High Valyrian dragon commands

While one famous Valyrian word is interesting, commands given by a dragon rider are often more revealing about the way dragons are and the way dragon riding actually works. Many go on to the familiar dragon command words: Drakarys. There's nothing wrong with learning how the language works, but a dragon rider would eventually be expected to know many more Valyrian dragon words.

You might find Dracarys in this command list and, for the reason why, see Drakarys - more than the famous fire word below.

How a dragon rider interacts with a dragon may also involve instructing them to fly, to move, to wait, to listen, to remain calm, to concentrate, to land, to slow, to attack, or simply to look. All together, dragon commands start to appear less like fictional phrases and more like a genuine instructional language system. Dragon commands also reveal attention, concentration and restraint in High Valyrian. High Valyrian dragon commands described here are taken directly from David J. Peterson's production document for the Dragons on screen which includes a version of High Valyrian dragon commands which is ideal for dragon riding.

The full document includes the actual commands, alternative forms, what those commands are used for in-world and the plural command words necessary for when many dragons are in one location.

Why High Valyrian Dragons Belong Together

You could learn dragon-related Valyrian vocab words if it pleases you but commands help us to work through these with the dragon rider in mind. Targaryens arrived on Westeros at the command of their dragons who were integral in the conquest.

It is believed dragons provided these dragonlords with an unprecedented advantage against any human opposition and this has lead to many dragon-specific language forms developing from Valyria, including many that pertain to direct command over their mount.

Dragon Rider and Dragon-Rider Vocabulary

For this guide, we will useDavid J. Peterson's published reference for dragon commands,a list which includes both documented and some conjectured forms from his linguistic work on the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, to inform how and why these commands exist for dragon use.

These are considered 'verified' dragon commands because Peterson has explicitly documented them as such.

Here are a few key High Valyrian commands Peterson is responsible for documenting relating to dragons: Commands for a dragon are usually accompanied by a specific hand gesture in the books. The command words themselves are said without a specified gestured command in David J. Peterson's script notes for his work.

Commands with verbs usually rely on infinitive or imperatives depending on context and grammatical aspect.

Here we simply indicate the command by its word.

These words can also form other related phrases: for instance 'land' uses the phrase 'get to go down' when translating the imperative to a more formal command as the command itself isn't documented.

Here we've also referenced an established convention from Peterson's list: singular commands and their plural variants. This should clarify anything that might become a question:

One Dragon Vs Multiple Dragons:

A great command word to include, and which should definitely come to your attention in regards to this subject:

Drakarys - It is often referred to by this phrase.

Although both "Drakarys" and the more well-known Dracarys are used, the latter comes more readily to mind from how it appears across websites; however, in High Valyrian as spoken here, 'Drakarys' means for a dragon to breathe fire. It uses the verb "to be fire", with its implication for action.

A dragon command cannot technically consist of just a word like 'fire'.

The closest High Valyrian language equivalent of 'fire' is an "astryys" while 'breathe fire' is "astrys syz." This is the most powerful testament in this list as to the subtlety of dragon commands in High Valyrian as you never use the words as a simple concept. Commands use verbs that are action specific, therefore commands don't just mean a basic function, but actively ordering or asking for a command to be enacted. The 'r' at the end can either be used as a way to signify that the command is a simple one that should be acted on, or to imply that the 'dragon commands the breath of fire' when saying such.

It does depend entirely on which version of High Valyrian is being discussed though and therefore one should always refer to which translation best fits the situation.

The existence of both forms "Drakarys!" and "Dracarys!" are equally valid and are both recognizable to those of us familiar with the High Valyrian dragon commands and how the dragon rider orders his mount through these verbal cues. Therefore it should not matter whether the commands are heard this way or in the original language of Westeros; if you want your dragon to breathe fire, you'd say "Drakarys!").

Do Dragons only understand High Valyrian?

As in most things here it is best to err on the side of caution, not extravagance.

High Valyrian, the Targaryens, old Valyria and dragons go hand-in-hand in lore as your sources show dragons' central importance in the rise of the Targaryens in Westeros.

However that is not the same as showing that every dragon out there simply cannot comprehend words not spoken in High Valyrian. Thus a definitive statement that a dragon physically cannot understand a language unless it is in High Valyrian is best avoided unless actually stated by a reliable source. Better yet stick to the safer conclusion that as listed here these are the proper production command words associated with Valyrian dragons, culturally connected but not the only possible form. That is in itself quite interesting without needing an actual rule which is not put forth.

How to learn commands without reading through a long list:

Memorizing dozen strange sounding words for once should not be the most fun way to learn it. It is possible to group words with circumstances, the command with each situation. In the order one might control a dragon:

Now you have a situation toattach the words to as rather than putting a large column of words in a dictionary together. A command that had a context is easy to remember, since words have function when attached to events. If it is your desire for vocabulary beyond a particular command word, theHigh Valyrian Translatorcan be used with creativity. Keep in mind though that it may not capture all the context from the producer of the language, so those command words are always better refered to as official.

Mistakes commonly made when looking at a list of these words for commands:

First of all all those words look like they are dragon commands, so a large list is going to cause many words that ARE NOT dragon commands. Secondarily there's the thought that all commands that can be listed must show up on screen. Thirdly the English translations aren't ever perfect. Rbs for example is about listening/heeding rather than a command, which has been reduced for simplified understanding. Fourthly they are singular directed vs plural directed and accents/long vowel marks do affect the pronunciation, they were important for translating this into a pronounceable Roman alphabet system for you to understand! These are of course minimal errors. They aren't harmful.

Are These words dragon commands or a proposed set of possible dragon command words?

These are what is called "documented production words". By looking at version 2 of Peterson's "List of Dragon Commands" we know that it is intended for these exact production commands to be used. It does not overstate things by claiming the words are a universal language. Rather it shows they are documented words, and while many famous expressions belong on this list not all may be recognizable to watchers due to show usage of what they themselves found best suited for the script. Not only this, it gives fans a larger understanding into the depth of developing dragon commands beyond that expected.

Frequently Asked Questions:

So what can the dragons words add?

Actually, more than you'd think. These words demonstrate that a dragon can be told to fly and commanded exactly where to go, whether to attack or to delay their strike and wait, it may also give commands to 'calm down' if things get too hot and that individual dragons or even themselves can address them whether they be one or two. Most importantly, the context given these commands further illustrates a culture based on an incredible depth of fantasy that connects them directly with their heritage, of the great dragonriders of Old Valyria and the very conquest they wrought of Westeros. If you enjoyed this dive into language followed by lore, follow it toDragon Lords of Old Valyriaand to further language with"30 Essential High Valyrian Words."