Khal Drogo the Conqueror

Today we will be looking into the justification of murder and conquest found within the Bible and Game of Thrones. In the Old Testament, one of the areas that I have struggled with was the narrative of King David. Sure, we all know the David and Goliath story, but it's really what comes after that has  me grasping for some edge of understanding. In class we have discussed reading the Bible with charity--and I'm really going to try.

The picture you see here is HBO's adaptation of the character Khal Drogo, the leader of the largest Dothraki Khalasaar (something like a tribal group) across the Narrow sea. His band is a group of warriors, known for their courage, ferocity and unmatched skill on horseback. They wear their hairs in long braids to symbolize their strength and prowess. When a Dothraki warrior loses in battle, he is shamed by cutting off his braid--Khal Drogo has never lost. He has gained his respect the only way the Dothraki people can and that is by defeating every challenge that has confronted him. His Khalasaar is one of the largest (boasting nearly 100,000 warriors) because he has conquered and laid waist to countless villages that were in his way. He pillages, rapes, takes slaves, and utterly destroys those that are different from him; yet, in Game of Thrones he is a protagonist and something akin to a hero. Though his role is more of a secondary one, his story helps shape the life of an extremely important character within the entire narrative--Daenarys Targaryen, his young wife who is later to be known as the Mother of Dragons (more on her in the next post).

So there we have it. A conqueror, murderer and hero all in one--revered by his people and feared by everyone else. Immediately when I was trying to decide which character to delve into next for this blog, Khal Drogo and King David immediately popped into mind. In Book 1 of Chronicles, the story of David defeating the Ammonites was particularly...impressive. It is written that David himself, "killed seven thousand of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers. He also killed Shophach the commander of the army" 1 Chron 19:18. A total of 47,000 soldiers were supposedly killed by David, 47,000. Now that is someone I think Khal Drogo would even fear. David's braid would probably rival Rapunzel's. I understand that this is probably a complete exaggeration, or rather a testament to David's army, not him (but with God backing you up, who knows?)--so I'm going to try to read this with charity. Was this a senseless killing? Was David simply trying to conquer those in his way like Khal Drogo would? No. All of this happened after David sent messengers to this Pagan king after his father died, as comfort and condolences and they were sent back to him in a shameful state. So he retaliated and a war ensued in which several tens of thousands died. Now I ask myself, what does this say about retaliation? Are we then allowed to retaliate when we are shamed by someone who is different from us? Again, I employ the idea of charitable reading. When looking at the entire metanarrative, maybe what this is trying to teach us is to accept the kindnesses given to us, even if it's from those that we may not agree with. Or maybe that if God's on your side...nah I won't even finish this thought because it's dangerous and I don't think that's where this story was trying to go.

**P.S. I guess I'm still struggling with this passage.**

Ned Stark's Honor

In retrospect, I probably should have made this post my first. When I was beginning to think about how I would organize this blog, it occurred to me that going by chapter would be a bit difficult in that each chapter tends to jump around from one character to the next. Thus, I'll focus on individual characters and their individual journeys throughout the books entirety.

I suppose an alternative title for this post could have been "Like Father, Like Son", because today we discuss Eddard Stark's  (Ned), the father of Jon Snow,his five legitimate children, Lord of Winterfell and warden of the North. He rules over his subjects with a stern, but fair justice and is known to be a man of great honor.Like his son Jon, he is called to serve his country; although, his calling is to become the next Hand of the King (which is the second most powerful figure in the Seven Kingdoms) and it comes directly from the King of the Seven Kingdoms himself--Robert Baratheon. To most, this is an honor that many would kill for (in a very literal sense);yet, for Ned, it is likened to a death sentence.

Kings Landing, the capitol of the Seven Kingdoms lies within the Southern lands where the winter is mild and the people have become complacent and corrupt. In the South, honor means little and the lust for power rests within the hearts of nearly all regardless of title or class. It is here that the previous Hand of the King died of a mysterious illness which later is revealed through Ned's investigations to be something of a far more sinister nature.

This is where the honorable Lord Stark must travel. He had a choice. Though the King would have been unhappy, Ned could have refused and been allowed to live out the rest of his life in the comfort of his cold, yet honest home of Winterfell; however, it is his honor that calls him to the dangers of the South. It is his duty that calls him to leave his home, his wife, his children (aside from his two daughters who go in hopes of finding suitable marriage partners) and his safety. Again, we see this idea of an individual sacrificing a great deal for his country. Like the disciples of Jesus, Ned left his family and his home in order to serve the many, knowing full well that he walked into treacherous territory.

In the end, this journey ultimately takes his life, yet what is most tragic about his death is that there were moments in which, had he forsaken his honor, he would have lived and perhaps would have been able to bring about true justice. It brings into question the concept of honor. In the Bible, honor seems to mean something close to, "to hold one in great esteem". For example, the well known, "honor thy father and mother" is easily understood--but what does honor mean in Game of Thrones and what does it mean today? For Ned Stark, honor encompassed a great deal of virtues which include truthfulness, trustworthiness and responsibility. These are all things we value today--yet do they make us honorable? I feel as if it does, but it's not a term that's tossed around as much today.

John Snow, a Disciple of the Realm

The Game of Thrones TV series has recently become a worldly phenomena. The gritty nature of the HBO exclusive, with its gore and intriguing plot lines has garnered the attention of millions. Though I love the show and was pleasantly surprised at how true to the book the first season was, I was personally brought into the world of Game of Thrones by the book series, which is called A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones is incidentally, just the first book within the series). I have always been a lover of fiction, particularly when any kind of fantasy was involved, and Game of Thrones happened to be my first real move away from young adult fantasy into a more mature genre. Needless to say, I was blown away (and possibly spoiled) by the heavy amount of political intrigue and the sheer number of complex and dynamic characters. For this post though, I'll focus on just one of the characters, and his journey throughout the first book.

John Snow is the bastard son of Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and warden of the North. John is a stout young man with a good heart and kind intentions, and one who gets along well with his five half-siblings (who are all Eddard Stark's legitimate children). He is treated equally among his brothers and sisters, but still always feels out of place, especially when in the presence of Catelyn Stark, Eddard's wife. Knowing that his inheritance will likely be nothing more than what he makes for himself, John chooses a life that is low in prestige, but high in honor--he becomes a member of the Night's Watch.

The Night's Watch is an organization of men who are sworn to protect the realm (the Seven Kingdoms). They have no allegiances to any Lord or King, have sworn off having a family or any relations with women, and have given up any claims to an inheritance. Their lives are spent on the Wall, a massive wall of ice seven hundred feet high and several miles long that was created to keep barbarians (known as Wildlings) and any other creatures out of the Seven Kingdoms. It is a place far to the north, where winter is the only season and monsters long since forgotten and left to myth are beginning to rise again. It is not a place many choose to go willingly. In fact, criminals who have committed crimes ranging from petty thievery to rape and murder are given the choice of death or the Wall, and a good amount of them choose death.

But this is where John decides to go, willingly and only at the age of fifteen. For him and many others, it is a place of great suffering, but also of redemption. It is here that I realized that John Snow's journey was not terribly different from the disciples of Jesus. In class a few days ago, I remember we talked about how to follow Jesus was to follow a path of suffering. They left behind everything--their family, their jobs, their homes--for one cause, to follow Jesus in order to spread God's word and better the world. In the same way, John Snow left everything behind knowing that he was leaving for a life filled with suffering and unknown terror for the sole purpose of protecting the Seven Kingdoms and making it a better place. Furthermore, the Wall was a place of redemption, and in some ways even forgiveness. The criminals, (or sinners), having chosen the Wall over death, are pardoned for their past transgressions and given the opportunity to regain their honor. When we look at the story of Jesus, the same thing can be said about those who choose to follow in his path. The sinners are redeemed and in a sense their honor is restored.