In the new series “House of the Dragon,”‘ HBO has brought us back to the Game of Thrones world, which is packed with many more backstabbing dragons and incest than any other show. It is set 172 years before Daenerys Targaryen’s arrival, and the series is the prequel to the ‘Game of Thrones.
It is inspired by specific sections from the book of the same name, ‘Fire and Blood, written by George R. R. Martin, who is also the co-creator of “House of the Dragon. The major characters on the show differ; however, the game stays the same. The ‘ Game of Thrones television series House Velaryon does not have any importance.
For the duration of season two of the initial series, The Velaryons have a vested interest in Stannis Baratheon’s claim to the Iron Throne. This isn’t the scenario in ‘House Of the Dragon as, like their Targaryen rulers, the Velaryons are at the highest of their power during the rule of Viserys I, the majority of this is due to the achievements that Lord Corlys Velaryon ( Steve Toussaint), the richest and one of the most powerful men from Westeros.
Incest was the Targaryen tradition since long before the time they defeated Westeros. If you’re wondering whether House Velaryons, an additional house with roots in Valyria, has practised incest, we’ve got you covered.
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Do the Velaryons Marry Each Other?
To be able to answer this question, it is first necessary to understand what incest means within the context of Westeros. In the novels, the region is home to two major religions: the old gods and the Faith of the Seven. Both religions believe in incestuous marriages between parents or siblings as sins and children born of these relations as sins. However, marriages between first cousins are permitted, especially for nobles, just as in the real world in the medieval age. Viserys I Targaryen and Aemma Arryn can be considered first cousins, as are Tywin and Joanna Lannister.
In all of history and throughout time, it has been the case that the faith of the Seven encounters specific situations in which its rules regarding incestuous relationships have to be applied, revised or even discarded. House Targaryen adhere to the Valyrian traditions of the Dragonlords. This allows them to set up marriages of siblings. The faith is quiet during the time of Aegon the Conqueror and his two sisters-wives; however, it becomes more vocal in the time of his successors, sometimes setting off an open rebellion over the crown (the Faith Militant uprising).
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In the end, king Jaehaerys I Targaryen — with the assistance of Septon Oswyck as well as Septon Barth, developed the Doctrine of Exceptionalism. It essentially makes Targaryens apart from the other Targaryens, apart from Andal people who follow the faith due to their Valyrian heritage and identity as Dragonriders. This doctrine offers the faith an opportunity to accept the incestuous relationships in families of the monarchy.
But, it doesn’t appear to be expanded to noble families with Valyrian heritage, such as the Velaryons or Celtigars. It is, therefore, unlikely that they are practising incest in the sense of the Faith of the Seven. The Velaryons are a long-standing family. Their family’s history shows they were in Westeros long before the Targaryens. They aren’t traditionally dragonlords. Instead, they’re the rulers of the sea. It doesn’t mean that Dragonriders don’t belong to the Velaryon family. It’s actually the case that the majority of Velaryon Dragonriders was born in the Dance of the Dragons, the Targaryen civil war that the film House of the Dragon is set to depict.
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But, it is mostly because there are intermarriages between two families. In an interview in August 2022, Martin stated — with the caveat that he reserves the possibility of changing his mind later the fact that there wasn’t any need for non-dragon-riding families in Valyria to engage in sexual ovulation. In the meantime, unless Martin declares that he is not, we can suppose that Velaryons did not practice incest while they lived living in Valyria. Based on the texts we’ve read, we understand how the House Velaryon has been doing throughout the years. Except for the dark years during the Dance, the ruling class of Driftmark do not practice the principles that the Faith of the Seven defines as incest.
