Medieval Kingship and Game of Thrones
Kings are the ultimate symbol of power in the Middle Ages. They are often one of the things that pops into mind when the word “medieval” is brought up; kingship is an icon of medievalism. It is, however, an incredibly complicated topic, its meaning ever-changing but thoroughly interesting.
Kingship represents an important facet of medieval life and an interesting focal point through which developments in society as a whole can be traced. Additionally, the fame, imagery, pageantry and wealth of kings and queens makes the subject generally very interesting to students. Having students consider medieval kingship provides a window into medieval culture and beliefs, a glimpse at several key moments in European history, and also allows them to think about modern political ideas and how these ideas have changed and been shaped over time. In Canada, the UK, and many other countries around the world we still have a monarchical state, an institution which developed in the Middle Ages and, though it has changed considerably in the intervening years, was very much a product of the medieval world. Beginning any study of medieval kinship should thus begin with considering the modern monarchy – why do we, well into the 21st century, in the middle of a digital revolution and in a state in which every citizen can nominally vote for their government, still have a queen, resplendent and (symbolically) powerful as ever? Having students ponder the question of modern statehood can invariably be brought back to an important lesson about medieval kingship. The cultural phenomenon Game of Thrones can also be a useful teaching aide when discussing medieval kingship.
In the Game of Thrones universe there are many Westerosi kings worth studying. The ancient “freehold” of Valyria, from whence the first major Westerosi kings – the Targaryens – came from, was essentially a republic, not at all dissimilar from the Roman Republic, which of course was the antecedent of medieval Europe. From this republic rose one noble family who eventually fled to Westeros and conquered the seven kingdoms which previously existed there, becoming preeminent monarchs. Of course there were kings before the Targaryens in these seven kingdoms, but the first Targaryen king Aegon forged them into one realm. While in present-day Westeros the Targaryen kings are gone, this unified realm (at least theoretically unified) still exists, under the thumb of a usurping king, Robert Baratheon and his sons. We also see several other kings in the world, most notably Robb Stark, King in the North. Historic kings like Baelor the Blessed and Maegor the Cruel are also presented to readers through allusions in the series and especially through the companion book The World of Ice and Fire. Using Aegon, Robb, Robert, Joffrey, Baelor and Maegor as case studies is certainly the most engaging way to introduce students to medieval kingship. Each is based on certain archetypes of kingship and some are directly inspired by real historical figures. These case studies can introduce students to the ideals and reality of medieval kingship as it developed throughout the Middle Ages, combining elements of various traditions with a distinctly medieval twist, thus teaching students about a key concept in medieval culture, giving them a brief look at the breadth of medieval history, showing how modern ideas about statehood have developed and changed over time, and, of course, allowing plenty of opportunity to consider modern ideas about kingship and monarchy which are inherently tied to medieval culture and to medievalism.
In its simplest form, medieval kingship can be described as a combination of the Hebrew and Germanic traditions of kingship. The medieval king came to be a divinely ordained ruler who was responsible for protecting his people, exercising supreme military and judicial power. Early Germanic kings were elected by their tribes, though they almost always came from the most influential families, usually with divine origins; kings were chosen, not given the throne via inheritance. Robb Stark in Game of Thrones typifies this ideal of kingship. From an extremely old family with near mythic origins, Robb was chosen as “King in the North” by the nobles of his country, his most trusted retainers. He is clearly a warrior king, but is also responsible for justice in his realm. His title and roles are also interesting – he is king of a people, not of a realm with distinct geographic boundaries; we never actually see him in the North after he is elected king, though he continues to exercise kingly functions among his people in the south. In the novels we also see the Kingsmoot, where the Iron Islanders elect their king.
Gradually early medieval kings began to use the power of religion to shore up their own authority. While the Germanic tradition also gave kings a religious function, it is largely the Hebrew tradition, infused with and filtered through Christian theology and practice, that gave religious significance to kings. This was not quite a “divine right of kings“, but medieval kings were chosen by God, and their bodies sacrosanct. They used religious symbols and ceremony to make this clear. Kings were chosen by God. They were not priests, but also had religious duties as protectors of their people – they were responsible for ensuring peace in their realm and for defending the Christian nation. In some traditions they were also seen as having quasi-saintly powers of miracles, and the “fisher-king” myth tied the king’s bodily and mental health to the health of the realm. In Game of Thrones we see Baelor the Blessed as the most overtly religious “saint” king, being renowned for his piety, despite what many consider his actual weaknesses in ruling. Conversely in history we have Henry VI, widely regarded as one of the most pious English kings to live, but also being one of the most inept; Henry’s weak physical health and periodic fits of incapacity were also seen as a sign and cause of the weakness of his realm. Again, in Game of Thrones Aerys the “Mad King” also represented the weakness of his realm until he was deposed by warrior king, Robert Baratheon.
Robert is typical of the archetypal “warrior king”, who goes beyond simply defending his people to be defined by his military prowess and martial accomplishments, often in defence of the realm or of the wider Christian nation. Like the historical Edward IV, Robert Baratheon “saved” his country through sheer military might. Aegon the Conqueror is another “Game of Thrones” warrior king, who basically created his realm through military conquest, much like his clear historical influence, William the Conqueror of Normandy, who conquered England in 1066 and dramatically changed that country’s history and culture. There are also historical kings who defend the Christian faith as a whole, Richard the Lionheart of England being one example of this “crusader king” ideal. The warrior king is not necessarily the ideal king, however, as Robert’s inability to rule effectively clearly demonstrates. Often, they were seen as despotic, tyrannical kings, such as Maegor the Cruel in Game of Thrones. Real examples of tyrannical kings are fewer and further between than in the fictional world, but often they could easily be perceived as such by their people (usually encouraged by the king’s enemies), such as Richard II or Richard III of England, or even William the Conqueror.
King Robb being “elected” by his followers.
Over time, kings inherited the throne rather than conquering it. William II Rufus was King of England because his father was William the Conqueror, Edward V was king because his father overthrew the previous king, and Edward I was king because his father before him also inherited the throne. Sometimes these kings were effective rulers. Trained from birth to reign and with the symbolic authority of their father’s blessing, kings like Edward I could be some of the greatest rulers in history. Others, however, like his great-grandson Richard II could be weak, spoiled, inspire little confidence and were summarily dismissed from the throne. Joffrey Baratheon in Game of Thrones demonstrates this archetype. His claim to the throne is through the blood of his father, himself only king through the defeat of the rightful king in battle. Aerys Targaryen, the rightful king, was, however, only king by virtue of his descendance from Aegon Targaryen: does this make any Targaryen the “rightful” king? Similarly in English history monarchs often claimed their position on the throne through their inheritance, but this inheritance was inherently flawed – their families were only in their elite position through conquest or incredible good luck. Henry Tudor, King Henry VII, was made king because of an incredibly shaky legal claim through inheritance and through right of conquest, defeating the previous (and highly unpopular) king. Medieval kingship was messy.
As ideas about kingship changed and developed into their position as holder of supreme executive power of a “state” in England throughout the medieval period, their power was also curtailed by the development of parliament, whereby the most important men in the kingdom shared power with the king. Over time this led to the reduction of royal power and origins of parliamentary supremacy, culminating in our present system of government whereby the monarch is still the supreme executive power, but exists almost entirely as a symbolic figure. The changes in kingship are also inherently tied to the development of the state. In stateless “primitive” Celtic and Germanic societies kings were elected war leaders with some religious and judicial functions, sharing power with their retainers and followers. Once a state with a large bureaucracy that could effectively legislate and govern gradually evolved, the king was elevated to the position of supreme power, before this power was reduced step-by-step to a more democratic system of power sharing.
Teaching students about medieval kingship will engage them in both the history and mentalite of the medieval period, and also provide important context for modern political thought and the intellectual contributions of the medieval era. Game of Thrones offers an exciting opportunity to engage students in medieval kingship, especially when it is combined with real historical examples in case studies. Depending on the level of students and on the depth with which the instructor chooses to focus on this subject, there are a number of ways to use Game of Thrones to teach students about medieval kingship.
The simplest method is of course the lecture. Instructors can introduce students to the broad strokes of medieval kingship as it developed from Antiquity to the Early Modern period in a lecture which touches on the major turning points in the idea of kingship and the various archetypes and ideals. Some of these have been offered in this short essay, but of course many others exist, and at higher levels especially instructors should go into greater depth than has been suggested above.
Probably the most effective way to teach students about medieval kingship using “Game of Thrones” would be to pair a lecture or survey reading on medieval kingship with case studies which demonstrate the different types, stages, and ideals of kingship, as presented above. Students could read the histories of Aegon and his conquest or Baelor and his miracles and compare them to real life examples like William the Conqueror or Henry VI. A World of Ice and Fire has plenty to say about these historic kings, and clips from the show could also supplement student readings. They could also read excerpts from the novels; A Feast for Crows “Drowned Man” chapter (pp. 379-97) shows readers the Iron Island Kingsmoot. Much has been written about various kings that would serve as excellent case studies when compared with the fictive Game of Thrones examples, but of course for higher levels students primary sources should be used wherever possible. “The Text of the Bayeux Tapestry”, “Henry I’s Coronation Charter”, and “Chronicle of the Reign of Henry V” are easily accessible and easily understood documents which illustrate different aspects of medieval kings and kingship in England. Bede’s recollection of “The Life and Conversion of Edwin, King of Northumbria” is also useful in demonstrating the convergence of Christian ideals and secular rulership, as is “The Defender of the Peace” from Marsilius of Padua or Thomas Aquinas’s “Treatise on the Law”, the latter works should be reserved for higher level students. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle’s sections on King Alfred’s Early Years”, “King Aethelred’s Troubles”, and “The Life and Death of William the Conqueror” are also valuable for teaching students the changing nature of kingship in Anglo-Saxon (Germanic) England and the origins of kingship in Norman (Latin) England. Readings which examine the relationship between church and state, especially the letters related to the investiture conflict, may also be interesting to demonstrate to students that it was far from clear who was the superior political figure in medieval Europe – king or pope. Several major secondary readings will be listed in the “further reading” section below, and can be used either as readings for students or as background reading for the instructor.
Using the “case study” approach would work well in a lecture or prepared survey reading, but it could also function as an active learning exercise. Assign small groups of students to study and briefly present on which historic and fictional kings fit into the various archetypes (warrior, saint, tyrant, judge, elected, heir and conqueror); while students should be able to fit the fictional kings neatly into these categories because of Martin’s love of archetypes, the historic examples can easily cross boundaries and fit into many categories at once, showing students that the archetype is only an ideal and not the reality.
Other exercises could have students consider which type of king they would prefer the best if they were living in the Middle Ages. I once had my students discuss if they would prefer Baelor the Blessed or Maegor the Cruel as their king, and they had many different opinions on the subject that they were eager to share. Going further, an instructor could ask if they would prefer a democratic “tyranny of the masses”, or the structural strength of a tyrannical monarch? Getting them to consider the various reasons why England and her empire moved from a monarchic to a constitutional monarchic system would also be interesting, and would hopefully force them to challenge some of their core beliefs about what a state should be. If democracy is so important for us today, why was medieval kingship in its various forms so important for people in the Middle Ages?
Medieval kingship can teach students about the medieval and the modern world, and instructors should direct their lessons and their discussion questions to cover both facets, although should obviously change their balance based on their overall course objectives. Asking “why do you think kingship became imbued with religious significance?” is a good question, but an even better question would be “if kingship was inherently tied to religious ideas of divine right, why did so many kings still get deposed when they failed to provide materially for their people?”. Students should grasp that there was a delicate balance between ideal and reality which can be observed not only through the primary sources but also through Martin’s work. They should also observe that kings were outside of the traditional balance of society (oratores, bellatores, and laboretores) fulfilling in some way the functions of all three, but also were crucial to the feudal structure of society and eventually to the proper maintenance of the state.
Game of Thrones offers a key aide to teaching students about medieval kingship, and a case study approach utilizing examples from the series can be extremely beneficial for student understanding. In turn, studying medieval kingship is an excellent way to look at not only how medieval societies and culture changed and developed over time, but also the ways in which aspects of this culture have informed our modern understanding of the world. Studying both the symbolic and actual power of medieval kings and their literary ideals and archetypes is fascinating, and I hope that students will be as enthused as I was the first time I considered this subject. Hopefully the wildly popular Game of Thrones, ripe with examples and lessons about medieval kingship, can help instructors inspire this same enthusiasm for medieval culture in new students!
By Ryan Orr
Further Reading for instructors and students:
Beaunne, Colette. “King, Kingdom”. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Edited by Andre Vauchez. Web. 2005.
Beaune, Colette. “Monarchy”. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. Edited by Andre Vauchez. Web. 2005.
Duggan, Anne J. (ed.). Kings and Kingship in Medieval Europe. London: King’s College London Center for Late Antique and Medieval Studies, 1993. See especially Wendy Davies “Celtic Kingships in the Early Middle Ages”.
Gleeson, Patrick. “Constructing Kingship in Early Medieval Ireland: Power, Place, and Ideology”. Medieval Archaeology 56.1 (2012).
Stone, Brian. “Models of Kingship: Arthur in Medieval Romance”. History Today 37.11 (1987)
Myers, Henry Allen and Herwig Wolfram. Medieval Kingship. Chicago: Nelson-Hall, 1982.
Sawyer, P.H. and Ian N. Wood (ed.). Early Medieval Kingship. Leeds: Leeds University, 1977.
Primary Sources:
“The Text of the Bayeux Tapestry”, in Medieval England 1000-1500: A Reader. Edited by Emilie Amt. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008.
“Henry I’s Coronation Charter”, in Medieval England 1000-1500: A Reader. Edited by Emilie Amt. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008.
“Chronicle of the Reign of Henry V” in Medieval England 1000-1500: A Reader. Edited by Emilie Amt. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008.
Bede, “The Life and Conversion of Edwin, King of Northumbria”, in Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 1: The Medieval Period. Edited by Joseph Black et al. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2009.
Marsilius of Padua, “The Defender of the Peace”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions. Edited by Arthur Hyman, James J. Walsh, and Thomas Williams. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2010.
Thomas Aquinas “Treatise on the Law”, in Philosophy in the Middle Ages: The Christian, Islamic, and Jewish Traditions. Edited by Arthur Hyman, James J. Walsh, and Thomas Williams. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2010.
“King Alfred’s Early Years”, in Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 1: The Medieval Period. Edited by Joseph Black et al. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2009.
“King Aethelred’s Troubles”, in Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 1: The Medieval Period. Edited by Joseph Black et al. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2009.
“The Life and Death of William the Conqueror”, in Broadview Anthology of British Literature Volume 1: The Medieval Period. Edited by Joseph Black et al. Toronto: Broadview Press, 2009.
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