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Game of Thrones is roughly based on the storylines of the A Song of Ice and Fire book series by George R. R. Martin, set in the fictional Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the continent of Essos.
00:00Have you ever wondered what makes the world of Game of Thrones feel so real, so gritty, so familiar?
00:07Well, it's because George R.R. Martin masterfully wove threads of real-world history into the fabric of Westeros and Essos.
00:15Today, we're pulling back the curtain to reveal the fascinating historical inspirations behind your favorite series.
00:23Let's start with the big one, the central conflict of the Seven Kingdoms.
00:27The brutal rivalry between House Stark and House Lannister is a direct echo of one of England's most famous conflicts, the War of the Roses.
00:38This was a series of civil wars fought between two rival branches of the Royal House of Plantagenet, the House of Lancaster, represented by a red rose and the House of York, symbolized by a white rose.
00:52Sound familiar? Lancaster and Lannister, York and Stark.
00:58It's not a coincidence.
01:00Both conflicts were brutal, dynastic struggles for the throne, filled with betrayal, shifting allegiances, and legendary battles that tore a kingdom apart.
01:11But the War of the Roses isn't the only English civil war reflected in Westeros.
01:16The period known as the Anarchy in the 12th century provides another parallel.
01:21This was a succession crisis sparked when King Henry I's only legitimate son died, leaving his daughter, Empress Matilda, as his heir.
01:32However, her cousin, Stephen of Bloy, seized the throne, plunging England into nearly two decades of devastating civil war.
01:41This chaos, where lords switched sides and the common folk suffered immensely, perfectly mirrors the destructive civil wars that erupt in Westeros.
01:51Like the Dance of the Dragons or the War of the Five Kings, where competing claims to the Iron Throne lead to widespread devastation.
01:58And what about the great empires of the past?
02:02The fall of the Valerian Freehold, that legendary dragon-riding civilization that collapsed in a single day, carries strong echoes of the fall of the Roman Empire.
02:12Both were vast, technologically advanced, and seemingly invincible empires that dominated their known worlds.
02:20Their sudden decline left a power vacuum, leading to centuries of chaos.
02:24A dark age, and the rise of smaller.
02:28Warring successor states, much like the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities that emerged from Valeria's ashes.
02:35The legacy of their greatness, their roads, their laws.
02:38Their language haunts the world that came after, just as High Valyrian and Valyrian steel do in Westeros.
02:46Now, let's journey across the narrow sea.
02:49Who do the Dothraki remind you of?
02:51These nomadic, horse-mounted warriors who sweep across the plains are a clear nod to the Mongol hordes led by...
02:59Figures like Genghis Khan.
03:01The Mongols were arguably the greatest cavalry warriors in history,
03:04building a massive empire through sheer military might and a lifestyle perfectly adapted to the steppes of Central Asia.
03:12The Dothraki with their cells.
03:15Their fear of the poisoned water, or the sea.
03:18And their practice of raising cities that resist, directly mirror the unstoppable force of the Mongols on the world stage.
03:25And what about the Ironborn of the Iron Islands?
03:28Their mantra, we do not so.
03:31And their culture of raiding and pillaging are lifted straight from the pages of Viking history.
03:37The Viking raiders of Scandinavia were feared across Europe for their long ship raids.
03:42Their brutal efficiency in combat, and their distinct maritime culture.
03:47The Ironborn S.
03:49Iron price and their reverence for the drowned god are fictionalized versions of the Norse way of life.
03:54Where strength and spoils gained from raiding were the highest virtues.
04:00They are the Vikings of Westeros, a constant, menacing presence on the coastlines.
04:06Further east, in Essos, we find the grand, ancient cities of Slaver's Bay.
04:11Places like Astapar, Yunkai, and Mirren.
04:14With their pyramid-like structures, slave-based economies, and opulent, often decadent ruling classes evoke the great river valley civilizations of our own world, like ancient Egypt and Babylon.
04:27These were societies built on immense wealth, incredible architectural achievements, and, often, brutal systems of human enslavement.
04:37Daenerys' campaign to liberate these cities is a direct confrontation with this ancient, deeply entrenched way of life.
04:45Of course, you can't have a medieval-inspired world without a powerful religious institution.
04:51The Faith of the Seven is Westeros' version of the medieval Catholic Church.
04:55It's an omnipresent force in the lives of most Westerosi, from peasants to kings.
05:02The High Septon is a figure much like the Pope, wielding immense spiritual and, at times, political power.
05:09The rise of the Faith Militant or the Sparrows is a fantastic parallel to historical moments when religious fundamentalism clashed with secular royal power,
05:19leading to the establishment of militant holy orders, who answered only to God, not the king.
05:25This all plays out within a classic feudal system.
05:28The entire political structure of Westeros' the intricate web of allegiances between a king, his great lords, and their lesser vassals is the very definition of medieval feudalism.
05:41Oaths of fealty land grants in exchange for military service, and the constant potential for rebellion, are the building blocks of this society.
05:49It's a system designed for stability, but one that often breeds conflict, as ambitious lords vie for more power and influence.
05:58Within this system, we see the clash between chivalric ideals and brutal reality.
06:04Knights in shining armor are supposed to be noble, honorable, and protectors of the innocent.
06:10But in Game of Thrones, that romanticized notion is often shattered.
06:15A character like Jaime Lannister starts as the Kingslayer, the epitome of a broken oath, yet he grapples with the meaning of honor throughout his journey.
06:24The series constantly questions the pretty songs and stories, showing us that in the real Game of Thrones, pragmatic cruelty often triumphs over noble intentions.
06:35The characters themselves are often brilliant reflections of real historical figures.
06:40The cunning and ruthless Cersei Lannister, who uses poison, political manipulation, and her children to maintain power, shares many traits with Catherine de' Medici, the powerful Queen of France, in the 16th century.
06:56Catherine was a master of courtly intrigue, known for her political maneuvering and her rumored use of poison to eliminate rivals and protect her family's dynasty.
07:06And who is the brilliant, underestimated Tyrion Lannister?
07:10He's a clear archetype of the political strategist, reminiscent of Nicola Machiavelli, the Renaissance thinker who wrote The Prince.
07:19Machiavelli argued that for a ruler to maintain power, he must be willing to be cunning, pragmatic, and sometimes even cruel.
07:27Tyrion, with his intellect, his wit, his deep understanding of how power truly works,
07:33embodies this Machiavellian spirit as he navigates the treacherous courts of King's Landing and Myrion.
07:40Even our beloved Daenerys Targaryen has a historical counterpart, though with a much darker twist.
07:47Her journey as a young, charismatic leader who inspires a massive following and believes she is on a divine mission, has parallels to Joan of Arc.
07:56Joan was a peasant girl who rallied the French army and became a symbol of national hope.
08:01While Joan's story ended in martyrdom, Daenerys' quest for power takes a far more tragic and destructive turn.
08:10Exploring what happens when a messianic figure gains access to weapons of mass destruction, in her case, dragons.
08:17Finally, what about the magic and the impending doom?
08:22The ancient beliefs in dragons, the mysterious White Walkers,
08:25And direwolves are all rooted in real-world medieval folklore and superstition.
08:31In a world with limited scientific understanding,
08:34people genuinely believed in monsters and magic lurking just beyond the firelight.
08:40The encroaching threat of winter is coming isn't just a catchy motto.
08:44It mirrors real historical climate events like the Little Ice Age,
08:48A period of cooling that caused crop failures, famine, and immense social upheaval across Europe.
08:54This sense of an existential, environmental threat adds a layer of desperation to the story.
09:01Even the way knowledge is controlled and spread in Westeros has a historical basis.
09:06Before the invention of the printing press, books were rare and incredibly valuable,
09:11copied by hand by scribes or maesters.
09:13This limited access to information, meaning power often belonged to those who controlled the ancient texts and knowledge,
09:21just like the maesters of the Citadel.
09:24Game of Thrones is set in a world teetering on the edge of change,
09:28where old myths are coming back to life and the established.
09:32Order is about to be shattered,
09:34much like our own world on the cusp of the Renaissance or the Age of Discovery.
09:39So, the next time you re-watch Game of Thrones,
09:41look for these hidden histories.
09:44You'll see that the brutal, beautiful, and complex world of Westeros is so compelling
09:49because, in many ways, it's a reflection of our own.
09:54Thank you so much for watching.
09:56If you enjoyed this deep dive into the history behind the fiction,
09:59don't forget to like this video.
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