Game of Thrones is one of the most popular TV shows of all time. Since 2011 (or 1996 for the books), the land of Westeros has drawn in millions of fans around the world and became a true cultural phenomenon. Both the show and book were famous in their ability to subvert the expectations of the fantasy genre and weave complex political plots into their stories.
That being said, both George R.R. Martin and the Game of Thrones showrunners were clearly inspired by real-world events when constructing their plots. Several characters, locations, and events have clear parallels in the real world.
Updated on August 18th, 2022 by Stuart Kilmartin: The Game of Thrones universe is set to expand even further with the upcoming release of House of the Dragon on HBO. Author George R.R. Martin has always infused his Song of Fire and Ice book series with historical parallels, and the television shows have followed suit. While Game of Thrones was largely inspired by the War of the Roses conflict in British history, House of the Dragon is said to be inspired by the civil war between England and Normandy, also known as The Anarchy, which occurred after the death of Henry I. Many events and characters throughout the Game of Thrones universe have been inspired by real-world historical events and people.
Iron Born – Vikings
Perhaps the clearest connection between the real world and Game of Thrones is the Ironborn. The Ironborn are Westerosi who live on the Iron Islands. The ruling family is House Greyjoy, whose family words are ‘we do not sow’. This is tied to the cultural customs of the Iron Islanders to raid and pillage other lands for their products, rather than to grow and raise their own crops. Additionally, the Iron Islanders are incredibly skilled sailors and have one of the most formidable navies in all of Westeros.
The connections to the Vikings should already be clear. The Vikings were famous for their raiding and pillaging, as well as renowned for their ability on the sea.
Invasion Of The First Men
Before the invasion of Aegon the Conqueror, Westeros had been subject to two major invasions – the first was the invasion of the First Men and the second was the invasion of the Andals. Before men came to Westeros, the island was inhabited by the Children of the Forest and the Giants – much of this time was known as the Dawn Age. However, the First Men arrived in Westeros by traveling across the Arm of Dorne that existed between Westeros and Essos. This was the beginning of a war between the Men and Children that would last for thousands of years, only to end with a pact that also signified the end of the Dawn Age.
This is clearly inspired by historical retellings of British mythology. Several tales from British mythology write that, before humans existed on the British Isles, the lands were inhabited by Elves and other mythical creatures. Then humans arrived in Britain and fought the magical creatures for the land. This sounds very similar to the tale of the Dawn Age.
Greek Fire/ Wild Fire
Greek fire was one of the most powerful and mysterious weapons of the ancient world. The name comes from the first use of the fire by Greeks who were being besieged in the 7th Century. In addition to the besieged Greeks, the Byzantines often used the fire during sea battles due to its unique ability to continue burning while on water. To this day, historians do not know the composition of Greek fire; experts believe the fire could’ve included pine resin, quicklime, or sulfur.
Westeros’ wild fire, used most effectively in one of Game of Thrones‘ best episodes “Blackwater”, is clearly inspired by Greek fire, both are highly destructive, mysterious, and burn on water.
Roman Empire
The Valyrian Empire was incredibly similar to the Roman Empire in two main ways. The first is in infrastructure. The Valyrian’s built vast roads that helped connect distant lands and make travel between two points far easier. This was also one of the most recognizable exports of the Roman Empire, who exported roads and aqueducts around their Empire. The second similarity between the two is their collapse. Both empires were vast and highly advanced in terms of politics and technology that would go on to dramatically collapse.
There are clear links between the Roman Empire and the great Valyrian Empire, both exported new kinds of infrastructure to the corners of their empire and both collapsed in dramatic fashion.
War Of The Roses
If you were to describe the first few seasons of Game of Thrones, you may describe its defining plot as being the struggle for power between several families. However, not only would this describe Game of Thrones, but it would also describe the War of the Roses.
The War of the Roses was a war between the families of Lancaster and York that spanned generations in the UK. The war even had a mad king, a boy king, and a Hand of the King (Protector of the Realm). There are clear similarities between the two families in the War of the Roses and the houses of Lannister and Stark in Westeros.
Andal Invasion
The Andal invasion as the second major invasion suffered by Westeros. After the First Men had learned to live in peace with the Children of the Forest, the Andals arrived from Essos and replaced the First Men as the dominant group on the continent. The Andals brought their own religion, the Faith of the Seven, that eventually became the dominant religion of the land, replacing the Old Gods of the First Men and the Children of the Forest.
This was very similar to the invasion of Britain by the Romans. The Romans built their own forts on the British Isles and slowly transformed the British culture, introducing their own religion too.
Hadrian’s Wall
The Wall is a structure in the far north of Westeros that separates the Seven Kingdoms from the wild lands of the Free Folk and the White Walkers. The ice Wall stands at over 700ft tall and over a hundred leagues wide, stretching from the Shivering Sea in the east to the Bay of Ice in the west. The Wall was built with the intention of keeping out the White Walkers and the Wildlings who lived beyond the Wall.
Westeros’ Wall is clearly inspired by Hadrian’s Wall in the UK. Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a wall in the north of England to separate the Empire from the Scots.
William The Conqueror
The third and final major invasion of Westeros (so far anyway) was Aegon’s invasion. Aegon the Conqueror, one of the greatest Targaryen characters in the Game of Thrones universe, fled the Doom of Valayria with his two sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, and conquered Westeros with the power of his dragon, Balerion the Black Dread. Aegon then started his own Targaryen Dynasty on the throne of Westeros, uniting the Seven Kingdoms in the process.
While the manner of the invasion clearly differs, Aegon the Conqueror has clear parallels to the real-life William the Conqueror, who invaded Britain in 1066. Aside from the fact that both have Conqueror in their name, both also brought great political change to their new kingdom and instigated a new Royal line.
Pompei/ Atlantis
While the Valyrian Empire closely resembles the Roman Empire in terms of its size, infrastructure, and collapse. It differs greatly in the manner of its collapse. The Roman Empire collapsed due to a variety of several factors including war and political tension, the Valyrian Freehold literally exploded and collapsed in a vast cataclysm.
This is clearly inspired by a combination of both Pompeii and the legend of Atlantis. Pompeii was famously destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, a manner very similar to the Doom of Valyria. While the legend of Atlantis is not historical, its cultural influence can be seen in Valyria – a highly advanced civilization that is destroyed by a terrible catastrophe.
Black Dinner/ Glencoe Massacre
Arguably, the most shocking event in Game of Thrones history was the Red Wedding. It was the treacherous butchering of several fan-favorite characters and truly subverted the expectations of the viewer by ending Robb’s brave campaign in an instant.
The Red Wedding was inspired by the Black Dinner of 1440 and the Glencoe Massacre of 1691. The Black Dinner resulted in two young royals being beheaded after sharing dinner with King James II at Edinburgh Castle. The Glencoe Massacre occurred when the Macdonald clan failed to send their oath to King William of Orange in a timely fashion. As revenge, the King’s men asked for shelter and stayed with the Macdonald clan for 2 weeks, before then brutally slaying the Macdonald clan in their sleep.
