Game of Thrones may have ended its run on HBO, but there are still more books to come (if George R.R. Martin keeps his promise) and at least one prequel show. But just because Game of Thrones has been perhaps the most successful fantasy show in the history of television, that doesn’t mean it didn’t arrive without a long history of fantasy stories and elements behind it. While Westeros sprang fully formed from Martin’s head other aspects of his world came from some well known and long-standing creatures and inspirations in mythology. In particular, medieval mythology, as most traditional fantasy narratives construct their worlds to in part imitate medieval society and traditions.
Dragons
Let’s start at the top with the most famous creatures on the Game of Thrones. Dragons are not new to fantasy readers, they have appeared in everything from The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter. They also appeared as far back as the Iliad. There is some debate, however, around the show’s dragon design. Usually, dragons have four legs and two wings. Drogon, Viserion, and Rhaegal had two legs and two wings, making them look much closer to Wyverns than traditional dragons. Wyverns are a particular type of dragon though (with only two legs) so it’s really just semantics.
Giants
While readers and viewers first hear of giants in Westeros from Old Nan, Jon Snow comes face to face with giants when he goes beyond the wall to meet Mance Rayder. Tall, furry, and with tiny eyes, the giants of Westeros, like dragons, come from a long literary tradition. Think of David and Goliath, and it is easy to see how far back giants have existed in the human imagination. They may not be original to the Game of Thrones universe, but they certainly deserve their place there.
Griffins
Can’t remember seeing a Griffin, or a creature with a lion’s body and tail and the head and wings of an eagle? Well, they don’t appear in the flesh on screen or in the books, but they do get multiple mentions as sigils and decorations (Any book readers remember House Connington?). Known as particularly majestic, it makes perfect sense that knights and great families would label themselves with such an animal. Representations of the griffin have been found dating all the way back to Ancient Egypt.
Kraken
A Kraken is sort of a fancy name for a giant squid and is probably recognizable to Game of Thrones fans as the sigil of House Greyjoy.
In the universe of the books there are still rumors of a Kraken presence in many of the seas surrounding the continent. The sea monster entered the collective imagination about the thirteenth century and had maybe its greatest rise in popularity with the publication of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Children of the Forest
Here we have the first completely original name from George R.R. Martin. The Children of the Forest, the supposed first inhabitants of Westeros before the coming of man, spend most of their time with Bran Stark as he learns the ways of the Three-Eyed Raven North of the Wall. But just because they’re called something different doesn’t mean they have no real history. The Children of the Forest are very similar to fairies, particularly those found in Celtic mythology. Like the Children of the Forest Celtic Fairies are mythical humanoids who have been forced into hiding by an invader. Sound familiar?
White Walker
In the same vein as the Children of the Forest above, the White Walkers in Game of Thrones don’t spring alone from the author’s head but enter our imagination with their own twisting path of history.
While their icy outsides are new, their powers reflect those of Necromancers. Necromancers are a bit like wizards, but their particular brand of magic has to do with communicating and, sometimes resurrecting the dead. The icy complexion and zombie-like tendencies are original, but raising the dead not so much.
Sphinx
Whether it’s from the fourth Harry Potter book or a historical picture of ancient Egypt, the image of a Sphinx, or a lion’s body with a human head and wings, is relatively well known. Like the griffin that appeared on our list earlier, the Sphinx as a creature does not appear in Game of Thrones. It is however found decorating a number of different doorways in both Westeros and across the Narrow Sea. In the books it is mentioned that they sit outside the council chamber in the Red Keep and the Citadel in Oldtown. In an original twist, the books also mention a Valyrian Sphinx, which replaces the lion’s body with a dragon’s.
Manticore
The Manticore is an example of where name and image differ within the Game of Thrones universe and without. Traditionally a Manticore is similar to a sphinx, with a human head, a lion’s body, and a scorpion’s tail. Game of Thrones hangs onto the scorpion tail and retires the rest.
The manticore fans will have seen is full insect. It makes its debut on the television show in season two, when Danaerys is handed a ball which, when opened, contains a manticore meant to kill her. Luckily for her, and viewers, this early plot fails.
Harpy
The harpy is the symbol of the city of Meereen. A great stone harpy sits atop the Great Pyramid of Meereen before Danaerys takes the city. Described two ways in general mythology, the harpy always has a woman’s face, sometimes just on a bird’s body, other times it is still the body of a woman, but with wings. In Meereen the harpy also has a crown of horns and monstrous legs. Again, a real harpy does not appear, but the beast is taken not only as the symbol of Meereen, but of its rebel group, The Sons of the Harpy.
Unicorns
Viewers have seen horses, but they have not seen unicorns. Even the Dothraki, the horse lords, don’t have a silver single-horned horse among them. Yet, unicorns are mentioned in the books, if not on the show. Samwell Tarly mentions that he’s read about them, though the unicorns he describes are shaggy rather than sleek. They are rumored to make a more important appearance in one of George R.R. Martin’s upcoming Thrones books. But again, there’s no date on that, and the waiting will continue.
