House of Dragons – an introduction to the stories and British history that inspired the beasts of Westeros

By Raluca Radulescu, Professor of Medieval Literature and English Literature, Bangor University

Dragons have inspired awe and wonder since the beginning of human imagination. Most recently, these fire-spitting flying creatures – in modern western culture at least – have come alive in Game of Thrones and its new spin off, House of Dragons.

These winged beasts are particularly important in the new series. Set 200 years before Game of Thrones, the series follows the Targaryen family who rules Westeros with the help of their dragons.

In the medieval west, dragons feature both in literature and in political history and prophecy. They reached their heyday in Arthurian stories,…

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