Daenerys Targaryen is one of the most iconic Game of Thrones characters, but, importantly, she’s not the only character in the world to have her name. The history of House Targaryen in Westeros dates back hundreds of years. With House of the Dragon on air, audiences might be beginning to notice how often characters in the Targaryen dynasty repeat names, from Viserys to Aegon to Rhaenys to many more. It’s a crucial part of George R.R. Martin’s naming schemes for every house in Westeros in the A Song of Ice & Fire books, and it importantly plays into his narratives.
Since A Dance with Dragons was released in 2011, book readers have waited for the next volume of Martin’s prolific fantasy series. Since then, Game of Thrones has evolved into a massive multimedia franchise, and Martin has had opportunities to expand his lore with texts like The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood, which both explore the past Targaryen monarchs in more detail. Included among these characters is another Daenerys Targaryen, who’s mentioned in A Song of Ice & Fire and was born 126 years before the Daenerys audiences know and love.
Daenerys Is Named After The Daughter Of King Aegon IV Targaryen – Who She Was
The Previous Daenerys, Explained
In A Dance with Dragons, Davos Seaworth mentions that Dany from ASOIAF is named after “the Daenerys who wed the Prince of Dorne during the reign of Daeron the Second.” This refers to Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of King Aegon IV Targaryen. She was the younger sister of King Daeron II, who ascended the Iron Throne following the death of his father. Crucially, in the version of Westeros that audiences see in House of the Dragon, Dorne still isn’t part of the realm, as that only happens when this Daenerys is betrothed to Prince Maron Martell in a political alliance.
Daemon Blackfyre began the Blackfyre Rebellion in retaliation against Daeron II, with not being allowed to marry Daenerys cited as one of his motivations.
This event was monumental to the (sort of) unified version of Westeros seen during the time of Game of Thrones, with the entire continent officially under the rulership of King’s Landing. However, Daenerys was said to be in love with her bastard half-brother, Daemon Blackfyre, whom Aegon IV had legitimized, creating the official House Blackfyre house as a branch of the Targaryens. Years after Daenerys and Maron Martell wed, Daemon Blackfyre began the Blackfyre Rebellion in retaliation against Daeron II, with not being allowed to marry Daenerys cited as one of his motivations.
How Daenerys’s Story Parallels Her Game Of Thrones Namesake
Daenerys & Daemon Could Parallel Dany & Jon Snow
The reason this is important is that George R.R. Martin loves to plant seeds in his lore with small details that echo present-day events. Many of the most popular theories surrounding the final two volumes of A Song of Ice & Fire are predicated on the idea that Martin will repeat events from the past, hence why wars like the Dance of the Dragons, Aegon’s Conquest, and the Blackfyre Rebellions, are so fun to read up on. As for Dany and Daenerys, there are some interesting parallels that could foreshadow her future story.
Daenerys has already taken part in political marriages to Khal Drogo and Hizdahr zo Loraq, but it seems likely that she’ll marry again with a Westerosi ally. This could easily get in the way of one of the most anticipated marriages in the book series, which is with Jon Snow, mirroring the other Daenerys with Daemon Blackfyre. It’s possible that this historical echo suggests that the book will follow suit with the show’s arc and see Dany and Jon end up in a tragic love story, possibly even creating more conflict.
Who Else Does Dany Take Her Name From?
There Are Several Characters Who Share Her Etymology
With the additional material in Fire & Blood, another Daenerys Targaryen was added to the history of Westeros. Daenerys, daughter of Jaeherys I, only lived to the age of 7, but she was at one point considered to be the good king’s heir, at least by Queen Alysanne. Alysanne suggested that their young daughter Daenerys should be the heir due to being older than her brother Aemon, but Jaehaerys suggested that she could only become queen through marriage. This could parallel something between Daenerys and Young Griff (Aegon), but it’s a bit less straightforward.
As for the name Daenerys, the etymology can be broken down to resemble several other Targaryen characters. There’s Daenys the Dreamer, who foresaw the doom of Valyria and guided the Targaryens to Westeros. There are two Targaryen kings called Daeron, there’s Daena the Defiant, and also Naerys Targaryen, the wife of Aegon IV. George R.R. Martin has littered the histories of Game of Thrones with fascinating parallels to be explored.
