So, as GoT fans we know that Daenarys' dragons are not the first dragons ever. Dragons were discovered in ancient Valyria, which was surrounded by 14 enormous volcanoes. Valyria is where the Targaryans come from. They were dragonlords, and not the only ones, nor were they very powerful.
One day, after being told of a premonition that hinted at the coming doom, Aenar Targaryan (the lord of the house) sold off all of his properties and moved his family to Dragonstone, an island off of the coast of the Crownlands (a section of Westeros that also contains King's Landing).
Rivals of the Targaryans thought they were losers anyway, so this move was considered another weak move. Twelve years later, the Doom struck Valyria, killing most of the population and leaving the Targaryans as the only surviving dragonlords. Five dragons left Valyria with the Targaryans, but only one would survive through to 27 BC, the year Aegon I was born. This dragon was called Balerion the Black Dread. An enormous beast that Aegon rode on the back of during his Conquest of the 7 Kingdoms. His sisterwives also rode dragons, named Vhagar and Meraxes, but they were much younger than Balerion and were born on Dragonstone. When they died, their skulls were kept in the Red Keep in a place of honor, until Robert Baratheon sat on the Iron Throne. He had the dragon skulls removed, and placed deep beneath the Maegor's Stronghold.
Balerion the Black Dread was the dragon responsible for the destruction of Harrenhal, and along with Vhagar and Meraxes killed 4,000 men during the Field of Fire which destroyed House Garland and made the Lannisters align with the Targaryans.
Balerion was a bad ass dragon, and would survive all the way up to 94 AC, during the reign of King Jaehaerys I. He was 200 years old and died of old age. Now, please, a moment of silence.
JUST KIDDING, his name was Balerion the BLACK DREAD for crying out loud, he killed a BUTTLOAD OF PEOPLE!
Meraxes died during the War with Dorne, after taking an arrow through the eye,
but Vhagar (another bad ass dragon) would survive until the fifth Targaryan civil war, also known as the Dance of Dragons. The Dance is the common term for a story called The Princess and the Queen, Or, the Black and the Greens. You can read it for yourself (which I highly reccommend) in an anthology titled Dangerous Women. During the Dance of Dragons, there were many of the great beasts all varying in size and power, but when the war ended, the population had severely diminished. So, a quick plot description of the Dance of Dragons. It's the story about the two claimants to King Viserys' throne; Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Aegon II. The Princess was born during the King's first marriage, and the Prince was from his current wife, Queen Alicent. The Blacks and the Greens refers to the colors worn by the Princess (black and red, true Targaryan colors), and the Queen (green). The following is a list of dragons that lived (and died) during the Dance of Dragons:
King Aegon II's dragons:
Sunfyre - the King's very own mount. Described as splendid, but young and crippled for much of the war after a fight at Rook's Rest. He was later slain in battle with the dragon Moondancer at Dragonstone.
Vhagar - ridden by Prince Aemond One-Eye (his nickname, he was also known as Aemond Kinslayer). The 2nd of 3 dragons from Aegon's Conquest. Old, but huge and very powerful. She was killed in battle with Caraxes over the God's Eye (an island in the Riverlands). She was the most feared dragon during the Dance. During the battle with Arrax over Shipbreaker Bay, Vhagar severed Arrax's head with a single bite while in mid-air! She died while fighting with Carraxes, when Prince Daemon leapt from his mount to kill Aemond Targaryan in mid-air. Very dramatic and something I would LOVE to see on television!
Dreamfyre - Queen Helaena's dragon. Died during the collapse of the Dragonpit in King's Landing.
Tessarion - the mount of Prince Daeron. Tessarion was also known as the Blue Queen and was the youngest dragon that was of fighting weight and belonging to Aegon's supporters. She was killed during the second battle of Tumbleton.
Morghuhl - ridden by Princess Jaehaera. He was too young to fight in the war and so died during the storming of the Dragonpit by the Burning Knight.
and finally; Shrykos - Prince Jaehaerys's dragon. He was also too young for battle and was killed by Hobb the Hewer during the storming of the Dragonpit.
Queen Rhaenyra's dragons:
Syrax - Queen Rhaenyra's mount, described as huge and formidable, and killed during the storming of the dragonpit.
Caraxes - The Blood Wyrm, the mount of Prince Daemon Blackfyre. Huge and formidable and killed in battle with Vhagar over the Gods Eye.
Vermax - ridden by Prince Jacaerys. Young but strong. Killed in battle with his rider, the Prince, at the Battle of the Gullet.
Arrax - a young and strong dragon ridden by Prince Lucerys and killed, with his rider, over Shipbreaker Bay (the bay outside of Storm's End).
Tyraxes - the young Prince Joffrey's dragon. Also young and strong and killed during the storming of the dragonpit.
Stormcloud - the dragon of Prince Aegon the Younger, killed by an arrow and a crossbow bolt at the Battle of the Gullet.
Meleys - ridden by Princess Rhaenys (the Queen that Never Was). Meleys was also known as The Red Queen. She was old and cunning, like her rider; and fearsome when roused. She was killed at Rook's Roost along with her rider Princess Rhaenys.
Moondancer - ridden by Lady Baela. Described as slender and beautiful and just large enough to carry a girl. She was killed by Sunfyre at Dragonstone, but not before inflicting a mortal wound on the King's dragon.
Silverwing - ridden by Ser Ulf the White but it belonged to the good Queen Alysanne. During the Dance of Dragons, there was a call for any bastard Targaryans that might be dragonlords. These bastards were known as "seeds" and were told that if they could tame and ride a dragon then they would be given lordships and lands to rule. One of these "seeds" was Ser Ulf. Silverwing survived the Dance of Dragons, and lived longer than Ser Ulf did. She became wild and took up residence on an island in Red Lake, probably dying of old age.
Seasmoke - ridden by Ser Addam of Hull, another "seed". Seasmoke once belonged to Ser Laenor Verlaryon. He was killed by Vermithor at the 2nd Tumbleton.
Vermithor - ridden by Ser Hugh Hammer, another "seed". Vermithor was King Viserys' old mount and was described as old and hoary. He died during the 2nd Tumbleton with Seasmoke and Tessarion.
Then there were 3 wild dragons that lived on Dragonstone. Only one was tamed and ridden. That one was named: Sheepstealer because of his love of eating sheep. He was tamed by Nettles, a young girl "seed", who fed him mutton and lamb until he allowed her to ride him. He disappeared after the Dance.
Grey Ghost - another wild dragon that never had a mount. He was a shy dragon that stayed away from humans, and would often be seen fishing over Shipbreaker Bay. He was killed by Sunfyre at Dragonstone.
Finally there was the largest and most dangerous wild dragon: The Cannibal. He got his name from eating the eggs and hatchlings of other dragons. He would survive the Dance and disappear after it ended.
The remaining dragons that survived the war weren't seen again. No one actually knows what happened to them, but surmise that they died of whatever cause. Since the Dance of Dragons took place nearly 200 years before the present day Song of Ice & Fire story, we can start to assume that those dragons are dead. Which makes Daenary's arrival in Westeros that more important. Dany's dragons are still very young, but we saw just how strong they already are. And the biggest, Drogon, is taking on characteristics of other great dragons that have come before him, like Vhagar and Balerion. Could we see history repeat itself and watch Dany conquer the 7 Kingdoms much like her ancestor Aegon I? Maybe, I think Dany is headed for Dragonstone after leaving Dorne. That's where Aegon I started after all.
One last thing I want to leave you with. During the Dance of Dragons, Prince Jacaerys was tasked with flying North on his dragon Vermax, to persuade the Northern Lords to join Queen Rhaenyra's cause. There is a theory that while treating with the Starks, Vermax laid a cache of eggs in the crypts beneath Winterfell. He was there for long enough that this could have happened. Many years later, when Theon and the Ironborn burned down the castle, Bran (while warged into Summer), said he saw a snakelike creature with wings, escaping the castle in the smoke. This was only in the books, but could it be that there was actually a dragon living beneath Winterfell that whole time? Could there be another one? Or some petrified eggs that could be hatched? What about Dragonstone? Could there be more eggs there? Or could there be literal "dragons made of stone" that come to life when Azor Ahai returns? I don't know, but I CAN'T WAIT TO FIND OUT!
Thanks for reading, come back tomorrow for some more team breakdowns for the Super Team Tournament! And be sure to come back next week for another edition of #GoTMondays!
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