461. Dragons

The Rest Is History

Goalhanger

History

4.6 • 18.6K Ratings

🗓️ 16 June 2024

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"When dragons flew to war… everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone." Dragons - the most compelling of mythical beasts - are one of the most vivid creations of all human imagination, and their enduring resonance is captivatingly displayed by their role in George R.R. Martin’s House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones. But how did the legend of the dragon, prominent across the world, evolve into the modern incarnation embodied by Rhaenyra Targaryen’s golden Syrax? And what is the difference between dragons, wyverns and wyrms, the traces of which persist in Damon’s reptilian Caraxes? Canonical dragons are the realisation of four main traditions: the serpents of the Greco-Roman World, the fortune-bringers of the Chinese emperors, the demonic beasts of the Bible, and the greedy gold-hoarders of Norse mythology, as seen in the tale of Beowulf. The most famous heir of this tradition is J.R.R. Tolkien’s avaricious Smaug, but as in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, the dragons in Martin’s Westeros represent the dangers of uncontrolled power and humans’ capacity to abuse it. Perhaps, then, they have long served as avatars for humanity’s deepest fears about the world, with their manifestation in every age and culture tellingly symbolic…. Join Tom and Dominic as they interweave the many myths and traditions surrounding that most spectacular of beasts: the dragon, and trace its fascinating progression from the wingless creatures of early antiquity, to the mighty, complex creatures who fight for mastery of Westeros alongside their Targaryen riders, in George R.R. Martin's House of the Dragon. Watch House of the Dragon season 2 on Sky. Go to sky.com to find out more. Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Producer: Theo Young-Smith Assistant Producer: Tabby Syrett Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Thank you for listening to the Rest is History.
0:02.2	For bonus episodes, early access,
0:04.4	add free listening and access to our chat community,
0:07.7	sign up at rest is History pod.
0:10.7	com. That's rest is History Pod.com.
0:16.5	This episode is brought to you by Sky.
0:19.8	So Dominic, we are talking about Dragons today, and I know that you are as excited as I am about the
0:26.4	return of House of the Dragon, because actually it's been two years, almost two years, since we last saw
0:32.4	Matt Smith, Emma Darcy, Olivia Cook, on House the Dragon,
0:36.0	and now they are returning for the biggest TV event of the summer.
0:40.6	So more characters and best of all five new dragons.
0:45.0	So Tom you'll remember the big huller-blue about King Eegon the second's coronation and
0:49.9	you'll remember what happened to his cousin Lucerasis Targarian, murdered by a dragon.
0:54.1	I do. So season two will see the much anticipated civil war between the Greens and the
1:00.3	blacks unfold as Tom, the Dance of the Dragons truly begin. and the
1:05.0	Dance of the Dragons truly begins. The realm is divided.
1:07.0	All of Westeros must choose aside.
1:10.0	So please tune in every Monday
1:12.0	and Dominic there are so many questions who win the war will
1:14.7	team black or team green claim the iron throne which of these factions will triumph in the
1:22.1	dance of the Dragons.
1:24.4	House of the Dragon is available now exclusively on Sky,
	...

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