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References and Homages


Ran
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It has several badass castles (which were some of the strongest pre gunpowder ones in Europe). Sadly they were all built by the invading Edward I to secure his conquest.

(For those interested, the strongest of them was probably Harlech Castle, which has an impressive track record; on one occasion it was besieged for 7 years before its garrison finally surrendered.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't think this had been mentionned but House Morrigen of Crows Nest (Stormlands) seems to refer to the Irish goddess Morrigan, who can transform in crow.

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Morr%C3%ADgan

Citadel: http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Entry/house_morrigen/

The story of Storm's End building with Bran and Durran make me remember of Merlin et Vortigern, when the later try to build a tower, which is demolished each night, then Merlin counsels him and the tower is build.

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I can't help but notice the similarities of the map to the real world, with the Free Cities comprising Europe, for the most part, and Valyria representing Greece.

Following this, Volantis seems to be representative of Venice. My first indication was the mention of Volanis glass-blowing, a practice Venice is also renowned for. The second is when Sam and Aemon find the Jade'ss compendium book for Jon in Feast which is written by a famous Vonatene explorer Colloquo Votar. Marco Polo anyone?

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Ok, on to history: http://en.wikipedia....de_Nesle_Affair

The fate of Margaret of Burgundy has a lot of parallels to the plot Cersei concots to bring down Margaery and her cousins: both get accused of adultery. The guilty men are knights and brothers, and the thing is brought to light by a beautiful blonde queen with a reputation for being a b*tch... Let's just hope Margaery doesn't end like Margaret.

This is very likely, since GRR Martin has aknowledged beeing a fan of Maurice Druon's Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits) historical saga about kings of France from 1314 to 1361, which includes this plot.

In 1314, Margerite de Bourgogne (Margaery ?), wife of Louis, future king of France (he will be Louis X le Hutin), is accused of adultery with knights at the court, together with her cousin and close friend Blanche de Bourgogne, married to Charles, youngest brother of the future king (he eventually will be king as well, as Charles IV le Bel). They are denouced by Isabelle de France, wife of Edward II king of England.

The trial sentences the two knights to be skinned alive, castrated (their sexes thrown to dogs) and eventually beheaded, their body exposed on gallows. The fate of the two women is different : they have their head shaved, are displayed to the crowd, humiliated in the streets, and then locked up in dungeons. Another cousin, Jeanne de Bourgogne, present at the court, is not convinced of adultery but found guilty of having not denouced her two cousins by herself. She is sent to spend the rest of her life in a remote castle.

Blanche de Bourgogne will be allowed to leave her prison, have her marriage cancelled and become a nun after seven years. Marguerite de Bourgogne will die some months after the trial, because of the coldness of her cell, although it is said that she has been secretely strangled, having become an obstacle for a new marriage of the king of France.

Edited by Nhofszandz
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  • 2 weeks later...

This is probably too lowbrow but Cersei as a name always makes me laugh.

If you say the name it sounds like you are saying Ser C. In my word calling a woman a C is short for calling her a word that rhymes with hunt but starts with a C. It's funny that Cersei really wishes she were a man in many ways even to the point where her name is Ser C.

I seriously doubt GRRM meant it like that but if he did.... it belongs in this thread.

Edited by Ecclesiastes
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I can't help but notice the similarities of the map to the real world, with the Free Cities comprising Europe, for the most part, and Valyria representing Greece.

Following this, Volantis seems to be representative of Venice. My first indication was the mention of Volanis glass-blowing, a practice Venice is also renowned for. The second is when Sam and Aemon find the Jade'ss compendium book for Jon in Feast which is written by a famous Vonatene explorer Colloquo Votar. Marco Polo anyone?

but ont the other hand, Braavos resembles Venice with it's channals.

anyhow, the Free Cities as the self-governed cities of mdievel european cities makes sense, though I admit I'm not an expert on this subject. Pentos for some reason had always made me think of Florence...

Hmm, I always imagined Valyria as a Roman counterpart.

Maybe, and maybe not. I am quite sure it was laready mentioned here, but I didn't check the 20 odd pages of this thread(if sombody made a list of refernces it woukd have been nice:-)) - the TOKARS the nobility of Slavers Bay cities is wearing is quite similar to the TOGAS of the Roman Republic, both in shape and in the sense that only free men may wear them.

So maybe the ancient Ghiscari Empire, from where the we can safely assume the TOAKRS originated, is actually the represntative of the Roman Empire in Martin-world...

On a side note I have to mention, though I'm pretty sure that it already had been mentiond, that the Dothraki bear a great similarity to the Mongols. It occured to me during the awfuly borng movie "Mongol" I watched recently. the resembles include a great importance of horses and connection of a man to his horse(a man doesn't count for one if has no horse), the nomadic nature of both peoples and the existance of a holy place in the mountains(Mother of mountains - not quite certain here though).

Additionaly, there is this unmistakeable resembles between the two words for a "tribe leader"(or king, for ack of better word) in both languages - KHAL versus KHAN.

Edited by Dark Knight
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  • 3 weeks later...

The Dothraki can be a kind of mix of Mongols, Huns and/or Magyars.

I read a Reader's Digest article once about a couple who travelled to Mongolia, and it completely reminded me of the Dothraki. The horses, the physical features of both races real and imaginary, even the fermented mare's milk that they drink.

--

I would not say that what I write next is an homage so much as... some kind of fantasy-writer osmosis. It seems there are many similarities between most of my favourite fantasy novels. It could just be a case of being inspired by other authors... but jeez. I know I read one book where I thought, "This sounds SO much like [other author's work]," and I flipped to the front and found the other author's name placed in the acknowledgements. :rolleyes:

A Song of Ice and Fire's ruling house, House Baratheon, has a crowned stag rampant as their coat of arms.

In The Witches of Eileanan & Rhiannon's Ride (Kate Forsyth), the ruling house, MacCuinn, has a crowned stag rampant as their coat of arms.

Lastly, in The Farseer & The Tawny Man trilogies (Robin Hobb), the ruling house, Farseer, has a stag rampant as their coat of arms, which may or may not be crowned, I forget.

ASoIaF has the Others and the wights.

Rhiannon's Ride has the cursed undead (aka zombies).

The Farseer has the Forged folk (soulless, aggressive, somewhat zombie-ish people-things).

The Abhorsen trilogy (Garth Nix) has myriad classified and unclassified Dead, as well as zombies.

ASoIaF has the Wall.

The Abhorsen trilogy has the Wall, although in their case it divides the magic Old Kingdom in the north from technological Ancelstierre in the south.

All I got for now.

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I found something weird. A friend of mine has read all the Dune novels and told me that there are some parallels (like Leto/Ned going to a snake's nest of a court). I don't know about this, I haven't read those books, only seen the Lynch film once (and hated it).

But, while browsing Wikipedia, I read that Paul Atreides young sister, Alia, at four years old, kills her father's murderer, the Baron Harkonnen, with a weapon that amounts to a poisoned needle. Maybe this is just coincidence, but Arya not only sounds similar to Alia, but they are both extremely young killers and Arya's sword is named Needle...

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A friend of mine has read all the Dune novels and told me that there are some parallels (like Leto/Ned going to a snake's nest of a court). I don't know about this, I haven't read those books, only seen the Lynch film once (and hated it).

While I can see the parallel, there is a great difference in the portrayal of both situations: from the beginning of Dune it is made clear that Leto is going to die at Arrakis and that the protagonist of the story is his son Paul. Leto's death doesn't come as a surprise, and instead the author toys with the idea of an unavoidable fate.

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...but there is a big difference between the two of them: one is an honourable, compassionate lord with prodigal progeny called against his wishes by his sovereign to leave his native home for a sweltering cesspit of intrigue, bringing him the emnity of a rich, cruel rival house and ultimately betrayal from a corner completely unforseen and the other is Eddard "I'm going to divulge my plans to ruin you and your family on the understanding that you will flee the country and not seek to stop me in any way" Stark.

Edited by Horza
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  • 2 weeks later...

...but there is a big difference between the two of them: one is an honourable, compassionate lord with prodigal progeny called against his wishes by his sovereign to leave his native home for a sweltering cesspit of intrigue, bringing him the emnity of a rich, cruel rival house and ultimately betrayal from a corner completely unforseen and the other is Eddard "I'm going to divulge my plans to ruin you and your family on the understanding that you will flee the country and not seek to stop me in any way" Stark.

Har Edited by MightilyOats
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