What Does “Lykiri” in House of the Dragon Mean? Explained
We all know that the different characters of House of the Dragon come from different ethnicities that have their own culture and language. While there is a common tongue, the Targaryens are known to speak in High Valyrian, which is the language of Old Valyria, which was where they originated from hundreds of years before the events of House of the Dragon. We saw Aemond using a different language to calm Vhagar down during the events of episode 7 when he said “lykiri.” So, what does lykiri mean in House of the Dragon?
Lykiri literally means to “calm down,” as that was what Aemond wanted Vhagar to do when he commanded her to actually calm down during that scene wherein he tried to claim the dragon as his own. This word is High Valyrian in origin, as House Targaryen has always been known to speak this language.
One of the most incredible parts of the entire House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones series is the fact that the Valyrian language was created specifically for these storylines. Of course, High Valyrian is exclusively spoken by those who came from Old Valyria, as that was the case for the Targaryens, who use the language to communicate with the dragons. That said, let’s look at what lykiri means in House of the Dragon.
What Language Is Lykiri?
Episode 7 of House of the Dragon allowed us to see more of the future of the Dance of Dragons, as this was the episode where Aemond Targaryen, the only one among the Targaryen children that didn’t have a dragon, tried to claim Vhagar, the biggest and strongest dragon in the world. Vhagar had just lost her rider, and it was the best time for Aemond to try to claim her because they were on Driftmark to attend Lady Laena’s funeral.
During that time, Vhagar nearly killed Aemond when he was about to mount her. The dragon was about to burn him to cinders until he said “dohaeris” and “lykiri.” Vhagar immediately became submissive to the boy and allowed him to ride her due to those words that he said.
We all heard dohaeris before because this has been uttered in the past, as this is a High Valyrian word. However, lykiri seems to be one of the newer words we’ve heard. So, what language is lykiri in House of the Dragon?
Ever since Game of Thrones, we already knew the fact that different cultures exist within the storyline of the world created by George RR Martin, as the different characters all come from different clans, bloodlines, and races. Of course, House of the Dragon also follows this theme, as this is a series that’s actually a prequel to Game of Thrones. And we all know that House of the Dragon focuses on House Targaryen, which is a family with roots in Old Valyria, the greatest civilization ever but was destroyed in a cataclysmic event.
Despite the fact that the Targaryens have been in Westeros for hundreds of years already, they still maintained the old traditions of the family, as they were all taught in the High Valyrian language that their ancestors used to speak. In fact, this tradition continued until the days of Daenerys Targaryen, who knew how to speak the language despite the fact that she never grew up in Westeros together with the entire Targaryen family.
Due to the fact that the Targaryens have a lineage that can be traced back to the days of Old Valyria, they are still quite knowledgeable in the High Valyrian language, which is what they use to communicate with one another. This is also the language that they use to communicate with their dragons. As such, lykiri is most likely a Valyrian word as well, as Aemond used this to command Vhagar, who was able to understand what the boy said.
What Does Lykiri Mean In House Of The Dragon?
As mentioned, Aemond spoke High Valyrian during the time when he wanted to claim Vhagar, as the dragon was about to attack him. He said “dohaeris” and “lykiri” when he wanted to stop Vhagar from killing him. But what does lykiri mean?
We’ve heard dohaeris before, as this word means to obey. This was what the Targaryens often used whenever they wanted their dragons to obey them. That’s why this is one of the most common Valyrian words that the Targaryens use when speaking to their dragons.
Meanwhile, lykiri means “calm down,” as Aemond literally wanted Vhagar to calm down when the dragon was about to burn him to ashes. As the dragons are relics of Old Valyria, they are predisposed to listen to High Valyrian instead of the common tongue that most people speak in the known world.
In that regard, Vhagar did indeed calm down and allowed the Targaryen boy to claim her because she recognized him as a dragonrider not only due to his Targaryen blood but also due to the fact that he spoke High Valyrian. Dragons, while not docile creatures are capable of listening to the commands of their Targaryen dragonriders as long as such commands are issued in High Valyrian.
Aemond, of course, learned how to command Vhagar due to the fact that he was around the other boys when they were training in the dragonpit with their dragons. While Aemond didn’t have his own dragon during those times, he was still able to pick up a few things from his brother and nephews while they were training together. In that regard, lykiri was one of the few words he picked up when he was observing everyone when they were training how to be dragonriders.
