Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones remains one of the most influential and intriguing fictional characters in the history of literature and television. The Mother of Dragons has had a phenomenal trajectory, with an arc so rich and well-written that her unhurried, cruel murder was a brutal shock for the fandom, especially those who considered her to be a better ruler than Jon, who was often depicted as an escapist.
But there are so many things about the Unburnt Queen that most fans don’t know. For instance, did you know that Daenerys was most likely a child of rape? It’s common knowledge that the Mad King was aroused by Dragonfire - according to the book, one day, after burning several people with Dragonfire, he rapes Rhaella, which was supposedly how Daenerys was conceived. Here are some other things about Daenerys you may not know.
Her Mother Was Also Her Aunt
Even some hardcore GOT fanatics may not know that Dany’s mum, Rhaella, was actually the sister-wife of the Mad King. In fact, marrying within the family was a long-standing tradition in the Targaryen dynasty, which Aerys Targaryen took forward by marrying Rhaella.
She was the daughter of King Aegon V, and according to the books, shared a loveless marriage with her brother Aerys. After her oldest son Rhaegar’s death, Rhaella and Prince Viserys fled to Dragonstone, the ancestral Targaryen home, where she died while giving birth to Daenerys.
Her Age
In the books, Daenerys is just 13 years old when she is married off to a Dothraki warlord named Khal Drogo, in exchange for an army for Viserys, Dany’s older brother who wanted the Iron throne.
But in the TV series, Dany is depicted to be slightly older, and is believed to be 16 years old when she meets Khal. In the novel, she is around 22 when she is killed by Jon Snow, but on the show, she would be around 25 when she is stabbed to death.
Her Immunity To Fire Was Not Inherited
Though Daenerys is shown to possess a very high tolerance to heat, she didn’t become the ‘Unburnt’ until she emerged from the Khal’s funeral pyre, which is also what gave birth to the dragons.
George RR Martin explained that Daenerys’ immunity to fire is not a Targaryen thing, but in fact, comes from Drogo’s pyre, where Dany also burned the godswife, or witch, Mirri Maz Duur. Martin explicitly states that this blood sacrifice, along with the magic of the dragon eggs, lends the perfect supernatural alchemy to the pyre, which grants Dany the immunity.
She Once Lost All Her Hair
In the books, Daenerys lost all her glorious silver hair when she walked into Khal’s funeral pyre. In fact, in the book A Song of Ice and Fire, she spends a considerable amount of time completely bald, but gradually regrows her hair back. In the series, this does not happen.
Daenerys emerges unscathed from Drogo’s pyre, and although her clothes are burnt, her hair remains intact. Fans have many theories as to how this can be explained in the series, but this was obviously done for the sake of aesthetics.
She Loves The Sea
Dany is a total sea girl and though her love for open waters is only explored in the show when she lands in Dragonstone, in the novels, her passion for the sea is depicted better. The sea made Daenerys feel free and she enjoyed children’s stories about the sea and sailors, which gave her a sense of freedom.
This makes sense because in the books, Dany did not have a happy childhood, as she constantly moved around with Viserys and he was quite abusive and oppressive towards her, making it obvious that the sea would promise her a sense of independence.
She Is Not Religious
Daenerys is not shown to have a particular brand of faith or spirituality, and since she leads a nomadic existence all her childhood, this does make sense, as she never had to attest to any particular religion. She is aware of the Faith of the Seven, which is the religion of the majority in the Seven Kingdoms, but there is no evidence that she ever endorsed the faith for her rule.
When she was amid the Dothrakis, she was constantly reminded about their loyalty to their revered horse god, The Great Stallion, and she does, at times, allude to it to move her Dothraki armies to action, although that may be a tactical move.
The Shared Love For Westeros
Viserys and his mother Rhaella left Westeros before Dany was born, so Daenerys’s ambition to conquer the capital seat was anchored significantly by Viserys’s stories about their earlier home. Viserys was the exiled heir who was hell-bent on returning to Westeros to claim the Iron Throne, which had once belonged to his father, The Mad King.
And though Viserys and Dany shared a troubled relationship, he did tell her a lot of stories about their earlier life in Westeros and had promised Dany that he would take her there one day. So, Dany’s plans to one day return to Westeros was planted in her by Viserys.
She Is Bisexual
On the show, Daenerys is never seen actually having sex with another woman, although she does share a sexually charged tete-a-tete with Yara Greyjoy, who was clearly interested in women. Some fans have also noted the chemistry between Dany and Missandei and have found glimpses of homo-eroticism.
But in the books, Daenerys does have sex with a woman. When she grows lonely after Drogo’s death, she spends a night with her handmaiden Irri, who originally belonged to a rival khalasar and enslaved by Drogo.
Qartheen Couture
During her stay in the port city of Qarth in Essos, the recently widowed Daenerys is influenced by facets of Qartheen culture and fashion, particularly their way of dress. A traditional Qartheen gown is a long, flowing belted number that is designed to leave one breast bare.
In A Clash of Kings, when Dany and her troupes are about to flee Qarth, Irri fetches her a Qartheen gown made in Samite silk, which she refuses to wear because it would be inappropriate to wear at the docks. But in Astapor, she wears a Qartheen gown to make an offer for the Unsullied to the Good Master of Astapor, so as to not come off as a beggar.
She Was A Classic Disappointed Mum
On the show, Dany locks up her dragons as the people of Mereen are terrified of them. In the books, the issue has been specifically addressed, as Martin depicts the human cost of letting the dragons roam free. Daenerys decides to compensate shepherds whose livestock have been preyed upon or burned by her three dragons.
One shepherd shows Dany the burned bones of his daughter Hazzea, who was burnt to death by Drogon. This leaves Daenerys horrified and it was then that she decides to lock up all three of her dragons under the Great Pyramid.