Season 7 of Game Of Thrones is a few months away and I just can’t wait for it! On my constant hunt of reading something new about GOT, I found a really interesting thread on Quora.
One kind Quoran has made life easier for us by coming up with stark comparison between the Houses in GOT and the countries in the real world.
Gourav Agrawal writes, “I’ve followed a particular approach by lining countries in order of similarity in their geo-political strategies, historical rulers & religions, real-life alliances & rivalries and more importantly, forming a coherent and converging equivalence as a whole. Most of the relations are from WW1 and WW2 POV.”
Here have a look at this interesting answer:
1. Starks – Russia
Huge in size, most of which is cold and wild. A proud house once, but now breaking away into smaller parts at conflict with each other.
Mortal enemies of US (Lannisters, see below). The North would then be Soviet Union. Almost impossible to conquer, just ask Germany and Napoleon! That’ll make Armenia – Umbers, Georgia – Dustin, Belarus – Karstarks and Boltons – Ukraine.
2. Lannisters – USA
Follows automatically after allotting Soviet Union to the North. Rich, Powerful and somewhat vile in other Houses’ eyes.
Has a knack for liberating other houses of their lands. Lannisters gave the final blow in Robert’s rebellion. Similar to US’s role in WW2.
3. Baratheons – United Kingdom
A declining house, much like what UK was reduced to after the 2 world wars. The one which ruled most part of the era following Industrial revolution.
Came out victorious from both the world wars (Robert’s rebellion and Greyjoy rebellion), thanks to support from USSR (Starks) and US (Lannisters).
Another important analogy is the way various regions of UK are at conflict with each other viz. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Similar to the Baratheon brothers’ conflict
4. Targaryens – China
Come on, Dragons!
On a serious note, an ancient civilization which saw the likes of rulers such as Ghenghis Khan (read Aegon, the Conqueror) who made his enemies tremble, piled up cities with the heads of the conquered.
Rulers of a land with different languages, gods and cultures. A forgotten house after the Han and Tang dynasties. Which is making a grand comeback now. Daenerys anyone.?
Point to be noted is that Genghis Khan was Mongolian, contrary to above chinese relation. (You can’t get everything on target). The main idea is that China came under Genghis Khan’s territory.
5. Greyjoys – Japan
One of the best matches you can find. Group of Islands which turned ambitious in the 2nd world war and got completely obliterated by Lannisters (see Hiroshima, Nagasaki) and Starks.
Geographically located close to USSR (Starks) and US (Lannisters).
Theon, taken as a ward after Greyjoy Rebellion can be seen similar to the way Allied forces held Japan for 7 years after the 2nd world war.Have had numerous conflicts with Soviet Union.
They have different gods than the rest and take immense pride being what they are.
6. Tullys – Cuba
The only major reason here is that they have been screwed over by US a.k.a Lannisters for more than 5-6 decades.
A house with feeble military power. Shares its communist idealogies with Russia (Starks). That makes Blackfish – Castro and Edmure – Batista.
A long time colony of Spain, similar to the fact that Tully’s were the liege lords to the throne of Harrenhal before being lords of Riverlands.
Heck, even the colors on their flags are same! Red, white and blue!
7. Tyrells – South Korea
Self-sufficient house with a strong army.
Recently (post 1950) nurtured relations with the Lannisters (US).
Point to be noted here is that the basis of Tyrell and Lannister friendship was making Margaery the Queen in exchange of the army. It reminds me of the USA support to Ban Ki-Moon as UN Secretary General over other candidates in exchange for South Korean friendship. USA had indeed put its weight behind Ki-Moon. Detailed reading on this subject can be found here.
Though, anti-US sentiments still remain in the Korean sympathetics.
8. Arryns – Germany
Though it contradicts the WW1 POV, it holds good in other scenarios. The house with one of the strongest knights (read economy and technology). The conflict between them and US and their alleged closeness to Soviet can be seen as similarities.
The Vale’s mountains can be representative of the Alps. One curious relation is that Germany did pull out of their peace accord with Soviet (similar to what Lysa Arryn did with Starks).
9. Dorne – India
Stayed neutral during the war of the five kings, much like India’s NAM. India has been seen as slightly anti-US until the start of 21st century. Commands one of the strongest army, yet is averse to get into a war.
Dorne distinguishes itself because of the power dornish-women enjoy. India, in a similar way, has far greater number of lady Heads of states and governments in its 70 year history than many of the other leading countries of the world.
Dorne actually were the only ones who resisted the Targeryens for a long enough time. This can be seen similar to the way India was largely unaffected by the Chinese empires, though they shared their cultures, China wasn’t ever able to conquer India (despite being more powerful).
Culturally diverse, with a different approach to food, sexuality and pretty much everything else.
10. Clegane – Israel
Strong ally and loyal to the US. A young house which rose to prominence thanks to the US support coupled with their own genius.
Militarily awesome, surviving despite being in the most screwed up location on the planet. One blunt contrast is India-Israel relations (which isn’t as bad as Dorne-Clegane).
Moving on to some of the lesser houses, places and religions, which are self-explanatory:
11. Meeren – Syria + Iraq with Harpy’s sons = ISIS
12. Astapor – Egypt
13. Qarth – Kuwait
14. Yunkai – Saudi Arabia
15. Old Town – Alexandria (The great old Library).
16. Dothraki – Mongols (Brutal fighters with weird customs, expert at horse-riding and brilliant archers).
A recently popular theory explaining why Mongols didn’t proceed to conquer Europe says it was majorly because of wet climate and swampy regions which were short on providing pastures for their horses. So there you have it, Dothraki not crossing the Narrow sea (and invading Westeros) because they don’t *trust the water which their horses can’t drink*
17 Valyria – Ancient Rome civilization
18. Braavos – Venice
Both are merchant cities that have been built on islands and are connected through canals. Share the same history of previously indirect Valyrian (Roman) oppression.
Large confluence of cultures. It is geographically similar, being an archipelago built on a lagoon. Nonetheless, the Braavosi bank is parallel to the Medici bank in Florence.
19. Other free cities – Mini kingdoms formed after the fall of Roman (Valyrian) empire
20. Faceless Men – Hashishiyyin
21. Freys – Panama
Control an important passage of Panama canal. It’s a popular theory which says that the Panama canal made US the economic giant that it is today. We can see an analogy in the way Freys helped Lannisters get rid of Robb Stark when their defeat looked inevitable.
22. Boltons – Ukraine (Soviet Union + Starks reference).
23. Old Gods – Paganism / Polytheism.
24. Faith of the Seven – Christian Trinity with Sparrows acting as the Inquisition.
25. The Red God / R’hollor – Islam.
26. Drowned God – Poseidon.
27. God of Death – Atheism
And finally,
28. White Walkers – Climate Change (Makes saying “Winter is Coming” all the more dramatic!)
All the countries are engaged in sky-rocketing their GDP and HDI and urbanization, ignoring climate change while its one of the truest of things on the planet.
The frequency of such a catastrophic change is once in hundreds of thousands of years, similar to the walkers, which makes
29. Night’s Watch – Scientists, Environmentalists, Climate change activists, etc.
MIND = BLOWN, right?
Picture Credits: Google Images
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