Nothing has been curing my brain’s appetite for deep thought quite like G. R. R. Martin’s fantasy-series masterpiece, A Song of Ice and Fire. Lately, I’ve been delving into the ASOIAF Reddit, listening to podcasts (such as Radio Westeros and A Podcast of Ice and Fire), and watching YouTube theories (from awesome people like Preston Jacobs and Alt Shift X).
As an English/literature grad, I simply love doing literary analyses. After my first readthrough, back before my crazed absorption of the fandom’s collective thoughts and theories, I wrote my own little post to vent my ideas, but the one I’m writing here and now is different:
This is Part 1 of a series of notes/thoughts/observations/etc. that I’ve been taking as I reread the entire series. I’ve been marking up my book with ink pens and tiny bookmarks as if I were analyzing this for a lit class. I’m sharing it here for fun, and as my small contribution to the fandom.
CAUTION SPOILERS – I am not going to hold back on spoilers going forward. Text from Books 1-5, The Winds of Winter sample chapters, Game of Thrones TV show, The World of Ice and Fire, and anything else I can find will be posted. Do not read on if you do not want to be completely spoiled about everything.
So, to begin, I’m looking at the prologue of A Game of Thrones, near the end where Ser Waymar Royce shouts, “For Robert!” right before meeting his end in a dance of blades against the Others. I thought his shout was interesting, considering that the Night’s Watch takes no king’s side. Waymar is newer to the Watch, for sure, and it’s interesting to note that Waymar is the son of Bronze Yohn Royce, a lord of the Vale. Yohn took part in both the famed Tourney at Harrenhal where Rheagar crowned Lyanna and with the hunt that ended in a boar killing King Robert. It’s almost odd that Waymar shouts Robert’s name rather than his castle’s, which is Runestone.
Daenerys I - tells of her birth, and it’s interesting to note that her mother died birthing her. I’ve heard a theory that she, along with Jon Snow and Tyrion, are Lightbringer, a metaphor instead of a sword, and that all three had mothers died birthing them because their mothers symbolize Nissa Nissa. She was supposedly born on Dragonstone, but she does not remember it, for Ser Willem Darry and four loyal men broke into the nursery and took her to Braavos.
Eddard I – "Likely they were too shy to come out," Ned jested. He could feel the chill coming up the stairs, a cold breath from deep within the earth. "Kings are a rare sight in the north."
Robert snorted. "More likely they were hiding under the snow. Snow, Ned!" The king put one hand on the wallto steady himself as they descended.
Winterfell is an odd place. It sits on natural hot springs, and it walls are so warm that it makes people sweat at night. It has a supercool lake outside of it, where some have said that an ice dragon once died. Winterfell is like a living thing. Both the seat of the Winter Kings and a name that, taken apart, says that winter fell, or ended. That’s why I noted that a cold breath came from the crypts, deep within the earth (where the hot springs come from).
In response to Ned saying, “Kings are a rare sight in the north,” King Robert, speaking about the northern people, says, “More likely they were hiding under the snow,” and then puts his hand on a wall. I think this is definitely a nod to Jon Snow, who is the heir to the throne in the Targaryen, hiding under the name of Snow and sent to the wall. Cool little secret, written by Martin.
In response to Ned saying, “Kings are a rare sight in the north,” King Robert, speaking about the northern people, says, “More likely they were hiding under the snow,” and then puts his hand on a wall. I think this is definitely a nod to Jon Snow, who is the heir to the throne in the Targaryen, hiding under the name of Snow and sent to the wall. Cool little secret, written by Martin.
The next page has this little golden line, “The crypt continued on into darkness ahead of them, but beyond this point the tombs were empty and unsealed; black holes waiting for their dead, waiting for him and his children.”
and his children
Spells of doom, in my opinion. We already know that Robb gets killed, but the rest? Surely one Stark will survive, right?
Spells of doom, in my opinion. We already know that Robb gets killed, but the rest? Surely one Stark will survive, right?
Jon I – Tyrion is described by Jon: “One green eye and one black one peered out from under a lank fall of hair so blond it seemed white.”
As important as hair color is at determining birth, Tyrion seems less like a Lannister and more like a secret Targ. I should note that this same chapter ends with Jon saying that Tyrion is a trueborn Lannister, only for Tyrion to reply, “Am I?”
(HERE IS PART 2).
As important as hair color is at determining birth, Tyrion seems less like a Lannister and more like a secret Targ. I should note that this same chapter ends with Jon saying that Tyrion is a trueborn Lannister, only for Tyrion to reply, “Am I?”
(HERE IS PART 2).
And that shall close Part 1 of this blog series. I’ve read far beyond, but I don’t want to make these blogs too long. Anyway, thanks for reading, and tell me if I missed anything! Special thanks to http://www.asearchoficeandfire.comfor helping me keep track of chapter names and quotes!
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