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Small Questions XIII


Angalin

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I don't know if people might consider this a stupid question or not but I couldn't find an answer anywhere. I'm fairly new to the world of Westeros. All I know about it is what the TV show portrayed and what the prologue of A Game of Thrones told me as I just started reading the book last night. Anyway, I want to know why the series is called "A Song of Ice and Fire". What does that have to do with the storyline or the world in general? Sorry if this is a dumb question... I'm kinda a noob to this stuff.

I'm no expert on any of this but it would probably be better for you if you read the first few books and then came back with the question otherwise the whole storyline could be ruined for you

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I'm no expert on any of this but it would probably be better for you if you read the first few books and then came back with the question otherwise the whole storyline could be ruined for you

I figured as much. I was just kinda hopping that the answer would be something simple like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy gets its series name from the ring that must be destroyed. Something vague but to give me an idea.

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I figured as much. I was just kinda hopping that the answer would be something simple like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy gets its series name from the ring that must be destroyed. Something vague but to give me an idea.

Basically the title refers to the threat that the Others (White Walkers) pose beyond the Wall, and that you need both ice and fire to defeat this threat (with Jon as ice since he's a Stark and Dany as fire because she's a Targ for example - but there are a lot of other theories). At least that's what I got out of it.

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I figured as much. I was just kinda hopping that the answer would be something simple like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy gets its series name from the ring that must be destroyed. Something vague but to give me an idea.

I believe it does have specific significance. Rhaegar describes another character by saying "his will be a song of ice and fire." Personally I think his statement was right but he mistakenly applied it to the wrong character, since there's another much more fitting candidate for that description.

Anyways the first reference is towards the beginning of ACoK so you'll read it soon and start coming up with your own theories :)

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I'm no expert on any of this but it would probably be better for you if you read the first few books and then came back with the question otherwise the whole storyline could be ruined for you

It's mostly a themetic thing. The only specific mention of it comes at the end of the second book, during an extended hallucination/prophetic vision by a major character. It's later referenced by multiple characters, most prophetically by the oldest man on the continent, whose prior destiny has been wrapped up in the genesis of the current crisis. Overall, there's a diametric opposition between two kinds of thought/psychology/culture that winds up moving the plot along, regardless of political affiliation.

Some characters prefer to fight everything out, others sit back and wait. Certain leaders want to change the fundamental structure of their regime, others value stability above all else, and behave as such. Some men want to burn everything they can without rebuilding, others want to stop and preserve every inch of their lives, no matter the damage done in the process.

But most fantastically, it refers to the impending conflict between desert nomads and their/her dragons, and tundra and the mysterious ice-people who live beyond the border of the civilized world. Not to mention the fire-worshipping monotheists, the barbarians, and the Cthulhu cultist vikings.

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The arms that Brienne gets painted on her shield, to cover up the bat of Harrenhall in aFfC ... she recalls seeing it in her fathers armory long ago... was that dunks 'sigil' that she had painted on her shield... and his sheild she had found long ago?? (she recalls tracing her hand over the chipped tree leaves and the shooting star....)

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This quote from the Tv show, has never appeared in the book right?

"Should I explain to you the meaning of a closed door in a whorehouse? - Tyrion"

I think that scene was just a quick and easy way to show Tyrion's nature and his desire for women. The first episode is all about setting up the characters so you know who they are and what their personalities are like. It gets the point across pretty quickly.....for readers of the series, it takes several chapters to paint a full picture of Tyrion.

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The arms that Brienne gets painted on her shield, to cover up the bat of Harrenhall in aFfC ... she recalls seeing it in her fathers armory long ago... was that dunks 'sigil' that she had painted on her shield... and his sheild she had found long ago?? (she recalls tracing her hand over the chipped tree leaves and the shooting star....)

Apparently that identifies her as a descendant of Duncan the Tall from Dunk and Egg stories.

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I have a question that may have a yes or no answer. When Dany is in the House of the Undying, she sees Rhaegar and he says "There must be one more. The dragon has three heads." It seems to me that he is making reference to a different prophecy, not really making one. Is there anywhere else that this prophecy is mentioned?

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I have a question that may have a yes or no answer. When Dany is in the House of the Undying, she sees Rhaegar and he says "There must be one more. The dragon has three heads." It seems to me that he is making reference to a different prophecy, not really making one

Perhaps he's referring to a 3rd child? He and Elia only had 2... maybe he wanted to get around her frail health and try for a 3rd kid... Targ's really had a thing for 3s

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Breedy, there is one reference to a celestial event that I know of and it comes in Sam's next to last POV in AFFC. It references a comet on the night that Aegon was conceived.In that chapter, Aemon knows he is dying and is trying to tell Sam as much information as he can, but most of the information is jumbled and out of context. This is the only other reference to "The dragon must have three heads" that I've been able to find, but it says no more than Rhaegar did.

Chise, thanks for your response.

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I have a question that may have a yes or no answer. When Dany is in the House of the Undying, she sees Rhaegar and he says "There must be one more. The dragon has three heads." It seems to me that he is making reference to a different prophecy, not really making one. Is there anywhere else that this prophecy is mentioned?

Its an older prophecy, and i believe it is chunked into different parts if one is knowing where to look.

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Its an older prophecy, and i believe it is chunked into different parts if one is knowing where to look.

Thank you for your response. I felt that "The dragon must have three heads" was only part of a prophecy and have been trying to find the rest of it. I was about ready to give up, thinking that GRRM hadn't yet included all of it because it would be too revealing, but now I'll keep looking.

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