles.

Yes that would be incredible. Plus this is a story of a happy and fruitful Targaryen rule, no dragon battles. So it should be interesting to see how they do in peace time :)

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Hey, sorry I'm so late (and especially sorry for not participating). Life has been so hectic during the last few months. :(



But without further ado, here's the final chapter analysis of Dany's AGoT arc.



DAENERYS X


Daughter of Dragons, Bride of Dragons, Mother of Dragons



Summary:


The final chapter of A Game of Thrones, Daenerys X acts as both a conclusion to the novel and to Dany's own personal journey, from an abused pawn to a revolutionary leader of her own khalasar. It begins with the building of Drogo's funeral pyre and the sacrifice of a horse, to which Mirri Maz Duur calls Dany "a child, with a child's ignorance". Jhogo whips Mirri Maz Duur into silence and the building continues. Jorah, fearing that Dany intends to follow Drogo into his pyre, calls her aside; for the first time since Viserys died, Dany calls him out on his use of the term "Princess" and reminds him that “Viserys is dead. I am his heir, the last blood of House Targaryen. Whatever was his is mine now." He bows to her and begs her to leave with him, but she tells him that he does not understand and, whilst not able to promise that she will not follow Drogo into his pyre, she promises him that she will not burn.


Upon finishing the pyre, she calls the Dothraki around her, noting that "it did not matter" how few they were, drawing a comparison with Aegon the Conqueror. She tells them they will be her khalasar and frees the slaves she sees. Afterwards she turns to her khas and gives them her bride gifts in return for their oaths to be her bloodriders. To Jhogo she gives the silver-handled whip; to Aggo she gives the dragonbone bow; to Rakharo she gives the arakh. All reject her, noting that they cannot follow a Khaleesi. She pays no attention to their rejection and names Jorah Mormont the first of her Queensguard, promising him a dragon-forged Valyrian steel longsword "like none the world has ever seen". He vows to serve her, to obey her, and to die for her.


She enters her tent and bathes, and prepares Drogo for his pyre. He is placed on the pyre with his head facing northeast towards the Mother of Mountains. Dany commands her handmaids to bring her dragon eggs, and "something in her voice made them run". Jorah questions this and advises her to sell them, to which she merely says that "They were not given to me to sell". She places the eggs on the pyre herself; Drogon's egg she places beside his heart, Rhaegal's beside his head, and Viserion's between his legs. Mirri Maz Duur calls her "mad", and Dany commands Jorah to bind her to the pyre, although he hesitates. When she is bound to the pyre, Dany thanks her for teaching her and personally pours the oil over her. Mirri Maz Duur promises not to scream, but Dany tells her she only wants her life, after which Mirri Maz Duur's "contempt" was replaced with "something that might have been fear".


They wait for the first star, which turns out to be "a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon’s tail". Dany sets the pyre on fire upon seeing this comet; as the flames reach Drogo, she wishes she could go to him "as Ser Jorah had feared ... the fire melting the flesh from their bones until they were as one, forever". As the heat of the pyre drives her khalasar back, Dany stands her ground: "she was the blood of the dragon, and the fire was in her". She steps towards the pyre, noting that "she had sensed the truth of it long ago ... but the brazier had not been hot enough". She continues walking towards the pyre, her clothes smouldering. The flames become visions, "each more beautiful than the last". Then she hears the first crack, and Viserion's egg rolls towards her, "broken and smoking". The second egg cracks as she hears the fear of the horses and the Dothraki, and the shouts of Jorah. Finally, the third egg cracks - "as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world".


When the fire dies and the ground is cool enough to walk on, Jorah finds her naked in the pyre; her hair is burnt away, but apart from that she is completely unhurt. The cream-and-gold dragon and the green-and-bronze dragon are drinking milk from her breasts; the black-and-scarlet "beast" is draped across her shoulders. Jorah falls wordlessly to his knees, whilst her khas all swear her oaths as bloodriders, with Rakharo proudly shouting "blood of my blood". Afterwards come her handmaids, then all the Dothraki, "and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo’s".


When she rises to her feet, her dragons hiss, "and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons".



Observations:


  1. Drogo's funeral pyre is structured very specifically. The first platform is laid from east to west, from sunrise to sunset; the final level is laid from north to south, from ice to fire.
  2. She quite cruelly commands Jhogo to beat Mirri Maz Duur into silence. She has taken the position of a khal, and with it comes the necessity to maintain her authority - in this case through violence.
  3. As soon as Dany has the authority to do so, she frees the slaves in her khalasar.
  4. Like the funeral pyre, the eggs are placed very specifically.
  5. The red comet first appears the night that the dragons are born.
  6. The Dothraki - who follow strength above all - eagerly accept Daenerys as their leader following her survival of Drogo's funeral pyre and the birth of the dragons.


Drogo's Pyre



His pyre is laid from "sunrise to sunset", symbolising the journey from life to death. If "sunrise to sunset" symbolises life to death, then does "ice to fire" symbolise the same thing? Considering the novel as a whole, it begins with the discovery of ice zombies, and ends with Dany using fire to bring death... and also to bring life from the ashes of those who have been burned. Perhaps this is crucial to understanding the course of the story: the world of ice will end in fire, and life will be reborn from the ashes.



Moreover, the pyre is constructed for a khal, which Daenerys becomes in this chapter. Perhaps it is therefore foreshadowing her own future? Her life begins in the east (first, the east of Westeros in Dragonstone, and then Essos); will her life end in the west, in the Sunset Kingdoms of Westeros? Or, more simply, does this mean her journey will end in the west, where she will finally fulfil her destiny?



The dragon eggs



Drogon's egg is placed beside Drogo's heart; Rhaegal's egg is placed beside his head; Viserion's egg is placed between his legs. I think this symbolism is two-fold. On one hand, the position of the eggs may symbolise whose life paid for the eggs:


  1. Drogo paid for Drogon
  2. Mirri Maz Duur paid for Rhaegal (multiple reasons for this: first, the vision of "a dragon bursting from her brow"; second, the fact that Drogo's head is symbolic of his knowledge and decisions as a leader - which lead to him encountering Mirri Maz Duur and ultimately his death)
  3. Finally, Rhaego - who came from the unity of Drogo and Daenerys - paid for Viserion.

Secondly, I think the position of the eggs may also symbolise who the three heads of the dragon will eventually be, with Daenerys acting as the central figure - the "heart".



The Red Comet



The comet first appears in the sky the night the dragons are born, which is clearly not coincidental. Dany notes that "she could not have asked for a stronger sign" that what she was doing would work. Interestingly, whilst this is the comet's first appearance in the timeline, its first appearance in the book is in Bran's final chapter, when Winterfell learns of Ned's death. Does this mean that the comet appeared in the sky the night following Ned's death - and, similarly, that Dany birthed the dragons following Ned's death?



Furthermore, the comet is important in the prophecy of Azor Ahai Reborn and the Prince who was Promised:



"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai will be born again amidst salt and smoke to wake dragons out of stone." (ASoS, Davos III)



The Dothraki, as we learn in ACoK, call the comet the "Bleeding Star". So the text supports a reading that the red comet is a bleeding star. In addition, the comet appears as "the darkness gathers", and just before Daenerys wakes dragons from stone eggs. If these conditions are all right, it stands to reason that Azor Ahai is being "born again" in the salt and smoke of Drogo's funeral pyre - and, if this is correct, then Daenerys must be the one who will take his role.



Magic and the birth of the dragons



At the beginning of the chapter, Mirri Maz Duur berates Daenerys for her "ignorance" of magic, believing that her intention is to sacrifice a single horse in an attempt to create the conditions for a blood magic ritual. But Dany evidently knows what she is doing; although as readers we are not given insight into her plan, it's clear that she is still following a strict method. She sacrifices Drogo's horse as part of the Dothraki funeral ritual; following this she has Mirri bound to the pyre, informing her that she only needs her life; when the flames reach Drogo, she reflects that she will burn with him if she rushes into the flames. She does not step towards the flames until the fire has already begun to consume him, and she does not enter the pyre until Mirri Maz Duur has fallen silent (indicating her death). Although Drogo is dead, Dany clearly believes that she still has to personally sacrifice him in the pyre in order for the blood magic to work. She believes she can't rush in and be with him before he burns because, for some reason, the conditions won't be right.



From this I think there are some key pieces of information:


  • Dany has some idea of when she needs to enter the pyre.
  • Drogo's death alone is not enough for the blood magic - Dany needs to let him go. She needs to let him burn alone as she continues living in order to complete the sacrifice.
  • Mirri Maz Duur's death is crucial in allowing Dany to walk into the fire. For me personally I take this to mean that Dany has to wait for all the sacrifices to be made (Rhaego, Drogo, Mirri Maz Duur) before she can enter the pyre.


Conclusion



This chapter concludes A Game of Thrones, acting as a parallel to the Prologue, a conclusion to Dany's narrative, and also a somewhat optimistic (and, let's be real, at least mildly terrifying) conclusion to the events of the novel. Dany is no longer a frightened child, dependent on an abusive brother, or the good will of men like Illyrio, or her husband; she is now a power in her own right, through her own actions, and with a source of power that is independent of anyone else whilst being completely dependent on her.



In this final chapter Daenerys becomes the Mother of Dragons. Unlike Aegon the Conqueror, Visenya and Rhaenys, Rhaegar, and others like them, she is not merely a "dragon"; in addition to being a dragon - the last dragon - she is an authority over the dragons. And that makes her more powerful, and certainly more dangerous, than anyone else in the game.


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The Red Comet

The comet first appears in the sky the night the dragons are born, which is clearly not coincidental. Dany notes that "she could not have asked for a stronger sign" that what she was doing would work. Interestingly, whilst this is the comet's first appearance in the timeline, its first appearance in the book is in Bran's final chapter, when Winterfell learns of Ned's death. Does this mean that the comet appeared in the sky the night following Ned's death - and, similarly, that Dany birthed the dragons following Ned's death?

And yet… old as he was, Cressen had never seen a comet half so bright, nor yet that color, that terrible color, the color of blood and flame and sunsets.

The comet was splendid and scary all at once. “The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade still red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel, and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head. Yoren had made her look away when it happened, yet it seemed to her that the comet looked like Ice must have, after.

“I’ve heard servants calling it the Dragon’s Tail.

“In the streets, they call it the Red Messenger,” Varys said. “They say it comes as a herald before a king, to warn of fire and blood to follow.”

Blood and fire, boy, and nothing sweet.”

“It is the sword that slays the season,”

“Dragons,” she said, lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it. “It be dragons, boy,” she insisted.

“The Greatjon told Robb that the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance for Ned. Edmure thinks it’s an omen of victory for Riverrun—he sees a fish with a long tail, in the Tully colors, red against blue.” She sighed. “I wish I had their faith. Crimson is a Lannister color.”

“That thing’s not crimson,” Ser Brynden said. “Nor Tully red, the mud red of the river. That’s blood up there, child, smeared across the sky.”

The Dothraki named the comet shierak qiya, the Bleeding Star.

“The colors are strange,” he commented as he turned the blade in the sunlight. Most Valyrian steel was a grey so dark it looked almost black, as was true here as well. But blended into the folds was a red as deep as the grey. The two colors lapped over one another without ever touching, each ripple distinct, like waves of night and blood upon some steely shore. “How did you get this patterning? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor I, my lord,” said the armorer. “I confess, these colors were not what I intended, and I do not know that I could duplicate them. Your lord father had asked for the crimson of your House, and it was that color I set out to infuse into the metal. But Valyrian steel is stubborn. These old swords remember, it is said, and they do not change easily. I worked half a hundred spells and brightened the red time and time again, but always the color would darken, as if the blade was drinking the sun from it. And some folds would not take the red at all, as you can see.”

Tyrion put down Joffrey’s sword and took up the other. If not twins, the two were at least close cousins. This one was thicker and heavier, a half-inch wider and three inches longer, but they shared the same fine clean lines and the same distinctive color, the ripples of blood and night. Three fullers, deeply incised, ran down the second blade from hilt to point; the king’s sword had only two. Joff’s hilt was a good deal more ornate, the arms of its crossguard done as lions’ paws with ruby claws unsheathed, but both swords had grips of finely tooled red leather and gold lions’ heads for pommels.

“Magnificent.” Even in hands as unskilled as Tyrion’s, the blade felt alive. “I have never felt better balance.”

I think Ned being beheaded by Ice had a magical consequence which triggered the Red Comet. If we bring together different accounts, the comet is Targaryen Red. Arya's account and Gendry calling it the Red Sword is very interesting. I think when Ice was joined with Ned's blood, the metal of Oathkeeper was created, which was announced by the Red Comet. I think Oathkeeper will be the ultimate sword of Jon.

Almost every person in the books speculates about the meaning of the comet except Jon.

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I don't usually post at reread threads because some of the other posters are so good it's intimidating... But that's one of my favoriite chapters in the series :)


That's the first chapter in which we see Dany being completely ruthless. Sure, she was living in a khalasar for many months and saw a lot of brutality, but that's the first "questionable" decision we see her making. What is interesting for me is that that doesn't make Dany a cold and heartless person, like Tywin. It makes me hopeful that her last chapter in DWD doesn't mean she will lose all of her compassion and humanity and become a mad queen. But it's not the time to discuss it.






The dragon eggs



Drogon's egg is placed beside Drogo's heart; Rhaegal's egg is placed beside his head; Viserion's egg is placed between his legs. I think this symbolism is two-fold. On one hand, the position of the eggs may symbolise whose life paid for the eggs:


  1. Drogo paid for Drogon
  2. Mirri Maz Duur paid for Rhaegal (multiple reasons for this: first, the vision of "a dragon bursting from her brow"; second, the fact that Drogo's head is symbolic of his knowledge and decisions as a leader - which lead to him encountering Mirri Maz Duur and ultimately his death)
  3. Finally, Rhaego - who came from the unity of Drogo and Daenerys - paid for Viserion.

Secondly, I think the position of the eggs may also symbolise who the three heads of the dragon will eventually be, with Daenerys acting as the central figure - the "heart".





OK, so by that logic, Rhaegal represents the head/intelligence of the trio (tyrion?) and Viserion represents the ahhh :blushing: ..... how will that help Dany conquer the IT or fight against the Others?



Dany also puts a lot of thrust in the signs, and seems to believe he red comet was sent for her,. I don't blame her, she was doing something crazy, and needed to find courage somewhere. Moreover, there's a very good chance the comet was indeed related to the birth of dragons. But she seems to be very supersticious, and while some things may be signs, others aren't, so guiding your life by the supernatural isn't always the best choice. That's what Rhaegar did, and we know how his life ended.



Do you think she knew when she had to walk into the pyre, or it was just an instinctive action?


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Snip.

Excellent! Thank you Patrick. :thumbsup:

Drogo's Pyre

His pyre is laid from "sunrise to sunset", symbolising the journey from life to death. If "sunrise to sunset" symbolises life to death, then does "ice to fire" symbolise the same thing? Considering the novel as a whole, it begins with the discovery of ice zombies, and ends with Dany using fire to bring death... and also to bring life from the ashes of those who have been burned. Perhaps this is crucial to understanding the course of the story: the world of ice will end in fire, and life will be reborn from the ashes.

Moreover, the pyre is constructed for a khal, which Daenerys becomes in this chapter. Perhaps it is therefore foreshadowing her own future? Her life begins in the east (first, the east of Westeros in Dragonstone, and then Essos); will her life end in the west, in the Sunset Kingdoms of Westeros? Or, more simply, does this mean her journey will end in the west, where she will finally fulfil her destiny?

Your observation about the overall story arc as viewed through AGOT is very keen. Ice is preservation while Fire is both destruction and creation. Destruction and creation are opposites of each other, however, preservation is the opposite of both destruction and creation as the former is static while the two latter are actions. In Dany's final chapter we see fire both in it's destructive force as ell as it's creative force.

Magic and the birth of the dragons

At the beginning of the chapter, Mirri Maz Duur berates Daenerys for her "ignorance" of magic, believing that her intention is to sacrifice a single horse in an attempt to create the conditions for a blood magic ritual. But Dany evidently knows what she is doing; although as readers we are not given insight into her plan, it's clear that she is still following a strict method. She sacrifices Drogo's horse as part of the Dothraki funeral ritual; following this she has Mirri bound to the pyre, informing her that she only needs her life; when the flames reach Drogo, she reflects that she will burn with him if she rushes into the flames. She does not step towards the flames until the fire has already begun to consume him, and she does not enter the pyre until Mirri Maz Duur has fallen silent (indicating her death). Although Drogo is dead, Dany clearly believes that she still has to personally sacrifice him in the pyre in order for the blood magic to work. She believes she can't rush in and be with him before he burns because, for some reason, the conditions won't be right.

From this I think there are some key pieces of information:

  • Dany has some idea of when she needs to enter the pyre.

Drogo's death alone is not enough for the blood magic - Dany needs to let him go. She needs to let him burn alone as she continues living in order to complete the sacrifice.

Mirri Maz Duur's death is crucial in allowing Dany to walk into the fire. For me personally I take this to mean that Dany has to wait for all the sacrifices to be made (Rhaego, Drogo, Mirri Maz Duur) before she can enter the pyre.

I also wanted to note that both Rhaegal and Viserion hatched prior to Dany entering the pyre, however, Drogon didn't hatch until after Dany entered the pyre. I think this is an important destination as it goes to the bond that Dany had already started to form wit Drogon.

Both Dany and Drogon have been forming a bond together prior to Dany even receiving the eggs. He has guided her throughout her awakening as a dragon and it is in the pyre that they both "hatch" in unison as dragons.

Other Notes:

  • The pyre ceremony is refereed to Dany as a marriage, that day she became the Bride of Fire.

"​Dany opened her arms to them, her skin flushed and glowing. This is a wedding, too, she thought."

  • Dany is "bathe" in fire for the second time. The first time was the night she contemplated suicide. She dreamt that night the the dragon fire cleansed her of her pain and felt rejuvenated the next day. This time she is literally bathe in fire and is reborn as a dragon.

"Bits of burning wood slid down at her, and Dany was showered with ash and cinders."

  • Bride of dragons? Now, we know that Dany is daughter of dragons (Targaryens) and is about to become the mother of dragons. However, when had she been the bride of dragons - could this have not occurred yet or have I missed something?

"The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don’t you see? Don’t you SEE?"

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I don't usually post at reread threads because some of the other posters are so good it's intimidating... But that's one of my favoriite chapters in the series :)

1) That's the first chapter in which we see Dany being completely ruthless. Sure, she was living in a khalasar for many months and saw a lot of brutality, but that's the first "questionable" decision we see her making. What is interesting for me is that that doesn't make Dany a cold and heartless person, like Tywin. It makes me hopeful that her last chapter in DWD doesn't mean she will lose all of her compassion and humanity and become a mad queen. But it's not the time to discuss it.

2) OK, so by that logic, Rhaegal represents the head/intelligence of the trio (tyrion?) and Viserion represents the ahhh :blushing: ..... how will that help Dany conquer the IT or fight against the Others?

3) Dany also puts a lot of thrust in the signs, and seems to believe he red comet was sent for her,. I don't blame her, she was doing something crazy, and needed to find courage somewhere. Moreover, there's a very good chance the comet was indeed related to the birth of dragons. But she seems to be very supersticious, and while some things may be signs, others aren't, so guiding your life by the supernatural isn't always the best choice. That's what Rhaegar did, and we know how his life ended.

4) Do you think she knew when she had to walk into the pyre, or it was just an instinctive action?

1) Are you talking about Dany's treatment of Mirri Maz Duur? If so I completely agree with you. But I do think it's worth noting that she doesn't enjoy cruelty; she's adopted the actions of a khal, but she is instinctively different than they are.

2) Haha good point! :drunk: Personally I think that, rather than being a symbol of sexuality, the positioning of Viserion suggests he represents the "nature" side of the trio, for lack of a better term. We know from future books that Viserion is the most trusting dragon, and also the more clingy dragon (he still tries to perch on Dany's shoulder the longest, for example).

Or perhaps his positioning is a symbol of birth, meaning the third head will play a crucial role in the rebirth of the world.

3) I agree that guiding your life by the supernatural is not always the best choice, but I think that's more worthy of discussion after Quaithe and the House of the Undying. At the moment Dany is not being guided by the comet; she takes it as a strong sign, but she was still going to walk into the pyre regardless of whether it showed up or not. Of course she's being guided by the supernatural to actually walk into the pyre, but I think she understood what was going on in a way that GRRM deliberately does not allow the reader to share.

4) I think she knew, but the fact that she knew was kind of instinctive. To make that clearer - I don't think she could have told someone (e.g. Jorah) what she was going to do or how it would work. She just knew it would, which is why it frustrates her that he doesn't understand. "Don't you see? Don't you SEE?" It all makes sense to her but not in a way that she can quite comprehend.

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Great Analysis Patrick!!! :bowdown:



I liked this part of your analysis alot


His pyre is laid from "sunrise to sunset", symbolising the journey from life to death. If "sunrise to sunset" symbolises life to death, then does "ice to fire" symbolise the same thing? Considering the novel as a whole, it begins with the discovery of ice zombies, and ends with Dany using fire to bring death... and also to bring life from the ashes of those who have been burned. Perhaps this is crucial to understanding the course of the story: the world of ice will end in fire, and life will be reborn from the ashes.



I agree with it completely. I think fire in the series is kind of like a phoenix, in other words "death by fire and birth from ashes".



I also agree with you that Dany knew what she was doing and to further support that I would also like to add, that I believe Dany was in control of the whole pyre ritual in terms of the hatching and that it wasn't just spontaneous, lucky or a freak accident as a lot of people seem to suggest, as shown in the text below.




Her vest had begun to smolder, so Dany shrugged it off and let it fall to the ground. The painted leather burst into sudden flame as she skipped closer to the fire, her breasts bare to the blaze, streams of milk flowing from her red and swollen nipples. Now, she thought, now, and for an instant she glimpsed Khal Drogo before her, mounted on his smoky stallion, a flaming lash in his hand. He smiled, and the whip snaked down at the pyre, hissing. She heard a crack, the sound of shattering stone.



The moment Dany says "now" is when khal Drogo spirit appears meaning he is now entering the nightlands to act as a sacrifice and before his spirit goes it whips the pyre and the first egg hatches.





Only death can pay for life. And there came a second crack, loud and sharp as thunder, and the smoke stirred and whirled around her and the pyre shifted, the logs exploding as the fire touched their secret hearts.





And for the second egg the moment Dany says "only life can pay for death" it hatches. This is also supported from the author's use of the word "and there came the second crack" meaning it was in connection to the previous event which was Dany saying "only death can pay for life". So long story short Dany's statement of "only life an pay for death" caused the second hatch. This also supports your point of MMD being the price paid for Rhaegal, cause she was the one that Dany told "only life can pay for death".


Also the statement "the smoke stirred and whirled around" also supports the point of her controlling the ritual as it should have been spontaneous movement of smoke but it is rather stirring around her like a tornado.




No, she wanted to shout to him, no, my good knight, do not fear for me. The fire is mine. I am Daenerys Stormborn, daughter of dragons, bride of dragons, mother of dragons, don’t you see? Don’t you SEE? With a belch of flame and smoke that reached thirty feet into the sky, the pyre collapsed and came down around her. Unafraid, Dany stepped forward into the firestorm, calling to her children. The third crack was as loud and sharp as the breaking of the world.





In the last hatching Dany steps into the firestorm and calls her children, and this causes the third hatch.


So in a nutshell I believe the text points towards Dany being the practioner of the funeral pyre ritual and I believe it was a combination of both fire and blood magic and she did know what she was doing.







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