House of the Dragon: How Claiming A Dragon Is Different For Dragonriders

In the book Fire & Blood, various individuals such as Ulf, Addam, Alyn of Hull, Hugh Hammer, and Nettles each acquire a dragon for themselves. Some dragons, like Grey Ghost and Cannibal, remain unclaimed on Dragonstone. These “seeds,” symbolizing their potential to become dragonriders, challenge the traditional nobility system by demonstrating their worth in Fire & Blood.

Dragonseeds from House of the Dragon differ from Fire & Blood

Fire and Blood, a gripping novel by George R.R. Martin, tells the tale of House Targaryen using firsthand accounts from three different sources. The television adaptation, House of the Dragon, skillfully adapts these narratives, modifying essential aspects, bridging gaps, and enhancing the intrigue surrounding the dragonbloods, or dragonseeds. In Episode 5, titled Regent, Rhaenyra and Jacaerys ponder inviting distant Targaryen kin to become dragonriders, given their marriages into other prestigious families. Initially, Ser Steffon Darklyn, portrayed by Anthony Flanagan, is suggested, but he meets a tragic end at the hands of Seasmoke instead.

In Fire & Blood and the upcoming House of the Dragon series, Seasmoke, a dragon, selects Addam from Hull on Driftmark, although he’s not of Targaryen lineage. Addam is actually the bastard offspring of Laenor Velaryon in Fire & Blood, but in House of the Dragon, he’s Laenor’s bastard brother, born to Lord Corlys Velaryon. Despite not being a full-blooded Targaryen, Laenor has the ability to ride dragons due to his half-Targaryen heritage. Seasmoke selects Addam because he resembles Laenor, the half-Targaryen son of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. The idea of dragonseeds varies between the books and series, with House Velaryon acknowledging Valyrian descent but not claiming the title of dragonlords.

In the narrative, Ulf the White is said to be a descendant of the Targaryens, specifically House Targaryen, according to Ulf’s own claims. However, his background, as detailed in “Fire & Blood,” has undergone some changes. Unlike the books, where he serves as a man-at-arms for the Targaryens at Dragonstone, not King’s Landing, the series portrays him residing in King’s Landing. Ulf believes his father was Baelon the Brave, the son of King Jaehaerys, making him the half-brother of King Viserys and Daemon Targaryen.

The latest episode puts Targaryen exceptionalism in a new light

In “The Hedge Knight,” Jaecarys initially presents the concept of Targaryen bastards, a topic first mentioned by Mysaria in “House of the Dragon.” Jaecarys contends that trueborn Targaryens hold no inherent greatness, challenging the Targaryen exceptionalism doctrine that King Jaehaerys established to legitimize their incestuous marriages for the sake of preserving their bloodline’s purity. This shift in Jaecarys’ character from “Fire & Blood” is noteworthy.

As per this belief, Targaryens stand more like deities than common folk, granting them privileges unavailable to ordinary individuals. They bear the heritage of Old Valyria, they bear the weight of leadership, and they possess the ability to tame dragons – these factors make their practice of inbreeding acceptable. However, dragonseeds challenge this notion since they are not legitimate Targaryens by birth.

Instead, none of them are fully Targaryens; they are either half or even less. In Addam’s case, he is not a Targaryen at all. Moreover, the individuals referred to by Rhaenyra as ‘bastards’ are typically street dwellers from King’s Landing rather than castle-raised nobility. These people hail from commoner backgrounds, and despite their sudden dragon-riding capabilities, they remain smallfolk or peasants in social standing.

In a world like Westeros, where the Targaryens are traditionally seen as superior, dragonseeds such as Addam, Hugh, and Ulf challenge this notion by hailing from lower-class backgrounds. These individuals have accomplished feats once thought possible only for deities. However, despite their newfound prominence, they might find it challenging to be accepted as equals among the Targaryen highborns, particularly Jacearys, a prince who has long carried the stigma of being an unacknowledged bastard, and Rhaena, a true-blooded Targaryen without a dragon. This social climb could prove difficult for the dragonseeds to navigate due to the deeply ingrained class distinctions.