A Case Of The Morn Horn: Will ‘Game Of Thrones’ Introduce Two Major Weapons From The Books?

Game of Thrones really is a story of ice and fire, and alongside abominable snowmen, Daenerys and her dragons are currently the biggest threat to the Seven Kingdoms. We have already seen how dragon fire can decimate a stronghold like Harrenhal, and even Dany's baby dragons have been causing trouble over the past seven seasons. However, with only an hour of TV every week and a reduced episode order for the final two seasons, #HBO's epic saga hasn't delved as deep into the dragon lore as we might have liked.

With only 12 episodes left (currently), will showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss be looking to George R.R. Martin's books for some inspiration on how to wrap up their version of the story? Dragons will clearly play a huge part in the end game, but will we see some of the many mythical artifacts from the books and end the show with some Harry Potter-esque magic? In particular, there are two great dragon-related weapons out there in Westeros that could see our heroes facing some tough times.

Dragonbinder

Season 7 may be off to a flying start, and it looks like Dany will make a move on King's Landing, but will it really be as easy as knocking on Cersei's door? Fans of the books will know that A Dance With Dragons took the action to Meereen and the Greyjoy fleet used a secret weapon to take on Queen Daenerys. He may have been entirely cut from the show, but the books follow another Greyjoy named Victarion. In the novels, Euron sends his brother to bring Daenerys back to be his queen. Clearly Dany won't be up for that arranged marriage, but the Greyjoys have a trick up their sleeves.

We are introduced to a legendary horn known as Dragonbinder. Effectively a very large dog whistle with which the owner can command dragons as servants, Dragonbinder is essentially a bit like the Pied Piper. The only problem is, whoever blows the horn is then cooked from the inside out. Pilou Asbæk's Euron could easily take over his own storyline and that of Victarion, so are we already queuing up Dragonbinder?

While characters are so easy to discard (RIP Victarion), a key plot point like Dragonbinder almost seems too good to pass up on. As it stands, everyone is pretty sure Daenerys will topple Cersei, but the introduction of a dragon-controlling horn could level the playing field somewhat. The various trailers and promos show an epic battle at sea for Daenerys, Yara, and Theon, while many are questioning why their own ships are on fire. Here's the clincher, could we see Euron use Dragonbinder to turn the flying fiends against their own fleet?

However, the show is usually pretty good at preempting these things instead of just plonking them right in front of us. If you remember, Cersei blowing up the Great Sept of Baelor was teased all the way back in Season 2 when Tyrion found her secret stash below the capital. Dragonbinder from the books was found in Old Valyria, and the show has only shown Jorah and Tyrion taking a short vacation there. That being said, Euron could easily have picked Dragonbinder up on his travels when exiled from the Iron Islands. If the salty pirate really does own Dragonbinder, why didn't Euron tell Cersei that he had this mythical item that could bring down the latest faction of the Targaryen empire, or could that be the gift he will bring to her?

The Horn Of Winter

So, we have tackled dragons to the north, but what about the south? Next we have an altogether more deadly weapon. The premiere had the appearance of Jim Broadbent as Archmaester Ebrose, which wasn't just a subtle Harry Potter nod, but served as a stoic foreshadowing of the future. Ebrose reassured a downtrodden Samwell Tarly that the Wall has always stood and always will. Well, I wouldn't be quite so sure Archmaester.

Out there, somewhere in the snow, is the Horn of Winter. Otherwise known as Joramun’s Horn, it is an ancient artifact that has the ability to bring down the Wall. As the first King Beyond the Wall, no one knows how Joramun came into possession of the horn, but it apparently has the power to “wake the giants from the earth.” Some think that could point to the giants we saw marching with the White Walkers in the season premiere, but others hope that it could be the mythical ice dragons that live beyond the Shivering Sea.

The horn has conveniently been lost, but as with all of these things that Martin talks of, it must mean something somewhere down the line. If you remember, Grenn and Sam found a bundle of lost items at the Fist of the First Men, which, as well as containing dragonglass, also had a battered old horn. Tin foil hat theorists suggest that this broken horn that Jon gave to Sam could in fact be the Horn of Winter!

Winter is coming.

Ending the season with the Wall coming down and Bran's vision of wight giants and White Walkers marching through the wreckage would be one hell of a bookend to the season premiere. Personally, I see the final six episodes of Season 8 moving away from King's Landing and focusing purely on the war of winter in the north.

Just as Dragonbinder can control the Valyrian dragons, it is assumed that the Horn of Winter can control ice dragons. It is a long-standing theory that the show will introduce ice dragons before its ends, while things don't look good for one of Dany's own brood if the spoilers are to be believed. Apart from the likes of Melisandre and Beric Dondarrion, the show has veered away from the more mythical elements books, but as we head into the final run of episodes, perhaps it is about time we get back to some good ol' mischief and magic. With Tarly currently at the Citadel doing his best bookworm impression, and alongside the Danerys-loving Jorah Mormont, both horns are but a page turn away.