At first glance, the song performed by Egg in episode 3 of ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is nothing more than mischief. It’s cheeky, borderline rude, and structured around near-misses of profanity that feel designed to get a laugh from anyone within earshot.
However, behind the light-hearted presentation lies something much more significant. It’s a course in one of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of Westeros, sneaked into the narrative through rhyme. It is typical ‘Game of Thrones’ storytelling history in disguise. And fittingly, it’s delivered not by a maester or a lord, but by a kid with a quick tongue.
Egg’s Singing In ‘A Knight Of The Seven Kingdoms’ Isn’t Random
The song by Egg is a summary of the Blackfyre Rebellion, a civil war that was based on the disastrous legacy of King Aegon IV Targaryen. The fact that Aegon chose to legitimize his numerous bastards on his deathbed not only caused family drama, but it also divided the realm into two. One side backed King Daeron II, the lawful heir. The rest joined Daemon Blackfyre, the popular bastard who carried the sword of Aegon the Conqueror and looked every inch a king.
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The uprising was put to an end at the Battle of the Redgrass Field, named not for flowers, but for the blood that soaked the land. Egg’s lyrics mention the fact that Daemon was a bastard, the bloody conclusion of the rebellion, and the notorious hammer and anvil strategy that destroyed the Blackfyre army.
The cavalry of Prince Baelor was like a hammer, and the shield wall of Prince Maekar was like an anvil. It was savage, efficient, and complete. What is impressive is the efficiency with which the song does this. Within one minute, the audience receives political news, family background, and military strategy, all set to a song that sounds like it was played in a roadside tavern.
Songs Are How The Smallfolk Remember The Past
The song also informs us about something more about Westeros itself. ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ is a novel based on the lives of common people, not kings. History is not written in books for the smallfolk, as most of them are illiterate. It exists in songs, jokes, and half-remembered verses that are transmitted between generations.
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That is important, as songs make things easier. They select heroes and villains. They leave out nuance, grief, and moral gray areas. There is always more to the story than the singers tell, as George R. R. Martin hints in his novellas.
Egg’s song is catchy, yet it is propaganda, whether he realizes it or not. That way, the song is not just a fun moment. It is a reminder that in Westeros, history is not only written by the conquerors, but also sung by them.
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