The War of the Five Kingdoms is similar to the Wars of the Roses, fought between the Yorks and Lancasters. Martin re-imagined these dueling clans as the rugged Starks and wealthy, blinged-out LANnisters of CASTERly rock.

1) both houses were direct descendents of king Edward III

2) the ruling Lancastrian king, surrounded himself with unpopular nobles

3) the civil unrest of much of the population

4) the availability of many powerful lords with their own private armies; and

5) the untimely episodes of mental illness by king Henry VI.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wars_of_the_Roses

Richard’s (Ned Stark) aim was ostensibly to remove “poor advisors” from King Henry’s side. Against his wife Margaret’s (Cersei) ambitions.

“With no true king the land is beset with corrupt, money-grubbing lords whose only interest is their own prestige. Two loose alliances of power pit a poor but honourable North against a rich and cunning South.”

After military success, Richard of York moved to press his claim to the throne based on the illegitimacy of the Lancastrian line. Landing in north Wales, he and his wife Cecily entered London with all the ceremony usually reserved for a monarch. Parliament was assembled, and when York entered he made straight for the throne, which he may have been expecting the Lords to encourage him to take for himself as they had acclaimed Henry IV in 1399. Instead, there was stunned silence. York announced his claim to the throne, but the Lords, even Warwick and Salisbury, were shocked by his presumption; they had no desire at this stage to overthrow King Henry. Their ambition was still limited to the removal of his councillors.

Richard 3rd (Stanis) declares Robbs son illegitimate common marriage.

The next day, York produced detailed genealogies to support his claim based on his descent from Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence and was met with more understanding. Parliament agreed to consider the matter and accepted that York’s claim was better, but by a majority of five, they voted that Henry VI should remain as king. A compromise was struck in October 1460 with the Act of Accord, which recognised York as Henry’s successor, disinheriting Henry’s six-year-old son, Edward. York accepted this compromise as the best offer. It gave him much of what he wanted, particularly since he was also made Protector of the Realm and was able to govern in Henry’s name.

The Wall is very much real but much less impressive.

Characters also speak in several different English accents, and often those accents correspond to the real-world geography of Britain. Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, is played by Sheffield’s own Sean Bean, sporting his native northern English accent. Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, is played with a posh southern accent by the great Charles Dance. And so on.

Generally speaking this is very cool (to nerdy Anglophile prisses, I mean. Not to me. I only like sports). It’s a useful way for a dense, complicated series to quietly signal backgrounds, affiliations and alliances; it draws on pre-existing associations to quickly develop and define character.

The seven Kingdoms.

The Heptarchy is a collective name applied to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of south, east, and central Great Britain during late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, conventionally identified as seven: Northumbria, Mercia, East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Sussex and Wessex. The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms eventually unified into the Kingdom of England.

Red Weddings and Black Dinners

Dark portents aligned to make Catelyn, Robb, and Edmure’s trip to the Frey’s castle ominous, including the endless rain and Robb’s direwolf’s jumping in his cage. Catelyn Stark mistrusts Lord Frey and frets he is leading them to a trap. But, did historical events inspire George RR Martin when he envisioned the Red Wedding?

To pen the Red Wedding Martin takes a page from a real-life event in medieval Scottish history known as the Black Dinner. The story refers back to a fateful night in 1440 where guests of James II of Scotland were brutally murdered at Edinburgh Castle. History and Games of Thrones teach us that medieval courts were all but friendly, and that behind the feasting and jesting lay murderous plots of treachery and deception, thus kings had to defend their crown and lineage in every way possible.

Who is Who

Aerys II Targaryen = Mad king = Henry VI

Dragon Stone @ GoT Forts

King Henry VI’s arms are supported by two antelopes, this depiction appears on the ceiling of the southern aisle of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle; and on the upper part of the inner gateway of Eton College. Possibly the first English king to systematically used supporters, in their arms, previously they were used ornamentally rather than as part of the heraldic science. The heraldic antelopes are described thus; two heraldic antelopes Argent, armed and tufted Or.

Royal Badge

an Antelope, chained

a Swan, chained

a Spotted panther

two Ostrich feathers in saltire, Or and Argent

the Red rose of Lancaster

the Cornysshe chawghe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VI_of_England

Robert Baratheon = Edward IV

Storms End @ GoT Forts

King Edward IV’s arms contained the white lion, which had been used as supporters by the Mortimers, Earls of March. When he himself was Earl of March, his arms were indeed supported by two white lions; lions rampant guardant Argent, their tails passing between their legs and over their backs.

A black bull, with horns, hoofs Or, is sometimes incorporated as a supporter interchangeably with other creature either on the dexter or sinister side. The bull was a device of Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence, the second son of Edward III. The House of York were descended through him by Richard of York, 3rd Duke of York and his mother Anne de Mortimer.

The white hart was evidently derived from the arms of Richard II, who in 1387 declared Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March, Edward’s maternal great-grandfather, his lawful heir to the crown.

Royal Badge

a Black bull of Clarence

(from Lionel of Antwerp, 1st Duke of Clarence the second son of Edward III)

a Black dragon (Earldom of Ulster)

a White lion of Mortimer (Earldom of March)

a White wolf of Mortimer

a Hart Argent

(reinforce succession from Roger Mortimer, 4th Earl of March heir Richard II)

a Falcon Argent, in a fetterlock Or (for York)

a Sun in splendour

the White rose of York

a Rose en soleil (a combination of the last two badges)

a Rose Gules or a Rose Gules en soleil

(referring to his marriage with Elizabeth Woodville, Lancastrian party)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_IV_of_England

The Lannisters/Lancasters

Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or armed and langued azure

Casterly Rock @ GoT Forts

Tywin = Edward I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_I_of_England

Jamie = Edward II

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_II_of_England

Tryion = Richard III

A Hart (Deer) lodged argent, attired, unguled, ducally gorged and chained or, between four suns in splendour.

DIEU ET MON. Two suns in splendour.

DROYT. Four suns in splendour.

Royal badge

a Sunburst

a Hart Argent lodged, ducally gorged and chained Or (mother; Joan of Kent)

a Stock (stump) of a tree eradicated and couped Or (father; Edward the Black Prince)

a Falcon Argent

a Sprig of broom, Planta genista, the cods open and empty

a Sun in splendour

an Ostrich feather

the Sun clouded

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_III_of_England

Joffrey = Richard II

King Richard’s arms appear on the north front of Westminster Hall. On the base of the escutcheon rests his royal badge of the white hart; which is collared and chained. This device is derived from the personal badge of his mother Joan of Kent. The same device was also used by her son, from her first husband; Thomas Holland, 1st Earl of Kent. In this same decoration the escutcheon is surrounded by two angels, however these the character of pious emblems, rather than heraldic figures.

Another example lies in St Olave’s Church, Hart Street, depicts the arms of the monarch impaled with those of his patron saint; Edward the Confessor. Here is escutcheon is supported by two Harts Argent, collared and chained Or.

Royal Badge

a Sunburst

a Hart Argent lodged, ducally gorged and chained Or (from his mother; Joan of Kent)

a Stock (stump) of a tree eradicated and couped Or(from his father the Black Prince)

a Falcon Argent

a Sprig of broom, Planta genista, the cods open and empty

a Sun in splendour

an Ostrich feather

the Sun clouded

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_II_of_England

Cresie = Marget of angue

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_of_Anjou

The Targaryen/Tudor

A Greyhound courant argent, collared gules. Whole being seme of Tudor roses, Portcullises, and Fleurs-de-lys or. A Dragon gules, between two roses of the last in chief, and three in base, argent.

DIEU ET MON. A rose gules in chief, rose argent in base.

DROYT. In chief three roses gules, in base two argent.

Royal badge

a Portcullis Or, crowned (from his mother; Margaret Beaufort)

a Greyhound Argent, collared Gules (for the Earldom of Richmond)

a Red dragon of Cadwaladr

a Dun cow (of Warwick)

a Crowned hawthorn bush with the cypher H.R. (crown was under a hawthorn bush)

the Tudor rose; a rose Gules, with a rose Argent superimposed, crowned

a Fleur-de-lis, Or, crowned

Flames of fire

a Sunburst

Falcon standing on a fetterlock, with a virgin’s face (a harpy)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_VII_of_England

The Starks/Yorks

Winterfell @ GoT Forts

Ned Stark = Richard York / William lord hastings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hastings,_1st_Baron_Hastings

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_of_York,_3rd_Duke_of_York

Sansa = Elisabth of York

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_of_York

Dothraki = Nomadic horse savages from Asia (Native American hair/braids)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_nomads

Unsullied = Spartans (Muslim)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparta

The nights watch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_monk

. Essos is based on Europe

Other relevancy

Children of the forest = The Celts (Irish)

The first men = The Anglo (English)

The andals = The Saxons (German)

The Targaryen conquest = The norman Conquest (French)