These
opposing forces are mythologically based, an interesting blend of the faerie
and Norse mythology. The fae—as they are also known—hold a summer and winter
court, which informs on the seasons of the series.
The two
courts are each ruled by a queen, popularized by Shakespeare’s plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet. In these we meet Queen
Titania of the summer court, and a reference to Queen Maab, the sovereign of
the winter court. These two courts struggle with one another for ascendancy,
but it’s always inevitable that one gives way to another as the seasons
progress.
The fact that the seasons in Game
of Thrones last significantly longer than a normal year might be a reflection
of how Martin has taken this struggle to a different level, letting randomness
enter the equation. Why should one court simply give up power because of the
date? The other court should have to seize power—which extends the metaphor for
the Game of Thrones. Summer and Winter are both struggling for that seat of
power.
The fae’s seasonal courts are often
perceived in the same way as in the show. Summer is good and peaceful; winter
is harsh and terrible. This preference for summer is related to the location of
Scotland, Ireland, and England far to the north, and suffering bitterly cold
winters. However, while winter is always harsher than summer, that doesn’t mean
the faeries of the summer court were actually nicer. These are natural forces,
without morality.
The
children of the wood are also very reminiscent of the faerie in that they are
usually portrayed as childlike and mischievous. If disrespected, they can be
very fierce and cruel. They certainly would have seemed alien, which is why the
Andals drove them out and into the north.
The Weir
woods, those trees with carved faces, are reminiscent of green men, carvings
thought to represent nature, throughout Europe. Some people speculate that the
green men are part of faerie mythology, but it’s not a symbol that is exclusive
to that region of the world. The Norse, too, have a respect for trees. In fact,
in the Norse creation, men and women are fashioned out of trees.
The Norse
heavily influenced Martin’s Old Gods as well. The children used the weir woods
to look everywhere—as did Bran—which means they are all connected. While this
could be an inference from the faerie, it is more likely a connection to how
the Norse viewed the world tree, Yggdrasil, which connected the nine worlds. Its
roots and branches connect not just Asgard, (the home of the gods) to Midgard
(Earth), but also to Niflheim (the frozen underworld) and Muspelheim (the land
of fire).
The lands
of ice and fire are also allusions to the seasons, though not as mild as the
summer and winter courts of the faerie. The Norse creation myth begins with ice
from Nifleheim mingling with fire from Muspelheim in a location in the middle known
as Ginnungagap (don’t worry, there’s no spelling test). These elemental forces
are what drive creation, but they are not to be embraced as desirable. Niflheim
is ruled by Hela, the goddess of disease and death, while Muspelheim is ruled
by Surtur, who will end the world with his fire. To the Norse, these elemental
forces are to be survived, not embraced. And, like in the series, it is always
the rule of opposites; autumn and spring don’t receive nearly as much attention
as summer and winter.
The last
major connection of the Norse and the Old Gods comes from Odin. The king of the
Norse gods, as everyone who has seen the movie Thor knows, has only one eye. He sacrificed the other eye in
exchange for knowledge. This knowledge gives him insight, which is far more
valuable. He knows the past, and can see the future, reminiscent of the
three-eyed raven from the series. The concept of a raven having this knowledge
is also from Norse myth as Odin has two ravens, Huginn and Munnin, which fly
around the world gathering news. They return to him each night, and tell him
what they’ve seen and heard, keeping Odin informed.
These serve as the basis for the ravens
in the series, as well, who are sent out as messengers. The ravens are also
said to be able to speak the language of the children of the forest, giving
them a supernatural aspect similar to that of Odin’s ravens.