Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Season 2 finale of House of the Dragon.
InHouse of the Dragon, we’ve already seenjust how creepy Harrenhalcan be with its role in the second season, but one of the more mysterious aspects of the castle to its south is known only as the Gods Eye. Once home to many of the same weirwood trees still growing on the island, they were cut down by Harren Hoare for his vanity project and later burned with the castle during the Conquest, possibly creating the curse that now inhabits Harrenhal. The small island within the lake, known as the Isle of Faces, is steeped in magical history, but remains largely untouched during the Targaryen era.The Gods Eye, meanwhile, has already been the site of a dragon duelin the reign ofMaegor the Cruel, but this might not be the last time they dance above the lake. If the cryptic statements of Halaena (Phia Saban) are to be believed, Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) will meet his end at the bottom of the lake. Book readers will already know the answer, but the show seems to be preparing for a final showdown that willconclude a major rivalryand promises to be one of the most stunning battles they’ve ever produced.
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.
The Isle of Faces Has an Ancient History in Westeros
Largely untouched, the Isle of Faces is perhaps the most remote location in all of Westeros, with the Gods Eye being a deterrent to all those who might try to reach the island. In the age of the First Men,centuries of war between humans and the children of the Forest ended on the islandwith a treaty referred to only as the Pact, which later helped them stand united to fightthe White Walkers. To make the Old Gods bear witness to the Pact, the children carved faces into every weirwood on the island, which inspired its name.
When the Andals invaded and wiped out most of the Children of the Forest, they were still unable to conquer the island, and there are rumors that small pockets of them might still exist there still. Nobody knows for sure, though,as the island is still viewed as off limits. Even those who attempt to cross have been unsuccessful, repelled by windstorms and flocks of ravens.The only known record of humans visiting the islands was when Rhaegar and Lyanna got married thereand,depending upon who you ask, set the stage for the Prince That Was Promised.
While the Isle of Faces remains more pristine, the Gods Eye was the site of a major battle in Targaryen history. The Dance of the Dragons wasnot the first civil warbetween the Targaryens, and it was here that King Maegor fought his own nephew, the dethroned heir to the Iron Throne. The battle was one-sided,with Maegor quickly killing Aegon and his dragon, but leaving him forever known as a kinslayer. Still, this would not be the last time the Targaryens dueled above the lake, and the second duel would be very different from the first.
‘House of the Dragon’ Showrunner Explains Why We See Daenerys in That Finale Scene
Ryan Condal also discusses Daemon’s visions, that final Alicent scene, and a darker path for Rhaenyra in Season 3.
The Gods Eye Might Explain the Curse of Harrenhal
For most of recorded history, the Gods Eye has remained a sacred place, butliterally and figuratively overshadowedby Harremhal. Even the weirwood trees, which the Isle of Faces is known for, are ignored in favor of the Godswood for the worship ofthe Old Gods. In some ways, this might be understandable, as Harrenhal feels so overwhelming in both history and scale. The Gods Eye and Isle of Faces, however, have a crucial role in the cursed lore of Harrenhal.
While less visually impressive,the Gods Eye might be more important to the magical world than we like to think. During its construction, Harren Hoare is said to have cut down weirwood trees from the lake to build Harrenhal, which Aegon would burnduring his conquestof Westeros. As Alys Rivers (Gayle Rankin) has observed,setting weirwood trees alight with dragon fire combines two very different types of magic, which creates unpredictable consequences. However, it also might explain the most infamous feature of Harrenhal itself.
The most famous aspect of Harrenhal is its reputation as a cursed location that destroys all families who rule it, but the reason can range from the political to the magical. On one hand, it’s true that Harrenhal is a white elephant used to marginalize those who become too ambitious. On the other hand, we’ve already seen supernatural elements of the castleexplored through Daemon, which go beyond any kind of rational explanation. By invoking the weirwoods explicitly,the show appears to be firmly coming down on the latter side.
SPOILER ALERT! The section below contains major spoilers for the end of the Dance of the Dragons, according to the book Fire & Blood.
The Gods Eye Will Play a Major Role in Future Seasons of ‘House of the Dragon’
Harrenhal has loomed over the second season ofHouse of the Dragonand its return is already set. We already know Daemon will meet his end here, if Alys Rivers is to be believed. With a colder attitude than she is known for asthe most innocentof the Greens, Halaena reveals to Aemond that he will be swallowed by the lake, never becoming king in his own right. These two events might appear separate,but they are actually inextricable, and the result is probably the most epic moment in the Dance of the Dragons.
For the entire war, Daemon (Matt Smith) is hunting for Vhagar and Aemond, but the search proves fruitless, and he spends his time with Nettles, whose roleseems to have been cutfrom the show. After suffering one betrayal too many, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is left riddled with paranoia and orders Nettles to be executed. Refusing to violate guest right or risk the wrath of the Blacks, the lord housing them alerts Daemon in secret, later defecting to the Greens.Letting Nettles go, Daemon flies alone to Harrenhal, without telling his queen, and waits for Aemond to find him.
When Aemond finally arrives with Alys Rivers at his side, Daemon has only a brief chance to take outthe biggest dragonin the war. Ambushing Vhagar in the same way Aemond had done so many times,Daemon fittingly kills his nephew by bluntly impaling him through his remaining eye, perishing when the two dragons strike the water seconds later. Both dragons die of their wounds, with Alys remaining as one of the few witnesses, and the body of Aemond is left to rot beneath the lake, still chained to his dragon when found. While some of the smallfolk whisper that Daemon survived to live a quiet life with Nettles, even the most salacious sources fromFire & Bloodconclude that he almost certainly died on impact, a fitting end for arguably the two most prominent Targaryen warriors of their era.
House of the Dragonseason 2 is now available for streaming on Max in the US.
