Archmaester Drew Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Coldhands is an animated corpse that rides a great elk north of the Wall, wears the garb of a Brother of the Night's Watch and acts like a ranger. His hands are black and he is cold. He never reveals his face, but his eyes are black. He appears to serve The Three-eyed Crow to guide Bran. Leaf says "they killed him long ago." Who is (was) he? The Green Men are a sacred order that guards the weirwoods on the Isle of Faces since the time of the Pact with the Children of the Forrest. They ride elk and serve the greenseers. Could there be another such order in the North, Beyond the Wall? Maybe a similar cadre to the Green Men was formed to protect the weirwoods? Possibly dating to the Long Night or Night's King, and a branch of the Night's Watch that was forgotten? In this early time the First Men and Children worked together, so it is a reasonable assumption... Or, perhaps I've been staring into this obsidian candle too long... ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FranklynFowler Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I'd doubt it, the only reason the weirwoods needed protecting was due to the first men (before the pact) and the andals, no andals beyond the wall, so they wouldnt necessarily need protection. I believe Coldhands is a random ranger serving as a meat puppet for bloodraven, there's literally no personality to him and we've seen wights who've maintained their personality and memories Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmaester Drew Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I'd doubt it, the only reason the weirwoods needed protecting was due to the first men (before the pact) and the andals, no andals beyond the wall, so they wouldnt necessarily need protection. I believe Coldhands is a random ranger serving as a meat puppet for bloodraven, there's literally no personality to him and we've seen wights who've maintained their personality and memories After the wars with the Others, a new similar order to the Green Men could have been instituted for the North to be guardians and serve the greenseers. The fact that the Green Men ride elk is what got me thinking about this, but now I cant find the reference. Cold Hands is certainly a meat-puppet of Bloodraven, but what was he before? Maybe just Night's Watch, maybe not... He's got more personality that Othor! ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtherSnow Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Coldhands appears to be a wight. Is he a different type?Bloodraven does appear to have used him to guide Bran. How about helping Sam and Gilly? Was Bloodraven behind that too or, does Coldhands hang on to some part of his former self? He's a curious character. Until we find out more, he remains a mystery. As he wears NW blacks, does that imply he was a ranger previously presumed lost?Is there anything to say only those from the south were to serve? Were there once settlements North of The Wall? He throws more questions into the pot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berric_Dondiedagain Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 out of all of the candidates that I have seen put forth, the one character that I think fits best with Coldhands-The ranger named Redwyn- In the first Jon chapter in ACOK- I am going to paraphrase-[Jon wakes Sam up from sleeping on the books- he is supposed to be looking for maps]- "This, he (sam) said reverently, is an account of the journey from the Shadow Tower to Lorn Point on the Frozen shore, written by a ranger named Redwyn-It is not dated but he mentions a Dorren Stark as King in the North so it must come from before the Conquest.... Redwyn even traded with the children of the forest....he drew maps as well" I think that someone like this would fit best- it doesn't have to be him specifically-I would accept the fact that he was just a puppet for BR and just the corpse of a reanimated NW- We know Coldhands works with the children and Bloodraven- and he could either be a meat puppet of BR or he could be something completely different that is just working with BRRedwyn's death, would fit the 'he was killed many years ago' as would many other unnamed rangers at this pointRedwyn's mapmaking skills and ranging give him knowledge of where things are if he is not just a puppet- again- as would any other unnamed as of yet rangers - I do not buy Benjen- I do not share the infatuation with Benjen Stark and would be happy to have never heard from him again- hey it happens- (please don't hurt me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeo Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Why hid his face expect he was very purpose when he was still human e.g benjen stark of can a white waker be warged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greggs92 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I dont know of I agtree with thks theory or not, however I think based on your arguements coldhands could be harren the blacks brother, we know he was lord commander and was noted for keeping his vows when aegon roasted harrenhall, harrenhall is next to isle of faces and its rumored harren used magic im not real sure where im going with this but it's the first thought that popped into my head wjen I read your theory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Coldhands is no normal wight the black eyes and him speaking is enough to confirm this.Some think he might be the last hero because when a cotf leaf says he died/was killed long ago...coming from a cotf that could mean thousands of years ago.Having said that I also read a theory about coldhands being the man that travelled with BR to the wall when he went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King of Vaes Tolorro Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Coldhands could be the Night's King, or he might be a rebel wight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmaester Drew Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Coldhands is no normal wight the black eyes and him speaking is enough to confirm this.Some think he might be the last hero because when a cotf leaf says he died/was killed long ago...coming from a cotf that could mean thousands of years ago.Having said that I also read a theory about coldhands being the man that travelled with BR to the wall when he went. Good points, particularly that he may have served with Bloodraven at the Wall and left with him. Thanks! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BitsOfBrains Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I believe Coldhands is a random ranger serving as a meat puppet for bloodraven, there's literally no personality to him and we've seen wights who've maintained their personality and memories I agree. Not everyone has to be someone in disguise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Only thing that really leaves me guessing is the cotf 'Leaf' quote "They killed him long ago..." to me this means thousands of years because cotf live verrrry long lives.So maybe cold hands is first men / andals related... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmaester Drew Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 I agree. Not everyone has to be someone in disguise. Absolutely, I'm just curious about his backstory. He obviously has some relationship with both Bloodraven and the Children and the Night's Watch. That linkage is interesting... :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmaester Drew Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Only thing that really leaves me guessing is the cotf 'Leaf' quote "They killed him long ago..." to me this means thousands of years because cotf live verrrry long lives.So maybe cold hands is first men / andals related... That is puzzling, indeed. If he had died thousands of years ago, however, wouldn't his garb have rotted away? Would a wight feel compelled to cover itself and procure new clothes? He obviously impervious to the cold. Does a wight have modesty? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtherSnow Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 The ranger named Redwyn- I do not buy Benjen- It's too soon for Benjen to re-emerge from wherever. Coldhands seems much, much older. Redwyn does sound possible. What if, because of this apparent friendship with the Children of the Forest, they were able to safe as much as they could of Redwyn? In essence, he is still a wight, with most of their characteristics. He'll pass as one should he encounter any of them. As they gave him help, he serves The Children (via Bloodraven). Maybe part of his purpose is to protect NW rangers, as far as possible. He still can't be in three places at the same time, therefore can't save all. If Coldhands (Redwyn?) was on his way to meet Bran, and Sam was just in the right place, at the right time, and he is NW..... I can see why he'd not hesitate to help where he can, as long as he isn't taken out of his way. Smart. He's also picked the one guy who'd know Bran from all Jon's said, plus someone who can unlock the secret door. (Hmmm? Does that provide an example of Bloodraven's using his fabled thousand eyes and one? Hold the horses! There's something about Bloodraven...... When was he sent to The Wall? Aegon V issued the order to send whoever was held in the Black Cells.... When was that? When Aemon was sent to Castle Black, Bloodraven was one of his guard. That was.... calculating.... something like 60 to 70 years ago (in Westeros time). Aemon was just over 100 when he checked out. Bloodraven is older.... Hard to say but, he must be around 120-130. That begs another question - who did Bloodraven take over from? Just when you get to thinking you've solved one puzzle another crops up!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I repeat Coldhands is no wight but something more....As far as the clothes rotting I will say no Coldhands has resides beyond the wall where it is always cold....and the cold preserves...sometimes for 10's of 1000's of years....if not indefinite.Coldhands likely lacks most human things having said that his task is to interact with humans (bran) so making him appear as human as possible a.k.a clothing to perhaps hide undeath wounds, is going to make him more 'appealing' to his human travellers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Also Coldhands refers to sam as "Brother" a something that brothers of the nights watch say to one another in greetings....Then there is also Coldhands killing ALL of the traitors of the nightswatch at crasters keep...And yeah Coldhands seems to bare the leathers and colors of the nightswatch as well...These 3 things lead me to believe he is very much affiliated with the nights watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archmaester Drew Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 I repeat Coldhands is no wight but something more....As far as the clothes rotting I will say no Coldhands has resides beyond the wall where it is always cold....and the cold preserves...sometimes for 10's of 1000's of years....if not indefinite.Coldhands likely lacks most human things having said that his task is to interact with humans (bran) so making him appear as human as possible a.k.a clothing to perhaps hide undeath wounds, is going to make him more 'appealing' to his human travellers. He is definitely a different kind of wight than the blue-eyed dead that the Others control. But is he animated by Bloodraven? Or a revenant of some kind? Cold can certainly preserve clothes, but not if he remained active. The fibres would fall apart over the millennia. But, yes, new clothes would certainly help when interacting with the living. Also Coldhands refers to sam as "Brother" a something that brothers of the nights watch say to one another in greetings....Then there is also Coldhands killing ALL of the traitors of the nightswatch at crasters keep...And yeah Coldhands seems to bare the leathers and colors of the nightswatch as well...These 3 things lead me to believe he is very much affiliated with the nights watch. He is absolutely associated with the Night's Watch. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Personally I think the whole clothes thing is to.#1 - Make him more appealing to bran and travellers because Coldhands was SENT to them thus applying prior knowledge to whom he would meet.#2 - To hide grievous bodily / facial wounds which is the likely cause of how he died to begin with, I don't believe he is concealing his identity just trying to not freak out Bran and co. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kharn Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 A lot of people think/assume coldhands has been cut from the show but D&D have stated..."Just because something doesn't happen in the show and the books timeline, doesn't mean X character will not appear later on in maybe more important roles.Coldhands would of been/ will be a costly character to have on screen... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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