Afterlife in ASoIaF and implications

[smashedhalo]

{Crackpot theory disclaimer}

We have the Faith of the Seven brought by the Andels, the fiery god R'hllor of Essos, the Old Gods without name of CoTF/First Men/Free Folk fame, and the Drowned God of the Iron Islands. The afterlife for most of these are rarely described if at all. I bring this up because I think it will play a part in the future of the story.

We know that the Iron born believe that if they die at sea or given to the water after death in navel burials they will "dine in the Drowned God's watery halls, feasting and drinking, and served by mermaids".

The Faith of the Seven have the 7 Hells. Not described in any way but this makes me think of Dante's Inferno type set up for hell with each aspect having some twist on why you'd end up there. Probably the same applies to heavens

The red god R'hllor has no mention of a afterlife. But if the Red God is eternally at war with the Nameless One, one could assume the faithful die a become cannon fodder, soldiers, generals, and servants in R'hhlor's army. The priests could bring the recently dead back if they could still be of use in the world if the living. Thoros of Myr brought back Dondarian many times because he served a purpose in leading the Brothers without Banners. Thoros stated that he was only a conduit of the Red God's will. I can't recall if after Lady Stoneheart comes into play if Dondarian is still active or actively fighting in the Riverlands but if he is allowed to finally die.

Now the Old Gods, the nature gods, there is nothing mentioned of the afterlife. In aDwD the CoTF are shown 'wired' into the roots of the wierwoods in the Cave if Skulls. Could the CoTF's afterlife be tapped into the wier-net to be able to transcend death and live past their already long lives? The First Men have their cairns, literally having hills built upon them. Overtime the forest and nature reclaims the hill and grows over the cairn, having the remains 'go back to nature'.

What I'm wondering if these Gods/afterlives will have any affect on the Game.

[Possible effects]

Could Jon be able to speak with Eddard when he is on the brink of death? The Wall is kind of in the middle of the North(the Northern kingdom and Land of the free folk) objectively.

Could the Drowned God send forth the dead Ironborn to fight in the next battle for the dawn, for the Others. 'What is dead may never die' it's said.

->thoughts?<-

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

You are wondering if someone from the current story would be capable of speaking with a deceased?

Short answer, no, I don't think so.

But there is a way to circumvent it. Bran can see the past through the weirwood net, and we've already seen how he saw Eddard speaking, presuably, about Jon and Robb. Thus Bran might be able to view past events.. It won't be the same as an actual conversation, though when Bran masters the art (or at least gets a little better at it) he will be capable of seeing what he wants to see.

There is the matter of Jaime's dream, and whether or not it was prophetic, meaning, whether or not Joanna, from the dead, was trying to get a message across. If that was truly what was happening, if the dream wasn't completely Jaime's mind playing tricks, then such a scenario might be possible. Do note that Jaime had his head on a weirwood stump, so weirwoods, again, would be necessary.

Would Jon be able to speak with Eddard? Somehow I doubt it. I do believe, however, that he might make contact with Bran.. It will depend on Jons state.. We see how the Three Eyed Raven shows Bran all sorts of stuff when Bran is in a coma, and Bran, when making contact with Jon one in the story, does tell Jon to open his "eye", as the raven told Bran. If Jon is in a same sort coma-like state, than Bran might be able to contact Jon, and show him what he needs to see (whether it is about Jon's past, or about the war to come, or both).

The Drowned God sending forth dead Ironborn sounds a lot like wights. Dead people walking, that usually isn't a good thing.

Oh, and Beric died his final death giving life to Catelyn, aka, Lady Stoneheart, after Thoros of Myr refused to try and revive her.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Now the Old Gods, the nature gods, there is nothing mentioned of the afterlife. In aDwD the CoTF are shown 'wired' into the roots of the wierwoods in the Cave if Skulls. Could the CoTF's afterlife be tapped into the wier-net to be able to transcend death and live past their already long lives? The First Men have their cairns, literally having hills built upon them. Overtime the forest and nature reclaims the hill and grows over the cairn, having the remains 'go back to nature'.

Ned mentions a frozen hell in AGOT.