The Song of the Sun

The Song of the Sun is a phrase that resonates through A Dance with Dragons as both a literal song title and a symbolic motif, weaving together themes of prophecy, heraldry, and doomed ambition. It appears most prominently in the context of House Martell of Dorne, whose sigil is a golden sun pierced by a spear, and in the cryptic warnings delivered to Daenerys Targaryen by the shadowbinder Quaithe. The song itself is never performed in the narrative, but its title and associated imagery recur at key moments, linking the fates of several characters who reach for power and are consumed by it.

Heraldic and Prophetic Origins

The most direct association of the sun with a song comes from the arms of House Martell: a red sun on an orange field, transfixed by a golden spear. When Daenerys Targaryen first learns of the Dornish prince Quentyn Martell's arrival, she asks Ser Barristan Selmy about the Martell sigil. He replies, "A sun in splendor, transfixed by a spear." This description immediately triggers a memory of Quaithe's prophecy: "The sun's son." Daenerys shivers, realizing that the masked woman's riddling words—"the pale mare and the sun's son"—are coming true. The sun's son is Quentyn Martell, the prince who has come to offer her Dorne's allegiance and his own hand in marriage. The heraldic sun thus becomes a prophetic sign, foretelling the prince's arrival and his ultimate fate.

Quentyn Martell's Quest and the Sun's Son

Quentyn Martell, the "sun's son," travels from Dorne to Slaver's Bay with a secret marriage pact, hoping to wed Daenerys and bring Dorne's spears to her cause. He arrives too late; Daenerys has already married Hizdahr zo Loraq. Undeterred, Quentyn attempts to prove his worth by stealing one of her dragons, believing that controlling a dragon will win her favor. He enlists the sellsword company the Windblown and, with his companions, descends into the pit where Viserion and Rhaegal are chained. The attempt ends in catastrophe: the dragons, wild and untamed, turn on the intruders. Quentyn is engulfed in dragonflame and dies three days later from his burns. His quest, driven by duty and a desire for glory, ends in ash and failure. The sun's son, who came to claim a dragon, is instead consumed by fire.

The Song as a Motif of Ambition and Fall

The title "The Song of the Sun" itself evokes the classical theme of Icarus—the youth who flies too close to the sun and falls. Quentyn's story mirrors this arc: he reaches for the ultimate prize, a dragon, and is destroyed by it. The song is never sung, but its title functions as a narrative shorthand for the peril of overreaching ambition. Other characters in the book also embody this theme. Daenerys herself, the "daughter of the sun," struggles to rule Meereen and is forced to make compromises that betray her ideals. The sun imagery also appears in the context of the Dornish court, where Prince Doran Martell, the "sun of Dorne," schemes and waits, but his plans are slow and often thwarted. The song thus becomes a leitmotif for the cost of striving for power in a world where fire and blood are the ultimate realities.

The Song's Absence and Its Significance

Significantly, "The Song of the Sun" is never actually performed or quoted in the text. It exists only as a title, a name that characters reference but never sing. This absence is itself meaningful. The song represents an ideal—a glorious, heroic narrative of triumph and love—that the reality of the story consistently subverts. Quentyn's quest is not a heroic ballad but a tragic miscalculation. Daenerys's rule is not a song of liberation but a grim struggle against slavery, assassination, and war. The unperformed song underscores the gap between the stories characters tell themselves and the harsh truths they must face. It is a phantom melody, a promise of glory that remains unfulfilled, much like the hopes of those who chase it.