Matching 50 Game of Thrones characters with 50 European countries

Romania: the Children

Romania has a fascinating and ancient history. It’s practically filled to the brim with artifacts that have somehow survived the brutal passage of time. For instance, here you can visit Trajan’s Column, which is one of the most recognizable monuments to survive the fall of Rome. It has remained standing for more than 1,900 years. You can also find the earliest dated human fossils in all of Europe. And you can find cave drawings that illustrate Romania’s ancient and evolving history.

All of these markers of another time make me think of the Children of the Forest. These beings roamed Westeros before even the First Men. Throughout the intervening centuries — all the wars and alliances of mankind — the Children survived, largely unseen until Bran arrived at the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave beyond the Wall.

Another notable part of Romanian history is the story of Vlad the Impaler, the man who some claim inspired the characters of Dracula. Vlad Tepes was a Romanian prince who gained his bloody reputation by brutally punishing those who crossed him.

The Children aren’t vampires, but they have changed men into monsters, a course of action they now rue. It was revealed in season 6 that they created the terrifying White Walkers by inserting dragonglass into the heart of one of the First Men. Their motivations were more pure than Vlad the Impaler’s, but tragic nonetheless.