The red comet as seen from Winterfell.
- "Stars don't fall for men. But the comet means one thing, boy. Dragons."
- ―Osha
The red comet[1] is an astronomical phenomenon. It appeared in the skies over both Westeros and Essos in 299 AC,[a] shortly after the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings and the hatching of the dragons of Daenerys Targaryen.
History[]
House of the Dragon: Season 2[]
After touching the weirwood tree in the godswood of Harrenhal, Daemon has a vision of the red comet, among other things.[2]
Game of Thrones: Season 2[]
The red comet was seen in the skies over most of the two continents, bright enough to be seen during the day. Its significance is discussed by the people of Winterfell, who seem divided on it being an omen of Robb's victory or if its red color indicates a triumph for the forces of House Lannister. Still others consider the red color to represent the blood of Eddard Stark. However, Osha dismisses all of these suggestions: she maintains that the comet signifies nothing more or less than the return of dragons.[1]
In the books[]
The red comet is first seen in the books by Jhogo, before Drogo's funeral pyre. It is used as a symbol to light the pyre on fire, as it is believed the brighter the star, the fiercer a man burned in life.
In the books, the red comet is seen throughout the known world and interpreted in different manners by different people. Some see it as harbinger of their victory - or their enemies' victory - in the War of the Five Kings, or as an omen of vengeance, while to many more it signifies the onset of war and the bloodshed that is to come. The comet is also interpreted by Daenerys as a sign that she must venture into the Red Waste. Old Nan was the only character to interpret it as dragons. In the TV continuity, Old Nan is considered to have died between seasons 1 and 2 (Margaret John passed away before Season 1 had aired), so it is Osha who postulates that connection.
It also receives different names. In King's Landing it is referred to as "King Joffrey's comet" at court and the "Red Messenger" in the streets. Soldiers in the Riverlands also call it the Red Messenger. The members of the Night's Watch that take part in the great ranging refer to it as "Mormont's Torch", while Gendry calls it the "Red Sword" on account of its shape. The Dothraki of Daenerys's khalasar call it "shierak qiya," meaning "bleeding star."
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Game of Thrones: Season 2, Episode 1: "The North Remembers" (2012).
- ↑ House of the Dragon: Season 2, Episode 8: "The Queen Who Ever Was" (2024).
Notes[]
- ↑ In "Winter Is Coming," which takes place in 298 AC, Sansa Stark tells Cersei Lannister that she is 13 years old and Bran Stark tells Jaime Lannister that he is 10 years old. Arya Stark was born between Sansa and Bran, making her either 11 or 12 in Season 1. The rest of the Stark children have been aged up by 2 years from their book ages, so it can be assumed that she is 11 in Season 1. Arya is 18 in Season 8 according to HBO, which means at least 7 years occur in the span of the series; therefore, each season of Game of Thrones must roughly correspond to a year in-universe, placing the events of Season 2 in 299 AC.
