The Starks may have been spotted in a look behind the scenes of the Game of Thrones prequel Bloodmoon production.
Spotted in Gaeta in Italy, photos of a boat displaying what appears to be an early form of the Stark direworlf sigil have been captured by GoT fan account, GoTlike Locations.
Cast and crew members were also spotted in costume filming at Grotta del Turco.
While the sigil differs slightly from the current Stark one as we know it from the series, this version is similar and could be an early iteration.
Bloodmoon is set thousands of years before the events that take place in the A Song of Ice and Fire series but author George RR Martin confirmed that the Starks and direwolves will be present.
GoTlike Locations tweeted: ‘Only shortly before sunset the prop boat came out of the grotto again to go back to the production’s second base in the port of Gaeta. This time the boat’s crew was in costume and the banner (which might be an early Stark one?) revealed. #Bloodmoon #Gaeta.’
However, not all are convinced that it could be the Stark banner with fans speculating on Twitter that is, in fact, a panther.
One wrote: ‘I don’t think we can assume this is connected to House Stark. The sigil looks more like a panther/large cat than a wolf.’
Only shortly before sunset the prop boat came out of the grotto again to go back to the production’s second base in the port of Gaeta. This time the boat’s crew was in costume and the banner (which might be an early Stark one?) revealed. #Bloodmoon #Gaeta pic.twitter.com/WYRFn3aJMT
— GoTlike Locations (@GoTlikeLocation) July 15, 2019
While another added: ‘Yall saying is a “cat, wolf, leopard, fox, etc” yall know nothing. It’s obviously a Panther. Look at the ears. Wolf’s only put their ears backwards when it’s scared. This is an obvious medieval interpretation of a panther.’
Panthers have not been prominent in the series or books in any regard, but one notable moment in the second book, A Clash of Kings, shows Arya Stark noticing a panther banner travelling with Tywin Lannister when he leaves Harrenhal.
House Lannister will not have been founded yet in Bloodmoon, but if one of Twyin’s bannerman has a panther sigil, perhaps it’s from an old house predating the Lannisters at Casterly Rock?
Whatever it turns out to be, we still have quite a wait before the series is released on HBO to find out for sure.
Bloodmoon is currently in production for HBO.
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