10 Words We Learned From 'Game of Thrones'
Winter is coming and that means its time to brush up on the vocabulary of Westeros.The premier of [...]
Winter is coming and that means its time to brush up on the vocabulary of Westeros.
The premier of Game of Thrones Season 7 is less than a week away. Looking back over the past six years, one might realize that Game of Thrones has taught its viewers an entire lexicon worth of esoteric words from the George R.R. Martin's World of Ice and Fire.
Now it's time for a refresher course. Matinee Multilingual has put together a stellar infographic of some of ten words Game of Thrones has taught us. We're here to break them down ahead of the season seven premiere.
Keep reading for a refresher course on Game of Thrones vocabulary and to check out the full infographic. No, there will not be a quiz that follows, but you'll be more than prepared for the Game of Thrones Season 7 premiere on Sunday night.
Maester
Maesters are among the most knowledgeable men in Westeros. Each maester studies at the Citadel in Oldtown and earns a link on their signature chain to represent every field of study they have mastered.
Every noble house in Westeros has a maester on hand to act as a trusted advisor and often times as a medic or doctor.
Some of the most notable maesters in Game of Thrones include Grand Maester Pycelle, who served at the Red Keep in King's Landing until he was replaced by disgraced maester Qyburn, and Maester Aemon at the Wall. Aemon served the Night's Watch until his death.
Now Samwell Tarly, at Jon Snow's request, has gone to the Citadel in Oldtown to study to become a maester and take Aemon's place at the Wall. In the process of his studies, Sam may discover the secret of Valyrian steel and find the answer to how to defeat the coming invasion of White Walkers.
Wildlings
Wildlings is the term that citizens of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros use to refer to those who live beyond the Wall. The wildlings refer to themselves as the Free Folk.
The Wildlings are descended from the First Men and, while the Wall was originally built to keep out the White Walkers, its purpose was eventually forgotten and was seen as a means of keeping the lawless wildlings away from lands and property of those who are sworn to the Crown.
With the White Walkers now returned and threatening the Seven Kingdoms again, Jon Snow, as Lord-Commander of the Night's Watch, was forced to remind the Watch of their true purpose and grant the Wildlings protection on the other side of the wall.
Dragonglass
Dragonglass is a common name used to describe the substance known as obsidian. The volcanic glass was used by the Children of the Forest in past ages to make weapons, mostly as spear tips.
Dragonglass and Valyrian steel are the only two substances known in the world of Westeros and Essos to be able to kill the White Walkers.
The ties between dragonglass and the White Walkers run deep. Though a fact that is mostly forgotten in the history of Westeros, the Children of the Forest actually created the White Walkers as a weapon to be used against invading humans through a magical ceremony that involved plunging a shard of dragonglass through the heart of a human who then transformed into the Night King.
Warg
A warg is someone who has the unusual power to possess the minds and bodies of animals. Once the possession takes hold, the warg can control the actions of the animal, see through their eyes, and experience their other senses.
Warging comes with a risk. The longer a warg remains within an animal, the more animalistic they become and it is possible that they may never return from the animal's body back into their own.
An animal dying while a warg is possessing it is a traumatic but survivable experience for the warg. Wargs can also cheat death in a fashion because if their human body dies while they are warging then their consciousness can live on inside the animal they have possessed.
Direwolf
A direwolf is like a regular wolf, but significantly larger, stronger, and more intelligent. Direwolves are also known for their masters and the beasts serve as the sigil of House Stark.
In the south of Westeros, direwolves were believed to be entirely mythological creatures. In the North, they were always believed to exist though they were very rarely encountered. It is believed that more may have existed in past ages.
Ned Stark and his children found a dead direwolf and her litter. Ned adopted the direwolves and gave one each to his children, including his bastard Jon Snow. Few survived through the War of the Five Kings.
Greensight
Like warging, the ability to use greensight is one that most inhabitants of Westeros don't realize even exists.
Those with greensight are able to see the past and the future through their dreams. The Children of the Forest are commonly able to access this ability, but it is much, much rarer among humans.
Bran Stark is one those gifted with greensight, as was his brother Rickon Stark and friend Jojen Reed. The Three-Eyed Raven also had greensight and helped mentor Bran in the use of his gifts.
Bran possess both the gift of warging and of greensight, making him an exceptionally rare individual.
Weirwood
While worshippers of the Seven, the most popular religion in Westeros, worship in septs, those who still follow the Old Gods, mostly the Northern houses, consider weirwoods to be sacred.
The weirwood trees can be found throughout Westeros. The trees themselves have white bark, five-pointed red leaves, and sap.
Weirwood trees at the center of a godswood are called heart trees and have the face of one of the Old Gods carved into them. It is theorized that the Children of the Forest carved these faces into the weirwoods.
Greenseers can also see through the eyes of the heart trees to view events in the past or the future.
Dothraki
Dothraki is the name both of the nomadic people of Essos and the language they speak.
The Dothraki are often called horse lords because of their close bonds to their steeds. They are said to be born, fight, and die in the saddle.
The Dothraki roam the grassy plains at the center of Essos, referred to as the Dothraki Seas. The name is somewhat ironic since the Dothraki fear the sea and are uncomfortable on ships where their horses cannot serve them.
The Dothraki language, created by David J. Petersen for Game of Thrones, consists of over 4,000 words and can now be learend by people in real life.
Wildfire
Wildfire is a highly combustible substance that was created by, and remains regulated by, the Alchemists' Guild, an ancient society of studious men who possess stores of arcane knowledge.
Wildfire explodes with incredible force and burns so hotly that water cannot extinguish its blaze. The substance can be identified by its bright green color in liquid form and by its emerald flames when it burns.
Wildfire was key to the Battle of the Blackwater during the War of the Five Kings. The Lannisters laid a Wildfire trap in the bay for Stannis Baratheon's ships and ignited most of the would-be king's fleet. Cersei Lannister later user wildfire in the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor.
Valar Morghulis
Valar morghulis is a High Valyrian phrase meaning "all men must die." The phrase is a reference to the inevitable mortality of all who live.
The phrase also serve as a greeting and mantra for the assassins known as the Faceless Men, along with the phrase "valar dohaeris," meaning "all men must serve."
The Faceless Men believe that all gods are just manifestations of the Many-Faced God, who is essentially death itself. They serve death by granting its gift to those who seek it. For the right price, they'll also deliver the gift on behalf of someone who wants somebody else to experience it.
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