Game Of Thrones: How Do Seasons In Westeros Actually Work?
Game of Thrones includes a decade-long summer and a 20-30 year winter – the dreaded Long Night. Here’s how the confusing Westeros seasons work.
House Stark’s motto “Winter is Coming” wouldn’t be as ominous of a warning if Game of Thrones’ changing of seasons aligned with the real world, but seasons in Westeros last much, much longer. The majority of Game of Thrones’ timeline is underscored by the dread of winter’s approach, mainly due to the Long Night, a winter that lasted an entire generation. The Game of Thrones winter finally arrived at the end of season 6, but the show begins when the realm has cold far from their mind, with the end of season 1 marking the conclusion of the longest summer in history — a little over 10 years. The next six seasons of Game of Thrones are marked by a long fall, which only exacerbates the North’s fears that Winter is Coming, and that the hardships it brings will ravage the Seven Kingdoms.
Game of Thrones season 6 sees the full arrival of winter, and with it, the horrors of what once lurked Beyond the Wall. The series finale’s script reveals that as Jon rides Beyond the Wall, “Spring is coming, and it is slowly starting to warm up.” The meteorologists of Westeros would have a tough time accurately predicting the seasons, especially the Long Night, as there’s very little logic to the changing of weather and climate in Game of Thrones – the longest recorded summer was 10 years, the following autumn around five years, with the subsequent winter “only” lasting for two or three. Long compared to annual seasons in the real world, incredibly short next to the 20-30 year Long Night. The maesters at the Citadel can only largely understand the signs of when a new season has officially come, which is marked by the sending of a distinct raven. At the end of Game of Thrones season 6, Sansa announces that “winter is here,” marking the Game of Thrones winter, when the maesters send the accompanying white raven. The seasons don’t necessarily “work” in any predictable or logical manner, but they do have a pronounced significance to the overarching themes in Game of Thrones.
Magic Controls The Seasons In Westeros
The Night King raises his army on Game of ThronesGeorge R.R. Martin has suggested that the unpredictability of the seasons in Game of Thrones is influenced by magic, though he hasn’t been forthcoming on whether this is related to the White Walkers bringing winter with them. It’s been theorized that the magic of the White Walkers, Children of the Forest, and various other sources like the Lord of Light have influenced the complexity of Westerosi seasons, such as the Long Night, perhaps causing lasting changes to planetary phenomena. Maesters try to use science to predict the seasons, but such research is never fruitful, which supports George R.R. Martin’s magic-based explanation. While Game of Thrones never explicitly revealed how the seasons work (although the author previously stated it would), the White Walkers’ influence can certainly be taken into account for their unpredictability, as the season began to progress into spring once the Night King and his army had been defeated.
The odd structure of the Game of Thrones winter and the rest of its seasons has been a source of contention for real climate scientists, who have attempted to explain how the unbalanced tilting of the planet’s axis, previous natural disasters in Game of Thrones’ history, and comets could have caused extreme seasonal shifts. Of course, it seems the best answer still remains that Game of Thrones’ seasons work through the influence of fantastical elements. The seasons are extremely important to the themes of Game of Thrones and dynamics within the realm, with the threat of winter causing strife while spring unifies the people in a time of rebuilding. This is proven in the finale of Game of Thrones, which saw the end of the Game of Thrones winter hardships upon the catastrophic defeat of the White Walkers, and a more hopeful renovation of Westeros in spring as King Bran’s reign began.
Is Winter Coming In House Of The Dragon?
The winter is coming meaning is seemingly elusive, as well as the words of House Stark. So, is winter coming in House of the Dragon? The short answer is: it’s possible. What many think of when it comes to the Game of Thrones winter is the infamous “the Long Night,” which lasted for an entire generation. The catastrophic season saw thousands starve, as crops were buried beneath feet of snow. While House of the Dragon is a prequel to Game of Thrones, the events of the series happen just 200 years prior to its parent show — meaning the Long Night, which happened 8000 years before Game of Thrones, won’t be a part of it.
During the Long Night, the White Walkers descended on Westeros, hoping to conquer the world for an endless winter. The battle that was forged during this time was known as the Battle for the Dawn. House of the Dragon has changed Game of Thrones canon in terms of the timeline. So, it is quite possible that the series could cover the Long Night, or in the very least make reference to it. In addition, Cregan Stark is supposed to make an appearance in House of the Dragon season 2, meaning the famous House Stark words are sure to be uttered at some point. It’s very possible that HotD could see the winter season in Westeros, but its unclear, given how the seasons work in the Game of Thrones region.
