By Sara Simon
Beginning publication in 1996 with A Game of Thrones, and reimagined as a television show in 2011, George R.R. Martin’s sweeping medieval fantasy saga A Song of Ice and Fire has since become a household name. Initially gaining international attention for its rich plotlines and tragic story beats, much of the plot of A Game of Thrones and the following adaptations can be observed to bear close resemblance to major historical events.
Possibly the most noted inspiration present throughout the series, and the one most often noted by both historians and fantasy fans, comes from the parallels between the struggle for the Iron Throne and the War of the Roses in Medieval England. The War of the Roses fought between 1455 and 1487, was a struggle between the two major families for control over the throne of England. The war was fought between the families of Lancaster and York, serving as the inspiration for the Stark and Lannister families in Game of Thrones. Similarly, many of the characters found throughout the series are directly inspired by historical figures involved in The War of The Roses, such as Edward of Westminster, who Martin has credited as inspiring Joffrey Lannister. Like Joffery, Edward came into power during the struggle for the throne, was rumoured to have been born as a result of his mother’s affair, and was recorded as being violent and unpleasant. These parallels do not stop with Joffrey, with Cersei Lannister bearing a striking resemblance to Margaret of Anjou, and Ned Stark almost entirely based on Richard of York. Martin has accredited this conflict as inspiring most of the overarching plot of A Song of Ice and Fire, with The War of the Roses seeing similar levels of brutality and betrayal as its fictionalised version.
A Game of Thrones features a massive wall dividing the settled areas of the continent from the far northern sections, an idea that was inspired by the Roman conquest of the areas that are now the United Kingdom. Beginning in 122AD, Roman Emperor Hadrian began construction on what would come to be known as Hadrian’s Wall, which divided the Roman-controlled areas of Britannia from the areas inhabited by the Pits and other northern peoples. Similarly to the Wildings in Martin’s works, the Romans described those on the other side of the wall as “barbarians” and stationed men along the wall at forts, mirroring the Night’s Watch in A Song of Ice and Fire. The similarities continue as those stationed along the wall were forbidden from marrying and starting families, although, unlike members of the Night’s Watch, they were only stationed for 25 years at a time.
The Red Wedding is often considered one of the most tragic plot points in the series, with the Starks betrayed by their ally and massacred during a wedding celebration. Martin has also often attributed the brutality of this event to inspiration drawn from another historical event in the United Kingdom. The Black Dinner was a Scottish event in 1440 in which the Rivalry Between the Douglas and Chrichton clans resulted in the execution of two major figures of the Douglas Clan. Accepting an invitation to dine with the Chrichton clan, William and David Douglas were executed during the dinner, leading to a conflict between the two families. Similar to the Starks, both events were in direct violation of medieval codes of hospitality, as inviting guests to dine with a host implied a level of protection. Furthermore, both The Red Wedding and The Black Dinner eventually resulted in the party that instigated the assassination facing retribution from the opposing family.
A Song of Ice and Fire is widely recognized for the strength of its plot, characters, and storylines, many of which are drawn directly from history. George R.R. Martin himself has remarked that he often studies history and “files the serial numbers off” (and adds dragons) when adapting his works. So while you continue to wait for The Winds of Winter, consider researching the historical events that may come to inspire it.
References
“A Game of Thrones (a Song of Ice and Fire, Book One): George R.R. Martin.” George RR Martin. https://georgerrmartin.com/grrm_book/a-game-of-thrones-a-song-of-ice-and-fire-book-one/.
“George RR Martin on Historical Influences in Game of Thrones.” YouTube, March 5, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNZjRoI15s.
HistoryExtra. “A Tale of Two Walls: How Hadrian’s Wall Inspired Game of Thrones.” HistoryExtra, August 30, 2022. https://www.historyextra.com/period/roman/hadrians-wall-inspired-game-thrones-season-eight-george-martin-real-history/.
“How Game of Thrones Drew on the Wars of the Roses.” The Guardian, May 29, 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/29/game-of-thrones-war-of-roses-hbo.
Howard, Nick. “The Black Dinner.” Medium, March 27, 2022. https://medium.com/the-history-inquiry/the-black-dinner-290e3402ea88.
Image Retrieved From:
“World Map (HBO Game of Thrones).” A Wiki of Ice and Fire. Accessed January 9, 2024. https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/World_Map_%28HBO_Game_Of_Thrones%29.