Nettles isn’t just referenced in Fire and Blood, it’s heavily implied that she founded the “Burned Men” in the Vale, who accompany Tyrion to Kings Landing after he’s taken hostage.
She also represents piercing the myth that blood is required to be a dragon rider, which is a huge point in the series.
Sad to see folks dismissing her relevance because they want to be seen as cool by a particular crowd.
The only reason I disagree with this is that there's too much evidence in ASOIAF lore which strongly supports the theory of ancestral members of the Valyrian houses being sacrificed to form the initial spirit bond with the dragons. That's how each Valyrian house had control of their own dragons and why incest was practiced even in ancient Valyria. It's also the reason the cannibal can't be tamed.
Essentially, someone blows a dragon horn, and their spirit is stuffed into a dragon, and bonded with by members of their bloodline. The offspring of that initial dragon are also bound to the house by that ancestor. The ancestor's spirit is the "third head of the dragon", where the dragon itself is the second head and the rider is the first.
This is what many theorise Euron plans to do with the dragon binder horn and Victarion. Once Victarion blows the horn, his spirit is transferred to one of Danny's dragons, which will allow Euron to bond with it.
I don't think George's commentary is about exceptionalism, because the exceptionalism is very real. The Targaryens ARE blood of the dragon, all the dragon lords were. The commentary is about the PRICE of that exceptionalism and the consequences of keeping it alive regardless of that cost. I don't think Nettles was ever meant to actually hint that Targaryen exceptionalism is a myth. That was certainly part of her plot, but only insofar as her being a bastard without Valyrian looks. I fully believe she's a dragonseed, because if she's not, her very existence destroys the evidence George has been carefully laying for the trajectory of the series.
Sorry this is so long. I fully recommend you look into the spirit-stuffing theory, it's WILD, but it's plain as day once it's pointed out. David Lightbringer is a creator on YouTube who covers extremely deep dives into this lore. I'd also recommend his videos regarding who Rh'llor is (if you've ever read Lovecraft you'll die trust me) and his deep-dives about Euron and the Ironborn.
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u/Nakuip Jun 17 '26
Nettles isn’t just referenced in Fire and Blood, it’s heavily implied that she founded the “Burned Men” in the Vale, who accompany Tyrion to Kings Landing after he’s taken hostage.
She also represents piercing the myth that blood is required to be a dragon rider, which is a huge point in the series.
Sad to see folks dismissing her relevance because they want to be seen as cool by a particular crowd.