Should the Andal vs First Men conflict be more bitter?

[Tyrion1991]

39 minutes ago, RainwoodOwl said:

This. I also don't quite understand the OP's original premise. There is substantial religious conflict in GRRM's universe during the war between CotF and First Men, Andal invasion, and 50-100 years following Aegon's Conquest. The early Targaryen kings after Aegon the Conqueror had catastrophic problems with the Faith due to their incest and polygamy, such as the Faith Militant Uprising. It's not a fair characterization to say religious conflict does not play a substantial role. By the timeline of the novels, hundreds or in the former cases thousands of years have transpired: plenty of time to solidify peace with political and economic alliances.

Further, concepts such as race and nationalism are substantially later developments than Europe during the Wars of the Roses, the main inspiration for the series. The Seven Kingdoms shouldn't be compared to a modern nation state, this is a fictional feudal society.

 

In some of the expanded lore material you do get more of what you would expect in terms of religious wars and ethnic conflict. But I am referring specifically to what’s presented in the books in the main storyline. Functionally these conflicts don’t figure very prominently and the whole mind set around them is essentially a post enlightenment one.

People in the series don’t think and talk as if they really believe in these Gods. They think people who are overly religious are crazy. The idea of killing somebody for being  of another faith as Rhollor people do is considered abhorrent when actually that faith is the most similar to an actual medieval religion in its world view; less human sacrifice.

Religious wars were very common in history long before the modern era. There might not be nationalism in the strict sense but you do see an ethnic dimension. The Saxons displacing the Celtic Britons for example, which is BTW a clear inspiration for the Andal Conquest. Conflicts like this don’t just disappear, often lasting for thousands of years until after the enlightenment.

Well actually George does present the rising of the North and the Dornish as having nationalist ideologies. It’s another modern idea he’s inserted because it’s easy for the audience to understand and relate to.

So basically I don’t buy that the Andal and First Men would magically sort out their problems. Especially not when a FM King has broke free of the wider realm on the grounds that the FM shouldn’t suffer Andal dominion.