As any
A Song of Ice and Fire fan would know, George R. R. Martin just loves to keep his readers guessing with prophecies. Some of the prophecies are clearly identified as such and others are not so clear as to whether or not they are actually prophecies. It is uncertain whether Mirri Maz Duur intentionally prophesied, unintentionally prophesied or the words she said had no bearing on the future at all. Many people believe the latter, that these words were not prophecy, but a mere curse. However, I must question why this non-prophecy is repeated so often in the books, why all the conditions of this non-prophecy are somehow being met through symbolism in the latest book, and why other dead characters did not get a sad little poem as they died. Why is Khal Drogo's death so special? I must question.
"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," said Mirri Maz Duur, "When the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before."
(Page 734, A Game of Thrones)
These words are repeated by Dany as she is about to smother Drogo's unresponsive body.
"When the sun rise in the west and sets in the east," she said sadly, "When the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When my womb quickens again, and I bear a living child. The you will return, my sun-and-stars, and not before."
Never, the darkness cried, never never never.
(Page 736, A Game of Thrones)
These words are remembered by Dany as she is alone and stranded in the Dothraki sea.
Bells, Dany thought, smiling, remembering Khal Drogo, her sun-and-stars, and the bells her braided into his hair. When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east, when the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves, when my womb quickens again and I bear a living child, Khal Drogo will return to me.
But none of those things had happened.
(Page 941, A Dance With Dragons)
These words are not mentioned in
A Clash of Kings or
A Storm of Swords, but repeated three times in
A Dance With Dragons. It is also worth noting that Dany says the words to the vision of Khal Drogo in the House of the Undying scene on the season 2 finale of
Game of Thrones. With all this repetition, do you think that Martin is just trying make his books longer? It is so much simpler just to say "never". I would say that Martin has a purpose for repetition. It is to get the idea in our heads so that when the prophecy is fulfilled, we will remember the words and be astonished as the curse turned out to be an unexpected prophecy and that it did not unfold in ways that we first thought it would.
I agree it was probably a curse that turned out to be an unexpected prophecy that probably ties in to other prophecies. I understand that Mirri Maaz Durr knew what she was doing with the blood ritual and people probably told her what would have to happen in order to reverse the affects etc..
ReplyDelete"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," - prince Oberyn Martell arrives from Westeros and clases in Mereen by Dragonfire
ReplyDelete"When the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves."- Danaerys wanders the Dothraki sea dried up in autumn changed grass, while the Mereen Pyramids are blown in the wind like leaves by Raeghal and Viserion.
"When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child." - Daenyres bleeds again (in the Dothraki sea)
"Then he will return, and not before."
The prophecy may not explicitly mean Drogo himself. Drogon, the largest of Daenerys' dragons had returned at the re-opening of Mereen's fighting pits the day after Hizdahr zo Loraq and Daenerys wed. There may be a possibility that the bedding may have given her a child (though slight), and that may have been what Mirri Maaz Duur had meant.
ReplyDelete"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," - the Sun being the sigil of House Martell, this relates to Quentyn Martell, born in Westeros, and died in Essos -
ReplyDelete"When the seas go dry" - the Dothraki Sea, though an area of land, is none the less a sea by name, is drying up - the grass is turning pale.
"and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves." - the Great Pyramids of Meereen crumbled (partly) and the crumbly bits blew in the wind...
"When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child." - Jon Snow and Daenerys have a baby who is the Blood of the Dragon and, much like the birth of the child's parents, it will result in the death of the mother.
"Then he will return, and not before." - Daenerys' body is burnt in a funeral pyre according to Dothraki tradition (probably as per her request), and thus she meets Drogo in the Night Lands.