Melisandre's prophecy

[DudStark]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and I am currently reading A Storm of Swords. I just read the chapter where Melisandre comes to visit Davos in the dungeons, and she tells him about a prophecy saying how Stannis is Azor Ahai born again.

She said "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

This is just a theory and I'm not a big fan of the Lord of Light, but does anyone see how this kind of relates to Daenerys? She is called "Daenerys Stormborn." She was born out at sea during a huge storm during a time of war and rebellion, and her dragon eggs were originally petrified right?

[KayteStone]

Hey guys, I'm new to the forums and I am currently reading A Storm of Swords. I just read the chapter where Melisandre comes to visit Davos in the dungeons, and she tells him about a prophecy saying how Stannis is Azor Ahai born again.

She said "When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

This is just a theory and I'm not a big fan of the Lord of Light, but does anyone see how this kind of relates to Daenerys? She is called "Daenerys Stormborn." She was born out at sea during a huge storm during a time of war and rebellion, and her dragon eggs were originally petrified right?

I've always been of the mind that Melisandre has been mistaken about Stannis being Azor Ahai and it is in actuality Dany.

[CrownedStag]

Melisandre must be mistaken. Maester Aemon knew something was off when he asked Stannis to show him Lightbringer - he asked Sam if he could feel any heat coming from the blade & there wasn't. Hopefully this doesn't mean that Stannis will get killed off, he's the last of the Baratheon brothers.

[Knight of the Old Code]

Melisandre must be mistaken. Maester Aemon knew something was off when he asked Stannis to show him Lightbringer - he asked Sam if he could feel any heat coming from the blade & there wasn't. Hopefully this doesn't mean that Stannis will get killed off, he's the last of the Baratheon brothers.

I thought that might be Maester Aemon looking to see if the sword was properly magical, or just a sword set alight, like the Red Priest in Game of Thrones? If the sword glowed but gave of no heat, I figured that might be a sign that it was truly magical rather than just coated with something flammable?

[Roose Seal]

I, too, got the feeling that Melisandre's prophecy referred to Dany. It's almost exactly Dany's story.

Dany, as we know her, was "born" in Drogo's funeral pyre. Pyre which happened at night, right under the Red Comet. She was born amidst smoke (duh) and the salt could be referring to her tears over losing Drogo ? The salt part is a bit mysterious. Melisandre is convinced the stone dragons are those of Dragonstone but those dragons are nothing more than giant sculptures are they not..? Dany's eggs were actual dragons that had turned to stone. It all fits rather well.

I don't know what Mel's motives are when she declares Stannis to be Azor Ahai reborn.. but it's all very mysterious. She could simply be grossly mistaken though.

[Knight of the Old Code]

I, too, got the feeling that Melisandre's prophecy referred to Dany. It's almost exactly Dany's story.

Dany, as we know her, was "born" in Drogo's funeral pyre. Pyre which happened at night, right under the Red Comet. She was born amidst smoke (duh) and the salt could be referring to her tears over losing Drogo ? The salt part is a bit mysterious. Melisandre is convinced the stone dragons are those of Dragonstone but those dragons are nothing more than giant sculptures are they not..? Dany's eggs were actual dragons that had turned to stone. It all fits rather well.

I don't know what Mel's motives are when she declares Stannis to be Azor Ahai reborn.. but it's all very mysterious. She could simply be grossly mistaken though.

If the prophecy is true, doesn't that lend credence to belief in R'hllor? If R'hllor and the prophecy are true, then why would Mellisandre be wrong about Stannis?

[Roose Seal]

So far all the prophecies we've seen in the ASoIaF universe have been true, but some of the characters interpretations of those prophecies have been off. Maggy the frog told Cersei about a young queen more beautiful than her, Cersei automatically assumes the prophecy refers to Margery while it could very well be referring to Dany or Sansa. She also predicted the valonqar would off her, and she just assumes it's Tyrion, but all signs are pointing towards Jaime now...

Maybe the prophecy itself is true but Mel is just grossly misinterpreting it and twisting it to fit her own agenda, which, for the moment is unknown to us.

[Knight of the Old Code]

One of the interesting themes is that they all seem to have forgotten the old things: Dragons, Others, etc. In A Storm of Swords, doesn't Stannis or Melissandre refer to the war coming with winter from beyond the wall as the only war that matters—the only enemy that matters? At this stage, that seems rather important!

[Jelliefishie]

Maybe it was mentioned in the book (CoK?) but I can't recall at all. What is it that makes Melissandre think Stanis is the Prince who was Promised? There are a few connections between him and the prophesy to be sure, but a lot of it seems like she's reaching. I wonder if she truly believes Stannis is Azor Ahai reborn, or if he's just a stepping stone for herself to complete some ulterior motive. She's the one who produced "Lightbringer", she must know he's false.

[Laohu]

It seems that I, like many other members on this forum, believe Melisandre's prophecy is actually referring to Daenerys and her three dragons. I know that the red priestess has continuously obsessed over a king's blood requirement in order for a "stone dragon" to be born. I actually thought that this requirement was fulfilled in Dany's case when her brother, Viserys, was "crowned" by Drogo, since he was a son of the last Targaryen king before Robert Baratheon carried out his rebellion.

However, after reading some of the posts here, I can see how Dany has the same king's blood as Viserys (she is his sister, after all). This would also hold more direct relevance to the prophecy since the whole dragon birthing took place during Dany's funeral pyre ceremony.

[Rody]

Melisandre could be a fanatic to her religion, or a real badass, with powers and such.

Alas, it sure as hell seems that Danny is the "chosen one" she does have 3 dragons after all, and 3 dragons fully grown vs the Others - Dragons win.

But now Lightbringer - uhm? A sword is needed to complete the prophecy, wouldn't it? Danny has not found one yet (I just started Feast for Crows, and no Valyrian steel for Danny yet)

One tidbit, Jon (on Feast for Crows) does say that Valyrian Steel could defeat the Others, just like dragon glass, since they are same material, and Jon has Longclaw.

[Onion Smuggler]

I think it's fairly obvious Melisandre's prophecy relate's to Dany and not Stannis.

Maester Aemon says he couldn't feel heat off Lightbringer, suggesting he knows it's not real. The only thing I would counter this with is whether it actually refers to Sansa, and it's meant to make you think that it refers to Dany, seems unlikely though.

Since Melisandre made lightbringer you would think that she knows it is a fake, and that the prophecy doesn't relate to Stannis. However she has made mistakes before, i.e. when Davos shipped Edric Storm from Dragonstone.

[Deamon Blackfyre]

If bringing back Dany's dragons took the blood of a king, it couldn't that have been Khal Drogo? Isn't the Khal essentially the king of his khalasar?

[jessalyn]

If the prophecy is true, doesn't that lend credence to belief in R'hllor? If R'hllor and the prophecy are true, then why would Mellisandre be wrong about Stannis?

Melisandre mentions a bit later in the book that-- basically "Only fault can lie with the reader, not the book." So she basically even says that she might read some of these things in the flames "wrong".

[Freefolk]

If the prophecy is true, doesn't that lend credence to belief in R'hllor? If R'hllor and the prophecy are true, then why would Mellisandre be wrong about Stannis?

Well she didn't seem to foresee Davos sending Edric Storm away. So I assume there are things that she can't see. I wonder if it has anything to do with the belief people put into their gods. For example, it was either in one of Catelyn's or Brandonss chapters where they talk of the old gods having no power in the south because those people believe in the sevens and cut down the weirwoods.

[Freefolk]

It seems that I, like many other members on this forum, believe Melisandre's prophecy is actually referring to Daenerys and her three dragons. I know that the red priestess has continuously obsessed over a king's blood requirement in order for a "stone dragon" to be born. I actually thought that this requirement was fulfilled in Dany's case when her brother, Viserys, was "crowned" by Drogo, since he was a son of the last Targaryen king before Robert Baratheon carried out his rebellion.

However, after reading some of the posts here, I can see how Dany has the same king's blood as Viserys (she is his sister, after all). This would also hold more direct relevance to the prophecy since the whole dragon birthing took place during Dany's funeral pyre ceremony.

I think the king would have been Drogo, as he was the one on the funeral pyre when the dragons were born.

[WinterfellWoman]

I thought that might be Maester Aemon looking to see if the sword was properly magical, or just a sword set alight, like the Red Priest in Game of Thrones? If the sword glowed but gave of no heat, I figured that might be a sign that it was truly magical rather than just coated with something flammable?

I think Maester Aemon is suggesting that the real Lightbringer would produce heat innately. If it were truly magical it would give off heat without being lit on fire.

[Red Raven]

I think the king would have been Drogo, as he was the one on the funeral pyre when the dragons were born.

And Viserys's blood was never spilled. They were in Vaes Drothak where bloodshed is taboo; Drogo had to off him in a way that didn't spill blood.

[MaxXan]

It seems that I, like many other members on this forum, believe Melisandre's prophecy is actually referring to Daenerys and her three dragons. I know that the red priestess has continuously obsessed over a king's blood requirement in order for a "stone dragon" to be born. I actually thought that this requirement was fulfilled in Dany's case when her brother, Viserys, was "crowned" by Drogo, since he was a son of the last Targaryen king before Robert Baratheon carried out his rebellion.

However, after reading some of the posts here, I can see how Dany has the same king's blood as Viserys (she is his sister, after all). This would also hold more direct relevance to the prophecy since the whole dragon birthing took place during Dany's funeral pyre ceremony.

&

I think the king would have been Drogo, as he was the one on the funeral pyre when the dragons were born.

I do think the requirement of king's blood was fulfilled in Dany's case as well but I don't think it refers to Viresys, since he died quite some time before the ritual in which the dragons were born, and his decease had little to do with it. Also, I don't think Drogo can be refered to as "king" - he has never even been to Westeros, but keep in mind that Dany sacrificed 3 lifes, one of which being the life of her unborn son, who of course had king's blood.

[The guy from the Vale]

The only fault can lie with the reader, who might have incomplete information.

But is the reader only Melisandre herself - or are we also readers? Stannis clearly isn't Azor Ahai. But we might be jumping to the conclusion that it's Dany in the same way Melisandre jumps to the conclusion that it's Stannis.

So, I'd suggest keeping other possibilities besides Dany in mind going forward. Other candidates besides the two obvious ones might arise.