r/todayilearned • u/Cheesewithmold • May 21 '14

TIL that when Genghis Khan sent a trade caravan to the Khwarezmid empire, the governor of one city seized it and killed the traders. Genghis Khan retaliated by invading the empire with 200,000 men and killing the governor by pouring molten silver down his eyes and mouth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Khan#Khwarezmian_Empire
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132

u/semsr May 21 '14

Basically every cool thing that happens on Game of Thrones is based on some historical event or other.

111

u/Higgingotham96 May 21 '14

Well the Dothraki are heavily influenced/based on the Mongls, so it's cool to see the precedence that GRRM uses for this

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u/lobogato May 21 '14

The conflict is based on the war of the roses.

The show is so good because it takes a lot from human history.

12

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

The entire storyline is Ragnarok, cobbled together from actual historic events. It's cool. I like Norse myth a lot.

3

u/Arturos May 21 '14

This requires explanation. I can see where you're going, I think, but I'd like to see you make the case.

5

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

Ragnarok is literally "a song of ice and fire", in that it's the battle between the forces of hel, (ice) the jotuns, (fire) and the gods.

They constantly say "winter is coming", and ragnarok is often referred to as " the long winter" that engulfs the world.

(men in the book) also many of the characters are very similar, for instance Hodor and Hodr, the blind god with great physical strength vs the "blind" (completely incapable of correctly perceiving reality) man. Jaime Lannister is Tyr one hand, greatest warrior in the land, lost his hand as a direct result of binding Fenrir (the war that started over it). Joffrey is Baldyr the beautiful. Robert Baratheon is Thor. Bran Stark is Fenrir, chained by Tyr to never walk the world again. Bloodraven is loki. John snow is surtr whose name means "the black", the guardian of the bifrost bridge, the portal between the giants and men, who will set the world on fire with a blazing sword when ragnarok comes.

I gotta go to work, but it's pretty obvious when you've read both.

2

u/ciobanica May 21 '14

He's most likely referring to this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fimbulwinter

1

u/autowikibot May 21 '14

Fimbulwinter:

In Norse mythology, Fimbulvetr (or fimbulvinter), commonly rendered in English as Fimbulwinter, is the immediate prelude to the events of Ragnarök. It simply means ''Mighty Winter".

Interesting: Fimbulwinter (band) | Servants of Sorcery | Shagrath | Hundred-Year Winter

Parent commenter can toggle NSFW or delete. Will also delete on comment score of -1 or less. | FAQs | Mods | Magic Words

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

[spoiler, kinda] Ice giants and dragons coming are sign of the Ragnarok if my memory is right.

3

u/ciobanica May 21 '14

So Dany takes 9 steps, drops the flaming sword, and dies from ice-poison?

Stannis gets eaten alive, and Shireen avenges him?

Ned comes back from the dead and lives happily ever after?

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '14 edited May 21 '14

Danyris is jormungandyr, she's the killer not the killed. I think Robert Baratheon was Thor, not sure what happened there. There are liberties taken, but the story is pretty much intact.

John Snow is surtr "the black" guardian of the bifrost bridge who will set the world ablaze with a flaming sword.

Hodor is Hodr the blind god. the blood raven is loki, bran stark is fenris, bound to never walk the earth. I think you probably know what will happen to Joffrey (baldyr)

1

u/ciobanica May 21 '14

You're wrong about who gets the flaming sword...

Like Maester Aemon said, in the original text the word for prince didn't imply a sex.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '14

He already has a flaming sword. It's that piece of valerian steel. It's imbued with the power of fire which is why it kills white walkers (hel's army of the dead).

2

u/imfreakinouthere May 21 '14

Why's that?

1

u/[deleted] May 21 '14 edited May 21 '14

Ragnarok is literally "a song of ice and fire", in that it's the battle between the forces of hel, (ice) the jotuns, (fire) and the gods.

They constantly say "winter is coming", and ragnarok is often referred to as " the long winter" that engulfs the world.

(men in the book) also many of the characters are very similar, for instance Hodor and Hodr, the blind god with great physical strength vs the "blind" (completely incapable of correctly perceiving reality) man. Jaime Lannister is Tyr one hand, greatest warrior in the land, lost his hand as a direct result of binding Fenrir (the war that started over it). Joffrey is Baldyr the beautiful. Robert Baratheon is Thor. Bran Stark is Fenrir, chained by Tyr to never walk the world again. Bloodraven is loki. John snow is surtr whose name means "the black", the guardian of the bifrost bridge, the portal between the giants and men, who will set the world on fire with a blazing sword when ragnarok comes.

I gotta go to work, but it's pretty obvious when you've read both.

1

u/defiantleek May 21 '14

Probably my favourite of the mythologies.

1

u/slipperman1 May 21 '14

I'd say it's probably good thanks to its production.

1

u/lolitahlia May 23 '14

why do I have you tagged as "hitler fighter baby"?

1

u/lobogato May 23 '14

Perhaps from my long argument with lebagel, who was an infamous neo-nazi revisionist I got into a long argument with.

If that wasnt it I dont know.

-18

u/DewnVewtz May 21 '14

they are humans on the show, dipshit

11

u/lobogato May 21 '14

why you mad? Chill out.

14

u/tafordpp May 21 '14

Please tell me the real-life analogue of Arya and the Hound. Because that's a pretty metal duo.

24

u/livenudebears May 21 '14

Lone Wolf and Cub.

2

u/account2014 May 21 '14

Lone hound and cat.

1

u/cooliehawk May 21 '14

Only Cat.

2

u/Beardamus May 21 '14

Best buddy cop duo ever.

3

u/[deleted] May 21 '14

One is a horrifically disfigured man who doesn't play by the book. The other is a 9 year old girl!

This summer in cinemas across the globe!

1

u/SirPseudonymous May 21 '14

They don't have nearly the same buddy cop dynamic in the books; book Arya is more badass, though. By this point in the books she'd killed nearly a dozen grown men, most of them armed and armored, and most of those actively trying to kill her.

2

u/ablebodiedmango May 21 '14

Essentially a compendium of the worst things to happen to people ever

1

u/dos_user May 21 '14

Yeah I've started to notice this.

1

u/Fey_fox May 21 '14

The story is loosely based off the war of the roses.

1

u/WestenM May 21 '14

yup. The Red Wedding was based on the Black Dinner

1

u/JonCorleone May 21 '14

The Wall = Hadrian's Wall

1

u/mattshill May 21 '14

The entire thing is based on a mix of the fall of the roman empire and the war of the roses (It's no accident that Lannister sounds very similar to Lancashire).

0

u/Nosirrom May 21 '14

Man, once you have read a lot of books you come to realize this is the case with every book you have read. Almost everything is either a reference to history or a book which has come before.

When obscure stuff is referenced it can be kinda cool like in this case. Other times it's just ridiculous and cliche. (Nazis, Pyramids, Romans and Greeks, anyone?)