To the Game of Thrones Fans, a Question:

[fenderlove]

I haven't had a chance to read A Song of Fire and Ice yet. I bought it, and I hope that the end of the semester will finally give me time to read it. I have a question that came to mind today while I was doing a bit of writing... Do the people of Westeros have names for the days of the week? If so, what are they

Comments

[velvetwhip]

You are very think-y.

Gabrielle

[fenderlove]

I try to be sometimes. :D

[lilithbint]

You distracted me with research

[fenderlove]

Heee! But that's all so interesting! Don't stop. :D

[shipperx]

One thing I can answer is that they probably do not have a 12 month cycle as we would understand it. They don't have seasons the way that we do. The seasons drastically vary in length. The only real rule that they have is that the longer the summer, the longer the winter. The books start at the tail end of a 10 year summer and (as the catch phrase goes)"Winter is coming

[fenderlove]

Thanks for the info! I was wondering if there were other places in this world. XD I wish I had time this morning to check out the links, but sadly I must leave for French class. I will check them out this afternoon! :D

[shipperx]

They definitely have other places and a history that backs up their politics. I vaguely remember the history as being that Westeros was originally populated by "The Children of the Forest" who worshipped the trees. The were invaded by a group of whose country of origin I've forgotten but who are sometimes refered to as "The First Men" that forcing The Children of the Forest to retreat ever northward over several decades. Early settlers/ionvaders adopted the ways of "The Children of the Forest" were also driven North. Some of these early settlers make up "The Northmen" which are The Starks and their vassals. That's why "The North" still have adherents to the old religion, inheireted from "The Children of the Forest." Others from this group were "The Wildlings" who are related but where North of the Wall when it was constructed. Wildlings are human (again, they call themselves 'The Free Folk' who bow to no king), they are just considered to be uncivilized by those of Westeros

[shipperx]

The Mad King was overthrown a generation earlier by an alliance of House Stark (Kings in the North) and House Baratheon iduring "King Robert's Rebellion". Robert Baratheon became king (although it's implied that Ned Stark could have been but didn't want to be). Robert's rule held the kingdoms united (although the Iron Islands did try to rebell). And all of the Targaryens were killed in the uprising (except a few that you meet over the course of the novels, the most prominent being Princess/Queen/Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen(icon) who was born and has lived her entire life in exhile "across the narrow sea".

During all time time since 'the ancients' magic has been on the wane. In fact, I'd say that most Westerosi don't believe in the existence of magic and consider things associated with it to be sheer superstition. Which is where the books start. However, the reader realizes from the beginning of the novels that the Wight Walkers are real mosters who appear to have the ability to raise the dead into a zombie-esque army. And

[txvoodoo]

I honestly don't even think they have WEEKS.

They mark time by moons and seasons. And a summer can last 10 years.

And yet I've never heard them say "years" either.

[fenderlove]

Thanks for the info. It's really interesting to think about how people function in their world.

[flake_sake]

I think extensive world building is tricky business. Many people do it, but very few do it well. It always makes me think of this XKCD http://xkcd.com/483/

When it is done well like with Tolkien or Martin it's great, but it's also really rare. It needs to really matter to you I think. If you just make up words from the top of your head, they come out stupid, but if you have a real connection to language it makes sense to expand in that direction. For Martin I think all those names he gives the knights (the late Lord Frey and so on) are what he really loves and is good at.

Tolkien was a linguist, he build the world around the language. Making up languages was his hobby, so he does it more convincingly than any other author since.

[fenderlove]

I really love creating names and places, and I could see how it could get overdone. I don't think I would ever go so far as to create a language though. That is beyond my stamina.