Showing posts with label Lannisters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lannisters. Show all posts

"L" is for Lannisters

Author: Anonymous / Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

My favourite family from Westeros....NOT! The ONLY exception is Tyrion. He walks with a swagger, is extremely intelligent and cunning. I like how he sees through everyone else's lies and deceit.

The rest of his family are abhorrent.

Let's start with his older siblings, shall we? What can we say about a pair of fraternal twins who commit incest? Nothing pleasant, that's for sure! Cersei Lannister was the first twin born to Joanna and Tywin Lannister of Casterly Rock. Jaime was born second. Both blond, cherubic and healthy, they grew up looking almost identical. The twins were educated very differently, much to Cersei's chagrin. She was taught all the finer points that befits a young lady of her station: court etiquette, needlework, dancing, poetry, household management and the history of all the Houses in Westeros.

Jaime Lannister was trained by the Casterly Rock men at arms to use swords, shields, axes, lances and how to properly ride horses into battle and for transportation. After all, he was a man and expected to serve his family through politics or combat.

Growing up, the twins began to have a sick, sordid relationship, with each other.  This relationship was carefully guarded and ultimately produced three children, whom Cersei let her late husband think he was the father. Readers of the books and audience members who've watched the series all thought how absolutely disgusting the two of them were for carrying on in such a depraved manner.

Cersei is angry and resentful for being born a female and being made to marry and serve her family like chattel. Jaime is arrogant and condescending, because he is so skilled as a member of the King's guard.

Tyrion is the one everyone likes best. Why? He has survived heartache and ridicule by many, including his own family members. He has used the fact that he is a dwarf to build up his strengths and cultivate a memorable persona. He reads and writes. He is shrewd, intelligent and is very capable of having intelligent conversations about anything. He has empathy for those less fortunate then himself, a rare quality that his siblings and father do not possess. He is a total ladies man. We all love him for it, too!

Then there is daddy. Tywin Lannister does not take bull from anyone. The man stands well over 6'5 and carries himself regally. This is a man with a stern military background. His has been very successful in all of his campaigns. He is also very wealthy and understands court politics and financial policies very well. He has a keen mind and sharp, cutting wit. Tywin Lannister is not the kind of man you want to trifle with. Ever.

There are other Lannisters that we've been introduced to, namely Kevan Lannister and Lancel Lannister. Kevan is Tywin's younger brother. He serves on his brother's war council and gives prudent and thoughtful advice. He is smart enough to know that Tywin holds all the power and that it is best to serve a man who is in power and maintains control of that power.  Lancel Lannister is cousin to Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion. Lancel seems like a little whiner, a backstabbing man who will do anything to elevate his social position. I think we all enjoyed seeing Tyrion mess with his head during the second season. I know I enjoyed their scenes together. Nothing like Tyrion putting a member of his own family in their place! Rightfully so!!

Now, I would also like to include Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. Joffrey is an outright psycho. His immature and power hungry behaviour speaks for itself. If only Tommen, the youngest boy, had been born first. Tommen has a very sweet and loving disposition. Totally opposite of what a Lannister is like. Myrcella is a sweet natured teenage girl. It's hard to believe that those two younger siblings have Cersei Lannister as their mother. She is a monster.

I wouldn't expect to see Cersei up for 'Mother of the Year' award anytime soon. As for Joffrey...is there anyone else out there who is waiting and counting that days to see what goes down in Season III next year?! I am!!

"I" is for the Iron Throne

Author: Anonymous / Labels: , , , , ,

Between you and I, would you really want to sit on the Iron Throne?

I did. Once. This happened in March. I went downtown Toronto to see the Game of Thrones exhibition at the Bell Lightbox and it was pretty cool. So, in a sense, I can truly say that I sat down on the Iron Throne. It was hard and lumpy. And that was just one of the prop chairs flown in from Dublin.

I know that the Iron Throne is not a seat of power that I'd want to occupy anytime soon. Especially since I've read four of the books already and know that the throne is a curse. Too much hatred to deal with. Too much greed from everyone wanting their share of wealth. Too many sleepless nights, worrying about assassins coming to get you, resentful Houses trying to wage war or revenge, getting deeper and deeper into debt. Give me another position, but not as a Queen on the Iron Throne.

That throne does something funny to those who occupy it. They either go slightly mad, they abuse their power or their reign is ended abruptly. I took many history courses when I attended university and the one main theme that seemed to carry over was that the path the paved the way to sitting on any throne, for that matter, was littered with sins, murder, blackmail and greed. When I watch the HBO series Game of Thrones, I totally understand and agree with the aforementioned statement.

Remember what the late King Robert Baratheon said to the late Ned Stark in Season I? All he wanted to do was, "eat, sleep, drink and whore his way into an early grave." Remember what Petyr Baelish said to Ros in Season II? "Too often those with the most power have the least grace." He was absolutely correct. The current King sitting on the Iron Throne, Joffrey Baratheon, is a psychotic, arrogant and condescending twit who is cruel to everyone around him. He has a malicious streak to him a mile wide. No doubt lovingly nurtured by his own saintly mother, Queen Regent Cersei. I wait in high anticipation for Season III to roll around next year...and to see which character says another profound quote about power or ruling the Seven Kingdoms.

Ruling from the Iron Throne means having only the most loyal people around you, having a keen intellect, a sharp eye for military and financial dealings and having courage. Having a backbone. And having really think skin, because the amount of people that hate you and openly mock you is enough to make anyone go in a corner and lick their wounds. A ruler who sits on the Iron Throne should also possess honour, strength, courage and tenacity. All the qualities that Joffrey does not possess.

Power shared is power halved. Joffrey knows that and clings tightly to his throne. Same with Cersei. Poor Ned Stark. He found out the hard way that trying to be noble instead of cunning cost him his life.

"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."

"C" is for Casterly Rock!

Author: Anonymous / Labels: , , , ,

I'd like to live at Casterly Rock. I'd have servants to attend my every whim; I'd have a huge room; lots of gold and oh, of course, I'd be residing in the ancient house of the Lannister clan.

What's there NOT to like?! Casterly Rock is the chief residence of the current ruling family - the Lannisters. Tywin Lannister is a rich and very powerful man. When Tyrion says to anyone within earshot that, "A Lannister always pays his debts," he's not joking!

Casterly Rock sits high on top of a great mountain range and deep within the earth, there are veins of molten gold deposits scattered throughout. No wonder why the Lannisters can pay for everything and never have any debts. When you sit on top of THE richest gold deposit in the Seven Kingdoms, then you'd be able to brag about it all day long, too! Life is pretty good in Westeros....especially if your surname is Lannister.

I believe that Casterly Rocks sits atop of a mountain range that overlooks Lannisport harbour. Casterly Rock has been the chief residence for all the Lannister dynasty. They have Lann the Cleaver to thank for that!

Cersei Lannister: Schemer

Author: Anonymous / Labels: , , ,

Cersei Lannister. Queen. Shrewd. Calculating. Angry. Power hungry. These are just some of the terms that come to mind when describing the Queen Regent.

Lena Headey has captured the icy demeanor of Cersei right down to the last detail. I cannot picture another actress even trying to do the part. From the very first time you see Cersei grace the screen, you get the idea that something’s amiss. Cersei’s eyes pierce right through everyone. She comes off as being aloof, almost crisp towards those she does not know, or more to the point, trust. We find out that she was born into the wealthiest family in Westeros – the Lannister dynasty. She has a twin brother, Jaime, who is part of the Kingsguard. Her younger brother is Tyrion “the Imp” Lannister, who in her eyes is worthless and an embarrassment to the family. He did, after all, cause their beloved mother, Joanna, to die in childbirth. After that horrific event, Cersei never forgave her younger brother and had little use for him growing up.
Being born into the wealthiest family in Westeros has its’ privileges. Cersei would never lack for food, shelter, and clothing. She was given the finest education for a young girl at the time. This is where we see Cersei begin to chafe at her role in life. She was born a female, and with that comes specific obligations: she must be tutored in finer arts of reading, writing, painting, dancing, court etiquette and household management. Not exactly exciting stuff, especially for a young girl of her intellect. She had no use for dolls and pretty things and found them to be a complete waste of time. She wanted to be free, to do the same things that Jaime did, to learn the art of warfare, to train with weapons, to ride horses. Unfortunately, being born female meant she had no choice but to acquiesce to her powerful father’s demands and her family’s expectations.

Being born a female, and a wealthy one at that, meant to be ‘sold off’ in marriage to some nobleman from a wealthy house. A daughter’s duty: to marry well and beget the production of heirs. Not exactly what Cersei wanted in life. I think she is a misunderstood, bitter woman. She never got the chance to marry for love or happiness. Unfortunately, she was carrying on an incestuous relationship with her twin brother, so it’s not like she could openly defy custom and tradition. Had she done so, she would’ve probably risked having terrible consequences for her and her family. After all, through a political and strategic marriage can a daughter bring more status and wealth to her family.  Cersei resents being used as a pawn, powerless to the events being dictated in her life. I think she had a great deal of pent up anger and frustration towards Robert and in a sick, twisted way enjoyed the fact that she did not have children by her lawful husband, but by her own brother. It gives you a glimpse into the madness that will eventually catch up with Cersei further down the road.
She feels that women, in general, have no real power. But she is not just any woman. She is Cersei Lannister. As Queen Cersei, the power she had was still limited, after all, her husband, the late King Robert Baratheon, was still her Lord and ruler. Once he died, her power as Queen Regent became absolute. This is where we see the true nature of the beast. This is a ruthless woman who will not hesitate to have her enemies burnt, tortured or killed if they get in the way of her goals. Eddard Stark found that out the hard way.  In the first season, we see glimpses into how she will do anything to protect her children, because after all, they were not Robert’s, they were Jaime’s. She did a good job of protecting their parentage until someone started to have doubts and ask questions. Hence, John Arryn’s death.

Cersei is a feminist, but I wouldn’t say that with the best of intentions. Yes, she hates the inequality of her position and title in life. She resents having to be excluded out of most major decisions. She hates being seen as just a woman, a pretty thing, to be cast aside in favour of men with brawn and brains. Once Robert dies, Cersei attains a great deal of power. And power, as Lord Varys once said, ‘is a curious thing.’ You can really get a true sense of a person’s character – give them a little bit of power and see what they choose to do with it. In Cersei’s case, she only does terrible things with it.  As Queen Regent, she made a terrible decision – putting Joffrey on the Iron Throne as King – thinking she could control him like a little puppet on a string. Bad choice, Queen Mum. However, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and they are both very vindictive people. With Lord Tywin Lannister off fighting the Stark forces in the north and Jaime being a part of the Kingsguard, Cersei feels that she is left to her own devices. Cersei cannot tame the monster that is Joffrey, so rather than control him, she allows him free reign and goes along for the ride. What a horrendous ride it is turning out to be.
Having the backing of her family, their wealth and her title of Queen Regent means absolute power.

And absolute power means one thing to Cersei: absolute control.


Blackwater Bay!!

Author: Anonymous / Labels: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I've been thinking, while I was driving around today, running some errands. When I think of Game of Thrones, my mind is filled with all sorts of possibilities. But that's a whole other blogspot.  In honour of tomorrow night's EPIC episode, "The Battle of Blackwater Bay," two songs come to mind.

The first was Thin Lizzy's, "Jail Break," because there are several lyrics that are very appropriate for tomorrow night's battle sequences. The second song - and probably more ominous - is AC/DC's "Hell's Bells." Why that one, you ask? Well, um, hello?! Seven Gods in Westeros - the Old and the New....and because there is going to be a lot of action that goes down tomorrow night.

Some of the characters are going to survive. Others won't be so lucky. Certainly...some characters deserve to go to the deepest, darkest hell in Westeros, for all the misery and destruction they've caused in the last two seasons.

(I am aware that by rooting for the Lannisters, I am leaving myself open to criticism) I want to make it perfectly clear that I am NOT rooting for Prince Joffrey. Tyrion, show your animal side. After all, your sigil is a lion!

T-minus 34 hours and counting!