Alys Rivers

[FP1997]

Alys Rivers - House of the Dragon | Sky Community

• Status: a Healer residing at Harrenhal

• Traits: Mysterious, aloof, unsettling

• Famous Quote: "I'm no woman at all. I'm a barn owl, cursed to live in human form."

Alys Rivers is one of the more mysterious and controversial figures in the history of Westeros, particularly during the turbulent period known as the Dance of the Dragons. As a healer residing in the haunted halls of Harrenhal during the Dance of the Dragons, Alys’s presence adds a supernatural edge to the brutal political machinations of the Targaryen civil war.

Origins

According to Grand Maester Munkun and Septon Eustace, she was a bastard daughter of Lord Lyonel Strong, sired on an unknown woman. Munkun describes her as a serving wench with an interest in potions, while Eustace suggests she was a woods witch. The fool Mushroom, known for his sensational stories, claimed Alys belonged to an older generation and had served as a wet nurse to Lyonel Strong's sons, Harwin and Larys, and possibly even to Lyonel himself. Mushroom also portrayed Alys as an enchantress who maintained her youth by bathing in the blood of maidens, a claim deemed fantastical by his contemporaries.

Despite the varying accounts of her origins, there is consensus that Alys appeared remarkably youthful for her age. By the outbreak of the Dance of the Dragons, she had to be at least forty years old, yet she looked much younger. This unusual youthfulness added to her mystique and fueled rumors of her supernatural abilities.

Visions of the Witch Queen

Although not a trained maester, Alys has stepped into the role of the castle’s healer after her predecessor fled, leaving the stronghold without medical aid. Her knowledge of herbs, potions, and the healing arts is complemented by whispers of her possessing mystical abilities, a common enough suspicion in a land where magic and prophecy linger in the shadows.

Alys Rivers was reputed to have the gift of prophecy. According to Prince Aemond Targaryen, she could see visions in storm clouds, pools of water, and flames. These abilities led some to regard her as a witch queen, and she was both feared and revered for her supposed powers. The veracity of these claims is difficult to ascertain, but they contributed significantly to her legend.

Alys’s most significant moment comes with the arrival of Daemon Targaryen at Harrenhal. The castle’s castellan, Ser Simon Strong, capitulates to Daemon without a fight, and it is here that Alys’s role takes on a new dimension. When Daemon experiences a vivid hallucination and finds himself standing before Harrenhal’s ancient weirwood tree, it is Alys who appears, delivering a chilling prophecy: “You will die in this place.”

Dance of the Dragons

During the Dance of the Dragons, Alys Rivers apparently became intimately involved with Prince Aemond Targaryen, one of the key figures in the Targaryen civil war. As Aemond's lover and confidante, she wielded considerable influence over him. Aemond's enemies often accused Alys of bewitching him, a claim that further solidified her reputation as a witch.

Who plays Alys Rivers?

• Gayle Rankin is a Scottish actress. She is known for her role as Sheila in the Netflix series GLOW (2017–2019).^[1] She also played Emily Dodson in the HBO series Perry Mason (2020). Her films include The Greatest Showman (2017), Her Smell (2018), Blow the Man Down and The Climb (both 2019).