Post by sercreighton on Nov 30, 2016 0:43:54 GMT -5
Envie , @nictarion , sercreighton - I'm tagging you because I thought you'd find this interesting.
I just realized something.
In A Game of Thrones, the first chapter (the Prologue) took place beyond the Wall, where we were introduced to the Others. The book ended in Dothraki Sea where Dany "gave birth" to the dragons through Fire and Blood.
In A Dance of Dragons, the first chapter, the prologue, took place beyond the Wall, where we are introduced to the perils of skin-changing through V6S. The book end in the Dothraki Sea where Dany has embraced the the dragon, i.e. Fire and Blood.
On a side note with Dany from the first page about her living or dying. I worry that she will die but also think she will live, but I have literally no wish for her to rule Westeros, or Meereen or any city, state or country. While I have no doubt she would be good at it, unlike Tyrion I don't think she enjoys it at all. But if you look at the history of things, and her symbolism it may not be her destiny.
So back in the Day it looks like the Dothraki came from Yi Ti. I think they fought the Bloodstone emperor and followed the fiery one, Azur Ahai, I think that is their destiny, I think they are the natural enemies of the Others. Dothraki Sea grass vs. Ghost grass symbolism. There own myth ties them to Fighting the Milk men with water in their veins. Now I think when they came west to the Dothraki sea, something happened. A corruption, in fact I think corruption is a major theme. I think the Bloodstone emperor symbolizes the corruption of water, while Valyria which rose to fight against slavery became slavers. "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster... for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you."
I think like Valyria the Dothraki became corrupt, I think these guys were kind of like the Free Folk of Westeros, all about freedoms. But at some point culture played it's hand and the adopted slavery. Now it looks like they will turn from slavery to once again fight along side the breaker of chains in the great war for the dawn.
When you get into some of Dany's imagery and her journey you see her very strong connection to the Dothraki, and the show touched on that in the undying. So a couple of little things stand out to me. One recall Dany's barefoot dream, of her running through the grass. Then recall her barefoot moment in the Dothraki sea walking through grass and mud barefoot as happy as can be, till needle dick came and ruined her little moment. Dany has always been at her best during her nomadic journeys and for most of her life she has been nomadic.
Now take the Dragons, in both Kings Landing and Meereen the two Dragon pits. Dany herself is described by Martin as the last true dragon and when does he say a dragon is at it's best? Is it when it is tied or chained to a city or when it is free to roam as Drogon was. And where was Drogon? The Dothraki sea. Dragons stagnate and grow weaker over time when trapped in these places. And when does fire and blood return to Dany, when does she break out of her stagnation? When she returns to the Dothraki sea.
In the end I think that is where she belongs after all things are settled, she may be a Targ but she self identifies with the Dothraki, as long as slavery is not involved. She does not like being tied down, she loves freedom, she adapted too and adopted that life style. She also loves sailing, basically anything with traveling, and moving and new Horizons. It's the same for the son and moon symbolism, the sun and moon, move. I think her setting up rulers and traveling around checking on them and enjoying the freedom of the nomadic life serve her best.
She may sit the Iron Throne, but I could see Martin setting her free in a not so deathly way and letting someone like Tyrion run things while she journeys around checking up on things from time to time when she is not living under the stars. Has she ever worn anything in the books she likes better than her riding leathers? Or sat a throne she likes better than sitting a horse or Drogon? The more I think about it and I know you kind of hope for her to be free at the end, and maybe that's exactly what she does, returns to her nomadic ways.