HOUSE OF THE DRAGON’s civil war is inspired by a real medieval struggle for power

It’s no secret that George R.R. Martin often uses real history to inspire events in Westeros. From William the Conqueror serving as a model for Aegon Targaryen’s conquest of the Seven Kingdoms to the Wars of the Roses influencing the conflict between the Starks and Lannisters, Martin’s work is full of allusions to medieval history. The Dragon Housewhich brings Martin Fire and Blood The book is no exception. The political and familial turmoil in Westeros is reminiscent of a 12th-century English civil war known evocatively as “The Anarchy.” Just as the Targaryen civil war was born out of a succession crisis, so too was the Anarchy. (All without the dragons, of course.) Let’s dive into the real-life story that inspired the Dance of the Dragons war in The Dragon House.

What happened during the Anarchy and how does it compare to The Dragon HouseThe Dance of the Dragons?

King Henry I, King of England and historical counterpart to Viserys Targaryen, had two legitimate children. His son and heir, William, and his daughter Matilda, named after Henry’s wife, Matilda of Scotland. On November 25, 1120, Henry, William, and the rest of the English court were in Normandy, across the English Channel. William the Conqueror originally held the Duchy of Normandy in France before conquering England, so the lands remained under his family’s control. It’s not a perfect analogy, but think of Normandy as Dragonstone in The Dragon House:ancestral properties of the ruling dynasty separated from the rest of the kingdom by the sea.

Henry’s daughter Matilda was not present because she was in Germany fulfilling her duties as Holy Roman Empress. She had married Henry V (yes, there are a lot of Henrys in this story) many years before. When it came time to cross the Channel again, William and his friends and accomplices decided to drink (a lot). They were aboard a beautiful, sleek new ship, simply known as the White Ship, which was the fastest in the entire English fleet.

The drunken revelry continued and that night the crew and guests decided to head for England. The captain was confident that they could beat the old king to the English coast, despite his lead. Unfortunately for all on board, disaster struck shortly after departure. The ship struck a rock formation in the harbor and was overtaken by the sea. Like a medieval Titanic, the cream of the English nobility drowned in the icy waters. We suppose the parallels with real history go beyond The Dragon House.

When news of his son William’s death reached Henry, his grief was unbearable. Chroniclers claimed that he never smiled again after that night. In addition to his personal loss, the shipwreck presented Henry with an immense political problem. With no legitimate son to whom he could pass the crown, who would succeed him? An unclear answer to this question would tear the unstable kingdom apart between rival claimants, while male relatives would emerge from the woodwork to press their claims.

The king chooses his daughter as successor

Just as Viserys had chosen Rhaenyra to succeed him, Henry designated his daughter Matilda as his heir. But wasn’t Matilda the Holy Roman Empress? Well, she was, but the marriage had not produced children. When her husband Henry V died unexpectedly in 1125, Empress Matilda returned to England.

This decision did not please the English barons, but Henry would not be swayed from his choice. In fact, he summoned the great lords of England before him three times to make them swear a sacred oath that they would obey Matilda, their queen, when she died. And each time, the lords swore.

So when Henry I died suddenly in 1135, the succession seemed assured for his daughter. Unfortunately, a rival claimant seized the opportunity and pounced on him. Matilda was out of the country when Henry died, and as The Dragon House This showed us that the most dangerous time for the heir to the throne is to be absent from the center of power.

Man steps in to defend woman’s rights to throne

Matilda’s cousin Stephen heard the news of Henry’s death and traveled to London. He was acclaimed king by the people. Stephen quickly traveled to Winchester, where his brother was archbishop, to secure the royal treasury. With the gold of the kingdom under his control and the powerful symbol of being chosen as king by the people of the capital, Stephen was officially crowned just weeks after Henry’s death.

The fact that he had sworn before God and the king to recognize his cousin as his heir did not overly concern him, nor those who supported him. In fact, the succession of Henry VIII by a woman did not sit well with many in the kingdom. They were more than happy to support a man with weaker claims, especially if it meant quickly crowning a new monarch to ensure the stability and security of the kingdom. It was even said that on his deathbed, Henry VIII, consumed by guilt over having named Matilda as his heir, absolved the barons of their oaths.

The parallels with Aegon II and the Greens’ takeover immediately after Viserys’ death are obvious. It must be said that being the son of the previous king made Aegon’s claim to the throne infinitely stronger than Stephen’s. When news reached Matilda that Stephen had been crowned, she could choose to accept that she had been robbed of her promised inheritance, or fight.

Matilda chooses to fight for her crown, just as Rhaenyra does in The Dragon House

As Rhaenyra did on The Dragon HouseMatilda chose to fight in real life, sparking a conflict that changed history. The war was brutal. There were many clashes between Stephen and Matilda, with the lords and the Church switching sides to support whoever seemed to be winning. As the Anglo-Saxon chronicle evocatively puts it: “It was as if Christ and his saints were asleep.”

After 15 years of fierce fighting, an agreement was reached when it became clear that neither side would be fully victorious. Stephen would continue to sit on the throne, but it would not be his own son who would succeed him, but Matilda’s son Henry. When Stephen died of stomach problems in 1154, Matilda’s son became Henry II.

She was unable to ascend to the throne, but her direct descendants ruled England for the next 300 years. While devoid of dragons, true medieval history can be just as dramatic and shocking as the tales told by George RR Martin. The Dragon House brilliantly brings to life the true story of Anarchy.

Will the Green-Black conflict end the same way the Stephen-Matilda fight did? We’ll have to keep watching to find out.

Editor’s Note: The author’s primary source of information for this article is from The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens who Made England by Dan Jones.