History of Westeros
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The Basilisk Isles (livestream)
🕑 Added 2023-01-14 21:39:46 +0000 UTCPirates, corsairs, monsters, ancient ruins, dark gods, disappearing Ironborn, the next great swordsman(?), Valyria vs. Old Ghis, oily black stone and proximity to the dangers, wealth and proximity of Sothoryos... This one is fun!
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Comments
Diana Dunlap
I’m about halfway through this episode, and here’s three weird real-world historical tidbits that came to mind: - On the almost ridiculously island-rich coasts I grew up/live on (both of them former privateering centers with piratical associations), most of the islands have names, even quite a few that are literally large rocks or rock ridges sticking out of the water. Underwater rock formations are also sometimes named on nautical charts. I guarantee you the Basilisk Islanders have had fun naming all their large rocks/small islands/rocks that might rip the bottom of your ship out at low tide. - For a brief gaudy hour in the 1790s-mid-1800s, Salem, Massachusetts, had a worldwide monopoly on the trade in wild pepper, because one of its sea captains (a former privateer) stumbled on a section of the Sumatran coast where this type of pepper grew and established a relationship with the ports on this coast. Other Westerners didn’t know the source. Maybe that’s why the Pepper Coast’s location is mysterious. 😉 - In all seriousness, burnt cloves are a historical eyebrow pencil. If you have dark brows, they work great and smell awesome. I hope that adds to everyone’s essential knowledge for the day. 😆
