References and Homages

[Sand Snake No. 9]

Stannis and his posse had a nasty connection with certain Adolf Hitler and Nazis, with their "One god, one land, one king" chant, and remembering Nazis with their "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer". Really gave me goosebumps. Hopefully, if Stannis is alive and kicking, he does not go all genocide on the northmen.

Oooooo. Good catch.

I knew there was a reason I didn't like Stannis and his R'hllorites.

[littlespider]

Holy crap. Ser Gei's observation scares the heck out of me.

On a more cheerful note, Tyrion's confession at the Eyrie in GoT (hilariously expanded in the show) reminded me of Chunk's confession in Goonies. "In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I played Moses in my Hebrew School play."

[Spinebreaker]

The Dothraki aren't just a homage or reference. GRRM just wanted Genghis Kahn and a Mongol horde... Fermented Milk, Milk with blood in it. The honorific Khal rather than Kahn.

Anyone else notice the more subtle Lovecraft reference... As well as several Dagon's there's a couple of characters described as being pale and unhealthy looking, with bulging frog-like eyes. I wouldn't be surprised if one of the Iron Islands is called Innsmouth...

Also, it's more of a trope I suppose, but Jon Snow should have learnt from Luke Skywalker and Peter Parker... Uncle Ben is around long enough to teach you something, then he dies. Them's the uncle Ben rules.

[bedknobs and boomsticks]

Forgive me if this is already mentioned in the preceeding 32 pages ;) but surely someone else must have noticed that Valar and Morghul (as in valar morghulis) are both high elven in LOTR. Tha Valar being founding higher beings, tying in nicely with Valaryia.

I like the historical parallels as well. Particularly the Targaryans / Romanovs, who were famously either brilliant or insane.

[Saffron]

I apologize if someone already mentioned this, but I have been doing a reread of all the books while watching the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Did anyone else draw a connection between calling Sam the Slayer and Buffy? I just thought it was funny that Sam was called "The Slayer" instead of other-killer or something like that. Probably not an homage, but it made me laugh. I would so love it if it was a Buffy reference :)

[Fire Eater]

Twin Lannister's story resembles Okonkwo's from Chinua Achebe's

Things Fall Apart

, Okonkwo was embarrased by his father,and strived to be the opposite of what his father was. His father was poor, lazy, fat, effeminite, a coward, didn't have any titles and thought often. Okonkwo became rich, hardworking, fit, focused on being masculine not showing any emotion except anger, had two titles in his village, showed great prowess in warfare at a young age and defeated a famous, previously undefeated wrestler in the region's wrestling competition and he was impulsive. Lord Tytos Lannister was enormously fat, a coward, let the family fortune be squandered and his vassals walk all over him and amiable. He married his only daughter to the second son of Walder Frey. Lord Tywin, embarrased by his father, became Tytos's opposite, he looked younger than his years, had proven his military prowess in subduing the Reynes and Tarbecks in his youth, restored the family fortune and his policy with his vassals was pretty much self-explanatory with the Reynes and Tarbecks, was Hand of the King and never showed any emotion. He married his only daughter to a king.

[Spotted Pate]

I just finished reading Things fall apart, three weeks ago but i never once thought about how similar Okonkwo and Tywin were. And the concept of a person aiming to be the complete opposite of his father is quite interesting. I wonder if there is any psychological term for it, like the Oedipus complex theory.

[FanTasy]

I apologize if someone already mentioned this, but I have been doing a reread of all the books while watching the last season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Did anyone else draw a connection between calling Sam the Slayer and Buffy? I just thought it was funny that Sam was called "The Slayer" instead of other-killer or something like that. Probably not an homage, but it made me laugh. I would so love it if it was a Buffy reference :)

Ha, I thought about Buffy too when Sam was called Slayer.

There is also this image of Azor Ahai driving a sword through the one he loves to save the world. I thought about that scene where Buffy puts a sword through Angel to save the world.

The 'dead things in the water' in the disturbing letter Jon got from Cotter Pyke(?) reminded me of the dead things in the water in that cave Dumbledore and Harry Potter visited. And of course there is the scene in LOTR. Creepy.

Edited December 30, 2011 by FanTasy

[Saffron]

Ha, I thought about Buffy too when Sam was called Slayer.

There is also this image of Azor Ahai driving a sword through the one he loves to save the world. I thought about that scene where Buffy puts a sword through Angel to save the world.

I didn't even think of that! You're so right though. So... Buffy is the real Azor Ahai! :laugh:

[Stark Winds]

Thank you GRRM,

Reading all these homages/references made me go and read all these books mentioned :D

[CrypticWeirwood]

How about Aegon=Lambert Simnel.

Far more likely he’s a calque on Henry Tudor, who was descended through the distaff side of a legitimized bastard line, yet rose to reign as Henry VII after slaying Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth field. Inheriting though a female Blackfyre line is an exact calque to the situation with Henry Tudor.

If this parallel holds true, we should see Aegon defeating some Lannister pretender; the problem with that idea is that Tommen isn’t old enough for combat.

I suppose he could also be descended from one or more of the other three Great Bastards, but a Blackfyre (read: Daemon) descent seems the most likely. I’d save an imagined scion of the sorcerous siblings Brynden and Shiera for someone like Quaithe. I doubt Bittersteel left any seeds.

Edited January 6, 2012 by CrypticWeirwood

[LuisDantas]

Did anyone else think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame when Cersei mentioned that Tyrion would be hiding in the sept of Baelor playing the bells in Chapter 17 of AFFC?

[red roggo]

the samurai movie "shogun assassin" has a scene where the father gives his infant son a choice between his sword sticking in the wood floor(life) or a red ball(death) the toddler crawls toward the sword (life). it reminds me of oberyn martell telling his daughter (obara?) to choose how to protect herself - like him with a spear or using tears like her mother. the samurai story is a graphic novel series known as "the lone wolf and cub"

[jobey3149]

Forgive me if someone has mentioned it but Robert Jordan uses the term " Game of Houses" throughout the wheel of time series. Obvious connection to game of thrones.

[red fork]

I haven't been through the whole thread so apologies for any repetition, but here's two nice ones I picked up on recently... (no spoilers):

In AGOT Dany (iirc - could be another female character) is described as being "with silver bracelets on her wrists" - this is a Dylan lyric, from "Shelter from the Storm". Is GRRM a Dylan fan? I bet he is!

Arthur Conan Doyle coined the expression "the Narrow Sea"... to refer to the English Channel.

[Brynden Bloodraven]

Forgive me if someone has mentioned it but Robert Jordan uses the term " Game of Houses" throughout the wheel of time series. Obvious connection to game of thrones.

I just started reading the wheel of time series (to fill the massive void left by completing all of the SOIAF novels/novellas) and I already notice several parallels. Good and Evil are definitely more well-defined in WOT.

[shmoove]

In AFFC while Marillion is locked up for "pushing Lysa out the window" Sansa hears him singing "On a Misty Morn."

I believe that pays homage to the Zeppelin song "Misty Mountain Hop" which pays homage to "The Hobbit."

The old Martin-Zeppelin-Tolkien 3 headed dragon.

[Lord Theon Greyjoy]

Apologies if it's already been mentioned a hundred times before, but I don't want to check for fear of spoilers.

Tywin dies on the shitter just like another faux king is rumoured to have, Elvis.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Lord Theon Greyjoy

[Glyn Tarvoke]

In ADWD prologue, I think the wolf One eye is a homage to the wolf One Eye from Jack London's White Fang.

[TheRiderThatMounts]

I'd like to start with one of the characters that fascinates me: Roose Bolton, the lord of Dreadfort.

It's my oppinion that mister Martin got his inspiration for this character from Vlad the Impaler, a romanian lord that lived in the 15th century. Nowadays he is best known as Dracula, the first vampire.

As the lord of the Dreadfort loves to flay people, Vlad the Impaler(As his name suggests) used to impale his enemys on spikes.

He was appreciated by his people and is admired even now, regarded as a hero by romanians. But his enemys hated and feared him and, because of his love of impaling, made up the stories that led to the creation of Dracula. The fact is, Vlad the Impaler did not drink blood and was not even that bloody, ruthless, cold, etc. He was not the first to impale a man. It was something that people have done since ancient times.

But he struck so much fear in the hearts of his enemys that this became his trademark move.

Coming back to Roose Bolton, he is portrayed as a pale man, thin, speaking soft, cold. Kind of like the vampires of old(not today's sparkly ones).

And here is a picture of Vlad the Impaler:

I can actually imagine the lord of Dreadfort looking like him.

He got the name "Dracula" because his father was a member of the Order of the Dragon. Dragon(eng) - Draco(latin) - Dracul(romanian)

Dracula may mean son of the Dragon.

The Order of the Dragon was founded to protect Christianity in Europe.

They fought against the turks.

Vlad did the same.

In his youth, he was imprisoned by the turks so he hated them a lot.

When he came to power in Wallachia he rebelled against the turks, refusing to pay the tribute they asked. The turks considered Wallachia as part of their empire.

Vlad killed turkish envoys and nailed their turbans to their heads because they refused to take their hats off in his presence. Sounds like something Bolton would do, don't you think?

War started thus and the turks sent Hamza Pasha to eliminate Vlad. He waited until the turkish army entered a narrow pass, launched a surprise attack and eliminated them. He impaled almost all the turks, raising Hamza Pasha on the highest stake to show his rank.

But Vlad is actually known for another attack, his famous Night Attack of Targoviste. Against a superior foe(The turks had almost 90,000 men, against Vlad's 30,000), Vlad used deception. Disguised as ottomans, he and his men entered the turkish camp at night and slaughtered them in their sleep. Smells like Weasel Soup, doesn't it?

Vlad's story ended tragically. He was betrayed, imprisoned for 10 years, came to power again for a few months and then assasinated.

If he really is the inspiration for Roose Bolgon, I am sure that a lot of you hope that the lord of the Dreadfort shares the same faith :)

I hope that I did not bore you with this story and that other people will come forward and share their oppinions.

p.s. The photos don't work, I don't know why. If an admin can hel, I'd be greatful. Thank you.

Edited January 26, 2012 by TheRiderThatMounts