Why would Benjen Stark join the Nights Watch?

[TheReal_Rebel]

Okay so the thread is too long and I didn't read all of it so I apologize if this has been mentioned before. I think the reason why Benjen Stark went to the Wall is the following:

Benjen had helped Lyanna elope with Rhaeggar. During the rebellion he was the Stark in Winterfell and when Ned returned with Jon and told him what had happened he had no choice but to join the Wall because helping Lyanna and Rhaegar elope would have been considered an act of treason by Robert the new king. However, at the Wall all of a man's crimes are erased. He would never have to speak of the part he had taken in the elopement thereby ensuring Jon's safety and helping keep his identity a secret.

I think he may have had feelings of guilt but also that Ned forced him to join the NW so that he could make sure that his promise to Lyanna would not be broken.

Don't think Ned forced Benjen to join the NW. But if Benjen did help Rhaeghar & Lyanna elope, he unknowingly helped start a Civil War and the guilt would be heavy on him. And the Wall would be only safe place for him, as you already stated.

But another, thought occurs--the Greyjoy Rebellion. It's after the children are born. This time Benjen might have gone off with Ned to war and who knows how that might influenced him. The endless wars within the Seven a Kingdoms might seem stupid in comparison to protecting the whole kingdom from threats known-- the Wildings and unknown-- the Others. Just re-enforcing a desire he had since Harrenhall.

Could be other additional reasons, hope we find out sooner rather than later. I 'm hoping the World book might give us some info on it.

Oh, and I think Benjen is hiding in plain sight among the Bolton/ Dustin/ forces at Winterfell. aka the hooded man

Crackpot Theory: I think Benjen wrote the Pink Letter to goad Jon to come on home ;-D

[JonBranRickon]

I think benjen is beyond the wall investgating the Others.

[Taenqyrhae]

Maybe he was getting a lot of pressure to marry since the other Starks were dead, and he went to the Wall to hide his homosexuality. The Blackfish was still getting pressure from Hoster Tully about his failure to settle down with a woman after decades, Benjen may have wanted to avoid that.

[JLE]

I think the "Stark on the Wall" is a highly plausible reason. Whether or not there is a mystical reason for it, there's certainly a practical reason: to set an example.

After all, if the Lord of the North considers a thing so important that he sends a close relative, or allows a close relative to choose of their own free will, to go to the Wall and take the Black, then other lords - both from the North and from nearby parts of the realm, such as Lord Denys Mallister of Seagard, a River holding that is close to the North and friends to them - are more likely to follow the example.

The result is to provide the Wall with a steady stream of honourable, principled men who are indeed doing it for principle: to make sure that the Wall does NOT become what it threatened to become if the only recruits it could get were criminals, rebels and losers of a civil war, namely a prison camp. Because that would create the risk of a prison-camp rebellion - which, of course, is exactly what we saw happen with the Mutiny of Craster's Keep: those who were there by principle, and even those who were there having been on the losing side in the civil war (in which they had fought on principle), were suddenly in a situation where they were, at least in the locality of Craster's Keep, outnumbered and out-weaponed by those who were simply there as convicted criminals, having no other chance - Chett and his gang.

Of course, some of the convicts still sided with the "principled" recruits, and became honourable Watchmen in their own right. Cotter Pyke, for example, had been a raider and reaver, but seems to have genuinely adapted to the Watch, to the point of commanding at Eastwatch and being a serious candidate for Lord Commander.

But that, of course, was exactly why it was necessary to have people go to the Wall of their own free will: and if a Stark would do it himself, what family in the North would *not* consider sending a surplus son to the Wall as an honourable position for them?

A further question: Who was the last member of House Bolton to voluntarily serve on the Wall, or be sent there by his family? Has there ever been a Bolton in the Watch who wasn't a convict, in fact?

[BRANDON GREYSTARK]

Why did Waymar Royce or Osric Stark not everybody is mercenary . May be after hearing Rhaegar's song and hearing the pleas from the Black Brother he wanted to be something more , but that doesn't mean he didn't experience life .

[Orbulas B. Harding]

Within the story their is the recurring motif of siblings, Second Sons, Bastards, Cheated Siblings, Envious Siblings, Monstrous Siblings,

I think Benjen Joined the Watch because he was the last in line at the start of the war and by the time the war was over Ned had sired an heir (and apparently a Bastard)

I think he hated Brandon (who was a brute) and envied Ned's heroic renown and budding family to the point of hatred.

I think Benjen is actually in league with the Others

I think he is the Stark in Winterfell and that he was the author of the Red Letter

I think that if Davos ever gets Rickon to Winterfell the great turnabout might not be a great reversal of fortunes for the Boltons (maybe some of that) but instead of swearing fealty to this new Lord of Winterfell, Benjen and co-conspirators will kill Rickon (and Shaddydog) as an offering to the others

I think he wants to crown himself the new Night's King

[opinionn]

I personally believe that Benjen went to investigate about the Others and was captured by their conscious commander/leader. Whenever we see this person we'll see Benjen again.

Also kinda off topic but if benjen all of sudden came back would he now be the Lord of Winterfell? If he renounced his vows or if the nights watch was no more when he returned.

[Buried Treasure]

No he's foresworn himself, he has no claim. No takebacks.

[SerWalterPuffsAlot]

Where do you get hat idea. There is nothing in the books that suggests that Ned or his siblings never knew their mother.

In fact that information isn't even unkown to us the readers anymore. Their mother was Lyarra Stark, daughter of Rodrick Stark "the Wandering Wolf" and Arya Flint.

ETA : Or are you suggesting that Lyarra died either giving birth to Benjen or soon thereafter. If that is the case I necessarilly disagree.

are you saying Ned and Benjen's mother was also their aunt?

[TheReal_Rebel]

What we know of Benjen Stark : http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Benjen_Stark

In other families, Freys, Lannisters, Tully's, brother of the eldest did not necessarily leave their family's castle. But seem to have been expected to be of use in some way to the family as a whole. The Blackfish became Lysa Arryn 's gatekeeper. Ned certainly could have found a similar situation from among his Bannerman to suite Benjen, if Benjen wanted and needed it. I'm with those who say he choose the NW.

If Benjen Stark was the Night's King, why wouldn't it have been shown in the TV series?

Why would Benjen Stark, after encountering the Others and managing to survive, not have returned to the Wall? Either he was proevented by the Wilding March on the Wall or by an encounter with the Others or the Wildings or both. He may have been injured and taken to safety. Perhaps, by the same person who helped Bran, Meera & Jojen.

This person might have informed Benjen that Winterfell was missing a true Stark.

[Luddsthirdmorph]

I am inclined to think there is a sort of unwritten law in the North, honoured at least by the Starks and that other proud first man family the Royces, that the third son goes to the wall.

[Toccs]

are you saying Ned and Benjen's mother was also their aunt?

No. Rickard and Lyarra were the same level of relation as Tywin and Joanna.

[alienarea]

Or it could be a rule not yet disclosed by GRRM: You can't step down from being the Stark in Winterfell (Benjen was during Robert's rebellion) unless you take the black?

[Amoracchius]

Or it could be a rule not yet disclosed by GRRM: You can't step down from being the Stark in Winterfell (Benjen was during Robert's rebellion) unless you take the black?

That doesn't seem to fit to me. Under that logic, if Ned had never gotten ambushed by Jaime and actually quit as Hand, when he got back to Winterfell he would have told Robb, "Good job, son, thanks for taking care of things while I was away, but now you've got to pack your things. Have fun with Jon and Benjen at the Wall." That doesn't sound right.

[alienarea]

That doesn't seem to fit to me. Under that logic, if Ned had never gotten ambushed by Jaime and actually quit as Hand, when he got back to Winterfell he would have told Robb, "Good job, son, thanks for taking care of things while I was away, but now you've got to pack your things. Have fun with Jon and Benjen at the Wall." That doesn't sound right.

But Ned wasn't Stark in Winterfell before Benjen ...

[JonBranRickon]

I agree, his significance in the KW and his disappearance will all come out. I bet it will be a grand-scheme that only he and Eddard knew.

[Amoracchius]

But Ned wasn't Stark in Winterfell before Benjen ...

I didn't say he was.

Your earlier post suggested that when Benjen ceased to be the Stark in WF when Ned came home after the Rebellion, Benjen had to take the black as a rule. I'm saying, if that were the rule, then when Ned made Robb the Stark in WF in AGOT (and assuming that Ned expected to survive his time as Hand), he was also conciously deciding that Robb would not be his heir and would instead take the black when Ned came home.

Actually, now that I think about it, if the rule were "You can't step down as Stark in WF unless you take the black," then Ned never could have accepted King Robert's offer to be Hand in the first place. When Ned rode South with Robert, he stepped down as Stark in WF, but he didn't take the black.