Byron Swann

Byron Swann
Political information
House(s)	Swann
Title(s)	Ser
Personal information
Culture	Stormlander

Shireen Baratheon: "Ser Byron Swann wanted to kill the dragon Vhagar. He polished his shield for a week so that it was like a mirror. And he crouched behind it and crept forward, hoping the dragon would only see its own reflection."

Davos Seaworth: "But the dragon only saw a dumb man holding a mirrored shield."

Shireen Baratheon: "And burnt him to a crisp."

Davos Seaworth: "Thus ending the dragonslaying career of Ser Byron Swann."

— Davos and Shireen share a laugh.

Ser Byron Swann was a knight who was killed during the Dance of the Dragons.

Biography

Background

During the civil war, Ser Byron attempted to slay Vhagar by polishing his shield for a week to make it as reflective as possible. Hoping to sneak up on the dragon, Ser Byron was fatally mistaken and burnt to death. His death was written about in The Dance of Dragons: A True Telling by Grand Maester Munkun.

Game of Thrones: Season 5

Shireen reads The Dance of Dragons: A True Telling, sharing a laugh over Ser Byron's demise with Davos.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, when Tyrion is in Pentos, he briefly assumes the false identity of Hugor Hill, and is asked to prove he is truly a Westerosi, by naming a knight who tried to killed a dragon during the Dance of Dragons, imitating the famous legend of Serwyn of the Mirror Shield (who allegedly killed the dragon Urrax by using that trick) from the Age of Heroes.

Not only does Tyrion know it was Ser Byron Swann, but also notes that Grand Maester Munkun erred in his book; Byron didn't try to kill Vhagar, he tried to kill Rhaenyra Targaryen's dragon Syrax. As Tyrion explains, Byron was the son of a marcher lord, who was sworn to House Baratheon, who declared for King Aegon II Targaryen. Moreover, Vhagar was ridden by Prince Aemond Targaryen, King Aegon II's brother, so it really wouldn't make sense for Byron to try to kill Vhagar. Some time ago, Tyrion noticed the discrepancy in the course of his own studies, and even researched it further by obtaining a letter written by Ser Byron's squire, who witnessed Ser Byron's death, to the squire's daughter, and in the letter it was stated that Syrax killed him.

Appearances

• – "The Dance of Dragons" (mentioned)

External links

• Byron Swann on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)

House Swann
Head	Unknown	Heir	Unknown
Seat	Stonehelm	Region	Stormlands
Ancestors	Johanna Swann · Byron Swann
Deceased	Balon Swann
Overlords	House Baratheon