References and Homages

[Frey family reunion]

Gerold Dayne's cadet branch of House Dayne is called High Hermitage. A hermitage is a type of monastery. In Hinduism, a hermitage is called an ashram, perhaps the name Ashara Dayne is an allusion to this?

Edited July 15, 2013 by Frey family reunion

[The Killer Snark]

I never knew this till I was Internet surfing a few days back, because to find this out you need the book of maps. In Essos, there's a place called K'Dath. The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath, by HP Lovecraft, naturally.

Edited July 15, 2013 by The Killer Snark

[James Arryn]

Naturally.

[The Killer Snark]

Also the three black castles against orange that are the sigil of House Peake appear to be a reference to the fact there were three Gormenghast books. Also, Martin has stated that Aegon the Unworthy is based on Henry VIII.

Edited July 15, 2013 by The Killer Snark

[thenedstark]

Very clever:

“I told Lady Tanda about him, and she hired him to play for Lollys. The music calms her when

the baby starts to kick. Symon says there’s to be a dancing bear at the feast, and wines from the

Arbor. I’ve never seen a bear dance.”

“They do it worse than I do.” It was the singer who concerned him, not the bear. One careless

word in the wrong ear, and Shae would hang.

“Symon says there’s to be seventy-seven courses and a hundred doves baked into a great pie,”

Shae gushed. “When the crust’s opened, they’ll all burst out and fly.”

Edited July 18, 2013 by thenedstark

[Ghjhero]

Upon rereading aCoK I realized that Beren Tallhart is probably a homage to Tolkien's Beren who loved Luthien.

[Castellan]

I'm going out on a limb and saying the name Byron is a homage to Byron.

[The Killer Snark]

The fact that Bloodraven, who is an albino, and widely distrusted, is the character who actually pulls the strings during the reign of Daeron II is probably also a reference to Steerpike in Gormenghast, who resembles an albino, though he lacks hyper-sensitivity to light. Both characters are illegitimate, and whereas Bloodraven's face is marked with a winestain birthmark, Steerpike's is similarly disfigured by a fire.

Edited July 19, 2013 by The Killer Snark

[King Robert's Warhammer]

Probs been done but Count Rugen in Princess Bride and one of Varys identities have the same name.

[The Killer Snark]

The reason Uthor Underleaf gives for aiming at Dunk's eye-slit in the joust in The Mystery Knight are almost a straight transcription from the reason Walter Scott gives for Ivanhoe unhorsing Brian de Bois Guilbert by aiming at his visor. The jousting sequences in AGoT, the novella just mentioned and The Hedge Knight are obvious riffs on Ivanhoe as well, as are the melees.

Edited July 21, 2013 by The Killer Snark

[Morienthar]

Galadon of Morne is probably a Arthurian reference probably to Galahad.

[The Killer Snark]

It definitely is. I noticed that as well.

[Elessarios]

Maybe it has been mentioned already, but the Sand Snakes, a group of lethal women, bastard daughters of the Red Viper, reminds me of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill (Where every member carries the code name of a lethal snake). The director of Kill Bill? Quentin Tarantino. The Sand Snakes' cousin? Quentyn Martell.

[thenedstark]

Maybe it has been mentioned already, but the Sand Snakes, a group of lethal women, bastard daughters of the Red Viper, reminds me of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad from Kill Bill (Where every member carries the code name of a lethal snake). The director of Kill Bill? Quentin Tarantino. The Sand Snakes' cousin? Quentyn Martell.

Definite coincidence. ASOS came out in 2000, Kill Bill in 2003.

[Frey family reunion]

Definite coincidence. ASOS came out in 2000, Kill Bill in 2003.

Definite coincidence. ASOS came out in 2000, Kill Bill in 2003.

Weren't the Sand Snakes introduced in AFFC?

[The Killer Snark]

They were, as appearance characters, but they were mentioned first in ASoS.

[Light a wight tonight]

Maybe nothing to it, but there are some parallels between Queen Selyse and Queen Sollace in Vance's Lyonesse trilogy. Beyond the names' similarity they are married to men who aren't interested in them sexually and perform as a matter of duty, and both are taken with a foreign religion, R'hllorism for Selyse and Christianity for Sollace. They both pester their husbands to join those faiths.

Beyond that the characters are nothing alike.

[thenedstark]

Weren't the Sand Snakes introduced in AFFC?

Nope. In ASOS Chapter 38: "His tourneys, his battles, his duels, his horses, his carnality... it was said that he bedded men and women both, and had begotten bastard girls all over Dorne. The sand snakes, men called his daughters. So far as Tyrion had heard, Prince Oberyn had never fathered a son."

[Fire Eater]

Roose Bolton supposedly came upon Ramsay's mother while he was hunting and found her washing clothes in a stream.

Robert I "the Maginificent", Duke of Normandy and father of William the Conqueror, is said to have met Herleva of Farlaise, William's common-born mother, while hunting in one legend, when she was washing clothes in a stream in another.

[Jon Wolfwalker]

For the references of the serpent eating it's own tail. Has anyone seen this as referenced to time(patterns are time I know. I mean in specific reference)? It seems odd that it is said the way it is. Especially as George makes mention of RJ so often.