The popular series “Game of Thrones” has given us a lot of phrases that fans use for any suitable occasion. The Internet is full of stories when people completely unfamiliar to each other exchanged the phrases “Valar Morgulis” and “Valar Dohaeris”, and there was a sense of ownership. The expression "you know nothing, John Snow" in general has become a meme. The words “what is dead cannot die” deserve special attention. Where did this phrase come from, and what does it mean?
Cult of the Drowned God
Among all the religious movements described in the novel “A Song of Ice and Fire”, some are distinguished by a peculiar simplicity and severity. The inhabitants of the Iron Islands did not accept the worship of the gods of the Children of the Forest, their own cult consists in the confrontation of only two entities. This is the sunken God who sacrificed himself in the name of the prosperity of people, and his antagonist is the Storm God, who seeks to destroy everyone, sink the ships and plunge the world into chaos and destruction.
The religious postulate "what is dead, cannot die" in English sounds like What Is Dead May Never Die - this is the third episode of the second season of the series. In this part, Theon Greyjoy hosts the dedication ceremony for the Drowned God, vaguely reminiscent of baptism. The priest pours it with sea water.
The motto of Greyjoy
The abundance of various utterances, appeals, sayings, war cries and other expressions in the “Game of Thrones” leads to some confusion. For example, many fans believe that “Lannisters always pay debts” is the motto, although in fact it is only a proverb.
The motto of the Greyjoy family is the phrase "We do not sow!" - it means that they conquer all material values in battle. However, the phrase “That which is dead cannot die” is more often used. The point is that the Iron-born really fearlessly went into battle and were not afraid of death, because, according to their faith, after death, they were reborn and fell into the army of the Drowned God.
In later episodes, you can see how the coronation of a new ruler occurs. He is drowned in the sea, and if he rises after drowning, this means the unambiguous approval of the deity.
Parallels with warlike cults
If we analyze the very lifestyle of the Iron-born, then we can note the similarities with the Vikings and even with the samurai. The peculiar attitude towards death allows you not to feel fear, it implies loyalty to your military leaders and dedication in battle. The thought of imminent death does not terrify, but rather accustoms one to the realization that this is not a tragedy, but a regular course of events, and even a welcome ending to earthly life. Indeed, that which is dead cannot die - all the present and the significant will happen after the events on this side of reality end.
If you wish, you can also draw parallels with Christianity. The basic principles of the cult and the elements of rituals are similar, God sacrifices himself for the sake of people, and the afterlife is more significant than the current being.
"What is dead, cannot die" as a popular meme
This phrase can now be found on the Internet in topics that are extremely far from discussing the plot moves of the Game of Thrones. A meme, as a cultural unit, is often the result of a transformed and rethought phrase, image, or phenomenon. In this case, the mystical and religious essence of the expression acquired a literal interpretation and became a successful metaphor.
The expression “that which is dead cannot die” is often used as “it will not be worse” - if we are talking about a phenomenon where the subject of discussion can hardly be called living or successfully acting. For example, a critical article on medical reforms, where the analyst notes the absolute decline of the industry and doubts attempts to reanimate the "deceased." This meme gives a certain scope for artistic expression and has already become a stable idiom.