Harry Strickland

Transcription

At the start of a Song of Ice and Fire we learn the unpleasant truth about King Robert Baratheon’s ascension to the Iron throne and the Lannister alliance, which secured the victory over King’s Landing and gave Robert his crown. In particular we discover that after the sack of King’s Landing, Tywin Lannister, as a token of his fealty presented the newly crowned King Robert Baratheon with two corpses wrapped in crimson cloaks… We are told that these were the bodies of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell’s children. As the gates of King’s Landing opened for Tywin Lannister and his bannermen and as he proceeded to lay waste to King’s Landing, Ser Greogr Clegane, also known as the Mountain who rides, on the orders of Tywin, did his best to ensure that no Targaryen heirs would remain to reclaim the iron throne. Of course, Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister would never truly be satisfied in their bloodlust for Targaryen heirs because both Viserys and Danerys Targaryen, King Aerys’ other two children, would manage to escape their clutches. But the point remains, we are led to believe that apart from Viserys and Danerys, no other Targaryen heirs remain…well apart from Aemon Targaryen and Blood Raven, but that’s besides the point. The direct claimants to the Targarygen dynasty who have a feasible claim, i.e. are not sworn to the Night’s Watch or presumed to be dead are King Aerys’ two surviving children Viserys and Danerys, but then Viserys goes and get himself a golden crown, which then leaves only Dany. Or so we are led to believe up until book five in a Song of Ice and Fire, a Dance with Dragons…in which a new character is introduced, one who goes by the name of Young Griff. At first, we solely view Young Griff through the eyes of Tyrion Lannister during his sojourn on the Shy Maid. Tyrion describes him as a lithe and well-made youth, with a lanky build and a shock of dark blue hair, noting him to be terribly handsome with his dark blue eyes that are black by lamplight and in the light of dusk, purple. Tyrion also goes on to note Young Griff’s intelligence and capabilities at arms, acknowledging that his skills are beyond that of any high lord of Westeros, very impressive indeed, for a boy who claims to be just the son of sellsword. And, speaking of sellswords, we hear the first whispers of Griff, Young Griff’s father, back at the manse of Illyrio Mopatis. Illyrio confides in Tyrion that there is a way for him to return to Westeros without losing his head in the process. That there is a savior that could undo all the convictions against him…he ambiguously refers to this savior as a dragon with three heads. It is later implied that Illyrio is referring to Danerys Targaryen and her three dragons. Tyrion is to meet Danerys in Volantis via the river Rhoyne on which he is to travel on the Shy Maid, accompanied by a man named Griff. According to Illyrio, Tyrion and Griff are to wait patiently until Danerys arrives, and from Volantis carry her across the sea to Westeros. But as Tyrion becomes better acquainted with the inhabitants of the Shy maid, he begins to put the pieces together, revealing their true purpose. In truth, why else would a septa, sellsword, halfmaester, and hedge knight be accompanying a young boy on a pole boat, simultaneously tutoring and protecting him, before their imminent meeting with Danerys Targaryen? The answer at first is not obvious, but Tyrion being the clever little dwarf that he is manages to uncover the truth, that Young Griff is no sellsword’s son but Prince Rhaegar and Elia Martell’s son, Aegon Targaryen, and Griff, the man who claims to be his father, is in fact Jon Connington, the exiled Lord of Griffin’s Roost and a dear friend of Prince Rhaegar. It is later explained by Aegon himself that the corpse laid before the Iron throne was that of some tanner’s son from Pisswater Bend whose father sold him to Lord Varys for a jug of Arbor gold, after his mother died birthing him. Varys then gave the Pisswater boy to Princess Elia Martell and smuggled the infant Aegon Targaryen across the narrow sea to his dear friend Illyrio Mopatis, who in turn hid him on Ysilla and Yandry’s poleboat, and arranged for the exiled Lord Jon Connington to pose as his father. Appearance wise, the older Prince Aegon does look like a Targaryen well enough, taking after his father, Rhaegar with his silvery hair and purple eyes. However, Aegon’s words and his appearance do not necessarily prove him to be the true heir, considering that a large majority of the population of Volantis and Lys has silver hair and purple eyes. So, a boy of a similar appearance could easily be found and passed of as a Targaryen, and it is made much easier considering that the memory of the infant Aegon is very fleeting for the majority of Westeros. So, essentially appearance wise there seems to be no absolute way of determining if Young Griff is indeed Aegon Taragyen. Logistics wise, it does seem unlikely that infant Aegon would have escaped Robert Baratheon and the bloodthirsty Lannisters during the sack of King’s Landing. But, in times of war and chaos, as our friend Littlefinger (insert chaos is a ladder video here) likes to remind us, nothing is certain and everything is opportune… Indeed, others have escaped the wrath of Kings before, Queen Rhaella with her children Viserys and Danerys, Tyrion Lannister, Sansa and Arya Stark, and even Gendry. So it’s not completely impossible that the infant Aegon was replaced with another baby and thus the corpse that lay before Robert Baratheon was that of another child, but that would also mean that Princess Elia Martell mistook her son for another, which seems unlikely, I mean what mother wouldn’t recognize her own child? That is, unless she was in on the swap as well… because, infant Aegon couldn’t have necessarily waltzed out of King’s Landing himself, he would have needed the aid of others. It would have also helped for there to be some hindsight that such an event would take place… Which once again leads us to Lord Varys, the master of whispers at King’s Landing. According to Aegon, it is Varys who arranged the swap, so it’s possible that Varys had knowledge of Tywin’s plans to betray King Aerys and was aware that the lives of the Targaryen heirs would be in danger, which would explain why he warned King Aerys to not open the gates to the Lannister forces. Interestingly however, from what we know of Tyrion’s short stay at Illyrio’s manse, Tyrion was provided with a large chest of fine clothes made for a young boy, and when Tyrion, Haldon, and Duck depart for the Shy Maid, Illyrio supplies them with several large chests, one of which is a chest of boy’s clothes, which Tyrion makes use of whilst on the Shy Maid. And, on both occasions Tyrion notes that the clothes are fine but musty, with moths having got at them, implying that they were not newly purchased for Tyrion, that they had been at Illyrio’s manse for quite some time. This leads to the possible theory that in the period of time between the sack of King’s Landing and Jon Connington and Aegon’s meeting, Aegon must have spent a considerable amount of time at Illyrio Mopatis’ manse in Pentos. Aegon was likely sent away after this time to not only prepare for his role as the future king of Westeros, but to also prevent him from meeting Viserys and Danerys, who after the death of Ser William Darry, come to stay at Illyrio’s manse. And, this is where Varys and Illyrio’s supposed plan gets confusing, if Varys and Illyrio wanted to place Aegon on the Iron Throne, why were they simultaneously supporting Viserys’ claim? There are two plausible reasons for their duplicity, the first being the more practical reason; Varys and Illyrio are well experienced when it comes to the cutthroat world of the game of thrones. And, considering the number of years they have both spent orchestrating this plan, it would be very uncharacteristic of them if they did not have a back up plan. So, it is likely that Viserys and Danerys were only pieces being used by Illyrio and Varys, to utilize and dispose of depending on how their plan was to unfold. If by chance something were to happen to Aegon or if their plan ultimately failed, they would have had two more potential claimants to the Iron throne in the form of Viserys and Danerys. If however, the plan supporting Aegon were to succeed, Viserys would have been expected to bend the knee to Aegon. However, despite their precautions, when it comes to Viserys and Danerys their plan does go slightly pear shaped. For instance, Viserys proves to be extremely difficult to manipulate, refusing Varys and Illyrio’s suggestions of him remaining behind at Illyrio’s manse, while Danerys travels to Dosh Kahleen with the Dothraki army, eventually managing to piss off the Dothraki to point where they reward him with a golden crown. And, in terms of Danerys, it probably never occurred to Varys and Illyrio that after her brother’s death she would not only go on to make her own claim, but also hatch three dragons (!?!#*@*!). The other plausible reason for Varys and Illyrio’s duplicity is that Viserys and Danerys were never considered as potential claimants to the Iron throne. Instead, their only purpose may have been to gain support from Targaryen loyalists, which would bolster Aegon’s claim, considering that Viserys and Danerys are acknowledged by the people of Westeros to still be alive, whereas Aegon’s survival is unheard of, and also to afford Illyrio and Varys the time needed to form a considerable army in the form of Khal Drogo’s Khalasar. While under the security of Jon Connington and company, Aegon would be prepared for his future role. And, when the moment would be most opportune for Aegon to stake his claim, Viserys would arrive with his dothraki army and give support to Aegon’s claim. And, the reasoning behind not having Viserys and Danerys as spares for Aegon is most likely because Aegon himself rather than House Targaryen, is particularly meaningful to both Varys and Illyrio, and so in their eyes there can be no alternative to him. Quite the worthy enterprise you would think, but Varys and Illyrio’s interest in such a venture does give rise to suspicion… As Tyrion himself puts it, why would a magister of Pentos be so interested in who wears the crown in Westeros? Illyrio reasons however, give rise to even more suspicion, Viserys promised Ilyrio that he would be granted a lordship and named master of coin once he came into his throne. But, Illyrio himself likes to stress that not everything he does is for gain, and that ultimately his actions are to help his dear friends. The friend he speaks of apart from Danerys Taragaryen, is Lord Varys. Illyrio first came across Varys when he was a young boy in Pentos, They were both penniless, Illyrio scraping by as a bravo and sellsword and Varys as a thief. Eventually Illyrio grew so respectable that a cousin of the Prince of Pentos let him wed his daughter, whilst whispers of Varys’ talents crossed the narrow sea, to the paranoid King Aerys. However, closer scrutiny does bring forth a very plausible theory for Varys and Illyrio’s true motives for being involved in this venture… A major clue comes in the form of the Golden Company, widely considered to be the finest of the free companies, and founded a century ago by Aegor Rivers aka Bittersteel, a bastard son of King Aegon IV Targaryen aka Aegon the Unworthy. Despite the known unreliability of sellswords, the Golden Company is reputed to have never broken a contract, until now that is. Because you see before the company began its march towards Volantis to await the coming of Danerys Targaryen it was under contract with the Free City of Myr. Tyrion always the clever dwarf notices this discrepancy but Illyrio assures him that contracts can be broken, and more importantly he states that some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood. This is a very interesting statement Ilyrio makes. The Golden Company has maintained its shining reputation thus far on the basis of not only the skill and competence of its men but on its words, “Our word is good as gold.” So, it seems unlikely that such a reputable company would tarnish its reputation on whim to support Danerys, dragons or not. Which, is why Illyrio’s statement ‘some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood,’ deserves greater scrutiny. Lets start with King Aegon the Unworthy, he had several mistresses and even more bastards. Which, is fine and everything…“It’s Good to be King” and all that. But, on his deathbed Aegon made the terrible judgement of legitimizing all of his bastards, that’s right, all of them, making things quite difficult in terms of the line of succession. Two of these bastards, Daemon I Blackfyre and Aegor Rivers aka Bittersteel, revolted against King Aegon’s trueborn son, King Daeron II Targaryen. The rebellion was a failure and Daemon and two of his sons died in the final battle. And, every knight and lord that had pledged fealty to Daemon lost his titles and lands and was forced into exile, this included Daemon’s remaining five sons and Bittersteel. But as the exiled lords and knights fled Westeros, signing on with various sellsword companies, Bittersteel decided to form his own company to bind together the strength of the remaining Blackfyre line and its loyalists, and thus the Golden Company was formed. The company would attack at least four more times until Maelys, the last of the male line of House Blackfyre, was killed upon the Stepstones. So, now that we are a little more acquainted with the Golden Company’s history, the implications of the statement ‘some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood,’ are much more obvious. The Golden Company was formed to bring together the strength of House Blackfyre and its supporters, and its ultimate objective was to place a descendent of House Blackfyre on the Iron throne. Until now that is, because as mentioned by Illyrio, the Company has broken its contract with Myr and is marching towards Volantis…to await the arrival of Danerys…who happens to be a Targaryen…the very House that the Golden Company has rebelled against for generations. When Tyrion points out this discrepancy, Illyrio replies ‘Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon.’ Illyrio is of course referring to the heraldic colors of Houses Targaryen and Blackfyre. The Targaryen standard consists of a red dragon on a black field, whereas the Blackfyre standard is the reverse, a black dragon on red. Illyrio further assures Tyrion the male line of House Blackfyre ended with Maelys upon the Stepstones, and so by supporting Dany, the Golden Company could not hope to gain the Iron throne for House Blackfyre but it would instead give them something Bittersteel and House Blackfyre never could, a chance to finally go home. Once again however, Illyrio’s comments deserve closer inspection… To begin with, Illyrio’s dismissiveness regarding the Golden Company’s loyalty to the Blackfyre claim is slightly credulous, true he may have a point with the male line being extinct, and the incentive for the company men to finally go home to the lands their forefathers once owned, but he seems to wave off the fact that this is a company of men whose forefathers fought for their lives and honour against the Targaryens, who lost their titles, lands, and their homes in their loyalty to House Blackfyre… And secondly, although Illyrio states that the male line of House Blackfyre is extinct, he makes no mention of the female line. Instead he goes on speak of his second wife, her name was Serra and he found her in a Lysene pillow house only to wed her in the end. Serra later died of the grey death much to Illyrio’s sadness. And, this is where Tyrion’s scepticism comes into play again. Tyrion strongly believes that there is something in the venture worth more than coin, castles, or loyalty for Illyrio. In truth, all of Ilyrio’s carefully worded statements, the Golden Company’s contract writ in blood, dragons black or red, the extinction of the male line of House Blackfyre, and his Lysene wife, point towards a very plausible theory. That Aegon Targaryen is not the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell but is actually a Blackfyre pretender and the son of Illyrio Mopatis himself. In particular, Illyrio’s specificity in his statements leads us to this theory. For instance, he specifically states that the male line of House Blackfyre is extinct, and thus leading to the possibility that House Blackfyre is not completely extinct, that descendants of the female line still exist. And from what we know, apart from his seven sons, Daemon Blackfyre also reputedly had three daughters, and although there is no knowledge or mention of two of these daughters, apart from their actual existence, there is a mention of a third daughter, Calla. Specifically that prior to the first Blackfyre rebellion, Daemon agreed to marry Calla to Aegor Rivers, the man who later founded the Golden Company and come to be known as Bittersteel. But, this is where it gets pretty murky, because we don’t know much else about Bittersteel and Calla or in particular what happened to her after Bittersteel died, and we also don’t know whether they produced any issue. But if Bittersteel and Calla did have children, Illyrio’s wife Serra would fit the description, considering she has notable Valeryian features, such as her silvery blond hair, and Bittersteel himself was known for having distinctive purple eyes, which would explain Aegon’s silver blond hair and purple eyes. Therefore, it could be argued that Aegon is Ilyrio and Serra’s son, which is why Illyrio makes the statement, ‘writ in blood,’ Aegon would not only have the blood of a Blackfyre through the female line, with his grandmother Calla, but also that of Bittersteel, the founder of the Golden Company, making him the strongest possible Blackfyre claim once the male line has been extinguished. And, this is most likely why Illyrio and Varys were able to make a secret pact, a ‘contract writ in blood,’ with the previous commander of the Golden Company, Myles Toyne aka Blackheart, a member of House Toyne, and a descendent of Terrence Toyne. Terrence Toyne was executed for bedding one of Aegon the Unworthy’s mistresses, and when his brothers tried to avenge him, they were both executed as well, leading to the downfall of House Toyne. This should be sufficient knowledge to assume that Blackheart would be the least likely to support a Targaryen king, especially considering he also fought with Maelys on the Stepstones, and thus most likely still harboured great resentment towards House Targaryen, and so Illyrio’s flippancy regarding the old rivalry between House Targaryen and Blackfyre, is most likely a guise to convince Tyrion and to keep Aegon’s identity hidden. It also pays to note that the pact was made with Myles Toyne, rather than the current commander, Homeless Harry Strickland, and so Myles most likely knew the truth, that Aegon was a Blackfyre pretender, and it also explains why Jon Connington himself was not privy to this conversation. From Jon Connington’s pov chapters, we know he believes Aegon to be Rhaegar Targaryen’s son…so to keep Jon Connington committed to Aegon’s claim, considering he was a strong Targaryen loyalist, and above all Rhaegar’s friend, it is likely that Illyrio, Varys, and Myles Toyne agreed to keep Aegon’s true identity from him. And of course in order for Varys and Illyrio to succeed in joining Myles Toyne to their cause, they must have had some incentive apart from gold and their word, which brings to mind that earlier drafts of a Dance with Dragons revealed that George R.R. Martin made several cuts to the draft of Tyrion’s pov chapter in which, Illyrio and Tyrion part ways. In particular, when Illyrio suggests accompanying Tyrion, Haldon, and Duck to Gohyan Droye before they head downriver, on the account that he wants to give Young Griff his blessings and has a gift for him in the chests. Haldon refuses him because they are short on time, but Illyrio becomes angered and argues there are things Griff must know. Haldon then eyes Tyrion and speaks in another language. Tyrion cannot tell what it is but thinks it might be Volantene. He catches a few words that come close to High Valyrian. The words he catches are, queen, dragon, and sword. This information has great significance. The fact that George decided to cut out this particular passage hints towards him not wanting to reveal too much information. What stands out in particular, is Illyrio wanting to speak with Aegon in private and the mentioning of a sword. The sword, which Illyrio may be referring to in particular could be Blackfyre, the Targaryen sword of kings, and the very blade used by Aegon the Conqueror himself. It could even be argued that it is Blackfyre itself, that most aptly symbolizes the House Blackfyre claim, as it was the very sword that was bestowed upon Daemon I Blackfyre by his father Aegon the Unworthy, and from which Daemon took his name. The possibility that Illyrio was referring to this sword, and even possibly wanting to give the sword to Young Griff, is very meaningful, it pretty much confirms that Aegon is in fact a Blackfyre pretender. It is also highly likely that it was the presentation of this very sword, which gained Varys and Illyrio the support of Myles Toyne and therefore the support of the Golden Company. And, this is where Varys comes into play as well, Varys’ involvement in this entire venture, as Tyrion guessed with Illyrio, has to be so much more than just coin and castles. In truth, Varys could have Blackfyre blood as well and could actually be Serra’s brother, which would make Illyrio and Varys’ close friendship much more meaningful and believable. It would also then make sense why Varys shaves his head, so that he can hide his Valyrian hair, as well as why he was castrated as a boy. We know from Melisandre’s practices that sorcerers prefer to use royal blood in their rituals, as there is power in king’s blood, and if Varys is indeed a Blackfyre he would have royal blood. Furthermore, Illyrio states ‘dear friends and debts of affection to pay’ for the reasons he is helping Danerys Targaryen, but the dear friend he is referring to here is most likely Varys rather than Danerys, considering he only knew Danerys for a few years before he sold her to a Dothraki Khal and Illyrio himself states that before he met Varys he was a penniless bravo and it was only through Varys’ skills and intelligence that he rose to the position of magistar and became one of the most powerful and wealthy men in Pentos. And, thus the debt of affection he is referring to could be the one he owes his late wife and her brother-who also happens to be his childhood friend, to help them place his son a Blackfyre descendent through his late wife and her brother, on the Iron throne. Further evidence for Aegon being Illyrio’s son comes from Illyrio’s treatment of Aegon. Illyrio always speaks fondly and tenderly of Aegon, a fondness he never showed Viserys or Danerys for that matter. And, when Illyrio and Tyrion finally part ways, Tyrion notes that oddly Illyrio is deeply saddened he cannot join them and meet Aegon one last time, implying once again that Illyrio’s relationship with Aegon must be much more meaningful than that of guardian and ward… Apart from all this, throughout the series, leading up to Aegon’s appearance in a Dance of Dragons, there is a great amount of foreshadowing, not to mention visions and prophecies, which all seems to allude to Aegon being a false Targaryen. In particular, there is a passage in a Feast for Crows, in which Aegon’s appearance in a Dance of Dragons as well as his true identity is possibly foreshadowed. The passage in particular is the one in which Brienne, Podrick, Ser Hyle Hunt, and Septon Meribald stop at the inn at the crossroads. Septon Meribald explains to them that the inn once had a different name, the Clanking Dragon, which came from a three-headed dragon of black iron, that used to hang from a wooden post in the yard, clanking and clattering when the wind would blow. The sign was eventually cut down however, when Daemon Blackfyre, whose sigil was that of a black dragon on red, rose up in rebellion against his trueborn brother, Daeron Targaryen. The lands upon which the inn stands used to belong to Lord Darry, a fierce Targaryen loyalist, and so he hacked the sign to pieces and cast them into the river. One of the dragon’s heads washed up on the Quiet Isle many years later, though by that time it was red with rust. And, because at this point we already know that the Targaryen sigil consists of a red dragon on black, whereas the Blackfyre sigil consists of a black dragon on red, the sign itself could symbolize House Blackfyre. Further evidence comes from the lines “he hacked the black dragon to pieces, and cast them into the river” which again heavily alludes to House Blackfyre, because as mentioned earlier, after the failure of the first Blackfyre rebellion, the remaining Blackfyre line and its supporters were exiled, fleeing across the narrow sea and spreading across the continent of Essos. So, this passage could very likely be foreshadowing the reappearance of a Blackfyre heir. And, the final lines of the passage give further support to this theory, “One of the dragon’s heads washed up on the Quiet Isle many years later, though by that time it was red with rust.” The dragon’s head, which this line may alluding to is Aegon, who returns to Westeros across the narrow sea, and although he may truly be a Blackfyre, and thus a black dragon, he returns as a Targaryen pretender, a red dragon. And then there is Danerys’ vision in the House of the Undying, in which a cloth dragon sways on poles amidst a cheering crowd. As Dany later states, this is a mummer’s dragon, a cloth dragon used by mummers in their performances. This image could actually be alluding to Varys, as it is speculated that Varys was behind a popular puppet show performed in King’s Landing, the show portrayed the kingdom of beasts, ruled by a pride of lions that grew overly arrogant and began to devour their own subjects, and when the noble stag objected, they devoured him as well, stating that it was their right as the Kings of beasts, however at the show’s end, a dragon is hatched and in turn devours all the lions. The possibility that this show was arranged by Varys, certainly gives an insight into his motives, Varys has often said that what he does, is for the good of the realm, and perhaps being aware of the Lannister’s treachery, cruelty, and arrogance he sees it as his duty to place a more worthy king on the iron throne, this being either a Targaryen or a Blackfyre. And, lastly in Quaithe’s prophecy, Dany is warned of a lion, griffin, and a mummer’s dragon, and urged to trust neither of them. “No. Hear me, Daenerys Targaryen. The glass candles are burning. Soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun’s son and the mummer’s dragon. Trust none of them...” The lion and griffin is surely referring to Tyrion Lannister and Jon Connington, as their House sigils are a lion and griffin, respectively. In regards to the mummer’s dragon, the mummer could be referring to Varys, as it is known, that as a young boy, he travelled and performed with a troupe of mummers, and his dragon could be none other than Aegon himself, as Varys’ is one of the central supporters of Aegon’s claim. And, so an interpretation of the mummer’s dragon could be that it represents a false Targaryen propped up by Varys. And, because Quaithe also warns Danerys of Tyrion and Jon Connington, it gives further evidence to the theory that the entire venture to place Aegon on the iron throne must in someway be false, considering that Dany is prophesied to be the slayer of lies. So, to sum up this video, although it could be possible that Prince Aegon is a true Targaryen and the son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Princess Elia Martell, at this point in the Song of Ice and Fire series, we do not have any concrete proof of his claim, only his word and that of his supporters. However, as discussed in this video, there do remain three other possibilities for Aegon’s true identity. These being that, Aegon is a descendent of the female line of House Blackfyre, or more specifically that he is the son of Illyrio Mopatis and his second wife Serra, a descendant of House Blackfyre and the sister of Lord Varys, or lastly, that he is just some random boy with Valeryian features. And, because we have yet to receive pov chapters from Illyrio and Varys, we have to make do with these possible theories until Winds of Winter is released and we learn the truth about Aegon’s identity, my bets are on him being a Blackfyre pretender though. So that’s it for Aegon for now, but if you are interested in learning more about the various characters in ASOIAF, check out my previous video on Littlefinger…And if you enjoyed watching this video, don’t forget to like and subscribe. Thanks for watching guys!