Since it first aired in 2011, Game of Thrones galloped up the ratings to become the most watched show in HBO’s history. It is no secret that creator George R.R. Martin was inspired by late 15th century Europe when writing A Song of Ice and Fire, the sprawling saga on which the show is based. Aside from the fantastical elements, Game of Thrones really does mirror historic events and bloody battles of medieval times—but how closely?
Game of Thrones versus History: Written in Blood is a collection of thought-provoking essays by medieval historians who explore how the enormously popular HBO series and fantasy literature of George R. R. Martin are both informed by and differ significantly from real historical figures, events, beliefs, and practices of the medieval world. From a variety of perspectives, the authors delve into Martin’s plots, characterizations, and settings, offering insights into whether his creations are historical possibilities or pure flights of fantasy.
Topics include the Wars of the Roses, barbarian colonizers, sieges and the nature of medieval warfare, women and agency, slavery, celibate societies in Westeros, myths and legends of medieval Europe, and many more. While life was certainly not a game during the Middle Ages, Game of Thrones versus History: Written in Blood reveals how a surprising number of otherworldly elements of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy are rooted deeply in the all-too-real world of medieval Europe.
Find suggested readings, recommended links, and more from editor Brian Pavlac at gameofthronesversushistory.com.
Edited by:
Brian A. Pavlac
Imprint: Wiley
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 224mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 28mm
Weight: 363g
ISBN: 9781119249429
ISBN 10: 1119249422
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 07 April 2017
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Notes on Contributors ix Foreword by William Irwin xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction: The Winter of Our Discontent 1 Brian A. Pavlac Part I Kings, Queens, Knights, and Strategy 17 1 High and Mighty Queens of Westeros 19 Kavita Mudan Finn 2 A Machiavellian Discourse on Game of Thrones 33 Jacopo della Quercia 3 Chivalry in Westeros 47 Steven Muhlberger 4 Of Kings, Their Battles, and Castles 57 Brian A. Pavlac Part II Slaves, Barbarians, and Other Others 71 5 Barbarian Colonizers and Postcolonialism in Westeros and Britain 73 Shiloh Carroll 6 A Defense against the “Other”: Constructing Sites on the Edge of Civilization and Savagery 85 Brian de Ruiter 7 The Eastern Question 97 Mat Hardy 8 Slaves with Swords: Slave‐Soldiers in Essos and in the Islamic World 111 Robert J. Haug Part III Women and Children 123 9 Rocking Cradles and Hatching Dragons: Parents in Game of Thrones 125 Janice Liedl 10 “Oh, my sweet summer child”: Children and Childhood in Game of Thrones 137 Helle Strandgaard Jensen and Magnus Qvistgaard 11 Writing the Rules of Their Own Game: Medieval Female Agency and Game of Thrones 147 Nicole M. Mares 12 The Power of Sansa Stark: A Representation of Female Agency in Late Medieval England 161 Danielle Alesi Part IV Religion 171 13 Continuity and Transformation in the Religions of Westeros and Western Europe 173 Don Riggs 14 Religious Violence in Game of Thrones: An Historical Background from Antiquity to the European Wars of Religion 185 Maureen Attali 15 Coexistence and Conflict in the Religions of Game of Thrones 195 Daniel J. Clasby 16 “I shall take no wife”: Celibate Societies in Westeros and in Western Civilization 209 Kris Swank Part V The Background 225 17 By Whisper and Raven: Information and Communication in Game of Thrones 227 Giacomo Giudici 18 What’s in a Name? History and Fantasy in Game of Thrones 241 Sara L. Uckelman, Sonia Murphy, and Joseph Percer 19 Setting up Westeros: The Medievalesque World of Game of Thrones 251 Gillian Polack Appendix: List of Books and Episodes 261 Index 265
Brian A. Pavlac is Professor of History at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA. His books include A Concise Survey of Western Civilization: Supremacies and Diversities throughout History, 2nd Edition (2nd Edition, 2015), Witch Hunts in the Western World: Persecution and Punishment from the Inquisition to the Salem Trials (2010), and Warrior Bishop of the Twelfth Century (2008).
