The War of the Two Roses

A clan war for the glory of a throne? No, George RR Martin, author of the Game of Thrones series, did not invent it. It had existed for many years! From 1455 to 1485, England experienced one of its most bloody civil wars: the War of the Two Roses. This is a historical period particularly favored by George RR Martin, during which the families of York and Lancaster struggled for succession to the royal dynasty of Plantagenet.

The Hadrian's Wall

In 1981, George RR Martin discovers for the first time the Wall of Hadrian. Founded in 122, this one is made of stone and earth and measures 4.5 meters in height, 2.7 meters thick and above all, 117 kilometers long. Built by the Romans to protect themselves from the attacks of Caledonian tribes coming from the North, the present Scotland, it crosses the north of England from West to East, from the North Sea to the Irish Sea.

"The wind blew, I climbed onto the wall and it was just great. There was no one around. I looked north as the twilight settled and I tried to imagine what it was like to be a Roman stationed there when the wall was a real protection. It has been an important experience that has remained with me. It was only a decade later that I began writing The Iron Throne. I always had this vision in mind and I thought, "I want to write a story about people watching the end of the world."

The reign of Genghis Khan

You know Khal Drogo, chief of the Dothraki, but did you know Gengis Khan? Founder of the Mongol Empire of the 12th century, Genghis Khan was a warrior renowned for his intelligence and extreme hardness. At the head of his nomadic tribe, Genghis Khan set out to conquer the East, terrifying the peoples of the West. As for punishment, if Khal Drogo poured molten gold on the skulls of his captives, Genghis Khan chose to pour molten silver into the eyes and ears of his own.

The Black Dinner

Everyone remembers the episode of the "Purple Nuptials", episode 9 of season 3, so traumatic. As atrocious as it is, it is still inspired by real facts. Eh yes.

"It is inspired by two very real events in the history of Scotland. The first is known as Black Dinner. The King of Scotland was at war with the Black Douglas clan. He finally reached out and offered to make peace. He offered the young Earl of Douglas a safe passage to his Edinburgh castle and organized a great feast.

In the end, the King's men began to hammer a single drum. One last dish was brought to Earl, which turned out to be the head of a black bull - the symbol of death. As soon as he saw him, he understood what it meant. He and his suite were dragged into the courtyard, and put to death. The second inspiration was the Glencoe Massacre. The MacDonald clan was lodged by the Campbells in the strictest hospitality. But the latter suddenly turned around and began to massacre the slightest MacDonald on which they managed to get their hands. Whatever the butcheries I can invent, there is always in the history of matter as horrible, even worse. "Said George RR Martin at Entertainment Weekly.

The march of shame

Remember, chastised for his actions during season 5, Cersei finds herself forced to walk naked, at the mercy of her people. A walk of shame straight out of the story. And that's the story of Jane Shore, whose inspiration was George RR Martin. On the death of King Edward IV of which she was the mistress, Jane Shore is condemned for her libertinism (and probably for a whole lot of other conspiracies) by King Richard III who has just been crowned. Dressed in a simple robe of bure, Jane Shore finds herself forced to walk before the people, barefoot, with a candle in her hand.

In short, history is sometimes cruel.