Thousands of years before Aegon’s Conquest of Westeros, the lands of the known world
were ruled by ancient powers remembered largely through myth and legend.
Yet during this time, known to Westerosi as the Age of Heroes, a darkness fell upon the
world, leading to years of devastation, with the many cultures and civilization that endured
such hardship developing their own interpretations of events.
In Westeros, it was remembered as the Long Night, a generation of darkness when the mysterious
northern creatures known as the Others invaded southern lands.
The Others, also called White Walkers, were tall and gaunt with skin as pale as milk and
eyes that shine bright blue.
They wore camouflage armor and wielded thin swords of ice, imbued with magic to freeze
and break enemy armaments.
Stories say they were also able to summon ice spiders, riding reanimated horses, mammoths,
bears and direwolves into battle, even reviving fallen enemies to create and army of undead
warriors known as Wights.
Against the might of this terrible foe, the weapons of the First Men and magic of the
Children of the Forest did little good, forcing many survivors to retreat south, their hopes
for victory all but lost.
However, in the face of such difficulty, legends say the Last Hero emerged, wielding a sword
of Dragonsteel and embarking upon a quest to travel north in search of the elusive Children
of the Forest who’d gone into hiding.
The Hero did this in the hopes of convincing them to help humanity in their renewed efforts
against the northern invaders.
The Last Hero underwent this journey with a horse, a dog and a dozen companions, but
lost them all along the way, even seeing his sword freeze and snap from the brutal cold.
But eventually he found the Children and convinced them to lend their support.
After suffering tremendous losses, the First men now had several tools to help them in
their struggle.
Over the years of fighting, they learned that Dragonsteel and dragon glass could be used
against their enemy, and also re-established contact with their allies in the Children
of the Forest.
And so the Westerosi rallied behind an organization known as the Night’s Watch, and won a decisive
victory in Battle for the Dawn, eventually pushing the Others back into the Lands of
Always Winter.
In order to prevent any such invasion in the future, stories say Bran “The Builder”,
credited as the founder of House Stark, raised a massive wall in the North, with the Children
of the Forest casting powerful spells and enchantments on the ice.
The Night’s Watch was then charged with the task of protecting the Southern realms
from all threats North of the Wall.
Yet Westeros was not the only civilization to face the years of darkness and develop
a story about a hero who returned light to the world.
Across the Narrow Sea, In the lands of the Rhoynar, legends say a terrible night fell
upon them, causing the waters of the river Rhoyne to freeze, until a Hero emerged to
unite the Children of the Goddess Mother Rhoyne to sing a secret song which brought back the
day.
In the Far east, beyond the Bone Mountains, they tell of the Great Empire of the Dawn
who ruled a mighty realm for thousands of years until the reign of the Amethyst Empress,
who was betrayed and killed by her brother, crowning himself the Bloodstone Emperor.
According to tradition, his corruption saw him consume the flesh of man, and practice
the dark arts, even taking a tiger-woman as his wife.
Worse still, he abandoned the gods of his people to worshiping a black stone fallen
from the sky, possibly becoming the first high Priest of the Church of Starry Wisdom.
The deeds of this usurper proved so wicked, the Maiden Made of Light to turned her back
on the world.
Leading to an age of darknesss, when the Lion of Night came forth to punish the realms of
men.
The devastation of these years only ended when a hero emerged wielding the sword Lightbringer
and leading the armies of man against the forces of night, to restore light to the world.
Unfortunately the Great Empire of the Dawn did not survive the darkness, and in it’s
place a successor state formed known as the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, which grew to be a
powerful territory in their own right, though they never again reached the fabled heights
of the Great Empire.
An alternative account of the Long Night from Yi Ti, claims that the Sun hid its face from
the world for a lifetime, ashamed of something no one could discover, with disaster only
averted because of the actions of a woman with a monkey’s tail.
This curious legend aside, it was the story of a hero who fought the armies of darkness
with a flaming sword that spread throughout eastern essos, with many cultures adopting
their own version of the tale.
Along the Bone Mountain, in the Patrimony of Hyrkoon and its successor Realms, some
claim the figure was known as Hyrkoon the Hero.
While others, possibly from the lands of the N’ghai, where they founded the city of Nefer,
the name Nefererion was given to this mighty saviour of humanity.
While the lands of Yi Ti, may possibly have given him the name Yin Tar.
Another name given to this hero was Eldric Shadowchaser, but the most well known and
well travelled name came from the mysterious city of Asshai, where the followers of the
Red God R’hllor, say the hero was Azor Ahai who wielded Lightbringer, the red sword of
heroes.
The legends of Azor Ahai then go further, claiming that in his first attempt to forge
the mighty sword, he labored for 30 days and nights, but the weapon shattered as he tempered
it in water.
Again he tried, this time working 50 days and nights, then driving the sword into the
heart of a lion, to imbue it with the animal’s strength, but once again he failed.
Finally he labored for 100 days and nights and called for his wife Nissa Nissa.
With great sadness he drove the sword into his wife’s heart.
It is said that her cry of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon,
but her blood, her soul, her strength and her courage all went into the steel.
The ancient prophecies of Asshai, then go on to claim Azor Ahai would one day return,
reborn to fight against a new darkness.
Thousands of years later, when humanity faced the end of a long summer, and were soon threatened
by yet another long night, as the Others of the far north stirred and began marching south,
the red priestess Melisandre found herself in westeros, searching for Azor Ahai reborn.
Inspiring her efforts are visions she sees in flames and her interpretation of a number
of prophecies from the far east.
According to Melisandre, within the ancient books of Asshai, it is written that there
will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness
falls heavy on the world.
In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword.
And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it
shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.”
She also states that “When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai
shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone.”
Melisandre becomes convinced Dragonstone is the place of smoke and salt, and that Stannis
Baratheon, true heir to King Robert, is Azor Ahai reborn and even arranged a ceremony in
which he pulls a burning sword from a fire, hailing him as the hero of humanity.
However as the years go on, and the War of the Five Kings erupts throughout Westeros,
Melisandre becomes less certain of her interpretation of prophecy, later heard remarking, "I pray
for a glimpse of Azor Ahai, and R'hllor shows me only Snow."
Possibly referring to Jon Snow of the Night’s Watch, who some consider a likely candidate
for the hero of legend.
And while he was eventually betrayed by his brothers, stabbed several times and left to
die, even this event lends credence to his role as Azor Ahai.
For during the night of the mutiny, Bowen Marsh was said to have tears in his eyes and
given the cold, Jon’s wounds were breathing smoke.
If he does not die or is resurrected, it may be at this moment that Jon is reborn amid
salt and smoke.
Further adding to this theory, is that Ser Patrek of Kings Mountain had just been killed
by the Giant Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, who still held his bloody body in the air.
As it so happens, Ser Patrek’s sigil was a star, and stars lined his cloak, meaning
Jon may also be reborn under a bleeding star.
According to the red priest Benerro of Volantis, it is in fact the Mother of Dragons Daenerys
Targaryen, who is Azor Ahai reborn.
Having once walked into a funeral pyre, where the flames and tears of the witch mirri maz
duur may account for salt and smoke, this occurred while a red comet travelled across
the sky, which can be interpreted as the bleeding star.
Others also point to her birth on Dragonstone, which may itself be the place of Smoke and
Salt.
Benerro claims that Daenerys will triumph over darkness and bring a summer that will
never end, sending the red priest Moqorro to make contact with the queen and help guide
her down the path she must follow.
While other candidates exist such as Aegon Targaryen or Victarion Greyjoy, most seem
to believe that likely candidates are Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen.
In addition there is the concept of a Prince who was Promised, which some like Melisandre
use interchangeably with Azor Ahai.
However, there are additional prophecies specifically associated with the Prince, such as the words
of a woodswitch later known as the Ghost of High Heart, who claimed the prince who was
promised would be born from the line of Aerys and Rhaella Targaryen, parents of Rhaegar
Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen, and the possible grandparents of Jon Snow, who may
be the secret child of Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark.
It is believed that Rhaegar himself believed his son Aegon to the prophesied prince, saying
that his was the Song of Ice and Fire.
And while the figure is popularly referred to as a prince, Maester Aemon of the Night’s
Watch, claims the word in the original high valyrian is gender neutral, and can mean prince
or princess, leading him to believe that Daenerys, with her mighty dragons, is the hero they awaited.