One of the things you have to get used to as a fan of fantasy novels and movies are the goofy names for everything. Anyone who has ever talked about Queen Arwen Undómiel the Evenstar in high school and gotten a wedgie for their trouble know what I’m talking about. Game of Thrones has done a good job of having a bunch of cool names for everyone — from “The Kingslayer” to “The Mountain That Rides,” every nickname makes sense and is pretty badass.
One area, though, where the names for things remain ridiculous? Swords. Which makes sense. Characters may earn a nickname, but they name their own swords, and the result is about what you’d imagine: half the swords from the Seven Kingdoms have names that are just as outlandish as ’80s rock groups. So the folks at HBO decided to play a game with the actors from the series: guess which names are from swords in the series and which are from metal bands.
It’s all part of a promotion to help raise money for the International Rescue Committee, the only international relief agency responding on all fronts to the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East. Donate and you’ve got a chance to join the cast for the season six premiere party and afterparty, which sounds pretty cool. I hear Davos Seaworth is a lot of fun to rage with. And it all goes to a good cause. That’s win, win.