House of the Dragon surpasses its predecessor, Game of Thrones, in one notable way: the number of dragons featured. The series keeps adding more dragons, and Season 2’s second-to-last episode brings a bloody chapter of the Dance of the Dragons.
Although the term is not used in the episode, Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) works to find new riders for her dragonless dragons. This effort is known as the Sowing of the Seeds or the Red Sowing. The name carries a dark connotation, partly because “red” reminds viewers of the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones.
The term “sowing” refers to Rhaenyra’s effort to gather Targaryen bastards, known as dragonseed, and present them to dragons, hoping to find new riders.
House of the Dragon follows the story from Fire & Blood but makes some changes. Rhaenyra wants to compete against Vhagar by adding more dragons but struggles to find riders, which leads to many deaths.
‘House of the Dragon’s Dragonseed Characters: Who Are They?
Eventually, she successfully finds three new dragonriders for powerful dragons, giving her side a chance against Vhagar. However, this comes at the cost of the Targaryen reputation for being the only one who can bond with dragons.
The Red Sowing starts being hinted at several episodes before. The Blacks face a setback with the loss of Meleys and Rhaenys (Eve Best), which threatens their position. Jace (Harry Collett) proposes finding families with Targaryen blood to claim dragons like Seasmoke, Vermithor, and Silverwing.
Rhaenyra sets out to find families connected to the Targaryens. However, due to the Targaryen tradition of incest, she finds only one legitimate descendant. This descendant, Steffon Darklyn (Anthony Flanagan), attempts to bond with Seasmoke but is killed in the process. Seasmoke then chooses Addam of Hull (Clinton Liberty) as his rider, surprising and frightening the shipwright.
Rhaenyra broadens her search to anyone with possible Targaryen blood, mainly bastard children or those descended from them. Many come from King’s Landing hoping to get a dragon and the associated honor. The dragonkeepers are hesitant to help, fearing many attempts will fail and result in deaths like Darklyn’s.
They are right; the first dragonseed to try gets burned by Vermithor, causing chaos and leading to two new dragonriders emerging from the chaos.
The term dragonseed, used long before the Dance of the Dragons, refers to Targaryen and sometimes Valyrian bastards. It usually describes those who successfully bond with dragons.
Dragons do not seem to care about legitimacy as much as previously thought. While many attempted riders with Valyrian features were rejected and met fiery ends, Addam, Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew), and Ulf the White (Tom Bennett) meet the mysterious criteria needed to bond with dragons.
Addam, chosen by Seasmoke, shows that new dragonriders are possible. Though he has no known Targaryen blood, he is the bastard son of Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint), who comes from Old Valyria and has a history with the Targaryens. Addam does not take part in the official Sowing of the Seeds but makes a promise to Rhaenyra, seeking education in dragonriding.
Hugh and Ulf come from King’s Landing after hearing Rhaenyra’s offer. Ulf, who claims to be the bastard son of Baelon the Brave, is unsure of his heritage. Despite his doubts, he goes to Dragonstone and survives Vermithor’s attack by hiding in a cave where Silverwing chooses him.
Hugh, who believes he has Targaryen blood from his mother, accepts Rhaenyra’s offer to provide for his wife. Vermithor selects Hugh after he distracts the dragon from killing another dragonseed, sacrificing himself in the process.
What Distinguishes the Red Sowing in “Fire & Blood”?
The Red Sowing in Fire & Blood differs slightly from the series. While House of the Dragon focuses on Targaryen lineage, Fire & Blood’s Sowing of the Seeds included anyone with some Targaryen or Valyrian blood.
Darklyn’s Targaryen ancestry is not mentioned, and the book records a death toll of 16 and 48 injuries, which is less structured compared to the series. In the book, Nettles joins the dragonriders after claiming a wild dragon.
House of the Dragon hints at three wild dragons, but only one has left Dragonstone, leaving the possibility of more events. The Red Sowing has already made its mark, regardless of what happens next.
