Gilded Lilies: History, Culture, and Fashion

What is the real history of dragons? From Mesopotamia to Westeros, this video essay traces how the dragon evolved from a terrifying ancient monster into the epic fantasy creature we all want to ride.

We journey through the history of dragon mythology across centuries, exploring how these beasts were viewed in ancient Babylon, Greek mythology, medieval Christianity, Tolkien's Middle-earth, and modern pop culture like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon.

Links to my Instagram, Spotify, & TikTok: www.prettycurious.us

Chapters: 0:00 Introduction1:17 Etymology of the word 'Dragon'2:07 Dragons in Mesopotamia 3:40 Mušḫuššu4:40 Tiamat5:24 Dragons in Ancient Greece 6:14 Typhon7:43 Ladon and Hydra 9:19 Roman Empire and Dacian Kingdom10:30 Medieval Europe11:30 Saint George and the Dragon12:40 Saint Margaret of Antioch13:11 The Welsh Dragon14:33 Smaug - Lord of the Rings15:48 Game of Thrones19:22 Order of the Dragon

Music used:

EBB - Density & TimeHeavy

Interlude by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100515Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Resources used and additional readings:

• Gawlinski, Laura. “Drakōn: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds.” Bryn Mawr Classical Review (2013). https://bmcr.brynmawr.edu/2013/2013.11.21.
• Ogden, Daniel. Drakōn: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199557325.001.0001.
• Peralta, Camilo. “On the Symbolic Use of Dragons by Jacobus de Voragine and J. R. R. Tolkien.” Religions 14, no. 4 (2023): 552. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel14040552.
• Rezachevici, Constantin. “From the Order of the Dragon to Dracula.” Journal of Dracula Studies 1 (1999): 3–7. https://research.library.kutztown.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=dracula-studies.
• Salagean, Tudor. “The Order of the Dragon: A Legacy of Power.” Medium, February 22, 2025. https://medium.com/@tsalagean/the-order-of-the-dragon-a-legacy-of-power-6a356104eba6.
• Watanabe, Chikako E. “The Symbolic Role of Animals in Babylon: A Contextual Approach to the Lion, the Bull and the Mušḫuššu.” Iraq 77 (2015): 215–224. https://doi.org/10.1017/irq.2015.18.

About this video: If you've ever wondered where dragons come from, why they were considered evil for 4,000 years, or how George R.R. Martin’s Westeros fits into historical mythology, this deep dive is for you.

This documentary-style video essay covers the global origin of dragons, European vs. Eastern dragon mythology traditions, historical dragon slayers, and the evolution of monsters in fantasy literature.

Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright At 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gildedliliesclub.substack.com

Jennifer's Body had everything going for it: an Oscar-winning writer, a red-hot star, a killer premise. It still flopped. This video essay breaks down why. Costume designer Katia Stano dressed Jennifer Check to tell a feminist horror story about trauma and identity, and the marketing team sold audiences a completely different movie.Let's analyze the costume design of Jennifer Check (Megan Fox)!Links to my Instagram, Spotify, & TikTok: https://prettycurious.us/Music used: - Aether - Density & Time- Spring of Deception - Density & TimeResources used and additional readings: Katia Stano’s Nylon Feature#jennifersbody #meganfox #halloween Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright At 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gildedliliesclub.substack.com

She had no crown, no legal claim, and no reason to hold back. Meet the women who ran the French court from the King's bed: Agnès Sorel, Diane de Poitiers, Madame de Pompadour, and Madame du Barry, and the queens who waited them out. 

Links to my Instagram, YouTube, & TikTok: prettycurious.us

Music used: W. A. Mozart, Symphony No.38 in D major - A Far Cry

Resources used and additional readings: 

• Adams, Christine, and Tracy Adams. The Creation of the French Royal Mistress: From Agnès Sorel to Madame du Barry. Penn State University Press, 2020.

• Elia, Marina. "The Role of the French Maîtresse en titre: How Royal Mistresses Utilized Liminal Space to Gain Power and Access." University of North Carolina, https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/downloads/fb494j21j.

• "The Royal Mistress: Often the Most Powerful Person in a King's Court." History.com, A&E Television Networks, https://www.history.com/articles/royal-mistress-power-england-france-prince-william.

• Wellman, Kathleen. Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France. Yale University Press, 2013.

  
  

Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright At 1976, allowance is made for fair use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gildedliliesclub.substack.com

An American icon has shaped our country once again! Ralph Lauren returns with an ‘irreverent romance’, channeling American, French, and English history in his latest Spring/Summer 2027 collection which debuted at NYFW 2026.

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Chapters: 0:00 Introduction1:31 Ralph Lauren5:30 SS27Music used: Powdered Waltz - The Mini VandalsResources used and additional readings:

- Ralph Lauren https://www.ralphlauren.com/rl-heritage-timeline-feature- See the full look book here: https://wwd.com/fashion-news/shows-reviews/gallery/ralph-lauren-spring-2027-ready-to-wear-collection-1239204930/

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gildedliliesclub.substack.com

Not a single woman in House of the Dragon has any sort of authority… despite having much of it in Fire & Blood. Really makes you think.Chapters: - 0:00 Introduction- 3:19 Aemma Arryn- 5:25 Laena Velaryon- 8:48 Helaena Targaryen- 13:05 Alicent Hightower- 19:19 Rhaena Targaryen- 23:32 Rhaenyra Targaryen- 32:10 ConclusionMusic used: Marked – Alexander NakaradaGolden Brown – The StranglersResources used and additional readings: How Viserys Failed Rhaenyra by World of Westeros Beware the Butterflies – GRRM, Reddit reupload Running Head: Dismissed and Ignored: Confronting the Trauma of Black Women Maternal Healthcare https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-025-02769-z

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit gildedliliesclub.substack.com