During the Game of Thrones series finale, Lannister soldiers were executed despite being prisoners of war. Was this inspiration from the Battle of Culloden aftermath?
If you watch Game of Thrones, you know that many of the storylines are based on UK history. Whether it’s Scottish, English, Welsh, or Northern Irish, there are elements of the four countries’ history throughout. It shouldn’t be surprising that the execution of Lannister prisoners of war were very similar to the Battle of Culloden aftermath.
Outlander fans got a chance to see what happened after Culloden through “Voyager” and Season 3 (book and show respectively). Those captured on Culloden Moor were immediately executed by the British Army. We know Jamie was only saved because of the debt Hal Grey’s brother owed Jamie for sparing his life.
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In Game of Thrones, Grey Worm ordered the deaths of all Lannister soldiers. He said it was his queen’s orders, which he took extremely literally. The Lannister soldiers, like the Jacobites, were no longer a threat. They’d surrendered by this point and were prisoners of war.
Of course, it’s not just at Culloden that this happened in real history. It’s just the moment that comes to mind when I think of the aftermath of war. However, Outlander showed us that after Prestonpans, Dougal went around killing the wounded British, even though they should have been taken back to Claire — there are chances that Jacobites really did kill the wounded British.
There are also stories of prisoners of war being shot after World War II battles, most notably the Chenogne massacre at the hands of American soldiers. The idea for killing the Lannister men could have been taken from many points in history, but as an Outlander fan, I immediately see the Jacobite connection, especially since the series (both books and show) have shown to be heavily inspired by British events.
Game of Thrones is now available in full on HBO. Outlander Seasons 1-4 are available on STARZ.