Understanding Dany's Tokars: She Declared War on Yunkai

[Skinchanging Sweetrobin]

The tokar seems to be an important aspect of Meereen life, but few have examined it very closely.

They are said to be extremely important to Meereen:

“The Mother of Dragons must don the tokar or be forever hated,” warned the Green Grace (Daenerys I, ADwD)

And Reznak says that tokars are fraught with meaning (at least on a wedding day). What are the meanings?

“Magnificence, you do not understand,” protested Reznak. “The washing of the feet is hallowed by tradition. It signifies that you shall be your husband’s handmaid. The wedding garb is fraught with meaning too. The bride is dressed in dark red veils above a tokar of white silk, fringed with baby pearls.” (Daenerys VI)

I. The Dragons Burn the Tokar

The first time we hear about tokars, they are being burned. Symbolism aside, Reznak would come away from this encounter thinking that dragons were a threat to Meereen society.

Viserion had set Reznak’s tokar ablaze the last time the seneschal had called. (Daenerys I, ADwD)

This isn't the only time this happens either: The Yunkai are obsessed with a tokar burning incident:

"They keep plucking the same string on the harp, about some envoy that your dragons set on fire.”

“Only his tokar was burned,” said Dany scornfully

II. Dany First Wears a Tokar of Purity and Innocence

When we first run into Dany, she is wearing a white tokar:

The floppy ears she chose today were made of sheer white linen, with a fringe of golden tassels. (Daenerys I, ADwD)

White in Meereen society seems to stand for purity. Wedding tokars are to be white:

"The bride is dressed in dark red veils above a tokar of white silk, fringed with baby pearls.” (Daenerys VII)

And the White Graces are dressed in white

Galazza Galare arrived at the Great Pyramid attended by a dozen White Graces, girls of noble birth who were still too young to have served their year in the temple’s pleasure gardens. They made for a pretty portrait, the proud old woman all in green surrounded by the little girls robed and veiled in white, armored in their innocence.

III. Hizdahr First Wears His Family Color

When we first meet Hizdahr, he is sporting a purple tokar, which is his family color. Generally, purple is thought of as a royal color. Not sure if in Meereen it is the same:

His purple tokar was fringed with amethysts and pearls. (Daenerys I, ADwD)

Hizdahr’s kin of the ancient line of Loraq seemed to favor tokars of purple and indigo and lilac. (Daenerys IX, ADwD)

IV. Dany Wears Hizdahr's Purple Family Color and Hizdahr Dresses Down in Blue and Grey

Irri and Jhiqui choose to dress Dany is Hizdahr's family colors in our next chapter.

As the sky lightened and the stars faded one by one, Irri and Jhiqui helped her don a tokar of violet silk fringed in gold. (Daenerys II, ADwD)

Hizdahr, on the other hand, shows up as the symbol of compromise with no tokar, a shave and a haircut.

Hizdahr was not in a tokar today. Instead he wore a simple robe of grey and blue. He was shorn as well. He has shaved off his beard and cut his hair, she realized. The man had not gone shavepate, not quite, but at least those absurd wings of his were gone. (Daenerys II, ADwD)

Now, in Meereen, blue is a color of healing.

"Send men to the Temple of the Graces and ask if any man has come to the Blue Graces with a sword wound." (Daenerys I, ADwD)

Hizdahr is certainly trying to show Dany his ability compromise. So, I wonder if Hizdahr is presenting himself as healer.

V. Dany Shows Her Lack of Respect For the Tokar

Later, Dany is met with a man who wants her to help Astapor. She refuses and then uses her tokar as a napkin:

“We are all dead, then. You gave us death, not freedom.” Ghael leapt to his feet and spat into her face.

Strong Belwas seized him by the shoulder and slammed him down onto the marble so hard that Dany heard Ghael’s teeth crack. The Shavepate would have done worse, but she stopped him.

“Enough,” she said, dabbing at her cheek with the end of her tokar. “No one has ever died from spittle. Take him away.” (Daenerys III, ADwD)

VI. Dany Tries to Wear Green and Wears Blue

Here is a weird moment. Now, to meet the Green Grace, Dany asks to wear green. Her hand maidens give her an excuse and dress her in blue.

I'm not sure if this is trying to save Dany or hurt Dany. By dressing in green, would she be honoring the Green Grace or would she be acting presumptuous?

“Irri, bring the green tokar, the silk one fringed with Myrish lace.”

“That one is being repaired, Khaleesi. The lace was torn. The blue tokar has been cleaned.”

“Blue, then. They will be just as pleased.” (Daenerys V, ADwD)

Previously, Hizdahr had showed up with the Green Grace wearing green. So, it seems like wearing a color honors someone. Then again, his wasn't a tokar.

Hizdahr wore a plain green robe beneath a quilted vest. (Daenerys III, ADwD)

VII. Dany is Asked to Wear White Silk, a Red Veil and Baby Pearls on Her Wedding Day

Reznak really pushes that a certain outfit be worn on her wedding day:

"The wedding garb is fraught with meaning too. The bride is dressed in dark red veils above a tokar of white silk, fringed with baby pearls.”

“The pearls symbolize fertility. The more pearls Your Worship wears, the more healthy children she will bear.” (Daenerys VI, ADwD)

We don't know what the whole thing means, but the baby pearls are fertility. Is white innocent a purity?

Red is the color of lust in Meereen.

“They call them Graces. They come in different colors. The red ones are the only ones who fuck.” (The Dragontamer, ADwD)

I suppose a wedding is where innocence and lust would meet.

VIII. Hizdahr Switches Back to His Purple Tokar

Hizdahr, on the other hand, has reverted back to his original garb, although he still speaks of tossing the rituals aside.

Hizdahr zo Loraq arrived an hour after the sun had set. His own tokar was burgundy, with a golden stripe and a fringe of golden beads. Dany told him of her meeting with Reznak and the Green Grace as she was pouring wine for him. “These rituals are empty,” Hizdahr declared, “just the sort of thing we must sweep aside. (Daenerys VI, ADwD)

IX. Dany Sort of Wears The Right Wedding Tokar

Now, dany was supposed to wear a white silk tokar, red veil and baby pearls. We hear nothing of the silk or the red veil.. However, the fertility of the baby pearls is there.

Dany envied the Dothraki maids their loose sandsilk trousers and painted vests. They would be much cooler than her in her tokar, with its heavy fringe of baby pearls. “Help me wind this round myself, please. I cannot manage all these pearls by myself.” (Daenerys VII, ADwD)

X Dany Wears Red With Yunkai

Dany dons a red tokar, the color of lust, with the Yunkai.

So Daenerys sat silent through the meal, wrapped in a vermilion tokar and black thoughts, speaking only when spoken to, brooding on the men and women being bought and sold outside her walls, even as they feasted here within the city. (Daenerys VIII, ADwD)

Now, I doubt Hizdahr dressed her, but Dany would resemble a red grace (a whore) in this situation. It may explain why she feels so ignored in this scene

XI Dany Almost Wears a Wedding Dress Again

Now, our final Dany tokar scene is pretty weird. She almost wears a wedding dress. Its silk and there is a red veil.

“Khaleesi, which tokar will you want today?” asked Irri.

“The yellow silk.” The queen of the rabbits could not be seen without her floppy ears. The yellow silk was light and cool, and it would be blistering down in the pit. The red sands will burn the soles of those about to die. “And over it, the long red veils.” The veils would keep the wind from blowing sand into her mouth. And the red will hide any blood spatters. (Daenerys IX, ADwD)

It even has the baby pearls of fertility:

She took her tokar off as well. The pearls rattled softly against one another as she unwound the silk. (Daenerys IX, ADwD)

The only difference is she wears yellow: the color of Yunkai. It is the Yellow City and its citizens wear yellow tokars:

Foremost amongst them was the Yellow Whale, an obscenely fat man who always wore yellow silk tokars with golden fringes. (Tyrion VI, ADwD)

So, let's reexamine the scene at the fighting pit. At the moment, she has allowed Yunkai to slave again. The dragons are chained up. Peace has been achieved. She is even wearing a wedding dress in Yunkai's colors. Symbolizing the friendship and union between Meereen and Yunkai?

She then strips it off, jumps on a dragon and takes off.

That's a pretty big middle finger to Yunkai.

[Beorn Snow]

Impressed by the analysis. It really shows how complicated it is too communicate the right thing in a foreign culture. And how poorly Dany is doing. The last part isn´t really her fault, Drogon coming and all that.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Interesting observation.

I never paid attention to the colors. Despite knowing about GRRM's penchant for symbolism. You may be onto something.

[Matoro]

Your catch about red tokar was damn interesting. Perhaps Dany should pay some attention in local culture instead of brooding in her Targaryean superiority.

[Skinchanging Sweetrobin]

Your catch about red tokar was damn interesting. Perhaps Dany should pay some attention in local culture instead of brooding in her Targaryean superiority.

The Daenerys chapters on re-read change so much. I remember on first read hating Meereen culture along with Dany. Eventually, though, Meereen stops being foreign and you start feeling for them.

With the lifting of foreign prejudice, Hizdahr and Reznak start looking like good men. And Dany starts looking more like Cersei - paranoid, hateful, petty and stupid.

Sadly, Reznak is the only man in her court who can give her advice on things like tokar color. He and the Shavepate are the only locals, but the Shavepate wants peace to fall apart and Dany doesn't trust Reznak because of the "perfumed senechal" thing.

[Maester Pedant]

The Daenerys chapters on re-read change so much. I remember on first read hating Meereen culture along with Dany. Eventually, though, Meereen stops being foreign and you start feeling for them.

With the lifting of foreign prejudice, Hizdahr and Reznak start looking like good men. And Dany starts looking more like Cersei - paranoid, hateful, petty and stupid.

Sadly, Reznak is the only man in her court who can give her advice on things like tokar color. He and the Shavepate are the only locals, but the Shavepate wants peace to fall apart and Dany doesn't trust Reznak because of the "perfumed senechal" thing.

The difference being that Cersei has lived all her life in the kingdom she has to rule, whereas Dany is a foreigner. And that Dany has an insurgency to deal with, which means she has at least some reason to be paranoid.

[coil]

Really good... I always thought that Dany wearing a red tokar at Daznak's pit was ax example of her completely ignoring the culture of the region, but it looks like there's way more going around!

Good job.

I'll add this:

II. Dany First Wears a Tokar of Purity and Innocence

When we first run into Dany, she is wearing a white tokar:

The floppy ears she chose today were made of sheer white linen, with a fringe of golden tassels. (Daenerys I, ADwD)

White in Meereen society seems to stand for purity. Wedding tokars are to be white:

"The bride is dressed in dark red veils above a tokar of white silk, fringed with baby pearls.” (Daenerys VII)

And the White Graces are dressed in white

Galazza Galare arrived at the Great Pyramid attended by a dozen White Graces, girls of noble birth who were still too young to have served their year in the temple’s pleasure gardens. They made for a pretty portrait, the proud old woman all in green surrounded by the little girls robed and veiled in white, armored in their innocence.

By this point, everyone and their dogs knows that Dany's not a maid.

She's been mother, should she really wear a white dress that moment? I mean, I can still understand at her wedding, but with the Green Grace and surrounded by actual maids it looks quite baffling.

IV. Dany Wears Hizdahr's Purple Family Color and Hizdahr Dresses Down in Blue and Grey

Irri and Jhiqui choose to dress Dany is Hizdahr's family colors in our next chapter.

As the sky lightened and the stars faded one by one, Irri and Jhiqui helped her don a tokar of violet silk fringed in gold. (Daenerys II, ADwD)

Hizdahr, on the other hand, shows up as the symbol of compromise with no tokar, a shave and a haircut.

Hizdahr was not in a tokar today. Instead he wore a simple robe of grey and blue. He was shorn as well. He has shaved off his beard and cut his hair, she realized. The man had not gone shavepate, not quite, but at least those absurd wings of his were gone. (Daenerys II, ADwD)

If anything, it this occasion we see how Hizdahr and Dany are different, since one wears tokar in formal occasion and keeps it simple in private, while the other does the complete opposite.

VI. Dany Tries to Wear Green and Wears Blue

Here is a weird moment. Now, to meet the Green Grace, Dany asks to wear green. Her hand maidens give her an excuse and dress her in blue.

I'm not sure if this is trying to save Dany or hurt Dany. By dressing in green, would she be honoring the Green Grace or would she be acting presumptuous?

“Irri, bring the green tokar, the silk one fringed with Myrish lace.”

“That one is being repaired, Khaleesi. The lace was torn. The blue tokar has been cleaned.”

“Blue, then. They will be just as pleased.” (Daenerys V, ADwD)

Previously, Hizdahr had showed up with the Green Grace wearing green. So, it seems like wearing a color honors someone. Then again, his wasn't a okar.

Green Grace seems a title, and a very specific one.

I wonder if there's a single Green Grace for every major city, since there was one at Astapor, with notable influence apparently.

If that's the case, Dany wearing a green tokai could be seen as a declaration of war, or an act of usurpation?

X Dany Wears Red With Yunkai

Dany dons a red tokar, the color of lust, with the Yunkai.

So Daenerys sat silent through the meal, wrapped in a vermilion tokar and black thoughts, speaking only when spoken to, brooding on the men and women being bought and sold outside her walls, even as they feasted here within the city. (Daenerys VIII, ADwD)

Now, I doubt Hizdahr dressed her, but Dany would resemble a red grace (a whore) in this situation. It may explain why she feels so ignored in this scene

Yeah, that's a major fuckup >_>

[Fool of a Book]

The notes about the colors are interesting, to say the least. Will pay more attention on a re-read.

The tokar also makes Dany appear a hypocrite at first, since it's the attire of the Masters. When she loses control of her plan to free the slaves and then enslaves her own dragons, the attire actually begins to label her accurately, as a Master, an enslaver. When she rips it off and takes off on Drogon, she's literally stripping off her identity as a Master.

The Roman toga could only be worn by Roman citizens. She's also renouncing her "citizenship" when she strips hers off.

Although it seems tokars are acceptable for noble Ghiscari women, in Roman society togas were reserved for free Roman men... and prostitutes. Women of good birth wore a different garment, more like what we see on the Statue of Liberty.

Unsurprisingly, GRRM is referencing a garment with a long history and complicated symbolism.

But the color thing... this is an excellent topic.

[Biter the Gallant]

Very interesting observations! Especially liked the "only his tokar was burnt" part, I never realized that it shows Dany's total ignorance of the local culture, thinking about a major insult as a pity.

[Rhaegar the Dragon Prince]

Wow, I totally missed this. It makes sense now why they were so pissed about the burned tokar. I think most people miss it is because it's from Dany's point of view. Shes doesn't know what shes doing wrong, but if you read it from a Mereenese characters point of view they would be like 'What the shit is she thinking!'

[Lord Martin]

Very cool analysis. I have much respect for those who take the time to go through colors and detail to this depth.

To piggyback a few points.

The bit about Hizard wearing blue as a color of healing is very interesting. Especially if you believe the notion that he was NOT behind the poisoned locusts. Hizdard claims he wants peace and perhaps, based on the colors, he truly does.

As for wearing red and feeling like a whore, Dany has just had to compromise on her anti-slavery position. She has literally "sold out" on her position. So in many ways, she is a whore. Or if you want to be crass about it, she's getting fucked by Yunkai (only the red graces fuck).

And lastly, the wedding colors are massively significant when Drogon returns. Dany is called "bride of fire." Her outfit is an approximation of Meerenese wedding colors. But red and yellow are also the color of flames. Moreover, Drogon, named for her dead husband Drogo, is a surrogate for her husband. We need to learn more about Dragon-binding... but there are many similarities to a marriage, for instance a rider can only have one dragon and a dragon can only have one rider until the rider's death.

Anyway, very cool OP... I really enjoyed this. Its hard to notice new things after so long, but this is very good analysis.

[Skinchanging Sweetrobin]

The bit about Hizard wearing blue as a color of healing is very interesting. Especially if you believe the notion that he was NOT behind the poisoned locusts. Hizdard claims he wants peace and perhaps, based on the colors, he truly does.

I believe the House of Pahl poisoned the locusts and the target was Strong Belwas:

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/112695-the-house-of-pahl-poisoned-the-honeyed-locusts-for-strong-belwas/