No matter what time period we’re in, in the Game of Thrones universe, dragons are majestic beings that impress everyone. Stroking a dragon is a special privilege that not everyone knows about, let alone riding one in the sky or in battle.
The Targaryens and some Velaryonshave been riding dragons for centuries, but there is a group of individuals known as “dragonseeds” who have ridden the beasts. The dragonseeds are expected to be crucial players in the imminent Dance of the Dragons in Season 2 of House of the Dragon.
While Rhaenyra Targaryen organises her efforts to seize the Iron Throne from Aegon II Targaryen, her eldest son seeks help from those less fortunate. Fire & Blood, by George R. R. Martin, illustrates the contributions of the dragonseeds, some of whom remained by Rhaenyra’s side until her last breath, while others despised her newly acquired power.
It’s always been easy to understand why the Targaryens are the only dragon riders left in the world, but it can be a little more confusing to understand why these new people suddenly have the rarest gift of magic.
What are dragonseeds in fire and blood?
To understand the history of dragonseeds, you also need to know the historical connections between House Targaryen and dragons. Before migrating to Westeros, the Targaryens were just one of the 40 great houses in Valyria known as “dragon lord families”.
There’s no solid theory as to why these particular families were able to bond with magic, but it’s likely that the Valyrians used spells and magical dragon horns to tame the dragons. The Targaryens weren’t even the most powerful in Valyria, but everything changed after the Ruin of Valyria.
The Targaryens had moved to Dragonstone in Westeros years before the catastrophic event, thanks to a prophetic dream, and were the only surviving dragonlord family. Their power was unrivalled in Westeros, and united the Seven Kingdoms under the name of Aegon I Targaryen .
Unlike the Targaryens, dragonseeds are not technically royalty, but they do have royal blood. The Targaryens used to practise a custom known as the “first night”, which is now largely extinct in Westeros. But at the time, the common people of Westeros saw the Targaryen as beautiful gods.
As part of the first night, the bride would sleep with the Lord of Dragonstone and give birth to his son, who was “born of dragonseed”. The first suspected dragonseed in Westeros was Aegon the Conqueror’s best friend Orys Baratheon, but his relationship to the Targaryen family was never confirmed.
Although the tradition was banned by the Targaryen King Jaehaerys I, it continued for many years and resulted in many supposed illegitimate Targaryen children living in or near Dragonstone. By extension, the children of dragonseeds may also have proclaimed themselves as such.
The best-known dragonseeds in fire and blood
| Known dragonseeds | Their Dragons |
|---|---|
| Nettles | Sheep Stealing |
| Hull Addam | Sea smoke |
| Alyn of Hull | Not related to a dragon |
| Hugh Hammer | Vermithor |
| Ulf the White | Silver Wing |
| Silver Denys | Not related to a dragon |
Dragonseeds have always been an unspoken reality in Westeros. Bearing or giving birth to illegitimate children is not a heinous crime in the country, but it does shame a lord of his honour. So the dragonseeds were never proclaimed to be legitimate Targaryen children. However, when Aegon II Targaryen usurped the throne from his elder sister after the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, everything changed for the dragonseeds.
Rhaenyra Targaryen‘s eldest son, Jacaerys, sought new fighters for the Blacks. Rhaenyra’s faction was at a huge disadvantage in terms of dragons, as the Greens had the oldest and most experienced war dragon in the world, Vhagar. But the Blacks were sitting on a gold mine in Dragonstone, where there were caves full of wild dragons that hadn’t seen the light for years.
Jacaerys found proclaimed dragonseeds and offered land, cavalry and money to anyone who could tame and ride a dragon. Many people who weren’t dragonseeds tried and failed to tame a dragon, resulting in their own deaths. In total, there were four successful riders: Nettles, Addam of Old Port, Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White.
Two other people were named as dragonseeds, but failed to bond with a dragon: Alyn of Old Port was Addam’s younger brother and was considered a dragonseed by association. Silver Denys claimed to have the blood of Maegor I Targaryen’s illegitimate son, but was attacked by the Sheep Eater and killed by the Cannibal.
There was never a thorough investigation to confirm the dragonseeds’ lineage. At the time, war was on everyone’s mind, so Rhaenyra accepted the knights she could get and awarded them the title of dragonseed. Their unconfirmed status didn’t stop people from speculating about their relationship. Addam and Alyn were legitimised as illegitimate children of Laenor Velaryon, although there were rumours that they were actually children of Corlys. Readers speculated that Nettles was actually Daemon Targaryen’s daughter, which would explain his unexpected affection for her.