Histories & Lore

"Histories & Lore" is a series of short animated videos included in Blu-ray release of each TV season of Game of Thrones.

In Season 1, the animated featurettes were titled the "Complete Guide to Westeros", but from Season 2 onwards they were titled the "Histories & Lore" videos. For the sake of simplicity and ease of access, the Season 1 videos are listed here on Game of Thrones Wiki alongside the others, retroactively included them as "Histories & Lore" videos.

Style

Actual cast members, in-character, narrate the major events of the 12,000 year long history of Westeros. Each video lasts for about one to three minutes (sometimes slightly more), and the videos included in each season's Blu-ray set have a combined running time of 60 minutes: thus each functionally constitutes a full-length "bonus episode" of sorts. The Season 1 featurettes were written by staff "lore master" Bryan Cogman. After he was promoted to full staff writer, from Season 2 onwards they were written by his assistant Dave Hill (who was also later promoted to a full episode writer in Season 5), though Cogman still oversaw the scripts for them.

The goal is that viewers new to the TV series that are not familiar with author George R.R. Martin's books are given within the space of an hour a thorough crash-course on all of the vital things one needs to know about the backstory of the world of Westeros.

Similar to the theme of the books, each of the characters gives their own perspective on historical events. For example, Robert Baratheon is filled with self-righteous fury when he describes the Sack of King's Landing, while Viserys Targaryen stresses what a betrayal it was and how the Targaryen children were butchered. The House Stark characters are horrified by the bloodshed in the Sack of King's Landing, while Tywin Lannister considers it to have been a necessary evil.

The featurettes are not fully animated, but rather the "camera" pans over detailed still-frame artwork as characters narrate their contents. The drawings were produced by the TV series's storyboard artist William Simpson, among others such as Elia Mervi.

In Season 1 the artwork was in the form of charcoal drawings, but as they were well-received, more time and resources were put into those produced in subsequent seasons, including full color and more detailed artwork. From Season 2 onwards the videos also include much more zooming and and out from by the camera, and sometimes even shifting between two frames to show action (a raised axe in one shot will be lowered while the rest of the frame remains still). As a result they came more of a motion comic.

Season 1

(Called the "Complete Guide to Westeros" in the Season 1 Blu-ray)

• "The Children of the Forest, the First Men, and the Andals": Bran Stark speaks of the original inhabitants of Westeros, their conflict with the First Men and the later invasion of the Andals.
• "The Age of Heroes": Bran Stark briefly narrates the stories of legendary figures of several of the seven independent kingdoms that existed prior to the War of Conquest
• "The Old Gods and the New": Bran Stark and Catelyn Tully explain the nature of the two largest religions in Westeros: the Old Gods of the Forest and the Faith of the Seven.
• "The History of the Night's Watch": Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, Maester Luwin, and Lord Tywin Lannister separately narrate the origins and purpose of the Night's Watch and describe its current status from their own perspective.
• "The Order of Maesters": Maester Luwin explains the role and function of the Order of Maesters in the Seven Kingdoms as well as studies aspiring Maesters undergo.
• "Valyria and the Dragons": Viserys Targaryen narrates the origins of the Valyrian Freehold, the role of dragons in Valyrian supremacy and the consequences of the Doom.
• "The Field of Fire": Viserys Targaryen and Robb Stark give separate accounts of the War of Conquest and the consequences of the Field of Fire.
• "Mad King Aerys": King Robert Baratheon, Maester Luwin and Lord Tywin Lannister speak their own accounts of the actions of King Aerys II Targaryen that led to Robert's Rebellion.
• "Robert's Rebellion": King Robert Baratheon and Viserys Targaryen give their own perspectives on the events of Robert's Rebellion up from its beginnings to the Battle of the Trident.
• "The Sack of King's Landing": Viserys Targaryen, King Robert Baratheon, Maester Luwin, and Lord Tywin Lannister describe the Sack of King's Landing and offer their own conflicting opinions on the event.
• "House Stark": Bran and Robb Stark narrate the ancient origins, history and particularities of House Stark.
• "House Lannister": Lord Tywin Lannister speaks of the origins, status, and power of House Lannister and his role in the Reyne Rebellion.
• "House Targaryen": Viserys Targaryen narrates the origins of the Targaryen dynasty, the conquest of the Seven Kingdoms and the exile of himself and Princess Daenerys Targaryen.
• "House Baratheon": King Robert I explains the origins of House Baratheon in the War of Conquest and its rise to royalty after Robert's Rebellion.
• "House Arryn": Catelyn Tully speaks of the origins of House Arryn and the conquest of the Vale during the Andal invasion and its role in Robert's Rebellion.

Season 2

• "Greyjoy Rebellion", by Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy, and Stannis Baratheon
• "Robert's Rebellion", by Stannis Baratheon, Davos Seaworth, Margaery Tyrell, and Catelyn Stark
• "House Tyrell", by Margaery Tyrell
• "House Greyjoy", by Theon and Yara Greyjoy
• "House Clegane", by Sandor Clegane
• "The Free Folk", by Ygritte
• "The Night's Watch", by Ygritte
• "Dragonstone", by Stannis Baratheon
• "Harrenhal", by Catelyn Stark
• "The Free Cities", by Jorah Mormont
• "Qarth", by Xaro Xhoan Daxos
• "The Drowned God", by Yara Greyjoy
• "The Alchemists' Guild", by Wisdom Hallyne
• "The Warlocks", by Xaro Xhoan Daxos

Season 3

• "Old Ghis & Slaver's Bay", by Jorah Mormont
• "The Unsullied", by Jorah Mormont
• "House Reed", by Meera Reed
• "House Bolton", by Roose Bolton
• "House Frey", by Catelyn Stark
• "House Tully", by Brynden Tully
• "The Lord of Light", by Thoros of Myr
• "Wargs and the Sight", by Bran Stark
• "Robert's Rebellion", by Petyr Baelish and Varys
• "The Red Keep", by Joffrey Baratheon
• "The North", by Jon Snow
• "The Reach", by Margaery Tyrell
• "The Riverlands", by Brynden Tully
• "The Stormlands", by Brienne of Tarth
• "The Westerlands", by Tywin Lannister
• "The Vale", by Petyr Baelish

Season 4

• "House Martell": Oberyn Martell discusses the history and reputation of House Martell, the strong-willed ruling family of Dorne that refused to join the Seven Kingdoms for centuries.
• "House Baelish", by Petyr Baelish
• "Dragons", by Pycelle
• "Poisons", by Oberyn Martell
• "The Bastards of Westeros", by Ellaria Sand
• "The Iron Bank of Braavos", by Tycho Nestoris
• "Sellswords & Hedge Knights", by Bronn
• "Robert's Rebellion", by Oberyn Martell
• "The Wall", by Samwell Tarly
• "The Nations of the North", by Tormund
• "The Kingsguard", by Jaime Lannister and Bronn
• "The Maester's Chain", by Qyburn
• "The Death of Kings", by Varys
• "Valyrian Steel", by Jorah Mormont
• "Justice of the Seven Kingdoms", by Bronn

Voice Cast

• Mark Addy as King Robert Baratheon
• Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
• Nonso Anozie as Xaro Xhoan Daxos
• John Bradley-West as Samwell Tarly
• Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
• James Cosmo as Lord Commander Jeor Mormont
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister
• Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth
• Charles Dance as Lord Tywin Lannister
• Stephen Dillane as King Stannis Baratheon
• Natalie Dormer as Margaery Tyrell
• Roy Dotrice as Wisdom Hallyne
• Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark
• Jerome Flynn as Ser Bronn
• Mark Gatiss as Tycho Nestoris
• Aidan Gillen as Lord Petyr Baelish
• Jack Gleeson as King Joffrey Baratheon
• Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont
• Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
• Kit Harington as Jon Snow
• Conleth Hill as Lord Varys
• Kristofer Hivju as Tormund
• Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr
• Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
• Rose Leslie as Ygritte
• Anton Lesser as Qyburn
• Harry Lloyd as Prince Viserys Targaryen
• Richard Madden as King Robb Stark
• Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
• Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton
• Pedro Pascal as Prince Oberyn Martell
• Clive Russell as Ser Brynden Tully
• Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin
• Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
• Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
• Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Bran Stark