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HBO’sHouse of the Dragonis a great TV show about the Targaryen family and the main conflict that led to the Dragon’s decline and extinction. It’s a story of Daenerys Targaryen’s ancestors and the civil war that tore Westeros apart, when Rhaenyra and Aegon II Targaryen fought for the iron throne after the latter usurped the title of king.
Though the show is different to the books in some ways, both showcase the prevailing feud between the Blackwoods and the Brackens and the Battle of the Burning Mill, which was briefly touched upon in Season 2, Episode 3. As the first true battle of the Dance, it’s interesting to see exactly why both these houses hate each other so much that they decided to fast-forward the inevitable war between Dragons.
Why Do House Bracken And Blackwood Hate Each Other?
The feud between House Bracken and House Blackwood isa festering sore in the Riverlands. According to history, its roots delve deep into the Age of Heroes, a time around ten thousand yearsbefore the start of A Song of Ice and Fire.
Each family proudly claims tohave once ruled over the Riverlands, boasting an ancient lineage. But their deep-seated hostilityarises from conflicting versions of their history.
The Brackens claim thatthe Blackwoods were once their vassals, who betrayed them and became the new monarchs. In contrast, the Blackwoods state thatthe Brackens were jealousof their achievements as the greater lords and schemed toseize their lands deceitfully.
This history goes backmillennia before Aegon’s conquestbrought them all under one crown. The disagreement on their historical connection has led toan unending cycle of violence and retaliationspanning many years.
They have tried to seekcommon ground and solve their problems, but every potential prospect for peace hasn’t been very successful. They usually have adeadly rivalry between themand even marriages have turned out to be disastrous and just fuel themutual hatred between themeven more.
In history, the Blackwoods and Brackens have put aside their differences andallied together only onceand that was against the coming of the Andals, where they fought against these enemies together but still lost.
Eventually, the Brackensconverted to the Faith of the Sevento curry favor with the Andals, while the Blackwoods remained faithful to the Old Gods. This conversion wasseen as a huge insultto the Blackwoods and the Old Gods, which further deepened their hatred for each other.
The Blackwoods thenaccused the Brackens of poisoningtheir sacred weirwood tree, although it was never proven true. The Blackwoods then made thedead tree their sigilto emphasize their hatred for the Brackens and to never forget the supposed insult.
How The TV Show Portrays The Bracken-Blackwood Hatred
The violence between the two families is illustrated inSeason One of House of the Dragonwhere, during Rhaenyra’s court to find a worthy husband,Willem Blackwood kills Jerrel Brackenover petty mockery.
The Dance of Dragons, a bloody conflict that was fought in Westeros and which is the main storyline of the House of the Dragon series,rekindles the conflict anew. The Blackwoods are descended from the North, and Northerners are known to be honorable, so they kept their oath to Rhaenyra andsided with the Blackwoods.
The Brackenssided with the Greens, supporting Aegon II’s claim to the Iron Throne. This division led to many battles between the two houses and further loss of life,deepening the animositybetween the two houses.
The Battle Of The Burning Mill
Their rivalry during the dancewas so volatilethat, in the show,a small argument over a petty border disputeevolves into whom each house has declared for.
Because the Blackwoods support Rhaenyra’s claim and the Brackens support Aegon and the Greens,they exchange insultsand argue over rocks and kings. Aeron Bracken callsDavos Blackwood a babe-killer, after the murder of Aegon’s son.
Davos and Aeron pull out their swordsand the show cuts to the aftermath; the death of Aeron and hundreds of bodies surrounding the area.
It is unclear who won this battle, as all we get to see are multiple dead bodies, butAegon’s small council calls it a draw, since both sides suffered heavy casualties. Aegon himself calls it a victory sinceSamwell Blackwood, head of House Blackwood, diesduring this battle.
Willem Blackwood, now grown up in Season Two, meets with Daemon Targaryen at Harrenhal to discuss terms ofan alliance with the Blackwoodsand offers Daemon levies in exchange for his support against the Brackens.
The Bracken-Blackwood Feud During Game Of Thrones
In the aftermath of the dance,the feud remains as potent as ever, evidence of the enduring power of historical grievances and the destructive nature of revenge. Their hatred is aconstant threat to the stability of the Riverlands.
By the time of the Game of Thrones TV show,the Bracken-Blackwood feud continues to smolder, though it has become less openly violent due to the unifying rule of the Iron Throne.
Both housessuffered losses during Robert’s Rebellionand the War of the Five Kings, which tempered their ability to engage in large-scale conflict. A line from the books by Holster Blackwood spoken to Jaime Lannisterbest summarizes the disagreementbetween the two houses masterfully.
So long as men remember the wrongs done to their forebears, no peace will ever last. So, we go on century after century, with us hating the Brackens and them hating us.
They remain wary of each other, maintaining a tense peace due totheir shared allegiance to the Iron Throne. The feud manifests in subtle ways, such as political maneuvering and economic rivalry, but it’s always there andwill probably always be there.
