House of the Dragon’s Harrenhal, and all haunted history that comes with it

[Ed. note: This story contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 2 episodes 3 and 4.]

Home of the Dragon isn’t any stranger to the supernatural. Not solely does the HBO fantasy drama sequence boast loads of low-key magic — to not point out, y’know, dragons — nevertheless it’s additionally the prequel to Recreation of Thrones, a present loaded with snow zombies and smoke monster infants. Clearly, this can be a universe the place otherworldly forces are at play. Even so, Daemon Targaryen’s (Matt Smith) unsettling visit Harrenhal in season 2 arguably marks Home of the Dragon’s most overtly supernatural subplot to this point.

Everybody’s favourite sassy sadboy prince units up store on the supposedly cursed fortress in episode 3, and unusual goings-on begin stacking up quickly after. It definitely looks like he’s caught up in Westeros’ reply to Ghost Hunters, however is he (and everybody else) simply leaping at shadows? Simply how cursed is Home of the Dragon’s Harrenhal, actually?

Why does everybody suppose Harrenhal is cursed?

Picture: HBO

One of many few issues Westeros’ high- and lowborn folks seemingly agree on is that there’s been a curse upon Harrenhal since its foundations have been laid. Why? George R.R. Martin’s A Track of Ice and Hearth books, Home of the Dragon, and Recreation of Thrones chalk up Harrenhal’s doubtful popularity to 2 primary components.

The primary is the Olympic-level conceitedness of Harrenhal’s founder, King Harren Hoare, within the lead-up to the fortress’s ribbon-cutting ceremony. Harren made a giant deal of how invincible his generations-in-the-making fortress was going to be — and, on paper, his boasting made sense. Harrenhal is sort of comically supersized, and its battlements (allegedly comprised of mortar blended with Harren’s blood) can theoretically shrug off any typical assault.

The dangerous information for ol’ Harren was that dragons are decidedly unconventional. King Aegon I Targaryen and his sisters swooped into Westeros actually the day Harren moved into Harrenhal and promptly torched the joint. The Targaryens’ dragons barbequed Harren and his sons in the course of the assault, and Harrenhal itself was by no means the identical once more. Unsurprisingly, rumors that Harrenhal was cursed, haunted, or each sprung up quickly after.

The second issue contributing to Harrenhal’s shady rep is that just about everybody who succeeded Harren as lord of the fortress didn’t fare a lot better. We noticed a few of this misfortune in Recreation of Thrones’ eight-season run: Tywin Lannister, Janos Slynt, and Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish wind up shot useless on the bathroom, exiled after which beheaded, and Pez dispenser-ed, respectively. Home of the Dragon season 1 provides Lyonel Sturdy and his boy Harwin to the Harrenhal curse’s supposed victims as nicely.

Frankly, it’s onerous accountable of us for believing the place is jinxed!

What occurs at Harrenhal within the Recreation of Thrones books?

Picture: Ollie Upton/HBO

Each the core A Track of Ice and Hearth novels and Home of the Dragon’s supply textual content, Hearth & Blood, cease in need of exhibiting any outright paranormal exercise at Harrenhal. Certain, we hear legends of the fortress’s varied horrors, such because the flaming phantoms of Harren and his youngsters, a child-eating ghoul named Mad Girl Lothston, rafters filled with raven spirits, and family workers crumbling to ashes of their sleep. We by no means really see any of these things, although.

At one level, Littlefinger complains about Harrenhal’s ghostly lodgers; nonetheless, that is in all probability simply the ex-Grasp of Coin’s signature snark. Equally, whereas varied characters (together with Jaime Lannister and Arya Stark) acknowledge that apparitions of Harren and his sons supposedly roam the fortress’s corridors, no one really witnesses this phenomenon firsthand. What’s extra, Westerosi rumblings that Harren’s ghost got rid of a pair of Lannister-affiliated lowlifes in A Conflict of Kings are flat-out flawed; Arya’s mentor, Jaqen H’ghar, is the one really accountable. There’s a equally prosaic rationalization for the eerie shrieks that emanate from Harrenhal’s aptly named Wailing Tower: It’s simply wind blowing by cracks within the partitions.

Even so, Hearth & Blood additionally particulars different, much less simply hand-waved supernatural chicanery on Harrenhal’s grounds. Notably, the fortress’s Coronary heart Tree not solely has a scary-looking face, but additionally “bleeds” from dragon claw marks in its trunk each spring. Admittedly, Coronary heart Timber are an entire separate department (pun absolutely supposed) of magic in A Track of Ice and Hearth lore, and don’t essentially fall below the curse umbrella. But this undoubtedly suits the definition of “spooky” — and arguably confirms there’s one thing fouler afoot at Harrenhal.

So, is Harrenhal actually cursed? Or is that simply Westerosi superstition?

Picture: Theo Whitman/HBO

Actually? Nobody is aware of for certain. Ambiguity is a key a part of Martin’s tackle magic, the supernatural, and faith in A Track of Ice and Hearth. As such, the specifics round all three — together with curses, actual or imagined — is deliberately fuzzy. Harrenhal might be haunted by a malevolent pressure out to destroy Daemon, however don’t maintain your breath anticipating Home of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal to say for certain.

Actually, nothing in episode 3 or 4 categorically confirms or guidelines out Harrenhal’s curse. Sure, Daemon sees his bedchamber door shaken by unseen forces; nonetheless, Harrenhal is drafty as fuck. Our man’s (admittedly messed-up) visions of youthful Rhaenyra aren’t precisely motive to name an exorcist, both. For one factor, Rhaenyra’s nonetheless alive (so this ain’t a ghost), and for one more, season 2 is affected by clues Daemon is dropping his grip. It’s the basic “Is that this all in his head?” trope.

However though Harrenhal’s curse stays up for debate in Home of the Dragon season 2, one factor’s clear: Haunted or not, the fortress is Westeros’ least fascinating trip spot.