Commonly Believed Myths

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Well it's not a misconception either. It's unknown at the moment.

I'm saying it is a misconception — people have a misconception about what the Kingsguard vows actually entail.

[RumHam]

and not all weirwood trees are heart trees.

A heart tree is a tree in the middle of a godswood which usually (but not always) has a face carved into it.

Heart trees have been other types of trees in places where weirwoods do not grow, or have been cut down.

Arya bit her lip. “What will Bran do when he’s of age?”

Ned knelt beside her. “He has years to find that answer, Arya. For now, it is enough to know that he will live.” The night the bird had come from Winterfell, Eddard Stark had taken the girls to the castle godswood, an acre of elm and alder and black cottonwood overlooking the river. The heart tree there was a great oak, its ancient limbs overgrown with smokeberry vines; they knelt before it to offer their thanksgiving, as if it had been a weirwood.

-A Game of Thrones, Chapter 25: Eddard

IIRC there is a Godswood and Heart Tree in KL as well.

There is a Godswood in the Red Keep, but as Moon-Pale Maiden points out, not all Heart Trees are Weirwoods.

This is actually part of the "myth" I first brought up. It is technically true that not all heart trees are weirwoods, because the oak at King's Landing is called a heart tree. Still that is the only example of a non-weirwood heart tree in the books. When you consider that Kings Landing is the most recently constructed castle in Westeros (that I know of) it makes sense that the Targaryen builders might not see the importance of the weirwoods. I think that at least originally, a heart tree had to be a weirwood. That's part of the origin of the term. Now we know of only one heart tree at the center of a "godswood" that is not a weirwood. So not all heart trees are weirwoods now, but I sorta think that if the wildlings or remaining CoTF made it to the Kings Landing godswood they would be like "that's not a heart tree, you silly southerners."

Of course I could be wrong and maybe the next book will show us more non-weirwood southern heart trees.

Edit: textual evidence:

Lysa’s apartments opened over a small garden, a circle of dirt and grass planted with blue flowers and ringed on all sides by tall white towers. The builders had intended it as a godswood, but the Eyrie rested on the hard stone of the mountain, and no matter how much soil was hauled up from the Vale, they could not get a weirwood to take root here. So the Lords of the Eyrie planted grass and scattered statuary amidst low, flowering shrubs.

So they intended to create a godswood, but when the weirwood wouldn't grow they had to settle for a garden.

[Okaythen]

I'm saying it is a misconception — people have a misconception about what the Kingsguard vows actually entail.

Well that wasn't what you said originally.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

The white walkers are the ultimate enemy and hell bent on destroying mankind and that dragons are the only weapons that can destroy them.

I couldn't agree with you more. People make too much of the white walkers.

[protar]

Especially when it's the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

One dragon with heads heads, one body with three heads. Not three dragons with three heads.

People may say the jury's still out on that one, but it's a myth to me.

But the original 3 headed dragon symbol was based upon Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya. The sigil is based on 3 people, not one so it makes sense that this would also be true for the prophecy.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Well that wasn't what you said originally.

... What?

Oh, another one: The idea that the Kingsguard would honor a vow made to a dead guy when the living king was miles away and unprotected. Basically a complete misconception of what the Kingsguard oath actually entails.

Arguing pointless semantics is fun!

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

But the original 3 headed dragon symbol was based upon Aegon, Rhaenys and Visenya. The sigil is based on 3 people, not one so it makes sense that this would also be true for the prophecy.

And what does the Targaryen sigil have to do with the prophecy?

Hey that reminds me of another one: The misconception that the three-headed dragon prophecy is actually connected to the Targaryen sigil.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Here's one...

Myth: The 7 kingdoms = 7 current areas of land.

Truth: There are currently nine distinct areas of land. The term seven kingdoms refers to the 7 kingdoms that existed prior to Aegon's landing. Aegon actually only conquered six of them. He did not initially conquer Dorne. Dorne was later folded into the larger "kingdom" through marriage.

The current nine distinct areas of land under the crown are:

The North, The Iron Isles, The Westerlands, The Crownlands, The Stormlands, The Reach, The Riverlands, The Vale and Dorne.

The borders and lands have changed many times during the history of Westeros, but the way they stood right before Aegon's landing was as seven kingdoms:

The Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale, the Kingdom of Isles and Rivers, the Kingdom of the Rock, The Kingdom of the Reach, the Kingdom of the Stormlands, and Dorne.

Do people really consider the crownlands a region of westeros.

[Okaythen]

... What?

Arguing pointless semantics is fun!

It's not semantics at all. You bolded the wrong part.

The idea that the Kingsguard would honor a vow

There is a massive difference between not understanding/misinterpreting the Kings Guards Oath and assigning motive to individual members of the Kingsguard. One is indeed a misconception the other is a matter of opinion, at least for the time being.

[Fire Eater]

Myth: Dany is AAR.

Actually she is a red herring with the clues for the identity of AAR pointing towards Jon.

Myth: Sansa told Cersei Ned's plans

Actually it was mismemory by Cersei who has a habit of rewriting reality to fit her preferred narrative. Sansa didn't tell her Ned's plans, Ned did. Sansa just told Cersei that Ned was sending her and Arya to WF, but Cersei misremembers it being Sansa telling her Ned's plans to boost her credibility as a player.

[TheSmilingKnight11]

Do people really consider the crownlands a region of westeros.

i know that is where kings landing is. So I guess it is. It's not just one you think of all the time

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

There is a massive difference between not understanding/misinterpreting the Kings Guards Oath and assigning motive to individual members of the Kingsguard. One is indeed a misconception the other is a matter of opinion, at least for the time being.

When the three guys at the Tower of Joy tell Ned that they are acting within the parameters of the Kingsguard vow, that vow and their individual motives become the same. It's actually fairly easy to "assign motive" there, because they tell Ned exactly what the motive is.

[protar]

And what does the Targaryen sigil have to do with the prophecy?

Hey that reminds me of another one: The misconception that the three-headed dragon prophecy is actually connected to the Targaryen sigil.

It's not a misconception, it's not stated either way. Personally I feel that for the two to have cropped up independently would be a remarkable coincidence. And even where the two unconnected that still doesn't exclude the possibility of the 3 heads being 3 people. It's a prophecy afterall - doesn't have to be literal.

All in all, pretty much anything related to the 3 heads is undecided. So there can be no myths or misconceptions yet.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

i know that is where kings landing is. So I guess it is. It's not just one you think of all the time

It is one of the nine regions, under direct jurisdiction of King's Landing. But it's not one of the Seven Kingdoms. So it can be confusing.

[RumHam]

Do people really consider the crownlands a region of westeros.

There is no lord paramount of the Crownlands or anything like that. I guess you could argue the king is, but "Lord of the Crownlands" is never added to his full title.

[Okaythen]

When the three guys at the Tower of Joy tell Ned that they are acting within the parameters of the Kingsguard vow, that vow and their individual motives become the same. It's actually fairly easy to "assign motive" there, because they tell Ned exactly what the motive is.

Is your interpretation of that, which is fine and reasonable. What is unreasonable is calling all other possible interpretations ridiculous misconceptions. We have little context for the remark, only one "witness" and by the a tonne of missing information.

EDIT - To save going off topic, I get what you are saying about the vows and I agree there certainly seems to be some misconception there. The rest is really for one of the gazillion other threads.

[Hutch]

This thread has all the makings for very hostile debate. I look forward to it :)

[RumHam]

Myth: Dany is AAR.

Actually she is a red herring with the clues for the identity of AAR pointing towards Jon.

Again this is far from settled. I think Dany probably has at least as many clues as Jon. You could say she was born of salt and smoke on Dragonstone. She literally "wakes dragons from stone." the comet appears when she births her dragons. The stuff about the prince that was promised being born from the Mad King's line. Aemon's deathbed epiphany that it was her.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Is your interpretation of that, which is fine and reasonable. What is unreasonable is calling all other possible interpretations ridiculous misconceptions. We have little context for the remark, only one "witness" and by the a tonne of missing information.

And you're free to have that opinion, just as I'm free to think that interpretation is, based on what we know of the Kingsguard — priority No. 1, protect the king — ridiculous. Have a great day!

[Rhymes with Weak]

That Dorkstar isn't the night. C'mon guys, he seems trustworthy. Just take his word for it.