George Martin says 'Game of Thrones' prequel will take viewers back 10,000 years, to when it all began
After 'Game of Thrones' took the world by storm, George RR Martin fans can now look forward to the prequel to the series which deals with the mythical history of the Western world. HBO has given a green signal for the prequel which will be aired once the currently running series of 'Game of Thrones' wraps up in 2019.
While there are several fan theories which suggest that the prequel will be all about the first Long Night and the Age of Heroes, George RR Martin has demised any such theory.
On Monday, in a blog post, Martin emphasized that the prequel will certainly take the readers and viewers back to the time when it all began.
"Since it is set not ninety years before GAME OF THRONES (like Dunk & Egg), or a few hundred years, but rather ten thousand years (well, assuming the oral histories of the First Men are accurate, but there are maesters at the Citadel who insist it has only been half that long). We’re very early in the process, of course, with the pilot order just in, so we don’t have a director yet, or a cast, or a location, or even a title. (My vote would be THE LONG NIGHT, which says it all, but I’d be surprised if that’s where we end up. More likely HBO will want to work the phrase 'game of thrones' in there somewhere. We’ll know sooner or later)."
Going by Martin's words, it can be presumed that the prequel will be set almost 12,000 years before the current incidents in the show. The Westeros which is now the land of Kings and Queens was actually the land of wild creatures who lived in the forest, among weirwoods. These creatures were dragons, giants, and the small dark mysterious non-human creatures, who came to be known as the Children of the Forests.
As Bran Stark had said, "In the Dawn Age of Westeros, before the coming of man and the raising of castles and cities, there were only the Children of the Forest."
The land was invaded by the First Men who arrived after crossing a bridge that connected the continent of Westeros to Essos. As they brought their culture, they were also strongly equipped with advanced weapons, and other modern equipment, such as bronze swords and boiled-leather shields.
They would ride on horsebacks to travel and combat and began claiming the land by chopping down the trees. The Children were greatly hurt by it since they believed that their ancestors and their spirits were protected within the woods.
This lead to the first war between the First Men and the Children. However, the Children were greatly outnumbered. The Men were larger, stronger and better at warfare than the Children. Predicting their inevitable defeat, the Children sought to the one power that they had, the ancient craft of magic. The Children called in the direwolves, the eagles, the lions, and all the creatures who inhabited the forest.
However, the Men once again overpowered the forces of the forest. This time, the leaders of the Children resort to the last means at their disposal, they gave birth to the first White Walker to defeat the Men in their own game.
Unfortunately, the Creation went against the Creator, as a result of which the First Men and the Children joined forces to push the White Walkers far in the north. Eventually, a pact was signed which demanded the two races to coexist peacefully. The Children remained in the woods, whereas the Men were given the hills, the plains, and the rivers. The First Men vowed to not cut down any trees and took to the pagan practice of worshipping the unnamed, faceless gods of the forests.
This was the time, around 8,000 years ago when the land experienced a winter which lasted an entire generation. Both the Men and the Children were equally weak because of the previous war. However, they join forces to push the ice zombies on the outskirts far in the North and build the Wall along with the Night's Watch.
The Children provided the first brothers of the Wall with obsidian daggers, made of dragon glass, the only weapons which could be used to defeat the Walkers.
In between parallel circumstances, in the land of Essosi, Azor Ahai — the Promised Prince — forges an unstoppable magical sword, the Lightbringer, which he tempered in the blood and soul of his wife, Nissa Nissa. The red priests and priestesses of R'hllor, the fire god, predict that the Long Night will return, and Azor Ahai will then defeat the Night King.
The logline for the show continues: "Only one thing is for sure: from the horrifying secrets of Westeros' history to the true origin of the White Walkers, the mysteries of the East to the Starks of legend... It's not the story we think we know."
Martin has confirmed that one of the five prequels have already been "shelved", but "three more Game of Thrones prequels, set in different periods and featuring different characters and storylines, remain in active development."
Martin is writing the pilot script in collaboration with Jane Goldman, who has also written for the 'Kingsmen', the 'X-Men', 'Stardust', and for the superhero satire 'Kickass'.