The first two episodes of House of the Dragon used quite a bit of High Valyrian. It is mainly between Demon Prince and Princess Rhaenyra. It seems they talk to each other a lot in High Valyrian and prefer it that way. The first episode of House of the Dragon also saw the return of a fan-favorite Game of Thrones command. At Aemma and Baelon’s funeral, Rhaenyra uses the Dracarys command to immolate both bodies. So let’s explore the High Valyrian language and some common commands you might encounter in future House of the Dragon episodes.
Origins of High Valyrian
High Valyrian was the language of Valyrian freehold on the continent of Essos. The Valyrians eventually spread the language and forced others to learn and speak in their language. However, the volcanoes of the Fourteen Fires erupted and caused Valyria’s Fate, destroying Old Valyria in its entirety. After that, High Valyrian lost its hold on common people and was only used by scholars and priests. The language became extinct within the normal population. Also, most Westerosi don’t speak High Valyrian at all.
Use of High Valyrian
High Valyrian, although not spoken, is an important language for teaching and learning. The oldest remaining texts of Valyria are all written here. Songs and scrolls are still sung and read in this language. Many characters also prayed in High Valyrian.
One of the most important uses of High Valyrian was to train dragons. Certain commands were taught to the dragons so that they would respond to them eventually. It was also a way to communicate with them and tell them what to do. Additionally, most Targaryen royalty have High Valyrian names such as Aegon, Daemon, Viserys, and Rhaenyra. Even most dragons had their names in High Valyrian, including Syrax. Other houses such as Baratheon and Velaryon also have names in this language, such as Lord Corlys.
Eventually the Free Cities all developed their own languages which were actually offshoots of High Valyrian. Also known as Bastard Valyrian, these languages are corrupted concoctions of pure High Valyrian and they drift away from the original over time.
Here are some common commands that every House of the Dragon fan should know.
Common phrases
Valar morghulis translates to All men must die. This is often spoken in the face of danger as an acceptance of death. It is also used as a greeting to which the response is Valar dohaeris translating as All men shall serve.
Kessa and Daor mean Yes and No respectively. Rytsas means hello and Geros Ilas means goodbye. While Kirimvose means Thank You.
Dragon Commands
Dracarys, as you all must know, stands for Dragonfire. It was used several times by Daenerys Targaryen during Game of Thrones. He basically commands the dragon to breathe fire and often burn the place down.
Dohaeras is used as a command for dragons and translates to Serve. It’s basically asking the dragon to obey. Soves is the command to fly.
Lykiri is used to calm the dragon and literally translates to Calm. Umbas translates to Wait and Mazis means Come. Rybas means Focus while Naejot means Forward. These are the few commands that were taught to the dragons to train them.
Terms used in House of the Dragon
Kepa or Kepus is used to refer to both his father and his father’s brothers. This is used by Rhaenyra when referring to Daemon as High Valyrian uncle specifically in the throne room. It is also used to refer to King Viserys.
Valonqar is used to refer to a younger brother. It was used in the first episode of House of the Dragon to refer to Baelon as High Valyrian.
It is not easy to invent and build an entire language. In fact, JRR Tolkien spent decades trying to develop Elvish down to the smallest detail. However, George RR Martin and David J. Peterson definitely did a marvelous job creating High Valyrian and adding extra depth to this surreal world of dragons.