Even though Game of Thrones has been over for over four years now, fans still haven’t left Westeros. And with the amazing spin-off House of the Dragon still following the beloved House Targaryen, fans are even more obsessed with the fictional world than before. And while the world is entirely fictional, there are still questions about Game of Thrones historical accuracy.
Apart from the dragons, the white-walkers, and the magic, what about Game of Thrones is accurate? From the politics, and brutality of war, to even the food and drinks, let’s revisit Game of Thrones historical accuracy.
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Where Did Game of Thrones Take Inspiration?
Just because Game of Thrones has dragons and white-walkers doesn’t mean that there isn’t any truth behind some battles. When it comes to Game of Thrones historical accuracy, where does George R.R. Martin take inspiration from based on real-life events and people?
The Map
First, let’s check out the map before revisiting more of Game of Thrones historical accuracy. The map is simply Britain placed on top of an inverted Ireland. Not only does Martin take inspiration from historical events, but the map is just a recreation of real countries as well.
But what about some of the locations on the map itself? Martin also stole inspiration from this. History teacher and Game of Thrones enthusiast, Lucas Mund finds comparisons in places like The Iron Islands and Scandinavia because the Iron Born are basically Vikings. The land is known for its iron mines, and they raid others with long boats as their land is cold with poor farmland.
As for Dorne, that’s compatible with Spain and Portugal, as the land is very hot and dry, is renowned for their winemaking, and was typically away from most politics until later in history. Spain and Portugal were conquered during the Reconquista and Dorne was when they joined the realm with a marriage contract.
The famed Dothraki are compared to the Mongols and Huns. The Nomadic, horse raiders taught their children at an early age to ride, their warriors were lightly armored for speed over defense, and they both didn’t like the idea of a navy, or getting anywhere near the sea.
The North is considered to be Russia and Slavic Eastern Europe for the vast and sparse population, but their ports hold the most power. Mund went further and related Moscow with Winterfell because of the location on the map being in the middle of a vast frozen land.
The Main Plot
First, the main plot of A Song of Ice and Fire is the War of the Roses. The war was set in 1455 when two families started a decades-long war for control of England. The two families consist of the Yorks with a white rose sigil and the Lancasters with a red rose. Sound familiar? This pretty much explains the Lannisters versus the Starks, just add in more political drama and scheming subplots.
Is the Crown Historically Accurate?
Rise and Fall of Targaryens
The Targaryens are fully fictional, with the whole immune-to-fire and owning dragons deal. But that doesn’t mean they’re not based on real events and places. The Targaryens are associated with Rome. Both were republics, both enslaved people, both arose in warm climates, both grew technologically and advanced in the world, but both also collapsed, causing centuries of conflict.
Let’s also talk about the fall of the Targaryens as well. Specifically, Valyria is said to just go up in flames, pretty much whipping it out completely. This can be similar to Rome with Mount Vesuvius erupting, completely encasing the Roman city Pompeii with burning ash.
Brutal Massacres
For any fan of Game of Thrones, you know that the Red Wedding was one of the most shocking episodes. George R.R. Martin is no stranger to killing off main characters in an almost giddy fashion, but there was something about the brutality of the Red Wedding that left us in shambles. But did you know that it actually is based on a true story?
Game of Thrones historical accuracy is influenced by events like Black Dinner of 1440 and the Massacre of Glencoe of 1692. The Dinner sees a newly-appointed Earl of Douglas, who was just 16, and his brother going to the 10-year-old King of England Scotland, James II, for dinner. However, the invitation was issued by Sir William Crichton, Chancellor of Scotland, and unfortunately were beheaded. The Massacre is just as brutal and followed the brutal killings of 28 members of Clan MacDonalds after not swearing allegiance to King Williams of Orange.
The Real-Life Wall
Did you know that the Wall is also based on a real wall? Hadrain’s Wall, to be exact, is the inspiration behind Game of Thrones‘ wall. In fact, Martin visited the wall himself and was inspired by it.
The wall was built to mark the northernmost edge of the Roman Empire in Britain, between England and Scotland, to keep out the Scots (or the wildlings according to Martin). The wall was usually staffed with low-ranking men, forbidden to take wives or children, exactly like the Men of the Night’s Watch. “Night gathers, and now my watch begins.”
Family Problems Since the 1400s
Tyrion is one of the most iconic Game of Thrones characters. His wit, sass, drinking abilities, and survival instincts are outstanding. When you start the series and realize no character is safe from dying, you might not expect him to last the whole series.
But he surprised all of us, taking our hearts with him. But besides his impeccable comedic relief and intelligence, his story is not original. Martin took another kernel of inspiration from King Richard III. He reigned from 1483 until his death in 1485 and was a small, witty man who was also accused of murdering his nephews, but, like Tyrion, was accused of a crime he didn’t commit.
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Is Game of Thrones‘ World Accurate?
While inspiration does help us learn more about Game of Thrones historical accuracy, there are other ways we can figure it out as well. Game of Thrones is set in a medieval world, so how strong does the world fit in that setting and time period?
Keep in mind that the story is set during the reign of Robert Baratheon, following Robert’s Rebellion after the Targaryen dynasty, in 298 A.C., and ends in season eight in 205 A.C.
The Battles
In every episode within every season, there’s something extravagant going on. And with each season comes a battle of some kind. When it comes to the battles in Game of Thrones, it’s very accurate.
The brutality is exciting for many to watch, but it also shows the reality of it all. Not only was the armor protecting vital parts of the body, causing many to bleed out on the field, but many fights showed just how unrealistic many shows and movies are.
For instance, archers didn’t hit their mark most of the time, just got lucky when they could. Plus, during the war, there was little time, or effort, to do flashy kills. Game of Thrones portrayed this by simply beating someone to the ground and moving on to the next person.
Game of Thrones is known for its violence and received applause for accurately depicting that from the Middle Ages. It was common to encounter violence every day or see public executions. While it might not be suitable for all audiences, Martin did a great job at keeping the story accurate.
The Clothing
When it comes to revisiting Game of Thrones historical accuracy based on clothing, you might be disappointed with the answer. Several clothing options can be seen as inspiration for historical clothing, while others aren’t. For a quick answer, no, Game of Thrones is not accurate when it comes to their clothing based on the time period. However, there are some instances where they did a remarkable job.
Comparing the first season with the last, every fan can see the amazing boost in quality. From the intricate details to the symbolism of the clothing, they do a remarkable job. But which clothing really stood out to fans? For one, Cersei’s wedding dress while attending King Joffrey’s wedding is breathtaking. But it also looks to be influenced by Queen Elizabeth’s I costume in the 16th century according to the Conversation.
They also mention Sansa Stark’s atrocious wedding with Ramsay Bolton in which she wore a spectacular white dress that they believe is to symbolize the statues in the Crypt of Winterfell, but is also inspired by the 1960s cape coats. While gorgeous work, the clothing is not accurate to the time period.
The Food and Drink
Feasts and ale are staples in period movies. But how does it hold up in regards to accuracy? Washingtonian spoke with a historian who looked into the Game of Thrones historical accuracy, saying that the food and drink featured in the books and shows were based on real-life details. During the Purple Wedding, the pigeon pie was actually accurate to medieval times. Not only that but the wedding cake with 100 live doves was often done at medieval dinner parties.
And for die-hard fans, I’m sure you’re wondering if Daenerys really needed to eat that horse heart. Disgustingly enough, that’s something they believed in the Middle Ages, eating the body part of a powerful being, in hopes of giving them power.
The Politics and Societal Structure
Another point for Game of Thrones for being historical accurate is the politics and social structure. As mentioned, several historical events influenced politics in Game of Thrones, for instance, the killing of many main characters. But also the politics regarding the throne were very accurate compared to what happened in the Middle Ages.
While several people loathed the idea of Cersei taking the throne, it was common for mothers to rule in place of the child until they came of age. Not only that, but it was common for women in general to have very little power, especially in marriage. Queens, alongside their husbands, had very little authority or voice, which we noticed during the first season with Cersei and her husband Robert.
The lack of power with women was seen in other instances as well, especially with Daenerys once formidable Khal Drogo passed. Not only was she abandoned by many Dothraki, but she had to continuously prove herself worthwhile when seeking help and shelter. Sansa Stark also struggled to gain back control of the North and out of the hands of Littlefinger.
Concluding Game of Thrones Historical Accuracy
After breaking down some of the details, when it comes to revisiting Game of Thrones historical accuracy, you can say that it’s pretty accurate. While some aspects are not true to the Middle Ages and Medieval Ages, such as the clothing and fictional creatures, there is still a lot of inspiration and accuracy to say that Martin did a fantastic job with his research.
Many historians applaud him for his accuracy, not only on paper but on the show, especially during the battle scenes. If you want more Game of Thrones content, be sure to watch House of the Dragon, which, along with Game of Thrones, is on HBO. And keep an eye out for The Winds of Winter, the sixth book in the series that Martin swears he’s still working on (even though it’s been 12 years).
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