Tyrion Lannister is fully aware of the fact that his siblings, Jaime and Cersei Lannister, are having sex with each other even though they’re brother and sister and even though Cersei is married to King Robert Baratheon.

At this point in the story, he’s probably even aware that Jaime is the biological father of Cersei’s children, not Robert.

In his youth, King Robert Baratheon was in exceptional shape. He was admired by many people in the Seven Kingdoms for his strength and for his looks.

Over the years, since becoming King, he’s gained a significant amount of weight and no longer looks the way that he did in his youth.

Robert and Ned are longtime friends. He ironically jokes that Ned gained weight when in fact, Robert is the one who really got fat over the years.

They have different types and different races of females with them. This part is also a reference to the famous “Pussy” scene in the 1996 cult horror film, From Dusk Till Dawn. The scene shows actor, Cheech Marin, as Chet Pussy, the doorman of a Mexican strip club/brothel known as the Titty Twister. He basically announces to the potential patrons that the Titty Twister has every type of girl available for pleasure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8drSUe4g9Qo

Ned Stark is a firm believer in the old traditions, especially in accordance with honor. One has to always obey the law, respect his vows and since Ned is the Warden of the North, uphold the King’s laws. The punishment for deserting the Night’s Watch (an ancient military order that protects the Seven Kingdoms from the dangers of what lies Beyond The Wall) is death since the Night’s Watch vows are for life.

However, unlike the King who has a royal executioner, Ned believes that a real ruler or person in power has to do the deed himself. It’s real easy for someone to pass a sentence and have another person carry out the execution but when you have to actually swing the sword, that means that you are willing to suffer through killing another person. Ned believes that when you sentence somebody to death, you have to look in their eyes and hear their final words and execute them yourself. Nothing should come easily including an execution.

The reason Ned brings his sons, particularly one of his youngest sons, Bran, is because he understands that in time they might become the Wardens of the North. They have to understand what it means to be the top person in the North and how to properly govern it.

“Winter Is Coming” is the title of the episode as well as the words of House Stark. In Westeros, all of the great noble houses have a coat of arms as well as family words. House Stark uses the grey direwolf as their coat of arms.

The term “Winter Is Coming” is meant as a warning and as a threat. In Westeros, Winter is the season that usually brings about horrible tidings. Food becomes more scarce, people freeze to death and it also can signify the return of The Others aka The White Walkers, an ancient race of supernatural beings who can summon the dead.

People from the Southern part of Westeros believe it’s all superstition but only true Northmen understand the ferocity of Winter.

The term has also been used as a threat in the books and the show. Most notably when Robb Stark tells the Lannister scout after he’s been caught to relay to Tywin Lannister that “Winter is coming for him. 20,000 Northerners marching South to find out if he really does shit gold” (people around Westeros like to say that Tywin is so rich that he shits gold).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4kA-GNW8ZI

King Robert Baratheon was betrothed to Ned Stark’s sister, Lyanna Stark.

Before Robert could marry her, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen abducted Lyanna. This prompted Ned’s father and brother (Rickard and Brandon Stark) to go to King’s Landing to demand the return of Lyanna. Rhaegar’s father, King Aerys (“The Mad King”), instead had Rickard and Brandon tortured and killed.

The deaths of Rickard and Brandon as well as Lyanna’s abduction prompted Robert, Ned and their mentor, Jon Arryn, to call their bannermen and declare war against the Targaryens.

In the decisive Battle of the Trident, Robert finally got his revenge and killed Rhaegar using his massive warhammer, breaking Rhaegar’s ruby encrusted armor and scattering the ruby’s along the Ruby Ford (hence the name), a crossing along the Trident River.

Unfortunately, Lyanna died in The Tower of Joy towards the end of the war. She was found by her brother Ned, lying on a bed in a pool of blood. Her remains were taken back to Winterfell, the ancestral castle of House Stark. She was buried in the crypts of Winterfell, alongside other deceased Stark family members. Each grave has a corresponding statue.

Most of the Targaryens were killed with the exception of Rhaegar’s siblings, Viserys and Daenerys. At this point in the story, Robert wants the remaining Targaryen siblings to be found and killed (since they represent a threat to his hold on the Iron Throne) while Ned is firmly against it.

The Faith of the Seven is the dominant religion in the continent of Westeros. It is sometimes referred to as “the new gods” by people from the North or the Iron Islands (who pray to the “old gods” and the “Drowned God”, respectively). Similar to Christianity, it’s a monotheistic religion with seven aspects (Christianity has 3, the Holy Trinity). In the Faith, the single deity is represented by:

The Father (judgement)

The Mother (motherhood, mercy)

The Warrior (strength, courage)

The Maiden (innocence, chastity)

The Smith (hard work)

The Crone (wisdom)

The Stranger (death and the unknown)

The symbol for the Faith is the seven pointed star:

Catelyn Stark is originally from House Tully of Riverrun in the South, therefore she was raised under the Faith of the Seven. That’s why when she goes to see Ned at the godswood, she feels out of place because Ned doesn’t worship the “new gods”.

People from the North, such as House Stark pray to the “old gods”, an ancient folk religion started by magical creatures known as the Children of the Forest, who used to roam Westeros thousands of years ago. There is no set of beliefs or scripture, the religion is mostly based on praying to weirwood trees, huge trees with red leaves and faces imprinted on the bark.

It is believed that the Old Gods can see through the carved faces, which is why if somebody is praying to the “old gods”, they should make sure their weirwood has a face on it so their prayers can be heard. As a Northman, Ned Stark never gave up the “old gods” as they represent his true heritage.

This is the Trinitarian Formula spoken in Spanish. It represents the Holy Trinity in Christianity. It translates to:

In the name of the Father, the Son
And the Holy Spirit
Amen

It’s used in baptisms, prayers, rites, sacraments, etc.

Nas has always been known for rocking a crisp Fade haircut.