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References and Homages


Ran
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http://awoiaf.wester...hp/House_Garner I think House Garner with its coat of arms of three plates with owls on them is a tribute to childrens/fantasy writer Alan Garner and his book The Owl Service.

This is not really an homage or reference that GRRM has made, since House Garner is not a noble house that appears in the main books,

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I've always thought that Oakenshield was a reference to the Tolkien character Thorin Oakenshield

Most likely it is. And Tolkein picked up the dwarf names from the Völuspá. Thorin and Oakenshield (Eikinskjaldi) are separate beings, and Gandalf is listed as a dwarf there.
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There are a lot of possible references to Scotland in the geography of Westeros, though it's hard to tell if any of them are deliberate or not:

- Wester Ross is an area in the north west

- Cape Wrath is the northwestern tip of the country

- The Three Sisters are hills in Glencoe

- The Paps are hills on the island of Jura

The latter two are possibly rather tenuous, since they're pretty generic names, but given Martin's fondness for Scotland it seems possible.

The Three Sisters are also a trio of volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Sisters_(Oregon)

Although there is House Uller of Hellholt.

Uller...didn't H. Beam Piper write about Uller? *googles* Aha, yes, the book was titled "Uller Uprising". Could be a coincidence, though.

There is a Melisandre mentioned in Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, may you anglosaxons had nor read it, but in this novel, the spanish writer who lived during the XVI-XVII centuries makes a parody about medieval novels and epic songs about chivalry, King Arthur, the Holy Grial, Charlemagne and his knights, etc. stories that during his times were still very liked in Spain, in a passagge, While in an Inn, Don Quixote watches a puppet show about the "Rescue of Melisandre" an epic song about a princess named Melisandre who was taken as a captive by the muslimes, and his husband: Sir Gaiferos, a knight at Charlemagne's service who goes to rescue her, fighting great battles he alone against all the muslim army.

I don't know if Martin have readed Don Quixote or, even, and more probably, the song reffered in the Cervantes' novel.

I also find it hard to believe no one has yet mentioned the Melisande character in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series.

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The Three Sisters are also a trio of volcanoes in the Cascade Mountains of Oregon:

Here's another reference to "the Sisters" that is kind of interesting. In Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, there are three female vampires who live in Dracula's castle who only go by the name of "the Sisters". Coincidentally the islands of the Sisters lie in a body of water called "the Bite" which is directly west to the area of Westeros called "the Neck".

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Most likely it is. And Tolkein picked up the dwarf names from the Völuspá. Thorin and Oakenshield (Eikinskjaldi) are separate beings, and Gandalf is listed as a dwarf there.

Remember the mnemonic from school "I before E, except after C, and especially in the name of famous authors".

Edited by Arataniello
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This is not really an homage or reference that GRRM has made, since House Garner is not a noble house that appears in the main books,

Apparently it first appeared in artwork on a related product by GRRM. But what is the standing of houses 'not appearing in the main books'. And what about the heraldry which has been subsequently created for houses? Surely they have to get his approval before putting it out?
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I think I put a post up a while ago asking if anyone had noticed any references to Dorothy Dunnett's Francis Crawford of Lymond series (The Lymond Chronicles) the first of which is Game of Kings, anyway I have just noticed that Lymond is a relatively common first name in Westeros, held by four relatively minor characters: Lymond Goodbrook, Lymond Lychester, Lymond Pease and Lymond Vikary.

Lymond doesn't seem to have much of an existence at all as a name or a place outside of Dunnett's books.

Edited by Castellan
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They saw a circle of standing stones that Illyrio claimed had been raised by giants, and later a deep lake. ''Here lived a den of robbers who preyed on all who passed this way,'' Illyrio said. ''It is said they still dwell beneath the water. Those who fish the lake are pulled under and devoured.''

Stonehenge and Loch Ness in one go :)

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I have not seen this anywhere, so I think this might be the place for it:

I was reading Salman Rushdie's 'Satanic verses' to mitigate the extreme anxiety until TWOW is in my hands, and I found several references to the fight between ice and fire, and also a literal 'The night is dark and full of terrors', besides a general atmosphere that really reminded of GRRM's world. I do not want to be more specific because I don't want to spoil this book to anyone, but as ASOIAF's GOT came out in 1996 and Satanic verses in 1988, is there any mention of GRRM about being influenced by this book?

Anyone that has read both things and can give an opinnion? Maybe I am too into ASOIAF (which I am) and I could find hints even in Sesame Street :blushing:

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I have not seen this anywhere, so I think this might be the place for it:

I was reading Salman Rushdie's 'Satanic verses' to mitigate the extreme anxiety until TWOW is in my hands, and I found several references to the fight between ice and fire, and also a literal 'The night is dark and full of terrors', besides a general atmosphere that really reminded of GRRM's world. I do not want to be more specific because I don't want to spoil this book to anyone, but as ASOIAF's GOT came out in 1996 and Satanic verses in 1988, is there any mention of GRRM about being influenced by this book?

Anyone that has read both things and can give an opinnion? Maybe I am too into ASOIAF (which I am) and I could find hints even in Sesame Street :blushing:

Interesting, I'm ashamed to say I've never even thought about reading that book, I may have to check it out. Another book I've stumbled across that may have been an influence is called "Lilith, a romance" by George MacDonald written in 1865. An extremely bizarre read, but it deals with a protagonist living in his ancestral home who keeps seeing an elderly gentleman walking in and out of his bookcase. It turns out that the gentleman is the former librarian of the house who is well over 100 years old, whose name is Mr. Raven (also mistakenly referred to as Mr. Crow). Mr. Raven also assumes the form of a talking raven and leads the main character into another world through a mirror. In this other world are two main denizens, the Little Ones also referred to as the children (who are born in the forest) and their antagonists, the giants. Also the character, Lilith (a vampire who can assume the form of a white leech among other forms), who often presides over battles of dead warriors, specters and skeletons, that rise from the ground at night and do battle only to disappear when the sun comes out. A lot of similar themes in the book as well including life after death, and the concept of identity.

Edited by Frey family reunion
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I'm re-reading ACOK, and in the prologue Maester Cressen tells Melisandre:

"Only children fear the dark."

Which is obviously a reference to GRRM's story 'Only Kids are Afraid of the Dark' that was first published in a fanzine in the 60s, and was reprinted in Dreamsongs Vol.1

Sorry if someone posted this before, search isn't working.

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This is a long thread so sorry if this has been mentioned before, but Dany having to be reminded who she is, doesn't that make you think of the Lion King? Simba having to be reminded who he is so that he'll go to Pride Rock, take his rightful place, and set things right, total parallels right?

Edited by Papa Stark
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I'm re-reading Dance. In a Jon POV, Edd tells him Bowen Marsh and two companions are outside his chambers. Edd says "They have a hungry look about them." This is a direct reference to 'Julius Caesar'! I never noticed it before. A good bit of foreshadowing, I would say.

The way Jon dies at the end of Dance is similar to the way Ceasar is killed by Brutus and the senators

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Anyone see Parks and Recreation this past week? Just watched it on DVR. One of the characters (Ben) is bidding against another of the characters (Ann) on an eBay like site. Ann figures out who she is bidding against because Ben's username is "Tall Tyrion Lannister" The go on to have a brief conversation about ASOIAF where Ben mentions the Warlocks of Qarth.

Also one of the other characters (Donna) talks about watching the TV series. She says something about the Dothraki.

I think it was last season but in another episode Andy and April make a list of all the places they want to live on a whiteboard. One of their places is "Winterfell."

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