Westeros has pretty distinct visuals compared to other fantasy sagas, andGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragonhave both done a great job of establishing their own language onscreen. Still, as cool as seeing all the castles is, they are a far cry from their book counterparts, which are simply so massive and unique in architecture, thatfaithfully recreating them on television is simply impossible. There are many reasons why it can’t be, the most obvious one being budgetary restrictions, and it wouldn’t be easy to set many of the key events that are supposed to happen in the series — in the end, any visual representation has to serve the story. Let’s see how different some of those castles look when compared to the books.
House of the Dragon
The reign of House Targaryen begins with this prequel to the popular HBO seriesGame of Thrones.Based on George R.R. Martin’sFire & Blood,House of the Dragonis set nearly 200 years beforeGame of Thrones, telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys.
Winterfell Is Actually a Sprawling Complex of Castles
Perhaps the most iconicGame of Thronescastle, Winterfell is the seat ofHouse Stark. Its design on television does incorporate some aspects from how it’s described in the books, like towers built in different styles, including round and angular ones.George R.R. Martin’s description, however, ismuch more elaborate. Winterfell is actually a sprawling complex of castles that covers massive distances. As usual, accurate dimensions are never really provided, but we do know that the godswood alone has three acres in area,roughly equivalent to three American football fields.
Winterfell’s layout itself is also different from the series.The castle is surrounded by two great stone walls, with a moat between themand, outside, a village called Winter Town. The towers in different architectural styles are a testament to how Starks kept adding to the castle complex over the centuries, and there are many towers and halls that are just too old, but kept standing as a reminder of the longevity of House Stark, like the First Keep and the Broken Tower. Beneath Winterfell, the crypts are just as big in area as the whole complex, and the godswood is actually containedwithin the complex, not adjacent to it.
Dragonstone Is Even Larger Than It Appears on ‘House of the Dragon’
One of the things that defineHouse Targaryenis their connection to dragons, and this is displayed all over Dragonstone. InHouse of the Dragon, the castle is rather simple, with angular structures, a bigger tower in the middle, and theDragonmontbeneath it. In the books, however, it’s just as larger than life as one would expect from the Targaryens.The whole volcanic island is big enough to have small towns and even farmland, and the castle itself has a huge mountain looming over it from behind.
Its architecture is distinctly Valyrian, built with techniques and craftsmanship that have been lost following theDoom of Valyria.Everything about Dragonstone’s design is supposed to make people think about dragons, with countless sculptures and gargoyles made of smooth stone. In the books, Stannis Baratheon (Stephen Dillane) even wonders whether those are the “dragons of stone” thePrince That Was Promisedis supposed to wake. A unique building in Dragonstone is the Stone Drum, a circular tower where the lord’s chambers are; whenever it’s hit by the wind, the tower makes a sound similar to drums, hence the name. Other notable structures include the Sea Dragon Tower and the Great Keep.
King’s Landing Has Changed Many Times
The capital of the Seven Kingdoms has had many different shapes and sizes in the series, making it difficult to even try and imagine a map of it. The city is located at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, andits most important landmarks are located atop three hills(inspired by Rome and its seven hills): the Red Keep on Aegon’s High Hill,the Dragonpiton Rhaenys' Hill, and the Great Sept of Baelor on Visenya’s Hill.
The Red Keep itself is another castle complex, with several gates separating it from the city. The Great Hall is where the Iron Throne is located, butthe royal quarters are located inMaegor’s Holdfast, a square-shaped castle-within-a-castlethat has a moat of its own and is considered the safest part of the Red Keep. Other buildings include the Tower of the Hand,White Sword Tower, the Royal Sept, the gardens, the dungeons, and the Black Cells. All of those are connected also by a network of secret passages, which both series have included.
‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 Wasn’t Bad, You Just Wanted ‘Game of Thrones’
This isn’t the same Westerosi story.
The Eyrie Has Been Depicted Differently Every Time
Every time the seat ofHouse Arrynin the Vale becomes part of the series' narratives, it’s depicted differently. The most faithful so far has been inGame of ThronesSeason 1, when Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) is kept in the Sky Cells and faces the Moon Door, and in Season 4, whenArya Stark(Maisie Williams) andSandor Clegane(Rory McCann) arrive at the Bloody Gate. This is the only way in and out of the Eyrie, and, once past it, there is a harsh uphill climb, sinceit’s located atop the tallest mountain in the Vale.
The climb is so long, there are three smaller castles that serve as checkpoints along the way. The Eyrie itself is quite small, but elegant.There are seven towers, united by a central courtyard. The castle is filled with light during the day, thanks to the large windows and open spaces, but this light is cold and clear, reflecting the starkness of the mountain surroundings. At night, the winds howl through the high towers, creating an eerie, haunting atmosphere.
Casterly Rock Is Much More Impressive in the Books
The seat ofHouse Lannisterwas quite disappointing when it was shown inGame of ThronesSeason 7 — a small castle built on a cliffside. In the books, however, it’s an engineering marvel.The castle was actually carved on a colossal stone hilloverlooking the Sunset Sea, more than two thousand feet (roughly 609 meters) above the surrounding landscape, which includes the town of Lannisport. The Lion’s Mouth, a lion-shaped tunnel built on natural rock, is the only way to Casterly Rock from the other side. Inside, the castle is a series of tunnels and halls that have also been carved out of the rock itself. There are also dungeons and mines, with gold veins that are rumored to still be untouched. Also, Casterly Rock has a unique sewer system developed byTyrion Lannisterhimself.
Driftmark and High Tide Are Symbols of House Velaryon’s Wealth
The seat ofHouse VelaryoninHouse of the Dragonis located on the isle of Driftmark, which gives the castle its name, andis a neighbor to Dragonstonein Blackwater Bay. There is Castle Driftmark, a damp and dark keep that is often flooded, so Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint)moved Driftwood Throne to a new castle, High Tide. It’s built from pale rock, the same one the Eyrie is made of, contrasting with the seawater that surrounds it. The isle of Driftmark also has the town of Hull and the fishing village of Spicetown.
Season 2 ofHouse of the Dragonis streaming on Max.
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