Winning the Game of Thrones: The Host of Characters and their Agendas (33 page)

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Authors: Valerie Frankel

Tags: #criticism, #game of thrones, #fantasy, #martin, #got, #epic, #GRRM

BOOK: Winning the Game of Thrones: The Host of Characters and their Agendas
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[29]
“Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Aug 15 2001.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90

[30]
Gevers, “Sunsets of High Renown.”

[31]
“Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Aug 15 2001.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90

[32]
“A Very Long Interview with George R.R. Martin.”

[33]
Roberts, “Game of Thrones’ Exclusive!”

[34]
“Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Aug 15 2001.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90

[35]
Hibberd, “EW interview.”

[36]
Rob Owen, “‘Game of Thrones’ has a ‘Lord of the Rings’ Connection,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,
April 17, 2011.
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/tv-radio/game-of-thrones-has-a-lord-of-the-rings-connection-293758
.

[37]
Jim Vejvoda, “Who'd Win? Lord of the Rings vs. Game of Thrones,”
IGN.
Nov 12 2012. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/13/whod-win-lord-of-the-rings-vs-game-of-thrones.

[38]
Antonsson and Garcia, “The Palace of Love, The Palace of Sorrow,” Kindle Locations 330-333.

[39]
Nick Gevers, “Sunsets of High Renown.”

[40]
“A Very Long Interview with George R.R. Martin,”
Oh No They Didn’t.com
, Oct 10 2012.
http://ohnotheydidnt.livejournal.com/72570529.html
.

[41]
Robert Frost, “Fire and Ice,” PoemHunter.com,
2003.
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/fire-and-ice.

[42]
George R.R. Martin, “Slide Show” in
A Song for Lya and Other Stories
(USA: Babbage Press, 2001),
150.

[43]
Jones, “Of Direwolves and Gods,” Kindle Location
1740-1741.

[44]
“George R.R. Martin Interview,” The World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention.

[45]
Rowena and Rupert Shepherd,
1000 Symbols
(New York: The Ivy Press, 2002), 230.

[46]
Padraic Colum,
The Children of Odin
(New York: Macmillan, 1920), 265. The Sacred Texts Archive. http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/ice/coo/coo36.htm

[47]
Sabine Heinz,
Celtic Symbols
(USA: Sterling Publishing Company, 2008), 71.

[48]
Ibid., 129.

[49]
Thomas Wentworth Higginson
Tales of the Enchanted Islands of the Atlantic
(New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1898), 33-36. The Sacred Texts Archive. http://www.sacred-texts.com/earth/teia.

[50]
Shepherd,
1000 Symbols
182.

[51]
David Benihoff, George R.R. Martin, and D.B. Weiss, “Features: The Night’s Watch,”
Game of Thrones Season One
(Burbank, CA: HBO, 2012), DVD.

[52]
Ibid.

[53]
Ibid.

[54]
Ibid.

[55]
“Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Aug 15 2001.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90

[56]
Joseph L. Henderson. “Ancient Myths and Modern Man,” in
Man and His Symbols
, ed. Carl G. Jung (New York: Doubleday, 1964), 118.

[57]
Aniela Jaffé. “Symbolism in the Visual Arts,” in
Man and His Symbols
, ed. Carl G. Jung (New York: Doubleday, 1964), 267.

[58]
Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers,
The Power of Myth
(New York: Doubleday, 1988), 123.

[59]
Joan Gould,
Spinning Straw into Gold
(New York: Random House, 2005), 108.

[60]
Jones, “Of Direwolves and Gods,” Kindle Location 1729.

[61]
Ibid., 98.

[62]
The Voyage of Bran Son of Febal to the Land of the Living
, trans. Kuno Meyer (London: David Nutt, 1895). The Sacred Texts Archive.
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/vob/vob02.htm

[63]
Barbara G. Walker,
The Woman’s Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects
(San Francisco: Harper, 1988), 2.

[64]
Valerie Estelle Frankel,
From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey in Myth and Legend
(Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2010), 42.

[65]
Gould,
Spinning Straw into Gold
, 41.

[66]
Silvia Brinton Perera,
Descent to the Goddess
(Toronto: Inner City Books, 1981), 42.

[67]
Frankel,
From Girl to Goddess,
22.

[68]
Scott Meslow, “
Game of Thrones
 
Finale: The Powerful Women of Westeros,”
 
The Atlantic,
June 20, 2011.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/06/game-of-thrones-finale-the-powerful-women-of-westeros/240686.

[69]
“Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Aug 15 2001.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P90

[70]
Meslow, “
Game of Thrones
 
Finale: The Powerful Women of Westeros.”

[71]
Ibid.

[72]
Shepherd,
1000 Symbols
230.

[73]
Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, Mar 26 2002.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P60

[74]
Clarissa Pinkola Estés,
Women Who Run with the Wolves
(New York: Ballantine, 1992), 4.

[75]
Heinz,
Celtic Symbols
131.

[76]
Ibid., 137.

[77]
Ibid., 75.

[78]
Correspondence with Fans,” The Citadel: So Spake Martin, June 3 2000.
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/P180.

[79]
Rachel Brown, “George R.R. Martin on Sex, Fantasy, and ‘A Dance With Dragons’”
The Atlantic,
Jul 11 2011, http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/george-rr-martin-on-sex-fantasy-and-a-dance-with-dragons/241738.

[80]
Roberts “‘Game of Thrones’ Exclusive!”

[81]
Gevers, “Sunsets of High Renown.”

 

AFTERWARD

With thanks to the many people who insisted I read this, I watch this, and I discuss this at parties and game nights. This includes my cousin David Kanter for giving me the first book well over a decade ago, my dad for flipping on an early episode when I came over and offering his hours and hours of comments on the shows, Matt Gottlieb for hosting the game nights and indulging my recent obsession with the series, Yonatan Bryant for introducing me to the
Game of Thrones
card game and having a conversation in Hodor-speak, and Ben Leitner for debating the series and offering opinions on my opinions as always. Without all of you, the book wouldn’t be here.

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of many nonfiction books:

v
 
Buffy and the Heroine’s Journey
v
 
From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey in Myth and Legend
v
 
Katniss the Cattail: An Unauthorized Guide to Names and Symbols in The Hunger Games
v
 
The Many Faces of Katniss Everdeen
v
 
Harry Potter, Still Recruiting: An Inner Look at Harry Potter Fandom
v
 
Teaching with Harry Potter
v
 
Myths and Motifs in The Mortal Instruments
v
 
Winter is Coming: Symbols, Portents, and Hidden Meanings in A Game of Thrones

Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she’s a frequent speaker on fantasy, myth, pop culture, and the heroine’s journey and can be found at http://vefrankel.com.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

THE CHRONICLE OF THE TARGARYENS

The Loss of Valyria

Aegon the Conqueror

Targaryen History

Dunk and Egg

Rhaegar and the Trident

The Saga Begins

YOU WIN OR YOU DIE: AGENDAS ON GAME OF THRONES

Petyr Baelish’s Obsession

What’s Ned Hiding – Who’s Jon Snow’s Mother?

What Is the Night Watch’s True Mission?

Why Did Benjen Join the Watch?

What’s Sansa’s Deal?

Why Is Brienne so Loyal to Renly?

What Does Craster Do with the Sons?

Who or What is Jaqen H’ghar?

Why Didn’t Arya Kill Someone Important?

Why Was the Freys’ Bridge so Essential?

Who Killed Jon Arryn and Attacked Bran?

What Does Melisandre Want?

What Happened to Winterfell?

Why is Tywin so Useless?

How Does Guest-Right Work?

Where Did Daenerys’s Eggs Come From?

Illyrio Mopatis and Varys the Spider

OTHER FAN QUESTIONS

Where Can I Find More Books like Martin’s?

What Are the Major Book and Show Differences?

How Aged-up Are the Stark Children?

How Feminist is Game of Thrones, Really?

REFERENCES AND HOMAGES

History

Medieval Europe

The War of the Roses

The Lord of the Rings

Other Fantasy Series

Classics

Television, Comics, Football, and More

Martin’s Other Works

Mythology and Religion

Bible

King Arthur

Greek Myth

Norse Myth

Celtic/Irish Myth

HERO’S JOURNEY, HEROINE’S JOURNEY

Jon’s Hero Journey

Bran, the Last Hero

The Heroine’s Journey

THE GREAT HOUSES OF WESTEROS

House Stark

House Stark Retainers

House Tully

House Baratheon

House Lannister

House Greyjoy

House Tyrell

House Martell

House Arryn

Noble Houses

House Tarth

House Frey

House Florent

House Karstark

House Bolton

House Tarly

House Clegane

House Mormont

King’s Landing

The Kingsguard

Brotherhood without Banners

North of the Wall

House Targaryen in Exile

Independent Characters

Places of the World

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE BIBLIOGRAPHY

A Song of Ice and Fire Novels

A Song of Ice and Fire Short Stories

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