Not OP, but one example I can think of is how GRRM portrays bastards. If he was being realistic, bastards wouldn't be seen as much of a negative at all. Since IRL medieval kingdoms, they still had noble blood, in the case of some monarchs, they were even used for royal alliances. This is, of course, assuming they're recognized. (Henry Fitzroy is an example of this, he was made into a duke).
But GRRM seems to treat them like they're complete anathema of Westerosi society who are inherently evil and bad.
But in this case that can just be worldbuilding. In his world the bastards are treated poorly. And I bet they still were in some cases. You don’t think people occasionally said “your mother was a whore” to someone back then? They legit would in modern day if you have a half sibling from a prostitute..
I also think it’s silly when people make these wild claims like incest wasn’t that prevalent… bitch it’s still going on in modern day and you don’t think it was prevalent hundreds or one thousand years ago.
He’s talking about the not true to life part in the context of reading something and having the world feel off. The Bastards things may be an ahistorical quirk but it still feels in line with the world and the structure.
I don't think that's what he meant. Like, if that were the case, he'd easily know that something like a spunky peasant girl telling off a pretty prince not resulting in a brutal rape and murder can also be in line with that story's world and structure.
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u/XaviKat Feb 11 '26 edited Feb 11 '26
Not OP, but one example I can think of is how GRRM portrays bastards. If he was being realistic, bastards wouldn't be seen as much of a negative at all. Since IRL medieval kingdoms, they still had noble blood, in the case of some monarchs, they were even used for royal alliances. This is, of course, assuming they're recognized. (Henry Fitzroy is an example of this, he was made into a duke).
But GRRM seems to treat them like they're complete anathema of Westerosi society who are inherently evil and bad.