The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes introduces a lot of new characters to the franchise, making it more difficult to understand the complicated family trees that exist in The Hunger Games‘ world. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes serves as a prequel to the original trilogy, following the early life of President Coriolanus Snow and the roots of his rise to power. It also explores the founding of The Hunger Games and the ways that it changed by the time Katniss Everdeen becomes a tribute in the main series.
Telling President Snow’s story in full requires introducing his family background in order to fully understand the circumstances that led to his rise to power. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ story also provides some details on the Flickerman family, and maybe even some hidden information on Katniss Everdeen’s heritage. Keeping all of this information straight can be challenging, so it’s helpful to look at a detailed summary of all the major family connections between the original Hunger Games trilogy and The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
3 The Hunger Games Snow Family: Coriolanus, Tigris & More
Coriolanus Snow, or Coryo, as he was often called in his youth, is the best touchstone from which to examine the Snow family. The Snows are one of the oldest and most recognizable families in The Hunger Games‘ world, but by the time Coryo came around, the family had severely declined. His father, Crassus Snow, was a military general who died in the First Rebellion, which also bankrupted the family because of the destruction of District 13. His mother died in childbirth just before his father’s death, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother, known as Grandma’am.
Coryo’s Grandma’am became his only guardian, and she notably did her best to instill patriotic values in Coriolanus. She was the mother of Coryo’s father, Crassus, who is also a critical figure in The Hunger Games. Most importantly, Crassus was assigned a project in University to think of the worst punishment he could conceive for his enemies. Though the idea was not his, the project Crassus submitted was the original idea for The Hunger Games. Crassus also had a niece named, Tigris, who is a critical figure in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
The Hunger Games‘ Tigris Snow is Coriolanus’ cousin on his father’s side, and after her parents died around the same time as Coryo’s, she came to live with him and Grandma’am. Tigris and Coryo became extremely close as they grew up, developing a relationship closer to a brother and sister than cousins. Tigris went on to suffer under the tutelage of the popular fashion designer, Fabricia Whatnot, for years before she became one of the most sought-after stylists in the Capitol. Tigris was a voice of compassion and empathy to Coryo in his youth, noted for her sweetness and vulnerability.
2 The Hunger Games Flickerman Family: Lucky & Caesar
Along with the Snows, the Flickermans are one of the 13 Patriarch Families of the Capitol. The most prominent member of the Flickerman family in The Hunger Games trilogy is Caesar, who is known for hosting the interviews with tributes before the Games, as well as commentating the Games for audiences. He is known as the Master of Ceremonies after his father, Julius, dies. Julius was the Master of Ceremonies for many years before Caesar took over, but it’s noted that Caesar often filled in when his father was unavailable.
A new Hunger Games character connects to Caesar Flickerman as well, though it’s unclear exactly how they are related. The character in question is Lucretius Flickerman, commonly known as Lucky, who is notable for running the tribute interviews in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes‘ 10th Hunger Games. Lucky is thought to be Caesar’s grandfather, but his paternal grandfather is actually Gaius Flickerman, who hosted the very first Hunger Games. It’s widely assumed that Caesar and Lucky are related in some way, but exactly how remains a mystery.
Caesar Flickerman also has a sister named Livia, and though little is known of her, it’s noted that she and Caesar’s mother was a woman named Liliana Ray. The only other noted member of the Flickerman family in The Hunger Games franchise is Orion Flickerman, who was Julius’ younger brother, making him the uncle of Caesar and Livia. The Flickermans are an important family, so there are probably more notable family members out there somewhere, but none are mentioned in The Hunger Games or The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
1 Is Maude Ivory Related To Katniss Everdeen?
Maude Ivory Baird is the cousin of Lucy Gray Baird, and it is commonly speculated that she could be related to Katniss Everdeen in some way, though no proof exists for this theory. Maude’s cousin, Lucy, is one of the main characters in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, becoming the tribute from District 12 at the 10th Hunger Games. She is mentored by none other Coriolanus Snow himself, and his tutelage helps her to win that edition of The Hunger Games. After winning the Games, Lucy mysteriously disappears and is never heard from again.
Maude herself also appears in the story at the tender age of eight or nine years old. Maude was a member of the Covey singing group, a nomadic group of musicians living in Panem at the time, and she was said to have an incredible voice as well as significant talent with instruments. The speculation about her being related to Katniss largely stems from her talent for being able to replicate any tune she hears once, as Katniss does in The Hunger Games. Maude, like her cousin Lucy, is from District 12, the same district as Katniss.
Furthermore, Katniss learned some of the same tunes the Covey used to play from her father, sparking further speculation about their relation to the Baird family. It’s possible that those songs were commonly remembered in District 12 since that is where the Covey settled, but it is a striking coincidence if so. The overwhelming likelihood is that this is meant to be a covert way of revealing Katniss’s common ancestry with the Bairds. This is notable because of their musical talent, but also because it makes Katniss distantly related to another Hunger Games winner.
