Warning! This article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.House of the Dragon episode 8 showcased the Hightower family's connection to the Faith of the Seven and the maesters of Westeros more than ever, with that connection going deeper when looking at their history together. Alicent Hightower has been shown since the early episodes of House of the Dragon to have a deep connection to the Faith of the Seven, or the New Gods of Westeros, due to her prayers with Rhaenyra. Similarly, the maesters have always been close with both her and her father, Otto Hightower.
Well, the connection between the family and both the Faith and maesters goes even deeper than House of the Dragon has shown up to this point. From the Hightower's hailing from Oldtown, like the maesters, to their historical connection with the High Septon of the Faith, House of the Dragon has only scratched the surface of the connection, as it spans back across a huge amount of time. House of the Dragon episode 8 showcases the Faith's relationship with Alicent and Otto especially, exemplifying the history of one of the most important houses of Westeros and how it connects to the origins of the Faith and the maesters.
The Maesters' History With House Hightower
The maesters of Westeros are an order of healers, scholars, messengers, and scientists that operate out of the Citadel. The Citadel is a giant complex of buildings located in Oldtown in which older maesters train new students looking to become part of the order. While the origin of the Citadel is disputed in Westeros' lore, the Hightower family is often considered instrumental in its foundation. After all, the seat of House Hightower from House of the Dragon is in Oldtown, and most s credit the Citadel's foundation to Peremore Hightower. Peremore was the first to invite countless scholars from all walks of life to Oldtown due to his curiosity, which eventually formed the Citadel.
Since then, House Hightower has been one of the major patrons of the Citadel. Much of the maesters guild's funding comes from the family who was instrumental in the foundation of both the Citadel and the guild that inhabits it. During the timeline of Game of Thrones, Leyton Hightower is the head of the house, with one of his titles being "Defender of the Citadel", proving that Hightower's connection with the maesters continues on long after House of the Dragon and Alicent and Otto's lives.
The Faith Of The Seven's History With House Hightower
Like the maesters, the Faith of the Seven has a deep connection with House Hightower that goes back thousands of years. Initially, the land of Westeros worshiped what is now known as the old gods, nameless deities of stone, forest, and stream. However, upon the invasion of Westeros by the Andals, worship of the Faith of the Seven began supplanting worship of the old gods. It is said that one of the first families in all of Westeros to begin worshiping these new gods was House Hightower. As the Hightowers saw war with the Andals as bad for trade, they welcomed the invaders, and Lord Damon Hightower became the first to accept the Faith of the Seven. In honorarium of the Seven gods, Damon built Westeros' first Sept in Oldtown, along with six others across the realm.
Before House Targaryen's rule of Westeros, the Starry Sept was built in Oldtown where the High Septon lived, and the city became the center of the Faith in the realm. The city remained as such until the reign of Baelor the Blessed, who constructed the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. After this construction, King's Landing became the new center for the Faith of the Seven in Westeros, commemorated by the Great Sept itself.
Maesters & Faith's Hightower Link Explains HOTD's Rhaenyra Changes
One of the main changes to Rhaenyra's character in House of the Dragon from Fire & Blood is how sympathetic she is. In the book, she is portrayed in a much harsher light than in the show, thanks largely in part to the connection between House Hightower and the maesters. The reason for this comes from the Fire & Blood book and its unreliable narration. The book is written as an in-universe of House Targaryen's history from an Archmaester named Gyldayn. Gyldayn is the one responsible for writing up the bulk of the Targayren's reign, with the events lending themselves to the story of House of the Dragon. Naturally, given the Hightowers' deep connection, patronage, and shared home with the maesters, it is expected for Gyldayn to be somewhat biased towards the family. This provides an explanation as to why Fire & Blood's depiction of Rhaenyra - House Hightowers' main enemy during the Dance of Dragons - is so negative, and why House of the Dragon makes the Targaryen princess a much more sympathetic character overall.
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