As Song of Fins & Hooves?

[Nate Walis]

When something catches my attention and sparks my imagination, I tend to have the habit of adding mermaids to it almost as a matter of course when it rolls around inside my mind. Game of Thrones is a prime example of this, not something that happened as I read the actual novels in A Song of Ice and Fire, but when the series appeared on the small screen and there were actual actors filling the shoes of all those diverse and so very interesting characters whom in the past I had conjured images of from my own mind. The Dothraki immediately put me in mind of the sorcerer in David Gemmell's "Dark Prince", who uses his magical powers to merge with his horse and become a centaur when the need arises, and I could imagine them doing the same once they were out in the vast grasslands called the "Dothraki Sea" and away from prying eyes. Emilia Clarke is wonderful in the role of Danerys, and she'd make a striking mermaid, but the introduction of the very stunning white horse that her character is given on her wedding day made me think that a scene in which she merged with it for the first time to become a centaur would have emphasized the qualities of both concerned.

[Nate Walis]

Mermaids are another creature that have a legendary presence in AGOT, a merman being the symbol of house Manderly and many references being made to merfolk around the legends of the Drowned God (also a nice Lovecraftian reference) by sailors and the natives of the Iron Islands. There's even a wild theory that schemers such as Vareys are actually sinister creatures such as those that populate the cursed town of Dunwich in Lovecraft's tales of horror, plotting to melt the ice that was used to construct the Wall with dragonfire and so flood the whole of the Seven Kingdoms. They reason that Littlefinger is in on this, having a ship called "The Merling King" and seeking to win control of the Eyrie, which they suppose will be the one place that remains above water once the sea-level rises. There are certainly other characters that I would rather see revealed as closet merfolk than good old Vareys though. Mellisandre's red locks would add to the charms of a siren, as would those of Ygritte. Asha Greyjoy on the other hand would be a more hardy example of a mermaid, but she could probably still best most of the men in Westeros even with a tail.

[Nate Walis]

There's probably the scope there for someone to do a fan fiction of the setting where mythical creatures are an accepted part of everyday life, but I don't think that I have the time to write the thing!

[AniaR]

Best. Thread title. EVER. I knew exactly what this would be about haha. Great idea.

[Nate Walis]

Best. Thread title. EVER. I knew exactly what this would be about haha. Great idea.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, I was worried that people might find the idea a little odd. I think the ease with which such creatures could be added to the setting is a testament to the skill of GMMR as a writer and the way in which he handled the return of magic to the world in which the narrative is set. On top of that the creators have been careful to cast actors of both genders who are not only superb in the roles they have been given, but more often than not are also quite distinctive in their looks as well, it would be easy to imagine some of these quirky individuals doing very well in the role of a mythical creature.

[spottedcatfish]

Nate: I can't wait to read it! Do you plan on posting it to your Deviant Art page?

[Nate Walis]

Nate: I can't wait to read it! Do you plan on posting it to your Deviant Art page?

Ah, I wish I had the time to make something of the idea! But I really need to devote some serious time to the novel that I'm currently working on. I may find the time to come up with a few shorter vignettes based on the idea, but a full-scale fan fiction would be a commitment that I just can't make at the moment. That was why I suggested the idea and didn't specifically say I'd be doing it!

[Nate Walis]

Curses to those who got me thinking about this one, as once I get an idea in my head it's damn hard to get it out. So as a result I will be working on a series of vignettes as soon as I have the time which will be themed as a reimagining of certain characters and concepts from ASOIAF with a mythological theme inserted into them. This will I suppose be a fan fiction of a kind, and best seen as a series of scenes rather than a story with an overall thread to it.

[Taniira]

Yay! I can't wait to see them!

[Nate Walis]

Yay! I can't wait to see them!

Thanks for the vote of confidence.