"What Fools We Were, Who Thought Ourselves So Wise!"

"What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise!" 

GRRM's very first novel Dying of the Light features a bookworm character named Jaan Vikary conspicuously resembling Prince Rhaegar, who did his deep history research and figured an ancient hero that's supposed to be at the root of his culture was a woman, and a lot of people getting so angry over this revelation they kept dueling him over it.

"No one ever looked for a girl..."

"And you think the planet was High Kavalaan?" Dirk asked. "It is known for a fact," Vikary replied. "The coordinates match, and other fascinating pieces of data as well. The colony was named Cavanaugh, for example. Perhaps even more intriguing, the leader of the first expedition was a starship captain named Kay Smith. A woman." Gwen smiled at that.

"Our reasons for being here go beyond that, however. It was vital that I leave High Kavalaan at the time I did. When I took on my highnames and published my theories, I became at once very powerful and celebrated in highbond council, and very hated. Many religious men took personal insult from my contention that Kay Iron-Smith was a woman. I was challenged six times on that account alone. In the last duel, Garse killed a man, while I wounded his teyn so badly that he will never walk again. I was not willing to let this go on."

Mother Goddess Danu | The Mhysa Dany

My new pal @raventrigonsdaughter​ recently introduced me to a video featuring this lovely goddess and her relation to our queen, Daenerys Targaryen.

Since learning about her brought me a great deal of peace amidst so much negative speculation… I thought I’d share her with my followers, too! ♥

In Irish mythology, Danu (Dana, Ana, Anu) is a mother goddess associated with fertility, growth, abundance, agriculture, cultivation, nurturing both the land and people, inspiration, intellect, change, wisdom, transcendence, magic, and universal understanding.

Scholars favor a link between the Celtic Danu the Vedic water goddess Danu—associated with flowing waters, such as rivers, and seas, even lending her name to rivers such as Europe’s Danube River, Russia’s Don River, and Hungary’s Duna river.

The Hindu Danu was likewise a primordial water goddess, signifying ‘the waters of heaven’. She is identified in the Rigveda as the mother of Vritra, a serpent or dragon, making Danu the mother of a dragon.

“Danu rolls in the midst of never-ceasing currents flowing without a rest forever onward.”

—The Rig-Veda as translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

Danu also shares parallels with the Welsh mother figure Dôn (pronounced Dawn), from the medieval tales of the Mabinogion. Both the Dana and Dôn are considered to be the mother of the ‘Children of Light’, and are related to the prosperity of the land itself.

Danu is thought to have married her consort, Bilé, associated with the sacred tree and known as the lord of the dead (…with whom she has many children).

“She brings the power of versatility, teaches us to honor and respect diversity within ourselves and within others and reminds us to honor each stage of our physical life.” (x)

Further East, the Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin (Miaoshan), is thought to share an origin with the ancient Vedic goddess Danu. Guanyin was known as ‘she who rides the dragon’, had the ability to commune with animals and put out flames with her bare hands, suffering no burns. Guanyin represents wisdom and purity, possessing a thousand arms which symbolize her infinite compassion.

After descending into a hell-like realm, she released her own good karma upon the suffering, freeing their souls and turning the realm into a paradise. Filled with compassion, she returned to Earth, vowing never to leave until all suffering has ended, or to ‘break the wheel of suffering’.

“In each culture, Danu is the principle of birth and beginnings, of generation and fertility. Danu is the prime mover, she who came before everything else. As an aspect of the Great-Mother, she encompasses both light and dark, both giving and receiving back. She is enfolding darkness and brilliant flashes of light. She is the coldness of the stones in a river, and warmth of the sun. She is every color, every smell, and every texture… at one time. She is distant and she is close. She is young and she is old. She shifts like the currents in a river.” (x)

In the A Song of Ice and Fire series, the name Dany is used 1138 times, whereas the name Daenerys is used only 305 times.

What's the satansas obsession with katara from ATLA. I remember a dany stan made comprasions between Dany and katara and satansas got so pissed Imao

@aegontheconquerorwithteats made that post and though i wasn’t around back then i know all hells broke loose afterwards. i haven’t watched alta so i don’t know who katara is, but the fact they got so mad they made their own ‘gotcha’ posts and used her name in their urls… the kindergarten of the asoiaf fandom making a performance for us adults to watch and clap our hands enthusiastically even though it’s cringe

Daenerys Targaryen (A Song of Ice and Fire) and Catherine the Great (Hulu’s The Great) + parallels

Valyrian Couples: Part II

Aegon IV Targaryen, Naerys Targaryen and Aemon (son of Viserys II) Targaryen

Daemon I Blackfyre and Daenerys (daughter of Aegon IV) Targaryen

Brynden Rivers and Shiera Seastar

Aelor Targaryen and Aelora Targaryen

Aerion "Brightflame" Targaryen and Daenora Targaryen

Jaehaerys II Targaryen and Shaera Targaryen

Aerys II Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen

Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen

By Jota Saraiva

PART I

Cyvasse, Chess, and Dragons

In cyvasse the dragons are the pieces you don’t bring out first, but hold in reserve. And a new player has to be wary of relying on the dragon too much. That is exactly what a new chess player learns about the Queen.

According to George R. R. Martin, cyvasse is partially inspired by chess, Blitzkrieg, and Stratego.

The dragon = the Queen.

Because Daenerys is the Queen

But for historical context of course the Dragon is the most powerful piece, the game originated in Volantis, the Daughter of Valyria.