The Lion and The Rose

Last sunday’s episode of Game of thrones was huge. And everyone is talking about it, so I thought I’d review it. For those of you who still haven’t got the chance to see it, please save this link and come back once you’ve seen it. There will be MAJOR SPOILERS. This first post will be a review for viewers of the show who hasn’t read the books. And later I’ll post a review for readers.

With that said, let’s start this party!

We start this episode in the woods. With what seems to be  a “human” hunt. And so, we are reintroduced to the character of Ramsay Snow. He is one sick bastard, all readers know that. And I particularly like how they show that in only that scene (not that the show didn’t show it before, after all, he did cut off Theon’s dick). The difference, for me, is that up until now, whenever we saw the Bastard of Bolton, he was torturing Theon. Which was cruel, but after all, Theon had invaded the north and killed the Stark children, so there was a reason. Here, instead, we see him hunting down a defenseless girl: she is bare footed, almost naked and unarmed. And Ramsey and this Myranda are hunting her down with dogs and arrows. That is sick. And to top that, it is all presented as a game: Ramsay talks to the girl like it’s a game.

The actor that plays Ramsay Snow does a fantastic job. He really seems to be having a genuine good time. He really seems to enjoy every second of his cruelty. And that is what makes this character as disgusting as it is.

This scene also introduces Reek. He is the man that used to be Theon Greyjoy. He is the result of all the torturing that we saw in season 3. And he really has become a lackey of sorts, closest to Ramsay’s “bitches” than to a human being.

After that, we cut to King’s Landing with a joke. The last shot of the scene with the bastard is a close up of Theon. And from that, we cut to a shot of Podrick serving sausages to Tyrion. I have no idea if it was an intended wink to the audience regarding Theon getting his dick cut off or if it was just coincidence. But knowing the little I know about making movies, I would bet my hand that it is intentional. 

This scene is a rather simple one. But quite touching. It’s Tyrion and Jaime eating together. Jaime spills some wine because he can’t grab anything with his gold hand and this leads to Tyrion suggesting that he should train with his other hand. And so he offers Bronn to spar with Jaime until he gets good enough. As I said, it is a rather simple scene, but it’s really nice to see the dynamics between the two brothers, who surprisingly get along perfectly. 

And so, the next scene is Bronn training with Jaime. There’s a detail in this scene that I particularly like. Jamie is considered the best swordsman in Westeros (or at least until his hand was cut), and he is used to be treated as such. Which explains why he seems offended that Bronn treats him the way he does. Bronn treats him as if he is a rookie. Because that is what he’s been reduced to: he can’t fight anymore, so he is a rookie. It’s not a great scene, but definitely has great character moments. 

Next we are introduced to the Dreadfort, the seat of House Bolton. Roose Bolton has just returned with his wife, Fat Walda, and he is greeted by his bastard. Bolton immediately asks him to bring Theon Greyjoy. And he gets really pissed when he sees him. Because he really was a valuable hostage, and now he is worth nothing. Let’s not forget that part of the north is still invaded by the ironborn. But what I personally think that is the best of this scene are the dynamics established between Roose Bolton and his Bastard son. First of all, they are really interesting dynamics, with Bolton reminding Ramsay all the time that he is just a bastard, and Ramsay trying to stand his ground. It’s radically different to the other father-bastard relationship that we have been shown (Nedd and Jon), and it is interesting and may have a continuity. The other interesting thing is that Roose Bolton tells Locke to go and find the Stark children (Bran and Rickon), which really sort of reveals one of the storylines of this season, at least that’s my guess.

Then there’s the “shave” scene. I must say that I was honestly disturbed by it. Even more than with the hunt scene. I can’t explain exactly why, but seeing Theon like that, like just a puppet, was more painful that I would have expected (especially because he is not exactly my favorite character). And his reaction to the Red Wedding was also very interesting.

This is followed by a brief conversation between Varys and Tyrion, where the spider tells Tyrion to get rid of Shae, because Cersei knows about her and it is only a matter of time before Tywin knows. Tyrion asks Varys to lie for him but he refuses. I like that scene because of that last part. I really enjoy Varys as a character and the fact that he refuses to lie actually is very revealing. He knows why they keep him in the council. He knows what would happen if he got involved in helping Tyrion, but despite that he still goes and warns him, which would be bad for him if they caught him. That’s why he refuses to lie. He is already doing a lot by warning him. 

The scene that follows is great. I have nothing bad to say about it. All I can say is that it is great. The scene depicts the breakfast wedding with Joffrey and the presentation of the wedding gifts. Mace Tyrell, Margery’s father, who is introduced in this episode, gives him a huge wedding cup, all studded with gems, and we see Joffrey playing the role of the regal King, who is kind and respects everyone. That is always fun, no matter what, because we, the audience and the characters know how he really is, and seeing him try so hard to play that role, it’s just hilarious. But the best comes when Tyrion presents his gift: a book about the lives of four Targaryen Kings. Joffrey’s face when he sees it is priceless. He really wants to lash out at his uncle, but knows that he has to play the wise and kind king. But for a whole second, you really expect him to lash out. That is why when he finally answers, his kindness is actually comical. But of course, he can only be a good person for so long. So when Tywin presents him Widow’s Wail (the valyrian steel sword reforged from Ice) he stands up almost like a kid on Christmas and starts chopping the book to pieces. Jack Gleeson’s delivery and performance is awesome. How he switches from kind king to mad idiotic king is just so enjoyable to watch. I really think that he is given much less credit than he deserves. His character is not an easy role to perform. Because he is not a cunning and smart sort of baddie. He is a teenager with clear psychopathic tendencies, who actually gets a hard on by being cruel. That’s the only way I can describe it. He gets excited by cruelty. I think that it is the only thing that excites him. And that is left blatantly clear later on in this episode.

This is followed by my least favorite scene in the episode. It’s not that it’s a bad scene, because it’s not. It’s just that I really don’t like Shae. In this scene Tyrion has to lie to her to get her away from King’s Landing and safe from his family. And of course, she doesn’t want to leave, so he has to tell her that he doesn’t love her and that she’s just a whore. Which does the trick. And that’s all I have to say: it’s a well done scene, but I really don’t like Shae.

Then we go back to Dragonstone for the first time this season. We see Melissandre burning Axel Florent and another two guys. We are also reintroduced to Selyse Baratheon, Stannis’ wife, who we hadn’t seen since season 2. This scene actually describes very well both Stannis and his wife. For those who haven’t read the book; Selyse Baratheon is a Florent by birth and Ser Axel Florent (the guy they burn) is his brother. So we see a woman who is capable of burning her own brother for her faith, and be happy about. She seems genuinely happy for him. She even says some bullshit about his soul having joined the Lord of Light and how great that is. She truly believes it. Stannis, instead, is a man who does what he must (in this case, burning his brother in law) but who doesn’t take any pleasure from it. He looks really uncomfortable.

This difference is cemented in the next scene: where we see Stannis, Selyse and Melissandre having supper and discussing their daughter. Selyse thinks she is a sinner and that’s the reason she has her faced marked. Stannis, instead, insists that she is just a little girl and forbids Selyse to punish her. Instead, they sent Melissandre to speak to her. And so, the next scene goes as follows: Melissandre goes to visit the princess and speak about the burnings and the Lord of light. This scene, actually, only serves for furthering my fear of Melissandre. She’s so capable of looking kind and wise but at the same time she is terribly cruel and enjoys burning people. It’s actually rather creepy.

From there, we go to the Bran story line. We find him and his friends already north of the Wall, starving and half lost. We are told that Bran is spending more time in Summer’s skin (let’s not forget that he is a warg) and Jojeen warns him that if he does that, he is going to forget who he really is. And that is not good, obviously. Then, whilst marching north, they come across a heart tree (the Gods of the North) and Bran asks them to halt. He is brought by Hodor to the tree and when he lays a hand on it, he is shown a series of images, some belong to the past, and some to the future. He has visions of his father, but also of a dragon shadow in Kings Landing. And he is told to look for the three-eyed raven beneath a certain tree in the north. And so, they finally know what they are looking for.

This scene also serves to cement the idea that Bran isn’t imagining the three-eyed raven. He is actually being contacted by someone. And that is important. On top of that, we see another aspect of Bran’s power: he can slip into Summer (his direwolf), he can slip into Hodor, and now, he can slip into the heart tree.

After that we finally go back to Kings Landing for the much expected wedding. This wedding is huge. Nothing compared to the Red wedding. It’s packed with people and everyone’s trying to look their best. And Margery’s costume design is great. I bow to whomever created. It’s gorgeous and matches the character perfectly. I’s a white-silver gown and the tail is filled with sewn roses and the bodice is held by the thorns that intertwine. It’s great. And the same goes to the hairstyling. Her hair is just huge. They’ve made this incredibly tall style with all her curls flowing. What I think it’s really smart about this design is that is beautiful but also shows the ambition of this character. She needs to be the queen, and she needs to be seen as beautiful. So all those elements are perfectly combined in the design of her wedding outfit.

And Joffrey actually looks marvelous too. He is like a peacock; all dressed in gold, with the richest of materials. It’s also great. They actually make a splendid couple; visually I mean.

But what I like the most about the wedding is the kiss. Joffrey is such a dick. He is trying to play the charming hero, but instead comes off as a bloated idiot. My second favorite thing is Sansa. I know a lot of people don’t like her, but let me explain. I love the fact that she genuinely looks bumped because of this wedding. Margery is taking the place that was meant to be hers. I don’t think that she resents not marrying Joffrey, no. I think that she resents not being the queen. This was her chance, and Margery took it. 

And from now until the end of this episode, we remain in Kings Landing. Which is not usual in a Game of thrones episode, but it’s worth it. Following the wedding, we enter the feast., and everything gets even better.

First we see another tête à tête between Lord Tywin and Lady Olena Tyrell. These are always enjoyable. I wish there could be more of them, because they are perfect. I especially like the moment when Olena tells her son, Lord Mace, to shut up and don’t interrupt. Let’s not forget that Mace Tyrell is the Lord of High Garden, not Olena. And yet, she treats her son as if he is still a babe. It’s a perfectly scripted scene, and it’s perfectly acted.

Then we pass to Tyrion, who is really upset about Shae, and Bronn has to tell him to move on. It’s really brief, but it’s topped with a great joke. He is walking to his table and Oberyn and Ellaria are walking up to him and greet him. He turns around only to find out that they weren’t greeting him, but instead they were talking to a half naked contortionist. 

This feast it’s extravagant, it’s opulent and completely over the top, that’s why it’s so great. There’s jugglers, singers, lots of food…

We have a brief exchange between Lady Olena and Sansa, where Olena actually gives her condolences for her brother’s death and invites her to visit Highgarden. I love how she remarks the fact that only a monster would kill a man at his wedding, especially because of the way this episode ends.

Then’s the cameo of Sigur Ros as singers, performing “The Rains of Castamere”. The best part though is seeing Joffrey making a jackass out of himself when he throws a handful of coins at them so they will leave. Then Margery announces that the leftover of the feast will be given to the poor, in an attempt to make his husband look better. It’s funny how she always does that. She is married to a madman, but she is always doing this gestures to the common folk, trying to win them for him, and instead, only succeeding in making her look better in comparison to him. Maybe that’s what she really wants, who knows?

I particularly like the exchange between Ser Loras and Ser Jaime regarding Cersei. It’s nice, because in the show, Loras hasn’t really been given much time to develop, and this scene does that. Jaime confronts him about marrying Cersei and tells him that he would never manage that. Ser Loras, instead of bulking out, answers back and tells him that neither will he. That’s a really low blow; because he is both telling him that he knows about the incest and he is also reminding him his bows as a man of the Kingsguard. And it’s funny. We are shown that he has guts, and that being gay is not all that defines him just because that’s the only thing we know about him.

Then Cersei confronts Brienne about her being in love with Jaime. That’s a nice scene, because it is true. Brienne loves Jaime. But the fun thing is when Cersei realizes it is true. It’s brief, it’s cute and it makes Cersei uncomfortable, what else could we ask for?

One of my favorite moments though, is when Cersei tells Pycelle to give the leftovers to the palace dogs. By contradicting Margery, she is trying to hold the little power she still has. As Oberyn points out later; Joffrey’s wedding marks an end to her regency, and therefore she loses her power as Regent Queen. It’s a necessary moment to show, because to Cersei,  power is everything. And now she is losing it. The best though, is how satisfied she seems afterwards. 

But the best is the confrontation between Tywin, Cersei and Oberyn and Ellaria. It’s great. There are so many cultural insults thrown back and forth. And the best is that they are said with the best of manners by both sides. I particularly like when Oberyn remarks that Cersei is now the ex-Queen Regent.

This is followed by Joffrey making an idiot of himself again and being cruel and offensive to everyone. He brings forward five dwarves to represent the War of the Five Kings. Why is it offensive? Well, first of all, it’s offensive to the Tyrells because the dwarf that plays Renly appears mounting a dummy with a blond wig, clearly meaning Loras. It’s offensive to Sansa Stark, because they reenact how Robb lost his head, and then, the dwarf playing Joffrey fucks his head. And on top of that, it’s offensive to Tyrion because they are dwarves. It’s really interesting to see how happy Cersei looks when she sees that the Tyrell’s are getting pissed. And is it me, or even Tywin smiled? It’s like they like knowing they can make them look bad. On the other hand, Margery looks really pissed about the whole affair, which is also interesting, because she is presented to us as a mild mannered girl. She doesn’t look mild mannered right now. It seems as if she could strangle Joffrey and Cersei at the moment. The same goes for Lady Olena.

And then Joffrey orders Tyrion to participate in the fight, but he declines. Instead, he says that Joffrey should fight, and show everyone his courage in battle (which is a clear reference to his cowardice during the battle of the Blackwater). Joffrey, of course, gets pissed, and pours a cup of wine onto Tyrion’s head. Margery, of course, tries to be the good queen and stop Joffrey by distracting him. But Joffrey is dead set on torturing Tyrion and orders him to be his cupbearer. I love how Tyrion responds to each offense with the utmost courtesy and how that pisses Joffrey even more.

The only one who actually seems to be enjoying this is Cersei, which actually corroborates what a huge bitch she is. Even Margery looks uncomfortable, and Mace Tyrell won’t even look.

Then Joffrey insists that Tyrion should kneel, which he doesn’t, but Joffrey keeps insisting. And Margery tries agains to distract him by pointing out that they are bringing out the pie. It’s actually funny how she changes from being uncomfortable to overly happy when they bring out the pie. And so, Joffrey proceeds to cut the pie.  Margery keeps trying to distract by feeding him his wedding pie. But Joffrey, being the little cruel idiot that he is, keeps asking Tyrion to serve him the wine.

And what comes next, is probably the best 5 minutes of tv shows’ history. Joffrey starts to have trouble swallowing, and before anyone knows, he’s choking to death. He throws himself to the floor, trying to breath and Cersei rushes towards him trying to help. Everything is chaos. Until he finally dies in Cersei’s arms amidst blood and vomit. And then…. Cersei accuses Tyron of murdering the King and gets him arrested. Life is really unfair to the poor man.

Joffrey’s death is probably the most satisfying moment of the show up to this point. He was so loathsome, that everybody wanted him dead. And now, he’s finally dead. But at the same time, the scene was terribly disturbing. For that, I want to give a huge thumbs up to the show. They did an incredible job at bringing out the humanity of the moment. He might have been a douchebag, but he is still someone who is painfully chocking to death. It is painful to see; how he starts bleeding through his nose as his skin turns a disgusting shade of blue-green. They even went for the bloodshot eyes. It’s not pretty. And I like that. Death should never be pretty, even when you are killing one of the most hated characters of the show. But it goes beyond that; Joffrey’s humanity isn’t the only one that is brought out. Cersei’s too. She might be a horrible person, but she is, after all, a mother watching her son die in her arms. And that’s what I most liked about this episode: how able it was to deliver the most desired death in the “Game of thrones” universe and yet make you feel bad about it.

And that’s it with this second episode of the fourth season. All in all it was a great episode and deserves more than one viewing. We finally get to see Joffrey die and to top it, we are left with a tone of questions? Who killed Joffrey? How? Will Tyrion get out of this one?

What do you think? Let me know!

A Song of Ice and Fire: Fantasy and History IV

George R. R. Martin doesn’t only take ideas from famous historical figures to shape his own characters. He also “steals” ideas from historical events to shape his plots. And because of this, today I will not be looking into any specific character and its historical influence. Instead, I am going to focus on the main historical events behind the shocking and bloody Red Wedding.

It goes without saying that THERE WILL BE SPOILERS for anyone who still hasn’t read “A Storm of Swords” (and there might be some spoiler for “A Dance with Dragons” too) or seen the third season. Read at your own risk.

The so-called Red Wedding is a shocking and horrifying event within the Game of Thrones universe. It’s the event that marks the end of Robb’s Rebellion; but instead of taking place on a battle (as we would expect) it happens during a wedding, shocking viewers and readers alike.

Robb Stark, the crowned King in the North, needs to win back the Lords of the Crossing after breaking his oath of marrying one of the Frey girl’s and marrying Jeyne Westerling (in the books) or Talisa Stark (in the TV show). And to do so, he offers his uncle; Lord Edmure Tully (the future Lord of Riverrun) to marry one of Walder Frey’s granddaughters. The pact is sealed and so, Robb marches north with his army to the Twins to attend to said wedding. All seems to be going great until the bride and groom are carried away from the main hall for their bedding. Then, a song starts to play. It’s “The Rains of Castamere”, the famous song that immortalizes the destruction of House Reyne by the Lannisters. And then the blood starts running. All the northern men that accompanied Robb are brutally killed. Robb is hit by arrows and stabbed by Roose Bolton whilst one of the Freys slits Catelyn’s throat. 

* And in the show they also kill Talisa and their unborn child. Which makes the event even more bloody.

So, where could have Martin got the idea for something as gruesome and gory as this. If it came only from his imagination, well, then he really is as psychopathic as we all feared. But the truth is that this event is heavily inspired by two gruesome events in Scottish history; the Black Dinner and the Massacre of Glencoe.

Let’s start by talking a bit about the Black Dinner. It is an infamous event in medieval Scottish history, and it took place in 1440. In the early fifteen century, the Douglas Clan became very powerful landlords in the Scottish Lowlands. Such was their power that they were seen as a threat to the stability of Scotland, especially by one of their rival clans; Clan Crichton. They thought that the Douglas’ Clan was just too strong and they were threatening to upset the  country’s delicate balance.

Before continuing, let me point out that the growing number of rival clans within medieval Scotland was the cause of the ever frail balance of power. Just as it happens in the North within the Game of Thrones universe. Martin states that is really difficult to unite all families of the North within a common cause and that there is always strife between them despite their similarities. This, in my opinion makes it obvious that the North is clearly inspired by medieval Scotland, the same way that King’s Landing is inspired by the old city old Constantinople.

But let’s go on with the issue at hand. In the year 1440, William, the chief of Clan Douglas was a man of only six-and-ten (only two years older than Robb Stark) and he had barely been involved in any serious politics. Nevertheless, for some, the Douglas’ Clan still represented a serious threat. Why? Because the Scottish king; James II was still a boy of ten years old, and was considered that someone as powerful as William Douglas could easily influence the King and take control of him and the council.

Because of this, Clan Crichton, with the help of Alexander Livingston of Callendar and other names lost to history,  made plans to break the power of Clan Douglas.

Sir William Crichton, castellan of Edinburgh Castle, invited William Douglas to a feast at the court of the young king. The Douglas’ Clan chief, presented himself to court accompanied by his younger brother, David and his advisor.

A banquet was held in  the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, and it is reported that the young king was charmed by the Douglas’ brothers. Once the feast was coming to an end, a black bull’s head was brought into the hall by the servants. For that was an ancient Scottish symbol of death. Without any more warning, the brothers were seized and dragged out of the castle, where they were given a mock trial and were sentenced for high treason. Both were quickly beheaded.

Little had they know when they had entered the Hall. Obviously the presence of the King had made them feel safe. And of course, the laws of hospitality. In medieval society, the tradition of hospitality was sacred, and therefore, any guest was under the protection of their hosts.

The resemblance here with the Red Wedding is quite obvious. Both victims were put at ease by the safety that the laws of hospitality guaranteed them (since they are also sacred in Westeros, and it is specifically told that any men that breaks it is forever accursed), and their deaths were signaled by something symbolic; the bull head’s and the “Rains of Castamere”.

The death of the Douglas’ brothers, extinguished the main male line of the Douglas Chiefs. Because of this, their lands and titles fell into the hands of James the Gross, lord of Avondale (William’s great-uncle). He sought no revenge for the murders, which might indicate that he had been a conspirator along with Crichton. 

Just like in Game of Thrones. The Red Wedding leaves the northern rebellion without a King, and the Starks without an heir, which helps Roose Bolton (who had conspired with the Freys) land the charge of Warden of the North.

The other major event in the history of Scotland that may be behind the conception of the Red Wedding is the Massacre of Glencoe. This is slightly different, for this time it’s the guests who kill the hosts, but still, there are similarities.

In 1688, William, Prince of Orange accepted the invitation to take the English throne. The Scottish Parlament wasn’t happy and requested the return of James VII of Scotland (named II of England) who had been exiled to France. The response of James II wasn’t the one they expected: he persuaded them to accept William as their King. Disregarding it, John Graham led a force of Scottish Highlanders in a Jacobite Uprising to bring back James II, which failed.

On August 1691, King William offered all Highland clans a pardon for their part in the Jacobite Uprising. But they had to take an oath of allegiance before the 1st of January 1692 in front of a magistrate. The clans asked permission to James II to take the oath. The King’s answer, who was in France, came back in mid-December, a few weeks before the deadline. This, and the bad weather, caused Alisdair Maclain, 12th Chief of Glencoe to arrive late to taking the oath. But, as it was due to the weather, Sir Colin Campbell, sheriff of Argyll was forced to accept the oath as valid. But the failure to meet the deadline was enough of a pretense for the Campbell Clan to pursue their revenge against the perceived slights of the Maclain Clan.

And so, in the late January of 1692, they sent two companies of the Earl of Argyll under the command of Capitain Robert Campbell to Glencoe to quarter their troops. For two weeks, the soldiers were hosted by Alexander MacDonald (who was the son of Alisdair Maclain), Alisdair Maclain, and other members of the Clan.

On the morning of February 13, 1692, Capitan Campbell and his men were ordered to massacre the families who had sheltered them. And so, the bloodshed began. Alisdair Maclain was killed in his bed by Campbell’s soldiers. His sons and wife escaped, but 38 men of the clan were murdered in their homes or as they tried to flee.

And so, we can see the similarity between the Campbell Clan and the Freys, both of whom are capable of committing atrocious crimes to avenge what they perceive as slights to themselves.

But probably the biggest similarity between the two bloody events is the aftermath. In the case of the Massacre of Glencoe; it is actually remembered to this day, and all Glencoe inns and pubs bear signs that read: NO CAMPBELLS ALLOWED. This may only be for the tourist’s sake. But for hundreds of years, sings like that actually existed in Glencoe and weren’t for the tourists.

And perhaps, that is from where Martin took the Northmen’s motto: “The North Remembers”. Because after the Young Wolf’s murder, his Bannermen did surrender to King Joffrey, but they did not forget the Freys. Such is proven right in the chapter of “A Dance with Dragons” where Ser Davos sails to White Harbor to bring Lord Manderly to King Stannis’ side.

Lord Manderly tells Davos about the Red Wedding and complains about the Freys that he is forced to feast: “My son Wendel came to the the Twins a guest. He ate Lord Walder's bread and salt, and hung his sword upon the wall to feast with friends. And they murdered him. Murdered, I say, and may the Freys choke upon their fables. I drink with Jared, jape with Symond, promise Rhaegar the hand of my own beloved granddaughter ... but never think that means I have forgotten. The north remembers, Lord Davos. The north remembers, and the mummer’s farce is almost done. My son is home.” And true to his words, he has all the Freys that accompanied his son to White Harbor killed on the way to Winterfell to attend the Lord Ramsay’s Wedding.

And so, perhaps the North will remember just as Glencoe, after 300 years, still remembers.

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!!!