George R.R. Martin has given us probably the best epic/fantasy story of the century with his A Song of Ice and Fire saga, best known as Game of Thrones. But nothing in this world is completely original anymore, and GoT isn’t the exception. Such an intricate narrative filled with seriously complex and damaged characters didn’t just come out of Martin’s imagination. Our favorite epic has strong ties and roots in so many literary works that you could have endless comparative dissertations. But beyond literary works, most of it was actually inspired by real historical events that, when combined with the awesome fantasy elements, results in what’s one of the best-selling sagas out there and the most watched series of all time.
There are specific events taken from history that were written into the GoT universe, like the Red Wedding inspired by the Massacre of Glencoe (1691), when an entire Scottish clan was brutally murdered by their hosts in an attempt to depose King James VII. But perhaps the strongest ties to history is the influence most of the characters have to real ones. Here are some of the most important.
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Jon Snow (John Stark)
Jon Snow is pretty much the protagonist of the saga and, as such, it’s kind of obvious that he would have close connections with not one but many historical and iconic fictional characters. When it comes to his real counterpart, we can say that he shares more than the name. John Stark was born in New Hampshire and worked as an officer in the British Army during the French and Indian Wars. In 1752, while he was on a hunting trip, Stark was captured by a group of Abenaki warriors. As a prisoner, he got really in touch with their customs and culture to the point of creating some sort of bond with them. Eventually, the Abenaki ended up accepting him in their community until he was rescued. Back home he refused to take part in the raids against them. Sounds familiar? Abenaki/Wildlings, John/Jon, Stark!
The Unsullied (The Janissaries)
Let’s go to the toughest army in the seven kingdoms, the Unsullied, led by the great Grey Worm. Turns out that the dark background of the Unsullied didn’t come out precisely from Martin’s wicked imagination, but was inspired by another fearsome army known as the Janissaries, an elite group that fought for the Ottoman empire, and yes, like the Unsullied, it was comprised entirely of slaves. In addition, the Janissaries, were stripped from their past lives to make them fully loyal. The Ottomans demanded young boys from conquered lands to turn them into soldiers, so probably, they were even tougher than the masters of Astapor.
Cersei Lannister (Queen Isabeau)
There have been a lot of badass queens in history, but was there ever anyone as cruelly enticing as Cersei? Yes, there was. Queen Isabeau of France, who, after her husband Charles VI (also known as the Mad King and believed he was made of glass) was proven unfit to rule, became France’s true power. Like Cersei, Isabeau was hated by her people, who saw her as a woman mad with power. It was said that she was also quite promiscuous and that she had a sexual affair with her brother-in-law. Ok, it’s not as huge as having an affair with a sibling, but still. Actually, on that matter, it’s also said that Cersei was inspired by Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife, who, like Cersei, was once accused of having an incestuous relationship with her brother.
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Jaime Lannister (Louis d’Orleans)
Speaking of the devil, let’s talk about the real-life Jaime Lannister, the guy we all hated at first but are now rooting for. Jaime has very strong connections with Louis d’Orleans – no surprise – Isabeau’s lover and the King’s brother. Besides that, and the fact that he also had his hand cut off, there were really strong rumors that the heir to the throne, Charles VII, was actually Louis’ son, and though there was a strong movement to depose them, they failed. Besides him, Jaime has also some similarities with Cesare Borgia, who was rumored to lie with his sister Lucrezia, but that one is a bit more far-fetched.
Lord Varys (Wei Zhongxian)
We could say that without Lord Varys Game of Thrones wouldn’t be as exciting and nerve-wracking. His real-life inspiration, Wei Zhongxian, was as scheming as our beloved Varys. Besides the fact that he was also a eunuch, Wei Zhongxian also came from a very low background. Both of them managed to climb socially until they became part of their courts. If you think these aren’t enough connections, let me tell you that Wei eventually became head of the secret police network thanks to his manipulative talents. Sadly for him, and great for Varys, eventually, his power started to fade, and he died of an unknown cause at a young age. Let’s hope our Varys keeps himself alive and as witty as he’s managed to do so so far.
Brienne Of Tarth (Joan Of Arc)
Perhaps one of the clearest connections between GoT and real historical characters is that between Brienne of Tarth and Joan of Arc. They might not share that much in terms of backgrounds, but there’s no doubt Brienne was visually conceived as the armed liberator of France. Still, there are some similarities in their personalities. For instance, like Brienne, it’s known that Joan hated drunkenness, lasciviousness, and anything that would not be moral or honorable. Both are virgins nicknamed “the Maid.”
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Robert Baratheon (Henry VIII)
This one’s easy. The Stag King has a very clear connection with one of the most famous kings in history, the womanizer and food-and-wine-lover King Henry VIII. Despite theories claiming that Henry VIII had congenital syphilis, he actually died of the consequence of his excesses (including gout). The official cause of Robert Baratheon’s death was that he was killed by a boar on a hunting trip while drunk (though we know Cersei had something to do with it). All in all, even visually, both monarchs share a lot, even if we take the theory that Anne Boleyn also had intercourse with her brother.
Joffrey Baratheon (Caligula)
We all know there should be a scale that ranges from “you’re unlikable” to Joffrey Lannister. Seriously, he’s probably the most hated villain of all time, and with good reason: he’s an annoying brat. Well, turns out that in the long list of hateful brats, Joffrey isn’t the only one, and the poor Romans had to suffer under the yoke of their own Joffrey, Mr. Emperor Caligula. Like Joffrey, Caligula rose to power at a very young age, so his idea of power was extremely distorted. Both rulers were bloodthirsty and enjoyed wielding power through torture and fear, but perhaps the strongest connection is the fact that both were killed for the greater good, or, in other words, to stop their madness.
Robb Stark (Edward IV)
Overall, the game for the throne was highly inspired by the War of the Roses between the Yorks and the Lancasters. Which brings us to our beloved, and a little bit foolish, King in the North, Robb Stark. Like him, Edward IV of York represented the north. After his father was beheaded (that poor Ned), Edward was proclaimed the true king, which started a civil war in England in his aim to avenge his father and depose the usurper king. Both, Robb and Edward were also quite close to their mothers, who were basically the brains behind their movements. The last mind-blowing similarity is the fact that Edward too broke a marriage proposal to marry Elizabeth Woodville, a woman he truly loved.
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These are just a few connections between the Game of Thrones universe and history, and as I said before, if we were to include every single connection, we would be here for ages.
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