Every GAME OF THRONES Easter Egg In A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Episode 5

The latest episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms featured the first Trial of Seven in a hundred years and included many connections to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire universe. Here’s a breakdown of all the Easter eggs, terms, and historical references to Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and the world of Westeros found in the fifth episode.

“In The Name of the Mother”

This episode’s title comes from the vow knights make to defend the helpless. Dunk truly acted like a knight – upholding that oath – when he rescued Tanselle from Aerion Brightflame, declaring he did so “in the name of the Mother.”

Those who follow the Seven pray to the compassionate and life-giving Mother Above for protection, both for themselves and their loved ones, during difficult times. A knight facing the Trial of Seven – particularly one who’s allowed others to risk their lives for him, and is being tried for defending the innocent – would especially hope for her favor.

The Black Dragon Daemon Blackfyre

Daemon Blackfyre, known as the Black Dragon, was an illegitimate son of the Targaryen family who rebelled against them, hoping to take the Iron Throne. He earned this nickname because his personal emblem was a dark version of the Targaryen crest – a black three-headed dragon on a red background. During the same civil war, King Daeron II, the grandfather of Egg, was called the Red Dragon.

I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Daemon Targaryen’s rebellion. It finally ended after a year of fighting at the Battle of Redgrass Field, which they talked about in the second episode—it was right outside King’s Landing! The victory is still celebrated today with this amazing song, “The Hammer and the Anvil,” and it was so cool to hear young Egg singing it in episode three. It’s all about how Baelor Targaryen was the ‘hammer’ and his father, Maekar, was the ‘anvil’ in the fight. Though, interestingly enough, neither of them actually delivered the final blow to Daemon himself.

We learned through a memory that Dunk and Rafe once searched the Redgrass for things to sell, but anything marked with the Black Dragon symbol was useless. No one would buy items belonging to a known traitor.

Allies at the Battle of the Redgrass Field

During the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, most powerful families chose a side. However, when another rebellion occurred a century later, no major houses supported Daemon Blackfyre. Interestingly, the old and respected House Hightower had members fighting for both sides. After the Battle of Redgrass, young Dunk found a fallen soldier wearing the Hightower crest – a symbol familiar to viewers of House of the Dragon, where the family was allied with the “Greens” who supported Aegon.

It’s unknown whether the Hightower soldier who died at Redgrass Field was fighting with the loyalists or the rebels. He was found near a Lannister banner, and the Lannisters clearly supported King Daeron. During the Blackfyre Rebellion, Ser Quentyn Ball, a knight loyal to the rebel Black Dragon, killed Lord Lefford at Lannisport. Lord Lefford was a key vassal of House Lannister. After the killing, Ser Quentyn forced Lord Damon Lannister to retreat to Casterly Rock. Although no Lannisters held command positions that day, every soldier fighting with the Lannister banner at Redgrass Field was supporting King Daeron.

We previously learned about Lord Damon Lannister in an episode of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. At one tourney, Ser Arlan of Pennytree managed to knock “the Grey Lion” off his horse. Ser Duncan demonstrated to Baelor Breakspear that he was indeed Ser Arlan’s squire by correctly recalling that the Grey Lion’s given name is Damon.

Flea Bottom

The fifth episode of the series returned to Flea Bottom, the poorest and most notorious district of King’s Landing – a location fans will recognize from both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon. This is where characters like Ser Davos Seaworth and Gendry originated.

The episode showed young Dunk and Rafe making their way through the slum’s cramped, filthy streets, filled with brothels, taverns, and gambling dens – the harsh environment they called home. It’s a place where even a violent act, like a drunken knight killing a corrupt guard, wouldn’t raise many eyebrows. We also saw Margaery Tyrell visiting orphaned children there, much to the disapproval of the snobbish Cersei Lannister.

HBO viewers have now visited Flea Bottom in three different centuries, but the rundown area remarkably stays the same, no matter the time period.

Gold Cloaks

The two men who killed Rafe were members of the City Watch of King’s Landing, known as “Gold Cloaks” because of their distinctive gold cloaks. The City Watch acts as the city’s police force, funded and completely loyal to the King. As described in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a troubling reality about the City Watch is that some of its members are corrupt and dishonest criminals themselves.

Matt Smith played Prince Daemon Targaryen, who briefly led the City Watch in House of the Dragon. He used harsh methods to bring peace back to King’s Landing and reformed the Gold Cloaks – the city guard – who were loyal to him, though many citizens weren’t fans. Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra’s lover and the true father of her eldest three sons, was also one of the Gold Cloaks. However, even when things were calmer, members of the Gold Cloaks were often easily bribed.

In Game of Thrones, Ned Stark attempted to buy the support of Commander Janos Slynt and his guards after Robert Baratheon died, hoping to remove Joffrey from power. However, the Lannisters had already bribed Slynt, so Stark’s attempt failed. Tyrion Lannister, who became the acting Hand of the King, didn’t trust Slynt and sent him to the Night’s Watch. Bronn then effectively took over command of the city guard. Later, Jon Snow avenged his father by executing Slynt for insubordination.

House Stokeworth

Young Dunk and Rafe concealed themselves by the roadside as a rider passed by, carrying the body of a soldier. The rider’s shield bore a variation of the House Stokeworth crest: a lamb inside a golden goblet on a green field. This same altered sigil was seen fifteen years after the Redgrass event when Ser Andrew Ashford jousted with a knight from House Stokeworth. This is a departure from the traditional Stokeworth emblem, which depicts a lamb holding a golden goblet, as shown in both House of the Dragon and George R.R. Martin’s writings.

This doesn’t contradict established lore. It’s common for individuals within noble families to create personal variations of their house’s emblem. Sometimes, entire houses will make small adjustments to their sigil or even return to an older design.

House Stokeworth is a noble family from the crownlands, loyal to the king and based near the capital city at Stokeworth Castle. During the Dance of the Dragons, they initially supported Rhaenyra Targaryen but later switched their allegiance to Aegon II without a fight. They then fought alongside Criston Cole’s forces, marching towards Duskendale and Rook’s Rest. This change of heart was considered a betrayal of House Stokeworth’s family motto, “Proud to be Faithful.”

In the TV series Game of Thrones, Bronn was briefly engaged to Lollys Stokeworth, with a plan to eliminate her cruel older sister so he and Lollys could claim Stokeworth Castle. However, they never married. Jaime Lannister then convinced—or forced—Bronn to accompany him on a risky journey to Dorne. This is quite different from the books, where Bronn actually marries Lollys, and she is portrayed as a much sadder character.

Woods Witches

Rafe mentioned a woman who traded copper for teeth, claiming she was a witch. However, this wasn’t a witch like the powerful magic-users seen elsewhere, but rather a traditional Westerosi ‘woods-witch’ – a wandering healer. These women were known for using herbs and natural remedies – and occasionally, surprisingly, teeth – to create medicines. They also practiced folk medicine, like brewing herbal teas, assisting with childbirth, and some were even said to have prophetic dreams.

In the world of House of the Dragon, Alys Rivers gained a reputation as a wise woman with knowledge of the woods, often called a woods-witch. Some believe Maggy the Frog, who predicted Cersei Lannister’s fate, was also a woods-witch, though she may have been a more traditional witch as portrayed in the books. A future woods-witch, along with her companion Jenny of Oldstones, will significantly impact the life of Egg, the Targaryen dynasty, and the world itself when she arrives at the royal court. (You can find more details about the Ghost of High Heart in our spoiler-filled article here.)

Free Cities

Rafe and Dunk decided to sail across the Narrow Sea and start a new life in the Free Cities. These nine independent city-states – Braavos, Lorath, Lys, Myr, Norvos, Pentos, Qohor, Tyrosh, and Volantis – are located in western Essos and hold significant power. They are major trade hubs for Westeros, and Westeros often hires mercenaries who come from and operate within these cities.

After the destruction of Valyria, eight of the nine independent city-states – several of which were originally colonies of Valyria – broke away and formed their own governments. The youngest and wealthiest of these cities, Braavos, was established by slaves who escaped Valyria. For a hundred years, Braavos remained a hidden city, earning it the nickname ‘the Secret City.’ In the story Game of Thrones, Arya Stark spent time in Braavos training with the Faceless Men at the House of Black and White, and many Westerosi nobles either visited or did business with the Iron Bank of Braavos, a very powerful financial institution.

Considering their limited funds, Rafe and Dunk were probably traveling to either Tyrosh or Pentos, as those cities are the closest to King’s Landing among the Nine Free Cities. Pentos is notable as the place where we first encountered Daenerys Targaryen, and also where Varys helped Tyrion Lannister escape after he fled King’s Landing.

Daario Naharis, a sellsword from the Second Sons company, was originally from Tyrosh. Tyrosh was also one of three Free Cities—along with Lys and Myr—that joined together to form the Triarchy, as seen in House of the Dragon. The Triarchy attempted to control the Stepstones, which led to a long war with the crown. Later, during the Dance of the Dragons, Tyland Lannister traveled to Tyrosh hoping to gain support for the Greens by making an alliance with Admiral Sharako Lohar.

The Free Cities are appealing in many ways, but they aren’t inherently superior to Westeros, despite looking down on its people. A child born into poverty in Flea Bottom actually has a similar opportunity to succeed in Westeros as they would in the Free Cities – provided they survive their difficult upbringing.

Mikey Walsh writes for TopMob and is interested in discussing real knights with you, but he’s currently busy. You can find him on Bluesky at @burgermike, and he’s often found participating in discussions about the Targaryen kings.

2026-02-16 07:05