Baelor I Targaryen

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
House Targaryen crest.PNG
Baelor I
House Targaryen crest.PNG
BAELOR I.jpg
Portrait of Baelor I by Amok©
Monarch
Reign 161171 AC
Full name Baelor Targaryen First of His Name
Title King of the Seven Kingdoms
Predecessor Daeron I Targaryen
Successor Viserys II Targaryen
Personal Information
Aliases
  • Baelor the Beloved
  • Baelor the Blessed
  • Baelor the Befuddled
Born 143 AC
King's Landing[1]
Died 171 AC
King's Landing[1]
Family
Dynasty House Targaryen
Queen Daena the Defiant
Issue None
Father Aegon III Targaryen
Mother Daenaera Velaryon
References
Book A Game of Thrones (Mentioned)

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.[2] 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 Targaryen dynasty's kings are as beloved as Baelor, he loved the smallfolk and the gods in equal parts - yet imprisoned his own sisters.[3]

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.[4]

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, including the construction of the Great Sept in King's Landing. Others regard him as a weak, simpering fool, prone to hallucinations and bad decisions brought about by excessive zealotry.

Biography

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. Baelor obeyed, but extremely reluctantly and refused to consummate the marriage and put her aside as soon as he was crowned. [5]

Upon his brother King Daeron's death, Baelor is said to have begun his reign by walking the Boneway barefoot to make peace with Dorne. It is also said that he saved his cousin Aemon the Dragonknight from a snake pit, where he was bitten many times by the vipers whose venom could not kill him because of his faith in the Seven; this tale may simply be a metaphorical version of his visit to Dorne, referring to Dorne itself as a "snake pit," and the Dornish, "vipers."[6] Whatever the truth, Baelor returned home having negotiated the marriage of his cousin Daeron to Myriah Martell as a means of making peace with Dorne after Daeron I's failed conquest. Later, when Daeron was king, he negotiated the marriage of his much younger sister Daenerys (who was born after he had already had a son of his own) to the Prince of Dorne, thereby uniting the realms.[7]

Baelor's reign was spent in prayer and piety. He would fast to the point of fainting to tame the lusts that shamed him. [8] His uncle Viserys continued to order and run the realm as the King's Hand.

Baelor earned the contempt of his nobles by forcing Lord Belgrave to wash the feet of a leper.[9] He tried to replace all the ravens that delivered messages with doves, and confined his sisters, Daena Targaryen (to whom he was married), Rhaena, and Elaena in the Maidenvault so they did not tempt him with carnal thoughts.[10][11] Cersei recalls Tyrion saying that King Baelor was terrified of his own cock.

He attempted to birth new dragons by praying over the dragon eggs but his prayers went unanswered.[11] He had the books written by Septon Barth burned because he was more a sorcerer than a septon. Baelor once banished all the whores and sex workers from King's Landing. He prayed for them but did not look at them. 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.

During his reign he had a stonemason named as the High Septon, a man that could carve stonework so beautifully that Baelor believed him to be the Smith in human form. [12] While a fantastic stonecarver, the new High Septon could not read, write or recite any prayers. Rumour spread that Baelor's Hand had him poisoned to end the embarrassment to the realm.[12] Baelor then raised a boy of eight years to High Septon, who Baelor claimed worked miracles, although the boy could not save the king's life on his deathbed.[13] 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.[6] Tyrion is less than impressed by him and thinks of him as Baelor the Befuddled.


Quotes about Baelor I

"The realm would have been better served if he had closed his eyes and fucked her. I know enough of history to know that." [5]

- Jaime Lannister, to Lancel Lannister


"He was a rare spirit, pure and brave and innocent, untouched by the evils of the world.” [5]

- Lancel Lannister, to Jaime Lannister


"The feeblest king who ever sat on the Iron Throne." [14]

- Ser Eustace Osgrey

Family Tree

Template:Targaryen tree Visery


References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, "Baelor I Targaryen" entry.
  2. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 65, Arya V.
  3. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 65, Cersei II.
  4. So Spake Martin: Targaryen Kings (November 1, 2005)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 30, Jaime IV, p 567.
  6. 6.0 6.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 59, Sansa IV.
  7. So Spake Martin: Targaryen History (April 20, 2008)
  8. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight, p 230.
  9. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV.
  10. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 6, Sansa I.
  11. 11.0 11.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
  12. 12.0 12.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X, p 510.
  13. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 28, Cersei VI.
  14. The Sworn Sword, Legends II, ISBN 978-0345456441.