Two weeks ago, I did a post about Bran Stark’s plot line for this coming season. Basically, Bran will be meeting the three-eyed raven, Lord Bryden Rivers, also known as Bloodraven.
In order to understand Bloodraven’s background, I must mention whom his father was. Aegon IV, known as Aegon the Unworthy, fathered many bastards (and one of them was Bloodraven). Here is a list of his mistresses and their respective children. I have bolded the most important names:
- Falena Stokeworth
- Merry Meg
- Cassella Vaith
- Bellegere Otherys, the Black Pearl of Braavos (there is a descendant of her also called the Black Pearl of Braavos in Arya’s storyline)
- Barba Bracken, mother of Aegor Rivers, better known as Bittersteel
- Melissa Blackwood, mother of Brynden Rivers, Bloodraven
- Bethany Bracken
- Jeyne Lothston
- Serenei of Lys, mother of Shiera Seastar
Basically Bloodraven’s ancestry from mother’s side is of the First Men, which is interesting because House Blackwood is one of the few houses south of the Neck (outside of the North) that follows the Old Gods as opposed to the Faith of the Seven. They are from the Riverlands and that is pretty unusual. For thousands of years House Blackwood has been having a feud against their neighbours, House Bracken. As a result, Bloodraven and Bittersteel were not the best of friends even though they were half-brothers. Their enmity was furthered by the “love” that both brothers have for another half-sibling, Shiera Seastar, who chose Bloodraven over Bittersteel.
Aegon the Unworthy also had an affair with one of his cousins, Daena Targaryen, who became the mother of Daemon Blackfyre. They were not married so he was an illegitimate child. Daemon was a real warrior, and physically he looked like a real Targaryen, very “beautiful” (I found this word a little bit odd to describe a man). As a result of his fighting skills, his father gave him the ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Targaryen, given to kings and wielded by Aegon the Conqueror, the first Targaryen king. Daemon Blackfyre’s sigil was a black three-headed dragon on a red field (basically House Targaryen’s sigil with reversed colours). As a result, he became known as the Black Dragon.
Aegon the Unworthy legitimized all his bastards on his deathbed. In the long run, Daemon Blackfyre rebelled against his half-brother, Daeron II Targaryen, when he became king (he was bookish and known as Daeron the Good). His decision to rebel was due to the following reasons:
- He resented being born a bastard as opposed to trueborn.
- His half-brother, Bittersteel, and the master of arms, Quentyn Ball, advised him to rebel since Daeron the II was not a legitimate son of Aegon IV Targaryen, but the son of Aemon the Dragonknight from the Kingsguard and Queen Naerys (brother and sister wife to Aegon IV Targaryen respectively). Of course, this was just a rumour to incite war (a fact accepted by most readers and fans).
- Daeron II Targaryen arranged the marriage of his sister Daenerys to Maron Martell, the Prince of Dorne. He himself married the Dornish princess, Myriah Martell. This was a political move since the Kingdom of Dorne was never conquered by the Targaryens, and it was a way to incorporate Dorne with the rest of Westeros. However, princess Daenerys and Daemon were in love, so he was not happy about this arrangement.
At the Battle of Redgrass Field, Bloodraven put an end to the rebellion by killing Daemon and two of his sons (he killed them with arrows). As a result, Bittersteel attacked him and removed one of his eyes. Bittersteel and many Blackfyre supporters went into exile. He founded the Golden Company, the most prestigious sellsword company in Essos. I am bringing this because the Golden Company will become important in later seasons.
There were subsequent Blackfyre rebellions. The last male Blackfyre was Maelys the Monstrous, slain by Barristan Selmy. The implication is that there must be a Blackfyre descendant through the female line. This leads us to Illyrio Mopatis and Varys – what is their role? Who are they? What is their end game? This topic will be dealt in another time in anticipation for the fifth season.
Next topic will be about jewelry.