Lord Corlys Velaryon: 5 Cool facts about the Head of House Velaryon in House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon premiered on 21 August 2022, and fans went bonkers over this Game of Thrones spinoff. So, here we have some interesting things about the head of House Velaryon, Lord Corlys Velaryon. Read on!
House of the Dragon is a sister series to the renowned Game of Thrones and is even considered to be a prequel to the latter as it dates 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones. Since the release of Episode 1 of the series, which by the way exploded the internet, fans have gone crazy googling about the characters, cast, timelines, references, and whatnot.
So, here we bring you a few facts about one of the characters of this series - Lord Corlys Velaryon, also known as The Sea Snake, and is the Head of House Velaryon.
Long story short - we will be seeing a lot more of this character, so it is only fair that we learn as much about him as possible. Without further chit-chat, let's get to the facts!
Who is Lord Corlys Velaryon?
These three statements sum up who Corlys Velaryon is, or rather, how crucial this character is.
Lord Corlys Velaryon -
• Owner of the largest navy in the Westerosi world
• Richer than the Lannisters could think to be
• Made House Velaryon a powerful seat
Now, for an in-depth overview of him -
Corlys Velaryon is the ultimate leader of a formidable family that has ancient roots. He is married to Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Corlys Velaryon was THE greatest explorer in Westeros and was given the nickname The Sea Snake in his youth. Now, he serves as the Master of Ships in the Small Council of King Viserys. He is the richest man in the whole of Westeros, with vast wealth and the largest navy in the world, both of which put him in one of the most powerful positions in court. He is also the Master of Driftmark, a small island on the west side of Dragonstone in Blackwater Bay, which serves as the seat of House Velaryon.
Who plays the role of Lord Corlys Velaryon in the series House of the Dragon?
Steve Toussaint features as Lord Corlys Velaryon in the series House of the Dragon.
Why is Corlys called as The Sea Snake?
The series, in reality, never truly explains why Lord Corlys is often called by his nickname, the Sea Snake. However, according to the book (from which the series is adapted), Corlys gave himself this nickname.
It was his ship, Sea Snake, that made him the most renowned explorer through his countless voyages east of Westeros during his younger years. These voyages were also the primary reason for his becoming immensely rich and powerful. To honor his ship, he began calling himself the Sea Snake.
Lord Corlys Velaryon: 5 Cool facts about the Head of House Velaryon in House of the Dragon
1. Rhaenys Targaryen’s husband
Corlys Velaryon became the Lord of the Tide post his grandfather's death. Then he went on to create a new seat, High Tide, to store all the treasures that he had gathered during his infamous voyages. As he became richer than both Houses Lannister and Hightower, he held a lot of power to take Princess Rhaenys Targaryen (the only child of Prince Aemon Targaryen, the eldest son of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen) as his wife. Lord Corlys Velaryon had two children with Rhaenys Targaryen, Laena and Laenor, both becoming valiant dragon riders. While Laena rode Vhagar, the she-dragon, Laenor rode the Seasmoke.
2. Infamous sea expeditions
One of his many remarkable achievements was the designing and building of his ship, the Sea Snake, which he took on nine voyages to Essos. These great voyages proved to be heavily beneficial for House Velaryon as they helped to establish it as one of the most powerful and wealthiest houses in Westeros. Lord Corlys was also among the first Westerosi to navigate the Thousand Islands of the Shivering Sea on the northernmost coast of Essos.
3. The shift of power to the Blacks
The factions supporting the ascension of Rhaenyra Targaryen to the throne were called the blacks. Whereas, the factions who showed their support to Aegon II were called the greens. Corlys played a hugely pivotal role with his support for the blacks in the Dance of the Dragons, which led Rhaenyra to ultimately win the throne of Kings’ Island. Lord Corlys thereby proved to play a substantial role during his era to determine who sat on the Iron Throne.
4. Allied with Prince Daemon Targaryen
After King Viserys I Targaryen lost Queen Aemma Arryn, his first wife, in 105 AC, the council suggested he take Laena Velaryon, Lord Corlys' daughter, as his second wife. Instead, he took Alicent Hightower as his wife. This decision spurred betrayal in the mind of Corlys. He then went on to make an alliance with the younger brother of King Viserys, Prince Daemon Targaryen, since both of them were staunchly against the decision of King Viserys's marriage to Alicent. Their newly formed allied forces waged a war on the Stepstones (that was under the rule of the Triarchy). Both Corlys and Daemon held massive power and efficiently emerged victorious, having won most of the area only in three years since the first fight in 106 AC. Soon after, Prince Daemon declared himself the King of both the Narrow Sea and the Stepstones. Later, Daemon also married the daughter of Lord Corlys, Laena.
5. The respectful death of Lord Corlys Velaryon
Lord Corlys died in 132 AC. After his graceful death, his corpse was kept under the Iron Throne for a week to show him true respect. After which, his corpse was submerged in the sea aboard his beloved ship, the Sea Snake.
It was also believed that he received a flying salute from Cannibal, the most powerful wild dragon, who flew over his burial in the east of Dragonstone.
Stay tuned to learn more about the other characters of House of the Dragon, the thrilling series that became an overnight sensation!
ALSO READ: House of the Dragon: Did it succeed as a prequel to Game of Thrones?
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