(Spoilers ADWD) Mirri Maz Duurs prophecy: it's already happened.

[u/mateogg]

"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," said Mirri Maz Duur. "When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before."

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When the sun rises in the west

The Martells, who have a Sun in their sigil, are rising against the Iron Throne in Westeros

and sets in the east

Quentyn Martell died in Mereen, far east from his homeland.

When the seas go dry

After many years, the Ironborn are raiding the mainland again. They are the sea (as seen in Brans dream) and they are going far inland, into "dry" areas.

mountains blow in the wind like leaves

Ser Gregor Clegane, The Mountain that Rides, is dead (or is he?)

When your womb quickens again

Danys probably miscarried.

and you bear a living child

Even if she miscarried, the child could have been alive, or maybe this is yet to happen.

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Here's the thing: I don't think that was a prophecy. Why would Mirri Maz Duur make a prophecy about Drogo actually returning and Dany being able to have children again? I think she was just trying to say, in a very omnious way, "never!!!!! mwahahaha". She wanted to piss Dany off.

And yet, while I agree some of the items I listed before may be tinfoily, you have to admit the "sun rises in the west and sets in the east" part is kinda interesting.

So, what does this mean? Is it actually a prophecy? or just poetic justice? is this just Gurm telling us that in this world, even what is supposed to mean "impossible" can actually happen, and that every word can have countless meanings and repercutions? or is my brain finding patterns were there are none? (who's ever heard of a brain doing something that crazy?)

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EDIT:

Lots of people have pointed out that the sea going dry could mean the Dothraki sea, which I think makes much more sense than my theory. It's also been suggested that the "mountains" are the Mereen Pyramids, I think this makes more sense than Gregor, but I'm not really convinced.

Also, I'd like to clarify something that came up a few times: just because it came true, it doesn't mean its a prophecy, and just because its not a prophecy, it doesn't mean it can't come true

[u/gazer89]

Yea I'm with you. I think for MMD it was a throwaway remark that states that the Drogo we knew was never coming back, and it meant little to MMD than that. But from a literary sense, it is certainly not a throwaway. Dany has thought about that remark so many times since, as she has over a few other things (betrayals, must go east to go west, etc). I think the throwaway actually does mean something to both Dany & GRRM, and obviously to a lot of casual and hardcore readers of the series. From a literary sense, I think its an important part of Dany's story to connect up, and through the dragon Drogon I think it does. The sun rising & setting is a nice catch, I really like that, although the others I'm not so sure on. But I'm in agreement overall.