1 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,520 Bran knew all the stories. Their names were like music to 2 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,680 him. Serwin of the Mirror Shield, Sir 3 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:59,200 Ryan, Red Wine, Prince Eamon the Dragon Knight, the twins Sir 4 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,080 Eric and Sir Eric, who had died on one another's swords hundreds 5 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:06,560 of years ago when brother fought Sister and the Wall the singers 6 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,960 called the Dance of the Dragons, the White Bull, Gerald 7 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,160 Hightower, Sir Arthur Dean, The Sword of the Morning, Barristan 8 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,560 the Bold. Bran thinks of all these 9 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,680 legendary Knights because he's fascinated by the Kingsguard and 10 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:23,800 had wanted to join their ranks. Of those named in this Daydream, 11 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:27,120 several had famous blades, many were named Lord Commander, and 12 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:30,160 all who were great warriors with fascinating and unique stories. 13 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,960 Well, perhaps not Eric and Eric, whose stories are nearly mirror 14 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:36,680 images of each other because, well, so are they. 15 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:39,360 Despite the notion that these are all heroic figures, none of 16 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:40,960 these men were free from controversy. 17 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,080 Prime red wine was made hand to the king and was a complete and 18 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:46,320 utter failure at it. Prince Eamon the Dragon Knights 19 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,480 legend is tarnished by rumors of improprieties with his sister 20 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,720 Queen Nerys. Eric and Art killed each other, 21 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,000 making them kinslayers. Gerald Hightower and Arthur 22 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,760 Dayne were arguably more loyal to Prince Rhaegar than to King 23 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,080 Aries. Embarrassed in Selmy. 24 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,720 His switch sides multiple times and may again. 25 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,360 Only one of them is free from controversy surrounding his 26 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:05,920 deeds. Serwin of the Mirror Shield, but 27 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:07,920 he's a world apart for other reasons too. 28 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,200 The rest of the listed men died within the last 200 years or are 29 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:13,240 still alive. Sirwin lived during the Age of 30 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:16,440 Heroes, thousands of years ago, when there were not only no 31 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:19,120 King's Guard at all, there were no Targaryens either. 32 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,360 In fact, there weren't even Knights. 33 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,080 Sirwin was said to live during the time of the earliest 34 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,560 Gardener kings, and the Andals didn't come to Westeros in large 35 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,840 numbers until much later. This means Sirwin is most surely 36 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,360 a figure of First Man heritage. Thus he can't easily be a 37 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:36,240 knight. It's not that First Men can't be 38 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,520 Knights, they can. There are plenty of examples. 39 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,920 It's that they probably didn't exist in Westeros or at all when 40 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:45,400 Serwin was alive, knighthood being an and all institution. 41 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,400 Another case is John the Oak, legendary founder of House 42 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:51,000 Oakhart and the man credited with bringing chivalry to 43 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,160 Westeros. He's called the First Knight, 44 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,200 but this is likely a nickname given well after he lived. 45 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,480 John the Oak was apparently the son of Garth Greenhand and a 46 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,920 giant. Thus, he's another figure from 47 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:05,360 well before the and Alls came. We'd guessed that he upheld the 48 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,600 kind of values now associated with chivalry, but was likely 49 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:10,800 never called knight in his own lifetime. 50 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,800 House Oakhart of Old Oak is deep in knightly honor, and they've 51 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,560 produced multiple members of the Kingsguard over the years, so 52 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:19,480 they'd prefer we not explore this contradiction over much. 53 00:03:19,640 --> 00:03:22,000 At the very least, Singers and Septons and others have 54 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,000 rewritten history, revising it to include Sirwin where he 55 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,960 doesn't belong, but they never apparently tried to add a Sir in 56 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,200 front, despite naming him as a knight. 57 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,640 He is not Sir Sirwin. If we look back that opening 58 00:03:34,640 --> 00:03:37,760 list of names, it seems the only one who wasn't a knight is the 59 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:39,920 one with Sir built into his name. 60 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:44,360 Maybe he really was Sir Wen, twin brother to Sir Luz. 61 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,200 There are several examples of Sirwin's deeds, deeds that go a 62 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,120 long way towards explaining why he's still so famous and beloved 63 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:53,440 to this day. The story that he's most famous 64 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,000 for is the slaying of a dragon named your Axe. 65 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,480 To do this, he used a highly polished shield. 66 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,320 The dragon only saw its reflection and was not alarmed 67 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,680 by his approach. Before Your Axe could detect the 68 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,840 ruse, it was too late and Sirwin became a legend. 69 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,880 That's impressive, but like the timeline regarding Knights, it 70 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,360 doesn't fit the idea of Kingsguard very well either. 71 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,040 Actually, it fits even less well. 72 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:17,640 The Kingsguard until Robert Baratheon only served the 73 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,720 Targaryens and they began under egg on the Conqueror thanks to 74 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:23,800 his sister wife, Queen Visenya. The only time in the Targaryen 75 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,200 reign where Kingsguard fought against Dragons was during the 76 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:29,960 Dance of the Dragons, also mentioned in Brand's quote. 77 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,360 Of course, the Dance and the Age of Heroes were very, very far 78 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,040 apart on the timeline, and we know that a knight named Sir 79 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:40,720 Byron Swan tried to note that I said tried to imitate the 80 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:44,720 legendary Sirwin of the Mirror Shields ploy during the Dance of 81 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,160 the Dragons. So you see, we can be sure 82 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,160 Sirwin was not actually a Kingsguard and pretty sure he 83 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:53,000 was not a knight, but he may have embodied the spirit of what 84 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,640 they now stand for. He was possibly in the Ancient 85 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,040 Order of the Green Hand, who stood for honor as we're told, 86 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,720 but since that order contained Knights, maybe not. 87 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:05,480 So he just went from not actually a Kingsguard to not 88 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:08,320 actually a knight to a time before Knights even existed in 89 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:10,720 Westeros. What about killing a dragon? 90 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,840 Did he really do that? Let's see what the World of Ice 91 00:05:12,840 --> 00:05:15,720 and Fire has to say about the time of Serwin and the Gardner 92 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,080 Kings during the Age of Heroes. It may help clear things up even 93 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:21,320 more. In those centuries of trial in 94 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,360 tumult, the Reach produced many a fearless warrior. 95 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,160 From that day to this, the singers celebrated the deeds of 96 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:31,800 Knights like Sirwin of the Mirror Shield, Davos, the Dragon 97 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,520 Slayer, Roland of the Horn and the Knight without Armour, and 98 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:38,480 the legendary kings who led them. 99 00:05:38,640 --> 00:05:41,920 OK, we sought clarity, but instead we've just doubled down 100 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,520 twice on possible confusion alongside Serwin of the Mirror 101 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,360 Shield. In an era without Knights, we 102 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:49,960 have a guy called the Knight without Armor. 103 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:52,720 And in an era without Targaryens, we have Davos the 104 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,840 Dragon Slayer. Well, at least none of these 105 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:56,640 guys are said to be in the Kingsguard. 106 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,240 Why are stories of Serwin of the Mirror Shield so conflicting? 107 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,960 Why is he associated with modern figures at all? 108 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,680 And given that George RR Martin loves to use history to 109 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:08,800 foreshadow the future, what does Sirwin tell us and about who? 110 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,600 In A Song of Ice and Fire? One should never feel that they 111 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,600 have all the answers, but we definitely have some answers. 112 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,360 Welcome back to History of Westeros podcast. 113 00:06:18,400 --> 00:06:21,760 This episode is brought to you by our dragon rider patrons like 114 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:24,920 Tulaneous the Talon, king of Gagasos, rider of Telerius, a 115 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,080 red dragon with scales, horns, and talons of midnight black and 116 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:30,480 Hunter of house black. Cloud the Storm Runner, king of 117 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:33,600 the Sky, rider of her Anacond the Windworm, a dragon with 118 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,840 scales of brilliant platinum, silver horns, claws, and fangs 119 00:06:37,840 --> 00:06:40,640 of pure white with eyes the color of diamonds of fire. 120 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:42,960 I doubt either of these Dragons would fall for sure. 121 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,800 One of the mirror Shields trick. They're much cleverer Dragons 122 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:48,800 than your. Join us at patreon.com/history 123 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:52,400 of Westeros for early access to episodes, scripts, shout outs, 124 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:53,920 and more. Yes indeed. 125 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:56,280 George RR Martin loves to use history as a device to 126 00:06:56,280 --> 00:06:58,600 foreshadow the future. The concept of history repeating 127 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:01,640 itself is 1 he seems to enjoy playing with, or at least one he 128 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,440 feels he must include, because there are countless examples of 129 00:07:04,440 --> 00:07:06,280 it in his work and in the real world. 130 00:07:06,280 --> 00:07:08,600 It's more than a recurring theme, it's a constant feature. 131 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:11,760 A king who loved food and drink and women and not a lot else, 132 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:13,280 Whose bastards plagued the realm? 133 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:16,240 Who had a famous deathbed scene. Am I talking about Robert Brown 134 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:18,840 Lathian or Aegon the unworthy? Well, both. 135 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,680 These parallels are never exact, though some aspects are 136 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,760 inverted, reversed, or warped. Aegon the Unworthy was not a 137 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:26,840 fearsome warrior, but he was cruel. 138 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,000 Robert didn't legitimize his bastards, and he wasn't cruel so 139 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:33,120 much as dangerously indifferent. It's also all in where you're 140 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:35,040 standing. Robert was a terrible king, but 141 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,720 if you ask Barristan Selmy, who served him and Ares while 142 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,240 watching Joffrey grow up, well, a bad king can always be outdone 143 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,600 by a worse king. It's the same with mirrors. 144 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,600 It's all in where you're standing. 145 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,800 Mirrors can maintain much of the original while distorting or 146 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,960 seemingly changing other parts or reversing them entirely. 147 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:54,680 Consider that when you raise your right hand in a mirror, it 148 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:58,080 can appear that your reflection is raising their left. 149 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,920 It's as if George R Martin is holding a mirror up to history, 150 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,640 or perhaps several mirrors, and the various reflections and 151 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,640 distortions that result from the original are what follow through 152 00:08:06,640 --> 00:08:08,480 the years. The portrayal of Sermon of the 153 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,400 Mirror Shield is itself a reflection from a real world 154 00:08:11,400 --> 00:08:13,520 myth. The Greek hero Perseus slew the 155 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:17,080 Gorgon Medusa, a creature whose gaze turned who met it into 156 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,160 stone. He used a mirror shield trick of 157 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,000 his own. No one could look directly into 158 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,280 the eyes of Medusa, but her reflection was safe from the 159 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,640 effect. Her face when seen in his shield 160 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,120 was harmless. And like your axe, the dragon 161 00:08:29,120 --> 00:08:32,240 Medusa the Gorgon was felled with one sure strike. 162 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,240 In that first quote, which is in Brands second ever chapter, we 163 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,120 can see that Sirwin is mentioned early in A Game of Thrones. 164 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:41,880 He's mentioned again in Sansa's first chapter, and we get our 165 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:44,800 first example of a reflection, as well as some of George RR 166 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:48,400 Martin's sense of humor, because here she's thinking of Joffrey. 167 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,000 He was so gallant, she thought, the way he had rescued her from 168 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,640 Sir Ellen and the Hound. Why, it was almost like the 169 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:59,080 songs like the time Sirwin of the Mirror Shield saved the 170 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,360 Princess Teresa from the giants, or Prince Eamon the Dragon 171 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,240 Knight championing Queen Mary's honor against evil Samorgal 172 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,600 slanders Sansa. 1A Game of Thrones. 173 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:12,960 So we have Sirwin rescuing a very Targaryen sounding Princess 174 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,560 from giants. The name Darissa never appears 175 00:09:15,560 --> 00:09:17,960 again, including on the Targaryen family tree. 176 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:21,680 Nor does Joffrey really save anyone from anything, especially 177 00:09:21,680 --> 00:09:23,960 giants. Closer to the opposite really. 178 00:09:23,960 --> 00:09:27,840 He repeatedly orders men, especially his Kingsguard, to 179 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,520 beat his Princess. So when Sirwin's name is 180 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,760 mentioned, it's it's clearly not Joffrey casting his reflection. 181 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,880 A few paragraphs later, however, we get the first appearance of a 182 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:40,000 man who absolutely does Barristan Selmy. 183 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,240 And Barristan the Bold does save a Princess from a guy named the 184 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:45,040 Titans. Bastard giants. 185 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:46,800 Titans. Not too far off. 186 00:09:46,800 --> 00:09:50,160 Darissa and Daenerys also kind of sound similar, and it's 187 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:53,360 definitely like a song. When Barristan saves Daenerys, 188 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,280 he was pretending to be a Squire named Whitebeard, and while 189 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,600 wielding only a staff, he defeated Mero of Bravos, A 190 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,480 notorious cell sword captain who was armed with a sword. 191 00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:06,360 Barristan also tries to save Daenerys from Drogon in Daznac's 192 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,840 Pit by trying to get his attention, but that wasn't 193 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,280 necessary. Danny had that handled all on 194 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:13,400 her own. Maesters of all sorts agree the 195 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:16,320 giants were not uncommon back in the Age of Heroes, so the 196 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:19,080 reference to them in Princess Darissa is no stretch, at least 197 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,280 in that regard. Dragons are less clear, but 198 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:24,440 there's some evidence of Dragons in Westeros long ago, such as at 199 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:26,680 Battle Isle where the Hightower now lies. 200 00:10:26,760 --> 00:10:29,800 And well, if Sir, when in Davos the Dragon Slayer are accurately 201 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,400 placed in the Age of Heroes, then they're part of the 202 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,000 evidence, each having slain at least one. 203 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:37,680 Ancient Dragons are mentioned in the Hedge Night as well, but the 204 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:40,760 biggest piece of evidence comes from George RR Martin himself, 205 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:44,160 who flat out says in response to that reference of ancient 206 00:10:44,160 --> 00:10:46,520 Dragons in the Hedge Night quote, there were Dragons all 207 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,840 over once. Of course, in A Song of Ice and 208 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,400 Fire, animals, especially those found on sigils, are often 209 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:56,000 metaphorical representations. Like how Mira of Braavos isn't 210 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,600 really a Titan, but a large man from a city that built a huge 211 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:01,760 Titan. We must consider that Davos the 212 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,520 Dragon Slayer slew A metaphorical dragon instead of a 213 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,080 real one. Maybe, but even Sirwin himself 214 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,760 could be explained this way, though his deed is so much more 215 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,160 specific. The dragon is even named and 216 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,000 sounds so authentic. Your axe. 217 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,280 But so does Derisa sound Valyrian yet? 218 00:11:17,560 --> 00:11:21,160 Probably isn't since Daenerys is so distanced from her family's 219 00:11:21,160 --> 00:11:23,040 history. Much of what we know about 220 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:25,800 Dragons early in A Song of Ice and Fire comes from Tyrion's 221 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:27,680 chapters. Later, that knowledge is filled 222 00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:30,560 out by in world historical sources like The World of Ice 223 00:11:30,560 --> 00:11:34,240 and Fire also discuss these apparent conundrums. 224 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,160 And besides the legendary Kings and the hundreds of kingdoms 225 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,360 from which the Seven Kingdoms were born, stories of such as 226 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,560 Simeon, Star Eyes, Serwin of the Mirror Shield, and other heroes 227 00:11:45,560 --> 00:11:48,280 have become fodder for septons and singers alike. 228 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:53,640 Did such heroes once exist? It may be so, but when the 229 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:56,280 singer's number Serwin of the Mirror Shield as one of the 230 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:59,840 Kings Guard, an institution that was only formed during the reign 231 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:03,320 of Egg and the Conqueror, we can see why it is that few of these 232 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:07,320 tales can ever be trusted. The septons who first wrote them 233 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,040 down took what details suited them and added others, and the 234 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,480 singers changed them, sometimes beyond all recognition for the 235 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:17,080 sake of a warm place in some Lords hall. 236 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:21,480 In such a way to some long dead first man, become a knight who 237 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,280 follows the Seven and guards the Targaryen kings thousands of 238 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,560 years after he lived, if he ever did. 239 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:32,480 It almost doesn't matter if he was real or exaggerated to the 240 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,120 point that the stories bear little resemblance to the truth, 241 00:12:35,120 --> 00:12:37,920 because whether he lived or not, his name has power. 242 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,560 That alone can explain why Servant of the Mirror Shield is 243 00:12:41,560 --> 00:12:44,560 spoken of to this day. It is not a new phenomenon or 244 00:12:44,560 --> 00:12:47,040 product of the current era. Many of the same names are 245 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,040 mentioned in generations past, as we see in the Hedge Night, 246 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:53,600 which is 90 years before the events of A Game of Thrones. 247 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:57,760 He fought back on all the songs he had heard, songs of blind 248 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,600 Simian, Star Eyes and Noble Sirwin, of the Mirror Shield, of 249 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,080 Prince, Eamon the Dragon Knight, Sir Ryan, Red Wine, and Florian 250 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:07,560 the Fool. They had all won victories 251 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:11,760 against foes far more terrible than any he would face, but they 252 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:14,960 were great heroes, brave men of noble birth. 253 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:21,320 Except for Florian and what am I dunk, Flea Bottom or Sir Duncan 254 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,520 the Tall? The names of these heroes mean a 255 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:25,560 lot. They give legitimacy to whatever 256 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:28,680 'cause they lend themselves. This is something Cersei forgot 257 00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:31,680 when she dismissed Sir Barristan, as Tyrion points out 258 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:34,240 after the fact. Sir Baraston was the Lord 259 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,920 Commander of Robert Baratheon's Kings Guard, Tyrion reminded her 260 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:40,000 pointedly. He and Jamie are the only 261 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,360 survivors of Varus Targaryen 7. The small folk talk of him in 262 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,800 the same way they talk of Sir One of the Mirror Shield and 263 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,840 Prince Amon the Dragon Knight. Tyrion one The Clash of Kings. 264 00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:52,360 Cersei admits she didn't think of this. 265 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:56,720 Of course it was Varus's idea to have Barristan leave, but that's 266 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,320 because he wanted to sabotage Joffrey's regime. 267 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:02,640 And of course his partner in crime Illyrio, recruited him as 268 00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:05,760 Arson Whitebeard shortly after, which was surely planned in 269 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,240 advance as well. Virus being virus, another top 270 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,600 level schemer weighs in here. This is Littlefinger telling 271 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:15,720 Sansa how he encouraged the Tyrells to put Loris up for the 272 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,880 Kingsguard, in part using the power of these legendary names. 273 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,960 I also planted the notion of Sir Laurus taking the white, and not 274 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,680 that I suggested it, that would have been too crude. 275 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,760 But men and my party supplied grisly tales about how the mob 276 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,960 had killed Sir Preston Greenfield and raped the Lady 277 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,400 Lollis and slipped a few silvers to Lord Terrell's army of 278 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:40,920 singers to sing of Ryan red wine, Serwin of the Mirror 279 00:14:40,920 --> 00:14:43,200 Shield, and Prince Eamon the Dragon Knight. 280 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:48,440 A harp can be as dangerous as a sword in the right hands. 281 00:14:49,160 --> 00:14:53,760 Sons of Five Storm of Swords. These are among the same names 282 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:56,720 and brands quote. Well, not lollies or Sir 283 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:59,120 Preston, but Rhyme Redwine and Amon. 284 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,320 The Dragon Knights names are coming up a lot. 285 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:03,520 They were Lord Commanders of the Kingsguard whose lives were 286 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:05,880 separated by a mere few generations. 287 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:09,320 Amon only died about 120 years before the start of the books, 288 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,840 while Sirwin may not have ever lived, and if he did, it was 289 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,280 thousands of years before he and Rhyme Redwine. 290 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,800 It's a long time to stay famous, but Westeros has held the near 291 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,840 exact same chivalric codes of behavior for just as long. 292 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:26,800 Roughly speaking, in between the lives of Amon the Dragon Knight 293 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,840 and Rhyme Redwine was the Dance of the Dragons, where the 294 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,200 aforementioned Sir Byron Swan was roasted while taking his 295 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:37,280 shot at being the new Sirwin. How did Sirwin of the Mirror 296 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:39,120 shield play the dragon? Your axe. 297 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:41,800 He approached behind his shield. Your axe? 298 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:45,000 Only his reflection until Sirwin had plunged his spear through 299 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,760 his eye. Halden was unimpressed. 300 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:51,360 Even Duck knows that tale. Can you tell me the name of the 301 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,200 knight who tried the same ploy with Vega during the Dance of 302 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:56,400 the Dragons? Tyrion grinned. 303 00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:59,800 Sir Byron Swan. He was roasted for his trouble. 304 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,920 Only the dragon was Cyrax, not Vega. 305 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:07,160 I fear that you're mistaken in the Dance of the Dragons, a true 306 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,960 telling, Mr. Muncan writes. That it was Vega, Grandmaster 307 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,880 Monkin heirs. Sir Byron Squire saw his master 308 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:15,800 die and wrote his daughter of the manner of it. 309 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,600 His account says it was Cyrax Rainier's She Dragon, which 310 00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:21,400 makes more sense than Monkin's version. 311 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,720 Swan was the son of a martyr Lord and Storm's End was for 312 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:27,800 Aegon. Vega was ridden by Prince Amond, 313 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,200 Aegon's brother. Why should Swan want to slay 314 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,840 her? I must say, how this debate is 315 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,200 given to readers the first time is quite an inside joke. 316 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,640 It's highly meta that Tyrion argues the same position of 317 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,000 Mushroom, a dwarf, while the half maester Halden argues the 318 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,880 same position of that of Monken, a Grand Maester. 319 00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:48,880 As Tyrion points out, there are flaws with the idea it was 320 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,440 Vergar, but Tyrion's arguments have flaws too. 321 00:16:51,480 --> 00:16:53,640 How Swan was sworn to Storms End. 322 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:57,000 True, but the Dance of the Dragon saw many Lords go against 323 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,640 their Liege and many change sides, some more than once. 324 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,840 Cyrax was inaccessible to enemies of the Blacks. 325 00:17:04,200 --> 00:17:06,800 She never left the Red Keep, never fought in battle. 326 00:17:07,040 --> 00:17:09,839 There would be no chance for Sir Byron to make this attempt on 327 00:17:09,839 --> 00:17:12,680 her life, unless he, say, declared his allegiance to the 328 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:15,839 Blacks as a ruse and then, once he gained their trust, made his 329 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:17,920 attempt to kill her. Infiltrating the Red Keep to 330 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:21,800 kill a dragon in the guise of an ally would mirror several other 331 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,119 events during the Dance, including another one we'll 332 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:27,880 discuss, but this remains a fairly narrow possibility for 333 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:31,000 this theory, contradicting Byron's own Squire plus Tyrion 334 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:35,000 and Halden Halfmeister both, and Mushroom and Monkin Septon 335 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,880 Eustis presents 1/3 option that Swan was after Sunfire. 336 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,440 This makes a lot of sense, as Sunfire was badly wounded after 337 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,840 the Battle of Rooks Rest and for a long time incapable of flight. 338 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,360 This would seem to be a good opportunity to slay a dragon if 339 00:17:49,360 --> 00:17:51,520 there ever was one. The counter argument here is 340 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,960 that no one knew where Sunfire spent his time recovering, but 341 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:56,960 this is not a very overwhelming point. 342 00:17:56,960 --> 00:17:58,920 This is a dragon we're talking about. 343 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,840 Just because the sources do not know where the beast was, maybe 344 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,040 some locals did. Swan could have found her. 345 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,320 It's possible the sigil of how Swan is 2 Swans mirror images of 346 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:10,400 one another, one black, the other white. 347 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:13,800 Sir Balon Swan joins Joffrey's Kingsguard and I'll agree he's a 348 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,120 great knight. Probably why Varus was against 349 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:18,400 him. That aside, Jamie confronts him 350 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,240 regarding the Swan family splitting their loyalty during 351 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,200 the War of 5 Kings. Though Balon fought for Joffrey, 352 00:18:24,360 --> 00:18:27,920 his elder brother Donnell fought for Renly and then Stannis. 353 00:18:27,920 --> 00:18:31,000 Balon, given the Kingsguard raiment and a record of loyalty, 354 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:32,960 well, he's clearly the White Swan. 355 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,880 Donald is clearly the Black Swan of that family. 356 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,240 Point being, it could be that Sir Byron Squire is also doing a 357 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,680 bit of playing both sides on behalf of his dead master. 358 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,160 But if so, why then did Byron Squire not simply tell the 359 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,160 truth? Then the blacks came out ahead 360 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:50,680 in the end. So an attempt on Sunfire, a 361 00:18:50,680 --> 00:18:53,960 dragon on the green side, would be a good deed in the eyes of 362 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,600 the winners. Ditto an attempt on Vergar. 363 00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,920 This would seem to tilt the argument back in favor of an 364 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,880 attempt on Cyrax's life. But then we come right back into 365 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,640 the problem of no access to Cyrax for Sir Byron. 366 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:06,800 Thus, all these theories are flawed. 367 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,800 So while Sir Byron Swan did not duplicate Sirwin's feet of 368 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,360 killing a dragon, he did duplicate Sirwin's feet of 369 00:19:12,360 --> 00:19:15,080 creating historical mystery containing elements that appear 370 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:18,200 together while also completely contradicting each other. 371 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:20,880 No matter what side you take, you're accepting A flawed 372 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:23,640 position. It's a bit like choosing sides 373 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,440 in the Dance of the Dragons itself. 374 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,400 Both sides are quite problematic. 375 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,520 Choosing sides isn't just a challenge for us readers, it was 376 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:32,400 a challenge for the characters in World. 377 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,160 With that, we have one final example. 378 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,960 Or is it 2? That's for you to judge. 379 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,120 It's another philosophical mirror style question, and it 380 00:19:41,120 --> 00:19:45,080 involves that very same difficult choice of blacks or 381 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:49,120 greens while staying white. Indeed, we're staying in the 382 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:50,920 Dance of the Dragons. And why not? 383 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,280 Sirwin was a dragon Slayer, and this was one of the very few 384 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,400 times in Westerosse history where people were actively 385 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,200 trying to kill Dragons. We now turn to a man from the 386 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:00,960 same region as the Swans and Selmies, another legend from the 387 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:02,680 Stormlands. Also a Lord Commander of the 388 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:04,440 Kingsguard. Also the finest night of his 389 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:06,680 era. But unlike Ryan Redwine aiming 390 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,440 the Dragon Knight and Barristan Selmi, and unlike other famous 391 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,160 Lord Commanders, he is not mentioned alongside the name of 392 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:14,720 Sirwin the Mirror Shield, even though he is literally the man 393 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:16,600 who replaced. Or Ryan. 394 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,120 It's not that he wasn't their equal in battle, he certainly 395 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:20,840 was that. Rather, it's because his 396 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,520 reputation was ruined. Thus, it's that he is not their 397 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,160 equal in honor. There are several reasons for 398 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,440 this, but one is that he set into motion a plan that was 399 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:33,320 ironically closer to Serwin's great deed than any performed by 400 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:36,400 these other illustrious names. As we alluded to earlier, 401 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,800 sometimes dragon is metaphorical. 402 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,840 Not all would be. Dragon slayers target real 403 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:43,040 Dragons. Sometimes, for example, it's a 404 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:46,600 dragon queen thereafter, And not to be outdone by Dragons, 405 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:49,960 mirrors have their share of metaphorical comparisons as 406 00:20:49,960 --> 00:20:52,520 well. Sir Kristen Cole, the kingmaker, 407 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:54,960 didn't make the assassination attempt himself. 408 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,880 After all, he and Queen Rainier had a famous falling out, and 409 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:01,240 the only way he'd ever get near her again would be by force. 410 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,920 He was death with a Morning Star in his hand, but he was capable 411 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:05,720 of dealing death through intrigue as well. 412 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,440 Though this plan did not succeed, it was fiendishly 413 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:11,880 clever in its intricacies and he would also inadvertently launch 414 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,760 another legend for the singers to sing of, though without his 415 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:18,040 name attached to it. When the Dance of the Dragons 416 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:21,720 truly heated up, very few could get away with not taking a side. 417 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:24,160 Though earlier in life he had been Rainier's greatest 418 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:27,360 champion, those days were long gone and Sir Kristen of course 419 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,560 chose the Green faction. The rest of the Kingsguard also 420 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:33,440 had to choose, and unlike others who could perhaps deliberate for 421 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,040 a time, they had to choose quickly. 422 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:38,040 One of the more heart rending decisions came down to two men. 423 00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:40,840 The two men were brothers, and like the Swans they wound up on 424 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,680 opposite sides of the war. Like the Swans sigil, they were 425 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,560 twins presented as mirror images, but they were not of 426 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:49,480 House Swan, they were of House Cargill and even their names 427 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:53,240 give off that mirror image feel Eric and Arik. 428 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,640 And so it was that in a war of dragon versus dragon, brother 429 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,760 versus sister, black versus green, 1 white knight was sent 430 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:04,520 to impersonate his twin. Sir Eric was sent by Sir Kristen 431 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,800 to impersonate his brother and slay either the Queen or the 432 00:22:07,800 --> 00:22:10,080 Queen's children. The sources differ on this. 433 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,800 Even like Sir, when holding out his mirror shield, the Dragons 434 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,040 would not perceive any threat as they would only see a familiar 435 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:19,120 face. Sir Eric did not undertake this 436 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,400 mission happily. Indeed, Septon Eustace tells us 437 00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,680 the troubled knight visited the Red Keep Sept on the night he 438 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:28,960 was to sail to pray for forgiveness to our Mother above. 439 00:22:29,360 --> 00:22:31,840 One could see why this plan might succeed. 440 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,640 In the past, even their fellow Kingsguard Knights could not 441 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,280 tell them apart. Who would know Sir Eric was 442 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:41,680 actually Sir Eric? Well, exactly one person, Sir 443 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:44,120 Eric himself. The twins chanced upon each 444 00:22:44,120 --> 00:22:47,880 other, and it said Sir Eric knew immediately what his brother was 445 00:22:47,880 --> 00:22:49,800 up to. They drew their swords. 446 00:22:50,040 --> 00:22:53,120 Prince Eamon, the Dragon Knight, cried the day Princess and Aries 447 00:22:53,120 --> 00:22:57,240 went, his brother Aegon Sansa Stark said, and the twins, Sir 448 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,520 Eric and Sir Eric died with tears on their cheeks after each 449 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:02,400 had given the other a mortal wound. 450 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:08,000 Tyrion 9A Clash of Kings. But even this story is disputed. 451 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:11,440 1 version says they cursed each other, that there were no tears 452 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,160 of sorrow. One says they fought for an hour 453 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,520 and that no onlooker could step in because they didn't know who 454 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,640 to step in for. One says it was over in seconds. 455 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:23,280 One account says they did not die together at all. 456 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:26,680 That Eric died right away, and Eric four days later from the 457 00:23:26,680 --> 00:23:29,960 horribly painful gut stabbing given to him by his brother. 458 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,560 Like so many of these related stories, this tale has multiple 459 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:35,280 reflections sections, and we cannot say which is true. 460 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,960 And it could be that there are elements of truth in several. 461 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,360 Eric and Ark have been reborn, and they guard a queen, the 462 00:23:42,360 --> 00:23:45,840 Queen of Thorns, that is. You may remember them as left 463 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:50,240 and right, named so because she famously cannot tell them apart. 464 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:53,680 They too were party to the assassination of a king at the 465 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:56,480 Purple Wedding, though perhaps only by association. 466 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,800 Will their story end with them in opposition? 467 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:02,000 Will they die together as their legendary namesakes did? 468 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:04,880 Cole's dishonorable attempt on Rainier his life has another 469 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:06,560 mirror image in A Song of Ice and Fire. 470 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,080 Sir Barrison the Bolt AKA the King Breaker was a man from the 471 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:13,720 Stormlands, as was Cole AKA the Kingmaker. 472 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,800 Barrison was named to the Kings Guard at the same age of 23 that 473 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:19,560 Cole was. Selmy is a man deeply tied to a 474 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:22,600 young and powerful dragon writer queen who may yet prove 475 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:26,600 problematic like Cole was. However, as we've seen, mirrors 476 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:30,440 don't just reflect, they oppose. Bearson was called to vote on 477 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,360 the assassination of Daenerys Targaryen in A Game of Thrones. 478 00:24:33,360 --> 00:24:35,640 He stood with Lord Eddard Stark in dissenting. 479 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:37,840 He would not do it. Did the Serwin of the Mirror 480 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:40,200 Shield face a similar challenge or two? 481 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,520 If not asked to weigh in on assassinations? 482 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:45,840 Did he perhaps live during a civil war or two where choosing 483 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,080 sides was difficult? Did Serwin receive dishonorable 484 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:53,240 orders like those given by Cole to Sir Eric or by Aries to 485 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,720 Barristan? It's entirely possible, perhaps 486 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,840 probable. They still argue over dissent 487 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,400 from Garth Greenhand even now and back then. 488 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,880 I'm sure that mirror casts many reflections. 489 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:07,880 Serwin may owe a crucial portion of his legacy to simply having 490 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,440 chosen the winning side. Selmy was no king himself, but a 491 00:25:11,440 --> 00:25:14,680 warrior in service to such. He had little control over 492 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:17,880 politics, it would seem. Thus, it is hard to imagine that 493 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,040 Serwin of the Mirror Shield went through a full career without 494 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,280 any such conflicts. Surely the Age of Heroes wasn't 495 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:28,040 that perfectly heroic. 1 cannot always predict how these 496 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:31,320 reflections, especially those with long shadows, will look to 497 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:34,360 future generations. For example, is Barrison on the 498 00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:39,680 winning side now? And later, had Sir Kristen Cole 499 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:42,600 been on the winning side, he might be recognized as a hero 500 00:25:42,600 --> 00:25:45,000 now. He might be a paragon of Sirwin, 501 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,640 of the Mirror Shield, after all. And that's something to keep in 502 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:51,120 mind for Barristan the Bold, a man who has switched sides as 503 00:25:51,120 --> 00:25:53,560 many times as Sir Kristen. A Queen's hand instead of a 504 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:55,480 King's hand. And of course, a king breaker 505 00:25:55,480 --> 00:25:58,440 instead of a king maker. Daenerys tells Dario that Sirwin 506 00:25:58,440 --> 00:26:00,640 was troubled by the ghosts of the men he slew. 507 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:04,040 Barristan's chapters feature him thinking of his own ghosts, men 508 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,800 and women he failed to protect like Rhaegar and his children 509 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:10,040 and the three dead kings he served prior to Daenerys and 510 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:13,600 Ashara Dane, who embarrassed and loved but never told her. 511 00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:16,320 Ghost haunts him too, while Kristen Cole may have been 512 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,080 haunted by a confession of love, either by him to Rainiera or the 513 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,880 other way around. Likewise, we wonder, did Sirwin 514 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,680 have a love of his own? George RR Martin will likely 515 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,000 tell us more. But for in world characters 516 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,880 themselves, these stories are in the past and recorded as much as 517 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,960 they ever will be. Except who yet knows how history 518 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:36,440 will remember Barristan the Bold? 519 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,040 His story is not fully written, it's still in progress. 520 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,640 That is one factor separating him from the rest of these 521 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:45,200 legends like the reborn Eric and Arc. 522 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:47,840 Will Barristan remain a mirror image to Sir with himself? 523 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,160 Will he stay with Daenerys? Will he fight for friends in the 524 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,560 Reach? The new Greens with their male 525 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,600 claimant? Will his reflection and 526 00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,240 reputation be blackened like Cole? 527 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,000 Or both? Thanks for listening slash 528 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:02,600 watching the history of Westeros. 529 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:06,040 Check the description for links to related topics, as well as 530 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:08,520 all the places you can discuss this and other History of 531 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:11,760 Westeros episodes like Facebook Flick, Discord, and Slack. 532 00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,960 You can support us on patreon.com/history of Westeros. 533 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:17,880 Thanks to Rainey's Targaryen from westeros.org. 534 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,360 Thanks to sweeticeandfiresunray.com. 535 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:22,640 A Shay is the best for so many things, like running the 536 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:24,720 production of this video and so many other things. 537 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:28,400 Thanks to Michael Klarfeld of clairdox.de for our video intro 538 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,040 and the awesome maps we use. 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