Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for the season two finale of House of the Dragon.

It seems that Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) has finally accepted his role in the war. In “The Queen Who Ever Was,” the finale of the second season of House of the Dragonhe has a vision of what is to come for House Targaryen, and everything feels very strange – starting with the first step into the godswood at Harrenhal. In the darkness of the night, he catches a glimpse of a strange creature on the weirwood treea horned creature that makes hoof noises when walking and breathes like a horse, and it feels like it came straight out of a Guillermo del Toro film. This strange creature is actually part of an order that is directly connected to the most mysterious aspects of Westeros, and it could still play a role in The Dance of Dragons.

House of the Dragon

The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO series Game of Thrones. Based on George RR Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon takes place almost 200 years ago game of Thronestells the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.

Release date

21 August 2022

Creator

Ryan J Condal, George RR Martin

Main genre

theatre

Seasons

4

Distributor

HBO

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The green men were created by the children of the forest

The history of Westeros goes back thousands of years game of Thrones And House of the DragonThe original inhabitants of the continent are the Children of the Forest, a group of non-human beings whose origins are unknown. They inhabited the forests, where they worshipped weirwood trees as gods and spent their days in peace. They also had a deep connection to natural elements, including animals, and were said to have supernatural powers over living things. Greensight, which consists of having prescient dreams, was one of these powers, as was the ability to speak to the dead.

The Children of the Forest lived in peace in Westeros for a long time until the arrival of the First Men. They are one of the most important groups of people to come to Westeros, and their customs and traditions are still prevalent in some areas, particularly in the north. Although some speculate that the First Men originated from the area now known as the Dothraki Sea in Essos, this is not confirmed. However, after arriving in Westeros, it was not long before conflict with the Children of the Forest began. Armed with bronze weapons and clad in bronze armor, they crossed Essos via the Arm of Dorne, a landmass that connected Westeros and Essos. The conflict lasted for millennia until the Children actually shattered the Arm of Dorne, isolating Westeros forever. Eventually, however, They made a pact to end the war and live together, with the Green Men witnessing it — but more on that later.

Thousands of years later, another group of people invaded the continent, the Andals. The Children and the First Men joined forces to fight against the Andals, but were eventually forced to retreat to the north until the children finally disappeared completely. In game of Thronesthey show up to take Bran Stark with them (Isaac Hampstead Wright) to the Three-Eyed Raven (Max von Sydow), although this hasn’t happened yet in the books. The series also reveals that it was the Children of the Forest who created the White Walkers to fight the Andals, but this ultimately backfired as they turned against their creators and tried to take over the world in an eternal winter in the Age of Heroes.

The Green Men protect the last bastion of antiquity in Westeros

When the Children of the Forest fought against the First Men, this war lasted for millennia. The First Men understood that the Children were using weirwood trees, which were common throughout Westeros at the time, to spy on them, so naturally they began cutting down trees. However, the trees eventually became essential to both sides in creating peace between them. Eventually, the Children and the First Men gathered on the Isle of Faces to make peace. To celebrate this, The children carved faces into the weirwood trees so that the gods could witness the pactThe children retreated into the forests and left most of the land to the First Men, vowing never to cut down trees again.

To protect the weirwood trees on the Isle of Faces, the Children of the Forest founded the Order of the Green Men. It is never said whether they are real people or other creatures, but their myth spread over time until they acquired a supernatural aura in the eyes of people. For example, in the The Song of Ice and Fire In the novels, Bran learns from Old Nan, the caretaker of Winterfell, that The Green Men still inhabit the Isle of Faces, and they have horns, dark green skin and ride moose. It is also said that during the Andal invasion, some of the Children of the Forest sought refuge on the island and were protected by the Green Men. Other theories claim that there is some sort of connection between the Isle of Faces and the lands beyond the Wall, which is why Harrenhal has such a ghostly and otherworldly atmosphere.

In the books, as Jojen (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Meera Reed (Ellie Kendrick) tell Bran the story of the Knight of the Laughing Tree, in which A pile-dweller went to the Isle of Faces and visited the Green Men before leaving for a great tournament at Harrenhal.. The story is actually true, and the Crannogman is actually Howland Reed (Leo Waldmeister), the father of Jojen and Meera, who was also an ally and friend of Ned Stark (Robert Aramayo) and even fought alongside him in the Battle of the Tower of Joy. Almost a century earlier, however, the Green Men could still play a key role in the Dance of Dragons.

The Green Men could still play an important role in “House of the Dragon”

The creature that Daemon Targaryen sees in the godswood at Harrenhal matches Old Nan’s description of the Green Men, although we can barely make out the color of their skin. The Green Man simply disappears behind the weirwood tree when Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) brings Daemon closer. However, they may still appear, as Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) plans to recapture Harrenhal for the Greens in Season 3, and his path will cross with Daemon’s at the same place.

There is another reference to the role of the Green Men in Fire & Bloodbut. In “The Queen Who Ever Was,” Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) asks Addam of Hull (Clinton Freedom) to accompany her on the back of a dragon as she flies to Harrenhal to meet Daemon. In the book, Addam is in a position to prove his worth to Rhaenyra some time later, and It is said that he flies to the Isle of Faces to seek the advice of the Green Men. Addam manages to get back on Rhaenyra’s good side, albeit not without some drawbacks – but this storyline is intended for season 3. Hopefully House of the Dragon will keep this part of the book because Westeros is always at its best when it’s scary.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon is streamed on Max.

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