Scott Tenorman said:
Since the Salon article mentioned Tolkien - I always wondered what would have happened to
Galadriel - if she had accepted the One Ring from Frodo.
She was tempted:
Frodo offers the One Ring to Lady Galadriel -The Fellowship of the Ring
She scared the #### out of me during this.
She would have been interesting to watch with the precious.
I honestly think that GRRM actually did show
her with the precious.
Since I posted that, I have thought of lots of other connections - but most are boring and not worth listing here. However, the new one that is my personal favorite is this...
Galadriel - from scene linked in quote, but book text:
She lifted up her hand and from the ring that she wore there issued a great light that illuminated her alone and left all else dark. She stood before Frodo seeming now tall beyond measurement, and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Then she let her hand fall, and the light faded, and suddenly she laughed again, and lo! she was shrunken: a slender elf-woman, clad in simple white, whose gentle voice was soft and sad.
“I pass the test”, she said. “I will diminish, and go into the West and remain Galadriel.”
Dany did not pass the test. She wanted to continue to use the One Ring (Drogon) to conquer the entire world.
Thus, she
diminished as well - but she did not return or
go into the West - like Galadriel - with the heroes:
Lord of the Rings- The Grey Havens
Rather, Dany returned to the East; the direct opposite direction of Galadriel and the LoTR heroes and elves.
East is the source/archetype of Evil in Tolkien world (during the LoTR time frame), and in Thrones, the East is also the original source of Dany and all Targ's & Dragons.
Old Valyria.
"I am Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, of the blood of Old Valyria. I am the dragon’s daughter!"
So, how does
Old Valyria relate to the Grey Havens symbolically?
Valyria was destroyed four centuries ago in a catastrophic volcanic event known as the Doom of Valyria, which shattered the Valyrian Peninsula, wiped out almost all the dragons in the world and created the much-feared Smoking Sea. The only major family of Valyrian dragonlords to survive the Doom were the Targaryens, who were living on Dragonstone at the time. The Targaryen dragons on their island were the only ones in the entire world to survive the cataclysm. A century after the Doom, Aegon I Targaryen invaded Westeros and conquered almost the entire continent, establishing a dynasty that was to last for three centuries.[2][3]
Like the Grey Havens, it is presently an
unknown mystery - a place and source itself of magic. Also, the Grey Havens was created after the land was shattered in a previous Great War in Tolkien-world. Unlike LoTR, it has actually appeared in the story. But, it is in ruins. Still a mystery though, imo.
The text above also sounds a bit like Atlantis myths. It also sounds like Avalon myths. It should, imo, because they are all the same general trope with minor variations.
I am truly and firmly convinced, that GRRM did this intentionally.
Oh - who got to Sail Into the
West as a
Hero?
Arya. She slayed
part of the One Ring (Ice Dragon via NK) - like Frodo. I don't think she qualifies as a "ring bearer" - but she was a Hero that did slay a Dragon - a part of the One Ring - plus the NK.
Jon? He went
North as
The King - not East - not West. What does that say about him in regards to his moral fate?
I think Jon was flawed but not fatally. He is the balance point between the two - he is
free (Freefolk) now - it is up to him to decide his own future/fate now. Perhaps like Westeros itself? (Another version of...The King = The Land.) Jon is Aragon free from his duty as king - but he is still The King - just as Aragorn always was and would have been even if he had lost the final War of the Ring.
Bran =
Throne -
a king (selected), but not The King (Divine Right, blood right, inherited) This breaks the wheel of Absolute Monarchy - just as Dany intended. (This is not my own idea - plenty of others have already made this point - I add it for completion.) His is sitting in Aragorn's Throne, but is not Aragorn.
Sansa =
Queen of the North - She is at
Home. The Shire. She is the world of humanity. And fertility; note the Weirwood inlaid dress she wore at her coronation. She is the hope for the future.
Rickon = Learn to weave buddy.
Death.
Am I missing any Stark kids?
I kill me!
bout yer beautiful Queen 
. Where do I send my condolences 
? I have felt awful 
ever since that ceiling caved in on her 
. I truly hate 
that she had to die 
.
that lil' Emo #### won you over?
.... 
- I will sincerely think long and hard on yous 
