A list of ASOIAF parallels in myths, legends and fairy tales

[The Ghost Beyond the Wall]

Could there be a parallel between Rhaegar and Paris of Troy, with both abducting a woman they loved and leading to unnecessary bloodshed and violence as a result? 

[LynnS]

I came across something interesting, while reading the introduction to The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Or at least the story is compiled by his son, from Tolkien's notes, derived from the Book of Lost Tales.  The Children of Hurin was published in 2007.  Although this is published after A Game of Thrones in 1996; Morgoth, the Dark Lord is the main protagonist of the Silmarillion published in 1977 and I am guessing that GRRM has read the Silmarillion.  

This is the passage from the introduction to the Children of Hurin that I find so interesting:

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The torment that he devised for Hurin was 'to see with Morgoth's eyes'.  My father gave a definition of what this meant:  if one were forced to look into Morgoth's eye he would 'see' (or receive in his mind from Morgoth's mind) a compellingley credible picture of events, distorted by Morgoth's bottomless malice; and if indeed any could refuse Morgoth's command, Hurin did not. This was in part, my father said, because his love of his kin an his anguished anxiety for them made him desire to learn all that he could of them, no matter what the source; and in part from pride, believing that he had defeated Morgoth in debate, and that he could 'outstare' Morgoth, or at least retain his critical reason and distinguish between fact and malice.

This puts me directly in mind of Bran's coma dream when he looks into the heart of winter (and the soul of ice according to Melisandre).  The terrible knowledge received by way of his third eye.

 

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A Game of Thrones - Bran III

Because winter is coming.

Bran looked at the crow on his shoulder, and the crow looked back. It had three eyes, and the third eye was full of a terrible knowledge. Bran looked down. There was nothing below him now but snow and cold and death, a frozen wasteland where jagged blue-white spires of ice waited to embrace him. They flew up at him like spears. He saw the bones of a thousand other dreamers impaled upon their points. He was desperately afraid.

 

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A Game of Thrones - Bran III

He lifted his eyes and saw clear across the narrow sea, to the Free Cities and the green Dothraki sea and beyond, to Vaes Dothrak under its mountain, to the fabled lands of the Jade Sea, to Asshai by the Shadow, where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise.

Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal, and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. And he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead plains where nothing grew or lived. North and north and north he looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then beyond that curtain. He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks.

 

I don't have any difficulty comparing Bran to Hurin.  When Bran looks into the Heart of Winter; he is looking into the mind of his opponent; receiving terrible knowledge; visions of the future, twisted with malice.

[Ygrain]

16 hours ago, The Ghost Beyond the Wall said:

Could there be a parallel between Rhaegar and Paris of Troy, with both abducting a woman they loved and leading to unnecessary bloodshed and violence as a result? 

There definitely is, and even more the actual abduction of Isabela of Angouleme, called "Helen of the Middles Ages".

1 hour ago, LynnS said:

I came across something interesting, while reading the introduction to The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien.  Or at least the story is compiled by his son, from Tolkien's notes, derived from the Book of Lost Tales.  The Children of Hurin was published in 2007.  Although this is published after A Game of Thrones in 1996; Morgoth, the Dark Lord is the main protagonist of the Silmarillion published in 1977 and I am guessing that GRRM has read the Silmarillion.  

This is the passage from the introduction to the Children of Hurin that I find so interesting:

This puts me directly in mind of Bran's coma dream when he looks into the heart of winter (and the soul of ice according to Melisandre).  The terrible knowledge received by way of his third eye.

 

I don't have any difficulty comparing Bran to Hurin.  When Bran looks into the Heart of Winter; he is looking into the mind of his opponent; receiving terrible knowledge; visions of the future, twisted with malice.

You might want to take the parallel even further: when Húrin defies Morgoth, he is confined to a seat on the top of Thangorodrim and through Morgoth's eyes and ears, see and hear all the evil that happens to his kin.

[LynnS]

1 hour ago, Ygrain said:

You might want to take the parallel even further: when Húrin defies Morgoth, he is confined to a seat on the top of Thangorodrim and through Morgoth's eyes and ears, see and hear all the evil that happens to his kin.

Oh!  I am delighted that you are familiar with the tale of Hurin and Morgoth.  I wasn't sure that anyone would be.    

[Ygrain]

2 hours ago, LynnS said:

Oh!  I am delighted that you are familiar with the tale of Hurin and Morgoth.  I wasn't sure that anyone would be.    

I've been a diehard Tolkien fan since about the age of ten   You might even say Tolkien is the reason why I am even here as the lack of a Czech translation of LOTR was the prime motivation for me to learn English.

[LynnS]

1 hour ago, Ygrain said:

I've been a diehard Tolkien fan since about the age of ten   You might even say Tolkien is the reason why I am even here as the lack of a Czech translation of LOTR was the prime motivation for me to learn English.

Wow!  Good on ya Ygrain!

[Darth Sidious]

Red Viper and Gregor.  The David and Goliath of ASOIAF.

[Darth Sidious]

On 12/31/2019 at 3:20 PM, The Ghost Beyond the Wall said:

Could there be a parallel between Rhaegar and Paris of Troy, with both abducting a woman they loved and leading to unnecessary bloodshed and violence as a result? 

Except Lyanna was not lovely.  Helen supposedly was.  

[Darth Sidious]

On 12/31/2019 at 3:20 PM, The Ghost Beyond the Wall said:

Could there be a parallel between Rhaegar and Paris of Troy, with both abducting a woman they loved and leading to unnecessary bloodshed and violence as a result? 

 

Just now, Dothraki Khal said:

Except Lyanna was not lovely.  Helen supposedly was. 

I'm not saying George was not inspired but the similarities are not that many.

[Ygrain]

4 hours ago, Dothraki Khal said:

Except Lyanna was not lovely.  Helen supposedly was.  

?? Ned mentions surpassing loveliness, though he, as her brother, is probably not entirely objective. However, Kevan thinks about a kind of wild beauty, and Robert probably wouldn't be as smitten as he was if Lyanna was plain-looking.

[kissdbyfire]

7 hours ago, Dothraki Khal said:

Except Lyanna was not lovely.  Helen supposedly was.  

Maybe in your fanfic she wasn’t, but in Martin’s novels she is, as we are told more than once. 

[SeanF]

On 12/21/2019 at 7:48 PM, The Lord of the Crossing said:

More like a Medusa for Arya.  One look at her can turn people to stone.  

The Kindly Man thinks Arya will be beautiful when she grows up.

[SeanF]

On 12/20/2019 at 3:29 PM, Megorova said:

 

Jon is a parallel to Jesus, King Arthur Pendragon and Aragorn from LOTR.

Dany is a parallel to Mother Mary (three wisemen from the east came to see Mary's child, following after magic star), and the Woman clothed with the sun, while Rhaego is a parallel to "second Jesus", the one who in the Book of Apocalypse was leading an army of horsemen, and was referred to as the King of kings and Lord of lords, like Rhaego is referred to as the Khal of khals.

I wish I could find it, but Lummel did a great post about the level of Christian imagery that surrounds Jon Snow.  There's certainly Christian imagery surrounding Dany, although as a character, I think she's more like Moses.

[SeanF]

On 12/19/2019 at 9:43 PM, Frey family reunion said:

Keep in mind that GRRM often twists or inverts the story around a bit.  So don't be surprised to see Selyse play the role of Agamemnon.  

I doubt if Stannis will ever order the sacrifice of Shireen.

Melisandre might burn her, on her own initiative.

[Hugorfonics]

Not a typical fairy tale but I see parallels with Tywin and the legend of Michael Corleone. (Though he should have been more excited when he examined Hyman Roths golden telephone)

Raised in one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the realm with a heroic military backround to boot. His father gradually lost more and more power, he who was once the strongest now had to make terms with lesser families. When father died, he went in swinging and bloody. Soon after, no one would say hes not the most powerful.

Yet despite the grander that he reinstated in his family, he still played by his fathers rules. And though he hardly smiled, he made room for a few. Tywin smiled at Cersei, promising her that Lannister will be royalty. While Michael smiled at Kay and promised her that Corleones are soon going to go legitimate.

Well, Tywin made it and all charges against Michael were dismissed by the Senate. But it was all a facade. The Lannisters didnt take the throne, they stole it. While Mike wasnt innocent he just tampered the judicial system. 

The greatest to play the game? Perhaps. But he played the game of war, not the true game of ruling like he wished. And, we should remember, it is a family game. His family despised him. Greatest player, probably. Greatest monster, definitely.