Many praisedGame of Thronesas a gateway for new fans to the fantasy genre during its heyday. The idea ofLord of the Ringswith sex and violence appealed to those who usually dismiss flights of fancy. Every fantastical element of the narrative threatens that dubious honor. Dragons, magic, and ancient prophecies pop up occasionally, but the more esoteric examples are kept in the books. Are mermaids only symbolic in Westeros, or are they hiding beneath the waves?
One of the recurring narrative themes ofGame of Thronesis humanity believing a fantasy creature is extinct, only for it to return to change the world. Everyonethought dragons were dead, but Daenerys proved them wrong with mixed results. The Children of the Forest lived so far in Westeros’s past that historians decided they didn’t exist, but they led Bran Stark to the Three-Eyed Raven. Mermaids aren’t likely to be the upcoming example but don’t count them out yet.
Are there Mermaids in Westeros?
Westeros seems to have the same relationship with mermaids as in reality.Ancient stories mention them, but no evidence suggests mermaids exist in modern Westeros. Mermaids, sometimes called merlings, are broadly dismissed as fairy tale creatures by historians. Sailors frequently claim to have encountered mermaids. These stories tend to play out much like those that spawned mermaid fiction. Lonely and unhinged men on long voyages see manatees and convince themselves they’ve spotted the most beautiful aquatic woman in the world. Some even crash their ship into rocks, trying and failing to reach their illusory love. When Tyrion Lannister tellsLord Commander of the Night’s WatchJeor Mormont that he’s heard claims of White Walker sightings, Mormont notes that some fishermen swear they’ve seen mermaids as a counterargument. They’re like urban legends. Everyone knows someone who’ll tell their mermaid story, but none have proof.
Mermaids are critical symbols to manycultures and Noble Houses. The most devoted example is House Manderly, who made merfolk the center of their entire brand. Their Coat of Arms is a merman with green hair and scales, a mighty physique, and a black trident on a blue-green field. He resembles a miscolored version of Disney’s King Triton. Their seat of power is the New Castle at White Harbor, which houses a massive feasting hall called the Merman’s Court. White Harbor’s most prominent street, the Castle Stair, featured marble mermaids holding up burning bowls of oils like streetlamps. Any knight fighting for White Harborcarried a shield bearingthree silver mermaids. Most Noble Houses pick a theme for their aesthetic, but House Manderly’s branding is excessive.
Mermaids in Westeros' mythology
Though they likely didn’t exist, mermaids are important in fictional narratives within the story. The most notable myth concerning mermaids lives on the Iron Islands. The ironborn worship an ancient deity calledthe Drowned God, who rules from a throne deep under the sea. Those who worship the Drowned God believe that they’ll go to his great hall if they die a deserving death. While enjoying his endless bounty, the ironborn say they’ll have their every need attended to by mermaids. Their great hero, the Grey King, is said to have taken a mermaid as his wife. Yara Greyjoy explains her desired fate like this:
When an ironborn falls, we say the Drowned God needed a strong oarsman and took him below to feast in the god’s watery halls, attended by mermaids.
Like the ironborn, the people of Driftmark live every day by the bounty of the sea. House Velaryon, House Targaryen’s seafaring counterpart, holds ceremonies venerating an ancient deity called the Merling King. They claim their driftwood throne was acquired in a trade with the Merling King. House Velaryon consigns their dead to the Merling King with a burial at sea, not unlike the ironborn. As a death-adjacent deity, followers of the Many-Faced God revere the Merling King. Many believe that merlings call to their king by blowing conch shells. Merlings play less central roles in some local legends. TheWinged Knight of the Valewas said to befriend merfolk and giants. The strange seer Patchface mentions merfolk in some of his songs. Durran Godsgrief, the creator of Storm’s End, married the daughter of the gods of sea and storm, often depicted as a mermaid.
Mermaids may never have been real withinGame of Thrones' internal mythology, but they still play a significant part in thestories and symbolsthat shape the Seven Kingdoms. The idea of ironborn sailors falling prey to seductive manatees just as humanity’s real sea voyagers adds a historical element to a comedic notion. ThoughGame of Thronestakes place in a world full of dragons and magic, some of our myths are myths to them, too. Mermaids probably aren’t technically real inGame of Thrones, but they remain worth acknowledging either way.
