valar morghulis

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English

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Etymology

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Coined by American writer and television producer George R. R. Martin for use in his A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novel series. The phrase, which means "all men must die" in the fictional language of High Valyrian, is used as a greeting by the Faceless Men, a combination death cult and assassin's guild. The traditional response is valar dohaeris (all men must serve).

Phrase

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valar morghulis

  1. (fandom slang) An expression used as an acknowledgement of human mortality and the inevitability of death.
    • 2015, Hannah Jane Cohen, "A Road Trip To Djúpavík", The Reykjavík Grapevine, 5 June 2015 - 18 June 2015, page 31:
      On a philosophical note, there has never been a moment in my life where I’ve truly considered the gravity of death. Yes I know, “All men must die,” but I’m a writer, not a BASE jumper. I spend most of my time behind a bright computer screen, thinking. Yet as I started driving along the edge of a snowy cliff tumbling hundreds of meters downwards to the rocky sea, without snow tyres, the possibility was getting a little bit too real. Valar morghulis.
    • 2015, Keegan Guidolin & Matthew Douglas-Vail, "What kills us and what costs us: An examination of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge", University of Western Ontario Medical Journal, Volume 84, Issue 1, Winter 2015, page 18:
      In 2015, different beasts threaten our lives—heart disease, cancers, and chronic airway diseases comprise the majority of our disease burden. Valar morghulis—all men must die.
    • 2019, "Dedication", in Jennifer P. B. Price, "Testing Construct Redundancy: Resilience, Grit, Hardiness, and Mental Toughness", thesis submitted to Saint Mary's University (Halifax, NS), page 7:
      You fought a good battle, and it was an honour to be there right beside you. I will miss you. “Valar Morghulis” my friend. The God of Death has called one of its valiant warrior[sic] home, albeit, too soon.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:valar morghulis.

See also

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