"Dorne"[3] is the ninth short of the fifth season of Histories & Lore. It is the eighty-fourth short of the series overall. It was released on March 15, 2016 in Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season. It was narrated by Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand and written by Dave Hill.
Premise[]
Ellaria Sand recounts the history of Dorne, illustrating how the region was united and eventually included into the Seven Kingdoms.[3]
Narration[]
Ellaria Sand: Before the Seven Kingdoms, before the Iron Throne, there was Dorne. Twelve thousand years ago, the First Men crossed the land bridge from Essos to here. Of course, they were men, so they soon broke it.
Then, while their cousins to the North built kingdoms, the Dornish squabbled over land, water, and wives for centuries. Until Nymeria, a warrior princess in Essos.
She led a fleet of ten thousand ships across the Narrow Sea to Dorne. Almost all of the petty lords made it clear that she wasn't welcome. All but one. Mors of House Martell.
He saw in her a strength to match any man, including his rivals. After she accepted his marriage offer, she set fire to her ships. For fifty leagues, the coast was bright as day, and in the burning light, Princess Nymeria named Mors Martell the Prince of Dorne, in the style of her people. Dorne would be her home or her grave.
For many years, Nymeria and Mors waged war against all rivals. The Jordaynes, Blackmonts, Qorgyles, and even the mighty House Yronwood. They sent no fewer than six self-styled "kings" to the Wall in golden chains.
After Mors fell in battle, Nymeria took command of his armies and united Dorne in two years.
She ruled for twenty-seven more, and though she married again, those husbands were little more than councilors and consorts. Dorne was Nymeria, and Nymeria was Dorne.
She survived a dozen attempts on her life, put down two rebellions, and threw back two invasions. And when at last, she died, her eldest child succeeded her (her daughter, not her son), and Dorne followed her because Nymeria had proven that women were equal to men, if not better.
Centuries later, Aegon Targaryen sought to unite Westeros, as Nymeria had Dorne. The other six kingdoms fell quickly before his dragons and ambition.
When his sister-wife, Rhaenys, flew her dragon south and demanded our surrender as well, Princess Meria Martell warned, "I will not fight you, nor will I kneel to you. Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that."
Rhaenys threatened that the next time the Targaryens would come with fire and blood. Meria replied, "You may burn us, my lady, but you will not bend us, break us or make us bow. This is Dorne; you are not wanted here. Return at your peril!"
Rhaenys did, and she died. Her dragon died. All her soldiers died. Eventually, her brother, the Conqueror, conceded that what Nymeria had done, he could not undo.
Generations later, another foolish Targaryen invaded Dorne. He died as well. Eventually, we did join the Seven Kingdoms, but when we wanted and on our terms. If dragons could not conquer us, why should we fear lions?
"Unbowed, unbent, unbroken." The words of House Martell. The words of Dorne. Men may forget, but women always remember. When we were divided, Nymeria united us. When we were invaded, Meria defended us.
Now Dorne has been humiliated, its prince murdered. Who will rise to avenge us?
Appearances[]
Individuals[]
- Princess Nymeria
- Lord/Prince Mors Martell
- King Yorick V Yronwood (mentioned indirectly)
- King Vorian Dayne (mentioned indirectly)
- King Garrison Fowler (mentioned indirectly)
- King Lucifer Dryland (mentioned indirectly)
- King Benedict Blackmont (mentioned indirectly)
- King Albin Manwoody (mentioned indirectly)
- Ser Davos Dayne (unnamed)
- King Aegon I Targaryen (mentioned)
- Queen Rhaenys Targaryen
- Meraxes (unnamed)
- Princess Meria Martell
- King Daeron I Targaryen (mentioned indirectly)
- Obara Sand
- Nymeria Sand
- Tyene Sand
- Prince Oberyn Martell (mentioned indirectly)
Houses[]
- House Martell
- House Jordayne (mentioned)
- House Blackmont (mentioned)
- House Qorgyle
- House Yronwood (mentioned)
- House Targaryen
- House Lannister (mentioned indirectly)
Locations[]
- Dorne
- Essos (mentioned)
- Arm of Dorne (mentioned)
- Narrow Sea
- The Wall
Events[]
- Rhoynish Wars (mentioned indirectly)
- Rhoynar migration
- Nymeria's War
- Aegon's Conquest
- First Dornish War (mentioned indirectly)
- Conquest of Dorne
- Second trial by combat of Tyrion Lannister (mentioned indirectly)
Titles[]
Races[]
- First Men (mentioned)
Miscellaneous[]
Cast[]
Behind the scenes[]
- The World of Ice & Fire specifies that Nymeria indeed had four daughters by Mors Martell, and a younger son from her subsequent marriage to Davos Dayne, but it was her eldest daughter by Mors Martell who succeeded her.
- While Aegon I's dragon Balerion was described as black in the main novels, the color of the other two Targaryen dragons during the Conquest (Vhagar and Meraxes) were not given in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. The World of Ice & Fire finally did confirm, however, that Meraxes had silver scales - and indeed, this short accurately depicts Meraxes as being silver-white colored. As seen in the short, Meraxes died when a very lucky shot from a scorpion-bolt pierced her through the eye while in mid-flight, driving into her brain and killing her instantly.
- The short does not mention the names of the six kings whom Nymeria and Mors sent to the Wall. According to The World of Ice & Fire, their names are: Yorick V Yronwood, Vorian Dayne, Garrison Fowler, Lucifer Dryland, Benedict Blackmont, and Albin Manwoody.
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ HBOWatch Staff (October 7, 2015). Game of Thrones Season 5 Available on Blu-ray, DVD March 15, 2016. HBO Watch. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ↑ Histories & Lore: Season 5, Short 9: "Dorne" (2016).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Game of Thrones: The Complete Fifth Season (2016).
- ↑ Vanessa Cole (July 22, 2017). Game of Thrones writer Dave Hill gives a behind the scenes look at the creative process. Watchers on the Wall. Retrieved December 15, 2023.