The Song of Ice and Fire is such an integral part of Game of Thrones that the book series that the TV series are based on take their name from it. But what is The Song of Ice and Fire? And who is the Prince that was Promised?
In the fantasy series Game of Thrones, Melisandre spends an awful lot of time trying to track down the prince and eventually, she comes to believe Jon Snow is the legendary figure destined to save the world from The Others. In House of the Dragon, however, a new wrinkle is added to the prophecy, so we thought it’d be useful to explore what The Song of Ice and Fire is and who the Prince that was Promised might be.
What is The Song of Ice and Fire?
The Song and Ice of Fire is a prophecy that a destined warrior, known as the Prince who was Promised, will eventually be born from the Targaryen bloodline and lead the forces of the Seven Kingdoms against the White Walkers and the Long Night.
The prophecy originated with Aegon the Conqueror, who had a prophetic dragon dream about a great darkness coming from the North to destroy the realm. Aegon believed that only the Targaryens could stand against the undead forces, and that’s why he took Balerion, Vhagar, and Meraxes and went off to conquer Westeros.
We learn from King Viserys Targaryen’s warning to his daughter Rhaenyra Targaryen that since the Targaryens conquered the lands, the prophecy has been passed on from king to king (notably Aegon II Targaryen doesn’t know the prophecy, nor does Daemon Targaryen), along with a sacred Valyrian steel dagger.
Embossed on the dagger’s blade are the words, “From my blood comes the prince that was promised, and his will be the song of ice and fire.” How will this play into the Dance of the Dragons and House of the Dragon season 2? We’ll have to wait and see.
Who is the Prince that was Promised?
Well, there have been a few candidates for the Prince that was Promised. Rhaegar Targaryen believed for the longest time that he was the prophesied prince; however, he eventually realized he was wrong.
Instead, Rhaegar thought that the prince would come from his bloodline, which is why he ran off with Lyanna Stark and had Jon Snow. Speaking of which, Melisandre became convinced (Once she realized Stannis Baratheon wasn’t who she was looking for), Jon was actually the prince.
The final candidate was Daenerys Targaryen. We know that the prophecy refers to a prince, but in High Valyrian, this is a gender-neutral word, so Dany counts. Ultimately Dany and Jon were both instrumental in defeating the Night King (even if Arya Stark landed the killing blow), but the series never confirms who the prince is.
If you love being back in Westeros, then check out our guide to the best Game of Thrones characters, or if you’re looking for something else to watch, we have a list of the best fantasy movies. We’ve also got articles on all your favorite dragons, including Seasmoke, Meleys, Arrax, Syrax, Caraxes, and Vermithor, as well as a breakdown of the best House of the Dragon characters.
Finally, you should give our guide on the possibility of a Game of Thrones season 9 a read if you want to learn what may be next for Westeros or if you want to know what the Game of Thrones cast has been up to since 2019. We’ve got you covered.
Our sister site Wargamer also has a guide to the best Game of Thrones board games if you want to play this deadly political game for yourself.