79 Eikón Imago 11 2022: 79-92 Mother of Dragons Sharon Khalifa-Gueta 1 Recibido: 25 de junio de 2021 / Aceptado: 11 de noviembre de 2021 / Publicado: 1 de marzo de 2022 Abstract. Daenerys Targaryen’s metamorphosis scene is analyzed in this article, with accordance to the millennia old structure of the motif of “the woman and the dragon”. It is suggested in this article, that the visual manifestation of Daenerys in the HBO series Game of Thrones, is a reception of ancient Greco-Roma, and Early modern art. This article follows the iconography of four examples: the Minoan fgurine of a priestess or goddess that holds serpents in her hands, Medea’s apotheosis on dragons-driven chariot from a vase painting, Saint Margaret wooden relic statue with the tiny dragon, and Cleopatra’s death by snakebites image. By following these examples an iconological line is drawn to connect between Daenerys visualization and the historic examples of the motif, demonstrating reception of not only visual issues but also concepts and meanings. Understanding iconographic and iconological reception in Daenerys television image refect on conscious and unconscious aspects of her character and the way her fgure engages with the viewers. Keywords: Daenerys Targaryen; Dragons; Great Goddess; Game of Thrones; A Song of Ice and Fire. [es] Madre de dragones Resumen. En este artículo se analiza la escena de la metamorfosis de Daenerys Targaryen, de acuerdo con la estructura milenaria del motivo de “la mujer y el dragón”. Se sugiere que la manifestación visual de Daenerys en la serie de HBO Juego de Tronos, es una recepción de los antiguos greco-romaníes y del arte moderno temprano. Este artículo sigue la iconografía de cuatro ejemplos: la estatuilla minoica de una sacerdotisa o diosa que sostiene serpientes en sus manos, la apoteosis de Medea sobre un carro conducido por dragones de una pintura de jarrón, la estatua de madera de Santa Margarita con el pequeño dragón y la imagen de la muerte de Cleopatra por mordeduras de serpiente. Siguiendo estos ejemplos, se traza una línea iconológica para conectar entre la visualización de Daenerys y los ejemplos históricos del motivo, demostrando la recepción no solo de cuestiones visuales sino también de conceptos y signifcados. Para comprender la recepción iconográfca e iconológica en la imagen televisiva de Daenerys, se refejan los aspectos conscientes e inconscientes de su personaje y la forma en que su fgura se relaciona con los espectadores. Palabras clave: Daenerys Targaryen; dragones; Gran Diosa; Juego de Tronos; Canción de hielo y fuego. Summary. 1. Introduction. 2. The Metamorphosis Scene: Description Versus Image. 3. The Ancient Meaning of Dragons. 4. The Minoan Figurine: A Goddess or a Mistress of Dragons. 5. Medea: The Goddess and the Witch. 6. Saint Margaret Emerging from the Dragon. 7. Cleopatra: The Dragons as Messengers of Death. 8. The Power of the Goddess and Its Meaning. 9. Conclusions. 10. Written sources and bibliographical references. How to cite: Khalifa-Gueta, S. “Mother of Dragons”. In Pre-Modern “Pop Cultures”? Images and Objects Around the Mediterranean (350-1918 CE), edited by Ivan Foletti, Adrien Palladino and Zuzana Frantová. Monographic Issue, Mono- graphic Issue, Eikón Imago 11 (2022), 79-92. 1 University of Haifa, Department of Art History - School of History E-mail: skhali18@campus.haifa.ac.il ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8535-1317 2 George R. R. Martin, A Song of Ice and Fire (New York: Bantam Books; Voyager Books, 1996), 798-807; David Benioff, and D. B. Weiss, Game of Thrones, HBO (2011-19), 1.10.40-49. MONOGRÁFICO Eikón Imago ISSN-e: 2254-8718 https://dx.doi.org/10.5209/eiko.76756 1. Introduction In the last episode of the frst season of the popular HBO series Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen, also known as Khaleesi, goes through a metamorpho- sis 2 . Her character has a key role in the series, written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, adapted from George R. R. Martin’s book series A Song of Ice and Fire. At the culminating moment of the frst season, Khaleesi’s beloved husband, Khal Drogo, has just passed away, and she, in a desperate attempt to save him, has lost her un- born baby. His cremation is arranged in the form of two circles of fre. Daenerys’s wedding gift – three ancient dragon-eggs – are placed on Drogo’s pyre, and the witch Mirri Maz Duur, who failed to save his life, screams in the background as she is burnt alive with him. Sudden- ly, Daenerys begins to walk into the fre, desperate and longing to die with her lost husband. When the fre sub-