Why Viserys’ Iron Throne cuts are a bad omen in House of the Dragon

House of the DragonIt was not difficult to create the many conflicts plaguing Seven Kingdoms. But one of the biggest threats to King Viserys Targaryen’s rule is largely playing out in the background.

[Ed. note: The following contains spoilers for House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.]

The series premiere reveals that Viserys is suffering from a minor injury after he sat on the Iron Throne. Viserys’s cut refuses to heal, as his maesters observe. In fact, it’s spreading. In the same episode Viserys is given a second slice from the throne. This also causes Viserys to become infected, leading to two fingers being amputated.

The reason Viserys’ wounds won’t heal is more symbolic than anything as routine as bacterial infection. Targaryen history has deep roots for the significance of Viserys being cut by Iron Throne. Game of Thrones lore, dating all the way back to the throne’s creation.

What is it like to be cut from the Iron Throne.

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Viserys’ ancestor Aegon I Targaryen constructed the Iron Throne out of a thousand broken blades he had taken from his enemies. The “ironwork monstrosity,” as George R.R. Martin refers to it in Game of ThronesThe intention was to create extreme discomfort. “A king should never sit easy,” Aegon the Conqueror explained in the first A Song of Ice and Fire book.

Aegon’s son Aenys succeeded his father, but was eventually killed by his brother, the usurper Maegor. Six years into Maegor’s infamously cruel reign, his nephew Jaehaerys Targaryen raised banners against him. After very few houses came to Maegor’s aid, he chose to spend the night brooding alone on the Iron Throne. The next morning, one of Maegor’s many wives, Elinor, found him dead in the seat with one of the throne’s blades impaled through his neck and his forearms slashed open by several other spikes.

There are multiple theories about Maegor’s death, including that he took his own life or that Elinor murdered him. Many believe the Iron Throne is responsible for Maegor’s death. It is this belief that the Iron Throne decides who should rule Westeros and those who don’t deserve it are subject to injury from its blades.

Do all those who are cut off the Iron Throne get to live?

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No — or at least not as a direct result of their wounds.

Viserys and Maegor aren’t the only ones who have been cut by Iron Throne. Daenerys Targaryen’s paranoid father Aerys II Targaryen was commonly known as The Mad King, but because he cut himself so often on the Iron Throne he was also dubbed King Scab. However, the Mad King wasn’t found dead on the throne nor of an infection from one of his many cuts. Rather, his death came at the end of Jaime Lannister’s sword.

So, while being cut by the Iron Throne may symbolize the unworthiness of a king or queen, the Iron Throne isn’t a supernatural judge, jury, and executioner that disposes of the ruler itself. Anyone who is seated on the throne already has an increased chance of being killed. If they’re on the throne and not a fit ruler, those odds go up exponentially.

What does Viserys being sliced by the Iron Throne refer to?

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It doesn’t take Viserys being cut by the Iron Throne to make it clear he isn’t necessarily a great king. Viserys, who ascended in peaceful times, is motivated by the desire to please. He prefers to ignore issues than face them head-on, as he dismisses the threats the Crabfeeder or Triarchy present. When Viserys does make bold decisions — like naming Rhaenyra as his successor or deciding to wed Alicent Hightower — these choices only sow more dissent against him.

Viserys’ first cut from the Iron Throne occurred at an unknown time, but the timing of his second injury is of particular significance, coming immediately following his decision to remove Daemon from the line of succession. This is the crucial decision that eventually leads to the Targaryen civil War. The second cut could be a signal that Viserys’ poor judgment will only lead to ruin — for himself, his family, and his kingdom. It could also just be another way to reinforce what Daemon told his brother — that Viserys is a weak king who isn’t up to bearing the burden of his own power. Either way, it’s a very bad omen for Viserys’ future.

Current, Viserys’s health is more important than his political machinations or the stability devolving in Westeros. Viserys already has two broken fingers due to his Iron Throne cuts. Only time will tell the true cost he’ll pay for his failings as king.