By One of most prolific moments in the “A Song Of Ice And Fire” series, Danaerys’ visions in the House of the Undying were completely modified for the HBO series “Game Of Thrones” from which the material is based from.
One of many changes from the books that many fans thought were awful, the entire Qarth storyline with Danaerys was instead replaced with the infamous, and now heavily mocked, “Where are my dragons?” plot. While she does have visions inside the House of the Undying while looking for her dragons, they barely scratch the surface compared to the extensive visions she has in the books. Even more so considering the strong flashbacks and foreshadowing that resulted from them. We take a look at all the visions she has in “A Clash of Kings”(which would represent Season 2 of the show), and what their meanings are:
Vision #1
In one room, a beautiful woman sprawled naked on the floor while four little men crawled over her…One was pumping between her thighs. Another savaged her breasts, worrying at the nipples with his red wet mouth, tearing and chewing.
Westeros being broken by the War Of Five Kings. The reason why she only sees four and not five, is that Balon Greyoy had not yet crowned himself “King Of The Iron Islands” yet in “A Clash Of Kings”/Season 2.
Vision #2
Farther on she came upon a feast of corpses. Savagely slaughtered, the feasters lay strewn across overturned chairs and hacked trestle tables, asprawl in pools of congealing blood. Some had lost limbs, even heads. Savaged limbs clutched bloody cups, wooden spoons, roast fowl, heels of bread. On a throne above them sat a dead man with the head of a wolf. He wore an iron crown and held a leg of lamb in one hand as a king might hold a scepter, and his eyes followed Dany with mute appeal.
The Red Wedding where the Starks and the Tullys got massacred by the Freys and the Boltons
Vision #3
I know this room, she thought. She remembered those great wooden beams and the carved animal faces that adorned them. And there outside the window, a lemon tree! The sight of it made her heart ache with longing. It is the house with the red door, the house in Braavos. No sooner had she thought it than old Ser Willem came into the room, leaning heavily on his stick. “Little princess, there you are,” he said in his gruff kind voice. “Come,” he said, “come to me, my lady, you’re home now, you’re safe now.” His big wrinkled hand reached for her, soft as old leather, and Dany wanted to take it and hold it and kiss it, she wanted that as much as she had ever wanted anything. Her foot edged forward, and then she thought, He’s dead, he’s dead, the sweet old bear, he died a long time ago. She backed away and ran.
A vision of her house in Braavos where she was in hiding as a child. This vision symbolizes her abandoning being a child and growing up accepting that death is part of life.
Vision #4
Beyond loomed a cavernous stone hall, the largest she had seen. The skulls of dead dragons looked down from its walls.Upon a towering barbed throne sat an old man in rich robes, an old man with dark eyes and long silver-gray hair. “Let him be king over charred bones and cooked meat,” he said to a man below him. “Let him be the king of ashes.”
A vision of her father Aerys “The Mad King” calling for Kings Landing to be burned by Wildfire (Before Jaime Lannister killed him)
Vision #5
The man had her brother’s hair, but he was taller, and his eyes were a dark indigo rather than lilac. “Aegon,” he said to a woman nursing a newborn babe in a great wooden bed. “What better name for a king?” “Will you make a song for him?” the woman asked.
“He has a song,” the man replied. “He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.” He looked up when he said it and his eyes met Dany, and it seemed as if he saw her standing there beyond the door. “There must be one more,” he said, though whether he was speaking to her or the woman in bed she could not say. “The dragon has three heads.” He went to the window seat, picked up a harp, and ran his fingers lightly over its silvery strings. Sweet sadness filled the room as man and wife and babe faded like the morning mist, only the music lingering behind to speed her on her way.
Her brother Rhaegar, his wife Elia Martell, and their new born Aegon Targaryen (VI). This vision is to entail that Rhaegar believed in “The Prince That Was Promised” prophecy, and was inclined on fulfilling it.
Vision #6
She is not breathing. Dany listened to the silence. None of them are breathing, and they do not move, and those eyes see nothing. Could it be that the Undying Ones were dead?
Her answer was a whisper as thin as a mouse’s whisker… we live… live… live… *it sounded. Myriad other voices whispered echoes… And know… know… know… know…*
“I have come for the gift of truth,” Dany said. “In the long hall, the things I saw… were they true visions, or lies? Past things, or things to come? What did they mean?”
…the shape of shadows… morrows not yet made… drink from the cup of ice… drink from the cup of fire…
…mother of dragons… child of three…
“Three?” She did not understand.
…three heads has the dragon… the ghost chorus yarnmered inside her skull with never a lip moving, never a breath stirring the still blue air… mother of dragons… child of storm… The whispers became a swirling song… three fires must you light… one for life and one for death and one to love… Her own heart was beating in unison to the one that floated before her, blue and corrupt… three mounts must you ride… one to bed and one to dread and one to love… The voices were growing louder, she realized, and it seemed her heart was slowing, and even her breath…three treasons will you know… once for blood and once for gold and once for love…
“I don’t…” Her voice was no more than a whisper, almost as faint as theirs. What was happening to her? “I don’t understand,” she said, more loudly. Why was it so hard to talk here? “Help me. Show me.”
…help her… the whispers mocked… show her…
This vision is so dense, it could be an article of its own. If dissected properly, these are the elements left in its possible meaning:
– “Three Heads has the Dragon”: Danaerys; Jon; Tyrion?? All part of the Three Headed Dragon Theory
– “Child of Three”: She has two brothers and is the third child out of three. (So are Jon and Tyrion)
– “Child of Storm”: Danaerys was born during a storm, hence the “Stormborn” part of her name.
– “Three fires must you light”:
- One for life: Khal Drogo’s funeral where the Dragons were reborn
- One for death: execution of the witch Mirri Maz Durr
- One to love: Her miscarriage
– “Three mounts must you ride…”:
- One to bed: Her wedding night to Khal Drogo
- One to dread: The Ironborn ships to Westeros brought by Victarian Greyjoy (Yara or Euron in the Show)
- One to love: Khal Drogo (or Daario Naharis)
– “Three treasons you will know…”:
- Once for blood: Dany allows Drogo to kill her brother Viserys
- Once for gold: Jorah’s selling information, or Re-opening the fighting pits in Mereen despite her beliefs on the matter
- Once for love: Abandoning her lover Daario Naharis in Mereen for political purpose
Vision #7
Viserys screamed as the molten gold ran down his cheeks and filled his mouth.
Her brother Viserys Targaryen’s death as Khal Drogo pours molten gold on his head: “A Crown For A King” – One of the most satisfying moments in Game of Thrones/A Song Of Ice And Fire
Vision #8
A tall lord with copper skin and silver-gold hair stood beneath the banner of a fiery stallion, a burning city behind him.
Most likely the “Stallion Who Will Mount The World”, the son of Danaerys and Khal Drogo that never was…
Vision #9
Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman’s name.
The Rubies that were on her older brother’s Armour, as Rhaegar died at the Ruby Ford, most likely whispering Lyanna’s name.
Vision #10
… mother of dragons, daughter of death…
Danaerys is the Mother Of Dragons. Her entire family died during and after Robert’s Rebellion.
Vision #11
A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd.
The cloth dragon most likely represent Aegon Targaryen VI, believed to have been killed at the Sack of Kings Landing during Robert’s Rebellion. Many believe him to not be a true Targaryen, but rather one of the few remaining Blackfyres left, plotting to reclaim the throne.
Vision #12
From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow fire.
This vision represents Jon Connington and the grayscale he caught while heading to Mereen with Tyrion through the ruins of Valyria in “A Dance With Dragons”. In the show, Jorah Mormont is the one that gets plagued with the disease.
Vision #13
Glowing like sunset, a red sword was raised in the hand of a blue-eyed king who cast no shadow. A cloth dragon swayed on poles amidst a cheering crowd. From a smoking tower, a great stone beast took wing, breathing shadow fire.
Stannis Baratheon raising his flaming sword in “A Clash Of Kings”/Season 2 is the first one. The Cloth Dragon is either Aegon Targaryen VI or Varys who serves to bring him to power (In the Books at least; that entire storyline is absent from the HBO series). The third is Jon Connington who has greyscale, and whose sigil is a griffon.
Vision #14
Her silver was trotting through the grass, to a darkling stream beneath a sea of stars.
A memory of her wedding night with Khal Drogo
Vision #15
A corpse stood at the prow of a ship, eyes bright in his dead face, grey lips smiling sadly.
Victarian Greyjoy, who arrives in Mereen in “A Dance With Dragons” to aid Daenerys’ forces led by Barristan Selmy. He hasn’t, and will probably not appear in the show; his storyline will most likely be given to either Yara or Euron Greyjoy, whichever loses the Kingsmoot following Balon Greyjoy’s death.
Vision #16
A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness.
The blue flower represents Lyanna Stark, the wall of ice is “The Wall”. The vision is a reference to Jon Snow “growing” at the Wall to become Lord Commander. Another interpretation is Jon Snow being trapped in ice until he can be “brought back”/resurrected.
Vision #17
… mother of dragons, bride of fire…
Her Husband Khal Drogo was cremated after his death.
Vision #18
Shadows whirled and danced inside a tent, boneless and terrible.
The shadow monster birthed by Melisandre that stabs Renly Baratheon in “A Clash Of Kings”/Season 2
Vision #19
A little girl ran barefoot toward a big house with a red door.
A young Daenerys Targaryen in the house she was hiding in Braavos as a child
Vision #20
Mirri Maz Duur shrieked in the flames, a dragon bursting from her brow.
The Death of Mirri Maz Durr in the Pyre is what led to the magic that gave birth to the dragons at the end of “A Game Of Thrones”/Season 1
Vision #21
Behind a silver horse the bloody corpse of a naked man bounced and dragged.
The wine merchant that tried to poison her in “A Game Of Thrones”/Season 1
Vision #22
A white lion ran through grass taller than a man.
This is obviously Tyrion Lannister that she has yet to meet in the books, and is ruling for her in her absence in the show.
Vision #23
Beneath the Mother of Mountains, a line of naked crones crept from a great lake and knelt shivering before her, their grey heads bowed.
Danaerys becoming the Khaleesi of all the Dothraki Khalasars early in “The Winds of Winter”/Season 6.
Vision #24
Ten thousand slaves lifted bloodstained hands as she raced by on her silver, riding like the wind. “Mother!” they cried. “Mother, mother!” They were reaching for her, touching her, tugging at her cloak, the hem of her skirt, her foot, her leg, her breast. They wanted her, needed her, the fire, the life, and Dany gasped and opened her arms to give herself to them…
It represents Danaerys Targaryen, the Breaker of Chains, after she rescues the slaves of Slavers Bay in “A Storm Of Swords”/Seasons 3 and 4
More Information
YouTuber “Alt-Shift-X” has a very elabortate video with regards to Quaithe and the many words of wisdoms she shares with Daenerys throughout the “A Song of Ice and Fire” book series. Sadly, the HBO show barely showed any of her and made her only reveal Jorah’s fate with regards to him crossing Old Valyria in Season 5.
Nevertheless, the many hints she leaves to Dany in the books are plenty to ponder:
All of the visions have one thing in common, they are wrong. 4 kings, what about Mance Rayder? Red Wedding, “He wore an iron crown”, no, Robb’s crown is made of Bronze with 9 Iron swords. House with the red door? Dany never remembered Darry walking, just in his bed. The mad king wanted to become a dragon by burning Kingslanding down. Rhaegar was trying to birth one savor, and did not know about the three heads. When told that she will be betrayed, she starts to mistrust people, this is also very vague, shes going to war, not supising that she will be betrrayed. Dark Flames and Shadowless men? Vague colours and symbols that could mean anything. Following thinking about these is just BS. The Flower in the Wall? Winter roses are associated with the First men, why is Lay growing out of Jon, Jon wasn’t at the wall at the time, their are other people at the wall, why is just Jon the wall? The “Mother!” they cried. “Mother, mother!” part is not what Dany thinks, or you. It’s not slaves thanking her, it’s them needing her. It’s the Astapori refugees suffering from the Flux.
1-Mance Rayder did not participate in the war of the 5 kings.
(in reply to Scott)2-The crown is a minor detail.
3- The vision of Willem Darry represents the desire of Daenerys, not the past.
4-The Aerys vision does not contradict his desire to become a Dragon.
5-Rhaegar wanted to have three children to complete the prophecy of the promised prince. After the birth of Aegon, Elia could no longer have children. This led to the disappearance of Lyanna and the birth of Jon.
6-The blue flower is a symbol associated with Lyanna. His son, Jon, is a sworn brother of the Night Watch. The flower and the wall represent Jon.
The reason she sees 4 and not 5 is because Renly was already dead, not that Balon hadn’t yet crowned himself.
“Three mounts must you ride…”:
2. One to dread:
= Drogon. He is fearsome, to the point even she is wary of him.
3. One to love:
= the world. Maybe, as the stallion who mounts the world.
On Dany as the stallion who mounts the world:
(keep in mind that old Valyrian was gender neutral, creating some leeway in the translation of “prince” to equal “princess” in the Azor Ahai prophecy, assuming a similar twist of words in the origins of the similar StMtW prophecy:)
1. “Swift as the wind he rides”
– aka riding the winds by flying on dragonback
2. “His Khalasaar covers the earth”
– she already has an army comprised of warriors from most eastern lands and is about to conquer the west as well. Her army includes a united Dothraki horde (assuming GoT S7 is accurate)
3. “Fierce as a storm this prince will be”
– aka Stormborn
GRRM’s prophecies are all deliberately vague and can be applied convincingly to multiple scenarios. However, they always come true eventually, given the “right” interpretation. I don’t necessarily claim this one is “right” but rather as convincing as any other.
“…a beautiful woman sprawled naked on the floor while four little men crawled over her…” = Cercei and the Kettleblacks.