How to Serve Dragon Eggs: Why Dragon Eggs Stopped Hatching (Theory)

[Raiders of the Grey Waste]

So, this is just an idea I had after watching Letterkenny of all things. This may be a bit of a ride but please follow me to the end.

In the Letterkenny episode "A Fuss at the Golf Course" it's revealed that the managers of a golf course are tracking down nests of Canada Geese (Gooses) and planning to put oil on the eggs in order to prevent them from hatching. This got me curious enough to look into what exactly oiling the eggs would do. A quick Google search provided this answer:

"Applying a thin coating of food-grade corn oil to eggs prevents them from hatching. The oil layer blocks pores in the eggshell, preventing the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the outside air and the embryo, effectively asphyxiating it."

Goose egg addling is a very real thing and is utilized as a means of population control. It is achieved through use of corn oil or through Liquid Paraffin, a highly refined mineral oil used in cosmetics and medicine. This then got me thinking about dragon eggs and ASOIAF. I started to ponder on things like the maester conspiracy to kill off the dragons, the Faith of the Seven, the Targaryren's seeming endless need to be a part of prophecy, and what may have happened after the end of Fire and Blood. We know that most of the dragons died during the Dance, that the few remaining dragons would die during the reign of Aegon III "The Dragonbane," and that the remaining dragon eggs would petrify over time. We don't have much information of what happened during A3's time on the throne so most of this is pure conjecture. We do know he had a great distaste for dragons after witnessing his mother being eaten by one. While he himself did not care for dragons he did recognize their power. According to the World of Ice and Fire, through the urging of his brother and eventual Hand Viserys, A3 brought nine mages from Essos who attempted to hatch a clutch of dragon eggs with magic. This attempt ended in failure but it would not be the last attempt made by a Targ king to hatch dragon eggs. While the magic and mages of Essos may have failed it's possible A3 may have sought another way of hatching these eggs through prompting by another family member and to that I want to turn attention to a young Prince Baelor, who would eventually become King Baelor I "The Blessed."

The relations, if any, that A3 had with his children is something that hasn't been touched upon and we can only speculate what transpired during the formative years of the young princes and princesses. What we do know about Baelor though is that he would not only grow to become a devout follower of the Faith of the Seven, he would become a fanatic, and as such he is one of the Targaryen kings said to have had "Targaryen Madness." Where I think Baelor may have played a part in this lays in the religious ceremonies conducted by the Faith that make use of seven oils. These oils are used during child naming ceremonies as a form of baptism, as part of knighting ceremonies, and, most importantly, when anointing a king. We are never told what exactly the seven oils are made of but given GRRM's Catholic upbringing it's possible that they were written with the Three Holy Oils in mind: the oil of the sick, the oil of the catechumens and the holy chrism oil. The oil of the sick and the catechumens are normally pure olive oil. The third oil, holy chrism oil, is olive oil mixed with balsam. The oil symbolizes strength, and the balsam represents the “aroma of Christ” (2 Cor 2:15). Anointing with chrism oil signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is used to consecrate someone or something to God’s service.

The idea I propose is that Baelor may have presented his father with the idea of having dragon eggs be anointed with these seven oils. If these anointed eggs were to hatch not only would it provide the Targ dynasty with new dragons but, symbolically, it would provide "proof" that the faith of the Seven was the one true religion and that the dragons (and by extension the Targaryens themselves) were favored by the Seven Who Are One. Having such an event transpire would certainly work wonders for the Targ dynasty politically and spiritually. It would cement them as not just exceptional (outlined by the Doctrine of Exceptionalism) but also divine in nature. It also would work wonders for the Faith itself, more than likely coming with the complete support of these now divine rulers who adhere to it. It would also work to satiate that Targaryen NEED to be a part of something grander than themselves. As seen with examples such as Aegon V and Prince Rhaegar this need has proven to be a weakness. Through misinterpretation of events, or due to ego, this need would also factor into the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty. In this scenario Prince Baelor and his father would be two more examples of this.

So where do the maesters and their conspiracy factor in? In this theory the conspiracy may have come about through a deliberate withholding of information, perhaps even open encouragement to have the eggs anointed with the seven oils as well as ensuring that among the seven oils used would be the necessary corn oil and/or liquid paraffin. Given their knowledge it's plausible that the maesters may have been aware of what rubbing oil onto bird eggs would do and simply applied that same idea to dragon eggs. Through encouragement and deceit they could play into Targaryen delusions of grandeur, take advantage of it, and simply allow the Targs and the Faith to do the deed for them.

So, in summation: I believe it's possible that Aegon III, perhaps through the misguided prompting of his fanatically religious son Baelor, had dragon eggs anointed with the seven oils of the Faith as a method of getting them to hatch. The results of this would not only be a replenishing to the number of dragons under Targ control but would also aid in firmly establishing Targ power again, perhaps even elevating Targ rule to the level of divine . The Faith for their part could have aided in providing the oils as a means of gaining support from the Targ dynasty and in the hopes that a hatching would elevate their religion. The maesters kept their mouths shut, not telling the Targs what rubbing oil on eggs would actually do in normal circumstances, and may have even openly encouraged the act. They may have also ensured that corn oil and/or some kind liquid paraffin were used in the ceremony (if they were not already among the seven oils as ingredients). The Targaryens, in their desperate attempt to regain dragons, to re-establish dominance, and to elevate themselves beyond exceptionalism to actual "favor of the gods themselves" may have led to them accidentally addling their own dragon eggs under the guise of religious ceremony and leaving them to deteriorate into the petrified stones that they are now.

[Fool Stands On Giant’s Toe]

Spoiler

 

Nice ! GRRM appears to almost always align and combine natural science to the fantastic. Your discovery egg-cites me to egg-plore eggs and eggs-crement. 

[LynnS]

I didn't know that about eggs, in general.  There is no real way to prove or disprove the OP, but it's an interesting question.  What did cause the demise of dragons?  Is it possible to poison a dragon before it hatches and who would attempt it if not the Citadel.  Perhaps Septon Barth's Book of Dragons would tell us if a copy exists.  

[Jaenara Belarys]

This is an interesting theory, thanks. 

7 hours ago, LynnS said:

I didn't know that about eggs, in general.  There is no real way to prove or disprove the OP, but it's an interesting question.  What did cause the demise of dragons?  Is it possible to poison a dragon before it hatches and who would attempt it if not the Citadel.  Perhaps Septon Barth's Book of Dragons would tell us if a copy exists.  

We don't know about any surviving copies of DWWTUH. Tyrion thinks about trying to get past the Black Walls, to try and find a library but we know that he never gets the chance. Does anybody think that the book on dragons that Arianne has in the Spear Tower is Unnatural History? 

[Hug-hammer]

The poorly formed and weak dragons started to be born right after the dance, this is not a coincidence.

In fab we learn that dragons develop best in the volcano of dragonstone and that far from the volcano the eggs could end up turning to stone, (this may explain why the dragon lords of valyria built their outposts on this poor and rocky island) because of the active volcano.

It is therefore possible that the eggs were put in a place totally opposite to the volcano, a kind of cold underground gallery, which in the long run would have weakened the newborns and petrified the eggs or at least accelerated the process.

I don't think they were poisoned with poison.
In the arena when daenerys takes out the spear, stuck on drogon, she notices that it had completely melted.
The inside of a dragon must be as hot as a foundry.

[LynnS]

1 hour ago, Hug-hammer said:

(this may explain why the dragon lords of valyria built their outposts on this poor and rocky island) because of the active volcano.

Agreed, Dragonstone is an active sea mount.  This makes Dany's egg hatching all the more miraculous since she broods them over time using a charcoal brazier and then the funeral pyre.

[Hug-hammer]

12 minutes ago, LynnS said:

Agreed, Dragonstone is an active sea mount.  This makes Dany's egg hatching all the more miraculous since she broods them over time using a charcoal brazier and then the funeral pyre.

The case of Daenerys was an exception something unique related to fate, Martin compared that, like Arthur who takes out Excalibur.

Hatching three dragon eggs simultaneously.

Or having some resistance to fire separates her from the other dragons we've seen in history.

Daenerys is no ordinary Targ.

Eggs have already hatched far from Dragonstone, the morning was born in the valley. But it was a fresh egg that was not degenerate.

I notice that the disappearance of the dragons coincides with the time when the Targaryens began to frequent Dragonstone less.

[Aebram]

Good morrow, "Raiders," that's a very interesting idea.  Sorry to criticize your first post -- it's way better than mine was, you're off to a good start! -- but I don't think it quite stands up to scrutiny.  Dragons became extinct gradually over many years, with each new generation being smaller and weaker than the last.  That doesn't seem to match up with the idea of killing them outright by coating the eggs with oil.  

There are hints throughout the story that magic is a force that comes and goes, sort of like a tide, but over the course of many years or centuries.  Starting around the time of AGOT, the tide seems to be rising, as evidenced by comments such as "the glass candles are burning again," alchemists finding it easier to produce wildfire, etc.  I think the extinction and reappearance of dragons must be related to that.

[Daeron the Daring]

@Raiders of the Grey Waste you showed an interesting approach of poisoning the eggs intentionally or unintentionally.

However, I doubt the maesters had this knowledge, or that the dying of dragons is a coincidence. That does not rule out you idea, but I think George did not get into such details. 

On the other hand, I always tought of a simple explanation instead of somethig very complicated on this matter. My idea, however, does not disprove or attack yours, it's just how I imagined it in a logical way, which can give an explanation to every egg.

As a maester, to stop a dragon egg from hatching, you somehow have to harm the inside, without really harming the shell. I tought of no poison but a long needle they pierce trough the egg. It leaves no mark on it, and the egg from the inside is 'destroyed', because the dragon can't grow. What kind of evindence do I have? None. It's just what I tought for. Considering that dragon eggs have a scaly surfice instead of a plain one, noone will see a very-very small mark on it, unless they know and intentionally look for it. Otherwise, I don't know how every egg could've turned into stone. Not to mention that your suggestion isn't an explanation for the case of each egg, only 7, and those eggs were pretty old the time Baelor was trying to hatch them the way he tried. If they wouldn't have been, they would've waited for them to hatch naturally, or something like that, but not getting into sorcery and praying over them.

[Jaenara Belarys]

On 4/1/2021 at 6:14 AM, Daeron the Daring said:

As a maester, to stop a dragon egg from hatching, you somehow have to harm the inside, without really harming the shell. I tought of no poison but a long needle they pierce trough the egg. It leaves no mark on it, and the egg from the inside is 'destroyed', because the dragon can't grow. What kind of evindence do I have? None. It's just what I tought for. Considering that dragon eggs have a scaly surfice instead of a plain one, noone will see a very-very small mark on it, unless they know and intentionally look for it.

This is a good theory, but I have one problem with it. In The Mystery Knight, Dunk thinks that you could smash a man's head in with the dragon egg, and it wouldn't damage it at all. Thus, your needle would have to be pretty hard and strong in order to pierce it without breaking, and even if you have that metal the dragon egg surface is still super hard.

[Daeron the Daring]

1 hour ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

This is a good theory, but I have one problem with it. In The Mystery Knight, Dunk thinks that you could smash a man's head in with the dragon egg, and it wouldn't damage it at all. Thus, your needle would have to be pretty hard and strong in order to pierce it without breaking, and even if you have that metal the dragon egg surface is still super hard.

Well, we know the maesters can have a chain of valyrian steel too, if they learn some sort of higher misteries. That made me think they can rework VS. Your big-big needle might be made out of VS, might not too. Otherwise, I don't know how they could've damaged the eggs phisically. Imagine a metal spike, as long as a knife in your kitchen, narrow, but wide enough to trace trough the egg. Leaves close to no mark behind.

The idea the topic creator worked out has a big problem: Those eggs Baelor tried to hatch were at least 8 years old. Considering that Baelor spent the beginning of his reign with his journey to Dorne, we can safely say the eggs have been at least 10 years old, if they've been the Last Dragon's. But the Last Dragon had only 5 eggs, so there surely have been older ones too. On top of that, the Last Dragon might have provided eggs that were unable to hatch, due to their origin, and Prince Viserys was trying to hatch dragons even before Baelor, during the reign of his brother, Aegon, but failed.

If Morning ever laid any eggs, I don't know why those never hatched, unless they've been damaged instantly. The other ones from the time before the Dance were likely already turned into stone. Many suggest that a dragon egg is only able to hatch in it's first 2-3 years, even at Dragonstone.

But after all, the extinction of dragons might just come from a ling line of unfortunate events. Marwyn wasn't there to know it, and if the maesters had no opportunity or way to damage the eggs, I doubt they accomplished it with magic.

[Jaenara Belarys]

OK, I will admit I did not think about Valyrian steel. But still, even if you've solved the metal problem, you still need to be able to have something or someone strong and smart enough to bang the needle in without it being noticed.

[Daeron the Daring]

1 hour ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

OK, I will admit I did not think about Valyrian steel. But still, even if you've solved the metal problem, you still need to be able to have something or someone strong and smart enough to bang the needle in without it being noticed.

If the maesters are responsible for the extinction of dragons, it makes some sense in a way. Because before, when dragons were regularly around the hatching area, getting the eggs might have been difficult. Or just getting to the eggs. With the death of most dragons, they did not have to worry about that anymore. And, you can imagine, if one wants or has to, then he could find some time doing his 'job'.

Yet, Viserys' egg never hatched in the early 120's. That might not have been the maester's accomplishment, tho, sometimes it happens. Never did every egg hatch.

[Jaenara Belarys]

Personally, I have my own little theory about the maesters and the first dragon extinction. It goes like this: If the maesters were as against magic as much as Marwyn says they are, they would've gotten rid of the dragons much earlier. Thus, the maesters killed the dragons because they kind of deemed them too dangerous to live, too destructive as a result of the Dance. I think that they didn't kill the dragons by poison or something earlier is because the realm was well ruled under Viserys and Jaehaerys. This is a jumbled up summary of my theory. 

[Daeron the Daring]

4 minutes ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

Personally, I have my own little theory about the maesters and the first dragon extinction. It goes like this: If the maesters were as against magic as much as Marwyn says they are, they would've gotten rid of the dragons much earlier. Thus, the maesters killed the dragons because they kind of deemed them too dangerous to live, too destructive as a result of the Dance. I think that they didn't kill the dragons by poison or something earlier is because the realm was well ruled under Viserys and Jaehaerys. This is a jumbled up summary of my theory. 

Oh, yes, and up until the point of Robert's Rebellion, everyone tought the Faith is OK with The Doctrine of Exceptionalism. Turned out they weren't.

[Jaenara Belarys]

How are they not OK with the DoE? The only incest that the Faith talks about is the Cersei/Jaime twincest.

[Daeron the Daring]

Just now, Jaenara Belarys said:

How are they not OK? 

Remember the Battle of the Bells? 

[Jaenara Belarys]

6 minutes ago, Daeron the Daring said:

Remember the Battle of the Bells? 

The only involvement of the Faith in the Battle of the Bells was them ringing the bells to tell everybody to stay inside. 

[Daeron the Daring]

7 minutes ago, Jaenara Belarys said:

The only involvement of the Faith in the Battle of the Bells was them ringing the bells to tell everybody to stay inside. 

To prevent Jon Connington finding Robert.

[Jaenara Belarys]

That might be why, but that still has nothing to do with the Faith being OK or not OK with the DoE in the gross Targaryen marriage customs.