A comet is a celestial object of ice or dust that develops one or more long tails when near the sun. Comets can appear in various colors, including red. After a comet leaves the sky, it may not return within a person's lifetime.[1]
History
Azor Ahai is prophesied to be reborn when "the red star bleeds".[2] The prince that was promised is prophesied to be born beneath a "bleeding star".[3]
Rhaegar Targaryen believed that the "bleeding star" of the prophecy was a comet. A comet was seen above King's Landing on the night Rhaegar's son Prince Aegon was conceived, which led Rhaegar to believe that Aegon was the prince that was promised.[3]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
A red comet appears in the sky over Westeros[4] and Essos in 299 AC.[5]
A Clash of Kings
Maester Cressen, who is nearly eighty years old, notes that he had never seen a comet that color or that bright before.[1]
The Dothraki in Daenerys Targaryen's khalasar name the red comet shierak qiya, meaning "Bleeding Star" in the Dothraki language.[6]
A Storm of Swords
Melisandre says "the bleeding star has come and gone", which suggests the red comet is no longer visible.[2]
A Feast for Crows
Maester Aemon tells Samwell Tarly that Rhaegar Targaryen believed the "bleeding star" of the prince that was promised prophecy must be a comet, and that a comet had been seen above King's Landing on the night Rhaegar's son Prince Aegon was conceived.[3]
Quotes
Dany looked and saw it, low in the east. The first star was a comet, burning red. Bloodred; fire red; the dragon's tail. She could not have asked for a stronger sign.[5]
—thoughts of Daenerys Targaryen
The comet's tail spread across the dawn, a red slash that bled above the crags of Dragonstone like a wound in the pink and purple sky.[1]
—thoughts of Cressen
The maester did not believe in omens. And yet... old as he was, Cressen had never seen a comet half so bright, nor yet that color, that terrible color, the color of blood and flame and sunsets.[1]
—thoughts of Cressen
The thing in the sky is a comet, sweet child. A star with a tail, lost in the heavens. It will be gone soon enough, never to be seen again in our lifetimes. Watch and see.[1]
—Cressen, to Shireen Baratheon
He shared my belief when he was young, but later he became persuaded that it was his own son who fulfilled the prophecy, for a comet had been seen above King's Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, and Rhaegar was certain the bleeding star had to be a comet.[3]
—Aemon, to Samwell Tarly
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 25, Davos III.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 35, Samwell IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 66, Bran VII.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 72, Daenerys X.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.