This List Contains Spoilers for Season 1 Of House of the Dragon!
Crashing through the Dragonpit on Meleys, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen proved herself to be the subject of Queen Helaena’s ominous premonition in the epic penultimate episode of House of the Dragon season 1. Along with this “beast beneath the boards” prophecy, Helaena’s foresight is a revolutionary addition to the series from its source material, Fire & Blood. Yet, it’s not the only one as in the series premiere audiences were gifted with Aegon the Conqueror’s dream, his “Song of Ice and Fire.”
That moment alone is a revelation to those familiar with the lore of Westeros and the subsequent history of House Targaryen. Aegon’s dream for a realm united against the dark and cold forces of evil can explain some of his descendants’ actions. Although important to House of the Dragon, this prophecy, in truth, is just one of many. Whether epic legends predating the Seven Kingdoms, subtle musings from fools and crones, or mysterious dreams, the novels of A Song of Ice and Fire are ripe with enticing and imperative prophecies worth deciphering.
The Prince That Was Promised
The prophecy of Aegon’s dream, which garnered some great reactions on Twitter, was inscribed on the storied catspaw dagger. It reads, “from my blood, come the primes that was promised, and his will be the song of ice and fire.” The Prince That Was Promised is an ancient legend of the savior who would vanquish the darkness plaguing the world. While seemingly related, in propping his fated descendent up as this Prince, as Azor Ahai, Aegon co-opted this prophecy.
If the books follow a similar path as the show, it might be that two people – Jon and Dany – are the song of ice and fire, and together they are Azor Ahai. Ahead of the final season, there was an understanding that this person or people would be the one to vanquish the Night King, but it was Arya who did so, with the legendary dagger. Despite being the most important prophecy throughout the novels, this one is shrouded cleverly in mystery still.
Daenys' Dream
Before Aegon ever had his dream, House Targaryen’s fate was drastically altered by another’s. In Old Valyria, when they ruled as relatively minor dragonlords, Daenys Targaryen dreamed of the impending Doom – the eruption of the Fourteen Flames and the destruction of Valyria. Thankfully, her father, Aenar heeded her warning.
In 114 BC – nearly two-and-a-half centuries before House of the Dragon – the Targaryens left with all their belongings and dragons to the distant isle of Dragonstone. Included among their party was Balerion the Black Dread, who would be ridden last by King Viserys I, and presumably the catspaw dagger. Many fans are hoping that one day House of the Dragon or another spin-off can showcase this dream and the Doom.
Daeron The Drunkard's Visions
Some fans hope that a future season of House of the Dragon or a spin-off can adapt George R.R. Martin’s Dunk & Egg series, which could also incorporate Prince Daeron. Not to be mistaken for Daeron the Daring, who is missing from season 1 of House of the Dragon, or Daeron the Young Dragon, this one is known as Daeron the Drunkard because he is constantly drinking to stop himself from having visions.
He is King Aegon V’s eldest brother, and thus Maester Aemon’s too. His dreams were far more immediate than Aegon’s, foreseeing his meeting with Ser Duncan the Tall and the death of his cousin, Prince Baelor Breakspear. He dreamed of dragons returning to the world, which they did nearly a century later with Daenerys, but this spurned Aegon along to make it happen himself – resulting in the Tragedy of Summerhall when he died trying to hatch dragon eggs with wildfire.
The House Of The Undying
Not all prophecies come in poetic turns of phrase as evidenced by Daenerys' trip to the House of the Undying in A Clash of Kings and one of her most important episodes in Game of Thrones. While she searched for her kidnapped dragons, she is visited with visions of her past, the present elsewhere, and potential futures. Importantly, Daenerys foresees the Red Wedding, seeing a celebration of a king with a wolf’s head, and even her own father ordering his servants to burn everything down.
She also sees her older brother, Rhaegar, with a newborn son, naming him Aegon and claiming he is the prince that was promised. There are so many other visions in the sequence in the novels, but in the show, it primarily results in her meeting Khal Drogo and her son, Rhaego, and witnessing the destruction she would bring to King’s Landing many years later.
Bran's Wolf Dreams
As a greenseer, Bran Stark is the character in the novels who is most often visited by dreams. His siblings also had wolf dreams, which has many readers instinctively believing they are all wargs like Bran – even Sansa, who likely would’ve experienced them had Lady survived longer. Bran first has these dreams during his coma, witnessing the world through his direwolf, Summers, eyes.
He eventually comes to accurately interpret these dreams and goes north to train as the new three-eyed raven. Importantly, his dreams and powers are a link to the past. He could see his uncle Benjen and aunt Lyanna fighting as children, possibly Ser Duncan the Tall, and even farther back. His story, while it might’ve earned him his kingship at the end of Game of Thrones, wasn’t all that well-received by fans, so readers are eagerly waiting for more in the novels.
The Valonqar
Besides Azor Ahai, there was one prophecy that hung in fans’ heads ahead of the final season of Game of Thrones, and that is the Valonqar. This comes from the strange woodswitch, Maggy the Frog, who was visited by a young and brash Cersei Lannister who wished to know her fate. Unfortunately, she learned it. Maggy said, “and when your tears have drowned you, the Valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”
In High Valyrian, Valonqar means “little brother,” which instantly led her to think it was Tyrion – who given their animosity for each other is a worthy candidate. However, that could also include Jaime since she was born first, and even her son Tommen as he is a “little brother” too. Whatever the case, many weren’t happy that it turned out the Valonqar was a bunch of bricks in Game of Thrones.
The Stallion Who Mounts The World
Besides the fact that she’s Targaryen, has dragons, and is truthfully a certified badass, another reason that Daenerys is a strong candidate for the Azor Ahai title is that she is connected to a different prophecy. She was to be the mother to the Stallion Who Mounts The World as prophesied by the dosh kaleen. Her son, Rhaego, would’ve been the most powerful and destructive khal in all history.
That didn’t come to thanks to the dark magic of Mirri Maz Duur, who then went on to seemingly curse Daenerys to be barren until “the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.” Interestingly, however, it was upon her funeral pyre that the dragons and magic returned to the world, and while not stallions, she’s mounted Drogon to claim her birthright.
The Perfumed Seneschal
Throughout her time in Essos, Daenerys is treated with betrayal and intrigue left and right. Along with the House of the Undying in Qarth, she meets Quaithe, a mysterious shadowbinder from Asshai. Quaithe gives her several enigmatic words of advice, warning her, “soon comes the pale mare, and after her the others. Kraken and dark flame, lion and griffin, the sun’s son, and the mummer’s dragon. Trust none of them. the Undying. Beware the perfumed seneschal.”
The pale mare is a disease; the Kraken, Victarion Greyjoy, Theon’s uncle; the dark flame, Moqorro, a Red Priest; the lion is for Tyrion Lannister, while the griffin is for Jon Connington; the sun’s son is Quentyn Martell; and the mummer’s dragon is Young Griff aka King Aegon VI, her supposed nephew. The perfumed seneschal is a mystery still, though it could describe Varys, Archmaester Marwyn, or her ally, Reznak mo Reznak. Daenerys has many enemies in Game of Thrones and Quaithe's promotion just proves that.
Patchface's Songs
Taking a play out of Shakespeare’s book, some fool's songs in A Song of Ice and Fire are incredibly providential. That’s the case for Patchface, Lord Stannis Baratheon’s court jester on Dragonstone. His musings are mostly related to the sea and drowning – possibly linking him with the Drowned God religion of the Ironborn – but they also seem to foreshadow some events whether he can actually see the future or not.
He was able to predict the turning of the seasons and the arrival of the white raven that would mark such a change. He seemed also to note Melisandre’s dark powers and his rhymes could be interpreted to note dragons, the dead rising, and the Battle of Blackwater Bay when wildfire practically destroys Stannis’ ships.
The Ghost Of High Heart
There was one character who supposedly survived the Tragedy of Summerhall -a strange, small woodswitch who was friends with Jenny of Oldstones, Prince Duncan’s wife. She would come to tell then Prince Jaehaerys that his children, the eventual mad-king Aerys and Rhaella, would bear the Prince That Was Promised, so they were married. Decades later her paths crossed with Arya Stark.
She came to be known as the Ghost of High Heart, and the Brotherhood without Banners would visit her to learn about their future. She speaks in riddles, but subtly reveals some key events, such as the deaths of Renly Baratheon and Balon Greyjoy and the Red Wedding. This role was absorbed by Melisandre in Game of Thrones, but it was the Ghost of High Heart who noted that Arya smells of death – so too in the books, perhaps she foresaw her killing the Night King.
