5 times 'Game of Thrones' based schemes, massacres, and battles on real moments in history

Warning: "Game of Thrones" spoilers ahead.

• HBO's "Game of Thrones" includes numerous historical allusions.
• Some of the references are more obvious than others.
• "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin has frequently expressed his own interest in history.

As they say, truth is often stranger than fiction.

That's something that "A Song of Ice and Fire" author George R.R. Martin - whose work was adapted into HBO's hit series "Game of Thrones - clearly understands.

In one interview with author Bernard Cornwell, Martin even said that "the historical novel and the epic fantasy are sisters under the skin."

So it's not surprising that his most famous work is chock full of historical allusions.

Here are just a few historical references included in "Game of Thrones":