- "Vaes Dothrak... the city of the horselords."
- ―Ser Jorah Mormont
Vaes Dothrak as depicted in the title sequence, with Westeros in the distant background.
Vaes Dothrak is the only city in the Dothraki Sea, located near the far north-eastern edge of the region. It lies in the shadow of a vast peak known by the Dothraki as the Mother of Mountains, Vaes Dothrak is a place of peace where the Dothraki khalasars may gather and meet to trade, but not to fight. Therefore weapons are not allowed into Vaes Dothrak. Dothraki holy women, known as dosh khaleen, live in the city and are respected by all Dothraki.[1] The entrance to Vaes Dothrak is marked by two large statues depicting a pair of stallions.[2]
Behind the scenes
The location of Vaes Dothrak in the title sequence of Game of Thrones is erroneous. Later maps show the city lying in farther in the east of Essos, whilst the title sequence map shows it much closer to the center of the Dothraki sea. George R.R. Martin did not provide detailed maps for the Dothraki Sea until well into production of the second season. According to the TV series official pronunciation guide developed for the cast and crew, "Vaes Dothrak" is pronounced "VIE-iss Doth-RACK", as opposed to "Vays Doth-RACK", etc. "Vaes" is pronounced as two distinct syllables.
In the books
In A Song of Ice and Fire, Daenerys Targaryen travels east to Vaes Dothrak to gain acceptance and approval for her marriage to Khal Drogo. This frustrates her brother Viserys, since Vaes Dothrak is a thousand miles or more in the "wrong" direction compared to his desire to invade Westeros. Vaes Dothrak lies close to the Mother of Mountains and a lake known by the Dothraki as the Womb of the World, from where, according to Dothraki myth, the first man emerged riding the first horse.
References
- ↑ HBO viewers guide, season 2 map, Vaes Dothrak entry
- ↑ "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"
See also
Template:Essos