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The naming of dragons


Euron III Greyjoy

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I've looked through a list of dragons on the ASOIAF wiki, and I noticed that no dragon has had the same name twice. Is there a reason for this? Targaryen names, especially Aegon, are being reused all the time, so why didn't a newly hatched dragon get called Balerion, Vhagar, Caraxes, etc. 

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2 hours ago, Euron III Greyjoy said:

I've looked through a list of dragons on the ASOIAF wiki, and I noticed that no dragon has had the same name twice. Is there a reason for this? Targaryen names, especially Aegon, are being reused all the time, so why didn't a newly hatched dragon get called Balerion, Vhagar, Caraxes, etc. 

Might be something to do with "the bonding" that a potential dragonlord does with the hatchling or untamed dragon. 

 

Just as the process of first time bonding or taming is unique, the name may have some connection to this. 

 

 

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5 hours ago, Euron III Greyjoy said:

I've looked through a list of dragons on the ASOIAF wiki, and I noticed that no dragon has had the same name twice. Is there a reason for this? Targaryen names, especially Aegon, are being reused all the time, so why didn't a newly hatched dragon get called Balerion, Vhagar, Caraxes, etc. 

The answer isn't fun.  Coincidence.  There were more than enough names to go around because the number of dragons were never that many.

We know the reasoning behind the naming of Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserys. 

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The Targaryens tended to limit the available names they gave to their children.  Dragon names are not limited.  Silverwing, for example, is not really a traditional name.  A dragon can be given any kind of name that suited the Targaryen.  Daenerys invented names for her dragons.  She chose significance rather than tradition.  Drogon was named after Khal Drogo.  It's not really a name from the baby dragon book of names.  

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I think the key, in some cases, may be to look at overlap between names of monarchs and names of dragons. I couldn't figure out why the human name Baelor had been used only once for a Targ king and once for another member of the royal family. We see other characters who seem to echo the name Bael, from the "King Beyond the Wall" legend - Baelish, Abel. But then I realized that King Baelor and his ill-fated great-nephew, Prince Baelor, are linked to the dragon of Aegon I : Balerion. And Princess Rhaenys named her kitten Balerion. And all of these characters may allude to the Celtic legend of Balor.

My suspicion is that dragons or dragon spirits are reborn as humans and human spirits can be reborn in dragons (as we see with Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion). Or that GRRM wants to create a trail of characters with qualities associated with that name.

If that theory is right, then names like Silverwing and Sheep Stealer may indirectly allude to other characters. GRRM didn't use their character names or variations on their names for their matching dragon because he didn't want us to make the connection too quickly. Instead, you might have to figure out who wears silver (Sansa, Salador Saan, probably others) and surmise whether the story of Silverwing might foreshadow or symbolize something in the story of the character.

Setting aside the symbolism stuff for a moment, I would also note that the dragons were sometimes hatched when the Targaryen rider was a child. I'm surprised we don't have a lot of names like "Shaggydog" that would be chosen by a four-year-old. I suppose parents might help a child choose an appropriately dragon-like name.

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Dragons are majestic beings and so they are generally given names to reflect that nature.  The names reflect the pride, hopes, and vision of the human who named the dragon.  Drogo, Rhaegal, and Viserys failed to fully accomplish their hopes.  Therefore, young Daenerys took up their role and the dragon names are a reflection of her goals.  

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3 hours ago, Seams said:

 I would also note that the dragons were sometimes hatched when the Targaryen rider was a child. I'm surprised we don't have a lot of names like "Shaggydog" that would be chosen by a four-year-old. I suppose parents might help a child choose an appropriately dragon-like name.

It seems that Targaryens traditionally named  their dragons after Valyrian deities. Balerion was born before the doom and was named after one. We have been confirmed that Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax were Valyrian gods too. Probably the rest of the Valyrian sounding names of the dragons were named in this fashion.

It seems to me that the Targaryen dragons with English/Andal names are the ones that would have been named by immature children (Quicksilver, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Sunfyre, Moondancer, Stormcloud), or the smallfolk (Cannibal, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer)

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15 minutes ago, The hairy bear said:

 

It seems that Targaryens traditionally named  their dragons after Valyrian deities. Balerion was born before the doom and was named after one. We have been confirmed that Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax were Valyrian gods too. Probably the rest of the Valyrian sounding names of the dragons were named in this fashion.

It seems to me that the Targaryen dragons with English/Andal names are the ones that would have been named by immature children (Quicksilver, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Sunfyre, Moondancer, Stormcloud), or the smallfolk (Cannibal, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer)

I agree.

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On 3/4/2019 at 10:31 AM, Widowmaker 811 said:

Dragons are majestic beings and so they are generally given names to reflect that nature.  The names reflect the pride, hopes, and vision of the human who named the dragon.  Drogo, Rhaegal, and Viserys failed to fully accomplish their hopes.  Therefore, young Daenerys took up their role and the dragon names are a reflection of her goals.  

I like this idea.  Drogon will help her take control of the khalasars from the khals.  Rhaegal helps her take over Westeros, which is what Rhaegar wanted to do but failed.  King Viserys inherited the throne but failed to take the kingdom.  Viserion will help her do that.  

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On 3/3/2019 at 3:27 PM, Euron III Greyjoy said:

I've looked through a list of dragons on the ASOIAF wiki, and I noticed that no dragon has had the same name twice. Is there a reason for this? Targaryen names, especially Aegon, are being reused all the time, so why didn't a newly hatched dragon get called Balerion, Vhagar, Caraxes, etc. 

There were not many dragons.  They have had no need to reuse the names.  Only some Targaryens had dragons.  Many did not.  

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On 3/3/2019 at 3:27 PM, Euron III Greyjoy said:

I've looked through a list of dragons on the ASOIAF wiki, and I noticed that no dragon has had the same name twice. Is there a reason for this? Targaryen names, especially Aegon, are being reused all the time, so why didn't a newly hatched dragon get called Balerion, Vhagar, Caraxes, etc. 

I think that some of the names are used twice, but once in Valyrian and once in common, and once for a dragon and once for a human- for example, I think that the suffix "rys" means "flame" in Valyrian so that if my theory holds water it may be the case that the Daenerys (thinking the Daenys the Dreamer here...) might refer to Rhaella Targaryen's Dreamfire... Perhaps the suffix "ion" means wing, and then we have Aurion as Silverwing? Pretty vague, i admit, but I do think there is a real connection between the names (and souls) of dragons and Tagrs...

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3 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

In latin aurum=gold so Aurion would be Goldwing not Silverwing. I think that argentum is silver, so Silverwing would be Argeon.

If Valyrian were latin, that would be so. Silverwing is just a guess, however. My guess is that the prefix "Viser" is "gold" so "Goldwing" might be Viserion and "Goldflame" Viserys?

The suffix "axes" I tentatively have as "wyrm" so that Caraxes could possibly translate directly as "bloodworm", for example. and perhaps firewyrm would be something like Riaxes?

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On 3/4/2019 at 11:59 AM, The hairy bear said:

 

It seems that Targaryens traditionally named  their dragons after Valyrian deities. Balerion was born before the doom and was named after one. We have been confirmed that Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax were Valyrian gods too. Probably the rest of the Valyrian sounding names of the dragons were named in this fashion.

It seems to me that the Targaryen dragons with English/Andal names are the ones that would have been named by immature children (Quicksilver, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Sunfyre, Moondancer, Stormcloud), or the smallfolk (Cannibal, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer)

I agree

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Dragons are like pets 

On 3/4/2019 at 5:59 PM, The hairy bear said:

It seems that Targaryens traditionally named  their dragons after Valyrian deities. Balerion was born before the doom and was named after one. We have been confirmed that Meraxes, Vhagar, and Syrax were Valyrian gods too. Probably the rest of the Valyrian sounding names of the dragons were named in this fashion.

It seems to me that the Targaryen dragons with English/Andal names are the ones that would have been named by immature children (Quicksilver, Dreamfyre, Seasmoke, Sunfyre, Moondancer, Stormcloud), or the smallfolk (Cannibal, Grey Ghost, Sheepstealer)

Some give their pets names like Eddy, Lucy, Penny etc. who are real names (you could name your child after it) like the first group.

The second group are based mostly on look or character like for example Greystar (based on his grey fur) or pawie ( covered in brown and grey except for his white paws)

The third group are nicknames also based on characters and look but they dont need to be friendly or positive or the "official or real" name: Casanova (for a cat who sleeps in every house of the street) or owl (for a cat with very huge eyes).

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On 3/5/2019 at 8:00 PM, Mordred said:

I like this idea.  Drogon will help her take control of the khalasars from the khals.  Rhaegal helps her take over Westeros, which is what Rhaegar wanted to do but failed.  King Viserys inherited the throne but failed to take the kingdom.  Viserion will help her do that.  

:)

 

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