Symbols of honor, war and identity
Throughout history, shields have been more than just physical protection in combat. With the rise of medieval heraldry, shields became elements of visual identity, expressing the lineage, alliances, and honor of knights and noble houses. Each design had a strategic function: to identify the bearer on the battlefield and pass on their family legacy.
In the Game of Thrones universe, coats of arms faithfully follow this heraldic tradition. Each noble house possesses a unique, elaborate, and symbolically charged shield. They not only represent protection in battle, but are extensions of the house's soul. They reflect pride, history, power, and often dark secrets or tragic destinies.
Crests appear on armor, banners, fortress gates, and funerary monuments, marking a house's presence and influence throughout Westeros.
Below we'll talk about the representative shields of the main Houses in Game of Thrones.
House Targaryen
His shield is a three-headed winged dragon, fiery red, on a black background.
The three-headed dragon represents Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya, who together unified the Seven Kingdoms. The red color symbolizes the blood shed in the conquest, and the black the darkness of their Valyrian origins.
House Tyrell
Its shield is a fully open golden rose on a spring green field.
This floral crest is a symbol of beauty, growth, and diplomacy, speaking to the House's ability to flourish even in times of war.
The rose represents a threat: the power that does not need a sword to conquer, its open petals reflect prosperity, and the green fertility and agricultural wealth.
House Lannister
Its coat of arms is a golden rampant lion on a blood-red field.
This upright lion, roaring with fury, represents pride, wealth, and dominance. The gold highlights its abundance of gold, and the red highlights its readiness for war.
It is a warning shield: it announces both majesty and danger.
Hightower House
Its coat of arms is a large white tower crowned by a flame, on a white and pearly grey background.
It represents wisdom and vigilance. The tower symbolizes their citadel, and the flame alludes to a connection with alchemy and ancestral knowledge, evoking spiritual enlightenment. The light background reinforces their role as guardians of knowledge, removed from the passions and violence of other houses.
House Baratheon
Its shield is a rearing, crowned black deer on a golden background.
It represents indomitable strength and savage nobility. The stag symbolizes swiftness and ferocity, and the crown demonstrates his right to the throne after Robert's Rebellion. Black denotes seriousness, determination, and a tragic shadow that accompanies the house, while gold represents glory and ambition.
House Martell
His shield is a radiant red sun pierced by a golden spear, on a desert orange background.
It's a perfect combination of Rhoynar heritage and Dornish ferocity. The sun symbolizes the desert's intensity and fiery passion, while the spear represents Princess Nymeria and her conquest alongside the Martells.
Unlike other houses, the circular shape and ornamentation of the coat of arms reflect different cultural influences. Its orange background recalls the burning sand and its independence maintained for centuries.
House Stark
His shield is a silver or grey direwolf on a winter white background.
Understated and unadorned, it represents loyalty, resilience, and tradition. The direwolf displays a fierce and elegant profile, with visible fangs. The white background represents the frozen landscape of Winterfell, while the gray represents its stoic strength.
Tully House
Its coat of arms is a silver trout leaping over wavy stripes of blue and red.
It captures the soul of the Riverlands. The trout symbolizes agility, adaptability, and riverine strength; the blue and red waves represent the rivers of the Trident and the blood shed in defense of family.
It evokes love for home, union of lineage and geography.
House Mormont
Its crest is an upright black bear, with claws exposed, on a dark forest green background.
The bear represents ferocity, protection, and courage in isolation, its outstretched claws indicate that, although small in number, the Mormot are a fearsome enemy, and the green background reflects their home covered by dense forests.
House Greyjoy
His shield is a golden kraken on a deep black background.
This maritime shield reflects the terror and sovereignty of the sea.
The kraken represents the Greyjoy dominion over the oceans, the gold recalls the plundered treasures and the black the depths of the sea and the darkness of its traditions.
Their organic and chaotic form suggests that they are unpredictable and outside of any norm.
House Arryn
His shield is a white falcon, flying in front of a silver crescent moon, on a clear blue sky.
Ethereal and majestic, it reflects the aspiration and purity of House Arryn. The falcon embodies vigilance, nobility, and wit. The moon represents serenity and distinction, and the blue represents the clean air of the Mountains of the Moon.
This shield is a symbol of moral and physical height.
Bolton House
His shield is a flayed man, hanging upside down, blood red, on a pale pink background.
Brutal and disturbing, it clearly communicates the house's reputation, alludes to its ancestral practice, and conveys a clear message: fear is its weapon.
The pink background creates a contrast that highlights the macabre. It's one of the few emblems that generates immediate terror.
A symbol that endures
The crests in Game of Thrones are authentic visual maps of each house's identity and a declaration of intent. A mark that distinguishes friend from foe and that endures even when its bearers are no longer with us.
In every corner of Westeros, a shield can signify loyalty, defiance, or hope.
In a world where words mean little and betrayal is just around the corner, a shield remains a truth engraved in metal and blood.
Have you seen this shield from "Game of Thrones" ?
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