A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms doesn’t just feature a whole bunch of Targaryen princes. It also has a whole lot of references to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Here are all of the Easter eggs, terms, and lore from Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, and the history of Westeros in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms‘ third episode.
Ser Robyn Rhysling
“The maddest knight” in the Seven Kingdoms hails from noble House Rhysling of the Reach. Ser Robyn lost an eye battling his own liege lord, Leo Tyrell, during a previous jousting competition. Despite his injury, though, Ser Robyn continued fighting and won. He cites his devotion to the Warrior for his ferocious fighting spirit. The Warrior is one of the new gods known as the Seven. The Warrior is the aspect of the Seven who represents strength and courage.
Little is known of House Rhysling, but A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms has now confirmed its sigil features a door of oak surrounded by steel on a black banner.
“The Hammer and the Anvil”
The song Egg was singing in the tree is called “The Hammer and the Anvil.” It was another clue about his real identity. The song commemorates the actions of his father Maeker and uncle Baelor during the final battle of the First Blackfyre Rebellion, an infamous Targaryen civil war.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the first story of any kind to reveal lyrics from the song, which was only known by name and subject matter previously. You can learn all about this deep cut reference and the history (both true and misleading) behind it with our full breakdown here.
“Alice With Three Fingers” and the Bawdy Bar Songs of Westeros
The episode’s other song, “Alice With Three Fingers,” is a wholly original creation by A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. There’s no known song in George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire about anyone named Alice, Hope, or a woman with three fingers who makes her living..uh…well, you watched the episode. You know. You know. But despite being entirely new, “Alice with Three Fingers” pays tribute to the many bawdy ditties referenced throughout Martin’s stories. Vulgar songs are as beloved throughout the Realm as good strong ale.
There is a character who shares something in common with Alice, though. Three-Finger Hobb is the main cook at Castle Black. He very briefly appeared in an uncredited appearance on Game of Thrones, where he was only known as Hobb. Three-Finger Hobb is far more present in the novels.
House Hardyng
When Dunk and Egg went to watch the first day of the lists they saw two knights both named Humfrey in combat. One was a knight of House Beesbury (black and yellow sigil with three bee hives, seen previously) jousting with a knight of House Hardyng.
House Hardyng—which swears allegiance to its liege lords of House Waynwood—resides in the Vale of Arryn, a realm renowned for its noble knights. House Hardyng honors that tradition. It is a house of landed knights. They are not lords and don’t marry into great houses, but landed knights are still a part of Westeros’ nobility, like Game of Thrones’ Ser Davos Seaworth and Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane.
(Lords can be knights, but not all knights are lords. It’s a rectangle-square situation.)
An honorable knight like Ser Humfrey Hardyng would never lower his lance to spear a horse like his opponent Aerion did later in the episode.
Summerhall
Aegon and his oldest brother Daeron went missing after departing their home of Summerhall for Ashford. Summerhall is a Targaryen castle in the stormlands in the Dornish Marches near the border of the Reach. House Targaryen built it during the early years of King Daeron II’s reign. The royal family originally used it as a summer castle. But despite it being far less fortified than the Red Keep, Daeron eventually gave it to his youngest son Maekar to call home. Maekar lived there after the Blackfyre Rebellion ended. (Why did Daeron give his fourth son an entire castle? As the oldest and heir to the Iron Throne, Baelor already called Dragonstone his own. Daeron’s other two sons, the non-warriors Aerys and Rhaegel, called King’s Landing home.)
History will not remember Summerhall for who lived there, but rather for how it fell to ruin. But on A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms that story is still a lifetime away…
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. He really wants HBO to adapt the Blackfyre Rebellion. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.