Game of Thrones is filled with rich, complex stories and unforgettable characters, with a world brimming with so many references that no small detail is considered insignificant. Take, for instance, the house sigils. From an outsider’s point of view, these are merely symbols woven on flags or impressed on armors, but they actually carry decades of history and legacy.
We’re familiar with the heraldry of popular houses such as the Starks, Targaryens, Lannisters, Baratheon, Tyrell, Greyjoy, and so forth—but not so much with clans that weren’t prominently featured in the show or the books. So, how did the showrunners come up with their designs?
One scene from Game of Thrones proved they copied a fan artwork
George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire indulged fans with the lavish history of Westeros and the exciting adventures of its characters in five book installments. When David Benioff and Dan Weiss adapted the story to the screen, they knew from the beginning that they had to improvise on some aspects because the novel series was not yet finished.
However, even though they had the source material ready at hand, some parts of it weren’t as detailed as they hoped it would be. One great example was from a scene in Episode 3 of Game of Thrones Season 6.
In a flashback scene witnessed by Bran Stark, he saw a young Ned Stark and Howland Reed defeat a Targaryen guard at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Reed sported a buckle on his chest with a lizard-lion design. It’s a very small detail, but those who have read the books know that the author only gave a limited description of its image.
Those who have frequently lurked on the Internet looking at fan artworks of Game of Thrones were quick to recognize that the show’s version of the sigil was strikingly similar. Perhaps the showrunners also had a difficult time visualizing and coming up with their own version of House Reed’s sigil so they looked into various fan art.
House Reed’s symbol depicts a black lizard-lion on a gray-green field, which represents their knowledge of the swampland and bog stretching across the Neck. They have a long history of defending the North from invaders and were known as staunch allies of the Starks.
Game of Thrones showrunners did what they could with the resources they had
While it’s true that the showrunners had to come up with their own content for the latter seasons as they had no more source material to adapt, it’s also mainly because they believed Martin would finish The Winds of Winter. The author promised fans that he would deliver it before the final season, but until today, six years after the show wrapped up, we still don’t have it on our bookshelves.
The wait for the upcoming sixth book might last a little longer, especially after Martin stopped providing concrete updates about his progress.
Game of Thrones is currently available to watch on Max.
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