Difference between revisions of "Baelor I Targaryen"

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:''This page is about the King named "Baelor Targaryen". For other characters called "Baelor Targaryen", please see [[Baelor Targaryen]].[[Image:Disambig.png]]''
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{{Hatnote|This article is about the king named Baelor Targaryen. For other characters with the same name, see [[Baelor Targaryen]]}}
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{{Infobox monarch
 
{{Infobox monarch
| name          = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Baelor I''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
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| name          = [[File:House Targaryen.svg|50px|left]] '''Baelor I''' [[File:House Targaryen.svg|50px|right]]
| image        = [[Image:BAELOR I.jpg|300px]]
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| image        = [[Image:BAELOR I.jpg|350px]]
 
| image_caption = Portrait of Baelor I by Amok©
 
| image_caption = Portrait of Baelor I by Amok©
| reign = {{Date|161|171}}
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| reign = {{Date|161}} - {{Date|171}}
 
| coronation =
 
| coronation =
| othertitles = [[Iron Throne|King]] of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]
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| othertitles = [[King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men]]<br>[[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]<br>[[Protector of the Realm]]<br>[[Septon]]
 
| alias        = Baelor the Beloved<br>Baelor the Blessed<br>Baelor the Befuddled
 
| alias        = Baelor the Beloved<br>Baelor the Blessed<br>Baelor the Befuddled
| fullname = Baelor Targaryen First of His Name
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| fullname = Baelor Targaryen the First of His Name
 
| predecessor = [[Daeron I Targaryen]]
 
| predecessor = [[Daeron I Targaryen]]
 
| successor = [[Viserys II Targaryen]]
 
| successor = [[Viserys II Targaryen]]
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| father = [[Aegon III Targaryen]]  
 
| father = [[Aegon III Targaryen]]  
 
| mother = [[Daenaera Velaryon]]
 
| mother = [[Daenaera Velaryon]]
| dateofbirth = {{Date|143}}<ref>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages#Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I Targaryen]] calculation.''</ref>
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| dateofbirth = {{Date|144}}<ref>''See the [[Years after Aegon's Conquest/Calculations Ages#Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor I Targaryen]] calculation.''</ref>
 
| placeofbirth = [[King's Landing]]{{ref|awoiaf| Baelor I Targaryen}}
 
| placeofbirth = [[King's Landing]]{{ref|awoiaf| Baelor I Targaryen}}
 
| dateofdeath = {{Date|171}}
 
| dateofdeath = {{Date|171}}
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| culture =  
 
| culture =  
 
| coat-of-arms =
 
| coat-of-arms =
| Books        = ''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' (Mentioned)<br>''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (Mentioned)<br>''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (Mentioned)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (Mentioned)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (Mentioned)
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| Books        = ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[The Sworn Sword]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Game of Thrones]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Clash of Kings]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Storm of Swords]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Feast for Crows]]'' (mentioned)<br>''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'' (mentioned)
 
| Played_by =
 
| Played_by =
 
| TV_series =
 
| TV_series =
 
}}
 
}}
 
 
'''Baelor I''', known as '''the Beloved''' and '''the Blessed''', was the ninth Targaryen king to reign on the [[Iron Throne]]. Known for his piety, Baelor was a septon as well as a king.{{Ref|aGoT|65}} He was the second son of [[Aegon III]] and ruled after the death of his brother [[Daeron I Targaryen]]. The [[Great Sept of Baelor]] in [[King's Landing]] features a statue of him. None of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty's kings are as beloved as Baelor, he loved the [[smallfolk]] and the gods in equal parts - yet imprisoned his own sisters.{{Ref|aDwD|65}}  
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'''Baelor I Targaryen''', known as '''the Beloved''' and '''the Blessed''', was the ninth [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] king to reign on the [[Iron Throne]] as [[Lord of the Seven Kingdoms]]. Known for his piety, Baelor was a [[septon]] as well as a king.{{Ref|aGoT|65}} He was the second son of King [[Aegon III Targaryen]] and Queen [[Daenaera Velaryon]], and ruled after the death of his older brother, King [[Daeron I Targaryen]].
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None of the Targaryen kings are as beloved as Baelor. He loved the [[smallfolk]] and the gods in equal parts, yet imprisoned his own sisters.{{Ref|aDwD|65}} Some remember him as a great and holy man and praise him for his contributions to the [[Faith of the Seven]], for forging a peace with [[Dorne]], his mercy and his many acts of charity.{{Ref|ASOS|59}} Others are less impressed by him, believing him to be an overly zealous weak fool.{{ref|TSS}} The [[Great Sept of Baelor]] in [[King's Landing]] features a statue of him.
  
 
==Appearance and Character==
 
==Appearance and Character==
Baelor was a peaceful, devoted and pious man. He was very thin and frail looking from his repeated fasts. He wore a long beard and hair of typical Targaryen silver-gold color. His crown was made of flowers and vines.<ref name=SSM1/>
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Baelor was a peaceful, devoted and pious man. He was very thin (due to his repeated fasts) and frail looking. He had a gentle, almost beatific smile,<ref name=SSM1/> and a reedy voice.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} He wore a long beard and hair of typical Targaryen silver-gold color. His crown was made of flowers and vines.<ref name=SSM1/> Not a martial man, Baelor's favorite "weapon" was a prayer.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2810/ Targaryen History], April 20, 2008</ref>
 
 
==Early life==
 
Baelor was quiet and bookish, and strong in the [[Faith of the Seven]]. He wished to become a septon, but his father refused to indulge this whim, instead insisting that he marry his sister Daena in the traditional Targaryen manner. In {{date|160}} Baelor obeyed, but extremely reluctantly and refused to consummate the marriage.{{Ref|affc|30}}
 
 
 
  
==Reign==
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==History==
Upon his brother King [[Daeron I Targaryen|Daeron]]'s death, Baelor at seventeen was crowned King and ascended the [[Iron Throne]]. Since the [[Dorne|Dornish]] had rebelled and slain King Daeron, the [[Hand of the King]] and Baelors own uncle [[Viserys II Targaryen|Prince Viserys]] had the fourteen highborn Dornish hostages sent to the dungeon to await execution.
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===Early life===
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Baelor married his younger sister, Princess [[Daena Targaryen]], in {{date|160}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} He refused to consummate their marriage,{{Ref|affc|30}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} however, causing his sister, who usually dressed all in black, to change her clothes to only whites in an attempt to shame him, as she had sworn to wear nothing else until she was properly bedded. The plan did not work, as Baelor liked to see his sister all in white, feeling it made her look more innocent.<ref name=Three>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Three_Maidens_in_the_Tower Three Maidens in the Tower], June 27, 2006</ref>
  
Baelors first act as King shocked all. He pardoned all the Dornish hostages and refused any suggestion of executing them. Many similar acts of piety and forgiveness occured throughout his ten year reign. Even when his lords and council cried out for vengence, Baelor publicly forgave his brother's killers and meant to "bind up the wounds" of his brothers war and make peace with [[Dorne]]. He declared he would go to [[Dorne]] with neither sword nor army.
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===Baelor and Dorne===
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Upon the death of his brother, King [[Daeron I Targaryen]], in [[Dorne]], Baelor was crowned king and ascended the [[Iron Throne]] when he was seventeen. His uncle, Prince [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys Targaryen]], acting as [[Hand of the King]], had sent fourteen Dornish hostages to the dungeons to await execution. Baelor's first act was to pardon the hostages and publicly forgive his brother's killers, despite outcry from his lords and council. Many similar acts of piety and forgiveness occurred throughout his ten-year reign.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
This Baelor clad in a sackcloth he walked the [[Boneway]] barefoot to make peace with [[Dorne]]. The fourteen highborn hostages on fine horses followed him.
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Baelor desired to "bind up the wounds" of [[conquest of Dorne|his brother's war]] and personally return the hostages to Dorne. The king walked the [[Boneway]] barefoot and clad in sackcloth, while the hostages rode horses. His journey took him to the location where [[House Wyl]] had imprisoned Prince [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon Targaryen]] of the [[Kingsguard]]. Baelor pleaded to Lord Wyl to free the naked and caged Aemon, but was refused. Offering a prayer instead, Baelor continued his journey, swearing he would return.{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
Baelor first arrived at [[House Wyl]] where he saw his cousin [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Prince Aemon the Dragonknight]] imprisoned naked in a cage. Baelor pleaded for his release but the Wyl's refused. Baelor offered a prayer for his cousin and vowed he would return. {{ref|twoiaf| Baelor I}}
 
It was an arduous journey to [[Sunspear]] yet Baelor despite the sorching sun and hot sands survived. Prince of Dorne grateful with the mercy Baelor had shown the highborn Dornish hostages his listened to Baelor's proposal. Baelor negotiated a betrothal of his young cousin [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]] to [[Myriah Martell]] as a means of making peace with Dorne after Daeron I's failed conquest. Both were very young children at the time, so the marriage need not take place for a time. After a brief sojourn in the palace of Sunspear, the Prince of Dorne offered Baelor a galley to take him back to [[King's Landing]], the young King refused stating the Gods commanded him to walk. Many in the Dornish court feared that the young King walking back the hazardous journey might kill him and undo the peace agreement and bring the wroth of the [[Iron Throne]] back to [[Dorne]]. So the Prince of Dorne made sure that the Dornish Lords would be hospitable.
 
  
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Baelor arrived at [[Sunspear]] after an arduous journey, which was considered the first miracle of his reign. Baelor forged a peace with the [[Prince of Dorne]], which was considered the second miracle. Part of the agreement was that Baelor's young cousin, Prince [[Daeron II Targaryen|Daeron]], the only grandson of his uncle and Hand, Prince Viserys, would marry the eldest daughter of the Prince of Dorne, Princess [[Mariah Martell]], when both children were of age. Baelor refused the prince's offer of a galley back to [[King's Landing]]. The prince made efforts to ensure that Baelor would be met with hospitality on his way back on foot. Special attention was paid to Lord Wyl, as Baelor had requested the Prince of Dorne to command Aemon's release. Yet, when Baelor returned to Aemon's location, Aemon's imprisonment had gotten worse.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
Baelor did not forget his promise to his cousin [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Aemon the Dragonknight]], still a captive. The Prince of Dorne had already sent a message to Lord Wyl commanding him to release the Dragonknight into Baelors custody.
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Lord Wyl granted Baelor a key to Aemon's cage, which was now suspended over a pit of vipers. Aemon begged Baelor to leave and seek aid, but Baelor felt [[Faith of the Seven|the gods]] would protect him. While singers like to say the vipers bowed their heads to Baelor as he passed, not daring to strike because he was pure and holy,{{Ref|ASOS|59}} Baelor was bitten, though sources differ on how often, ranging from half a dozen{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} to half a hundred.{{Ref|ASOS|59}} Aemon pulled Baelor from the pit, into the cage, and climbed to safety with the king upon his back. Aemon carried the unconscious king along the Boneway until they reached the safety of first [[House Dondarrion]] at [[Blackhaven]] and then [[House Baratheon]] at [[Storm's End]].{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
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===Baelor in King's Landing===
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Upon his return to King's Landing, Baelor convinced the [[High Septon]] to dissolve his marriage to his sister [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]], since it had been contracted before he had become a king and was never consummated.{{Ref|affc|13}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} Baelor then placed his sisters—Daena, [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aegon III)|Rhaena]], and [[Elaena Targaryen|Elaena]]—in their "Court of Beauty" in the [[Red Keep]], later called the [[Red Keep#Maidenvault|Maidenvault]]. Baelor wanted to preserve the innocence of his sisters from the wickedness of the world, and from the lusts of men,<ref name=Three/>{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} and prevent them from tempting the men at court with carnal thoughts.{{Ref|aSoS|6}}{{Ref|aSoS|54}} There were people who wondered whether or not Baelor feared the beauty of his sisters on his own behalf. Many protested this idea, including the Hand Viserys, the princesses themselves, and other members at court, but Baelor would not relent. The three were kept in comfortable confinement, and lords and knights send maidens to the Maidenvault to gain favor with Baelor.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
Lord Wyl instead of freeing Aemon, he put the Dragonknight in a cage in the center of a pit that was filled with vipers. The cage was suspended off the ground so the snakes could not get to Aemon himself but the sun by day and the cold by night would eventually kill him, that or starvation. Baelor was given the key and an invitation to use it. The Dragonknight begged Baelor to leave him, Baelor refused and walked into the pit.
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Baelor next decreed prostitution to be outlawed in [[King's Landing]], putting more than a thousand [[whore]]s and their children out of the city. This was heavily protested, but Baelor refused to listen and closed his eyes to the unrest that followed. He busied himself with building a new sept on [[Visenya's Hill]] which he had seen in a vision. The construction of this [[Great Sept of Baelor|great sept]] would not be completed until years after Baelor's death. The smallfolk loved Baelor, as the king emptied the treasure regularly for his charitable acts. Baelor's erratic decisions made his lords uneasy, wondering if the snake venom had affected his mind. Being a septon prevented Baelor from having children, and the High Septon gained increasing influence over the spiritually-inclined king.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
Though the tales and songs say that the snakes simply bowed their heads and refused to bite Baelor due to protection of the gods, the truth is quite different. He was bitten dozens of times, yet somehow he reached the cage and managed to hand his cousin the key before passing out. Aemon thrust open the door, leaped into the pit and carried his cousin and King to safety while the snakes snapped all around him. The Wyl's were said to be placing wagers on how long they would last, their cruelty spurred Aemon on and he managed to escape the pit with Baelor.
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Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing the proud [[Lord Belgrave]] to wash the feet of a leper.{{Ref|aSoS|36}} He tried to replace messenger [[raven]]s with doves, as described in Maester [[Walgrave]]'s ''[[Black Wings, Swift Words]]''. He granted tax exemption to lords who protected their daughters' virtue through chastity belts,{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} and attempted to birth new [[dragon]]s by praying over his [[dragon egg]] for half a year, yet his prayers went unanswered.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} He donated a loaf of bread to each man and woman in the city for a year. He also had many books burned, including all copies of ''[[The Testimony of Mushroom]]'' by [[Mushroom]] and ''[[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History]]'' by Septon [[Barth]], because he claimed Barth was more a sorcerer than a septon,{{Ref|aDwD|14}} the contents of the book having been enough to win Baelor's enmity.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
The venom put Baelor in a coma, his cousin Aemon carried his comatose King all the way through the [[Boneway]] till he came across a village that gave him clothing and an ass to take them the rest of the way. Aemon arrived at [[Blackhaven]] where the local [[Maester]] treated Baelor. Baelor eventually awoke upon the journey to [[Storm's End]] but was half a year more before he was fit to travel to [[King's Landing]].  
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Towards the end of his reign, Baelor would fast to the point of fainting to tame the lusts that shamed him.{{Ref|affc|13}}{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} When the High Septon died, Baelor choose a simple stonemason called [[High Septon (stonemason)|Pate]] as the replacement, as the gods had told him. Pate carved stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be [[Smith (the Seven)|the Smith]] in human form. The new High Septon could not read, write or recite any prayers, was described as a lackwit, and died of a fever the next year after taking office. Rumor spread that Viserys had him poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm. Baelor then raised a [[High Septon (child)|street urchin of eight years]] to the position, as Baelor claimed the boy worked miracles.{{Ref|aFfC|28}}{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
Baelor's upon his return spent the rest of his reign in prayer and piety. He would fast to the point of fainting to tame the lusts that shamed him. He convinced the [[High Septon]] to dissolve his marriage since it had never been consummated, to which the High Septon complied. {{Ref|affc|13}} His uncle [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]] continued to order and run the realm as the [[Hand of the King|King's Hand]] but was troubled by his nephews edicts.
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===Death===
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When Baelor's cousin, Princess [[Naerys Targaryen|Naerys]], gave birth to twins who both died shortly after their delivery in {{Date|161}}, the king fasted for a moon's turn. When his sister and former wife, Daena, gave birth to a bastard named [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon Waters]] in {{date|170}}, Baelor fasted for forty days and nights, refusing to take anything but water and some bread. On the forty-first day of his fast, in {{Date|171}}, the king collapsed, and neither [[Grand Maester]] [[Munkun]] or the boy High Septon could save him.{{ref|twoiaf| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
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History says Baelor starved himself to death by the prolonged fasting to cleanse himself of lust, but some believe he was poisoned by his Hand and uncle, Viserys.{{Ref|aSoS|59}} Some claim Viserys did so to gain the throne, but others claim Viserys had done so for the good of the realm, as Baelor had come to believe that the Seven wanted him to convert all the non-believers in the entire realm. Had Baelor been able to put these beliefs into action, war with the [[old gods]]-following [[north]] and the [[Drowned God]]-worshiping [[Iron Islands]] would have resulted.{{Ref|TWOIAF| The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}
  
After his marriage was dissolved Baelor confined his sisters, [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]] (his former wife), [[Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aegon III)|Rhaena]], and [[Elaena Targaryen|Elaena]] in the [[Red Keep#Maidenvault|Maidenvault]] so they did not tempt him or other men of the court with carnal thoughts.{{Ref|aSoS|6}}{{Ref|aSoS|54}} Viserys and the council strongly opposed this but the King would not yield, thus they were kept in comfortable confinement, some Lords and knights sent their young daughters to the vault as well to keep the Princesses company and to curry favor with the King.
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==Recent Events==
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===''A Storm of Swords''===
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After the [[Battle of the Blackwater]], Ser [[Axell Florent]] urges [[Stannis Baratheon]] to attack [[Claw Isle]], put the island population to the sword, and loot the wealth rumored to reside there. When [[Stannis Baratheon]] tells Ser Axell to tell his plan to Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] Ser Axell turns to Davos with a look on his face that Davos thinks is much like the look that proud Lord [[Belgrave]] must have worn, the day King Baelor the Blessed had commanded him to wash the beggar's ulcerous feet.{{Ref|ASOS|36}}
  
Baelor decreed that prostitution be outlawed and banished all the [[whore]]s and sex workers from [[King's Landing]]. He prayed for them but did not look at them. His small council protested vigorously of the trouble that would come from this, but Baelor refused to listen and he closed his eyes to the unrest that followed. Baelor decided not to re-arm the faith, as Baelor was a man of peace who believed the only weapon the faithful should have is prayer.
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===''A Dance with Dragons''===
 
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[[Tyrion Lannister]] thinks of Baelor as ''Baelor the Befuddled'',{{Ref|aDwD|5}} and [[Cersei Lannister]] recalls Tyrion saying that King Baelor was terrified of his own cock.{{Ref|aDwD|65}}
The Lords in the realm were beginning to grow uneasy as the king's erratic edicts and new laws. Many began to whisper that the snake venom may have drove Baelor mad. He decreed that the gods sent him a vision and that a [[Great Sept of Baelor|Great Sept]] be built atop [[Visenya's Hill]], thus work began though the Sept was not completed until after his death.
 
Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing the proud Lord [[Belgrave]] to wash the feet of a leper.{{Ref|aSoS|36}} He tried to replace all the [[raven]]s that delivered messages with doves, a debacle that is discussed in detail in Maester [[Walgrave]]'s book ''[[Black Wings, Swift Words]]''. He granted tax exemption to Lords who protected their daughter virtue through chastity belts and attempted to birth new [[dragon]]s by praying over the [[dragon egg]]s but his prayers went unanswered.{{Ref|aSoS|54}} He had the [[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History|books]] written by Septon [[Barth]] burned because he claimed Barth was more a sorcerer than a Septon. {{Ref|aDwD|14}}
 
 
 
The smallfolk though loved him, as Baelor throughout his reign gave generously to charitable causes and did much to house and feed the poor, one such was decreeing that every man and woman in the city would receive a daily loaf of bread for a year. The [[High Septon]] at the time grew very influential in the kingdom as he had the king's ear. {{ref|twoiaf| Baelor I}}
 
 
 
 
When the [[High Septon]] died, Baelor personally selected his replacement, he had a simple stonemason called [[High Septon (stonemason)|Pate]] named as the [[High Septon]], a man that could carve stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be [[Smith (the Seven)|the Smith]] in human form. While a fantastic stonecarver, the new High Septon could not read, write or recite any prayers. He was described as a lackwit and died of a fever less then a year after taking office, Rumour spread that Baelor's Hand had him poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm.{{Ref|affc|43}}{{ref|twoiaf| Baelor I}}
 
 
 
Baelor then raised a [[High Septon (child)|boy of eight years]] to [[High Septon]], a street urchin said to be the son of a draper who Baelor claimed worked miracles.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} Since Baelor did so much for the [[Faith of the Seven]], the [[Most Devout]] always granted the King's requests, regardless of their personal thoughts on the matter. {{ref|twoiaf| Baelor I}}
 
 
 
When Baelors former wife [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]] gave birth to a bastard son named [[Daemon Blackfyre|Daemon Waters]], Baelor fasted himself to pay for her sins, when his cousin [[Naerys Targaryen|Naerys]] gave birth to twins who both died during delivery he took it a step further and fasted for forty days and nights refusing to take anything but water and some bread. On the 41st day the King collapsed, neither Grandmaester [[Munkun]] or the boy [[High Septon]] who Baelor said worked miracles could save him. {{ref|twoiaf| Baelor I}}
 
 
 
History says Baelor starved himself to death by the prolonged fasting to cleanse himself of lust, but some believe he was poisoned by his Hand and uncle, [[Viserys II Targaryen|Viserys]].{{Ref|aSoS|59}}
 
 
 
==Legacy==
 
Baelors is a controversial historical figure in the Targaryen monarchy.
 
 
 
Some remember Baelor as a great and holy man, given to deep prayer and fasting to experience religious visions, and honor him for his contributions to the [[Faith of the Seven|Faith]], including the construction of the [[Great Sept of Baelor|Great Sept]] in [[King's Landing]] which on completion was named Baelor's Sept in his honor. Many praise him for his mercy he showed to the Dornish hostages after the [[Conquest of Dorne]] and in forging a peace, for the charity he showed the poor and for his bravery in rescuing the [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Viserys II)|Dragonknight]] from the snake pit.
 
 
 
Others regard him as a weak, simpering fool, prone to hallucinations and bad decisions brought about by excessive zealotry, such as imprisoning his own sisters, outlawing prostitution, giving tax exemption to Lords who protected the virtues of their daughters by the use of chastity belts, the loss of knowledge caused by his order of the [[Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History|burning of books]] such as those written by the brilliant [[Barth]] or for not consummating his marriage which led to the birth of [[Daemon Blackfyre]] .
 
 
 
[[Tyrion Lannister]] is less than impressed by him and thinks of him as ''Baelor the Befuddled''.{{Ref|aDwD|5}} [[Cersei Lannister]] recalls her brother, Tyrion saying that King Baelor was terrified of his own cock.{{Ref|aDwD|65}}
 
  
 
==Quotes about Baelor ==
 
==Quotes about Baelor ==
{{Quote|The realm would have been better served if he had closed his eyes and fucked [[Daena Targaryen|her]]. I know enough of history to know that.{{Ref|affc|30}}}} - [[Jaime Lannister]], to [[Lancel Lannister]]
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{{Quote|The feeblest king who ever sat on the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|TSS}}}} [[Eustace Osgrey]]
  
  
{{Quote|He was a rare spirit, pure and brave and innocent, untouched by the evils of the world.{{Ref|affc|30}}}} - [[Lancel Lannister]], to [[Jaime Lannister]]
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{{Quote|'''Lancel''': Marriage requires consummation. King Baelor was made to wed his sister [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]], but they never lived as man and wife, and he put her aside as soon as he was crowned.<br>
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'''Jaime''': The [[Seven Kingdoms|realm]] would have been better served if he had closed his eyes and fucked her. I know enough of [[Blackfyre Pretenders|history]] to know that.{{ref|affc|30}}}} [[Jaime Lannister]] and [[Lancel Lannister]]
  
  
{{Quote|The feeblest king who ever sat on the Iron Throne.{{Ref|TSS}}}} - Ser [[Eustace Osgrey]]
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{{Quote|He was a rare spirit, pure and brave and innocent, untouched by the evils of the world.{{ref|affc|30}}}} – [[Lancel Lannister]], to [[Jaime Lannister]]
  
 
==Family Tree==
 
==Family Tree==
{{Template:Targaryen tree Aegon III}}
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{{Targaryen tree Aegon III}}
  
==References and Notes==
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==References==
{{references|3|refs=
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{{References|2|refs=
   <ref name=SSM1>So Spake Martin: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1253/ Targaryen Kings] (November 1, 2005)</ref>
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   <ref name=SSM1>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1253/ Targaryen Kings], November 1, 2005</ref>
  <ref name=SSM2>So Spake Martin: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2810/ Targaryen History] (April 20, 2008)</ref>
 
 
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Revision as of 14:24, 1 April 2018


House Targaryen.svg
Baelor I
House Targaryen.svg
BAELOR I.jpg
Portrait of Baelor I by Amok©
Monarch
Reign 161 AC - 171 AC
Full name Baelor Targaryen the First of His Name
Titles
Predecessor Daeron I Targaryen
Successor Viserys II Targaryen
Personal Information
Aliases
  • Baelor the Beloved
  • Baelor the Blessed
  • Baelor the Befuddled
Born 144 AC[1]
King's Landing[2]
Died 171 AC
King's Landing[2]
Family
Dynasty House Targaryen
Queen Daena Targaryen
Issue None
Father Aegon III Targaryen
Mother Daenaera Velaryon
References
Books

Baelor I Targaryen, known as the Beloved and the Blessed, was the ninth Targaryen king to reign on the Iron Throne as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Known for his piety, Baelor was a septon as well as a king.[3] He was the second son of King Aegon III Targaryen and Queen Daenaera Velaryon, and ruled after the death of his older brother, King Daeron I Targaryen.

None of the Targaryen kings are as beloved as Baelor. He loved the smallfolk and the gods in equal parts, yet imprisoned his own sisters.[4] Some remember him as a great and holy man and praise him for his contributions to the Faith of the Seven, for forging a peace with Dorne, his mercy and his many acts of charity.[5] Others are less impressed by him, believing him to be an overly zealous weak fool.[6] The Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing features a statue of him.

Appearance and Character

Baelor was a peaceful, devoted and pious man. He was very thin (due to his repeated fasts) and frail looking. He had a gentle, almost beatific smile,[7] and a reedy voice.[8] He wore a long beard and hair of typical Targaryen silver-gold color. His crown was made of flowers and vines.[7] Not a martial man, Baelor's favorite "weapon" was a prayer.[9]

History

Early life

Baelor married his younger sister, Princess Daena Targaryen, in 160 AC.[8] He refused to consummate their marriage,[10][8] however, causing his sister, who usually dressed all in black, to change her clothes to only whites in an attempt to shame him, as she had sworn to wear nothing else until she was properly bedded. The plan did not work, as Baelor liked to see his sister all in white, feeling it made her look more innocent.[11]

Baelor and Dorne

Upon the death of his brother, King Daeron I Targaryen, in Dorne, Baelor was crowned king and ascended the Iron Throne when he was seventeen. His uncle, Prince Viserys Targaryen, acting as Hand of the King, had sent fourteen Dornish hostages to the dungeons to await execution. Baelor's first act was to pardon the hostages and publicly forgive his brother's killers, despite outcry from his lords and council. Many similar acts of piety and forgiveness occurred throughout his ten-year reign.[8]

Baelor desired to "bind up the wounds" of his brother's war and personally return the hostages to Dorne. The king walked the Boneway barefoot and clad in sackcloth, while the hostages rode horses. His journey took him to the location where House Wyl had imprisoned Prince Aemon Targaryen of the Kingsguard. Baelor pleaded to Lord Wyl to free the naked and caged Aemon, but was refused. Offering a prayer instead, Baelor continued his journey, swearing he would return.[8]

Baelor arrived at Sunspear after an arduous journey, which was considered the first miracle of his reign. Baelor forged a peace with the Prince of Dorne, which was considered the second miracle. Part of the agreement was that Baelor's young cousin, Prince Daeron, the only grandson of his uncle and Hand, Prince Viserys, would marry the eldest daughter of the Prince of Dorne, Princess Mariah Martell, when both children were of age. Baelor refused the prince's offer of a galley back to King's Landing. The prince made efforts to ensure that Baelor would be met with hospitality on his way back on foot. Special attention was paid to Lord Wyl, as Baelor had requested the Prince of Dorne to command Aemon's release. Yet, when Baelor returned to Aemon's location, Aemon's imprisonment had gotten worse.[8]

Lord Wyl granted Baelor a key to Aemon's cage, which was now suspended over a pit of vipers. Aemon begged Baelor to leave and seek aid, but Baelor felt the gods would protect him. While singers like to say the vipers bowed their heads to Baelor as he passed, not daring to strike because he was pure and holy,[5] Baelor was bitten, though sources differ on how often, ranging from half a dozen[8] to half a hundred.[5] Aemon pulled Baelor from the pit, into the cage, and climbed to safety with the king upon his back. Aemon carried the unconscious king along the Boneway until they reached the safety of first House Dondarrion at Blackhaven and then House Baratheon at Storm's End.[8]

Baelor in King's Landing

Upon his return to King's Landing, Baelor convinced the High Septon to dissolve his marriage to his sister Daena, since it had been contracted before he had become a king and was never consummated.[12][8] Baelor then placed his sisters—Daena, Rhaena, and Elaena—in their "Court of Beauty" in the Red Keep, later called the Maidenvault. Baelor wanted to preserve the innocence of his sisters from the wickedness of the world, and from the lusts of men,[11][8] and prevent them from tempting the men at court with carnal thoughts.[13][14] There were people who wondered whether or not Baelor feared the beauty of his sisters on his own behalf. Many protested this idea, including the Hand Viserys, the princesses themselves, and other members at court, but Baelor would not relent. The three were kept in comfortable confinement, and lords and knights send maidens to the Maidenvault to gain favor with Baelor.[8]

Baelor next decreed prostitution to be outlawed in King's Landing, putting more than a thousand whores and their children out of the city. This was heavily protested, but Baelor refused to listen and closed his eyes to the unrest that followed. He busied himself with building a new sept on Visenya's Hill which he had seen in a vision. The construction of this great sept would not be completed until years after Baelor's death. The smallfolk loved Baelor, as the king emptied the treasure regularly for his charitable acts. Baelor's erratic decisions made his lords uneasy, wondering if the snake venom had affected his mind. Being a septon prevented Baelor from having children, and the High Septon gained increasing influence over the spiritually-inclined king.[8]

Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing the proud Lord Belgrave to wash the feet of a leper.[15] He tried to replace messenger ravens with doves, as described in Maester Walgrave's Black Wings, Swift Words. He granted tax exemption to lords who protected their daughters' virtue through chastity belts,[8] and attempted to birth new dragons by praying over his dragon egg for half a year, yet his prayers went unanswered.[14] He donated a loaf of bread to each man and woman in the city for a year. He also had many books burned, including all copies of The Testimony of Mushroom by Mushroom and Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History by Septon Barth, because he claimed Barth was more a sorcerer than a septon,[16] the contents of the book having been enough to win Baelor's enmity.[8]

Towards the end of his reign, Baelor would fast to the point of fainting to tame the lusts that shamed him.[12][8] When the High Septon died, Baelor choose a simple stonemason called Pate as the replacement, as the gods had told him. Pate carved stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be the Smith in human form. The new High Septon could not read, write or recite any prayers, was described as a lackwit, and died of a fever the next year after taking office. Rumor spread that Viserys had him poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm. Baelor then raised a street urchin of eight years to the position, as Baelor claimed the boy worked miracles.[17][8]

Death

When Baelor's cousin, Princess Naerys, gave birth to twins who both died shortly after their delivery in 161 AC, the king fasted for a moon's turn. When his sister and former wife, Daena, gave birth to a bastard named Daemon Waters in 170 AC, Baelor fasted for forty days and nights, refusing to take anything but water and some bread. On the forty-first day of his fast, in 171 AC, the king collapsed, and neither Grand Maester Munkun or the boy High Septon could save him.[8]

History says Baelor starved himself to death by the prolonged fasting to cleanse himself of lust, but some believe he was poisoned by his Hand and uncle, Viserys.[5] Some claim Viserys did so to gain the throne, but others claim Viserys had done so for the good of the realm, as Baelor had come to believe that the Seven wanted him to convert all the non-believers in the entire realm. Had Baelor been able to put these beliefs into action, war with the old gods-following north and the Drowned God-worshiping Iron Islands would have resulted.[8]

Recent Events

A Storm of Swords

After the Battle of the Blackwater, Ser Axell Florent urges Stannis Baratheon to attack Claw Isle, put the island population to the sword, and loot the wealth rumored to reside there. When Stannis Baratheon tells Ser Axell to tell his plan to Ser Davos Seaworth Ser Axell turns to Davos with a look on his face that Davos thinks is much like the look that proud Lord Belgrave must have worn, the day King Baelor the Blessed had commanded him to wash the beggar's ulcerous feet.[15]

A Dance with Dragons

Tyrion Lannister thinks of Baelor as Baelor the Befuddled,[18] and Cersei Lannister recalls Tyrion saying that King Baelor was terrified of his own cock.[4]

Quotes about Baelor

The feeblest king who ever sat on the Iron Throne.[6]

Eustace Osgrey


Lancel: Marriage requires consummation. King Baelor was made to wed his sister Daena, but they never lived as man and wife, and he put her aside as soon as he was crowned.
Jaime: The realm would have been better served if he had closed his eyes and fucked her. I know enough of history to know that.[10]

Jaime Lannister and Lancel Lannister


He was a rare spirit, pure and brave and innocent, untouched by the evils of the world.[10]

Lancel Lannister, to Jaime Lannister

Family Tree

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aemma
Arryn
 
 
 
Viserys I
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alicent
Hightower
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daemon
 
Rhaenyra
 
 
 
 
 
Aegon II
 
Helaena
 
Aemond
 
Daeron
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Viserys II
 
Larra
Rogare
 
Daenaera
Velaryon
 
Aegon III
 
Jaehaera
 
Jaehaerys
 
Maelor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aemon
 
Naerys
 
Aegon IV
 
 
 
 
Daena
 
Baelor I
 
Daeron I
 
Rhaena
 
Elaena
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daeron II
 
Myriah
Martell
 
Maron
Martell
 
Daenerys
 
Daemon
Blackfyre
 
Rohanne
of Tyrosh
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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House Martell.svg
 
 
 
 
 
House Blackfyre 2.svg
 
 
 


References