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reginarubie · 2 years

Note

Sansa is connected with Medusa. Winged creature(winged wolf) and with serpent's in hair(silver hairnet with black amythest). She was used as pawn to kill Joffery and there were rumours about her doing witchcraft for escaping as wolf. But I think Dany is also a Medusa. Winged creatures can be Dragons. What do you think?

Ciao anon!,

you pose an interesting question and I think the matter of mythology in asoiaf is extremely interesting and that certain character might embody more than one singular mythological figure. Just look at Cersei (Venus and Eris) or Daenerys (Inanna/Astarte/Ishtar and Hecate) or Arya (Athena/Enyo and Hecate).

Sansa, herself, on the same line of thought might embody more than just one mythological figure. Some are already confirmed (like the Medusa and Persephone connection) others are just potential while sustained by textual evidence (Psyche, Gunnlöd and Isis for example).

As always, some premises are in order. Firstly I am in no way an expert on this subject and matter, I form my opinion and deliver it to you, based off the researches I do and the classical studies I did in high school, but I am in no way pretending to either an expert nor to hold the complete truth of it, so if anyone knows better please come forward for I enjoy learning on every subject.

Secondly, when speaking of ancient mythological figures, exactly as for goddesses etcetera, we have to take in consideration that during the span of time in which they've piled up, they have suffered from mixing, merging and shaping to serve the purpose and means that the author wanted them to serve. So it's never a clean-cut interpretation and often these figures embody elements that we'd not approach together (desire/death, for example, or love/destruction, like I have analysed in the Venus meta pertaining Cersei and Daenerys, x).

So, now, let's hop onto the first confirmed connection you have cited:

MEDUSA THE GORGON AND THE MAID AT THE FEAST WITH PURPLE SERPENTS IN HER HAIR

"I dreamt a wolf howling in the rain, but no one heard his grief," the dwarf woman was saying. "I dreamt such a clangor I thought my head might burst, drums and horns and pipes and screams, but the saddest sound was the little bells. I dreamt of a maid at a feast with purple serpents in her hair, venom dripping from their fangs. And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow." — Arya VIII, ASOS

I am not digressing on the whole ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’, I am not digressing on the whole ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’ connected to war and destruction and — damn I totally am, in that other meta someone requested about Daenerys/Cleopatra (@sansaissteel this is all your fault, I want you to know, you fiend, I adore it).

Anyhow, back on track. We know, for sure, that Sansa is the maid at the feast with purple serpents in her hair, their fangs dripping with venom, as she wears the silver and black amethyst hairnet to Joffrey's wedding feast — and I've already said it, but purple is not only the colour of sorcery and power, but also of royalty and Sansa is royalty, by being princess in the North to her brother Robb, but I am digressing on colour codification and this is neither the place neither the time; just let it sink in that the only women who wear shades of purple/lilac are Daenerys a former princess turned queen, Sansa a princess and Arya another princess; three girls born as royalty as three are the Gorgons? mhhhh— and that inside the gems of the hairnet was the poison used to killed Joffrey (the strangler).

"There was murder in them!"

"Softly, my lady, softly. No murder. He choked on his pigeon pie." Dontos chortled. "Oh, tasty tasty pie. Silver and stones, that's all it was, silver and stone and magic."

The bells were tolling, and the wind was making a noise like he had made as he tried to suck a breath of air. "You poisoned him. You did. You took a stone from my hair..." — Sansa V, ASOS

By your description of Medusa, I assume you are talking about the most ancient myth associated with this particular gorgon, the one by which she was already born with serpents for hair and the capacity of turning to stone those who looked in her eyes, she also had wings, like her other two sisters.

In this, more ancient, essentially greek-migrated-from-the-east version of the myth Medusa was the daughter of the ancient marine deities, Phorkys and Keto, and she had two sisters, she was also the only mortal of the three gorgon. Perseus, demigod son of Zeus, kills her by beheading her, retaining her head for its properties (turning those who met her eyes to stone).

But, personally, I think Sansa represents better the roman version of this myth, the one narrated by Ovidio, whom transformed Medusa into a very beautiful woman whose most beautiful asset was her long hair, who Poseidon had sex with inside a sanctuary of Athena, who, furious at this, condemned the girl to become a monster, making of her beautiful hair serpents and making sure that she could meet no one's else gaze anymore, making sure her beauty became her curse. Mostly because Sansa was not a Medusa to begin with, she still isn't, as she was unaware of the purpose of the hairnet, and was framed thanks to it, and is aghast when she understand it. Also, it recalls nicely to the fact that Sansa's beauty resides much also in her thick, curly, auburn hair — so much that Cat thinks she'll grow more beautiful than her, when she recalls about brushing her hair — and the fact that after she was made of a Medusa she is forced to hide her identity for safety reasons and thus has to dye her hair dark, thus taking away part of her own beauty and identity.

She's still beautiful and charming — as proved by the fact that not a single lord or lady dismiss her and her role as de facto great lady of the Eyrie, and they hate LF, so they don't do it out of respect for him — still, her identity is put under trial here.

Also, as you yourself state, Medusa is a winged creature with serpents for hair and Sansa — who has worn poison in her hairnet — is being framed for Joffrey's murder — becoming a murdress, and herein comes the connotation of the name Medusa for ‘becoming a monster/ or lovely who does evil’ — and people say (a metropolitan myth if you'll like) that she killed the king with a spell — much like Medusa killed with her eyes only — later turned into a wolf with bat-like wings and flew away.

The northern girl. Winterfell's daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window. — Arya XIII, ASOS

So, wings. Of the Starklings only Bran and Sansa are connected with this image of the winged wolf. Sansa, as most women, connotated negatively (as a witch) and Bran as some sort of all-powerful mage. Which actually shall bring the twist because I believe Sansa to be the more innocent out of all her siblings, barred for Rickon, and Bran will have an hard time breaking free from Bloodraven, tho he ultimately will and in doing so he will reject the winged wolf and never fly again. Sacrificing magic, which can mean so much to him, for the good of the Realm and thus posing himself as the best prospect to lead the realm. Sansa, instead, is supposed to rule the North and she will do so by shedding the veil of this false accusation of being a Medusa, by proving she's her father's daughter first and foremost. Besides, I live for the Sansa Stark/Cregan Stark parallels and Sansa being appalled at Joffrey's end and her unwitting, unwilling part in it reminds me of Cregan schooling everyone as to why a king, even an opposing king, should be killed with honour, in battle, and not by poison. Sansa too washed her hands off the South in the same way as Cregan refused to stay and serve as Hand.

Anyway, digressing is a nice activity, but I will never come to end of this reply if I keep this on.

Sansa is also deeply connected with Jenny of Oldstone, flowers in her hair and dragonfly theme associated with her; and we all know that Jenny was married to Duncan, who refused his right and claim to the Iron throne to stay with her. Kind of like Jon refused his claim and right (Robb made him his heir, not that he knows yet) and everything he ever wanted for his sister *cough* cousin *cough* Sansa.

“Winterfell belongs to my sister Sansa” — Jon Snow, hidden Targaryen ‘prince’

“By right Winterfell should go to my sister Sansa.” — Jon Snow, hidden Targaryen ‘prince’

As a footnote, in some forms of the myth Medusa is pregnant by Poseidon when she's killed and posthumous she births Pegasus and Chryasor (a giant wielding a golden sword); so she's connected to another winged creature — which, again dragonfly (Sansa is connected to dragonflies and thus Jenny of Oldstone and her prince Duncan) and dragons.

Jon (hidden Targaryen — dragon, winged creature/direwolf, crow) and Sansa (‘winged’ wolf — little bird) mhhhh why does this sound like a pattern?

So, yes, without doubt Sansa does have some parallels in some form Medusa, but I think it will more of a Sansa shedding this forced image of Medusa imposed on her by her being framed for Joff's murder, than her embracing her inner gorgon (murdress). She'll probably skirt the line, but in the end as the red keeps creeping back under the dark dye, Sansa will always remain Ned Stark's daughter as I have analysed here (connected with LF trying to trap her in his schemes) and here (connected with her choosing the pear instead of the pomegranate LF offers).

THE GORGON AND DAENERYS

On the contrary, Daenerys is embracing her inner gorgon. As we've seen when she embraces the dragon (winged creature) capable of killing from distance (dragonfire), as she flees Meereen on Drogon's back.

‘Mother of dragons, mother of monsters (...) if they are monsters, so am I’ — Daenerys Targaryen

And she embraces both the more ancient form of the myth as, just as Medusa, Daenerys is a children of three from an incestous marriage between sibling coming from an ancient line of people (gods) lost in time (the valyrian), just like the Ovidio-version she starts off as a lovely maid which circumstances make of a gorgon, the point is, in this case she is her own perpetrator. She's the one who chooses to do the blood-rite deliberately knowing what it entails, she's the one who embraces the dragon, as I have analysed in this series of metas (x, by the title of blood magic and dark rites), she's the one who keeps embracing the dragon.

She's a lovely maiden, especially when AGOT starts, and her beauty is again mainly focused on her physical traits, her valyrian silver-gold locks and her amethyst eyes, and she's called the silver queen. And, after her blood ritual, and her death and resurrection (this is my personal theory) she lost all of her hair and they have become so brittle because of the stress, that she can't get them long again and styles them short, without braids (if not little ones) and bells instead.

[I won't digress on ‘(...) the saddest sound was the little bells’ connected to warcraft and destruction, I won't. Not now, but I really want to]

Also, just as Medusa posthumously birthed Pegasus (a winged horse, Perseus rides) and the giant with the golden sword...Daenerys too, posthumously imo (again for that theory of resurrection in asoiaf) ‘births’ children. Three dragons (one of which, Drogon, serves as her winged ride — she flees Meereen on dragonback) and if we have to go by the dark AA theory one of them (Drogon, again) might be the Lightbringer (the sword of AA)...even if the rider of Viserion (golden) might actually be connected with this point.

Anyway, you catch my drift. Daenerys chooses to embrace her inner gorgon, her inner Medusa (lovely face capable of great destruction — which coincidentally might be one of the interpretation of her name, as I have already said in the previous ask about her and the Venus parallels, as Daenerys seems to me like a merging of the greek names Deianira and Iris, which would mean ‘extremely beautiful woman capable of great destruction/destructress of mankind’) and this is where her arc is headed imo, though that remain to be seen.

So, yes, of course Daenerys has parallels with Medusa as well, though, as always with these two (Dany and Sansa) they are rivals, they are moral opposites (one shedding and refusing her imposed mask of Medusa, the other embracing it). Unsurprisingly, really.

On a footnote, red keeps creeping back in Sansa dyed hair, while Daenerys’ hair have difficulty growing back — again one rejects the gorgon the other embraces it.

And we could cut it here, sadly, now you have unleashed an long-ass analysis of possible mythological figures connected to Sansa and I won't stop. Sorry, it was your mistake really for stoking my curiosity.

— joking obviously, but I won't stop here.

So get your seatbelts ready.

PERSEPHONE, QUEEN OF THE UNDERWORLD AND SANSA STARK ~ THE MYTH OF HADES AND PERSEPHONE REVERSED

Petyr cut a pomegranate in two with his dagger, offering half to Sansa. "You should try and eat, my lady."

"Thank you, my lord." Pomegranate seeds were so messy; Sansa chose a pear instead, and took a small delicate bite. It was very ripe. The juice ran down her chin. — Sansa VI, ASOS

It sounds like a wolf, thought Sansa. A ghost wolf, big as mountains. — Alayne II, AFFC

Sansa is deeply connected with Persephone, goddess of spring and queen of the underworld. She's often connected with the pomegranate, not only is she served some — and refuses it choosing the pear instead and I've already analysed what that means for her and LF, who is fulfilling as a foil her Hades in the previously linked post when I spoke of her shedding her Medusa' mask — but she also thinks that when she blushes she looks like a pomegranate. Which makes me think that Sansa refused LF because he is just a foil, a dark look-a-like who truly isn't, of her true Hades who will not try to manipulate her to eat the pomegranate, but will make of her inherently a pomegranate by making her blush 'cause of love.

And, who is currently laying dead in a pool of his own blood (red as the pomegranate) in a snow field?, someone whose death she has felt and that she is foreshadowed in the very same passage as to led him back from the realm of dead and bring him back to life and spring in a reversal myth, Hades brought Persephone to the Underworld and kept her there, Sansa will lead Jon back from the realm of the dead, giving his life back meaning and purpose (like she did in the show) and will possibly help him through from winter to spring, as I have analysed here.

Also, as I have said more than once, Sansa is the first child of Ned and Cat born of love and in Winterfell, but she's also the first Stark kid born after winter (Robb was born during the false spring and the Rebellion — and in fact he creates the North as an independent kingdom but loses it; Jon if the book goes by show will do the same and he should be born in the year of false spring/nearing the fall back of winter), but before the long summer, which has been lasting for 9 years (approximatively since Arya's birth) while Sansa is eleven by the time AGOT starts, so it stands to reason she might be born during spring or at the very beginning of spring.

And Persephone was the goddess of spring and she's connected with Jenny of Oldstone by wearing flowers in her hair, just like the iconography of Persephone, who often is depicted with flowers in her hair.

Also, in the myth, Hades was pretty lax with his punishments (usually it would just suffice running some errand — perilous often — for him and he was done with it) but when Persephone sat beside him on her throne — ah as we said in my high school when we learned of their myth ‘meglio andare all'inferno d'estate, che d'inverno’, ‘better to go to the underworld in summer than winter’ as in winter Persephone was in her tenure as queen of the Underworld — and would administer justice beside her husband, often delivering punishment and justice to the souls that came to Hades' court.

And, as Jon is more focused on “I don't need to trust you to have need of you”, Sansa whole journey in the Vale is aimed at her becoming the one administering justice the same way as Ned was the one to deliver justice when he was lord of Winterfell. Which is why I always grimace at how undeveloped is the scene of LF's trial and execution, based on the whole arc of Sansa in this respect.

So, here's what I think about her confirmed (in part) connection with Persephone.

Let's hop onto the unconfirmed (yet) ones.

GUNNLÖD, THE WINE OF POETRY AND SANSA STARK

And later I dreamt that maid again, slaying a savage giant in a castle built of snow." — Arya VIII, ASOS

So, the connection with Gunnlöd is pretty interesting and actually a bit obscure but I feel like it's greatly pertinent to Sansa and her whole arc at the moment, fulfilling both the role of the original Stark lady and the Stark lord bastard son of Bael the Bard.

Gunnlöd is a figure of the norse mythology, and she's a giantess, daughter of a giant (lord/king of a castle) who is kept prisoner in her father's castle and forced to brew and care for three kettles with beverage she shall not let anyone taste on her own father's order.

You can see where I am aiming for, don't you?, Sansa is posing as Alayne Stone, bastard daughter of Littlefinger, whose family's sigil was the Titan of Braavos and that is highly associated and connected with the giant the same maid of the feast (Sansa) shall slay in a castle build of snow (Winterfell, the whole point of Sansa building Winterfell from snow and using LF's lessons against him as she embrace her identity as Ned Stark's daughter is something I've already discussed about here).

Anyway, point is Gunnlöd is dutiful and obeys her father, but when Odin comes to her, after a long travel very thirsty and ask for a sip of the drinks she is moved by his pleas and offers him to drink, Odin then proceeds to seduce her and offers to obtain three sips in exchange for three nights of passion. Gunnlöd accepts and Odin complies, and after having offered her the three nights he drinks the whole beverage, escaping and sharing it with the rest of the gods of Asgard after having fled in form of an eagle. The beverage he drank was the wine of poetry and thus Odin stole the gift of poetry from Gunnlöd.

Though, other versions of the story, want Gunnlöd to have fallen in love with Odin and have willingly helped him and that he himself would think back on his time with her with fondness, displaying some kind of affection toward her as one of his lovers.

I like this parallel, one because Gunnlöd who is imprisoned in the castle of her father to guard his secret powers (poetry — A harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands — something we know, by Arya, that her sister is very good at composing) is the one who makes sure, wittingly or not, that that power is no longer possession of only her father, which makes me think of Sansa whole arc posing as Alayne, learning all of LF's secrets and modus operandi to then use them against him, once again (just like in their Beal and original lady Stark version) fulfilling two roles at once (Bael's bastard son and the lady Stark) the one of Gunnlöd and the one of Odin, also since, ya know ‘red keeps creeping back (like a thief):

"You wrong me, ser. I am no thief!"

Ser Roland placed his hand over his heart. "Then how do you explain this hole in my chest, from where you stole my heart?" — Alayne I, WOW

Especially since, as it's hinted at in the text, is possible Sansa shall use her abilities to spin a story, to forward the rise of House Stark and the restoration of the North.

Just as Gunnlöd crippled her father thanks to her offering the gift of poetry to Odin, in the same way Sansa will cripple LF by using his secrets against him.

So yeah, pretty obscure and relatively unapproached until now, but I stumbled upon this one and I loved it.

PSYCHE AND SANSA STARK (rif)

I've already spoken a bit of the parallels between Sansa and Psyche in the previously linked post about the parallels between Cersei and Daenerys and Venus (linking the story of Eros and Psyche with the younger, more beautiful queen prophecy) I won't digress here further than that simply because I mean to write a meta about it (so, if you are interested stay tuned for that), so let's just say that Sansa has some connection with Psyche as well as Cersei/Venus spiteful of her — for her beauty — marries to a monster/Tyrion from whom Sansa is stolen by Eros/Jon).

And lastly, one of my favourites of these unconfirmed (yet) possible connections:

ISIS, GODDESS QUEEN OF EGYPT AND SANSA STARK

(...) the wind was howling fiercely. It sounds like a wolf, thought Sansa. A ghost wolf, big as mountains. — Alayne II, AFFC

She was a Stark of Winterfell, a noble lady, and someday she would be a queen. — Sansa I, AGOT

Sooooo this might be my favourite (or one of) mythological connections for Sansa ever, and it is mainly Jonsa (I mean, we know that Sansa will play a role as lady — queen — in the restoration of the North when spring comes, and that she'll play an important part in Jon's whole resurrection debacle, as the show has hinted and as that very passages in Alayne II, AFFC and Sansa VII, ASOS hint toward at, and in the political game.

Isis might be one of the few mythological figures that might be perfectly embodied by Sansa.

So, the myth goes that Osiris is king of Egypt and he has a wife, Isis, and they have two other siblings, a girl Nephthys (who was associated with death and decay — keep this in mind it'll be helpful later —) and another male, Seth. Seth, grow envious and jealous of his brother abducts him and puts him in a coffin and sends him off, imprisoned and becomes king of Egypt.

Isis goes in search of her brother-husband coffin and finds it, returning with him to Egypt. Seth, enraged, then tears Osiris to pieces and scatters all pieces in different directions, thus thinking his brother gone for good.

Isis, distraught, with the help of her younger sister Nephthys, searches and finds all the pieces of Osiris (save for his manhood) and bends him back together, making of him a living mummy and the king of the Underworld; later she gives Osiris a son, Horus, whom she puts on the throne of Egypt after he has dethroned Seth (in some stories Isis takes pity on Seth and Horus beheads her to then magically give her back her head and reconcile with her).

Now... Nephthys is connected to death and decay.

Isis, on the other hand, was the picture of the perfect wife of Egyptian times, and her attributes (besides a crown with the solar disk — sun and the moon as for Sansa and Arya — has also wings — again, dragonflies and winged wolf/little bird imaginary) are also linked to Sansa, she taught Egyptian women to sew and manage a household, she was content to stay in the back but offered fierce and fearsome protection to her husband and her son thanks to her wit.

What more, at the beginning of Egyptian society she was mostly obscure and unattended goddess, but she grew in importance as Egypt became richer and stronger, until she became known as one of the most important goddesses of the Egyptian pantheon and ended up as being recognised as the epitome of the queen of Egypt and a example of virtuous and dutiful, clever and intelligent as well as protective wife and queen.

Just see this and think of Sansa and Arya, and Jon (currently dead but that died to go save Arya and that will stitched back together by Sansa, and will probably return as the fiercest protector of his sisters, Arya and Sansa).

Arya who is right now an acolyte of the Faceless Men, servant to the God of Death, that, just like Nephthys, is connected thus with death and decay.

Well...it makes sense to me, does it to you?

As a footnote, the images are not mine, credits to the authors, I simply found them on the net.

As always, thank you for your ask!, it was very interesting and sorry if, after replying your question I ended up taking the tangent and creating a whole ass essay on figures you had asked nothing about...but it sounded compelling and interesting to me, so I said why not?, hope you enjoyed the read!

You can find my other mythology essays here:

Cersei vs Daenerys — Venus decoded

Jonsa mythology — Jonsa foreshadowing, part VIII: Love and Psyche

Jonsa mythology (2) — Jonsa foreshadowing, part IX: Osiris and Isis

As always I wish you a very nice day!

#ask the hag #anon asks #mythology and asoiaf #greek-roman mythology #norse mythology #Egyptian mythology #gorgon #medusa and sansa stark #sansa stark #persephone and sansa stark #psyche and sansa stark #gunnlöd and sansa stark #jonsa #isis and sansa stark #dark daenerys #medusa and Daenerys Targaryen

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missglaskin · 5 months

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Yan!HOTD Characters as Greek Gods

I want to thank @aphroditelovesu for giving me the inspiration, also side note do not take the gods canonical relationships literally

Viserys as Hades + God of the Underworld and the Dead

Viserys was a god who stood out from the gloomy darkness of his realm. The seat once shared by his beloved wife is now long dead with all the other souls. No temples were erected in his honor on the earthly soil, for the underworld served as his shrine. Still, Viserys lent many of his powers and crafts to help the other gods defeat their enemies, either it be a monster or a titan. When he needed to see his family, he would emerge to the earth itself. There a moral caught his eye.

Viserys spent a great deal of time observing your everyday life. He enjoyed catching on to all your little habits and tendencies. The god was prepared to wait until your life's string came to an end. In the mean time, all good things came your way. While he wouldn't be able to stop your death from happening, he can certainly make it as peaceful and painless as possible. Viserys will welcome you with the greatest warmth when you arrive in his realm, and you will be surrounded by servants who will carry out your every wish.

Just as he has done all those other times Viserys will give you the time and space you need to adjust to this new, strange world. Desiring your happiness, Viserys might let you visit Earth but only for a short time. The god can't go too long without you by his side. He detests the idea of using coercion to get what he wants, but Viserys must make sure you never leave him. It is a blessing that you are a mortal, completely unaware of the pomegranate seeds that are given to you.

Daemon as Ares + God of War and Courage

It was Daemon, out of all the gods, who was most frowned upon, the one with the endless list of foes. Many came to fear him and they had every reason to. For Daemon was a powerful god-quick to anger and raring for a fight regardless of the consequences. A jest spread among the gods was that Daemon's one and only true love was war itself. But what a shock it was to see the mortal in the god's arms. With his remarks and the severe violence he inflicted upon the mortals, Daemon, again and again demonstrated nothing but contempt and superiority over them.

Why you attracted the god of war's attention will forever remain a mystery. Could it be you had a fire inside of you that never went out or you had such a gentle soul that the god saw it as his duty to ruin you, or perhaps he saw you as a fair trade for one of his victories. Truthfully, Daemon himself is not fully sure what drew him to you. Still, the god comes to you, luring you in with lavish gifts and words sweet as honey. And if you aren’t compliant, the god sees no issue picking you up while you struggle to free yourself-screaming and clawing.

Daemon has no care for what other Olympian deities thought when he kept you near him. They were already not fond of him and he was amused to no end to see their frustration, even having you displayed seated on his lap. Your life with Daemon is strangely not as dull and miserable as one might anticipate. He will always be rough and harsh, but you are shown a rare side of gentleness. You may never know if the god truly loves you, but you can be sure that if someone takes what he views as his, he will go to war a hundred times over it.

Rhaenyra as Athena + Goddess of Wisdom and War

Rhaenyra is a goddess with pride. A great warrior. Rhaenyra does not, however, hold humankind in such low regard as the many gods who came before her. She saw herself as their protector and rewarded those who came to worship in her temple. But it's not as if she isn't dangerous. The goddess is unmerciful in her use of curses. Any offense or insult will result in a terrible fate. And what fate bestows upon you when the goddess herself watches you. Desiring you from the very moment she caught sight of you.

She is a master of disguise. Every word she spoke enticed you further and further into her grasp. There were the fleeting touches the goddess made to your skin to pique your desire. Her lips were painted with a smile that lowered your guard. You find yourself becoming a puppet as Rhaenyra hovers over you, pulling the strings to speak the words she wants you to hear, to touch her how she wants to be touched, and look at her how she wants to be gazed upon.

Rhaenyra never wants you to leave her realm. The goddess is ready to gift you whatever your heart desires, but the earth is no longer a place you can call home. Rhaenyra will never lay a hand on you; gentle and soft with you. The only times you no longer see your lover but the goddess of war is if you are foolish enough to believe you can get away from her. She won’t understand. Has she not dedicated herself to you. Has she not given you every ounce of her heart. Whatever the reason is, your place remains by her side and she will make sure you know of this.

Rhaenys as Hecate + Goddess of Magic and the Moon

Rhaenys, the goddess of sorcery and the moon, who her domain also extends to creatures of the night; particularly hounds and ghosts. She’s often seen accompanied by her black hounds, donning a long robe, holding burning torches. Neither was she evil, nor was she wholly benevolent, but she did reveal her nature through actions, rewarding loyalty among her followers. Captivated by your presence in her temple, the goddess of sorcery was drawn to your compassion and innocence. She found herself spending more time just observing you, enchanted by how your features glowed in the gentle embrace of moonlight.

Rhaenys has always been confident and assertive, when she’s certain that she desires you, she’ll do whatever it takes to have you by her side. However, she’ll stray away from using force. If she’ll seek your companionship, Rhaenys resolutes in waiting it be your choice, to love her the same rather than do it with instilling fear in you. Her introduction was gradual, allowing you to adapt in time to her presence. Much of this is involved in simple conversations, where she enjoys getting to know the little details of your life (even if she already knew most of it).

Instead of overwhelming you with extravagant gifts, she opted for small trinkets. And adding to the ease of your connection, Rhaenys’s mystical hounds display a fondness for you, allowing you to pet them. Even when you remain in her domain, Rhaenys remains steadfast in not forcing you to love her. She has all the patience as the goddess begins to slowly express her affection more openly with gentle caresses to your face as she presents you with more lavish gifts. Her patience was rewarded seeing how eager you are to spend every moment with her.

Corlys as Poseidon + God of the Sea and Waters

Not only was Corlys the god of the seas but also associated with earthquakes and horses. He stood out as a highly ambitious deity and known for his unwavering loyalty to Mount Olympus. Unlike some deities, Corlys is willing to engage with mortals, after all, they have a dependence on the seas for trade and travel. However, it’s also known that when dealing with the god of the sea, do not try to trick or cross him, for he has demonstrated a vengeful nature when felt insulted.

It was during your many ventures near the beach, having a profound love and fascination for the sea that you encountered the god of the sea. In your frequent visits, the shores yielded treasures ranging from the most beautiful seashells to even a literal pearl, a gift from the god. Upon making his presence known, Corlys takes matters into his own hands. Taking you to the temple beneath the sea as he cannot rely on chance encounters by the shore and it’ll save him all the trouble of finding you if you choose to never visit again.

Your place from now on remains with Corly’s temple. He has made promises to make you visit the shore from time to time once he’s confident you won’t attempt an escape. Eager to please, Corlys has an allure of lost treasures within his home, offering you any if you desire. He also takes great care to ensure your comfort, harboring no intention of causing harm or raising his voice. His desire is clear- to have you willingly at his side.

Laena as Aphrodite + Goddess of Love and Beauty

Laena was more than just being thegoddess of beauty and love; she was one of fertility, pleasure, and eternal youth. Occasionally she presided over marriage. Legends went so far as to attribute her beauty to being the cause of the Trojan War. Despite her being desired and adored by everyone, even capturing the affections of the infamous god of war himself, Laena's heart chose you; a mortal who didn’t seem all that extraordinary. But none of that mattered to the goddess of love, who found herself drawn to you, desiring nothing more than for you to share her boundless love and adoration.

When Laena first approached you, she displayed no hesitation in expressing her clear intentions of wanting to court you. Doves and sparrows seemed to fly around you. In the vicinity of your home, myrtles and roses bloomed abundantly and Laena took it upon herself to personally hand you the blossoms, alongside the most marvelous seashells. Whenever you expressed gratitude or attempted to deny her gifts out of politeness, Laena would firmly assure you that you deserved nothing but the best. As she would engage in conversations, Laena would hold your gaze, running her fingers on your cheek or shoulder with such tenderness.

Even after you became hers, Laena never stops showering you with praise and luscious gifts. The dresses she adorned you with were among the most lavish you had ever seen, and men would certainly go to war for the jewelry that adorned your skin. And for her home, which she claims is now your home too, she’s willing more than anything to accommodate any of your demands to make it all the more welcoming. Whether it’s placing all your favorite books or presenting you all your favorite foods. After all, you’re destined to spend the rest of your life with her.

Otto as Zeus + God of the Sky and Thunder

Otto stood as the god among gods, the force behind the establishment of order and justice in Olympus. It was his duty as king, to reign and ensure harmony throughout the divine realm. He had a number of children; it counted those that were outside of his marriage. Mortals and gods alike collectively averted their gaze, as the god of thunder desired to maintain an image of a prudent and a pious. And while like any god, he considered himself above mortal beings, he would observe them with keen interest.

Unfortunate for you, if you happened to catch his eye, resisting him was a futile endeavor. It began with him orchestrating ways to make your life more comfortable — discovering the lushest trees near your home, bearing the most delectable fruits you'd ever savor. An eagle, acting as his messenger, would shower you with all sorts of gifts, from fragrant olive oils to delicate silver coins and ivory trinkets. The weather seemed to dance to his whims, birds serenading under the radiant sun.

It was also his way to signal his presence, a silent acknowledgment a being beyond the mortal realms was watching. And when his presence becomes known, he vows to treasure you for eternity (hinting at what’ll become of your mortal life). It’s difficult to deny him with all the myriad blessings he bestowed upon you. Once you’re brought to his home, he will present you with a luxurious silk robe and servants who dutifully follow your every command. Even if you resist, his determination remains unswayed. As a god, time was his ally and he believed in due course, you would succumb to his temptations.

Alicent as Hera + Goddess of Marriage and Childhood

Alicent stood as the embodiment of matrimony and domestic life, a revered figure to whom women turned in prayer for the blessings of harmonious marriages, the safe return of their husbands, and in hopes of birthing a healthy child. Despite her attempts to project a demure demeanor, the goddess had a silent reputation for her jealousy and occasional vengefulness. Alicent had divine authority, navigating the intricate game of politics and perhaps that was why no one dared to question her decision to bring a mortal being along.

It was all under the reason of needing a servant though you were not yet married, still, no one dared to voice it. As her supposed servant, you were strangely exempt from menial tasks such as washing clothes or scrubbing the floor; such duties were deemed beneath you. Instead, the majority of your days were spent in the company of the goddess. You found yourself dressing and brushing Alicent’s hair as she shared her grievances about the perceived foolishness surrounding her court.

Your time was further consumed by tending to Hera’s children and grandchildren, and her strictures extended to where you were not permitted to eat meals with other servants. In truth, the goddess had little need for another servant. But you a mortal, had sought her prayer, coming to her temple wishing for a happy life for the arrangement your parents orchestrated for you. But Alicent had been watching you long before and you have become the object of her desire. She promised to find you a suitor but the intensity of her gaze and the uncanny resemblance between the necklace of hers and the one she gifted you hints at something beyond that.

Aegon II as Dionysus + God of Wine and Pleasure

Aegon is known for seemingly lazy nature and rarely being seen sober, he’s notorious for the wild parties and dramatic theaters he orchestrates. The many lovers he has are ones that no one bothers to learn their names, as they typically don’t linger beyond a day. The few bastards he fathered are not accounted for. When the god of wines comes upon you, there was an unmistakable eagerness to have you in his bed. While you and others are at no fault to assume that it was driven solely by lust, you soon find it unraveled beyond that.

As a mortal, the prospect of rejecting a god was not a reasonable one. His presence was suffocating with a possessive jealousy over your interactions with others and an incessant need for you to be near him. At times, he would pull you into his lap, craving for your affection and praise. Besides his constant need to have you share his bed at every turn, his lingering hands, and wanting your every attention, it’s not as terrible as one initially assumes.

The god of wine provided you with the sweetest food, accompanied of course by his signature wine. He adorned you in exquisite clothing, though in the privacy of his chambers, they were far more revealing and sheer. While it was somewhat accepted to have fleeting lovers for a day, appearing with you by his side on every occasion garnered disapproval from the other gods. However, Aegon was indifferent; no stranger to being considered a disappointment. You were the one thing he was sure of, even harboring a secret desire to make you immortal, hoping you don’t notice how different your wine tastes.

Helaena as Persephone + Goddess of Seasons and Vegetation

Helaena possessed a kind of gentleness that was unusual among the gods. She carried herself with such grace and consideration. Helaena grew up to be a lovely woman who caught the interest of gods and humans alike. With mortals, the goddess did not look down on them. If anything, Helaena seemed to see the goodness and beauty in them despite all of their flaws. It therefore comes as no great surprise when the goddess seems so enchanted by you-a simple mortal.

Helaena spent many days watching you. She possessed unending patience. What a fascinating sight you are. Deemed by the goddess to be the most beautiful being to ever walk this earth. Helaena cared nothing more than your happiness hence why you come home to a plethora of gifts and trinkets. It could be the most delicious fruit you've ever eaten or a dress the goddess sewed herself. And wherever you are, you found plants growing all around that never seem to wither-fruits and vegetables you never imagined would ever grow there.

Helaena was content as long as she could see you every day. Even if she couldn't speak or stand before you. All that mattered to her was to see your lovely smile as you open her gifts or to hear your joyful laughter. But shall you wish to meet her. Shall you seem unsatisfied with your life. Helaena will make her presence known. The goddess is nothing but a tender lover. Giving you all the time you need to adjust to her realm. Happy to watch from a distance and just speak with you.

Aemond as Apollo - God of Sun and Art

Aemond was also a god of music, truth, and healing, he was considered wise even at such a relatively young age. He enjoyed writing poems and believed in law and order. Unlike his brother, Aemond was recognized for his numerous contributions, particularly in the realms of medicine and prophecy. Aemond shows intense loyalty to his family and a great love for his mother but also is known for his jealousy and a wrathful nature; particularly when he perceives insults directed at his family or either himself.

Many of your actions could’ve caught his eye, your visits to his temple, your singing voice echoing through the fields, how you immersed yourself far away from everyone else with the books you read. He doesn’t wish to frighten you, guided by a gentle approach to engage you in conversations. You can feel his gaze follow you, a silent presence that seems to accompany your every move. In due time, Aemond would express his desire for you to be his lover, to not only give him your body, but your mind and soul. Even if you do not share his feelings, denying him is not advisable, Aemond is not one for rejections.

Even if you were to deny him, Aemond would still bring you to Mount Olympus, introducing you to the other gods, making sure you understood that your place belonged with him. And while he attempts to give you some space, the god of the sun cannot bring himself to stay away. Aemond sought to spend every moment of the day with you, from sharing the same bed, to waking together to sharing meals. He yearns to hear your every thought from the flowers you liked to your opinion on the poetry he’s dedicated to you.

Criston as Heracles + Demi- God of Strength and Heroes

Criston was born a mortal. Yet even as a child, Criston showed such strength and courage unmatched by any other. He has proven to be a fierce warrior over the years. While he was hailed as a hero, many of his rage-fueled actions beg to differ. It took Criston to die to be reborn as the Demi-god. Taken from the flames to Mount Olympus where he was granted eternal youth and the right to live among the gods. He was offered a goddess, but Criston had his eyes set somewhere else.

Criston believes he must protect you. That you need him far more than he needs you. You are just a mere mortal. One fall can be fatal. Doesn't matter that his involvement could be the very reason your life is at forfeit. Makes no difference the many times you struggle and try to escape him. Criston holds you in his arms, repeating the same mantra over and over. That you have a need for him. That he must shield you from all those who will harm you. He rarely leaves your side, and no amount of begging or insults will convince him to do so.

As your lover, you have a man capable of crushing a village to ruins, capable of winning against an army. You bring out the worst in him, the madness. A madness seen in the mere thought of you being in another’s arms. Criston won't accept the possibility of your death. He was blessed with the gift of immortality and will stop at nothing to grant you the same blessing. A wonderful thought to him, but a nightmare to you. Given the chaos that will be left behind, the gods may grant him his wish.

#yandere hotd #yandere house of the dragon #hotd x reader #House of the Dragon x reader #yandere x reader #yandere greek mythology #viserys targaryen x reader #daemon targaryen x reader #aegon targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x reader #alicent hightower x reader #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #laena velaryon x reader #corlys velaryon x reader #rhaenys targaryen x reader #criston cole x reader #yandere scenarios #asoiaf x reader #yandere asoiaf

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aphroditelovesu · 8 months

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kinktober 2023 masterlist || disclaimer: will obviously contain nsfw content. be aware of this.

🎃˚˖੭ I love when you're submissive, love it when I break skin, you feel pain without flinchin', so say it...🎃˚˖੭

❝day one: vampire/bloody sex with Klaus Mikaelson❞

❝day two: praise kink with Apollo❞

❝day three: breeding kink with Alexander the Great❞

❝day four: daddy kink with Elijah Mikaelson❞

❝day five: degradation with Ares❞

❝day six: bondage with Aphrodite❞

❝day seven: somnophilia with Hypnos❞

❝day eight: threesome with Apollo and Eros❞

❝day nine: overstimulation with Damon Salvatore❞

❝day ten: voyeurism with Taehyung❞

❝day eleven: shadow play with Azriel❞

❝day twelve: exhibitionism with Dionysus❞

❝day thirteen: rough sex with Tom Riddle❞

❝day fourteen: romantic sex/making love with Eros❞

❝day fifteen: first time with Jungkook❞

❝day sixteen: wax play with Daenerys Targaryen❞

❝day seventeen: roleplay with Achilles❞

❝day eighteen: public sex with Hades❞

❝day nineteen: thigh riding with Sirius Black❞

❝day twenty: lactation kink with Robb Stark❞

❝day twenty-one: edging with Ares❞

❝day twenty-two: threesome with Achilles and Patroclus❞

❝day twenty-three: wing play with Lucifer Morningstar❞

❝day twenty-four: temperature play with Daenerys Targaryen❞

❝day twenty-five: dacryphilia with Jin❞

❝day twenty-six: wedding night with Apollo❞

❝day twenty-seven: size kink with Achilles❞

❝day twenty-eight: shower sex with Poseidon❞

❝day twenty-nine: cockwarming with Anakin Skywalker❞

❝day thirty: spanking with Eros❞

❝day thirty-one: non-con/dub-con elements with Apollo❞

🎃˚˖੭ Give me tough love, leave me with nothin' when I come down, my kinda love; push me and choke me till I pass out... 🎃˚˖੭

⤷ cited song: One Of The Girls - The Weeknd, Lily-Rose Depp and Jennie.❝

❝ 🎃 — 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒍: if you want to be tagged for future updates, comment or send a DM.

⤷ tagging: @krismikaelson, @compulsiivedreamer, @legendarydefendorkitty

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catofoldstones · 4 months

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Elia of Dorne and Cassandra of Troy parallels

Daenerys IV, ADWD // The Oresteia- Aeschylus // Tyrion X - A Storm of Swords // Aeneid by Virgil - Book II // Cassandra’s monologue, Agamemnon by Aeschylus //Cassandra by Anthony Fredrick Augustus Sandys - 1864// Ajax and Cassandra by Solomon J Solomon - 1886 // Kassandra by Florence and the Machine

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amoratearte · 4 months

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The Valyrian Fourteen 🔥

Meleys 💖

Goddess of love, beauty, fertility and spring. Daughter of Syrax with often disputed paternity. Queen of the Underworld, consort to Balerion.

Based off: Aphrodite/Persephone

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murmel-malt · 2 years

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Stark Sisters Appreciation Week - The Sun and the Moon

"Sansa is your sister. You may be as different as the sun and the moon, but the same blood flows through both your hearts. You need her, as she needs you." - Ned Stark

In norse myth Skoll and Hati are the two wolves persuing the moon and the sun through the sky in hopes of devouring them. They are the children on Fenrir.

#starksistersappreciationweek2022 #starksistersequinox #sansa stark #arya stark #shewolfsource #thenorthsource #valyrianscrolls #asoiaf #sansastarkedit #aryastarkedit #asoiafedit #i have figured out how to make the pretty colourful text #and I will now make my childhood obsession with norse mythology your problem #my art #my edit

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ladysansalannister · 1 year

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Hephaestus, god of metalworking, the son of Hera, and Aphrodite, goddess of love, the daughter of Zeus, were married. Together, they were the parents of Eros, the god of love and sex.

Sansa Stark as Aphrodite and Tyrion Lannister as Hephaestus

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clytemnaestraes · 9 months

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Sansa and Arya + Sun and Moon parallels in Norse Mythology

In Norse mythology, Sol and Mani are the personifications of the Sun and the Moon respectively.

The sun, the sister of the moon, from the south

No knowledge she had where her home should be,

The moon knew not what might was his

The stars knew not where their stations were.

from Voluspa, the creation epic

The parallels between Sansa and Sol:

Links to the south

The sun [...] from the south

“Sansa would shine in the south, Catelyn thought...” — Catelyn II, AGOT

Loss of identity

No knowledge where her home should be

“A pure world, Sansa thought. I do not belong here.” — Sansa VII, ASOS

The parallel between Arya and Mani:

Insecurity and low self esteem

The moon knew not what might was his

“Sansa had everything. Sansa was two years older; maybe by the time Arya had been born, there had been nothing left. Often it felt that way.” — Arya I, AGOT

However, both sisters assert their identity and begin to realise their respective strengths as the series progresses.

They also draw strength and are guided by the memory of their parents and their stark identity.

Vafthruthnismol introduces us to Sol and Mani's father, who gave them purpose

Mundilferi is he who begat the moon,

And fathered the flaming sun

The round of heaven each day they run,

To tell the time for men.

Most notably, Sol and Mani are chased by wolves called Skoll and Hati

Skoll is the wolf [that] Follows the glittering god, And [...] Hati, awaits The burning bride of heaven.

from Grimnismal

insp | source of quotes

#sansa stark #arya stark #asoiaf #asoiaf character parallels #literature #norse mythology #asoiaf mythology parallels #sansaisms #aryaisms

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cappymightwrite · 8 months

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An Unexpected Norse Detail in Winterfell

I was scrolling through tumblr yesterday, as you do, and suddenly paused on a gifset of the Lannister party in Winterfell during the early episodes of season 1. What caught my eye was this:

Behind the long table in Winterfell's great hall is some kind of large wooden screen/divider featuring some very interesting carvings. These carvings are near identical to those found on the Urnes Stave Church in western Norway, which dates from the 12th century:

I don't think we ever see this wooden screen in Winterfell again, but it's an interesting inclusion nonetheless, back when the show stuck more closely to the source material.

In The Vikings (Penguin, revised edition, 2016) Else Roesdahl talks a bit about this particular style of ornamentation:

The Urnes style is the last phase of the long development of Scandinavian animal ornament. This seems to have developed shortly before the middle of the eleventh century and was popular for nearly a century, that is into the early Middle Ages. After a final phase where it gave rise to details and influences in Romanesque art, now predominant in Scandinavia, it had died out completely before the year 1200. Many other forms of Viking Age followed the same course. The vigour and vitality of the Ringerike style gave way to this sophisticated, elegant, indeed almost decadent, style. It is named after the exquisite wood carvings that were re-used in Urnes Church in western Norway: a portal and a door, two wall planks, a corner post and two gable ends, one complete [...] The large, four-legged animal is still one of the main motifs, but it has become as slim as a greyhound. Snake-like animals with one foreleg, snakes and thin tendrils sometimes ending in a snake's head are also featured. The designs characteristic of this style form open, asymetric patterns, creating an impression of an undulating interweaving of animals and snakes. The large loops are often figures-of-eight and the shapes grow and diminish evenly; there are no abrupt transitions. The style is also used with virtuosity on brooches and on large numbers of rune stones in central Sweden, where the undulating ornament follows the shape of the stone and the long bodies of the snakes are used as rune bands [...] Several examples of the style have been found in England, and in Ireland it became as popular as the Ringerike style.

What's so intriguing about the original carving though is that it is depicting pagan symbolism... but on a Christian church. As mentioned above, the Ringerike style predate Urnes and was "roughly contemporary with the intial spread within Scandinavia of Christianity, and was the first to contain Christian iconography, although pagan symbolism was still present," notes Philip Parker (The Northmen's Fury, Vintage, 2014). By around 1050, it gave way to the Urnes style, named for the stave church shown above.

But what do these carvings mean? In Tree of Salvation: Yggdrasil and the Cross in the North (Oxford University Press, 2013), G. Ronald Murphy offers this explanation:

The door is simply surrounded with whorls of writhing snakes and vines. The tangle is so perfectly executed in a welter of animal elongation and plant reduction to vines, that it is difficult to identify where a head begins or where a tail finally ends, if at all, or to trace what seems like a joint to a neck or a leg or a vine. The main point seems to be the inter-twined-ness itself of all living things, animal or vegetable, in one huge tangle [...] Now as one looks at the left side of the doorway there is one animal standing on four legs [see above!] that is simply startling in the clarity of its depiction. It has been called a lion and explained as the Lion of Judah (Christ) fighting with evil. I think that such an interpretation makes the mistake of using an inappropriately biblical explanation when the artist, by his very Viking-like pictorial style as well as his tangle of animal and plants, tells you he is here using a Germanic one. If you look at the animal you can see that he is eating at the vine or branch which in turn is a serpent biting at him in the neck. Look at the animal's head and you can see two small horns protruding—that animal is a young male deer, a hart. Now it becomes clear it is not the Old Testament that is giving the context here for the meaning of the portal: this is an allusion to the Elder Edda and its description of Yggsdrasill as the suffering tree with many serpents forever biting on its twigs and branches, as those twigs and branches are also being devoured by a hart. The traditiona of the single deer may also come from a previous stanza in the Grímnismál where the hart is named: Eikþyrnir [Oak-thorn] is the hart's name, who stands on Father of Hosts' hall and grazes Læraðr's [kenning for Yggdrasill] branches; and from his horns liquid drips into Hvergelmir [seething cauldron], from thence all waters have their flowing (Poetic Edda 55 and 270n)

According to Murphy, "to enter the door of the Urnes stave church is to enter Yggdrasill." So, to bring this back to the world of asoiaf, it´s an interesting piece of set design to include this screen or divider in Winterfell, a place closely connected with the "old gods" of the north and that has its own world tree, in a sense: the weirwood tree, or heart tree, of the godswood. Moreover, beneath one of Yggdrasill's three large roots is the spring Hvergelmir (mentioned above, meaning 'seething cauldron'), beneath another is Mímisbrunnr ('Mímir's well) and beneath the third is Urðarbrunnr ('Well of Urðr'), this is interesting to note in parallel to the hots springs and ice-lidded pool in Winterfell's godswood, close to its heart tree.

In the Prose Edda, one of our foremost sources on Norse mythology, Yggsdrasill is also connected with Ragnarök, the doom of the gods. In chapter 54, it is told that Óðinn will ride to the well Mímisbrunnr and consult Mímir on behalf of himself and his people. After this, "the ash Yggdrasill will shake and nothing will be unafraid in heaven or on earth," and then the Æsir and Einherjar will don their war gear and advance to the field of Vígríðr. In asoiaf, the north has its own legend very reminiscent of Ragnarök, called the Long Night and I've written about their similiarities before and keep meaning to return to that.

Anyway, I just think it's pretty cool they included that detail of the Urnes style screen in Winterfell — I'm always putting Norse details into my fics wherever I can, most recently the Oseberg tapestry.

#cappy's thoughts #yggdrasil and the heart tree #winterfell #historial influences in got and asoiaf #asoiaf and norse mythology #IT IS THE SAME DESIGN i can't believe i never noticed it before?

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