Dragonbinder or hellhorn is a massive artifact made from dragons. It can control dragons, and dragonlords used horns like it frequently during the reign of the Valyrian empire. When Euron Greyjoy arrived at the kingsmoot in Old Wyk, he brought an artifact and claimed to have sailed to the dreaded ruins of Old Valyria to get it. He claimed the device would lead to the control of Daenerys Targaryen’s dragons and gave it to his brother Victarion Greyjoy, who sailed for Meereen.
Dragonbinder measures about 6 feet in length, is warm to the touch, and has strange Valyrian glyphs, possibly dating to the Valyrian Freehold era. When blown, the glyphs glow red-hot and then white-hot, and whoever blows it succumbs to severe, even fatal, injuries.
History
Dragonbinder is the last known artifact of its kind. It went missing during the Second War of Conquest and allegedly found its way into the hands of the High Priest in the Temple of R’hllor, the Lord of Light, in Volantis. However, according to Euron Greyjoy, the horn was one of the artifacts left on the Valyrian peninsula after the Doom.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Feast for Crows
At the kingsmoot on Old Wyk, the ironborn gather to elect a new King of the Isles and the North. Asha Greyjoy and her uncle, Victarion, contend for the top spot, but surprisingly, Euron Greyjoy arrives. He presents Dragonbinder before the kingsmoot and claims to have sailed the Smoking Sea to the ruins of Valyria, where he found the horn in the smoking ruins. However, according to a semi-trusted source, he had seized it from four warlocks from Qarth, who were searching for Daenerys Targaryen after the destruction of the House of the Undying.
The kingsmoot becomes rowdy because of Euron’s arrival. However, silence falls on the gathering when Cragorn blows Dragonbinder. The horn’s noises propagate like the screams of a thousand souls, making the people present feel like their bones are on fire. After blowing Dragonbinder, Cragorn collapses, and his lips with the tattoo on his chest bleed.
With the kingsmoot shocked, Euron addresses them, saying he is the bravest of all ironborn, as he sailed where no man dared. He tells the people he will conquer Westeros with the might of the dragons. When Asha tells Euron the dragons are extinct, he replies, saying he knows where to find three, not mentioning they belonged to Daenerys.
Cragorn dies, and Euron tells Victarion that the maesters discovered that blowing dragonbinder had charred his lungs.
A Dance with Dragons
At Deepwood Motte, Asha realizes that her uncle’s hellhorn has destroyed her plans to rally the Ironmen to her cause. Meanwhile, now King of the Iron Islands, Euron Crow’s Eye sends his brother Victarion to Meereen, tasking him with bringing Daenerys Targaryen back. He gives Victarion Dragonbinder to ensure his victory.
While sailing for Meereen, the ironborn find a Red Priest, Moqorro. Though they want to kill him, the priest tells their leader, Victarion, that he knows about her plans to find Daenerys in Slaver’s Bay. The Red Priest helps the iron captain cure his wound. Realizing how useful he is, Victarion shows Moqorro Dragonbinder.
The priest translates the glyphs on the horn and says it reads: “I am Dragonbinder. No mortal shall sound me and live. Blood for fire, fire for blood.” He tells Victarion that anyone who blows the horn will die, but if the dragons hear the sound, they will obey the desires of the horn’s owner. He also says for anyone to own Dragonbinder, they have to take it by blood.
Dragonbinder and the Horn of Joramun
Though they may appear similar, Dragonbinder and the Horn of Winter are different horns existing in distinct lores of Westeros. Unlike the Horn of Joramun, the Dragonbinder is a device used during the Valyrian Empire era. The dragonlords of old sounded such horns filled with different enchantments to bend dragons to their will.
The Horn of Winter is a fictitious device that the Free Folk claim exists. According to people like the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder, it can bring down the Wall. Some people believe it can wake the giants from their long slumber.
Relevance in Adaptation
The absence of the Dragonhorn in HBO’s Game of Thrones may have been because of the show outpacing the novels in plot. The series, which spanned eight seasons, omitted crucial details present in the books, including Daenerys’s exit from Meereen, the existence of Aegon Targaryen, and the presence of Dragonbinder; this was intentional as the show needed to diverge from the yet-to-be-completed book series, to prevent a possible spoiler from occurring.
Though viewers of GOT never saw anything like Dragonbider, there is still hope, as the device may feature in the ongoing House of the Dragon.
