Confusing dragon glass with Valyrian steel

[Ordos]

Dragonglass doesn't work on wights- Sam tried it with the wight of Small Paul and no effect.

This is what I mean: Dragon glass/Valyrian steel/ Dragon steel. It's utterly confusing.

So to recap: Obisdian/Dragon glass kills Others but not wights and Dragon Steel is just some reference in a book that could be Valyrian steel.

[OberynBlackfyre]

That 5,000 years includes its very beginning, when it was still just a bunch of shepherds. They weren't riding dragons and forging their special weapons from the start; if anything, the Valyrian steel breakthrough date is even later than the 5,000 year mark, not earlier. To co-opt another phrase, Valyria wasn't built in a day. And the history is fluid, sure — but 3,000 years is a lot to be off by, wouldn't you agree?

I also think, given how well the Westerosi nobles keep track of their families, castles, heirlooms, etc. that if someone in Westeros had managed to forge a Valyrian steel-like sword 8,000 years ago, let alone enough of them to fight off an army of Others, there'd be some record of it and Valyrian steel wouldn't be treated with the fascination that it is.

when something says "at least" 5,000 years ago, I usually take that as they can completely confirm that Valyria was in somewhat existence 5,000 years ago but that there is most likely a longer history that cannot necessarily be proven.

You could be very right though, however if dragonsteel is NOT valyrian steel, then it would need to be a good explanation, because there are no records of dragons in the North period during that time

[yolkboy]

This is what I mean: Dragon glass/Valyrian steel/ Dragon steel. It's utterly confusing.

Dragon glass - naturally occuring (volcanic glass-rock)

Castle forge steel - standard steel

Valyrian steel - magic forged with steel

Dragons steel - were meant to be confused. It's a mystery!

Your recap is correct.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

You could be very right though, however if dragonsteel is NOT valyrian steel, then it would need to be a good explanation, because there are no records of dragons in the North period during that time

So anything with "dragon" its name must be made by dragons? Is obsidian made by dragons? Are dragonpeppers?

Hell maybe it's Dawn. The falling star's heat and fire -> Dragons -> Dragonsteel

[Dr. Pepper]

You could be very right though, however if dragonsteel is NOT valyrian steel, then it would need to be a good explanation, because there are no records of dragons in the North period during that time

I think there already is a good explanation for why dragon steel would not be Valyrian Steel. Sam says that most of what he was reading was translated and recorded well after the Long Night. The first men left only runes on rocks, it was all later written down in the Common Tongue long after. The explanation would be a 'lost in translation' sort of thing.

[Light a wight tonight]

My point was that the Others use Wights for their army, knowing how to kill an Other would be great, but most of the fighting would be against Wights to begin with, like we saw on the Fist, so knowing what kills them would be helpful.

Wights burn fast, so fire's one way to get rid of them. They can also be chopped to pieces, which renders them inffective.

[mtsnoop]

I think there already is a good explanation for why dragon steel would not be Valyrian Steel. Sam says that most of what he was reading was translated and recorded well after the Long Night. The first men left only runes on rocks, it was all later written down in the Common Tongue long after. The explanation would be a 'lost in translation' sort of thing.

After his studies in Castle Black, Sam also mentioned that there are a lot of inconsistencies in the commonly known chronology of the Age of Heroes. Yet it still seems not very likely to me, that Valyrian Steel was available in the Long Night.

[Dragonfish]

I also think that if they made dragonsteel another element, that would be completely lame.

Who says it is actually a literal sword, made from a literal element? It could very well be a metaphor that was mangled a bit in translation (my personal pet theory is that "dragon steel" is actually a reference to dragons being used as weapons).

Alternatively, as Apple said, it could also be Dawn. And while that'd certainly be another "element," it would still have been established long before we'd even heard of dragonglass.

[corbon]

Dragonglass doesn't work on wights- Sam tried it with the wight of Small Paul and no effect.

Actually, we have no idea if it works on wights or not.

Sam's dragonglass blade shattered on wight-small-paul's steel armour - obsidian is very sharp and hard, but also very brittle. It never actually 'got to' the wight.

[mtsnoop]

Alternatively, as Apple said, it could also be Dawn. And while that'd certainly be another "element," it would still have been established long before we'd even heard of dragonglass.

Sam lists dragon steel in the same breath as dragon glas. This indicates, that it had some significance in the War Of The Dawn.

We also know that the children of the forest gave the black brothers a hundred obsidian daggers every year.

On the other hand the greatsword of the House Dayne seems to be pretty unique in westeros, with probably only one of its kind.

If such a unique weapon had a significant impact, I would expect tales and songs about sword and swordsman!

Or (imo more likely) dragon steel refers to a weapon, not as rare as Dawn.