Rhaenyra Targaryen and King Viserys with Dreamfyre
In HBO’s latest miniseries dubbed “Dragon House“, we are transported back in time to the height of Targaryen, hundreds of years before the events of “Game of Thrones”, to a time when dragons and the humans who rode them were at the height of their strength. .
How can a relationship of trust develop between the savage and ruthless fire beast and its rider? While thorny, this question is important to the tussle for control within House Targaryen.
What is Dragon Bonding?
Bonding with dragons is a difficult phenomenon and can develop at any time, though usually while human companions are in their teens. If we take Rhaenyra as an example, she formed a close relationship with her mount Syrax when she was seven years old.
Due to the unique nature of the bond involving a dragon as well as its human rider, once a creature has connected to the one riding it, it will never tolerate the presence of another person, no matter who. . Although, in the novel “Fire and Blood”, scholars of Westeros remember a few incidents where dragons with live mated riders allowed other people over them, as long as their bonded person also flew alongside them.
When a dragon and a mortal form a connection, it’s unbreakable. For the most part, dragons outlive their human riders due to their exceptional longevity. Following the loss of a rider, the beast may attach itself to a replacement, but it is very unlikely that this will ever happen.
While it’s theoretically possible for a rider who loses his mount to try to bond with another beast, no one in existence has ever experienced this.
The effects of Dragon Bonding
When a dragon and a human rider come together, that connection only grows stronger over time. It is quite common for the couple to start resenting each other’s feelings. The power of the human will diminish or vanish if separated from its mate. As soon as the dragon’s health declines, the human it is bonded to will also feel the effects.
A human’s lifespan can be greatly increased if he or she forms a bond with a dragon. Conversely, when a person of a link dies, the other is often not far behind. Some very long-lived dragons were bonded to dozens of different people over their long lives, and yet they all survived their deaths without losing their mates.
How The Targaryens Connect So Well With Their Beasts
The actual chemistry behind the connection shared by humans and their dragon mounts isn’t completely clear or predictable. However, the Targaryens have created a ceremony to try to ensure that every child is born connected to a dragon. The Targaryens have a long tradition of placing a dragon’s egg in the cradle of a mortal newborn, in hopes that the dragon will mature and form a bond with the child.
Baelon, Aemma and King Viserys I long-awaited baby has been born, and the family hopes to follow suit by placing one of Dreamfyre’s eggs in her crib. Nevertheless, after Baelon’s tragic passing, Daemon attempts to grab the egg for the sake of his own child but is thwarted by Rhaenyra and Otto High Tower who suggested it would lead to war.
