Czy spłacą swoje długi? : władza i ekonomia w Pieśni lodu i ognia George'a R.R. Martina

Abstract

The author discusses G.R.R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels "A Song Of Ice And Fire" (so far five volumes published in the years 1996-2011, Polish edition 1998-2011), which is highly popular in Poland. He demonstrates two poetics and two different motivations that compete with each other in the series. The first one, typical of mythopoeic fantasy, relates to the danger of cosmic order and the attempts at its restoration while within the second poetics history is the sphere of the profane, a domain of coincidence and pure chance. In result, from the mythopoetic perspective Westeros turns out to be a (metaphysically) fallen land. After the overthrow of House of Targaryen the power and the throne become the object of play which has no rules and within which each pretender is in fact an usurper. However, it is the financial order, represented by the Iron Bank of Braavos, which regulates chaos. Interestingly, in the world invented by Martin the bankers are not the guards of the political status quo. Since the inhabitants of Braavos come from the fugitive slaves, it seems that the Iron Bank will eventually provide financial support for Daanerys, a heiress of the rightful rulers from House of Targaryen. The millenarian dream of the kingdom of all the “cripples and bastards and broken things” will come true only when the choice of destiny and bankers turn out to be unanimous.