Sun Symbolism

[Craving Peaches]

The Sun is an important motif in the series, occurring in many different contexts.

 

Sun of Dorne

The sun appears on the Sigil of House Martell. The wiki says the sun was originally a Rhoynish symbol which was combined with the Martell spear to make the Sigil. This would make Nymeria a sort of 'sun princess/queen', which is interesting because often the sun is seen as more of a masculine symbol, with the moon being associated with the feminine instead. We also have the Dornish wearing copper armour to better reflect the sun at their enemies. I think there is a sun-copper-feminine link going on here. A few weeks ago @Tradecraft made an excellent post about how bronze (and copper) were symbolic of women and their power in the story. In addition, we have Quentyn being associated with mud by Barristan, and so the Earth.

Quote

You could make a poultice out of mud to cool a fever. You could plant seeds in mud and grow a crop to feed your children. Mud would nourish you, where fire would only consume you, but fools and children and young girls would choose fire every time.

This would appear to be a full inversion of the 'usual' set-up, with a masculine earth and feminine sun. We have the spear 'piercing' the Sun, but whether this is a fertility symbol I am not sure, as looking at the way characters refer to it, it seems more of a symbol of resilience, as well as being in opposition to the 'fertile' roses.

 

Sun/Son Wordplay

This occurs in Quaith's prophecy and as others have said, seems to point to Quentyn. 

Quote

"No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun's son and the mummer's dragon. Trust none of them. Remember the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal."

 

Sun and Stars

Daenerys' nickname for Drogo. There could potentially be more to it, but I am not sure.

 

[Corvo the Crow]

3 minutes ago, Craving Peaches said:

The Sun is an important motif in the series, occurring in many different contexts.

 

Sun of Dorne

The sun appears on the Sigil of House Martell. The wiki says the sun was originally a Rhoynish symbol which was combined with the Martell spear to make the Sigil. This would make Nymeria a sort of 'sun princess/queen', which is interesting because often the sun is seen as more of a masculine symbol, with the moon being associated with the feminine instead. We also have the Dornish wearing copper armour to better reflect the sun at their enemies. I think there is a sun-copper-feminine link going on here. A few weeks ago @Tradecraft made an excellent post about how bronze (and copper) were symbolic of women and their power in the story. In addition, we have Quentyn being associated with mud by Barristan, and so the Earth.

This would appear to be a full inversion of the 'usual' set-up, with a masculine earth and feminine sun. We have the spear 'piercing' the Sun, but whether this is a fertility symbol I am not sure, as looking at the way characters refer to it, it seems more of a symbol of resilience, as well as being in opposition to the 'fertile' roses.

 

Sun/Son Wordplay

This occurs in Quaith's prophecy and as others have said, seems to point to Quentyn. 

 

Sun and Stars

Daenerys' nickname for Drogo. There could potentially be more to it, but I am not sure.

 

Bloodstone is the mineral known as Heliotrope, getting it's name from sun and to turn and the mineral heliotrope was believed to have magical properties, including causing eclipses and giving youth and longevity. Among the Long Night legends, one is about a Blood Stone Emperor causing it. 

[Craving Peaches]

1 minute ago, Corvo the Crow said:

Bloodstone is the mineral known as Heliotrope, getting it's name from sun and to turn and the mineral heliotrope was believed to have magical properties, including causing eclipses and giving youth and longevity. Among the Long Night legends, one is about a Blood Stone Emperor causing it. 

Hmm... Wonder if Bloodstone is 'Sun made Stone' in the way that the Dragons are 'Fire made Flesh'... Could bloodstone weapons have any effects on the Others?

[Springwatch]

While we're here - out of Arya and Sansa, which one is the sun?

Just interested in everyone's gut feeling - because there's a lot to say on both sides, and no clear answer last time I thought about it.

[Craving Peaches]

57 minutes ago, Springwatch said:

While we're here - out of Arya and Sansa, which one is the sun?

Just interested in everyone's gut feeling - because there's a lot to say on both sides, and no clear answer last time I thought about it.

My first instinct is to say Sansa. She has red hair (fire/sun colour), and blue eyes (like the sky on a clear day). Arya meanwhile seems more nighttime associated in my opinion. But I will have a deeper look and report then.

[Evolett]

2 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

My first instinct is to say Sansa. She has red hair (fire/sun colour), and blue eyes (like the sky on a clear day). Arya meanwhile seems more nighttime associated in my opinion. But I will have a deeper look and report then.

This is my initial association as well but Sansa is also linked to the moon in different ways. She wears a moonstone necklace given her by Joffery, also pearls which are a water and moon symbol and of course she's heavily connected to the moon through the Eyrie. Coming into her "moon blood" fills her with dread. Maybe she's a sun character who has moon attributes forced upon her. Or she may represent the transition from sun to moon as a feminine symbol.

On the other hand, her red hair is an indication of being "kissed by fire," also bringing to mind the Legend of Qarth. Here the moon comes to close to the sun or is "kissed" by the sun's fire. So she could be a moon figure that suffers under the burden of her "destiny."

The Maiden-made-of-Light of the GEotD must have been a sun goddess, with the Lion of Night her male counterpart, perhaps a moon, in the heavens. By the time of the Legend of Qarth this role is flipped. 

[LongRider]

12 minutes ago, Evolett said:

Maybe she's a sun character who has moon attributes forced upon her. Or she may represent the transition from sun to moon as a feminine symbol.

I don't see her as being in transition from sun to moon at this time, as she managed to keep herself from being tossed out the Moon Door by dear Aunty Lysa.  With her red hair obscured by hair dye, that doesn't speak of the Moon, but of a hidden sun.

[Loose Bolt]

12 hours ago, Craving Peaches said:

This would make Nymeria a sort of 'sun princess/queen', which is interesting because often the sun is seen as more of a masculine symbol, with the moon being associated with the feminine instead.

But in Japanese mythology there is goddess of sun and her husband is god of moon.

[SaffronLady]

35 minutes ago, Loose Bolt said:

But in Japanese mythology there is goddess of sun and her husband is god of moon.

Does not negate the "often".

[TheLastWolf]

Oerlooked the significance the sun has for the North. They are the ones in dire need of it. Yet it's almost never mentioned

[Springwatch]

Moon symbolism seems much easier to see - moonstones, silver, black and white. Sun symbols are not so obvious around the Stark girl; so the Nymeria/sun connection is really interesting.

[Craving Peaches]

4 hours ago, Loose Bolt said:

But in Japanese mythology there is goddess of sun and her husband is god of moon.

There are exceptions but especially when discussing symbolism sun seems to be viewed as a masculine symbol.

[Craving Peaches]

4 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:

They are the ones in dire need of it.

Vitamin D deficiency. The North needs our help.

[Craving Peaches]

8 hours ago, Evolett said:

Maybe she's a sun character who has moon attributes forced upon her. Or she may represent the transition from sun to moon as a feminine symbol.

Technically I don't see why Sansa couldn't represent both. The god Horus includes both, one eye is the sun and the other is the moon, and he is god of both.

[Loose Bolt]

12 minutes ago, Craving Peaches said:

There are exceptions but especially when discussing symbolism sun seems to be viewed as a masculine symbol.

It seems that also Norse disagreed with that bc in Norse mythology Mani was god of the moon and brother to the sun goddess Sol. 

[Craving Peaches]

15 minutes ago, Loose Bolt said:

It seems that also Norse disagreed with that bc in Norse mythology Mani was god of the moon and brother to the sun goddess Sol. 

Yes, I know Germanic mythology is an inversion. But I am not just talking about mythology when I say symbolism. The sun often is viewed as a masculine symbol while the moon is feminine. I didn't make up this 'rule'. And there are exceptions. This is why I said 'often', not 'always' in the initial post.

[Evolett]

5 hours ago, TheLastWolf said:

Oerlooked the significance the sun has for the North. They are the ones in dire need of it. Yet it's almost never mentioned

This reminds me - the Karstarks have a sun sigil, a white sunburst on black and their motto is "the sun of winter." Sounds like a sun with the fire leached out of it, fitting for the winter season. 

[TheLastWolf]

1 hour ago, Evolett said:

This reminds me - the Karstarks have a sun sigil, a white sunburst on black and their motto is "the sun of winter." Sounds like a sun with the fire leached out of it, fitting for the winter season. 

Shit, forgot those guys. But with their numbers dwindling, inching towards extinction in all likelihood (prisoners or traitors) and the new House of Thenn doing what Ormond did 300 ya...

[Tradecraft]

Peaches, glad you liked my little piece on the bronze age. 

 

Cheers!

[Craving Peaches]

1 hour ago, Tradecraft said:

Peaches, glad you liked my little piece on the bronze age. 

 

Cheers!

Good to see you again, Tradecraft!