Winged Shadows: The Medievalist Dragons of A Song of Ice and Fire

Abstract

Dragons are a central element of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, heavily influencing the overall world in which the story takes place and intertwining deeply with several characters’ personal journeys. These dragons take much inspiration from medieval literature, with Martin adapting and reinterpreting these tales in order to explore questions relevant to contemporary society. Three modes of medieval resonance that are particularly salient are the presentation of dragons as corrupt rulers, as demons, and as monsters. In Germanic culture, dragons, as violent and solitary treasure-hoarders, represent the inverse of a good ruler, as generosity and support of one’s people were considered to be of the utmost importance. Later, when Christianity became more dominant, dragons were aligned with the Devil and agents thereof, as well as with non-Christian religions, and so used to encourage distrust and violence. And, in both a secular and a religious sense, dragons were presented as monsters, creatures that transgress social boundaries and so are considered unnatural or disturbing. In each of these cases, A Song of Ice and Fire begins with a representation that is highly consistent with the dragons’ medieval depiction, but these associations quickly grow more complex, as Martin examines the multifaceted nature of leadership, the political functions of religion, and how monstrosity is defined and bestowed upon certain people. Though it is not yet clear what the ultimate conclusion of the series will be or the role dragons will play in it, these modes of analysis hint at what may be to come in the narrative, as well as the thematic conclusions Martin is approaching for each of these topics.