20 Of The Biggest And Surprising Easter Eggs In “Game Of Thrones” That Most Fans Didn’t Catch
First premiering on HBO on April 17, 2011, Game of Thrones has grown to become a show that's larger-than-life. Based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, with the help of HBO, Martin's world became a reality for more than just the people who read his books. It's time to look back on past episodes to find the many Easter eggs that the showrunners planted for their audience. How many of them did you catch? Spoilers ahead!
Recognizable Swords On The Iron Throne
The Iron Thrones is the seat of the king of the Seven Kingdoms and is located in the Great Hall of the Red Keep in King's Landing. It was created by Aegon the Conqueror who forged the throne using the swords from his defeated enemies and the fire from his dragon Balerion the Black Dread.
While the Iron Throne is made up numerous swords, if you look closely, you can spot some familiar swords from other films. One of the most recognizable is Gandalf's sword, Glamdring, from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Other swords from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Kingdom of Heaven can be seen as well.
It's Mentioned How Small The Throne Actually Is
In the books, the Iron Throne is massive and comprised of thousands of swords from Aegon's fallen enemies. However, the description of the throne in the novels wasn't very realistic for the show to recreate, especially with the restricted budget during the first season. So, they decided to opt for a much smaller and simpler design. The show creators knew the change would annoy book fans, so they added in some dialogue to cover their tracks.
In a conversation between Vary and Littlefinger in season one, Varys states, "A thousand blades, taken from the hands of Aegon's fallen enemies. Forged in the fiery breath of Balerion the Dread." Littlefinger responds saying "There aren't a thousand blades. There aren't even two hundred. I've counted."
There Was A Hint Of Jon's True Parentage In Season One
Before it was confirmed at the Tower of Joy that Jon Snow is actually the son of Lyanna Stark and Rheagar Targaryen, there was literally writing on the wall. In the season one episode "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things," Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly are scrubbing the table in the dining hall.
When Jon mentions that he doesn't know who his mother i, you can see the letters "R" and "L" carved into a pillar that Jon is standing next to. It's an early yet subtle hint that Rhaegar and Lyanna are his real parents.
An Insult From Monty Python and the Holy Grail
On numerous occasions, author George R.R. Martin has expressed how big of a fan he is of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So, he decided to sprinkle a few references in his books, and the showrunners decided to include their own in the show.
In the season four episode "Breaker of Chains," during the siege of Meereen, a Meereenese champion shouts insults at Daenerys in the Ghiscari language. According to linguist David Peterson, one of the insults translates to mean "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries," a classic quote from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
Petyr Baelish Foreshadowed The Deaths Of A Key Characters
In the season four episode "The Mountain and the Viper," Petyr Baelish gives some advice to the young Lord of the Vale, Robin Arryn. He tells him, "People die at their dinner tables. They die in their beds. They die squatting over their chamber pots. Everybody dies sooner or later." The first is a reference to both Robb Stark and King Joffrey, who both died at wedding feasts.
However, even though Baelish may not know it, the following statements foreshadow the imminent deaths of some characters. "Dying in their beds" can be connected to Shae who is killed by Tyrion in a bed, and "Dying on their chamber pots" is a direct reference to Tywin Lannister who is murdered by Tyrion while on the toilet.
Poetic Justice
To his day, the Red Wedding remains one of the most shocking moments in television history. It resulted in the death of numerous main characters with Robb being stabbed by Roose Bolton, Catelyn having her throat slit by Black Walder Frey, and Greywind being shot with a crossbow.
Although revenge for the Red Wedding took some time, many of the characters involved got exactly what they deserved. Tywin Lannister is shot with a crossbow, Roose Bolton is stabbed by his own son, and Arya Stark slits Walder Frey's throat.
The Rat Cook Callback
While Bran Stark is taking shelter at the Nightfort in season three, he tells Jojen, Mira, and Hodor the story of the Rat Cook. He claims that a cook in the Night's Watch was angry at a king, so he killed the king's sons and baked them into a pie which the king ate.
As a punishment for breaking guest right, the gods turned the cook into a giant white rat that was always hungry and feasted on its own young. Walder Frey also broke guest right at the Red Wedding, and as a result, Arya Stark killed his two sons and baked them into a pie which he ate before being murdered by her.
An Emphasis On The Catspaw Dagger
Introduced in season one, the Catspaw dagger is a Valyrian steel knife that was initially wielded by an assassin hired to kill Bran. Over the series, the blade changed hands until it was given to Bran and finally Arya. While researching Dragonglass in Oldtown, Samwell is reading a book that has a drawing and description of the dagger.
According to actor John Bradley, the showrunners purposefully lingered in the picture and description of the blade to hint at its importance. As it turns out, the knife would prove to be of great use, with Arya using it to kill the Night King during the Battle of Winterfell.
The Mountain Shaped Like An Arrowhead
The mountain that The Hound describes as being "shaped like an arrowhead" can be seen in season seven when Jon and company go beyond the wall to capture a wight. However, if you were paying attention, you may notice that this wasn't the first time we've seen this landmark.
It was also in the background of one of Bran's visions in season six where the Children of the Forest create the first White Walker. In the vision, the mountain can be seen in the background, however, it's lush and green before being transformed into the Lands of Always Winter.
Like Father Like Son
In season seven, fans were pleased to learn that Gendry had been in King's Landing the whole time and not aimlessly floating around in a boat. After Davos asks him to come back to Dragonstone, he agrees, but not before grabbing the new warhammer that he made for himself.
He proves to be pretty handy with it too, making quick work of two Gold Cloaks before leaving King's Landing. Being the bastard son of King Robert Baratheon, it was only fitting that Gendry uses a warhammer as well. Robert was renowned for his skill with the weapon, even using it to kill Prince Rheagar Targaryen at the Battle of the Trident.
Altercations To The Winterfell Crypts
The Winterfell crypts are one of the most sacred and respected places for the Stark family. It is where the past Lords of Winterfell and Kings of Winter are buried. The entrance to the crypts is first seen to be guarded by two large stone direwolves, the sigil of House Stark.
Yet, after the castle is taken over by the Boltons, the heads of the direwolves have been cut off. The beheading of the statues was a way for the Bolton's to desecrate the Stark's burial grounds as well as a way to remind the citizens of Winterfell who was actually in charge.
Lots Of HP Lovecraft References
George R.R. Martin borrows a lot of concepts and ideas from different authors. However, one of the most prominent is the work of HP Lovecraft, especially his Cthulhu mythos. The Ironborn follow the religion of the Drowned God who resembles the description of Cthulhu, as well as resides at the bottom of the sea much like Lovecraft's monster.
In addition, House Greyjoy's sigil is a Kraken, an animal strongly connected to the Cthulhu story. Even the Ironborn saying What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger," is a play on the Lovecraftian quote That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die."
Two Pillars
Back in season five, Cersei tells the High Sparrow, "The faith and the crown are the two pillars that hold up this world. One collapses, so does the other."This quote would be repeated several times in season six. After the High Sparrow repeats it to Tommen, the young king goes on to use it when he announces the union of the Faith and the Crown and when he relieves Jamie Lannister from the Kingsguard.
After Cersei blows up the Sept, causing it to crumble, Tommen proceeds to jumps from the Red Keep, falling to his death. To drive everything home, when Tommen kills himself, there are two strategically placed pillars in the shot.
Don't Mess With Dorn
After the annihilation of House Tyrell, Lady Olenna Tyrell makes a visit to Dorne to make some unlikely allies. At the beginning of her conversation, she mentions that the last time a Tyrell came to Dorne, he was assassinated with 100 scorpions. This was an Easter egg for book readers who know more to the story.
In A Storm of Swords, Oberyn Martell tells Tyrion Lannister the story of a late Lord of Highgarden that was "keeping the peace in Dorne." However, he was actually abusing its citizens and was repaid by the Dornish by having 100 scorpions dumped onto his head while he was in bed.
There Are Plenty Of Cameos From Musicians
Famous bands and musicians have made cameos on the show numerous times over the years. At the Red Wedding, Coldplay drummer Will Champion can be seen playing the drum in a group of Frey musicians, and the singer, Sigur Ros, plays a minstrel at the Purple Wedding. Furthermore, members of the rock band Mastodon played Wildling at Hardhome before being killed and resurrected by the Night King.
However, the most discussed cameo was by Ed Sheeran, who played a friendly Lannister soldier that Arya encounters on the road. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was thrilled about having Sheeran on the show.
Things Didn't End Well For Sheeran's Character
After people became vocal about their disdain for the pop star being on their favorite show, Sheeran felt that his character should have died on screen. He stated "I definitely think they should've killed me off in the episode. I reckon that probably would've been the redemption for the people that didn't like it." In the end, Sheeran got his wish.
In the premier of season eight, Bronn is being entertained in a brothel where the girls are talking about which Lannister soldiers survived the encounter with Daenerys'. One woman claims that the red-headed boy named Eddie "came back with his face burned right off. He's got no eyelids now." Case closed.
The Meaning Behind The White Wolf
When Jon Snow is crowned King in the North, Lord Manderly declares that he is the "White Wolf," a statement that has several meanings. While the title can be understood as a reference to Jon's white direwolf, as well as his last name, Snow, it goes even deeper. Bastards are not allowed to use the sigil of their house unless they are legitimized.
So, most bastards will take their house sigil and reverse their colors. If Jon did this, his sigil would be a white wolf on a field of gray, making him the white wolf. Even though it has been revealed that his parents are Rheagar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, some wonder if he'll change his sigil to be the White Wolf.
The Showrunners' Faces Can Be Seen In The House Of Black And White
It's not unusual for directors or writers to appear as a cameo in their project, Alfred Hitchcock did it all the time. While showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff may not have had any acting roles in Game of Thrones, their faces have made an appearance.
f you look closely, you can make out their likeness in the Hall of Faces at the House of Black and White, a room that Arya consistently goes to with Jaqen H'ghar.
Born Under A Bleeding Star
After defeating Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy with Dayne's sword, Dawn, the young Ned Stark runs to help his sister. The camera focuses on the sword as Ned leads it on the bed where his sister lay dying. While this scene might not have meant much for some people, for many Game of Thrones theorists, this was a sign that Jon Snow might be Azor Ahai - The Prince that was Promised.
According to the prophecy, Azor Ahai would be "Born amidst salt and smoke, beneath a bleeding star." Legend has it that Dayne's sword was made from the remains of a falling star and has blood on it when Jon is born. Although still a stretch, it was a nice nod to book readers.
Littlefinger Predicted Some Major Deaths In Season 4
During Season 4, Master of Coin Littlefinger uttered a statement that, unbeknown to fans at the time, predicted all the major deaths to come during the season.
In a conversation with Robin Arr, he said, "People die at their dinner tables, they die in their beds, they die squatting over their chamber pots. Everyone dies, sooner or later." That sentence referenced the deaths of King Joffrey, Shae, and Tywin Lannister.
