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Baelor the Blessed Theory


Crowfood's Daughter

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Has anyone ever given more thought to Baelor the Blessed? Well, I’ll admit that I previously haven’t until recently. BUT, I was recalling the importance of something that was read in the scrolls by Rhaegar Targaryen.



"The maesters were awed by his wits, but his father’s knights would jest sourly that Baelor the Blessed had been born again. Until one day Prince Rhaegar found something in his scrolls that changed him. No one knows what it might have been, only that the boy suddenly appeared early one morning in the yard as the knights were donning their steel. He walked up to Ser Willem Darry, the master-at-arms, and said, 'I will require a sword and armor. It seems I must be a warrior'.” ASOS



After pondering this, I posed the question to myself: If Baelor I was equally studious to Rhaegar, and they both had similar resources, could it be possible that Baelor I also read the same scrolls?



Well let’s take a look at Baelor I.


First we know that he was the ninth Targaryen to sit on the throne and GRRM has a tenacity to use the number nine in his writing such as the Ninepenny kings, the nine wierwoods in a circle, etc. With all this significant use of nine, wouldn’t the ninth Targaryen king to sit on the iron throne also mean something more significant than some celibate holy man?



Well what else do we know about Baelor I?


We know that he was quite pious and locked all of his sisters up in the maiden vault so that he would not be tempted. If this were the case, why not send them to Dragonstone? There they would not be imprisoned and they could also have their freedom. My theory is that Baelor I feared something that he read and thought it had to do with one of his sisters having a child. Even though his sister wife was imprisoned, Daena escaped many times and,


"had an affair with her cousin Prince Aegon, despite his marriage to his own sister-wife Naerys. When she became pregnant she refused to name the father of the child and became known as ‘Daena the Defiant’. " —the wiki. As we all know this son was the bastard Daemon Blackfyre, and the father, Prince Aegon became King Aegon the Unworthy.



Are there other things to consider?


We also know that Baelor I once banished all the whores and sex workers from King’s Landing. Could this be another attempt at preventing certain royal bastards rather than having religious motivations? We know that Aegon the Unworthy was a womanizer in his youth and during his reign. The wiki goes on to detail that



"He had as many as nine mistresses and many bastards. Supposedly, he had any woman he wanted whether they were married or not. People often joked that the Targaryen words might be “Fire and Blood” but Aegon IV’s motto was ‘Wash her and bring her to my bed.’”



Also of interest,


Baelor tried to replace all the ravens that delivered messages with doves. We all know the significance of ravens in the ASOIAF series and the abilities of skinchangers who can control them. One specifc skinchanger in comes to mind who also happens to be one of the Great Bastards of Aegon the Unworthy, Bloodraven.



One last note: Baelor I had the books written by Septon Barth burned claiming that he was a sorcerer (some fragments have survived). What do we know about about Barth? We know that he was also a septon and was also quite bookish, in fact he was discovered by King Jahaerys in the red keep library and was quickly placed as hand of the king which he remained in that position for forty years. Could Barth have also read the same writings as Rhaegar and Baelor and maybe made slight inferences in his own writings?




Also an interesting find I noticed while scouring the the Wiki was a connection to a latter king, Aerys I.


“His Grace cares more for old scrolls and dusty prophecies than for lords and laws. He will not even bestir himself to sire an heir. Queen Aelinor prays daily at the Great Sept, beseeching the Mother Above to bless her with a child, yet she remains a maid. Aerys keeps his own apartments, and it is said he would sooner take a book to bed than any woman. ” – Sefton Staunton, to Dunk



Again we have another king who has probably read all of the books and scrolls in the red keep. He is in an unconsummated marriage as reported by the septon, and even though he is king he refuses any attempts at producing an heir. Aerys I goes as far as letting the hand run the kingdom while he reads prophesies.



Finally, how could this be significant in the ASOIAF series?



Three theories.


#1 Tyrion has already read the same scrolls and will soon make connections



#2 Another of the Great Bastards of Aegon the Unworthy kept an ancient archaic library and was also reported to practice sorcery. One of her relatives if you believe the B+S=M theory is at the wall and her mother may have passed her collection down to her daughter.



#3 And the most likely, Archmaester Marwyn, Author of book of lost books which claims to also have some passages of signs and portents is on his way to Dany. Coincidentally, Tyrion, who claims to have read any scroll he could get his hands on is also trying to get to Dany.




10/16/14 Further support found in the tale of Perseus: King Acrisius of Argos has a stunningly beautiful daughter but wants a son, so he prays to the gods. Apollo tells him not only that Acrisius will never have a son, but also that the son of his daughter will kill him. The only way to fully prevent this prophecy would be to kill his daughter, Danae, but Acrisius fears what the gods would do to him. Instead, he imprisons Danae in a bronze house without a roof and guards her carefully.



Arcisius does not expect, however, that Zeus will come to her and impregnate her. Perseus is born and he sets Danae and Perseus in a box out in the ocean. Later in life Perseus enters a discus competition and his discus strikes his grandfather who was unknowingly and coincidentally in the audience fulfilling the prophesy.



Daena Targaryen was one of the princesses locked in the maidenvault and eventually became the mother of Daemon Blackfyre.



10/12/14 Further support found in Celtic Mythology: Link where this was obtained found here



In this tale, Balor hears a druid's prophecy that he will be killed by his own grandson. To prevent this he imprisons his only daughter in the Tór Mór (great tower) of Tory Island, cared for by twelve women, who are to prevent her ever meeting or even learning of the existence of men. On the mainland, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh owns a magic cow who gives such abundant milk that everyone, including Balor, wants to possess her. While the cow is in the care of Mac Cinnfhaelaidh's brother Mac Samthainn, Balor appears in the form of a little red-haired boy and tricks him into giving him the cow. Looking for revenge, Mac Cinnfhaelaidh calls on a leanan sídhe (fairy woman) called Biróg, who transports him by magic to the top of Balor's tower, where he seduces Eithne. In time she gives birth to triplets, which Balor gathers up in a sheet and sends to be drowned in a whirlpool. The messenger drowns two of the babies, but unwittingly drops one child into the harbour, where he is rescued by Biróg. She takes him to his father, who gives him to his brother, Gavida the smith, in fosterage.




“Gorghan of Old Ghis once wrote that a prophecy is like a treacherous woman. She takes your member in her mouth, and you moan with the pleasure of it and think, how sweet, how fine, how good this is… and then her teeth snap shut and your moans turn to screams. That is the nature of prophecy, said Gorghan. Prophecy will bite your prick off every time.”– Marwyn, to Samwell Tarly, Alleras, and “Pate”



Edit was done on 10.06.14 to include information on Aerys I.


Edit was done on 10/16/14 to include information on the parallels of the Perseus myth


Edit done on 10/25/14 to include information on the parallels of the Balor myth.


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Interesting. I never really thought about Baelor much except as a parallel to Henry VI, who was also considered to be pious and mentally ill. This is a really cool theory. It would also underline the fact that no one can get away from these prophecies/fortunes. No matter what you do, it happens anyway, sometimes because of what you do. *cough, Cersei, cough*


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Thanks for a great thread and a cool idea. I'm more interested in Barth, though. He's known for writing that dragons are neither male nor female and that the best way to kill them is through the eyes. I wonder if that was all he wrote that got his works burned, or is there more? And might some of his words have made it across the Narrow Sea where they would have been preserved?


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John Suburbs,


Yes, I find Septon Barth extremely fascinating and hope we will learn more about him in future books. It is unclear if he wrote more books as much of the text refers only to the one book and at times using verbage such as "writings of Barth" etc. The think the possibility there are more "writings" does exist.



Also an interesting find I noticed while scouring the the Wiki was Aerys I.





His Grace cares more for old scrolls and dusty prophecies than for lords and laws. He will not even bestir himself to sire an heir. Queen Aelinor prays daily at the Great Sept , beseeching the Mother Above to bless her with a child, yet she remains a maid. Aerys keeps his own apartments, and it is said he would sooner take a book to bed than any woman.[5]


Sefton Staunton, to Dunk


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Interesting. I never really thought about Baelor much except as a parallel to Henry VI, who was also considered to be pious and mentally ill. This is a really cool theory. It would also underline the fact that no one can get away from these prophecies/fortunes. No matter what you do, it happens anyway, sometimes because of what you do. *cough, Cersei, cough*

He reminds me more of Henry the third, but both work, it is funny how both heirs was name Edward.

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:thumbsup: What a truly cool catch!



Now I'm going to think of Baelor The Blessed in a very different way. Now that you've pointed it out he doesn't look just like a boring kind of crazy anymore. There is something going on behind his (apparently weird) behavior.



Awesome! :cheers:


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Thanks for the feedback.


Im also working on another theory which mentions another reader of Septon Barth in the comments here http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/118620-love-goddess-love-potions-lys-and-glamours-and-whores/ . Alicent Hightower might have been privy to information and prophecies related to the Targaryens as well.


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Further support found in the tale of Perseus: King Acrisius of Argos has a stunningly beautiful daughter but wants a son, so he prays to the gods. Apollo tells him not only that Acrisius will never have a son, but also that the son of his daughter will kill him. The only way to fully prevent this prophecy would be to kill his daughter, Danae, but Acrisius fears what the gods would do to him. Instead, he imprisons Danae in a bronze house without a roof and guards her carefully.



Arcisius does not expect, however, that Zeus will come to her and impregnate her. Perseus is born and he sets Danae and Perseus in a box out in the ocean. Later in life Perseus enters a discus competition and his discus strikes his grandfather who was unknowingly and coincidentally in the audience fulfilling the prophesy.



Daena Targaryen was one of the princesses locked in the maidenvault and eventually became the mother of Daemon Blackfyre.



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Further support found in the tale of Perseus: King Acrisius of Argos has a stunningly beautiful daughter but wants a son, so he prays to the gods. Apollo tells him not only that Acrisius will never have a son, but also that the son of his daughter will kill him. The only way to fully prevent this prophecy would be to kill his daughter, Danae, but Acrisius fears what the gods would do to him. Instead, he imprisons Danae in a bronze house without a roof and guards her carefully.

Arcisius does not expect, however, that Zeus will come to her and impregnate her. Perseus is born and he sets Danae and Perseus in a box out in the ocean. Later in life Perseus enters a discus competition and his discus strikes his grandfather who was unknowingly and coincidentally in the audience fulfilling the prophesy.

Daena Targaryen was one of the princesses locked in the maidenvault and eventually became the mother of Daemon Blackfyre.

Love that myth. I did an analysis of Zeus for one of my college classes (humanities? writing?) and that particular story featured prominently in the paper.

Good catch on the similarities.

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So Baelor wanted to preclude the birth of BR? That certainly lends credence to the BR is evil /GO theory. I still lean towards BR being a "good guy" but nothing I've seen has enabled me to discount the possibility that BR and the Children are evil

I believe it supports Baelor interpreting it as evil. As we have seen with other characters, prophesies are often like riddles, so we don't know if he was on the right track or not. I also noticed that he (Baelor) made an eight year old the high septon claiming that he could work miracles. Bran was eight when his "third eye" was opened.

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