The Iron Throne

[PennLady]

Many of us watch HBO's "Game of Thrones," and one of the specific thrones in question is the Iron Throne, a rather imposing and uncomfortable-looking chair. George R.R. Martin, the author, says that although the HBO throne is fine, it's not what he envisioned. But this article contains the pic of the closest thing.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...tml?utm_hp_ref=entertainment&ir=Entertainment

Here's a link to just the picture: http://l.yimg.com/os/423/2013/07/10...rtin-marc-simonetti-large-vert-jpg_213952.jpg

Funny how things written down translate to visual.

 

[SecondCircle]

I kinda feel the way Martin does. I mean I love the way they did the iron throne on the show. They brought an iconic part of the books to life, while still managing to make it seem believable or realistic.

But still there's a part of it missing. Everything that's going on in the books revolves around that throne, and the power that comes with it. I know in the books it's repeatedly stated how uncomfortable the throne is, and how if a king wasn't careful he could even prick or cut himself on the melted swords. I think they said the Mad King cut himself on it, which showed a sort of "unworthiness" to rule. While I didn't quite picture it how this artist rendered it, it seems to me that there's still this element of awe missing from HBO's throne.

But alas, when you make fantasy a reality, and aim to still make it believable, or at least not too "out there", I guess you have to sacrifice a few elements like this.

Anyway HBO did a great job with the throne. And I like how they promo'd Sean Bean sitting on that uncomfortable thing. It sets the Iron Throne as the centerpiece of the story while under toning that Ned Stark never wanted that god awful seat in the first place. Knowing what happened to him and seeing old pictures of that, its kind of haunting in a way. Sort of like "look at where are this madness has brought us in the name of this terrible ass rest."

 

[SecondCircle]

I talked about "subliminal meanings" in stories on some other thread recently. Symbolism at its finest is the Iron Throne itself. We've all heard about how "Heavy is the head that wears the crown."

This goes beyond that. What better throne to symbolize all the pain and strife that accompanies the endless struggle for power than a barbed throne of melted swords, that was cast by the fire of the almost "mythical" dragons?

To me, the very process by which it was made is a thing of awe to me. A thousand swords melted by the fire of dragons, dragons that the people no longer even believe in because of the lengthy period in which they've been extinct. But you know they have to look at that throne with wonder.

 

[vgrey]

I just like the fact that the most important character aspect of the throne in the books is that it injures the person sitting in it.

 

[lovecraft68]

The fact it is a seat of power yet can injure those who sit in it and inflict pain has a good underlying BDSM ring to it.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

I kinda feel the way Martin does. I mean I love the way they did the iron throne on the show. They brought an iconic part of the books to life, while still managing to make it seem believable or realistic.

But still there's a part of it missing. Everything that's going on in the books revolves around that throne, and the power that comes with it. I know in the books it's repeatedly stated how uncomfortable the throne is, and how if a king wasn't careful he could even prick or cut himself on the melted swords. I think they said the Mad King cut himself on it, which showed a sort of "unworthiness" to rule. While I didn't quite picture it how this artist rendered it, it seems to me that there's still this element of awe missing from HBO's throne.

But alas, when you make fantasy a reality, and aim to still make it believable, or at least not too "out there", I guess you have to sacrifice a few elements like this.

Anyway HBO did a great job with the throne. And I like how they promo'd Sean Bean sitting on that uncomfortable thing. It sets the Iron Throne as the centerpiece of the story while under toning that Ned Stark never wanted that god awful seat in the first place. Knowing what happened to him and seeing old pictures of that, its kind of haunting in a way. Sort of like "look at where are this madness has brought us in the name of this terrible ass rest."

Isn't it basically the sword of Damocles? Except instead of hanging from a thin thread above the throne, it is the throne. And a lot of the time in the books, they talk about how uncomfortable and horrible the chair is, and how the Mad King Aerys always had infected cuts from sitting on it. As if the throne actively hated him.