Was the Red Wedding in Game of Thrones based on real historical events?
The most shocking scene in Game of Thrones wasn't pure fiction - it was inspired by two brutal Scottish massacres.
The answer
George R.R. Martin based the Red Wedding on two real events from Scottish history: the Black Dinner of 1440 and the Glencoe Massacre of 1692. In the Black Dinner, the young Earl of Douglas and his brother were invited to dine with King James II at Edinburgh Castle, only to be dragged out and executed. In the Glencoe Massacre, government soldiers accepted hospitality from the MacDonald clan for 12 days before slaughtering 38 men, women, and children in their sleep. Martin combined these betrayals of guest right - a sacred custom in Scottish culture - into the Season 3 episode that aired June 2, 2013, shocking 5.2 million viewers.
Source: History Behind Game of Thrones
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