Game of Thrones is back on the air and like a Frey at a wedding party, we feel like dancing in celebration of these tidings. However, it is also only being doled out week to week, leaving us hanging in suspense about who killed Joffrey in the interim.

That is why we at Den of Geek thought it’d be a fun time to take one last look at the series for the time being and consider the real history of Game of Thrones. Woah, don’t think we’ve all gone crazy! Some around here may be brushing up on their High Valyrian, but we all realize this is just a little slice of high fantasy and nihilistic realpolitik. The kind of fairy tale only Kissinger could find happy.

Still, there is a lot of fun Middle Age History wrapped around this story of dragons and Whitewalkers. Because for every element author George R.R. Martin may have borrowed from Tolkien, there were countless more derived from a true medieval world that was decidedly less chivalrous than other fantasy writers would have you believe. One in which things like the Red Wedding would merely indicate that it’s Tuesday.

So, shake off those post-Purple Wedding celebration blues and join us for a fun, brief (for history) look at some of the influences at play in this whacky game.

SPECIAL NOTE: There will be a few references to events in books not yet published in the series, BUT they will be only in select paragraphs helpfully marked by ***SPOILERS***and ***END SPOILERS***. Avoid said paragraphs if you wish to remain spoiler-free. Thank you.













THE WAR OF THE ROSES / WAR OF THE FIVE KINGS