Palacký University in Olomouc Philosophical

Sothoryos and Ulthos

Even less is known about the other two continents – Sothoryos and Ulthos. Sothoryos lies south of Essos across the Summer Sea and it is a large continent “covered by impenetrable jungle, where ancient cities full of ghosts lie in ruins beside great, sluggish rivers,” ⁵⁹ although it is not known how large it actually is, since its bottom was never reached by a ship. As the times passed many Essosi cultures tried to colonize its lands or find some hidden treasures, but all the colonies planted here wither and die soon. “Only the boldest [explorers] ever venture far from their coastal garrisons and enclaves to explore the mysteries of the continent’s vast interior. Those that dare more oft than not set forth into the green never to be seen again.” ⁶⁰ Martin has said he deliberately kept Sothoryos mysterious, to echo real-life history. “It is beyond the world they know. (…) Even though Africa was known to Europe from earliest days of ancient Greece we knew relatively little about sub-Saharan Africa.” ⁶¹ Almost nothing is known about Ulthos, including the information about it being really another continent.

2. The span of time

Both writers provide their readers with some information concerning timelines, but this time Tolkien is much more precise, offering the dates of the historical events often including days – both in his narrative and in the appendices

⁵⁷ Martin, García and Antonsson, The World of Ice and Fire, 237.
⁵⁸ “Transcript of Chat with George R. R. Martin on March 18, 1999,“ Event Horizon, accessed August 15, 2016, http://web.archive.org/web/20001005212114/eventhorizon.com/sfzine/chats/transcripts/031899.ht ml.
⁵⁹ Martin, García and Antonsson, The World of Ice and Fire, 284.
⁶⁰ Martin, García and Antonsson, The World of Ice and Fire, 285.
⁶¹ “George R.R. Martin on What Not to Believe in Game of Thrones,” Vulture, accessed August 15, 2016, http://www.vulture.com/2014/11/george-rr-martin-new-book.html.
of his books. Martin only refers to time in the narrative and the reference book, but his fans were able to write down the timeline from the hints in the books on their own. ⁶² Both of them also share detailed genealogies of many families.

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