How dance started


Dance Facts and History

Dance is a form of art that is made by purposefully recreating selected sequences of human motion, which can be imbued with the values of aesthetic and symbolism that are acknowledged by both performers and observers from within the particular culture. The dance itself can be freeform or can have a predefined choreography that may or may not align with traditions of origin or historical period.

The dance can be performed to serve various functions (social, competitive, ceremonial, martial, erotic…) but it also has two distinct forms – theatrical dance in which dancers perform for an audience, and participatory social dance where dancing in a group is encouraged to anyone. Participatory dances are most commonly found at weddings, social gatherings, and festivals, and they can be enjoyed with folk music both alone or in a group (pairs, lines, chains or other forms).

Theatrical dance is known for having more elaborate choreography, planning, costume, scenery and other elements that make the entire production feel more professional. The performers of theatrical dance are usually professional “ virtuoso dancers”, who practice their craft over the years, and are often tasked to interpret the musical accompaniment with advanced dance moves or routines.

Origins and Early History

The dance has always been with us, even before the arrival of written language and modern history, when our earliest cultures evolved utilizing oral and performance methods to pass the stories from one generation to the next. Many historians believe that social, celebratory and ritual dances are one of the essential factors of the development of early human civilizations.

The earliest findings have pinpointed the origins of ancient dances in 9000-year-old India or 5300-year-old Egypt, but the records more common infusion of dance into a modern culture can be found from Ancient Greece, China, and India. All these old dances evolved, eventually morphing into a wide variety of Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hindi and other traditional dances, respectively.

After the arrival of European Renaissance, the history of music and dance exploded with the new additions to song and dance. Ease of travel and immigration to the new world brought these dances into the mix with many native cultures of the New World, forging countless new dance types that are still popular to this day.

Do you know these facts about dance?

  • First archeological proof of dance comes from the 9 thousand year old cave paintings in India.
  • One of the earliest uses of structured dance was introduced in religious ceremonies that told the stories of ancient myths and gods. Egyptian priests used this kind of visual storytelling in their rituals.
  • Ancient Egyptians used dancing for both entertainment and religion.
  • Dance represented important parts of many Greek and Roman religious ceremonies.
  • Ancient Greeks and Romans annually celebrated their wine gods Dionysus and Bacchus with several days long festivities filled with alcohol, song and dance.
  • History of European medieval dance is fragmented and limited, but is believed that simple folk dances were widespread among common and wealthy classes.
  • Modern dance history in Europe started with Renaissance, when many new dances were invented. After that, periods of Baroque, post French Revolution, Elizabethan era, World War 1, Prohibition, Ragtime and pre-WW2 brought many new waves of dance styles.
  • Waltz, one of the most popular dances today came into popularity in mid-19th century by the efforts of the famous composer Johann Strauss, but its origins can be traced even to the distant 16th century.
  • At first, waltz was performed with arm's length between male and female dances. The shocking transition to the close embrace happened only after English Queen Victoria fell in love with the dance and forced this change.
  • Around 30 thousand people are employed in UK dance industry today, maintaining around 200 dance companies.
  • Even people in wheelchairs can dance! Such dancing is very popular in Europe where there are even competitions in Latin dances with special wheelchair choreographies.
  • Professional dance is today regarded as one of the most demanding physical abilities and sports. According to studies, 80% of all professional dances have at least one major injury during their career and staggering 93% of all dance teachers were forced into that position after career ending injury.
  • High amount of injuries in professional dancing is induced by high levels of fatigue, little time for rest, inadequate healing techniques and high stress levels. All those factors can produce burn out periods when dancers have decreased strength, coordination, cognitive and immune functions.
  • Lion Dance is one of the most popular religious and ceremonious dances in China and surrounding countries of Taiwan, Korea and Japan. This dance can signify bringing of good fortune, ward of evil spirits and be an excellent showcase in martial arts proficiency.

After several thousand years, dancing managed to completely infuse itself into our way of life. Here you can find more information about this fascinating activity and the impact it can have on our lives.

Since the dawn of human civilization, dance remained in close connection with us. Here you can find out more about this fascinating part of our culture, all from its roots in ancient civilizations to the modern times.

Thousand years of innovations and evolution created modern dance that we all enjoy today. Here you can find out more about specific dance styles and the way they are implemented and created.

There are many specific dances which can be sorted into single dance styles or families of related dances. Here you can read more about specific dances and variants of a specific dance.

Facts about Dancing

  • Professional dances are today regarded as athletes.
  • Dancing is very beneficial to your health. It lowers the chances for heart and blood vessel diseases, improves posture and weight, reduces stress and tension, improve brain function because of constant presence of music, and can improve relationship between dance partners.
  • Because of the need to maintain strict head position while dancing, doctors often prescribe use of dance for those patients that need to develop their peripheral vision.
  • First balled dancer that used pointe shoes was Marie Taglioni in 1832 ballet "La Sylphide".
  • One tutu shoe cost up to $2000 dollars to be made, and one ballerina wears between 2 and three pairs per week.
  • Because of high physical demand on their bodies, most professional dances retire from dancing during their mid-30s.
  • Famous modern dance Cha-Cha originated from Cuba.
  • Famous energetic ballroom dance can-can (or cancan), which is performed by the row of female dances in long skirts originated form 1830s Paris ballrooms.
  • Origin of tap-dancing comes from the tribal dances of African slaves. Their arrival in North America introduced that dance to the western audiences.
  • Dancing with metal tap shoes became popular in United States during 1920s and 1930s. One of the most famous tap-dancing performers of that time were Nicholas brothers, who were instrumental into bringing that style of dance into Hollywood movies.
  • Famous movie stars such as Fred Astaire, Ray Bolger and Gene Kelley used tap-dancing to enchant the minds of the worldwide audience with great success.
  • Hindu religion has very close relationship to dance and music. This connection can most visible be seen in their countless Bollywood movies that all celebrate dancing.
  • One of the dances that managed to completely change the landscape of dance history is polka! This energetic dance that was focused for young women that liked to jump, hop and turn swept across the world in mid-19th century.
  • Dancing represent great physical exercise for the people of all age. It can be safely practiced from the age of 2 to 102!
  • Many historical waves of dances were perceived as the "destructors" of the old way of dance. Examples of that can be found in the 1920's Charleston and the era of Rock music.
  • First ballroom dance that was ever created is Italian Viennese Waltz.
  • One of the reason that ballroom dancing is starting to return into popularity is because famous TV competition show "Dancing with the Stars".
  • African slaves that were brought in Brazil 300-400 years ago were prohibited from practicing martial arts. Therefore, they developed the mix of dancing and fighting that is known today as capoeira.
  • Breakdancing was first created as a "less lethal" form of fighting between warring African-American street gangs in 1970s Bronx area of New York City. This form of dancing re-emerged into worldwide popularity during 1990s.
  • Dance marathon competition started as early as 14th century England. They reached height of their popularity in the bloom of US entertainment expansion during 1930s depression era. Some competitions were performed in the 22 day long marathons.
  • The most sensual dance of modern times is without a doubt a Tango. It originated from 1890s Argentina, but it quickly became very successful in Europe.

History of Dance - From Ancient Rituals to Modern Dances

From the earliest moments of known human history, dance accompanied ancient rituals, spiritual gatherings and social events. As a conduit of trance, spiritual force, pleasure, expression, performance and interaction, dance became infused into our nature from the earliest moments of our existence - from the moment when first African tribes covered themselves in war-paint to the to the spreading of music and dance across all four corners of the world. Without a doubt, dancing remains one of the most expressive forms of communications that we know.

The oldest proof of existence of dancing comes from the 9000 year old cave paintings that were found in India, which depicts various scenes of hunting, childbirth, religious rites, burials and most importantly, communal drinking and dancing. Since dancing itself cannot leave clearly identifiable archeological artifacts that can be found today, scientist looked for secondary clues, written word, stone carvings, paintings and similar artifacts. Period when dancing became widespread can be traced to the third millennia BC, when Egyptians started using dance as integral parts of their religious ceremonies. Judging by the many tomb paintings that survived the tooth of time, Egyptian priests used musical instruments and dancers to mimic important events - stories of gods and cosmic patterns of moving stars and sun.

This tradition continued in ancient Greece, where dance was used very regular and openly to public (which eventually brought the birth of the famous Greek theatre in 6th century BC). Ancient paintings from 1st millennia clearly speak of many dance rituals in Greek culture, most notably the one before start of each Olympian Games, precursor to the modern Olympic Games. As centuries went on, many other religions infused dance in the core of their rituals, such as Hindu dance "Bharata Nhatyam" which is preformed even today.

Of course, not all dances in those ancient times were intended for religious purposes. Ordinary people used dance for celebration, entertainment, seduction and to induce the mood of frenzied exhilaration. Annual celebration in honor of Greek god of wine Dionysus (and later Roman god Bacchus) included dancing and drinking for several days. 1400BC year old Egyptian painting showed the group of scantily dressed girls who danced for the wealthy male crowd, supported by the several musicians. This kind of entertainment continued to be refined, until medieval times and the start of the Renaissance when ballet became integral part of the wealthy class.

European dances before the start of Renaissance were not widely documented, any only few isolated fragments of their existence remain found today. The most basic "chain shaped" dance practiced by commoners was most widespread across Europe, but the arrival of Renaissance and new forms of music brought many other styles in fashion. Renaissance dances from Spain, France and Italy were soon surpassed by Baroque dances which became widely popular in French and English courts. After the end of French Revolution, many new types of dances emerged with focused on less restrictive woman clothing, and tendency for skipping and jumping. These dances soon became even more energetic in 1844 with the beginning of so called "international polka craze" which also brought us the first appearance of famous waltz.

After the short period of time when great ballroom masters created wave of complicated dances, the era of modern day 2 person dance started with the careers of famous ballroom dances Vernon and Irene Castle. After those early years of 20th century many modern dances were invented (Foxtrot, One-Step, Tango, Charleston, Swing, Postmodern, Hip-hop, breakdancing and more) and the expansion of musical brought those dances into worldwide popularity.

Origin of dance

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The origin of dance began in ancient times. In confirmation of this, it can be mentioned that the first images of this action are contained in rock paintings dated to the 6-8th century BC.

Dancing in rock paintings

It should be noted that initially the dance was far from entertaining and cultural. It was a way of communication, self-expression, enlightenment, and even a way of mass suggestion. In ancient times, people expressed all the most important events (love, war, hunting, etc.) in ritual dances, which often copied the habits of various animals. The plots of such choreographic compositions were mainly of a domestic nature - with their help, people turned to the gods, expressed their feelings and raised their morale before any battle or hunt. Such ritual dances contributed to the overall organization and maximum cohesion, which was very important in those days. nine0003

Very often dances were used as a rather powerful tool for mass suggestion and strong manipulation of people. Among the most striking examples of such dances are the ritual pas of shamans and African dances. The combination of the rhythm of musical instruments (mainly percussion) and the tempo of dance movements, which gradually became more complex and accelerated, had a very strong effect on the participants in this ritual. Similar choreographic compositions have been used to put people into trance states to achieve enlightenment and mass relaxation. nine0003

African dances

With the development of mankind, dance also developed, because it was an integral part of life. With the maturation of the concepts of society and culture, the set of movements took on a “form”, a concept, filled with meaning and harmony.

The development of dance in different cultures

Each culture had its own concept of dance, its purpose and content. For example, the choreographic compositions of the Japanese and Chinese peoples were distinguished by grace and a special rhythm. Each movement had its own semantic meaning, and the dance in general can be compared with the art of writing hieroglyphs. In Europe, dances had a compositional character and embodied a harmonious holistic combination of the movements of the soloist and the ensemble. Unlike Indonesian choreography, which is based on fixed strict steps, Indian dance art is full of smooth movements that express mood and various feelings. It is worth noting that Indian dances are considered the most ancient. According to the legend of Hindu belief, the deity Shiva, performing a beautiful dance, turned the general chaos into the Universe. nine0003

Oriental dances

From primitive movements to modern choreography

The history of modern dance began with the advent of rock and roll in the 50s. This type of dance created a real revolution in society. With his appearance, the style of clothing, demeanor and even the moral principles of youth have changed. Rock and roll is a combination of music, in which European and African motifs are intertwined, and dance movements, where some kind of aggressiveness, complex support and careless attitude towards a partner can be traced. nine0003

Modern rock and roll

Many people considered this kind of choreography to be vicious and unacceptable for decent people. But, despite this, rock and roll gave a good impetus to the emergence and development of a huge number of new types of dances, which are still very popular.

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Game of Thrones | Dance of the Dragons - Read on DTF

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"The Dance of the Dragons, Verbatim" is the work of Grand Maester Mankan. It tells the story of House Targaryen's war during the period when Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Aegon the Second - brother and sister - fought for the right to sit on the Iron Throne.

"The Dance of the Dragons" is a stupid name for a civil war that almost destroyed the kingdom. Before her, there were 18 dragons in Westeros, after - only two and almost the same number of representatives of the Targaryen house, which will never be as great and awesome as before. This dance, like many others, began with an old man and a young girl. nine0003

The wife of King Viserys the First, Eimma Arryn, gave him a daughter, but could not give birth to an heir. And then the king bequeathed the throne to Princess Rainier, raising her as a future ruler. Many years later, however, Viserys married a second time, and the new queen Alycent Hightower bore him a son, who was named Aegon, in honor of the conqueror. Despite this, the monarch did not change his decision to leave the throne to Rhaenyra, which his wife did not like very much. Between the stepmother and stepdaughter, a confrontation began, as a result of which the royal court split. One day, a tournament was held in the palace in honor of the fifth anniversary of the marriage of Viserys and Alicente. The queen appeared on it in a green dress, and Rhaenyra in red and black, the traditional colors of the Targaryens. After that, the followers of Alicente began to be called "green", and the adherents of the princess - "black". nine0003

One day, a servant entered the old king's room and was horrified to find that he had died in his sleep. He informed the queen as soon as possible. The law was to ring the bells and immediately send a raven to Dragonstone, where Rhaenyra was waiting in the wings to become the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. However, Alicent had other plans. She ordered the royal chambers to be closed and no one to be let in, and the servant to be thrown into prison so that he would not talk about what he saw.

The same night, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Kristan Kohl called a small council and reported the tragic event. It was necessary to resolve the issue of succession to the throne, which was now particularly acute. A dispute arose between the audience, because even during his lifetime, Viserys forced the members of the council to swear allegiance to Princess Rhaenyra, however, Kristan Kohl argued that, according to the traditions of Westeros, the throne should only pass through the male line. Then Lyman Bisbury, the master of the coin, stood up and declared that he would not participate in treason and would not turn his back on Rainier. At the same moment, Kristan Kohl's dagger cut his throat. The dispute was over. nine0003

Aegon, having learned about the upcoming coronation, was very surprised and wanted to give up the throne. But Alicente warned that even if he ceded the throne to Rhaenyra, she would not hesitate to cut off his head, because Aegon was still the heir of Viserys and would always be a threat. The prince agreed. The ceremony took place in the Dragonpit, where Aegon, Second of his name, and his wife and part-sister, Helein, became king and queen. The younger brother of the new ruler, Aymond Targaryen, immediately flew to the Stormlands to enlist the support of House Baratheon. And Ægon had golden dragon banners hung over King's Landing and the Red Keep in honor of his ascension to the throne. He did not yet know that his reign would be short-lived. nine0003

As soon as word of Ægon's coronation arrived, Rhaenyra called her own council at Dragonstone. Support for her was her husband - Damon Targaryen, who was also her uncle. Many considered him the most dangerous man in Westeros. Of all the great lords, only a few stood on the side of the princess, but among them was Corlys Velarion, owner of the largest fleet in the kingdom, as well as his wife Rhaenys Targaryen, sister of the late Viserys. In addition, next to Rainira were her five sons, who were still very young. In truth, the collection is not very impressive. Even all together they could not resist the powerful Hightower family. But Reynira did not lose hope, because she had the secret weapon of all Targaryens - dragons. Twelve fire-breathing monsters lived on Dragonstone, while Aegon had only four. nine0003

However, an army was needed to take and hold King's Landing, and the princess desperately hoped for the support of the few great houses that had not yet sworn allegiance to Aegon. Her eldest son Jekaerys flew to the Starks and Arryns, and her middle son Luceris went to the Stormlands. Reynira dreamed that the gods would be supportive, and the war, as soon as it began, would immediately end thanks to diplomacy. But, as always, the gods did not wish for an easy outcome.

Luceris arrived at Storm's End and saw that Aymond was already ahead of him, having lured Lord Baratheon to his side. Eymond, with a sapphire for an eye, looked frightening and ominous. But Luceris nevertheless dared to present his mother's proposal to Baratheon. To which he received the following answer: "Run home, pup, and tell this bitch that the Lord of Storm's End is not a dog that you can whistle and wait for him to rush." In addition to Baratheon's speech, Aymond flashed a menacing sapphire eye, and the boy hurried out of the castle. He mounted his dragon Arrax and flew home. nine0003

His path was full of perils due to the storm that was breaking out: rain poured like a wall, lightning flashed brighter than the sun, and Luceris struggled to keep Arraks in the air, but suddenly a terrible roar was heard. Eymond on his dragon Vhagar flew after the young messenger. Vhagar was five times the size of Arraks, she participated in many battles, and her rider was once Visenya Targaryen. Therefore, it is not surprising that soon little Luceris, along with his dragon, was defeated. Their bodies were swallowed by the waves, and at that moment the hopes for diplomacy collapsed, giving way to a real bloody war. nine0003

When Reynira learned of her son's death, she fainted. The princess even wanted to end the war, but soon received news from her husband: he assured that her son would be avenged. In the back streets of Flea End, he found two people who could help him. A former golden cape and rat-catcher from the Red Keep, known as Blood and Cheese.

One evening Queen Heleina, with her daughter and two sons, entered Alicente's chambers to bid her good night. But there were already two killers waiting for her. They grabbed the boys saying that Heleina owes a debt to Rainier. Son for son. Blood and Cheese demanded that the queen herself choose who they should kill. The distraught woman begged them to take pity and kill her instead of the children, but the villains were adamant. Sobbing, Heleina called out the name of her youngest son, Malor. nine0003

It must have seemed to her that he was still too small and did not realize what was happening, or maybe she wanted to save the life of her eldest son, since he is the heir to the throne. "Listen," Cheese whispered to Malor, "your mother wants you dead." Then he looked at his partner with a sinister smirk, and at the same moment Blood cut off the head of his eldest son with one blow. When the guards arrived, the assassins had already fled, and a sobbing Heleina pressed the body of the dead heir to her chest.

Both sides understood that now it was no longer just a struggle for the throne. This is a war of annihilation. Revenge and rage that can burn everything around. Aegon and Rhaenyra, after all, only one of them could survive. nine0003

Meanwhile, the princess struck again. Damon, on his dragon Caraxes, captured Harrenhal, a dilapidated, fearsome, but still strongest castle in the Riverlands. The Starks and the Arryns also sided with Rhaenyra, swearing allegiance to her. Upon learning of this, the enraged Aegon dismissed his right hand, as well as his grandfather, Otto Hightower, replacing him with Kristan Kohl. The new Hand swore to oppose all the lords who sided with Rhaenyra, and sent an army to Rook's Refuge, where the princess's supporters were entrenched. The inhabitants of this city turned to their mistress with a plea for help, but for several days there was no news from her, and people could only watch their fields and houses burn. nine0003

Suddenly, one day, a shadow fell on the green army. It was Rhaenys, riding the dragon Meleis, sent by Rhaenyra. Criston Kohl's army was consumed by fire, but Rhaenys, celebrating her triumph, did not notice that she had fallen into Aegon's trap. Two more dragons took to the sky. Vhagar and Sunfire, along with their riders, Aemond and Aegon, flew straight for Meleis. The roar of monsters was heard in the air, and the flames escaping from their mouths eclipsed the light of the sun. When it was all over, only Eymond and Vhagar remained unharmed. Ægon survived, but all his bones were broken and his body burned so badly that his armor melted into him. Sunfire almost lost one wing. But Meleis, together with his rider, did not survive this battle. nine0003

Reynira panicked after her defeat. She sent her younger sons across the Narrow Sea to protect them from war. But a few days later one of them returned on a wounded and dying dragon, saying that their ship had been attacked. Then Reynira ordered her eldest son Jakeiris to saddle his Vermax and go in search of his brother who was left in trouble, and also to punish those who dared to attack them. But the princess did not know that she was sending her heir to certain death. No sooner had Jakeiris reached the spot than several thousand arrows rained down on him. Together with Vermax, the boy fell into the sea, never to swim ashore again. nine0003

Reynira has already lost four dragons, losing her main strength. Her position was deplorable. The only thing left to do was to use the unbroken monsters that remained on Dragonstone. But only those in whom the blood of Ancient Valyria flows could ride them. Fortunately, the Targaryens had many bastards, who were called dragonspawn, and Rhaenyra promised mountains of gold to whoever could tame the animals. There was no end to those who wanted to, but most of those who wanted to become a horseman became dinner. But four still managed to subdue the dragons, and they joined the army of the princess. nine0003

Meanwhile, Aymond has taken command of the Green army in place of his crippled and distraught brother. He led his soldiers north in the hope of reclaiming Harrenhal, where Daemon was in charge. But when they got to the castle, he and Kriston Kohl found that the gates were open, and neither Damon nor his army was anywhere. That night they celebrated the victory, believing that the enemy was afraid and fled. But Damon was smarter than they thought. On his Caraxes, he hurried south to unite with Rhaenyra and capture King's Landing. Without Kristan Kohl's army, without Aegon, Aymond, and even more so without their dragons, the city was defenseless, and the princess knew it. She came for her throne. nine0003

Realizing that resistance was futile, the small council surrendered, and Queens Alicente and Heleina were captured. And so Reynira climbed the steps and took the Iron Throne. As the legend goes, when the new queen got up from it, blood ran down her arms and legs, which proves that the throne rejected her. But all this is nonsense. After all, it is made of iron swords, and Rhaenyra wanted to get it so badly that she sacrificed her sons for this. And most likely, she just clung too hard to the steel handles, injuring her body on them. nine0003

When news of the capture of the capital reached Aymond, he realized his mistake and in a mad rage began to burn everything in his path: every village, every castle that he met, he reduced to ashes. Criston Kohl hurried to lead the army back to King's Landing, but the lords of the Riverlands stood in his way and swore allegiance to Rhaenyra. They killed the King's Hand.

Then Aegon sent a new army to besiege the city of Tumbleton, and Rhaenyra sent two bastard riders to free him. But instead, they showed their vile nature and betrayed the queen, burning the city to the ground along with the black troops that were there. Since then, Reynira has not trusted anyone. nine0003

In the Riverlands, Daemon hunted Aymond with a young bastard girl named Nettle. Soon he received a letter from his wife demanding that the heads of all the bastards be brought to her, including Nettle. But everything was not so simple, because the girl was able to saddle not only the dragon, but also the queen's husband, becoming his mistress. Damon was unable to carry out Rainier's order and sent his beloved away at dawn. On the same day he wrote a letter to his nephew Aymond, saying that he would be waiting for him at Harrenhal. One. nine0003

Two weeks later, a shadow passed over Harrenhal, blacker than the darkest cloud. It was Vhagar, and on it was the one-eyed Prince Eymond. Seeing Damon, he chuckled, "You've lived too long, Uncle." "Well, I agree," he replied. Damon climbed with difficulty onto his Caraxes, but did not secure the chains that hold the rider in the saddle. Maybe he forgot to do it, or maybe he had some kind of plan. The sun was already setting when two dragons took off into the sky at the same time.

Caraxes was smaller and much younger than his opponent, he climbed high into the clouds. Vhagar, although more experienced, was slow. She looked for the enemy for a long time, but could not find it, and suddenly Caraxes fell upon her with a cry. Jaws closed on Vhagar's neck, but she was able to rip open his belly and rip off a wing. Then Daemon got up in his saddle and jumped on the dragon Aymond. In his hand was a sword called the Dark Sister, a Valyrian steel weapon owned by Visenya Targaryen. Eymond looked at him in horror, but his uncle tore off his helmet and plunged the sword into his single eye, with such force that the point came out of his throat. In a fraction of a second, both dragons collapsed into the lake, which was called God's Eye. The fountains of water that rose from their fall were so high that they reached the great towers of Harrenhal. nine0003

Damon Targaryen was 49 years old when he died. Prince Aemond was only twenty. Vhagar, the greatest of dragons, lived for 181 years. She was the last living being to see the conquests of Aegon the First.

In King's Landing, Rhaenyra had no time to grieve over her husband. Former Queen Heleina, nicknamed the Mad, could not stand her grief and threw herself from the high tower in Maegor's fortress, where she was being held. Her body fell directly on the sharp peaks that surrounded the moat. Heleina was loved by the people, and that same night the peasants rebelled, demanding justice for the dead queen and her brutally murdered eldest son. One shepherd shouted to the crowd that the dragons were to blame for all the troubles, and the first thing to do was to destroy them. Tens of thousands of people rushed to the Dragon Pit, shouting "Kill them." nine0003

There were four dragons in the lair that night. And they are all angry and hungry. Chained, the monsters could not fly away, but nothing prevented them from tearing with their teeth and burning those who attacked them. Who knows how many men and women died that night. But the people did not think to count. It was more important to kill the monsters. And they succeeded. The only remaining dragon broke the chain with its last strength and, hoping to escape, broke through a huge glass dome, but it cracked from the impact, and then collapsed down, burying everyone inside the lair under it. nine0003

Standing on the balcony of the Red Keep, Queen Rhaenyra watched in horror as her family collapsed. She knew that there was no way she could protect the dragons from the angry peasants. But one of her sons, Joffrey, secretly took his mother's dragon Sirax and tried to fly to the aid of the ill-fated brethren. But Sirax did not understand what the prince wanted from her, it seemed to her that he would come to her. The dragon threw the boy, and he died, crashing to the ground.

Rainier couldn't bear it. She left the Iron Throne, sold her crown, and returned to Dragonstone with her last surviving son. But even there, danger awaited her. As soon as she arrived at the castle, Reynira was captured along with her child. Aegon met her inside the fortress. He was twisted from the wounds he had received, his handsome face now looked terrible, and half of his body was covered with burn scars. With a sinister grin, he solemnly greeted his sister, but Rhaenyra scornfully shouted that she hoped to see him dead.


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