#dark azor ahai

[liminal-zone]

DAENERYS STORMBORN OF HOUSE TARGARYEN, RIGHTFUL HEIR TO THE IRON THRONE, RIGHTFUL QUEEN OF THE ANDALS AND THE FIRST MEN, PROTECTOR OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS, THE MOTHER OF DRAGONS, THE KHALEESI OF THE GREAT GRASS SEA, THE UNBURNT, THE BREAKER OF CHAINS.

THE PRINCESS WHO WAS PROMISED!!!!!!

[derangedthots]

ASOIAF/GOT/HOTD theory that just hit me like lightning

the maesters were sexist westerosi outsiders who mistitled the three conquerors: aegon was the dreamer, visenya the conqueror, and rhaenys the ruler.

aegon brought the seven kingdoms together bc of his dream of the long night but visenya was the one with the conqueror's temperament. the line of targaryens descends from rhaenys bc aenys was a velaryon-sired bastard(in order to maintain the valyrian beauty and divert suspicion from aegon being impotent) and "aegon's dagger" was actually hers originally.

even though all three targaryen heirlooms are equally important - THE DRAGON HAS THREE HEADS - the average westerosi citizen/noble regards them as unequal. blackfyre is considered the king's weapon bc aegon wielded it, visenya was a woman, and a dagger is just a dagger. but the truth of it is, blackfyre(aegon's myth) protects the order amongst the kingdoms, dark sister(visenya's will) protects loyalty to their family, and catspaw(rhaenys's blood & subsequent children, "of my blood will come the prince that was promised") protects the realm/life.

the loss of blackfyre thematically parallels how the seven kingdoms have been growing more separate/unbalanced. the loss of dark sister signifies how the targaryens are eating themselves alive with each generation rather than protecting one another. finally, rhaenys' dagger is the only heirloom still in circulation bc even despite these things, at least two targaryens yet live that could protect the realm from the cold and the dark-

[kaerinio]

the terms of endearment used between dany and drogo don't materialize out of nowhere. "my sun-and-stars" and "moon of my life" come directly from dany's own influence. you see, these terms do not appear officially until after rhaego's conception, and earlier that very night, dany engages in a discussion with her handmaids, asking if they've seen dragons, if they've heard of living dragons, if they know of magic, stormsingers, shadowbinders, sorcerers. she also muses about magic's death in the west following the doom. it is here that doreah unveils the legend of the two moons, the sun, and the dragons hatching from the first moon, which cracked and perished upon getting too close to the sun; according to her, the other moon will one day kiss the sun, and dragons will enter the world once more. intrigued by the tale and driven by some sort of magical instinct/intent, dany invites doreah to dine with her, and it is during this extended time that she decides she, dragon-blooded and moon-kissed, must kiss her own representation of the sun, drogo, in order to bring dragons back into the world. at this point, she's experiencing some phenomena with the eggs, like the heat radiating from within them and the visions of thousands upon thousands of flames flashing when she looks at them, but she's still convinced that they are petrified stone. she hasn't yet fully awakened the valyrian sorcery pulsing in her blood, but after hearing doreah's story, she knows that she is the one who must restore her house. she must "bring back the dragons" in the only way she knows how: by conceiving a son. and in her choice to conceive him beneath the moon (and under the eyes of the open sky, where all important things are done in the dothraki tradition), it is clear that she knows she will conceive him (which is later noted in her very subtle "i know" to jhiqui, who is marveling at the slight swell of her belly).

also, earlier in the chapter, we see jorah deem rhaegar as the last dragon; this acts as a driver of sorts, pushing her to want to restore her house, especially as viserys becomes more and more erratic and as her awareness of how awful he would be as a king grows. jorah's words act as a spark, but it's her desire to give her home a good ruler that truly leads her to want to conceive rhaego. in these moments of reflection, dany imagines the child she would raise, and i would argue that she even thinks of the name "rhaego" almost immediately.

anyway, i have completely gone off the rails here, but the point is: "my sun-and-stars" and "moon of my life" are not meaningless terms of affection. additionally, with the legend in mind, it's daenerys who first calls drogo her "sun-and-stars" with drogo following suit, calling her "moon of my life" as an homage to that night beneath the stars.

[daenerys-stormborn]

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

"What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years. Daenerys is the one, born amidst salt and smoke. The dragons prove it."

"Her coming is the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. From smoke and salt was she born to make the world anew. She is Azor Ahai returned... and her triumph over darkness will bring a summer that will never end... death itself will bend its knee, and all those who die fighting in her cause shall be reborn ..."

— George R. R. Martin, A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

[princewhowaspromised]

A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

George R.R. Martin to Al Jazeera: the two outlying ones, the things that are going on north of the Wall and Daenerys Targaryen on the other continent with her dragons are of course the Ice and Fire of the title A Song of Ice and Fire.

George R. R. Martin to Adria's News: I mean… Fire is love, fire is passion, fire is sexual ardor and all of these things. Ice is betrayal, ice is revenge, ice is… you know, that kind of cold inhumanity and all that stuff is being played out in the books.

"No one ever looked for a girl. [...] The language misled us all for a thousand years. Daenerys is the one, born amidst salt and smoke. The dragons prove it." (AFFC, Samwell IV)

"She [Daenerys] is Azor Ahai returned [aka the Warrior of Light, the Son of Fire, the one who shall "wake dragons out of stone"] … and her triumph over darkness will bring a summer that will never end … death itself will bend its knee, and all those who die fighting in her cause shall be reborn …" (ADWD, Tyrion VI)

[thatscruelsummer]

“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.”

[yenneferdivengerberg]

"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

"Stars don't fall for men. But the comet means one thing, boy. Dragons."

"No one ever looked for a girl..It was a prince that was promised, not a princess. Rhaegar, I thought … the smoke was from the fire that devoured Summerhall on the day of his birth, the salt from the tears shed for those who died. He shared my belief when he was young, but later he became persuaded that it was his own son who fulfilled the prophecy, for a comet had been seen above King’s Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, and Rhaegar Targaryen was certain the bleeding star had to be a comet. What fools we were, who thought ourselves so wise! The error crept in from the translation. Dragons are neither male nor female, Barth saw the truth of that, but now one and now the other, as changeable as flame. The language misled us all for a thousand years. Daenerys is the one, born amidst salt and smoke. The dragons prove it."

“When the fire died at last and the ground became cool enough to walk upon, Ser Jorah Mormont found her amidst the ashes, surrounded by blackened logs and bits of glowing ember and the burnt bones of man and woman and stallion. She was naked, covered with soot, her clothes turned to ash, her beautiful hair all crisped away… yet she was unhurt. The cream-and-gold dragon was suckling at her left breast, the green-and-bronze at the right. Her arms cradled them close. The black-and-scarlet beast was draped across her shoulders, its long sinuous neck coiled under her chin. When it saw Jorah, it raised its head and looked at him with eyes as red as coals. Wordless, the knight fell to his knees. The men of her khas came up behind him. Jhogo was the first to lay his arakh at her feet. “Blood of my Blood,” he murmured, pushing his face to the smoking earth. “Blood of my Blood,” she heard Aggo echo. “Blood of my Blood,” Rakharo shouted. And after them came her handmaids, and then the others, all the Dothraki, men and women and children, and Dany had only to look at their eyes to know that they were hers now, today and tomorrow and forever, hers as they had never been Drogo’s. As Daenerys Targaryen rose to her feet, her black hissed, pale smoke venting from its mouth and nostrils. The other two pulled away from her breasts and added their voices to the call, translucent wings unfolding and stirring the air, and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive with the music of dragons.”

[danydidnothingwrong]

“When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone."

You all now stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen. Rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Queen of Mereen, the Unburnt, the Breaker of Chains and THE PRINCESS THAT WAS PROMISED!

VINDICATION! DAENERYS STORMBORN OF HOUSE TARGARYEN IS THE ONE TRUE PRINCESS THAT WAS PROMISED! Daemons vision of the Song of Ice and Fire proves It beyond a shadow of a doubt. Dany fans, we won. From the ashes we rise again.

[danyyytarggg]

“when the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, azor ahai will be reborn amidst salt and smoke and wake dragons out of stone,” - quite literally, undeniably, what happened with daenerys.

some of yall: b-but y-you don’t understand! jon snow is fire AND ice! yk targaryen and stark so it has to be him. jon is azor ahai and the prince that was promised 🥺

[rainhadaenerys]

The fake and the real Lightbringer

“You want to see Lightbringer? A blind man?” [...] “Tell me, Samwell.” Maester Aemon touched his arm. “It glows,” said Sam, in a hushed voice. “As if it were on fire. There are no flames, but the steel is yellow and red and orange, all flashing and glimmering, like sunshine on water, but prettier. I wish you could see it, Maester.” “I see it now, Sam. A sword full of sunlight. So lovely to behold.” The old man bowed stiffly. “Your Grace. My lady. This was most kind of you.” When King Stannis sheathed the shining sword, the room seemed to grow very dark, despite the sunlight streaming through the window. [...] Maester Aemon was lost in thought as Sam helped him down the narrow turnpike stair. But as they were crossing the yard, he said, “I felt no heat. Did you, Sam?” “Heat? From the sword?” He thought back. “The air around it was shimmering, the way it does above a hot brazier.” “Yet you felt no heat, did you? And the scabbard that held this sword, it is wood and leather, yes? I heard the sound when His Grace drew out the blade. Was the leather scorched, Sam? Did the wood seem burnt or blackened?” “No,” Sam admitted. “Not that I could see.” Maester Aemon nodded. - Samwell V ASOS

~

“No,” the old man said. “It must be you. Tell them. The prophecy . . . my brother’s dream . . . Lady Melisandre has misread the signs. Stannis . . . Stannis has some of the dragon blood in him, yes. His brothers did as well. Rhaelle, Egg’s little girl, she was how they came by it . . . their father’s mother . . . she used to call me Uncle Maester when she was a little girl. I remembered that, so I allowed myself to hope . . . perhaps I wanted to . . . we all deceive ourselves, when we want to believe. Melisandre most of all, I think. The sword is wrong, she has to know that . . . light without heat . . . an empty glamor . . . the sword is wrong, and the false light can only lead us deeper into darkness, Sam. Daenerys is our hope. [...]” - Samwell IV AFFC

~

“I looked at that book Maester Aemon left me. The Jade Compendium. The pages that told of Azor Ahai. Lightbringer was his sword. Tempered with his wife’s blood if Votar can be believed. Thereafter Lightbringer was never cold to the touch, but warm as Nissa Nissa had been warm. In battle the blade burned fiery hot. [...]” Clydas blinked. “A sword that makes its own heat …” “… would be a fine thing on the Wall.” Jon put aside his wine cup and drew on his black moleskin gloves. “A pity that the sword that Stannis wields is cold. I’ll be curious to see how his Lightbringer behaves in battle. [...]” - Jon III ADWD

~

Viserion sensed her disquiet. The white dragon lay coiled around a pear tree, his head resting on his tail. When Dany passed his eyes came open, two pools of molten gold. His horns were gold as well, and the scales that ran down his back from head to tail. “You’re lazy,” she told him, scratching under his jaw. His scales were hot to the touch, like armor left too long in the sun. Dragons are fire made flesh. She had read that in one of the books Ser Jorah had given her as a wedding gift. - Daenerys I ADWD

~

“Drogon,” she screamed. “Drogon.” His head turned. Smoke rose between his teeth. His blood was smoking too, where it dripped upon the ground. - Daenerys IX ADWD

~

Black blood was flowing from the wound where the spear had pierced him, smoking where it dripped onto the scorched sands. He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I. - Daenerys IX ADWD

~

She remembered the dragon twisting beneath her, shuddering at the impacts, as she tried desperately to cling to his scaled back. The wounds were smoking. Dany saw one of the bolts burst into sudden flame. - Daenerys X ADWD

[cinematic-phosphenes]

ASOIAF characters as historical paintings (3/∞) Azor Ahai and Lightbringer, the red sword of heroes

"In ancient books of Asshai it is written that there will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him." (GRRM, A Clash of Kings)

The Angel with the Flaming Sword, 1893 Edwin H. Blashfield

[marwyn]

Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal, and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. (AGOT, Bran III)

When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. (ASOS, Davos III)

I’m sure I’m hardly the first to say as much but I bet this part of the Azor Ahai legend will come into play again during Jon’s resurrection

[kaerinio]

Something . . . something . . . while Daenerys will typically answer to all of her titles, she does not particularly enjoy being directly referred to as Azor Ahai or even Azor Ahai Reborn. There is a difference between "I have come to serve you, Azor Ahai" and "There, mounted on dragonback, sits Azor Ahai." Why doesn't she fully embrace being called Azor Ahai? Because it is a full name and was a full identity that existed before her ; thus, Azor Ahai represents an entirely different person. Now, this is not to say that she does not recognize herself as the subject of the prophecy when the revelation/process of reflecting and accepting comes. She just does not wish to usurp the legacy that this hero has/had, nor does she wish to eclipse her own name and legacy. She has worked hard and accomplished great feats to earn most of her titles. There is something about the simple fact of being born and having an entitlement to the name of a great hero that does not sit well with her, which relates to direct vs. indirect references to her as Azor Ahai/Azor Ahai Reborn. She, as Daenerys, wants to live up to the title, but she does not wish to overshadow it by taking on the name directly, nor does she wish to be overshadowed by its grandeur. It is out of respect. Also, Dany doesn't want any ideas floating around about how she's Azor Ahai's literal reincarnation ( because she is not ). But also, Azor Ahai/Azor Ahai Reborn are used so interchangably with the Prince That Was Promised, and that particular prophecy is so deeply tied to the Targaryens. She just vibes with it more.

[daenerys-stormborn]

When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.

[nightswatchdisbandmentera]

There is a kind of triple irony in the following exchange because it highlights two types of blindness: literal and metaphorical.

But all of them seemed surprised to hear Maester Aemon murmur, “It is the war for the dawn you speak of, my lady. But where is the prince that was promised?” “He stands before you,” Melisandre declared, “though you do not have the eyes to see. Stannis Baratheon is Azor Ahai come again, the warrior of fire. In him the prophecies are fulfilled. The red comet blazed across the sky to herald his coming, and he bears Lightbringer, the red sword of heroes.” (Samwell V, ASOS)

The first: Melisandre has two sets of eyes that Maester Aemon does not. One set through which she literally sees the world, and another that allows her to tap into the metaphysical. Mel is a powerful seer but she, in a tragic twist of fate, remains blind to the truth. By taking elements of prophecy at face value, she has determined that Stannis Baratheon is the hero of prophecy. But he is not. And so she employs various glamours and tricks to give him legitimacy. And when Mel finally encounters the (very literal) promised prince, her metaphorical blindness causes her to look right past him.

That’s how we get to the second irony: old Maester Aemon is literally blind and does not posses Mel’s powerful prophetic abilities either. Yet he is able to ascertain that Stannis is not the hero of legend. In his blindness, he still manages to see past Mel’s glamours. Stannis’ magic sword may be as bright as the sun, but it lacks heat. And many times, we see that this false “light bringer” only serves to blind people’s eyes (very literally making them look away) and, as Aemon would put it, lead them further into darkness. For all the vision she possesses, Mel quite tragically misses the mark where Aemon does not.

But there is a third irony because even though Aemon sees what Mel doesn’t, both of them are still blinded to the truth. Mel, utterly convinced that Stannis is her man, misses the visions literally spelling out that Jon is the king. And as far as Aemon goes, he spent a good amount of time thinking that the promised prince was Rhaegar. When he had cause to change his mind, he understood that Rhaegar’s son was the one. Yet Rhaegar died, as did his son. So Aemon remained at the Wall nursing his wounds. But unbeknownst to him, Rhaegar’s son did survive. No, not Aegon. The bastard, Jon Snow. And Aemon knew Jon. He taught him, and loved him. But how tragic, and so very convenient, that Aemon did not have the eyes to actually see Jon. Because if he did, would he have seen glimpses of the prince he had mourned all those years?

This is where information becomes important, especially information that helps us understand prophecy. Both Mel and Aemon make decisions based on what is available to them. What they miss is, in large part, due to what has been hidden from view. Mel sees with her magic eyes that Jon is her king but she dismisses it because he does not align with what she knows. Aemon gives Jon advice befitting of a king, even comparing him to one, but at the end of the day he’s only a Stark bastard; he doesn’t know that this bastard boy is Aegon V come again.

So Mel’s quote doesn’t just apply to her, it comes back to Aemon as well. Both of them come to know their prince, their king, but they do not understand who he truly is. And that raises some interesting questions regarding the nature of prophecy. One may know it to the letter, but do they truly have the eyes to see and understand it? Unfortunately for Aemon, he did not and he died in his ignorance. On the other hand, Mel might be given the chance to correct her mistakes. But something tells me that in an attempt to grasp the light, she will only descend further and further into the darkness…until it’s far too late!

[daenerystemper]

the discourse for today is "dany stans" are making up that daenerys is magical

when literally

daenerys is azor ahai. ( When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. The bleeding star has come and gone, and Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt. ) daenerys hatches dragons for the first time in centuries & this rebirth is quickly followed shierak qiya, the red comet.

george said it himself: "The whole point of the scene in A Game of Thrones where Daenerys hatches the dragons is that she makes the magic up as she goes along; she is someone who really might do anything."

she spends the first novel having dragon dreams that result in the resurrection of dragons

the warlocks in the house of the undying want to cannibalize her & her magic to become stronger themselves

this entire passage btw:

"Half a year gone, that man could scarcely wake fire from dragonglass. He had some small skill with powders and wildfire, sufficient to entrance a crowd while his cutpurses did their work. He could walk across hot coals and make burning roses bloom in the air, but he could no more aspire to climb the fiery ladder than a common fisherman could hope to catch a kraken in his nets." Dany looked uneasily at where the ladder had stood. Even the smoke was gone now, and the crowd was breaking up, each man going about his business. In a moment more than a few would find their purses flat and empty. "And now?" "And now his powers grow, Khaleesi. And you are the cause of it." "Me?" She laughed. "How could that be?" The woman stepped closer and lay two fingers on Dany's wrist. "You are the Mother of Dragons, are you not?" (ACOK, Daenerys III)

ALSO claiming daenerys is male gaze is so whack when you know damn well she's a genre breaking character