A Song of Ice and Fire: Fantasy and History III

After a very long break (for which I am completely ashamed) I return to this blog to continue my series of post dedicated to the universe of “A song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin. This time I will be focussing on Margery Tyrell, the “sweet” and beautiful new Queen. And I will be comparing him to another “sweet” and beautiful new Queen; Anne Boleyn.

Margery Tyrell as portrayed in the HBO show

Portrait of Anne Boleyn

Before starting, I want to let one think clear: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS, in a really extensive way. The “problem” with Margery, is that a great part of her character development happens in “A feast for crows” and “A dance with dragons” (the last two published books), and it’s a bit difficult talking about her without making any mention to what happens in those books. So if you haven’t read those books and don’t want to be spoiled, please do not read this post. Go read the books, and then come back (or wait until the TV show covers that, whatever you like).

With that said, let’s start by talking about Anne Boleyn.

Anne Boleyn was the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, a well respected diplomat and favorite of Henry VII of England who would later become Earl of Wiltshire and Earl of Ormond. Anne and her siblings (Mary and George) grew up at Hever Castle in Kent. At the time of her birth, the Boleyn Family was considered one of the most respected within the English Aristocracy.

She became Queen of England in 1533 and reign until 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was also named Marquess of Pembroke. Her marriage to Henry made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the start of the English Reformation. 

She grew up and received her education far away from the Tudor court; in the Netherlands and later France. She didn’t return to England until she was 20 years old (her age is not certain though) in order to marry James Butler, Earl of Ormond. The marriage wasn’t carried out in the end, but she secured a post at court as maid of honor to Henry VIII’s wife; Catherine of Aragon.

In 1526, the King began his pursuit of Anne. But, against all odds, she refused to become his mistress. After months of Anne’s denial, Henry’s wish to annul his marriage to Queen Catherine so he would be free to marry Anne grew stronger than ever. When the Pope refused to agree to the annulment, Henry decided to break the power of the Catholic Church in England by naming himself Head of the Church of England.

Soon after, Henry divorced Catherine and declared their marriage null and void. He married Anne on 25th January 1533. She was crowned Queen on the 1st of June of that same year.

A few months later, she gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth, whose gender was a huge disappointment for Henry. Three miscarriages followed, and by March 1536, the King was courting another lady: Jane Seymour.

As time went on, Henry convinced himself that Anne would never give him a male heir and wished to get rid of her, so he had her investigated her for high treason and she was arrested and sent to the Tower of London on May the 2nd of 1536. 

There, she was tried before a jury. The charges laid against her were: adultery, incest, and witchcraft. She was found guilty on  the 15th of May. She was beheaded four days later.

Natalie Portman playing Anne in "The other Boleyn girl"

So, why exactly do I see any resemblance with Margery Tyrell? Well, it surely isn’t as obvious as it was in Tywin’s case. But I do believe there exists certain similarities.

Both Margery and Anne grew up and received their respective educations far away from the court they would later rule over. Margery grew up in Highgarden, the seat of her Lord Father; Mace Tyrell. And just as the Boleyn family, the Tyrell’s are one of the richest families in Westeros (only second to the Lannisters).

Anne Boleyn was secretly betrothed to Henry Percy, but said betrothal was broken and they never actually married. The case with Margery is not exactly like that, but there are some similarities. Margery actually married the rebel “False King” Renly Baratheon before marrying the King. But both her family and herself claim that the marriage was never consumed, so technically they were never really married.

Anne was considered to be brilliant, charming, elegant and graceful. Just like Margery. And she loved to flirt. Just like Margery. And Anne was also a devout Christian (although a revolutionary one). Just like Margery. In the book, especially in “A feast for crows”; we are told that Margery Tyrell goes very often to pray at the Sept of Baelor and she actually is depicted as a rather devout character.

The main difference between this two, in terms of personality is that Anne was really opinionated, really passionate and had a very sharp tongue an a terrible temper. But is that really a difference? Margery always comes off as meek and ladylike and very calm. But that (in my opinion) is just a façade. In the fourth book, there’s a scene that actually proves that. It’s when Cersei visits her at the Sept of Baelor after she’s been arrested for adultery. If you can recall, she screams and curses and calls Cersei a lying bitch (I don’t recall the exact words, but it was something like that) and reveals a much less “nice” side of her “perfect” persona, proving my point that she really is as passionate as Anne, but disguises it better.

Some actually describe Anne as “the perfect courtier”. Is there anything that would describe Margery better? That caused both women to have plenty of admirers and suitors at court.

And Margery, just as Anne, made a King set aside another woman in order to become Queen. Henry VIII divorced Catherine of Aragon, so he could make Anne his Queen. And King Joffrey broke the betrothal to Sansa Stark to marry Margery.

The idea of annulment, in Henry’s case, had been considered some time earlier by his desire to secure the Tudor line by conceiving a male heir. In Joffrey’s case, he had also been looking for an excuse to set aside the Stark girl. But in both cases, Anne and Margery played major roles in the breaking of these vows.

And besides all that, both women were special enough to be able to manipulate their respective kings. Henry VIII is known as much for his tendencies to behead wives as for his hot temper and his stubbornness. And Joffrey, being the vicious mad boy king he is, is as crazy as he is uncontrollable. But somehow, both Anne and Margery found a way to control these forces of nature, even if it was just for a little while.

But perhaps, the clearest similarity between these women lies within their downfall. 

In Anne’s case, it all started with the arrest of a Flemish musician in Anne’s service. He initially denied being the Queen’s lover, but later confessed (probably under torture). And because of this other nobles were arrested: Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton, Sir Thomas Wyatt, Sir Richard Page and the Queen’s own brother: George Boleyn. They all claimed being innocent of the charges. The Queen herself defended her own innocence all the way through to her execution. But still, she was charged of adultery and incest, which being a Queen were crimes that were considered treason to the Crown. Most historians consider this charges to be nothing but a scheme to replace her as Queen.

Margery’s case is really similar (only that we don’t know how it ends because George R. R. Martin hasn’t written it yet). Cersei, feeling supplanted by this young Queen, plots to have her arrested. First she tortures the Blue Bard, a singer that often accompanies Margery and her cousins, in order to get him to confess having bedded Margery. And then she sends Osney Kettleblack to the High Septon to confess having been seduced by Margery. In the end, she stands accused of having had sexual encounters with: Osney Kettleblack, Jalabhar Xho, Bayard Norcross, Ser Tallad the Tall, Hugh Clifton, Hamish the Harper, Lambert Turnberry, Mark Mullendor and the Blue Bard. Cersei also wants to accuse Loras Tyrell (the Queen’s brother) but ends up deciding that it is unnecessary and completely unbelievable (Loras is a known gay). And so, Margery is arrested and imprisoned by the Faith at the Sept of Baelor where she is questioned day and night. At the end of the last published book, Margery is awaiting trial by the judges of the Faith.

But perhaps, the clearest similarities do not lie as much in the deeds of Anne Boleyn’s life, but in the perception the everyone else had of her.

Anne Boleyn can be seen as either a victim or a harpy; and has been depicted as both many a times. She is the woman who caused the break between England and the Catholic Church . And yet, some view her as a fervent Protestant reformer who ushered in the Reformation to England and paved the way for her daughter, Queen Elizabeth. And others consider her a very ambitious woman and an opportunist who slept her way to the top and set aside the much beloved Catherine of Aragon.

The same goes for Margery; the line between being her father’s pawn to reach power and being herself an ambitious and cunning woman who hungers for power is really blurred.

All in all, they both were women who rose to the top and made quite a lot of enemies on their way, whom ended causing their downfall.

* One really unimportant but funny fact: HBO cast as Margery Tyrell the actress Natalie Dormer, who had previously played Anne Boleyn in the The Tudors.

A Song of Ice and Fire: Fantasy and History II

Let’s continue within the rich universe of “A song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin. This time, our focus will be on Tywin Lannister, the stern patriarch of House Lannister and Lord of Casterly Rock.

And to what historical figure will I compare him? Well, with none other than the stern and dreadful Edward I, King of England.

Tywin Lannister as portrayed in the HBO series

Painting of Edward I, King of England

So, without further ado, let’s see who Edward Longshanks  was.

Edward I was King of England from 1272 to 1307. He was the first son of Henry III and was also known as Edward Longshanks and Hammer of the Scots. He was a very tall man for his time, hence the nickname “Longshanks”. He was known to be temperamental and a very intimidating man (his height surely helped). He instilled fear in his contemporaries. Despite this, he embodied the medieval idea of kingship: as a soldier, an administrator and a man of faith.

He was involved early in the political intrigues of his father’s reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English Barons which he swiftly crushed.

He then became a crusader and left England to fight in the Holy Land. He returned to England after his father’s death to be crowned as King of England.

During his reign he overtook a great reformation of the royal administration and common law. Although he is much more well known for his military action.

After suppressing a minor rebellion in Wales in 1276, Edward Longshanks responded to a second rebellion with a full-scale war of conquest in 1282 that resulted in a very bloody but successful campaign which ended in England ruling over Wales. The king built a series of castles all over the country and settled them with Englishmen to keep control over the region.

Next, he directed his attention towards the north: towards Scotland. After being invited to arbitrate a succession dispute, Edward claimed feudal domain over the kingdom of Scotland. The war that followed resulted in victory for the Scots, but the blow delivered by the English was great and left behind a bloody trail.

At his death in 1307, he left to his son, the future Edward II, an ongoing war with Scotland and a great deal of financial and political problems to solve.

So, long story short, Edward I was a king who ruled with an iron hand and allowed no mercy to those who dared defy him. That sounds sort of familiar, doesn’t it? Edward dealt with his enemies more or less the same way that Tywin does: with a swift and violent response.

The way Edward dealt with the Welsh rebellion is sort of the same way that Tywin dealt with the Reyne’s of Castamere. And the way he crushed William Wallace’s rebellion is sort of similar to how he crushed Robb Stark’s rebellion.

But that is not the only similarity. Edward’s father; Henry III was a pretty weak man, especially in comparison to his son, and almost destroyed the English Crown with his weak way of dealing with the feudal rebellions. Just like Tywin’s father; Tytos Lannister, who was known to be a pretty meek lion who, in Tywin’s eyes, almost destroyed all by himself the Lannister name.

Tytos, in his weakness, allowed the sworn houses to Casterly Rock to rebel very frequently against their liege Lord only to gain more power for themselves. And because of this, Tytos, and House Lannister started to be perceived as weak by his own vassals, causing the very famous events that lead to the creation of the song known as “The rains of Castamere”.

Both Tywin and Edward were in a profound disagreement with their father’s politics in regards to their own nobles. And both took action, setting aside the words and parchment that their fathers had used. 

Between the years 1264 and 1267, Edward I, tired of his father’s weakness, engaged the royal army in a civil war with his own barons known as the Second Barons’ War.  In it, the baronial forces led by Simon de Montfort fought against Henry I’s loyalist, led by Edward I, who at the time was still a prince. In the battle of Evesham, Edward defeated Montfort on the field and captured him. Then, Edward commanded that Montfort was to be killed and mutilated on the field itself. And so, Montfort met a gruesome end at the hands of young Edward.

Tywin, did something very similar in the Reyne rebellion. The Reyne’s, one of the richest families in Westeros, decided that they should have more power than the Lannisters, and rose in rebellion. Tywin, resentful of his father’s soft hand, asked Tytos to command himself the campaign against the rebellion. His father, who still was Lord of Casterly Rock, agreed. And so, Tywin fought and defeated the Reyne’s. The consequences were terrible. He slaughtered every man, woman and child who carried the name Reyne and burned their stronghold to the ground. These events helped regain the power of the name Lannister and their reputation. Now, and thanks to Tywin, all families knew what happened to those who questioned the might of Casterly Rock.

After Edward ascended into the throne, his main concern was restoring order and re-establishing the royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father. One of his main goals was to reestablish the lands and rights that the crown had lost during Henry III’s reign. And so, both men, when they finally stepped in their father’s shoes, they set themselves into the mission of restoring their family names and rights.

But these two very powerful men weren’t only alike in the political and military aspects of their lives. Both men were married to “the loves of their lives”. In 1254, Edward married to Eleanor of Castille, the half-sister of King Alfonso X of Castille, in order to settle an alliance between the two countries. Though it was an arranged marriage, both came to love each other very much and became a vital part of each other’s life. Edward was a very devoted husband and was absolutely faithful to her throughout their married life, a real rarity among monarchs of the time. Her death in the year 1290 affected the monarch deeply. He displayed his grief by erecting 12 crosses in his wife’s memory, one at each place where her funeral cortège stopped in its procession.

Tywin was married to a cousin of his: Joanna Lannister, It was an extremely happy marriage. It was said that while Tywin ruled Westeros as the Hand of the King, he was ruled by his wife at home. Joanna died while giving birth to their third son: Tyrion. A deep grieve struck Tywin after her death and it is said that he has not smiled since then.

Edward and Eleanor had at least fourteen children, perhaps as many as sixteen. Of these, five daughters survived into adulthood, but only one boy did: Edward, who would succeed his father as Edward II. Joanna gave Tywin three children: the twins Jaime and Cersei, and the dwarf Tyrion.

Another aspect in which they look similar is in their great disappointment in their children.

Edward I was very concerned with what he perceived as his son’s failure to live up to the expectations of an heir to the crown, and actually exiled his son’s favourite (and provably lover): Piers Gaveston. The future Edward II was a weak, capricious, and vacillating man who undid most of his father’s efforts in keeping Scotland united by the English Crown. He was (most probably) homosexual and made no effort to hide it, which really irritated his father. And ended up being deposed of his throne by his French wife (see the previous article I made about the similarities between Cersei and this woman; Isabella of France).

Tywnin was also pretty disappointed in his offspring: Jaime became a knight of the Kingsguard without his consent or knowledge, loosing his rights as heir to Tywin and the possibilities to marry and have children to keep the Lannister name alive. Cerscei, with her poor political schemes and her incapability to keep her son in line was another deep source of disappointment. But the biggest one to Tywin was his third son: the Imp. Tywin thinks that his son shames the name of Lannister because of his condition as a dwarf and his frequent trips to the whorehouse.

Last but not least, Edward I fought to squash the Scottish rebels and won. Much like Tywin fought the Stark rebellion and won. Both, the Scotsman and the Stark are Northmen, and both Edward and Tywin are south men and much richer than their adversaries. Both leaders went on these campaigns trying to crush their enemies, whose main goal was to detach themselves from the crown, claiming themselves independent.

And what’s more, both these rebel leaders; William Wallace and Robb Stark were betrayed to Edward I and Tywin by their own Bannermen. In Wallace’s case, it was Sir John de Menteith who turned him over. And in Stark’s case, it was the old Lord Walder Frey of the Crossing. Both Wallace and Stark meet with a grim end for opposing the crown.

Physically, both these men were quite impressive. Edward I, at 6 feet 2 inches was said to tower over most of his contemporaries, fact which earned him the name “longshancks”. Tywin is also described as physically impressive, although his height is never specifically addressed.

Edward I was considered by his contemporaries as an able, even ideal king. But he was not loved by his subjects, he was feared and respected in shares alike. Much like Tywin, who is considered a very capable person with great capacities for ruling. It is said that when Robert Baratheon was barely 6, he was taken to King’s Landing with his brother Stannis to an audience with the king. Both children were very much impressed by the King, by its regalness and persona. Years later, their father told them that the man whom they had so admired was not the king Aerys, but his Hand, Tywin. This anecdote reaffirms this vision of Tywin as someone regal and fit for ruling. As for his reputation, Tywin, like Edward, is feared and respected alike.

All of these facts serve as proof, so to speak, of Martin’s source of inspiration for his world and inhabitants. And so, I leave you until my next post!

A Song of Ice and Fire: Fantasy and History I

“A song of Ice and Fire” by George R. R. Martin is probably one of the best written pieces of fantasy of all time. And the great thing about it is that is not a copy of “The Lord of The Rings”.

The thing is that such was the influence and importance of Tolkien’s work in the fantasy landscape that ever since, almost every fantasy book that has come out has been trying too hard to be Lord of the Rings. And the result of that is a huge line of Tolkien’s rip offs that lack both the quality and imagination of the original. Therefore, a work like “A song of Ice and Fire” feels fresh and it’s really welcomed. The great thing about Martin’s work is that it creates its own world and dynamics and it takes from its own influences.

Whilst Lord of the Rings took a lot from the Nordic Mythology, A song of Ice and fire takes from European medieval history. And that is very noticeable.

There’s a great deal of things that could be said about this series of books, but I will keep this focused on the resemblances between real life history and the events and characters of this book. 

As there are thousands of these resemblances, I’ll devote one post to each of these. And the first post of this series will be dedicated to the resemblance between the figure of Isabella of France and Cersei Lannister.

First off, let’s briefly explain who Isabella was.

Isabella of France (1295- 1385) was the Queen consort of England as the wife of Edward II of England. She was the daughter of Philip IV of France and Joan I of Navarre. She was notable at the time for her beauty, diplomatic skills and intelligence. And has often been described as the She-wolf of France.

She was sent off to marry far away from home at the age of 12. Her husband, Edward the II, was notorious for the patronage he lavished on his favorite: Piers Gaveston, who was also his lover. This started a period of political turmoil that ended with an extended fight between the king and some of his nobles. The nobles would end up executing Gaveston, forcing the king into revenge. After his lover’s death, he turned to a new favorite, Hug Despenser the younger. His association which him resulted in the Despenser War and a period of internal repression across England.

Isabella, tired of her husband and Despenser, travelled to France under the guise of a diplomatic mission, where she began an affair with Roger Mortimer. Once there, he called for her son, and heir to the throne, to sign the peace treaty with the French. With her son by her side, she set sail towards England with a small army and took over Edward’s crown. She deposed him and became regent on behalf of her son: Edward III. A few years later, her husband died under strange circumstances, and it’s often believed that it was arranged by her.

Isabella landing in England with her son, the future Edward III in 1326

Seated as Queen next to her lover, Isabella led a lavish existence and ruled no better than her husband had.

When her son was seventeen, he deposed Mortimer and executed him, taking all power away from Isabella. She was exiled in an English castle until the end of her life whilst her son ruled.

She soon became a popular figure in plays and literature, usually portrayed as beautiful but cruel and often manipulative.

As you see, there is clearly some resemblance there.

Both were woman that were sold off to marry a rich and powerful king. Both Robert Baratheon and Edward II were handsome men, tall and fair. And both Isabella and Cersei found out during their wedding night’s that in their marriages there were three people, not two. In Isabella’s case was a real third person: Pierce Gaveston, her husband’s lover. And in Cersei’s case, was Lyanna Stark, Robert’s death fiancee. 

Another common aspect is that they both were regarded as very beautiful. At the time Isabella married, Geoffrey of Paris described her as “the beauty of beauties in the kingdom if not in all Europe”. And in Cersei’s case, it is often said that she is the most beautiful woman in Westeros.

And although far more far fetched there is even a small resemblance between the Isabella’s husband and Cersei’s. When the nobles executed Gaveston, the king, Edward II, went on a grieving rage and swore revenge. Which he actually got. Just as King Robert’s rage when he hear of the kidnapping and murder of his beloved Lyanna, which also ended in a bloody revenge.

Isabella was a fiercely protective mother, just like Cersei. Isabella took over her husband’s crown because he confiscated her lands and removed her children from her custody to be looked over at the Despenser’s household. Cersei is also a fiercely protective mother. And you could provable say that the only thing she truly cares are her children. Cersei actually takes the final step against her husband when Ned Stark threatens her and says he’ll tell her husband that the kids are the spawn of incest (which would mean death to them).

Both women actually though that they could be better rulers that their own husbands and decided to take over and rule themselves. Both planned the murder of their husbands so they could reign as regents for their sons. And in both cases, their sons ended up pushing them away from power. 

But, obviously, there are also differences between this strong willed women: for instance, Isabella’s son (Edward III) was not a psychopath and ended up being a pretty good king (at least for Middle Ages standards). Joffrey, instead, is basically crazy and a pretty bad king.

Isabella was a perfect match to her male contemporaries. Cersei, on the other hand, may not be as good as she thinks she is as a schemer. Her brother, Tyrion, is a thousand times better than her at the game of politics.

And Robert Baratheon had very little in common with Edward II. The latter was a soft man with no passion for hunting nor the usual kingly activities, whilst Robert was, first and foremost, a warrior. Robert also was a womanizer, instead, Edward was homosexual (or bisexual at least).

But whatever their differences are, Isabella and Cersei were raised to be no more than a pawn in a bigger game, but decided that they wanted to have a say at the game of thrones.

Cersei Lannister played by Lena Heady

Isabella of France played by Sophie Marceau in the
highly historically inaccurate "Braveheart"

In the next chapter of the “fantasy and history” series. I will compare Tywin Lannister to Edward I (the father of Isabella’s husband), also known as Hammer of the Scotts and Edward Longshanks. He ruled England with a hand of iron and destroyed the rebellion lead by William Wallace. Tywin, instead, squashed the rebellion lead by House Reyne of Castarmere in a very similar way.

But I’ll leave that to next year !

Happy New Year to all!!!