Thursday is theory day now.
This is the sixteenth article of the series. Since there are a lot of
theories floating out there and I'm asked often enough what I think of
them, I thought I write it down. You can then laugh about me when I am
totally proven wrong by "The Winds of Winter" or something like that.
Rules are as follows: you put a question about any theory or plot
element (really, let's stress "theory" a bit for the sake of interesting
questions) either in the comments of any theory post or by mail
(stefan_sasse@gmx.de) and I will answer them in an upcoming post. And if
you now ask "Stefan, isn't this a shameless rip-off of Sean T. Collin's
"Ask me anything"?", I would tell you to shut up, because you are
right.
Prepare for part 16. Spoilers for "A Song of Ice and Fire", obviously.
I am rereading a storm of swords, in preparation for the new season of Game of Thrones, and it is mentioned in chapter 9 of storm of swords “Four and one more, the white who has no voice.” By Summer about Ghost. Do you have a theory as to why Ghost has no voice?
Well, yes, but it's mainly a narrative one. Ghost is Jon's wolf, and like Jon, he's an outsider. A wolf without a voice is not a real wolf, as Jon is no real Stark. However, Ghost is obviously a potent vessel for the powers of the "old gods" that work through Jon, so both of them are also very "northern" in that aspect. Ghost's also an albino, which signifies his otherness, just like the black clothes that mark Jon as an outsider (a member of the Night's Watch). The silent wolf is, additionally, a nice style element, at least on paper. Jon calls him Ghost, and this being silent and without noise adds to the impression just a littlebit more. It's interesting that they didn't use that in the show, since things sounding cool on paper don't always look cool on the screen. I don't think there's much to him being mute in regards to any special destiny, skill or prophecy, though.
I missed Edmure's reaction to seeing the singer the first time I read it.. could there be something else here? Tom O'Sevens was in the Frey camp where they had Edmure on a pole, was he trying to rescue him?
Tom O'Sevens certainly doesn't try to free Edmure. It might be possible that Lady Stoneheart would aspire to that, since Edmure is technically her brother, but judging from what we've seen of her, she's not exactly into such mundane matters anymore. It's a revenge quest. I find it far more likely that Tom O'Sevens is just there as a spy. He wants to check out what happens, since Frey will be the new lord of Riverrun and they will have to face him sooner or later. Being in the camp, he can scout all the possibilities and composition of the Frey host. Edmure is a high-profile-target, and while it may be possible to stage a Robin-Hood-style rescue operation, it is terribly risky. The Brotherhood didn't even try to free Beric when he was caught and hanged, they just cut him down the gallows later. So I don't see them charging in, rescuing Edmure for no good reason. What would it gain them? A host of Lannister and Frey hunting them down, and very likely a dead Edmure. The guy's safer where he is now. And don't count on the Blackfish; I'd guess he is happy without his inapt nephew.
Who will sit the Iron Throne at TWOW?
This is a though one. If you are into prophecies, Tommen needs to die quickly to make way for Myrcella, who needs to die in turn - "gold will be their crowns", after all. If you read that literally, they need to sit the Iron Throne before they die in order for Maggy's prophecy to come true. But. For once, this prophecy is already true, since they both have these really nice golden curls, so we could metaphorically consider them crowned already. And second, who gives a rat's ass about prophecies? Just kidding. I'd guess that Tommen still sits the Iron Throne at the end of TWOW. Let's rule out some other possibilities. I don't see Aegon aspiring to the damn chair anytime soon. Stannis? Forget it. Myrcella would require Tommen's death and the consent of the Tyrells, which isn't exactly a given anymore. The Martells could of course crown her in Sunspear, but that doesn't exactly fit the "sitting the Iron Throne" category. And Dany? I somehow doubt that. It's more a gutfeeling, but I'd wager on Tommen playing with his seal for a little while longer. Oh, and for all you Sansa shippers out there: nope, she won't be ruining her pretty ass on the Iron Throne neither. And lastly, please forget about Edric Storm.
I am rereading a storm of swords, in preparation for the new season of Game of Thrones, and it is mentioned in chapter 9 of storm of swords “Four and one more, the white who has no voice.” By Summer about Ghost. Do you have a theory as to why Ghost has no voice?
Well, yes, but it's mainly a narrative one. Ghost is Jon's wolf, and like Jon, he's an outsider. A wolf without a voice is not a real wolf, as Jon is no real Stark. However, Ghost is obviously a potent vessel for the powers of the "old gods" that work through Jon, so both of them are also very "northern" in that aspect. Ghost's also an albino, which signifies his otherness, just like the black clothes that mark Jon as an outsider (a member of the Night's Watch). The silent wolf is, additionally, a nice style element, at least on paper. Jon calls him Ghost, and this being silent and without noise adds to the impression just a littlebit more. It's interesting that they didn't use that in the show, since things sounding cool on paper don't always look cool on the screen. I don't think there's much to him being mute in regards to any special destiny, skill or prophecy, though.
I missed Edmure's reaction to seeing the singer the first time I read it.. could there be something else here? Tom O'Sevens was in the Frey camp where they had Edmure on a pole, was he trying to rescue him?
Tom O'Sevens certainly doesn't try to free Edmure. It might be possible that Lady Stoneheart would aspire to that, since Edmure is technically her brother, but judging from what we've seen of her, she's not exactly into such mundane matters anymore. It's a revenge quest. I find it far more likely that Tom O'Sevens is just there as a spy. He wants to check out what happens, since Frey will be the new lord of Riverrun and they will have to face him sooner or later. Being in the camp, he can scout all the possibilities and composition of the Frey host. Edmure is a high-profile-target, and while it may be possible to stage a Robin-Hood-style rescue operation, it is terribly risky. The Brotherhood didn't even try to free Beric when he was caught and hanged, they just cut him down the gallows later. So I don't see them charging in, rescuing Edmure for no good reason. What would it gain them? A host of Lannister and Frey hunting them down, and very likely a dead Edmure. The guy's safer where he is now. And don't count on the Blackfish; I'd guess he is happy without his inapt nephew.
Who will sit the Iron Throne at TWOW?
This is a though one. If you are into prophecies, Tommen needs to die quickly to make way for Myrcella, who needs to die in turn - "gold will be their crowns", after all. If you read that literally, they need to sit the Iron Throne before they die in order for Maggy's prophecy to come true. But. For once, this prophecy is already true, since they both have these really nice golden curls, so we could metaphorically consider them crowned already. And second, who gives a rat's ass about prophecies? Just kidding. I'd guess that Tommen still sits the Iron Throne at the end of TWOW. Let's rule out some other possibilities. I don't see Aegon aspiring to the damn chair anytime soon. Stannis? Forget it. Myrcella would require Tommen's death and the consent of the Tyrells, which isn't exactly a given anymore. The Martells could of course crown her in Sunspear, but that doesn't exactly fit the "sitting the Iron Throne" category. And Dany? I somehow doubt that. It's more a gutfeeling, but I'd wager on Tommen playing with his seal for a little while longer. Oh, and for all you Sansa shippers out there: nope, she won't be ruining her pretty ass on the Iron Throne neither. And lastly, please forget about Edric Storm.
I thought there was an implication in the 3rd book that Tom OSevens stole a woman from Edmure once when Edmure was drunk. I think it was in an Arya chapter.
ReplyDeleteExactly.
DeleteThanks for addressing #2!.. and yes, after a THIRD re-read I ran into the same conclusion as the anon commenter above, the song about his inability to pleasure a woman can be the reason Edmure is shocked to see the man.
DeleteRegarding freeing him, I didn't meant it "literally", like charging in, but mostly by way of reporting the Frey movement to SH and band.. guess we'll see on that.
I guess the presence of Tom in the tent where Jamie gives Edmure his "options" will be of relevance if Jamie meets SH.. although the offer of flinging his newborn off a trebuchet might not be taking kindly.
He was surely there to spy, but not to free Edmure.
Delete