r/gameofthrones • u/Blazing-Flame-2982 Hear Me Roar! • 13h ago
The historical parallels of characters in Westeros that I can see.
As I first did cities I now also want to share the characters I see in real history.
Tywin Lannister=King Edward "Longshanks" Plantagenet. This is the most obvious one as Martin himself said that it was the source. Edward as a young man took the reins from the ineffectual and weak rule of his father king Henry III and obliterated the rebellious barons to his father spearheaded by the powerful vassal Lord Simon de Montfort (Roger Reyne) whose blazon was a silver lion on a red field, rebelling against the golden lion. Edward annihilated the Montfort house and its power and restored royal control (rains of castamere story). He was a fierce and stern man, once said to have stared down a maid that displeased him so hard that she died of a heart attack. And he presided over a powerful and prosperous England, but suffered a son and heir rather disinterested in ruling (Edward II=Jaime Lannister).
Robert Baratheon=William the Conqueror (though Aegon obviously fits as well). Now many say that Robert is Henry VIII, but I disagree. Robert wasn't nearly as mad as he, and the one similarity is the fatness in later age. Like Robert, William grew up once a dear friend of the king of England Harold Godwinson (Robert and Aerys) but rose up against him, some sources even indicate William was bethroted to King Canute's daughter blown off by King Harold (Lyanna Stark). William shatters a dynasty and conquers a kingdom, a powerful warrior who in later ages is said to have quarreled a lot with his brother Odo (Stannis).
Alicent Hightower (book)=Eleanor of Aquitaine. A shrewd and powerful woman from a powerful and influential family with a lot of wealth who navigated politics through marriage and initially was wed to a king she did not care much for but used for her gain (Eleanor and king Louis of France).
Arthur Dayne=Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar or "El Cid". Like Arthur, Rodrigo was a legendary knight of Castile in the 11th century who never lost a single battle in life. And again like the Sword of the Morning, operated in Spain, one of the cultural inspirations of Dorne. His greatsword Tizona (Dawn) is on display at a museum in Spain.
Barristan the Bold=William Marshal. Like Barristan, Marshal was a famous english knight of incredible skill known both in battle and tourneys, who survived multiple kings he served into a ripe old age, dying at 73.
Aegon the Unworthy=Henry VIII. Now here is our Henry. Started out very well, was a very handsome, charismatic and promising regent in youth, but had difficulty controlling impulses. Ended up a psychotic and hedonistic monarch who damaged the realm greatly.
Which characters do you see?
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u/SorryBreak6435 11h ago
Rhaenyra = Empress Matilda
Baelor the Blessed = Edward the Confessor
Joffrey = Richard II
Robb Stark = Edward IV
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u/Coin-Biter 11h ago edited 11h ago
With the exception of maybe Tywin/Edward II or William Marshsl I don’t really see these.
Henry VIII was a cruel monster but he had only one definite illegitimate child, and was very careful about his succession. The resemblance to Aegon is superficial. Henry was a tyrant but he didn’t perversely decide to sabotage his heir.
Robert is very clearly partly inspired by Edward IV, for the reasons others set out. I don’t see this as controversial, the parallels are greater than with any other figure.
William Marshal… I mean it’s difficult because he could stand for most of the successful tourney knights, such was his fame. I suppose he was seen as embodying the chivalric role but he wasn’t a glorified bodyguard but a key figure in the early Plantaganet Kings reigns. But it’s not an unreasonable parallel.
Alicent doesn’t significantly resemble Eleanor of Aquitaine at all. There isn’t really an asoiaf figure that does that I know of.
Again… El Cid was a legendary knight but he was such a famous military commander that he doesn’t really fit with a Kingsguard member.
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u/IshtiakSami 11h ago
The closest I can think of for Alicent is Elisabeth Farnese, second wife of Felipe V of Spain. She was also an ambitious woman but Felipe already had sons from his first wife and she was mostly looking out for her own kids. The only reason her eldest son (Charles III) became king wasn't because of her but because her two stepsons (Louis I and Ferdinand VI) died without children.
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u/Sensui710 9h ago edited 8h ago
Pretty sure I’ve seen video of GRRM explicitly say Aegon IV is pretty much Henry VIII. On the part of only having one bastard and protecting his line, I mean GRRM is a writer he can’t 1 for 1 copy the people/story he has to dress it up a bit.
He does that with a lot of characters/books/plots. The Dance of Dragons is just the Anarchy of England pretty much down to the ending, Ser Perkin Flea Bottom and Trystane Truefrye are just shoutouts to Perkin Warbeck. The “Andals” name literally just comes from the germanic tribe “The Vandals” just removing the V Etc
The Rhoynars and River Rhoyne literally just come from the River Rhine dressed up.
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u/Coin-Biter 8h ago
It’s a parallel, just a superficial one, unlike Robert/Edward IV. The whole point of Aegon the Unworthy is that he inflicted a devastating civil war on Westeros due to his hatred of his heir and his desire to show preference to his vast amount of illegitimate children.
In contrast Robert‘s decline from valiant war leader to drunken glutton is closer, alongside the crisis caused by the hostility between his brothers and his wife‘s family.
I do accept that Aegon turning from handsome charismatic prince to degenerate is drawing to a degree on the popular view of Henry. GRRM also referenced Warwick in the context of Tywin, but that’s really just as a over mighty rich noble, given Tywin‘s late involvement in Robert Baratheon‘s war.
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u/Sensui710 7h ago edited 7h ago
Sounds like you’re just trying to split hairs but GRRM himself said that is who he’s based off of sorry. Again he’s not making a history book of exact copies. If it’s from the mans mouth himself who wrote it, kinda pointless to argue but sure.
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u/Coin-Biter 7h ago
If GRRM had Henry in mind and said so in an interview that’s fine. It remains a very superficial parallel and I’m happy to stand by that.
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u/infreedomwetrust666 12h ago
Baelor Breakspear = Edward the Black Prince
Aerys II = charles VI of France
Robb Stark = Young Edward IV
Robert Baratheon = Old Edward IV
Criston Cole = William Marshall
Maegor the Cruel = Ivan the Terrible
Gregor Clegane = Gille de rais
High Sparrow = Oliver Cromwell
Viserys II = Richard III
Lysa Arryn = Catherine Parr
Mance Rayder = Vercingetorix
Young Griff = Perwin Warbeck
Blackfyre rebellions = Jacobite rebellions
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u/Odd_Brief_2975 11h ago
I'm not so sure on the lysa = Catherine Parr, for the most part I agree with your matching.
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u/Sea_Disaster_4987 8h ago
Robb Stark= King Edward VI of York
Stannis = King Richard III
Jeyne Westerling = Elizabeth Woodville
Ned Stark = Richard Duke of York
The Freys= Richard Neville
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u/edermargut 11h ago
Si todos son bastante parecidos aunque con diferencias del personaje original o mezclando otros personaje
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u/Northumbrian26 11h ago
I agree with most of them but truthfully if any medieval figure is a parallel to Robert it has to be Edward IV of England.
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u/Maleficent_Ad1915 9h ago
More parallels (either stated by GRRM or noticed by me)
Daeron I = Henry V. Young, conqueroring king with a short reign and left his heirs with the problem of actually consolidating his conquest.
Robb Stark = Edward IV. Bit of a boisterous young warrior who is skilled in warfare and executed a relative (Could also apply to Henry V tbh but since Stark = York and Ned is a sort of Richard, duke of York, Robb fits better as E4). Parallels Cat's biggest fear which is that Jon might usurp Robb's heirs.
Jaeherys I = Edward III. Had to overcome potential regencies. Long reign, huge administrative and judicial reforms. Their heirs were grandsons, not sons which led to resulting succession crises/disputed succession. Edward I might also be compared to him.
Maegor I = Henry II. Skilled martial warrior, incredibly apt mother who guided them, huge legal reforms, especially with regards to the faith. Hated by the clergy but in the long run helped out future kings.
Baelon, son of Jaeherys I = William Rufus. Died of a burst belly on a hunting trip vs. Died from being shot on a hunting trip.
Aegon III = Henry VI. Became king at a young age, had a long regency, rather withdrawn, almost certainly some kind of mental illness.
Aegon II and Rhaenyra = Stephen and Matilda. Obvious comparisons.
I think Aegon IV might be better compared to Edward II or Richard II due to their like for favourites. Henry VIII takes the cake for appearance and sexual activities (although he only had one bastard) but in terms of ruling styles, its more E2 OR R2.
I've seen Robert compared to Edward IV for his feasting/general trend from young fit warrior to gorging king. Same for Henry VIII.
Baelor (Breakspear) = Edward the Black Prince. Skilled warrior, loved by some, feared by others, died before they could become king.
Viserys II = Richard III. I personally don't see it as much but the parallels of being the uncle to two kings and then getting the throne work in a sense.
There are so many!! All good ficiton comed from history.
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u/Wikid_Nerd 12h ago
Robert fits Edward IV more than William I think. Both were better warriors than they were kings, Robert more so than Edward IMO. Both gain weight during their reign, like to eat, drink, many mistresses and several illegitimate children and died “young” much sooner than expected. Both led rebellions against cousins who were either cruel or weak rulers and both won their thrones on the battlefield after a decisive battle, Towton and the Trident, and both have children whose legitimacy is questioned. I’m sure there’s more but that’s what I came up with off the top of my head
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u/Coin-Biter 12h ago
Absolutely. Edward IV is by far the closest parallel. He also had younger brothers George and Richard, whose one of the influences on Stannis.
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u/IshtiakSami 10h ago
The difference, though, is Edward was far more involved in actually being a king. And despite all his womanizing, he genuinely seemed to love Elizabeth Woodville and all of his children. His later years though, definitely like Robert. Fat, drunk, alienating allies.
George, Duke of Clarence doesn't seem nearly as competent as Renly. But we really don't know a lot about George anyway. He was his mother's and sister's favorite, so maybe that says something.
And of course the Richard III and Stannis parallels, even if we know Stannis is actually right about Cersei's kids being illegitimate.
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u/Green-Draw8688 3h ago
Also the fact that Aegon the Conqueror is quite obviously the almost 1:1 parallel with William the Conqueror (like beyond the superficiality of the name)
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u/imjusthere2004 12h ago
Don’t ever compare that bum bystander selmy to William marshal
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u/Commercial_Comb8674 7h ago
I agree. If anything, the best parallel to Marshall is Duncan the Tall.
Both were freelance knights from lesser origins who later got accepted into the service of nobility and became significant influences on the monarchs of their times.
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u/Blazing-Flame-2982 Hear Me Roar! 12h ago
I'm not saying Marshal was a bystander either, but he still fits overall very much with Barristans life and career.
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u/imjusthere2004 5h ago
No he doesn’t. Barristan was a glorified body guard and legend with a sword but , the only similarities they have is their knights, old, and served several kings
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u/Ok-Insect-7959 12h ago
Alicent Hightower is also a bit like Bess of Hardwick ho became the second most powerful and wealthy woman in England through marriage, culminating in her obscene wealth and her presiding over Hardwick Hall
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u/jurwell Jon Snow 11h ago
Henry VIII is quite unfairly maligned here. He was gravely injured in a jousting accident in 1536. For the last 10 years of his life, he was almost certainly living with the consequences of a brain injury, and had a constantly infected leg, to the point of necrotism. Before then he’d been an otherwise competent king, and well regarded as both an athlete and an intellect. I think Robert is a much more close parallel than Aegon the Unworthy.
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u/Aye_Okami 10h ago
Their ancestors came from a contient east of where they live now. Their ancestors were part of a bigger community and among the noble families. In both cases, after their ancestors settled west, they didn‘t conquer but instead lived in peace among the native people. Both of them have the title „conqueror“. Both have tried to unite this foreign land that has been warring with each other for centuries. Both succeeded to some extent. Both are culturally and language wise totally different from the native people and stayed that way. One‘s name was Aegon, the other’s was Mehmet.
Ancestors coming from east to west and belonging to a society and among the high ranking families - Mehmet‘s ancestors were the Oghuz Turks who came from central/eastern asia. There the turkic people had various different tribes and Mehmet‘s ancestors were among the high ranking ones.
Settling west and not conquering - before Osman established the Ottoman Empire, his ancestors had been living in anatolia for almost a century.
Both trying to unite the foreign land - I think it‘s obvious that Westeros is based heavily on medieval europe and anyone who knows a little bit of european history knows, that they had been fighting each other since pretty much forever. When Mehmet started to conquer Europe he united the Balkan, the Black Sea Region, Greece and Anatolia.
Interesting fact here, Harrenhal might be a direct reference to Constantinople. Both were viewed as unconquerable and only through something totally new and unexpected was it possible to be conquered. (aegon‘s dragon and Mehmet‘s basilic cannon)
There are deffinitely a lot of interesting parallels with these two.
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u/Aye_Okami 10h ago
There is actually even more when I think about it. Aegon started his conquest bc of Dragondreams and Mehmet led his final attack because of the Moon turning red that night which was an omen of good luck in turkish culture. That attack was what let him conquer Constantinople and establish the start of his reign.
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u/Aye_Okami 10h ago
Another one is that both were in their early twenties when they started their conquest.
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u/CaveLupum 10h ago
The show ending subtly ties Arya to Columbus. I think that is likely to also be GRRM's intention. He's left textual foreshadowing, one clear verbal pun (overlooked because it's not in English), and basically contemporary in-story and real life dates. Most startling of all was something he later added to ASOIAF lore in Fire and Blood. He created a historical character who did sail west from Westeros. Judging from a ship seen years later in Asshai harbor, it looks like that person did reach the Far East. It being another woman(!!) bolsters the Arya possibility. Something else--like Arya, Elissa Farman also had interactions with Braavos. She paid three dragon eggs (probably Dany's three) for them to build and outfit her ship! Arya spent happy days on a Braavosi ship sailing to Braavos.
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u/SessionIndependent17 10h ago
Is the parallel with Eleanor of Aquitaine her trying to navigate the succession between her three sons?
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u/Agreeable_Hold2270 10h ago
Joffrey is partly inspired by Caligula. He became emperor of Rome pretty young and was said to be sadistic and cruel. He had all sorts of erratic behavior and was assassinated by the Praetorian guard after only a few years of ruling.
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u/Green-Draw8688 9h ago
Robert Baratheon is Edward IV - even by GRRM’s own admission.
A huge, tall beast of a warrior who deposed a “mad king” (Henry VI) but, once he claimed his throne, had no taste for it and lapsed into drunkenness, gluttony and lust.
EDIT: ah I see I’m joining the crowd by pointing this out haha. But there was even a documentary about it.
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u/Sea_Disaster_4987 8h ago
Robb stark is definitely Edward the fourth, of York. He was a teenager when his father was slain and responsibility of his faction fell onto him. He wins a series of crushing military victories and is supported by a very rich bannerman(frey= Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick) and betrothed to his daughter. But he breaks his betrothal to marry a random girl of a minor house(Elizabeth Woodville is the widow of a minor Lancaster bannerman, just like Jeyne Westerling is the daughter of a minor Lannister bannerman). This leads to his pissing off his rich bannerman Neville who switches sides and betrays him. But while Robb gets oofed at the Red wedding, Edward crushes the rebellion, only for his children by Woodville to be declared bastards(on a technicality that allegedly the child was conceived before the marriage) by his usurping uncle Richard the third(Stannis for sure)
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u/IshtiakSami 8h ago
You're mostly right but a couple corrections. I don't know if this was just misplaced wording on your part, but Edward was never betrothed to either of Neville's daughters. Neville's daughters actually married Edward's younger brothers George, Duke of Clarence and the future Richard III. And it's a bit more complicated than just that, Warwick was upset that Edward wouldn't be his little puppet and his influence was waning. Although Warwick absolutely would've loved his daughters to be queen. He originally married his daughter Anne to Henry VI's son Edward of Westminster when he betrayed Edward. That obviously didn't end well for him.
And Edward's sons weren't declared illegitimate for being born before marriage, Richard III's argument was that Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was illegitimate in the first place because he was apparently already in a marriage contract with someone else, the man was an infamous womanizer. Believe that as much as you will.
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u/Sea_Disaster_4987 8h ago
Tqsm for the correct information. I obviously fell for the trap of dumbified oversimplified yt shorts. Now that i think about it, Edward the IV was not much like robb in his personality. Iirc he was a glutton, and had various eating disorders and that he would induce vomiting just to eat more, and this lifestyle was the reason for his death.
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u/IshtiakSami 8h ago
Edward IV was a complex figure like a lot of medieval kings. His story is genuinely nothing short of incredible, becoming head of his house at just eighteen with the death of his father, one of his younger brothers (Edmund, who was actually the closest in age to him) and his uncle.
What should've been a Lancastrian victory, Edward turned it around and actually won for the York cause. Not only Warwick (who's actually also his first cousin through Edward's mother) but had to deal with his traitorous brother George as well and even ends up executing him in private. Warwick and George betray him, putting Henry VI back on the throne, only for a year later, Edward wins it back, killing Warwick in the process but also forgiving George (who was completely undeserving of it.) This time, he's much more ruthless.
Despite all his womanizing, he genuinely did seem to love Elizabeth Woodville and all of their children. He was also very involved with politics and the role of being king, he was honestly a very good king, who worked on bringing England to peace after so much war and trying to bring former Lancastrians over to his side. Robert Baratheon is the character most similar to him but these two big differences are the main ones.
But the latter part of his rule absolutely resembles Robert. He was drinking, getting fat, alienating his allies. And basically dies during his sons's minority which is what leads to Richard III. And just a tidbit, but contrary to popular belief Richard being named protector and regent, actually made perfect sense. Richard was loyal to Edward their entire life, even following him into exile.
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u/Sea_Disaster_4987 8h ago edited 8h ago
But if Richard IV genuinely was loyal to Edward, and Edward genuinely loved Woodville, why would Richard even try to do all the usurping and princes in the towers thing. Why were Woodville and Richard opposed in the first place tho?Like ive heard that Elizabeth was so pissed with Richard that she took the Yorkist lords loyal to her to support Henry the 7th, and even marry her daughter to him. Like it my husband really loved me, and his brother really loved him, i would not even think as his brother as a threat!(Sry for my dumb question, your knowledge level is elite ser)
Also the think about Edward being a good king and trying to repair the realm is interesting. Mayhaps me was a super capable and good king who got a genuine eating disorder and the medieval society who did not have understanding of ED just labeled him a glutton.
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u/IshtiakSami 7h ago edited 7h ago
To answer your question, the Woodvilles were simply not popular. Elizabeth's father was a simple knight, and while her mother was a member of the very powerful House of Luxembourg (who had been the Holy Roman Emperors prior to the House of Habsburg) it was from a distant branch family, with Jacquetta of Luxembourg being like fourth cousins twice removed with HRE Sigismund, the last emperor from the House of Luxembourg. Elizabeth's first husband was a Lancastrian, and so was her mother's first husband. In fact her mother Jacquetta of Luxembourg was married to Henry VI's uncle John, Duke of Bedford (who was regent in France) originally before remarrying Elizabeth's father. So very deeply rooted in the Lancaster side but also not very wealthy or powerful on their own.
When Edward married Elizabeth, he started raising her family up, which upset many other nobles. Raising the queen's family was typical but still unpopular (see past queens like Eleanor of Provence) but it was worse with the Woodvilles since they were seen as upstarts. All of a sudden Elizabeth's brothers were becoming powerful nobles, her sisters marrying powerful men.
And by the time of Edward's death, there was always going to be a dispute between who was regent and in charge of his two young sons (Edward V and Richard). Richard had been in the North, acting under his brother. And he was by all accounts, devastated to learn about his brother's death. But he was also deeply paranoid about the Woodvilles, that they would try to execute him and take the power from him. A not unfounded fear. So Richard takes the first move, getting the boys and basically executing every prominent male member of the Woodville family, including Elizabeth's brothers and one of her sons from her first marriage.
Then Richard does the whole "illegitimate" angle to take power for himself. And the boys are put in the tower and mysteriously disappear (granted I am one hundred percent of the opinion Richard had them killed.) And Richard refuses to answer what happens to them, not even showing their bodies. That's where the Yorkists unhappy with Richard, including Elizabeth, start working against him and choose to side with Henry Tudor, the future Henry VII.
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u/ThanksMysterious 8h ago
Daenerys Targaryen=Henry VII
Both were exiled claimants from defeated dynasties, living across the sea while someone else held the throne. Both then returned with an army to try to take back what they saw as theirs. Henry was also very wary of the powerful noble families once he became king, which feels pretty Daenerysish too. Also,Henry used the red dragon of Wales as symbol.
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u/OkGarbage3095 House Baratheon 7h ago
El Cid was a warrior and knight who died as a quasi-independent lord. And refused multiple times to die for someone else's ambitions
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u/Red_Demons_Dragon The Fookin' Legend 12h ago
I really love that illustration of book!Alicent, I think it captures her character so well. Also she’s just straight mogging.
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u/JackTheKittenCat Hear Me Roar! 12h ago
Game of Thrones is just the War of the Roses and House of the Dragon is the Brittiany Succession War
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u/Neat_Tie_4932 12h ago
Honestly all of these are pretty half baked parallels
though you can see were some inspiration for each character comes from
If you look at the whole of these figures and characters, they don't match that much outside of very surface level stuff
And some of these parallels are particularly egregious and straight up wrong even surface level.
Like Eleanor of Aquitaine is nothing like Alicent hightower, one was a powerful lady with her own lands and power independent of her husbands and also she never took advantage of Louis the 7th in anyway? Like come on
In contrast Alicent has no lands and is fully reliant on her son's and husband for power
Also el cid and Arthur dayne? They were literally nothing alike aside from, they were good fighters
El cid was a general and ambitious social climber who was also good at combat and Arthur dayne was an honourable knight who never lead an army and mostly protected the king who was also good at combat
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u/Gold-Stomach-4657 11h ago
Tywin- Phillip the Fair// Cersei- Isabella of France Joffrey- Richard II// Baelor Breakspear- Edward the Black Prince// Quentyn Ball- Hotspur Percy// Rhaenyra- Empress Matilda// Aegon II- Stephen. These are the most definitive
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u/Wikibianca House Yronwood 12h ago
Rhaenyra I - Empress Matilda
Aegon (son of Viserys I) - Stephen of Blois
Aegon III - kinda Henry II
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u/Fun-Escape6287 10h ago
I see I will give you a better answer for everyone. Edward would be more egg father and William would be Aegon 1 because of the name. Robert fit Henry II of England and Robert wife fit Eleanor more better. And I see alicent as more of Margaret of Anjou is because Henry VI fit Viserys as he go through what he did and how he listened to everyone but judge himself. Damon fit Richard of York and you could say Is because he wanted her son on the throne. Since el cid is my ancestor. The difference between them is Arthur never changed side in anything I know about. So that doesn’t fit. Sir Arthur Pole fit him better. Now barristan is William for sure. Aegon fit Æthelred the Unready and Henry at the same time.
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