--- title: Game of Thrones: Daenerys Targaryen Fire Immunity, Explained description: The final scene of the fourth episode of Game of Thrones saw Daenerys emerging from the burning temple of the dosh khaleen unscathed. canonical: https://time.com/4336953/game-of-thrones-daenerys-targaryen-fire-immunity/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-16T15:43:29.000Z article:modified_time: 2023-12-13T09:53:01.000Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: The Key to Daenerys's Fire Immunity on Game of Thrones og:description: The unburnt! og:url: https://time.com/4336953/game-of-thrones-daenerys-targaryen-fire-immunity/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f0b766ad427fd56/69889347f887dca9e4e95ddb/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4057 og:image:height: 2282 og:image:alt: emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Key to Daenerys's Fire Immunity on Game of Thrones twitter:description: The unburnt! twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3f0b766ad427fd56/69889347f887dca9e4e95ddb/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:51 video:published: 2016-04-22 section: history topics: dragons, cultural symbolism, mythology, Arthurian tradition, medieval literature, Game of Thrones, greed, folklore genre: lecture, interview tones: thoughtful, curious, analytical, engaging emotions: curiosity (medium), excitement (low), fear (low) sentiment: neutral audience: general audiences, fantasy fans, history enthusiasts, students people: Christopher Fee products: Game of Thrones, The Hobbit transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # The Real Story Behind Daenerys Targaryen's Fire Immunity on _Game of Thrones_ > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: A History of Dragons [Watch (HLS stream): A History of Dragons](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/aX3EGE0r.m3u8) (2:51)  _Published 2016-04-22. Professor Christopher Fee discusses the history of dragons in our culture and their relevance today._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Professor Christopher Fee discusses how dragons have appeared across cultures and stories, serving as a canvas for cultural fears and desires. He contrasts dragon symbolism in Asian, biblical, medieval, and Arthurian traditions. He connects dragon myths to travellers' accounts and relates the dragon's dual nature of power and greed to Game of Thrones. ## Key points - Dragons are described as a canvas upon which cultures paint their fears and desires, which is why they remain relevant as they change with us. (00:02) - Today a dragon is often defined as a giant, scaly, winged reptilian beast that can breathe fire, but in the ancient world dragons were often giant serpents. (00:35) - In Asian culture dragons are often symbols of good luck and good fortune, while in the biblical tradition they are clearly evil. (00:50) - In the middle ages dragons were emblems of greed and avarice, a theme developed in the Hobbit through Smaug. (01:00) - In the Arthurian tradition dragons are associated with the rise of a mighty royal house and with omens and portents about their demise. (01:19) - Dragon myths spread partly through travellers returning with stories, such as a crocodile seen in North Africa appearing monstrous and demonic to an English traveller. (01:46) - Dragons represent what we fear both in the outside world and within ourselves, such as greed. (02:08) - Game of Thrones plays with the tension between the best and worst of humanity, which is fully developed in the dragon symbol. (02:15) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:35] Dragons as a cultural canvas. Fee explains why dragons recur across cultures and stories and how they reflect shifting human fears and desires. - [00:35 to 01:19] Changing dragon symbolism across traditions. Fee traces how dragons were depicted as serpents, symbols of luck, evil beings, and emblems of greed in different traditions. - [01:19 to 01:46] Arthurian dragons and Game of Thrones. Fee links Arthurian associations of dragons with royalty and portents to their presence in Game of Thrones. - [01:46 to 02:08] Travellers' tales and monstrous beasts. Fee explains how returning travellers' stories helped spread dragon myths, using the crocodile as an example. - [02:08 to 02:51] Dragons as reflections of ourselves. Fee argues that dragons embody both external and internal fears and the tension between humanity's best and worst qualities. ## Key quotes - [00:02] Christopher Fee: "Dragons are like a canvas upon which we paint our fears and desires as a culture" - [00:35] Christopher Fee: "In today's world we often define a dragon as a giant, scaly, winged reptilian beast, often can breathe fire." - [01:00] Christopher Fee: "In the middle ages, dragons were indeed emblems of greed, avarice." - [02:08] Christopher Fee: "In our culture, dragons tell us about that which we fear not just out on the world like a crocodile but within ourselves like greed." ## Questions this video answers - Why do dragons keep appearing across different cultures and stories? [00:02] - How has the definition of a dragon changed over time? [00:35] - How are dragons portrayed differently in Asian and biblical traditions? [00:50] - What did dragons symbolize in the middle ages? [01:00] - How did travellers' stories help spread dragon myths? [01:46] - What do dragons reveal about human fears and desires? [02:08]  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:53 AM UTCPublished: May 16, 2016 3:43 PM UTC Professor Christopher Fee discusses the history of dragons in our culture and their relevance today.  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Updated: Dec 13, 2023 9:53 AM UTCPublished: May 16, 2016 3:43 PM UTC **Warning:** This post contains spoilers from both the [_Game of Thrones_ TV show](http://time.com/4328562/game-of-thrones-ramsay-bolton-umbers-conspiracy-theory/) and George R.R. Martin’s _A Song of Ice and Fire_ series. Everyone saw [Daenerys Targaryen](http://time.com/4324849/game-of-thrones-daenerys-dothraki-theory/?iid=sr-link1) emerging from the burning temple of the dosh khaleen unscathed, demonstrating to everyone present why she is referred to as, “the Unburnt” during final scene of the fourth episode of [_Game of Thrones_](http://time.com/4320854/game-of-thrones-starks-seven-faced-god-theory/)‘ sixth season. > [](https://twitter.com/Bam%5FKapow/status/732162949867929601) It was the second time viewers have seen the Mother of Dragons walk naked out of a raging fire — with the first, of course, being after she hatched said dragons in the closing moments of the season one finale. “The end of episode 6.04 is definitely meant consciously to echo the end of episode 1.10\. It’s Dany stepping out of a flame to great effect. This time it was just on a much much larger scale,” showrunner D.B. Weiss said in HBO’s post-episode interview. “The act of stepping out of that burning temple in which all the Dothraki power structure had just perished pretty much makes her the queen of the Dothraki in one fell swoop.” However, this sequence contradicts some of the mythology that has been set down in the _Song of Ice and Fire_ series by George R.R. Martin. The author has dismissed the idea that Daenerys cannot be harmed by fire in the past. “TARGARYENS ARE NOT IMMUNE TO FIRE!,” [he said during a discussion with fans](http://web.archive.org/web/20000615222300/http://www.eventhorizon.com/sfzine/chats/transcripts/031899.html). ‘The birth of Dany’s dragons was unique, magical, wonderous, a miracle. She is called The Unburnt because she walked into the flames and lived. But her brother sure as hell wasn’t immune to that molten gold.” **Read More:** [Emilia Clarke on That _Game of Thrones_ Nude Scene: ‘That Ain’t No Body Double!’](http://time.com/4336764/game-of-thrones-emilia-clarke-nude/) So, this could mean one of two things. Either _G.o.T._ is purposely diverging from the rules of the _ASOIAF_ universe for some yet unknown reason or — since Dany’s show storyline is farther along than it is in the books — the scene will play out the same way with Martin providing further detail about the Khaleesi’s fiery powers. ## Transcript [00:02] Well, dragons never seem to go away do they? They [00:06] occur in culture after culture. They occur in story after [00:10] story. The idea of. Of being able [00:14] to live in world full of magical creatures well that offers [00:18] a certain excitement and joy and curiosity. Dragons [00:22] are like a canvas upon which we paint our fears and [00:25] desires as a culture and I think they remain relevant [00:28] because they change with us. [ MUSIC ] [00:35] Well in today's world we often define a dragon as a [00:38] giant, scaly, winged reptilian beast, often can breathe [00:43] fire. In the ancient world this wasn't always the case. [00:46] They were very often giant serpents of various kinds. [00:50] And they could be also multivalent. In the Asian world [00:54] for example, dragons are often Symbols of good luck, [00:57] good fortune. While in the biblical tradition, on the [01:00] other hand, dragons are clearly evil. In the middle [01:03] ages, dragons were indeed emblems of greed, [01:08] avarice. Most people in America today would know that [01:10] through the Hobbit and Smaug the dragon who was [01:13] clearly developed on that exact theme and that In [01:19] the Arthurian tradition, dragons are associated with the [01:22] rise of a mighty, powerful, royal house, as well with [01:26] omens and portents having to do with their demise. It [01:29] seems to me that in Game of Thrones, this association [01:32] with royalty and portents comes most clearly from [01:37] the Arthurian tradition which Dragons might represents [01:39] [ UNKNOWN ] [ MUSIC ] One [01:46] of the ways that dragons myth spread was through [01:49] travellers coming back with stories of dragons. So [01:51] imagine if you will that, you travelled to North Africa [01:56] from England When the 12th to 13th century and you [01:59] saw a crocodile wouldn't that appear to you to be a [02:03] monstrous, demonic beast? In [02:08] our culture, dragons tell us about that which we fear [02:12] not just out on the world like a crocodile but within [02:15] ourselves like greed. Game of Thrones Plays [02:19] with our sense of light and darkness, the best of [02:23] humanity and the worst of humanity. And this tension is [02:26] developed fully in the symbol of the dragon. Because [02:30] the dragon, Dragon represents great power, but it also [02:33] represents greed and destruction. And this bring [02:37] together of these ideas tell us something about [02:40] ourselves. Both what we fear, what we want, and what [02:43] we would like to be. 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