Includes SPOILERS for House of the Dragon season 2, episode 4.
Summary
House of the Dragonseason 2, episode 4, reveals thatAegon’s understanding of High Valyrian is quite sloppy, yet he’s able to command his dragon in battle. The action-packed episode showed the Targaryen king suit up for the Battle of Rook’s Rest, where Criston Cole had laid a trap for the Black faction, unbeknownst that Aegon would arrive. “The Red Dragon and the Gold” added a new member toHouse of the Dragon’sdragon roster, with Sunfyre making its first full appearance on screen.
Earlier in the episode, a confrontation scene at Aegon’s small council meeting sees his brother Aemond resorting to the use of High Valyrian so that only the pair would understand. Aemond demonstrates adequacy to the language, whileAegon seems to understand it but does not properly know how to speak it, which he is embarrassed about. Something that’s been consistent in bothGame of ThronesandHouse of the Dragon’stimelineis the use of High Valyrian to command dragons, raising questions about Aegon’s communication with his.
Aegon Has Probably Trained Sunfyre To Understand The Common Tongue
Sunfyre Is Young Enough To Have Been Trained Differently
It’s important to note that while the dragons in George R.R. Martin’s universe have connections to human riders, they aren’t a particularly intelligent species.They obey simple voice commands that they’ve memorized, much like a dog could be trained to sit. In this sense, Sunfyre is a young dragon whose only rider has been Aegon, so he could have found any number of ways to communicate with it, including voice commands in the common tongue.
The Biggest Dragons In Game Of Thrones & House Of The Dragon
Between Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and the lore from George R.R. Martin’s books, these dragons stand out as the biggest to roam Westeros.
An older dragon like Vhagar or Meleys, who had other previous riders, wouldn’t be as easy. For Aemond to bond with Vhagar and ride her, he probably had to use High Valyrian to communicate his commands. He’s shown using the language to give Vhagar orders in the episode, as is Rhaenys with her dragon. As for Aegon, he’s never seen actually speaking to Sunfyre, but this seems the most likely outcome.He also possesses some understanding of the language, which could be the bare minimum for giving Sunfyre commands.
Dragons Don’t Necessarily Only Understand High Valyrian Anyway
George R.R. Martin’s Dragon Rules Are Pretty Vague
The rules of dragonriding and bonding with human companions are a bit vague, but Martin’s recent blog post provided a bit of insight into their intelligence level and confirmed he’s planning to share more information in future volumes ofA Song of Ice & Fire. As of now,there’s no reason to suspect they only understand High Valyrian, as Daenerys speaks to her dragons in the common tongue in the books. Overall, there’s not enough information to suggest that High Valyrian is necessary for dragonriding inHouse of the Dragon.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is a 2022 fantasy drama set in the world of Westeros, chronicling the Targaryen dynasty at its height. The story revolves around King Viserys’s controversial decision to name his daughter Rhaenyra as heir to the Iron Throne, sparking tensions and divisions within the realm.
