"The Sacrifice" Asha

[The Sea Snake]

Quick question, why is Asha's POV in aDwD named "The Sacrifice"? has anyone figured it out? or is it just me in the dark?

[TreyWickedMagician]

There was a theory about she will die in the battle and her death will be used to revive Jon.

[The Sea Snake]

oh, yeah, I've read something like that. I was just wondering if there was something obvious or confirmed on it and i had missed it. That's odd though, I always thought that if Jon was revived through weirwood magic it would have been thru Theon's blood. But yeah, I guess that if she is shunned "The Sacrifice" it probably means she will die. Maybe sacrificed in a Nightfire too?

[Good Guy Garlan]

I think it could be because she sees herself (and is seen by others) in that chapter as a sacrifice, because Clayton Suggs and the rest of the Queen's Men are calling for her blood non-stop. Most chapters are titled in accordance to how the POV thinks of himself/herself at that time

[Hippocras]

Theon is the sacrifice.

He arrives at Stannis's camp in that chapter. Asha will live.

[Lord Varys]

If I'm not mistaken, then the chapter names have always referred to a situation the character is in that particular chapter, not at some time in the distant past/future. Thus it should refer to the fact that Asha considers herself as a potential (future) sacrifice to R'hllor at a later time, just as many of the Queen's Men do.

[Hippocras]

If I'm not mistaken, then the chapter names have always referred to a situation the character is in that particular chapter, not at some time in the distant past/future. Thus it should refer to the fact that Asha considers herself as a potential (future) sacrifice to R'hllor at a later time, just as many of the Queen's Men do.

I think it is a many layered chapter title personally. Yes, it refers to Asha's predicament at the time, before Theon arrives. It also refers to Theon's sacrifice in bringing fArya to Stannis. It also, I am quite sure, refers to Theon's future role as a sacrifice. The WoW chapter leaves no doubt IMO that Theon is about to meet the gods, and that his sacrifice will somehow involve the weirwood tree as Bran, through the ravens was insisting.

[Dragon Seed]

Theon is the sacrifice.

He arrives at Stannis's camp in that chapter. Asha will live.

Agreed!!! Theon has kings Blood ------ Oldest son of (dead) Balon Grayjoy. King of the Iron Islands.

[The Sea Snake]

Most chapters are titled in accordance to how the POV thinks of himself/herself at that time

If I'm not mistaken, then the chapter names have always referred to a situation the character is in that particular chapter, not at some time in the distant past/future.

Yeah! exactly, thats what i've always thought as a genaral rule for reading aFfC and aDwD... but i couldnt make the sense out of it, since she wasnt truly sacrificied. But the constant threatening was smthn i had not taken into account, the possition she feels she is in during the chap. Makes a lot of sense though, so thanks! Im taking that as a satisfying answer to my question!

[Bael's Bastard]

Titles always refer to the POV. If it is an Asha POV it refers to Asha, not Theon.

[Fire Eater]

Theon is the sacrifice.

He arrives at Stannis's camp in that chapter. Asha will live.

Theon thinks death isn't so bad, and nearly everyone in the camp wants him dead, and even Asha has given up on any hope of sparing his life, so I think he'll live. GRRM builds impressions just to overturn them. I think Theon could remember what Luwin told him in ACoK, and opt to join the blac,. Once one requests, he can't be denied, and everyone knows Jon is LC of the NW, so they don't think Theon will get the royal treatment.

"Marriage is not for you," Theon decided. "When I rule, I believe I will pack you off to the silent sisters."

People sent to the silent sisters are the dead.

They (Qarl and Asha) spent the night devouring peaches and each other.

Peaches share a lot of association with death in ASOIAF.

And then her [Asha] back came up hard against a tree, and she could dance no more.

Asha had walked out with Aly Mormont to have a closer look at its slitted red eyes and bloody mouth. It's only sap, she'd told herself, the red sap that flows inside these weirwoods. But her eyes were unconvinced; seeing was believing, and what they saw was frozen blood.

I think Asha will die in the Battle of Ice when she finds herself backed against the weirwood tree, and her blood is spilled onto the weirwood, and with the title of her last POV being "The Sacrifice" even though she wasn't being sacrificed, her death will be an unintentional blood sacrifice which will be used by BR and Bran to pay for the life of Jon.

I think Theon may live while Asha will die since GRRM tends to be predisposed towards cripples, bastards and broken things.

Agreed!!! Theon has kings Blood ------ Oldest son of (dead) Balon Grayjoy. King of the Iron Islands.

So does Asha

[Hippocras]

Did you read the WoW chapter?

Frankly it leaves no doubt. The only question really is if it will be a weirwood or R'hllor sacrifice.

And in response to other posts here - Asha probably WOULD have been sacrificed if Theon had not showed up. But he did. Now he is the sacrifice and Asha ia far more useful to Stannis as a still fertile Greyjoy heir in his power. He needs her alive. Theon is useless to him.

The only thing that would possibly spare Theon is if the Freys attack right away, before the sacrifice can happen.

[Mithras]

“Lord Wull seeks audience as well. He wants —”

“I know what he wants.” The king indicated Theon. “Him. Wull wants him dead. Flint, Norrey... all of them will want him dead. For the boys he slew. Vengeance for their precious Ned.”

I think Stannis is mistaken. The mountain clans do know that Theon did not slay the Stark boys and the survivors of the Battle at Winterfell know that Ramsay was the one who sacked Winterfell. The clan chiefs do not want Theon dead.

I think Bran will use him as his messenger in front of the heart tree. He will talk through the weirwood tree but Theon will be the only one to understand him and deliver his words.

I think Bran will continue to use Theon as his messenger. At some point, he will send him to warn Aeron to leave the Old Way behind but he will not listen. So, Bran will send the Hammer of Waters to destroy Pyke as a warning, killing Aeron in the process. After that, Rodrik Harlaw will be the Lord of Iron Isles. He will ban reaving and leave the Old Way completely.

[Hippocras]

You are wrong IMO. It is not only about Bran and Rickon. Whether he killed them or not, Theon's betrayal led directly to Robb's defeat. Once he lost his home he could not hold his bannermen in line.

The North remembers that. Bolton's betrayal was a direct result of Theon's. And Theon's was for his own pride, not even on his father's orders.

Theon is the sacrifice.

[Lord Varys]

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to speculate about the hidden meaning of 'The Sacrifice', if we not also assume that 'The Captain of Guards', 'The Prophet', 'The Hand of the Queen', 'The Dragontamer', 'The Windblown', 'The Merchant's Man', 'The Watcher' etc. have hidden meanings, too.

[Hippocras]

I don't think it makes a lot of sense to speculate about the hidden meaning of 'The Sacrifice', if we not also assume that 'The Captain of Guards', 'The Prophet', 'The Hand of the Queen', 'The Dragontamer', 'The Windblown', 'The Merchant's Man', 'The Watcher' etc. have hidden meanings, too.

I don't get what you are trying to say here. It would be a direct reference within the chapter. The conversation with Asha makes it clear Stannis's army wants to make a sacrifice, then in that same chapter Theon shows up at the camp. It is a direct connection to the events of the chapter for Theon to be the sacrifice.

And then the WoW chapter confirms it.

[Lord Varys]

My point is that GRRM's usual habit is the name his chapters - if they are not the names of the POVs - after specific functions the characters fulfill in this chapter (or after situations they find themselves in).

Up until now no chapter title has ever referred to someone else - the POV was always the person it referred to. My guess thus is that if 'The Sacrifice' was actually going to refer to Theon, there would be other hidden meanings in the other non-POV chapters as well. Which is, as far as I know, not the case.

[jet199]

I don't get what you are trying to say here. It would be a direct reference within the chapter. The conversation with Asha makes it clear Stannis's army wants to make a sacrifice, then in that same chapter Theon shows up at the camp. It is a direct connection to the events of the chapter for Theon to be the sacrifice.

And then the WoW chapter confirms it.

The WOW chapter confirms nothing other than Bran is trying to communicate with Theon, which he was also trying to do at Winterfell.

There is a theory that the unusual title names are due to Bran seeing things through the weirnet. Basically at the end of the books Bran will be revealed to be the narrator or witness of the events. So the last few books Bran has been learning to use the weirnet and therefore does not always know people's names so he gives them nicknames, a bit like the names the Reeds give people in tKotLF story. Theon's POV chapters go back to being titled "Theon" after he goes to the godswood and speaks directly to the tree and Bran recognises him.

POV titles always refer to whoever's POV it is so "The Sacrifice" is Asha. I'm not completely sure that the sacrificing has to take place in the same chapter it happens, if anything the odd POV titles seem to refer to a person's general state. The Wayward Bride and The King's Prise are things Asha becomes before the chapter starts. It may be that Bran has heard others discussing sacrificing Asha so that's how he thinks of her at the moment (Asha and Alysane walked out to the heart tree, which is where Bran would see them best, so maybe Alysane is the one who wants to use Asha for something. "Lady Asha's not for burning", well what is she for then?). Future Bran could know she gets sacrificed and is thinking about her looking back. It could just be that her being sacrificed could happen in someone else's POV, The Sacrifice was her last chapter in ADWD so her title as a sacrifice just carries on until we get another one. There is also the large possibility that Asha will be sacrificing herself in some non-deadly way. Something similar to Asha sacrificing her ambition and offering to fight for Stannis for instance.

It is an interesting theory as it shows the limits of the weirnet because Bran can't get a clear enough view of his sisters to see through their disguises. When Bran is told that eventually he will be able to see beyond the trees it does probably not mean that he will be able to see everything, he will probably still have to see through skinchanging animals if he wants to see more rather than being omnipresent.

[Hippocras]

My point is that GRRM's usual habit is the name his chapters - if they are not the names of the POVs - after specific functions the characters fulfill in this chapter (or after situations they find themselves in).

Up until now no chapter title has ever referred to someone else - the POV was always the person it referred to. My guess thus is that if 'The Sacrifice' was actually going to refer to Theon, there would be other hidden meanings in the other non-POV chapters as well. Which is, as far as I know, not the case.

And my point is that the title DOES refer to Asha...until the moment int the same chapter when Theon arrived. If he had not arrive she would have burned.

His arrival saved her. Now he is the sacrifice. She is useful.

[Consigliere]

Theon thinks death isn't so bad, and nearly everyone in the camp wants him dead, and even Asha has given up on any hope of sparing his life, so I think he'll live. GRRM builds impressions just to overturn them. I think Theon could remember what Luwin told him in ACoK, and opt to join the blac,. Once one requests, he can't be denied, and everyone knows Jon is LC of the NW, so they don't think Theon will get the royal treatment.

"Marriage is not for you," Theon decided. "When I rule, I believe I will pack you off to the silent sisters."

People sent to the silent sisters are the dead.

They (Qarl and Asha) spent the night devouring peaches and each other.

Peaches share a lot of association with death in ASOIAF.

And then her [Asha] back came up hard against a tree, and she could dance no more.

Asha had walked out with Aly Mormont to have a closer look at its slitted red eyes and bloody mouth. It's only sap, she'd told herself, the red sap that flows inside these weirwoods. But her eyes were unconvinced; seeing was believing, and what they saw was frozen blood.

I think Asha will die in the Battle of Ice when she finds herself backed against the weirwood tree, and her blood is spilled onto the weirwood, and with the title of her last POV being "The Sacrifice" even though she wasn't being sacrificed, her death will be an unintentional blood sacrifice which will be used by BR and Bran to pay for the life of Jon.

I think Theon may live while Asha will die since GRRM tends to be predisposed towards cripples, bastards and broken things.

I agree with this assessment. Theon may request to take the black but I don't think that he will actually end up taking the black. Theon could be used to overturn the kingsmoot that chose Euron in a parallel to the kingsmoot that chose Urragon Goodbrother but was later declared unlawful when Torgon returned.