Six Pups in the Snow: A Direwolves Reread

[Julia H.]

Posts #221 to #224:

Seams (12 October):

 

Spoiler

 

Seams

 

 

 

Posted 12 October 2015 - 09:44 AM

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

CATELYN VIII - IX

 

Banners and Towers
The first direwolf reference in the chapter is the Stark banner flying on the Gatehouse Tower, Robbs seat in Moat Cailin.
I will only add that Moat Cailin, the southern gateway to the North, seems to mirror the Wall, the northern boundary, in some respects:
All that was left of the great stronghold of the First Men were three towers three where there had once been twenty, if the taletellers could be believed.

 

It's logical that Robb's House Stark direwolf banner would be on the gatehouse where he is present, but I wonder if this is also a clue in the inside/outside symbolism. The direwolf (banner) is the gatekeeper for Robb, and (Grey Wind is) the first one to notice when a new person (Catelyn) has entered the room, determining whether she is welcome to join the inner circle.
 
 

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

Grey Wind
As Catelyn enters, Grey Wind is the first one to notice her and to greet her.
At first he did not notice her but his wolf did. The great grey beast was lying near the fire, but when Catelyn entered he lifted his head, and his golden eyes met hers.
The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood. It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be. Youve grown a beard, she said to Robb, while Grey Wind sniffed her hand. 
Catelyn stroked the wolfs head, gently. 
Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire.
It can also be said that Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack.
As Catelyn observes that Robb is playing a mans part now, that he has grown a beard, she also notices how big Grey Wind is. That is another parallel between Robb and his direwolf. In fact, Catelyn thinks:
It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be.
Doesnt that thought reflect Catelyns fear that Robb is outgrowing the role assigned to the wolves i.e. the Starks, as he is starting a war against the royal family?

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head with Catelyn's observation that the direwolf is too big - she is worried about Robb's ambitions or his involvement with things beyond the North.

I'm not as sure about the idea that "Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack." I think Grey Wind recognizes that she is to be trusted in Robb's presence, and we know that she became a fan of the direwolves protecting her children after the attack on Bran. I guess I'm drawing a distinction between the pack (= Stark kids with direwolves) and friends of the pack (those the direwolves have approved for close interaction, such as Samwell Tarly or Great John Umber). Grey Wind's nuzzling of Catelyn's fingers could be a kiss that Robb doesn't want to bestow directly, but it also echoes that biting of Great John's fingers in the earlier chapter. Perhaps the King in the North gathers advisers (Hands of the King) in a way similar to other kings in Westeros. Maybe what we are seeing here is Catelyn "crossing a bridge" from being a mom to being an adviser and supporter of the king. Grey Wind is a gatekeeper who shows her where she belongs now by nibbling her fingers - almost a veiled threat, given what he did with Great John's fingers.

This scene you've just described, with Grey Wind near the fire, and the next scene, with Grey Wind running alongside the stallion, beg comparison to a scene with Dany:
 
 

 

Quote

 

She was a young filly, spirited and splendid. Dany knew just enough about horses to know that this was no ordinary animal. There was something about her that took the breath away. She was grey as the winter sea, with a mane like silver smoke.

Hesitantly she reached out and stroked the horse's neck, ran her fingers through the silver of her mane. Khal Drogo said something in Dothraki and Magister Illyrio translated. "Silver for the silver of your hair, the khal says." ...

The silver-grey filly moved with a smooth and silken gait, and the crowd parted for her, every eye upon them. Dany found herself moving faster than she had intended, yet somehow it was exciting rather than terrifying. The horse broke into a trot, and she smiled. Dothraki scrambled to clear a path. The slightest pressure with her legs, the lightest touch on the reins, and the filly responded. She sent it into a gallop, and now the Dothraki were hooting and laughing and shouting at her as they jumped out of her way. As she turned to ride back, a firepit loomed ahead, directly in her path. They were hemmed in on either side, with no room to stop. A daring she had never known filled Daenerys then, and she gave the filly her head.

The silver horse leapt the flames as if she had wings.

When she pulled up before Magister Illyrio, she said, "Tell Khal Drogo that he has given me the wind." The fat Pentoshi stroked his yellow beard as he repeated her words in Dothraki, and Dany saw her new husband smile for the first time.

AGOT Chap. 11

 

Both of the animals are associated with fire. Dany's horse is grey (like winter) and like the wind. There's a "coming of age" element, in that Robb's relationship with his mother changes in this scene, and he has grown a beard. Dany does not grow a beard, but the man who repeats her words strokes his beard. She is coming of age, as she departs immediately after this scene for her first sexual encounter with Drogo. Dany's silver filly and Robb's grey direwolf both impress the crowd through which they run, emphasizing that the person associated with these special animals is now a royal person.

Even though Grey Wind is next to the fire, I wonder whether GRRM is making an important distinction between Dany's silver and the direwolf: the horse does not hesitate to jump over the fire; the wolf is not in or over the fire but next to it. We know that the tempering of steel (as in a sword) involves direct exposure to fire. Dragon eggs hatch after direct exposure to flames as well. I wonder whether GRRM is giving us a hint here that the silver will survive where the wolf will not?
 
 

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

At the Crossing
My lord father has sent me to greet you, and inquire as to who leads this mighty host.
I do. Robb spurred his horse forward. He was in his armor, with the direwolf shield of Winterfell strapped to his saddle and Grey Wind padding by his side.
Here Robb probably looks like a Stark warrior king of old mounted, in full armour, with a huge direwolf by his side. Stevron Frey looks at him with a faint flicker of amusement in his watery grey eyes, but his horse whickered uneasily and sidled away from the direwolf.
Not for the first time, Robbs youth is to his disadvantage, but his direwolf regularly forces people to have second thoughts about him.
At the end of the chapter, Grey Wind appears again by Robbs side in an image of speed and strength:
Robb galloped out to meet her, with Grey Wind racing beside his stallion. 
Once again we see Grey Wind as Robbs bodyguard and constant companion: fast as a horse, fast as the wind, strong and fast as Robb was described by Bran in the very first chapter.

 

Am I right in thinking that we usually see Robb in interior scenes? After his victory at the Whispering Wood, I remember thinking that I must have inadvertently skipped some pages that described the battle as it took place. Then I realized that we were only going to hear about that battle after the fact. Robb obviously does spend time outdoors, but most of the POV scenes in which he participates are inside somewhere. So this scene at The Twins is an important exception. Maybe it is intended to show us what Robb could be, if he would spend more time outside like his father and like Jon Snow. Earlier, when we heard about him being outside at Winterfell, he was accompanied by Jon Snow (practicing swordplay) and/or his father (executing the Night's Watch deserter and finding the direwolf pups).

I realize that I may be reading too much into the inside/outside thing, though. Just the latest motif of personal interest to me. 

 

 

 

 

 

Harlaw's Book the Sequel (05 November):

 

Spoiler

 

#222 Harlaw's Book the Sequel

 

 

 

Posted 05 November 2015 - 02:23 AM

 

Seams, on 05 Oct 2015 - 01:36 AM, said:

 

Yes, sorry, I meant to acknowledge earlier my own careless error about Bloodraven's relationship to Aemon and Aegon. I was thinking out loud, with the emphasis on out loud instead of thinking, unfortunately.

But there do seem to be links between and among Bran, Jon and Rickon (at least, what little we know of Rickon). When Bran hears that Jon has named his direwolf Ghost, Bran wishes he had thought of that name for his own direwolf. As you point out, Shaggy Dog and Ghost could represent a sort of yin/yang set of complementary strengths or powers. We've already noticed that Robb spares wildling Osha's life in a way that can be compared to Jon sparing wildling Ygritte's life. Osha becomes special to Rickon and Ygritte becomes special to Jon. All three of them have important scenes in the Winterfell crypt. All three of them head north (as far as we know about Rickon) and stay there.

I like the idea of including Theon in the group. Interesting that he is the fourth "brother" and Robb is not. I think I better go back and read the Dunk & Egg stories a second time

 

Yeah, I liked including Theon because I think his fate has become more intertwined with Jon, Bran, and Rickon.  I also think the dynamic of Jon, Bran, and Rickon not liking Theon is comparable to Daeron, Aemon, and Aegon's feelings toward Aerion.  Since the comparisons are among the groups of brothers is fluid, it would change the numbers, but I think you can find traits of Robb's that are similar to the aforementioned set of Targ brothers, so I'm not against including Robb, but I do feel he does become divorced from his brothers' storylines.  Maybe it's because Theon, Jon, Bran, and Rickon all seem to have a connection with the Winterfell crypt.

Bastetcat, on 05 Oct 2015 - 9:02 PM, said:

 

To be honest I never felt Shaggydog to be Rickon's. From the moment we are introduced to the GREENseers, I feel like Shaggydog would be better with Bran. Black and green, darkness and nature, shadow hiding the greenseer, this is more like Bran. While we know almost nothing about Rickon.
So for me Shaggydog would better be Bran's, and Summer would better be Rickons. This disturbed me for so long.  You never felt this way? It is like a mistake to me.
There is 2 special (I mean more magical related) boy we know of: and that is Jon (Targ?) and Bran (greenseer). I want to understand why did Rickon got the other special looking wolf. Especially after GRRM sad his story is a shaggy-dog story. 
 
/snip/
 
Any idea why Rickon has the black wolf?

 

 
 
I've given a lot of thought about whether there is a reason for a direwolf to be a particular color.  It does seem odd for Bran’s direwolf to not have green or red eyes when he is the one who is becoming a greenseer.  Perhaps this means the Children of the Forest can be just as fallible as humans when it comes interpreting magical signs.  Or maybe Summer not having an eye color that marks him as special is because Summer is meant to be Bran’s tether to the mundane while the Ghost and Shaggy’s eye colors are indication of being tethers to the magical for Jon and Rickon.  I’ve also had this hunch that Jon and Rickon’s ties to magic are meant to be more publicly displayed than their siblings.     
 
I've also wondered if the direwolves’ coloration are meant to allow the direwolves to better blend in the environments they end up in.  For instance white is better for Castle Black and Beyond the Wall (not just because there is a lot of snow, but Beyond the Wall also has places with names such as Whitetree and Milkwater), but grey is better for Winterfell and the Riverlands.  Even though Nymeria isn't in Braavos, Braavos is known as the grey city.  Perhaps Shaggy being black could also provide a clue as to what Skagos will be like.
 
What I like even better is the how direwolves' colors connect to the people their humans forge bonds with.  Lady is Grey, and Sandor has a bit of grey motif going on.  IIRC he has grey eyes and wears grey armor.  We’ve discussed how white seems appropriate for Ghost because white represents the Kingsguard.  White seems to be a prominent color among the Wildings: Tormund's hair, Morna Whitemask, and Val's clothing.  Red could represent kissed by fire Ygritte.  I also like how Ghost represents both the colors of both the Starks and the Targs.  I also think the white and red are meant to evoke Lyanna specifically because I think she has a weirwood motif, especially if you think (as I do) that she was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, which makes the weirwood her personal sigil. Ghost's description also shares a lot of similarities with Bloodraven.  Summer being described as smoke also creates a connection to Bloodraven because minor D&E spoiler 

 

 

 

Spoiler 

 

 
Now I know these designs are subject to change, but I looked up the heraldry for Skagosi houses on the Citadel.  Three houses are listed, and all their sigils either have the color black or green in them.  House Magner has both green and black.  The other interesting thing about House Magner’s sigil is that it’s a lobster holding a harpoon, so it reminds me the Martell sigil.  Here’s the link. http://www.westeros....es/2/#On Skagos
 
So again Shaggy’s black and green coloration could represent Skagos.  I’ve also read theories about Davos becoming a father figure to Rickon.  Black is one of House Seaworth’s colors, and I think he has worn the color green, so perhaps Shaggydog’s coloration is meant to represent Davos, which makes the transformation of Shaggy's fur from grey to black a both heartbreaking and heartwarming to me.
 
Then there are the ways the direwolves coloring represent the characters themselves.  Gray is a big color motif for Arya.  It’s also one of the few constants that transfers over to whatever she identity assumes.  Then there is how white ties into Jon’s character development.  I used to wonder why Jon wasn’t the one with the black direwolf.  Jon outright says black is his color.  In light of his joining the Night’s Watch and Targaryen heritage, a black direwolf might have been more fitting.  But then I realized Jon’s arc is about realizing black how isn’t his color.  He’s outgrowing the Night’s Watch (and arguably becoming more Wilding, and I’ve already discussed the Wilding’s ties to the color white). And since I think his arc is also building up to the revelation of R + L = legitimate J, I also think that will factor into why black is no longer his color because black is associated with bastardy.  There’s the saying “black as bastard’s heart,” which even though Jon thinks that fits him when he initially decides not to do anything about “Arya” marrying Ramsay, he ends up not living up to the saying (as well as not conforming to the evil stereotypes surrounding bastardy) when he agrees to Mel’s plan.  In Braavos Jon is known as the “black bastard of the Wall.”  The black cat in the Red Keep, which Bloodraven is likely warging, is also called a black bastard.  Black also seems to be specifically associated with Targ bastards.  Calling the black cat Bloodraven is warging a black bastard seems even more appropriate. Rhaenyra –leader of the black faction --was rumored to have three bastard sons and those bastard sons become a reason for to support crowing Aegon II over her.  The blacks were also the ones who came up with the idea of having getting “dragons seeds” to fight for them.  Then there is Daemon Blackfyre and his supporters who adopted the black dragon as their symbol.  Black being associated with Targ bastards is another reason why I think that if Jon claims a dragon it’s not going to be Drogon (though if Cannibal is still around and Jon claims it, my theory is shot).  However, Ghost being white may also represent Jon embracing his “Snow” identity.  This might seem to be at odds with me spending all that text on how the color black and bastardy are linked.  But I think it is possible to say Jon’s identity is about him being both a trueborn Targ and a Stark bastard rather than those being two separate identities.
 
 

 

Seams, on 11 Oct 2015 - 5:25 PM, said:

 

 
You cite a passage in the story where Jon feels naked when Ghost disappears into the trees for awhile. With the linked imagery we seem to be working out regarding warging and wolf pelts and cloaks, this also strikes me as significant. Jon wears the black cloak of the Night's Watch, but his real cloak is his wolf. Without Ghost, he feels naked and alone.
 

 

 I think this is another illustration about how Jon is never completely comfortable with the cloaks/identities he receives and that Ghost is the one skin he feels secure in.  

 

 

 

Julie H., awesome job with the Catelyn chapters! 
 

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

 

 

CATELYN VIII - IX

 

 

 

 
Banners and Towers
 
The first direwolf reference in the chapter is the Stark banner flying on the Gatehouse Tower, Robb’s seat in Moat Cailin. The other banners mentioned are the Karstark sunburst on the Drunkard Tower and the Greatjon’s giant on the Children’s Tower. There may be some symbolism here. The giants and the children are clearly related: two magical races from beyond the Wall. The Karstark men seem to have a tendency for the extreme – a thirst for glory and the spoils of victory, as well as a thirst for revenge. The Drunkard Tower may refer to that.  Robb and the Gatehouse… Oh, I’ll just leave it to other participants to solve this one.  
 I'll take a crack at this.  I think gateway is a good description of Robb's function in the series.  He tries to be a gatekeeper and keep everyone in line, but at times he doesn't know when to open or close the gate, or he ends up opening the floodgates.  He opens the door to Northern Independence.  He opens the door for Theon's takeover of Winterfell, etc.    

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

I will only add that Moat Cailin, the southern gateway to the North, seems to mirror the Wall, the northern boundary, in some respects:
 
All that was left of the great stronghold of the First Men were three towers … three where there had once been twenty, if the taletellers could be believed.
 
It sounds very similar to the nineteen castles of the Night’s Watch along the Wall, of which only three are currently garrisoned. The number 19 is rather curious, when 20 is such a nice round number, and here, at Moat Cailin, we have tales of 20 original towers. Could this suggest that there were 20 NW castles, too, only one of them has been totally destroyed and forgotten?  I also find it interesting that despite being a ruin, Moat Cailin is still seen as something formidable and vital.  Meanwhile the Night's Watch keeps falling into further disrepair and becomes a laughing stock.                                      

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

 
Grey Wind
 
As Catelyn enters, Grey Wind is the first one to notice her and to greet her.
 
At first he did not notice her… but his wolf did. The great grey beast was lying near the fire, but when Catelyn entered he lifted his head, and his golden eyes met hers.
 
Grey Wind, the ever vigilant.
 
The lords fell silent one by one, and Robb looked up at the sudden quiet and saw her. “Mother?” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
 
Catelyn would like to run to him and to kiss him, but she has to respect Robb’s status as a man grown, as a lord. She must not treat her as a child in front of his bannermen.
 
The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood. It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be. “You’ve grown a beard,” she said to Robb, while Grey Wind sniffed her hand. 
 
Interesting scene. It is a Catelyn POV chapter, therefore Catelyn’s feelings are described in detail, while Robb’s are only alluded to. I suspect that Robb would also like to run to his mother and kiss her, but he can’t do that – he must not behave like a boy any longer, he has to act like a man, like a leader, because he needs the respect of his bannermen. (Of course, showing emotions is considered a weakness in this “macho” world.) So what happens? Instead of Robb, it is Grey Wind that hurries to Catelyn first. Catelyn starts a conversation with Robb as she touches Grey Wind.
 
Catelyn stroked the wolf’s head, gently. 
 
Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire.
 
Grey Wind is a stand-in for Robb: he “kisses” Catelyn, expressing Robb’s emotions, and happily accepts her gentle caresses, while Robb can remain solemn and serious.
 
It can also be said that Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack.
 
As Catelyn observes that Robb is playing a man’s part now, that he has grown a beard, she also notices how big Grey Wind is. That is another parallel between Robb and his direwolf. In fact, Catelyn thinks:
 
It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be.
 
Doesn’t that thought reflect Catelyn’s fear that Robb is “outgrowing” the role assigned to the “wolves” i.e. the Starks, as he is starting a war against the royal family?
 
When Cat wants to be alone with her son, Grey Wind naturally stays with them. The direwolf’s place is by the fireplace, the hearth, which is a symbol of home and security. It is exactly what a mother ought to be, but Cat cannot play a traditional mother’s role here – Robb is afraid to show weakness or a need for comfort, and he needs Catelyn as an advisor in the first place.
 
He rose, clearly uncomfortable with her touch, and walked to the hearth. Grey Wind rubbed his head against his leg.
 
Robb derives comfort and security from Grey Wind – a kind of tenderness that, unlike his mother’s touch, does not make him weak. We know that Grey Wind represents Robb’s Stark ancestry, i.e. the paternal line, therefore we can think of him as a stand-in for paternal love: tough, manly, encouraging rather than overprotecting. I totally agree.  I think the part about Grey WInd being Robb's stand in and being able to do what their humans can't is especially important.  

 

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

 
At the Crossing
 
 
Here Robb probably looks like a Stark warrior king of old – mounted, in full armour, with a huge direwolf by his side. Stevron Frey looks at him with a faint flicker of amusement in his watery grey eyes, but his horse whickered uneasily and sidled away from the direwolf.
 
Not for the first time, Robb’s youth is to his disadvantage, but his direwolf regularly forces people to have second thoughts about him.
 
At the end of the chapter, Grey Wind appears again by Robb’s side in an image of speed and strength:
 

 

Grey Wind needs to make Robb look impressive because Robb regresses back to childish behavior during this chapter.  

 

 
 

 

Seams, on 12 Oct 2015 - 3:44 PM, said:

 

I'm not as sure about the idea that "Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack." I think Grey Wind recognizes that she is to be trusted in Robb's presence, and we know that she became a fan of the direwolves protecting her children after the attack on Bran. I guess I'm drawing a distinction between the pack (= Stark kids with direwolves) and friends of the pack (those the direwolves have approved for close interaction, such as Samwell Tarly or Great John Umber). Grey Wind's nuzzling of Catelyn's fingers could be a kiss that Robb doesn't want to bestow directly, but it also echoes that biting of Great John's fingers in the earlier chapter. Perhaps the King in the North gathers advisers (Hands of the King) in a way similar to other kings in Westeros. Maybe what we are seeing here is Catelyn "crossing a bridge" from being a mom to being an adviser and supporter of the king. Grey Wind is a gatekeeper who shows her where she belongs now by nibbling her fingers - almost a veiled threat, given what he did with Great John's fingers.

I think the uncertainty of whether Catelyn is a "wolf" or part of the pack comes more Cat than from anyone else.  Cat consciously wants to hold onto to her Tully heritage, but I think she has become more of a northwoman than she realizes.  A good example of this is when she introduces the Blackfish to Moat Cailin where she seems pretty comfortable with the ruin while the Blackfish is more apprehensive.    

 

 

Harlaw's Book the Sequel (09 November):

 

Spoiler

 

#223 Harlaw's Book the Sequel

 

 

 

Posted 09 November 2015 - 02:58 AM

 

Jon VIII

 

 

 

Summary

 

 

 

Lord Mormont presents Jon with Longclaw, and Maester Aemon tries to impart some wisdom.

 

 

 

Observations

 

 

 

·         Secrets –including the inability to keep them and the revealing of them –make up a big part of this chapter.

 

·         Like Robb acting childish in Catelyn X, Jon regresses back to his early days at Castle Black behavior.    

 

·         The Old Bear refers to Sandor as a black dog

 

·         Body parts that focused on in this chapter: hands, faces, and eyes

 

·         Once again Jon feels naked and exposed

 

·         Ghost doesn’t appear with Jon during the scene with Maester Aemon

 

·         Aemon resists the temptation of saying, “You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

 

Analysis

 

 

 

“Jon thanked the gods no one but Ghost saw him writhing on his bed, whimpering from the pain.”

 

A lot of what Julia H., picked up from in Catelyn VIII in regards to Robb, Cat, Grey Wind, and paternal love I also see here between Jon and Ghost.  Jon is only comfortable showing –what he perceives as –weakness around Ghost.  It’s to Ghost that Jon looks to for love and support while he resists (or reluctantly accepts) those things from the Night’s Watch.  This seems to stem from Jon’s anger and resentment at the Watch –especially Mormont –for trying to usurp Ned’s place in his heart.  Ghost, on the other hand, represents a connection to Ned.   

 

 

 

Longclaw

 

·         Lord Mormont gives Jon “his son’s sword.”  In contrast to Jon’s feelings, Mormont has become more and more open to embracing Jon as a surrogate son.  At the same time, he also is also seeing past the bastardy and acknowledging Jon’s Stark blood more and more.  The Old Bear choosing a white wolf for the hilt to go along with blade the Mormonts carried for hundreds of years is a nice way to symbolize his feelings.  Jon telling him Longclaw is a name apt for both bears and wolves is the icing on the cake.  (As an aside we have another example of Jon being able to choose the right words for a situation).

 

·         Mormont gives Ghost equal credit for saving his life, and Jon thinks Ghost is more deserving honor than he is.

 

·         When Ghost sees Longclaw for the first time he sniffs and tries to lick it.  I do see Jon’s uncertainty mirrored in Ghost’s behavior, but I think Ghost more easily accepts Longclaw than Jon does.

 

Ghost’s eyes

 

·         Jon notes Ghost’s eyes are darker than the garnets in Longclaw’s hilt.  This detail points out the Night’s Watch didn’t get Ghost’s likeness exactly and feels like more foreshadowing for the Night’s Watch not being an exact fit for Jon.  I suppose it’s also an indication that ruby would’ve have been the better gem to use as the eyes, and because the other half of Jon's heritage is hidden, no one realized rubies would be the better fit.  

 

·         Jon also notes Ghost’s eyes are wiser then men’s eyes.  Jon isn’t just angry with the Night’s Watch; he seems pretty disillusioned with humanity in general.  I think there are at least three reasons for Jon’s bitterness.  First is Mormont’s attempts to hide news from Jon.  The second is Ned’s fall from grace.  The third is the matter of Ser Jaremy’s death.  All three highlight man’s ineffectiveness in handling these various situations.  At least Ghost proved useful in dealing with the third  problem.     

 

Flashback to day the Starks found the direwolves

 

Jon comes to the more cynical conclusion that Ghost was driven out of the pack.  This may be the closest Jon gets in this chapter to admitting he is angry with the Starks.  It could also be his brain trying to provide a justification for why he isn’t marching with Robb.  However it’s interpreted, it’s a huge indication of how low Jon feels.  

 

Seams (09 November):

 

Spoiler

 

#224 Seams

 

 

 

Posted 09 November 2015 - 12:14 PM

 

Harlaw's Book the Sequel, on 09 Nov 2015 - 08:58 AM, said:

 

·         Secrets –including the inability to keep them and the revealing of them –make up a big part of this chapter.

 

·         Like Robb acting childish in Catelyn X, Jon regresses back to his early days at Castle Black behavior.    

 

·         The Old Bear refers to Sandor as a black dog

 

·         Body parts that focused on in this chapter: hands, faces, and eyes

 

·         Once again Jon feels naked and exposed

 

·         Ghost doesn’t appear with Jon during the scene with Maester Aemon

 

·         Aemon resists the temptation of saying, “You know nothing, Jon Snow.”

 

Analysis

 

 
“Jon thanked the gods no one but Ghost saw him writhing on his bed, whimpering from the pain.”
 
Longclaw

 

·         Lord Mormont gives Jon “his son’s sword.”  In contrast to Jon’s feelings, Mormont has become more and more open to embracing Jon as a surrogate son.  At the same time, he also is also seeing past the bastardy and acknowledging Jon’s Stark blood more and more.  The Old Bear choosing a white wolf for the hilt to go along with blade the Mormonts carried for hundreds of years is a nice way to symbolize his feelings.  Jon telling him Longclaw is a name apt for both bears and wolves is the icing on the cake.  (As an aside we have another example of Jon being able to choose the right words for a situation).

 

·         Mormont gives Ghost equal credit for saving his life, and Jon thinks Ghost is more deserving honor than he is.

 

·         When Ghost sees Longclaw for the first time he sniffs and tries to lick it.  I do see Jon’s uncertainty mirrored in Ghost’s behavior, but I think Ghost more easily accepts Longclaw than Jon does.

 

Ghost’s eyes

 

·         Jon notes Ghost’s eyes are darker than the garnets in Longclaw’s hilt.  This detail points out the Night’s Watch didn’t get Ghost’s likeness exactly and feels like more foreshadowing for the Night’s Watch not being an exact fit for Jon.  I suppose it’s also an indication that ruby would’ve have been the better gem to use as the eyes, and because the other half of Jon's heritage is hidden, no one realized rubies would be the better fit.  

 

 

 

Great insights, yet again. Harlaw's Book the Sequel, you always come up with ideas that make me think in new ways about the story. Thank you!

You mention that hands are among the body parts emphasized in the chapter. In keeping with the earlier insight on this thread, regarding Grey Wind biting off a couple of fingers from Great Jon Umber, apparently inspiring Great Jon to become loyal to Robb Stark, I wonder whether there is a layer of meaning having to do with fealty in Jeor Mormont's gift of the sword Long Claw to Jon Snow? You point out that it is a gesture of paternal devotion, but the name Long Claw suggests to me that this is part of the "kings taking fingers" motif. So we may have a situation here where House Mormont or The Night's Watch is demonstrating its loyalty to "king" (Lord Commander?) Jon Snow.
 

 

The focus on the pain of Jon's burned arm also seems significant to me. We will soon see Jon shot through the leg with an arrow and he doesn't even notice the wound at first. This fire and the damage to his arm are uniquely painful to him. I can't help comparing Jon's arm pain to Jaime Lannister's arm wound. Jon suffered his injury defending the Lord Commander. Jaime's severed arm was the arm that killed King Aerys. Both Jaime and Jon are quickly concerned about learning how to use a sword again after their injuries - although Mormont seems more concerned with getting Jon up to speed in using a two-handed grip with the heavy new sword, while Jaime has to learn to use one hand only. I was also struck that Mormont recommends that Jon learn this new sword technique from Night's Watch bit player Endrew Tarth. An allusion to the changes that Brienne of Tarth causes in Jaime's world view? (Although Jaime has two hands until shortly after his sword fight with Brienne, his hands are bound by Brienne to discourage him from escaping while she returns him as a hostage to King's Landing. So the two hands bound into one symbolically launches him on his one-handed sword techniques even before being captured by the Brave Companions.) Mormont's description of the contents of the letter from King's Landing make specific reference to the wrongful demotion and attempt to arrest Ser Barristan the Bold, which seems like another tie to Jaime's story - one King's Guard commander leaves and another rises to take his place.

 

 

 

This is a bit of a stretch, but may also be relevant to the Jaime / Jon connection: Jon has just burned the Tower of the Lord Commander. (His Night's Watch buddies tease him that he is the only man in the history of the Night's Watch to be rewarded for such an act of destruction.) Jaime's story arc begins when he is hiding in a ruined tower with Cersei and he pushes Bran off of a window ledge. We don't really see much of him again until he is freed from a prison cell and then spends a lot of time outdoors with Brienne. This outdoor time for Jaime contrasts sharply with his twin, Cersei, who spends almost all of her time indoors (any outdoor time, such as meeting Ned Stark in the Godswood, is unpleasant for Cersei). Eventually, Cersei will burn a tower (the Tower of the Hand in King's Landing). So there's some link between or among these characters involving towers and ruined towers, I think. A difference is that Jon's burning of the Lord Commander's tower is an inadvertent side effect of defeating the wight and saving the Lord Commander; Jaime doesn't directly destroy a tower, but he does something evil from inside of a ruined tower; Cersei destroys a tower for spite and to send the message that she doesn't need a Hand of the King to assist her as Queen Regent. She appears to be channeling the fire-lust of Mad King Aerys - the guy Jaime killed - in doing so. So there seem to be this sort of Jaime = Kingslayer / Jon = anti-Kingslayer juxtaposition going on.

 

 

 

From Dany's story arc, we know that Targaryens can be reborn through exposure to fire. If Jon is truly Rhaegar's son, the burning of his arm may represent the "rebirth" of his arm - sort of a baptism by fire. Maybe the common elements with Jaime Lannister (whose severed arm will be reborn as a piece of gold armor better suited for drinking than swordplay) is, again, more of a contrast than a comparison: Jon had been using a sword that required only one arm before the fire, but now he must use two arms for fighting because he has this larger new sword. Maybe now he is both a Stark and a Targaryen, and must use both "arms" to effectively fight? (I admit, I have not yet been entirely on board with the R + L = J theory, largely because I find it too obvious and out-of-keeping with the subtle clues GRRM likes to use for foreshadowing. But a subtle clue like "burning = Targaryen rebirth" is more persuasive to me than some of the more obvious points of the R + L = J arguments.)

 

 

 

The 500-year-old bear-sword dressed up as a wolf-sword, and Jon's lack of comfort and appreciation for the gift of this weapon, seem significant in relation to one of the patterns you have observed in previous chapters. You have pointed out that the direwolf Ghost is Jon's true cloak, and that he can feel naked under the cloak of the Night's Watch if Ghost is not nearby. Now we have a sword that is sort of wearing a white wolf cloak - the blade is the same, but the hilt and pommel are "tarted up" (as my aunt would say) like a white wolf. Part of Jon's discomfort with the sword is that he doesn't yet see himself in a leadership role but, as I mentioned earlier, here is Mormont giving his "fingers" in a symbolic act of fealty. And part could be, as you point out, Jon does not feel like Mormont's son and it's not the sword Ice that he had always wanted. And maybe there's another layer of meaning that we don't fully understand at this point. (Since Mormont later asks Sam Tarly to get the sword to Ser Jorah, it seems like Mormont either knows that Jon Snow won't be needing the sword in awhile, or that he never fully gave it away in his heart of hearts.) So Jon pretends that "Long Claw" could apply equally in a description of a bear and a wolf, but maybe he just doesn't see a bear effectively wearing a wolf cloak. (By the way, couldn't "Long Claw" describe a lion or an eagle as well as a bear or wolf?) As you also point out - the garnet eyes aren't a good likeness of Ghost's red eyes or don't represent Jon's hidden heritage. If he is going to use both his left (Stark) arm and his right (Targaryen) arm to swing this sword, the sword has to feel good in both hands.

 

 

 

One more point about the white direwolf "cloak" and Jon feeling naked: When Mormont emerges from his chamber and finds Jon and Ghost fighting the wight in the hallway, Mormont is naked and holding a lantern. With all the references to being naked in Jon's story, it seems like this naked Lord Commander must be significant. Maybe another sign of Mormont making himself vulnerable before Jon Snow, proving that he trusts, loves and hides nothing from him. (Later, Mormont's beard is shaved - because of damage from the fire - which has been a sign of revealing a secret or dropping a pretense in other story arcs.) Maybe Mormont's nakedness is a way of comparing him to Ser Barristan who has been stripped of his gold cloak. The lantern seems like a Diogenes allusion - the legendary man who searches for an honest man. (Is Jon Snow that man?) But it may also be a symbol of someone showing the way by lighting the path ahead. Jon has pulled down the curtain so he can see better. (Part of the eyes and seeing motif you mentioned.) It is the lantern - grabbed by Jon - that lights the curtain on fire. So we have a symbol of naked (no cloak) Mormont passing a torch to Jon, who uses it to create a weapon involving flaming fabric (another great moment for my favorite symbolic motif!) which, at the same time, allows Jon to see more clearly.

 

 

 

Sorry that much of this departs from the direwolf focus. There's some more, but I'll stop here for now. I <3 literary symbolism!

 

 

 

Edited by Seams, 09 November 2015 - 02:15 PM.

 

 

Well, I think we have all the lost posts back on this thread now. 

[Julia H.]

Harlaw's Book the Sequel, great analysis as always! 

I would like to add a few observations on the two last chapters: Jon VIII and Cat X. I'll start with the former.

Harlaw's Book the Sequel said on Jon VIII (as reposted in my post above):

Quote

The Old Bear choosing a white wolf for the hilt to go along with blade the Mormonts carried for hundreds of years is a nice way to symbolize his feelings.  Jon telling him Longclaw is a name apt for both bears and wolves is the icing on the cake.  (As an aside we have another example of Jon being able to choose the right words for a situation).

“Wolves have claws, as much as bears.”

We have seen before several instances of a connection established between bears and wolves. These two animals are often mentioned together, we have seen the Mormonts and the Starks fight together, we know the Mormonts (with the exception of Jorah) are loyal to the Stark family, and now we see the Old Bear basically "adopting" a wolf as a son. The claws of bears and wolves are another connection - a similarity that (at this moment) facilitates the symbolic adoption. It also underlines the fact that both the Mormonts and the Starks are fighters. 

The mention of long claws as a similarity also brings The Rains of Castamere to mind:

In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
a lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my Lord,
as long and sharp as yours.
 

Unlike the two related lion families, the Starks and the Mormonts have formed a strong alliance and they help each other against common enemies. Of course, there is still a wild card in this relationship, Jorah Mormont, who used to possess this very "claw" and is currently not a friend of the Starks. 

Harlaw's Book the Sequel said:

Quote

 

Flashback to day the Starks found the direwolves

 

Jon comes to the more cynical conclusion that Ghost was driven out of the pack.  This may be the closest Jon gets in this chapter to admitting he is angry with the Starks.  It could also be his brain trying to provide a justification for why he isn’t marching with Robb.  However it’s interpreted, it’s a huge indication of how low Jon feels.  

 

Good point. I would also like to add that the idea of being different and driven out can also be a reflection of how Jon is feeling in his new pack right now:

His friends meant well, but they did not understand. It was not their fault, truly; they had not had to face Othor, they had not seen the pale glow of those dead blue eyes, had not felt the cold of those dead black fingers. Nor did they know of the fighting in the riverlands. How could they hope to comprehend? He turned away from them abruptly and strode off, sullen. Pyp called after him, but Jon paid him no mind.

Jon returns to his cell and finds Ghost there, the only being who has truly shared his recent traumatizing experiences, also the only friend he still has who was with him in Winterfell and saw how important his brothers were to him. 

. . . and suddenly he found himself remembering how he’d found him, that day in the late summer snow. They had been riding off with the other pups, but Jon had heard a noise and turned back, and there he was, white fur almost invisible against the drifts. He was all alone, he thought, apart from the others in the litter. He was different, so they drove him out.

Despite the new wolf pommel, accepting the Mormont sword has also reminded him that he has lost his real family and even the right to help his siblings and his father in need. 

Jon thinks it is Ghost who "deserves an honor" - an observation that illuminates an important aspect of Jon's character. 

 

 

[Julia H.]

On 2016. 01. 01. at 3:48 AM, Harlaw's Book the Sequel said:

“And Grey Wind threw back his head and howled.
The sound seemed to go right through Catelyn Stark, and she found herself shivering.  It was a terrible sound, a frightening sound, yet there was music in it too.  For a second she felt something like pity for the Lannisters below.  So this is what death sounds like, she thought.”

• Cat’s thoughts are similar to Tyrion’s thoughts on the idea of facing a direwolf in battle.
• This passage reminds me of what people thought when introduced to the direwolves –both awe and horror.
• Cat’s reaction to Grey Wind’s howl is markedly different to her reaction to the howling she heard back while Bran was in a coma.  While it’s still frightening, the fact she can recognize the music shows she can also hear the beauty of it.  Even though she still associates the howl with death–instead of being a life giving force like it was for Bran–she recognizes it’s death for the Lannisters instead of her party.  

In addition, Grey Wind's howling is described as one of the Northern warhorns (as well as a the sound of Death):

Here was her son on his stallion, glancing back at her one last time and lifting his sword in salute.

Here was the call of Maege Mormont’s warhorn, a long low blast that rolled down the valley from the east, to tell them that the last of Jaime’s riders had entered the trap.

And Grey Wind threw back his head and howled.

The sound seemed to go right through Catelyn Stark, and she found herself shivering. It was a terrible sound, a frightening sound, yet there was music in it too. For a second she felt something like pity for the Lannisters below. So this is what death sounds like, she thought.

HAAroooooooooooooooooooooooo came the answer from the far ridge as the Greatjon winded his own horn. To east and west, the trumpets of the Mallisters and Freys blew vengeance. North, where the valley narrowed and bent like a cocked elbow, Lord Karstark’s warhorns added their own deep, mournful voices to the dark chorus. Men were shouting and horses rearing in the stream below.

On 2016. 01. 05. at 1:02 AM, Raisin' Bran said:

I believe Robb returning on a different horse foreshadows his change in strategy upon learning of his father's demise. Betting on the wrong horse, if you understand the metaphor.

Fantastic observation! Welcome to the thread! 

 

[Julia H.]

BRAN VII

Overview

Bran and Rickon both dream of seeing their father in the crypts. Summer and Shaggydog fight. At the end of the chapter, a raven arrives bringing the news of Eddard Stark’s death.

Observations

- This chapter is enchanting in its own sad way: it is full of myths, history, legends, prophetic dreams, magic as well as allusions to the afterlife.

- Bran remembers how he and his siblings used to play in the crypts. Creepy?

- Both Hodor and Summer are reluctant to enter the crypts. There must be something they can both sense.

- I think we finally have proof that Rickon, too, has green dreams at the very least.

- This is the first time that Bran, Rickon, their direwolves and Osha have been to the crypts together. Not the last time though.

- The reader can witness a direwolf fight.

Analysis

Something in the Crypts

So the Stark children used to play in the crypts, as we know from Arya and Bran’s recollections. Yet, Summer does not feel comfortable there. (Nor does Hodor, and we also know that Jon has nightmares related to the crypts.) Bran and Rickon are not afraid to go down there, yet, Bran at least has misgivings this time – he wishes his brothers and sisters were with him.

Summer leaves his bone without hesitation when Bran calls him, yet:

Summer refused to move from the steps, even when Osha followed the torch, Bran in her arms.

Summer definitely has some strong feelings here:

Summer stalked out in the echoing gloom, then stopped, lifted his head, and sniffed the chill dead air. He bared his teeth and crept backward, eyes glowing golden in the light of the maester’s torch.

Is it just the awful premonition and in the case of Summer perhaps a certainty that something terrible is going to happen related to the crypts? Or is there something in the crypts that even direwolves and simple-minded humans like Hodor can sense? To what extent is Eddard “really” in the tomb where Bran and Rickon saw him in their dreams?

Shaggydog

He looked around the vault uneasily, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. Had he heard a noise? Was there someone here?

Bran’s hearing is certainly better than Maester Luwin’s… Now he can and see and hear and observe better than the old maester – in the sense that Arya has learned to see and hear from Syrio.

Maester Luwin stepped toward the open sepulchre, torch in hand. “As you see, he’s not here. Nor will he be, for many a year. Dreams are only dreams, child.” He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. “Do you see? It’s quite empt—”

The darkness sprang at him, snarling.

Maester Luwin denies the truth of Bran’s dream, he denies the presence of Eddard in the crypts. He even thrusts an arm into a place which is not for him – does he disturb / anger a spirit there? That is the moment when he is attacked by a direwolf.

He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast.

I love the irony of the simile here. Of course, he thrusts his arm directly and literally into the mouth of a great beast!

I know we have observed many times the fundamental differences between dogs and wolves, yet, Shaggydog is called a dog, and I can’t help but compare his description here to that of another doglike creature, a famous one in literature:

Bran saw eyes like green fire, a flash of teeth, fur as black as the pit around them. Maester Luwin yelled and threw up his hands. The torch went flying from his fingers, caromed off the stone face of Brandon Stark, and tumbled to the statue’s feet, the flames licking up his legs. In the drunken shifting torchlight, they saw Luwin struggling with the direwolf, beating at his muzzle with one hand while the jaws closed on the other.

Now look at this:

<snip> standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped  like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon.  And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on which, as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life, still screaming, across the moor.

(The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle)

Black-furred Shaggydog appears in this scene as some terrible mythical creature of vengeance and death.

A Fight between Direwolves

Bran calls Summer, and Summer comes running to the rescue despite his earlier reluctance to enter the crypts. Now the two wolves fight. I have the feeling the Shaggydog is a symbol of death here while Summer represents life (his name suggests that and also the fact that he only enters the crypts when Bran needs help). 

However, this is also a fight between brothers, a fight between wolves, and its significance is quite literally highlighted in the text:

In the light of the guttering torch, shadow wolves twenty feet tall fought on the wall and roof.

Does that foreshadow a fight between Starks? Will we see Stark fighting Stark for any reason? Or does the fight of shadow wolves symbolize the confusion and psychological upheaval the Starks (and the whole North) are going to experience following Ned’s death?

In any case, Bran appears as a conciliator in this scene, and Rickon also calls back his wolf, which gives me hope with regard to future Stark relationships.

Bran also stands up for his brother’s direwolf, and, as Osha notices, acts like a real lord when he refuses to allow Shaggydog to be chained again but also assumes the responsibility for watching over both Shaggydog and Rickon.

However, it is the arrival of the letter, the finality of death that ultimately brings together the brothers again. The behavior of the direwolves perfectly parallels the behavior of the boys:

Summer padded across the tower floor to Shaggydog, and began to lick at a mat of bloody fur on the back of his brother’s neck.

Rickon began to cry. His arrowheads fell from his hand one by one and clattered on the floor. Bran pulled him close and hugged him.

There is a lot of sorrow, but there is also unity and true brotherly love in this scene. Like Bran, Summer also behaves as a loving and responsible older brother must behave, protecting, disciplining and finally comforting the younger brother.

Direwolves and Death

As I said above, I think the fight between Shaggydog and Summer can be interpreted as a fight between something death-related and something life-related, but that is only a segment of a more complicated picture.

The direwolves in general are often associated with death. It is very apparent in this chapter, where a direwolf literally jumps out of a tomb, and where the arrival of the raven (with the news of Eddard’s death) is announced by the howling of the wolves:

Summer began to howl.

Maester Luwin broke off, startled. When Shaggydog bounded to his feet and added his voice to his brother’s, dread clutched at Bran’s heart. “It’s coming,” he whispered, with the certainty of despair. He had known it since last night, he realized, since the crow had led him down into the crypts to say farewell.

In CATELYN X, Grey Wind added his voice to the sounds of the warhorns of the North, and Catelyn immediately associated it with the sound of death. In this chapter, we can see direwolves being associated with death in more ways than one. Jon’s direwolf is called Ghost. There are direwolf statues in the crypts, next to the statues of the dead Kings of Winter. We can witness direwolves killing animals and even humans. Also, the very first direwolf we see in the book is a dead one – a dead mother wolf, who leaves her pups to House Stark. I wonder what this may mean in relation to the origin of the direwolves, in relation to the part they play in the story, and what it may mean with regard to the Starks themselves.

In that respect, it may also be important that we receive a complete lesson on history and mythology in this chapter. There is also a confrontation between the rational and the magical, and it is perfectly clear where the direwolves stand. 

[bemused]

Hi, everyone... I've been  following along intermittently, and enjoying this very much. (kind of feel like I'm auditing a course on direwolves  ) 

Some thoughts that come to mind : The Crypts and the Stark family are inextricably linked to the history of the continent, specifically the north. Stepping into them is literally like stepping into history.

The children playing in the crypts make me think of the state of the Starks in general, who in "recent" generations (since the disappearance of direwolves south of the wall) might be said to only have been playing at being Starks, even though they didn't know it. They've been disconnected from a very important sense of who they are (and why they are). The various memories the Stark children have of playing in the crypts all come from before they had their direwolves. Now, Rickon, the youngest , most wild and willful - and the least educated - appears to be the most comfortable being there, alone in the dark with his wolf.

With hindsight, after reading TWoIaF.. "shadow wolves twenty feet tall fought on the wall and roof." .. reminds me of the Stark who vanquished the Wolf King. The crypts are a place of history, and this seems, to me, to be the shadow of their most ancient history looming over them (perhaps overshadowing them, in a sense?) as it stretches up, even onto the ceiling.

Just as an aside, and in regard to the questions Julia raises about direwolves and Starks ...

Spoiler

Some readers assume that the Starks acquired their skinchanging ability from defeating the Wolf King and marrying his daughters. But I suspect that they were already bonded with greater wolves - direwolves. We've yet to read of anyone but a Stark having this bond, yet to judge from the Varamyr prologue, wargs bonded with lesser wolves are the most common type of skinchanger. So this implies to me that there were, at one time, two factions (at least) among the CotF/greenseers, with the pro Stark/direwolf faction winning out. 

 

I also find this very interesting... "... Dreams are only dreams, child.” He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. “Do you see? It’s quite empt-”
The darkness sprang at him, snarling." 

As we know, Osha has the right of it, regarding, dreams are only dreams .. “Some are, some aren’t.”...  And much as we love Luwin and trust he is motivated to do good, this whole exchange may illustrate something of what has been going on with the maesters trying to supress magic, trying to eradicate it with the light of reason (their reason). It implies that their reason (thus far, or in this specific) is totally inadequate.

This is a Stark tomb and the Starks are bound in, part of, an ancient magic (one that bonds man with beast).. Magic itself can be seen as some great beast, shrouded in darkness or blackness. It's far from empty , and if you try to wash it away with one feeble torch, it is like to spring back snarling. It's dangerous to ignore it, dangerous to deny it, and doubly dangerous to try to destroy it, when you don't even know how it works or what it's purpose is.  We can see this is true in the case of the Starks, specifically, in the scenario playing out at the wall.

ETA: There are so many things in this chapter that resonate with things we learn later, so many little touches I love, I'm grateful you prompted me to look at them... e.g...

Rickon, so innocently immersed in his bond with Shaggy, licking the blood from his hand as the direwolves lick their wounds.

And Rickon again, wanting not just one obsidian arrowhead but four (a cache, or stockpile?)..but when the raven comes announcing Ned's death he begins crying and his arrowheads slip out of his fingers and fall to the floor...The use of obsidian is another thing the Starks have lost sight of over the years while caught up in their pressing personal lives.

And the chaining of the direwolves ... Rickon just naturally sets Shaggy free because Shaggy doesn't like it. Bran has a more mature insight.. “He was not made for chains."

This too , is true of the Stark line .. Since kneeling to Aegon the Starks have been prevented from exercising some of the authority they were meant to have , they've been restricted, symbolically chained ..and they were not made for chains. 

[Raisin' Bran]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 4:19 PM, Julia H. said:

BRAN VII

 

That was a very good look at the contrast of Osha and Luwin with regard to Bran's dreams, the meaning of Shaggy as it may foreshadow future events surrounding Rickon, and, by extension, the future of House Stark.

To me, Osha and Luwin seemed the difference between wisdom and knowledge (old ways verses new order). Osha seemed to have satisfactory answers for Bran while Luwin dismissed most of Bran's questions as not worth his or Bran's time. At this point in the books, I believe it is quite clear that Luwin will not provide much more help to Bran's education in the future.

To Luwin angering a spirit and being attacked for it. It is a thought, but to the best of my knowledge, spirits do not haunt the physical world of Planetos, but perhaps the dream world (like in Jon Snow's and Theon's dreams).

To the connection between the Starks and the direwolf, many other threads have made it apparent that there is a profound difference from Lord Eddard to the historical Stark Kings and Lords. In this chapter, Bran lists numerous examples of conquest and exploration attributed to his ancestors. Those examples he gives seem to stand in contrast to Lord Eddard's behavior and stance toward outsiders (somewhat reclusive and conservative). He admits earlier in AGOT that both Brandon and Lyanna had wolfs blood and he believes that it brought them to an early grave. Perhaps it did, but many people that died prematurely during that period are not considered to have been driven by the wolfs blood.

Getting back to Eddard's behavior, he was fostered with Bobby B in the Vale with Lord Arryn. I believe that during that time, Ned lost a part of his connection with his northern heritage (partially due to Andal influence, partially to geographic isolation) and somewhat abandoned his wolfish side. Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen were able to remain in the North and cultivate their wolfish tendencies, to different degrees. The consequences of Brandon's and Lyanna's actions, I believe, made Ned even more reclusive than he would have been (Ned was even hesitant to agree to the betrothal of his daughter to the crowned prince, something Lord Rickard Stark would have probably done without much debate). Add to that, Ned's marriage to Catelyn and Benjen leaving for the wall, there were few living reminders to Ned of his heritage, potentially eliminating the possibility that he could return to his Stark roots. Had Ned been more wolfish, would his demise have played out in the same way? IMHO, no. For the narrative's sake, he would have died most likely, but in a manner more in accordance with the title of Lord of Winterfell.

We also have other in-story examples, Sansa first, then later Robb, who ignored their wolfish side in favor of being "refined". Their rejections did result in severe consequences for those involved.

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2016 at 1:28 PM, bemused said:

 

Rickon, as stated by bemused, is the most wild and willful. Concern has been raised as to Rickon's feral nature and potential for devolving (or not maturing emotionally) as he matures physically. I am not in that camp. We need to keep in mind that Rickon is 3-4 years old and has not had a parental figure around him for about a year. Robb, Bran, and the servants at Winterfell do their best, but none are in a parent/child relationship with him. Once Rickon has consistent personal care, his emotional development will progress appropriately.  Sure, Shaggy will still be an influence on him, as the other littermates have influence on their respective Starks, but that will be key for a resurgence of House Stark.

[Bastetcat]

What I noticed here is that the crypts start to become more of a common room than the greate hall… It feels like an ancient temple full of tourists. So disrespectful.

Especially at the DWD. Everyone wants to go there, and a lot goes.

It is like an end of a secret.

in GOT it could be a sign of the future sacking of Winterfell. As more and more stranger goes there, so will become Winterfell crowded by them because of Ramsey (and the Freys, it is not a coincidence, there was Frey boys down the crypts!).

Crypst, invasion, direwolfs, Freys, death kings... so much foreshadowing going on.

 

[Seams]

On 1/31/2016 at 7:19 PM, Julia H. said:

In this chapter, we can see direwolves being associated with death in more ways than one. Jon’s direwolf is called Ghost. There are direwolf statues in the crypts, next to the statues of the dead Kings of Winter. We can witness direwolves killing animals and even humans. Also, the very first direwolf we see in the book is a dead one – a dead mother wolf, who leaves her pups to House Stark. I wonder what this may mean in relation to the origin of the direwolves, in relation to the part they play in the story, and what it may mean with regard to the Starks themselves.

 

In that respect, it may also be important that we receive a complete lesson on history and mythology in this chapter. There is also a confrontation between the rational and the magical, and it is perfectly clear where the direwolves stand. 

This chapter does offer a lot of clues about important themes. I agree that the conflict between Shaggy Dog / Rickon and Maester Luwin is a clash between magic and science. In an upcoming chapter, after feeling shaken by Jojen's insights about greendreams, Bran will go to Maester Luwin to ask about magic. I think it's not a coincidence that the maester chain that Luwin forged and wears around his neck is described as being fairly tight - almost like a dog collar. In this chapter, Bran rejects the notion of chaining Shaggy Dog, saying that the direwolf "was not made for chains;" Maesters, on the other hand, forge their own chains and are symbolically made by these chains. Luwin took an interest in magic, mastering the Valyrian steel link, but chose to follow the way of the Citadel and nominally rejected magic. Shaggy has no patience with a person who rejects magic; that's why Luwin is bitten at the moment he tries to convince Bran that his dream of his father's death was not prophetic. 

As you note, however, the death symbolism associated with the direwolves and the Starks is perhaps a more central theme than magic vs. science. This comment from the "Sansa and the Giants" thread gives what I found to be an effective explanation of the crypts as symbolic representations of the Underworld and why the Stark children are at home there. There are a number of good analyses in this forum of the myth of the Winter King and the Summer King, and I can't put my finger on one of my favorites that juxtaposed Ned as the King of Winter (death, the Underworld) and Robert as the King of Summer, but the opening chapter with Robert's visit to the Winterfell crypt is pivotal. The wolves are part of the Underworld realm in which the Starks are at home, helping to explain why most humans fear direwolves but the Starks immediately think of them as good companion animals to give to children.

The stone figures in the crypts are also important - representations of both Starks and direwolves. There are some upcoming Bran POVs that begin with Bran warging Summer and contemplating stones - the fallen stones of Winterfell after the fire; the "stark" treeless mountaintops as Bran and his party make their way north. One ridge looks like a claw, through Summer's eyes, perhaps tying the symbol of the mountain stones to Jon's new sword. We know that Starks will eventually turn to stone: Lady Stoneheart and Alayne Stone. Of course, Jon has an important love scene with Ygritte in a mountain cave and the Stark-friendly / dead Beric Dondarrion lives with his brotherhood in a Hollow Hill. I know I'm not the first to point out that there seems to be a strong connection between the stone caves of the Winterfell crypts and the Stark activities throughout the novels. This re-read is helping me to connect the direwolves more logically and closely to the Underworld and stone imagery that are parts of the Stark brand.

[LongRider]

On 9/12/2015 at 3:15 AM, Julia H. said:

Lady did not stand by while Mycah was attacked, because she wasn’t even there. Sansa had chained her up somewhere – Joffrey had told her not to bring her along on their outing. Joffrey made Sansa treat her direwolf like a dog.

Hello!  Enjoying this great reread.  I just wanted to comment on this.  

In the Trident scene, Sansa's wolf was tied up somewhere and Joff's dog was also somewhere else.  Each of these would have acted much differently than if their wolf and dog had been present.  The Hound would have kept Joff in line and Sansa may have been braver had her wolf been there. 

Without his dog, Joff's cruelty and arrogant side came out without restraint, and Sansa didn't have Lady to draw on for bravery here, nor was the wolf with her at the inquest.  Compare to Arya, who had her wolf to draw on for bravery and protection of Mycha and herself. 

edt; Lady and the Hound were left behind on Joff's suggestion.  Joff boasting he was almost a man grown and could go without his shield, and that Lady would frighten the horses.  The same horses that had already traveled many miles with the direwovles already.  No, it was Joff who was afraid of the wolves, and Lady and Mycha paid for it.

 

[evita mgfs]

On 1/30/2016 at 6:25 AM, Julia H. said:

CATELYN VIII - IX

 

 

Julia H.  Great Job!I have very much enjoyed your analytical thoughts, and I hope to reply meaningfully, but I apologize in advance for my confusion with the new formatting on the posts. I hope I am addressing the correct author in my observations! 

[Thankfully, my parents, sister, and pup have pulled through some hard times – and I am grateful to be back to read everyone’s inspiring and insightful works!]  I have been managing family obligations – lots of surgeries – even my new golden pup had to undergo major surgery at 10 weeks old!  I also apologize for my unreliability.

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

CATELYN VIII - IX

Banners and Towers
The first direwolf reference in the chapter is the Stark banner flying on the Gatehouse Tower, Robbs seat in Moat Cailin.
I will only add that Moat Cailin, the southern gateway to the North, seems to mirror the Wall, the northern boundary, in some respects:
All that was left of the great stronghold of the First Men were three towers three where there had once been twenty, if the taletellers could be believed.
It's logical that Robb's House Stark direwolf banner would be on the gatehouse where he is present, but I wonder if this is also a clue in the inside/outside symbolism. The direwolf (banner) is the gatekeeper for Robb, and (Grey Wind is) the first one to notice when a new person (Catelyn) has entered the room, determining whether she is welcome to join the inner circle.
 

·        I very much like the idea of inside/outside symbolism as you describe it with examples.  I see this as a viable theme, one that I have touched upon in my deconstructing of motifs beginning in AGoT.  I employ windows and doorways as symbolic entrances and exits that resemble your inside/outside motif.

·        For instance, windows are symbolic in their relationships to certain characters – and these characters favour gazing at the world through windows, or they prefer closing windows, or avoiding them, instead of studying what goes on outside of their domain,

·        Examples from earlier POVs: 

·        1].  The opened window allows into the sickroom the plaintive cries of Bran’s as yet unnamed direwolf pup and his litter mates Grey Wind and Shaggydog.  Catelyn despises the howling and wants the window closed even though Maester Luwin says the opened window causes Bran’s heart to beat stronger.  Here the window symbolizes Bran’s need for access to the outside world, especially to the healing powers of his direwolf.  Catelyn’s opinion that the window should be closed suggests that she is closing herself off from the cruelties of the outside world, which conflicts with the needs of her son Bran.

·        2]. In Ned’s POV, he opens ALL the windows while Cat pulls up the blankets. Ned bathes in the cold air, unlike his wife Catelyn who is from the south, and the window emphasizes her separation from the cold, grey north.  Moreover, Ned’s alleged bastard son Jon will also open his window in his quarters at the armory to allow Mormont’s raven access in and out while Jon is about his business.

·        3].  Sansa is shocked out of social decorum when Arya announces, “I don’t like the queen”, “Myrcella is a little baby”, and that Arya has no intention of joining the Septa, Queen, and Princess in the wheelhouse for lemon cakes and tea because the wheelhouse has no windows.  Sansa, with her “narrow” view represented by her lack of need for windows, is dismayed by Arya’s assertion that there is much to see from windows. Sansa sees only fields, farms, and holdfasts, while Arya sees the promise of adventure, a haunted tower, 36 new flowers, and a lizard-lion. Sansa, on the other hand, hates every minute of the twelve day trek through the Neck, and the endless black bog, damp and clammy.

·        4].  Ned opens his windows in WF to look out at the stars and darkness as he considers accepting the office of Hand of the King. 

·        5].  Arya rejoices when she is permitted to leave the HoB&W as a new identity because it has no windows. 

·        6].  Bran is pushed from a window, an act meant to end his life before he can reveal the truth hiding behind the window and the door.

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:

 

Grey Wind
As Catelyn enters, Grey Wind is the first one to notice her and to greet her.

 

·        Grey Wind is the “official greeter” that is more aware of his peripheral surroundings than is his master Robb who does not notice his mother’s presence in the room until there is a silence among the bannermen.

·        I also perceive a connection with Grey Wind [and other direwolves] in regards to the laws of hospitality.  The stone statues in the crypts represent dead Starks with their stone direwolves at their feet:  the figures with their swords across their knees strike unwelcoming postures.  It is as if the dead and their wolves are safeguarding the crypts and WF from unwanted guests who might trespass, thereby violating the laws of hospitality.

·        I think that the stone figures are sculpted in such a way to reflect a united front against foes whose presence in WF is not wanted – a presence unwanted in the long ago past, thousands of years ago – and a presence unwanted in present and future times.

“At first he did not notice her but his wolf did. The great grey beast was lying near the fire, but when Catelyn entered he lifted his head, and his golden eyes met hers.
The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood. It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be. You’ve grown a beard, she said to Robb, while Grey Wind sniffed her hand. 
Catelyn stroked the wolf’s head, gently. 
Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire”.

It can also be said that Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack.
As Catelyn observes that Robb is playing a mans part now, that he has grown a beard, she also notices how big Grey Wind is. That is another parallel between Robb and his direwolf. In fact, Catelyn thinks:
It seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be.
Doesnt that thought reflect Catelyns fear that Robb is outgrowing the role assigned to the wolves i.e. the Starks, as he is starting a war against the royal family?

 

·        Nice, thoughtful observations!  I have a few ideas to share that may – or may not – mean anything!  Maybe your scholarly wit can contrive some analytical possibilities.

·        Martin’s decision to use IT as the pronoun referent for the antecedents “direwolf” and “his” in the previous sentence -  “The direwolf got to his feet and padded across the room to where she stood” – is so unusual that the author must have some literary intent; otherwise, why doesn’t Martin phrase his prose accordingly:  “HE seemed bigger than a wolf ought to be”????

·        What is Martin’s purpose?  By using “it”, Martin insinuates a gender neutral direwolf.  But what does this mean?

·        Robb’s growth of facial hair makes him appear more “wolfish”, and GW nipping Cat’s fingers brings to mind Summer’s tending Cat’s bloody fingers after the direwolf takes down the would-be-assassin in Bran’s room.

·        I am not sure if Catelyn is accepted into the direwolf pack, especially since she is a “CAT”!

·        Catelyn mentally compares the direwolf with a wolf and Robb with Edmure Tully.

I think you've hit the nail on the head with Catelyn's observation that the direwolf is too big - she is worried about Robb's ambitions or his involvement with things beyond the North.

·        Good point.  I never thought of the wolf’s size symbolizing Robb’s ambitions.

I'm not as sure about the idea that "Catelyn seems to be officially accepted as part of the direwolf pack." I think Grey Wind recognizes that she is to be trusted in Robb's presence, and we know that she became a fan of the direwolves protecting her children after the attack on Bran. I guess I'm drawing a distinction between the pack (= Stark kids with direwolves) and friends of the pack (those the direwolves have approved for close interaction, such as Samwell Tarly or Great John Umber). Grey Wind's nuzzling of Catelyn's fingers could be a kiss that Robb doesn't want to bestow directly, but it also echoes that biting of Great John's fingers in the earlier chapter. Perhaps the King in the North gathers advisers (Hands of the King) in a way similar to other kings in Westeros. Maybe what we are seeing here is Catelyn "crossing a bridge" from being a mom to being an adviser and supporter of the king. Grey Wind is a gatekeeper who shows her where she belongs now by nibbling her fingers - almost a veiled threat, given what he did with Great John's fingers.

·        Robb bestowing a kiss to his mother through GW is a clever interpretation.  I agree that GW accepts Catelyn and trusts her as a supporter of Robb. 

·        Regarding Grey Wind nipping Cat’s fingers, I have a theory that is rooted in dog behaviors, and I am quoting from a source to back up my assertion so that I do not sound nutsy!

·        “Catelyn stroked the wolf’s head, gently. 
Grey Wind nipped at her fingers, playful, and trotted back to his place by the fire”.

·        When GW dismisses Cat’s petting his head with a playful nip, his reaction is dog/wolf/canine inspired behavior: “A lot of people are taught that the way to pet a dog is to keep patting the top of his head. But a dog perceives that action as a signal of dominance, not affection. It also just doesn't feel good. Dogs prefer to be stroked, particularly on the side of the face, under the chin, or on the front of the chest. They also like having their rumps scratched” [http://www.caninenannyservices.com/UnderstandingDogBehavior.html]

·        So, Grey Wind nipping Cat’s fingers suggests a gentle reminder that he is “alpha” and dominant and that she is “submissive”, or “tail”.

This scene you've just described, with Grey Wind near the fire, and the next scene, with Grey Wind running alongside the stallion, beg comparison to a scene with Dany:

·        Awesome correlation between these two scenes!

Quote

She was a young filly, spirited and splendid. Dany knew just enough about horses to know that this was no ordinary animal. There was something about her that took the breath away. She was grey as the winter sea, with a mane like silver smoke.
>snip<

Julia H., on 11 Oct 2015 - 7:15 PM, said:
Am I right in thinking that we usually see Robb in interior scenes? After his victory at the Whispering Wood, I remember thinking that I must have inadvertently skipped some pages that described the battle as it took place. Then I realized that we were only going to hear about that battle after the fact. Robb obviously does spend time outdoors, but most of the POV scenes in which he participates are inside somewhere. So this scene at The Twins is an important exception. Maybe it is intended to show us what Robb could be, if he would spend more time outside like his father and like Jon Snow. Earlier, when we heard about him being outside at Winterfell, he was accompanied by Jon Snow (practicing swordplay) and/or his father (executing the Night's Watch deserter and finding the direwolf pups).

·        The interior versus the exterior reminds me of the window motif as well.  I definitely like your observations about Robb’s interior scenes and exterior scenes. I do think there is “something” to this.

I realize that I may be reading too much into the inside/outside thing, though. Just the latest motif of personal interest to me.

·        Me too!  And you do not read too much into Martin’s scrupulous prose.  He expertly weaves a great deal into his narratives for his readers to consider and discuss.

·        I have been gathering evidences on one of my theories that really speaks to your “inside/outside” motif.  Bran Stark is the “Stark in Winterfell” literally and figuratively; that is, Robb appoints Bran the Stark in WF before he marches off to war.  Then, Bran is the Stark in WF as the greenseer in the heart tree in the godswood.  Finally, Bran is the Stark in WF as he is part of the living magic within the grey stones that are the walls [and other structures] of the castle proper.  Now, does that make sense?

GREAT JOB, JULIA H.  I look forward to reading more – and backtracking to read what I have missed on earlier pages in this thread.

[evita mgfs]

On 1/30/2016 at 8:18 AM, Julia H. said:

Harlaw's Book the Sequel, great analysis as always! 

 

 

GREAT JOB . . . AGAIN!  JULIA H.:

JULIA H. SAID:

Harlaw's Book the Sequel said on Jon VIII (as reposted in my post above):

  Quote

The Old Bear choosing a white wolf for the hilt to go along with blade the Mormonts carried for hundreds of years is a nice way to symbolize his feelings.  Jon telling him Longclaw is a name apt for both bears and wolves is the icing on the cake.  (As an aside we have another example of Jon being able to choose the right words for a situation).

·       This scene is touching.  I am impressed by the thoughtfulness of Mormont to commission Ghost’s likeness on the hilt – with garnet eyes, even.  I feel sad for Mormont because Jon displays little emotional response to being thus honored by such a great man as the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.  I agree that Jon knows what to say, even though he guards his feelings and remains cool and unfazed.

·       I really had problems with Jon’s interaction with Mormont on this occasion.  I disliked Jon’s “flat” responses – I wanted him to “gush” more over the significance of such an impressive gift – the House Mormont sword – 5000 years old.  Even when I excused Jon’s behavior because he somehow feels by accepting another man’s sword, he will betray his alleged father Ned Stark, I still found  Jon’s guilty conscience irksome. 

·       I have noted the “father/son/daughter” motif in the independent journeys of the Stark siblings who each search for a father figure after the loss of his/her father.  [In the next novel, Jon all but “gushes” over Qhorin Halfhand, a surrogate father figure whom Jon is immediately drawn to from their first meeting.  Qhorin is a “legend” – a hero with a colorful past, and Jon admires him, respects him, and endeavors to please him.  Compare Jon’s scenes with Mormont to Jon’s scenes with Qhorin.]

“Wolves have claws, as much as bears.”

We have seen before several instances of a connection established between bears and wolves. These two animals are often mentioned together, we have seen the Mormonts and the Starks fight together, we know the Mormonts (with the exception of Jorah) are loyal to the Stark family, and now we see the Old Bear basically "adopting" a wolf as a son. The claws of bears and wolves are another connection - a similarity that (at this moment) facilitates the symbolic adoption. It also underlines the fact that both the Mormonts and the Starks are fighters. 

·       Nice wording – “the Old Bear basically "adopting" a wolf as a son. The claws of bears and wolves are another connection - a similarity that (at this moment) facilitates the symbolic adoption”.

·       Romulus and Remus comes to mind, and I keep “hearing” Tarzan!  [I know, I know!  The apes have yet to appear!]

·       Then there is Maege Mormont who says her children are fathered on a bear [or Tormund Giantsbane] when she wargs a SHE-Bear .

·       The above-mentioned scenario begs the question – if a female wargs her direwolf and mates with a male direwolf from her litter, albeit warged by her half-brother,  will the half-brother impregnate his own half-sister?

·       Actually, I have speculated on this kink in the possible reproductive cycles of wargs and their hosts, often animals.  This anomaly may be the origins of the “warg” gifts, which are part of the Stark bloodlines and their ancestors the First Men.  Furthermore,  analyses of this theory may explain why the Others need Crastor’s sons to sustain and to continue their species.  Live births are connected to warm-blooded creatures.  For this reason, the Others and their icy charms cannot fertilize a human female’s egg.

·       This is a wildly speculative idea that has visited me when I start thinking too much and reading too much into Martin’s prose:  Did Bloodraven father Ghost?  [Khaleesi is the mother of dragons, yes?]  What if Bloodraven plans to “warg” Ghost once Jon Snow’s warg and Ghost’s wolf-spirit are returned to the body of Jon Snow to facilitate his reanimation? 

·       BR will be able to live his final life as a great direwolf paired with Jon Snow/Stark/Targaryen, serving as a spirit guide, ally, and comrade-at-arms .  As the “last greenseer”, BR will retain all his acquired knowledge and avoid turning into the beast because the “beast” that was Ghost will manifest itself in Jon Snow.

·       Seriously, world mythologies feature deities that are originally drawn from animals – anthropomorphic.  Moreover, some gods and goddesses take on other forms to mate with a desired conquest.  Case-in-point, the Greek god Zeus is a notorious womanizer who seduces unsuspecting maidens while taking on the skin of another, such as a bull and/or a cuckoo bird.  Likewise, Zeus disguises himself in a mist or a shower of gold to make time with and to impregnate a virginal mortal. 

The mention of long claws as a similarity also brings The Rains of Castamere to mind:

In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
a lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my Lord,
as long and sharp as yours.

·       Great catch with the song lyrics from The Rains of Castamere .    You are brilliant!  A master at cross-referencing textual evidences!

·       I am going to add to the “clawed” bears and wolves  the “clawed birds”, likely contenders.  An annoying raven  appoints himself  LC Mormont’s shoulder-companion.  I suppose, to be fair, we would be remiss if we did not catalogue among the bears, direwolves, and birds the lions and the dragons!  I believe these fearsome creatures have long claws and/or long talons.

·       Likewise, in Jon’s second POV in AGoT, Martin’s prose narrative is rich in avian descriptors, including but not limited to “claws”:

“She [Catelyn] was holding one of his [Bran’s] hands. It looked like a claw. This was not the Bran he remembered. The flesh had all gone from him. His skin stretched tight over bones like sticks. Under the blanket, his legs bent in ways that made Jon sick. His eyes were sunken deep into black pits; open, but they saw nothing. The fall had shrunken him somehow. He looked half a leaf, as if the first strong wind would carry him off to his grave” [Jon II, AGoT].

“Yet under the frail cage of those shattered ribs, his chest rose and fell with each shallow breath.

“‘Bran,’ he said, ‘I'm sorry I didn't come before. I was afraid.’ He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. Jon no longer cared. ‘Don't die, Bran. Please. We're all waiting for you to wake up. Me and Robb and the girls, everyone . . .’  "

Bran is bird-like in his fragile state, and Martin’s choice of language depicts this.

1.       Bran’s hand is a claw.

2.      His eyes are black pits,  words that Martin echoes later in ADwD:  Lord Brynden Rivers’ eye is a pit with a glowing ember.

3.      He looked half a leaf:  in BR’s cave, a Singer named Leaf  assists in the tutelage of Bran in the art of green magic.

4.      The first strong wind would carry him off to his grave:  Frail and  broken, Bran is at the mercy of a strong wind that will carry him off to his grave; that is, unless Bran chooses “to fly” and not “to die”.

5.    under the frail cage of those shattered ribs:  Birds are sometimes kept in a cage, and Martin’s metaphor presents an image of the ribs as a “cage” – “ribcage”.

6.      “Jon lowered his eyes. She [Catelyn] was cradling one of Bran's hands. He took the other, squeezed it. Fingers like the bones of birds. "Good-bye," he said”.

7.       “The bones of birds” augments the “talon/claw” motif.

 

FYI / Symbology of Claws/Talons 

These items [claws and talons] represent the power and nature of the creatures [bears, direwolves, birds]  they come from. The claws of animals [bears, direwolves, birds] and the talons of birds all speak of their ability to hunt prey, protect, and defend. They lend these strengths to the item and can be used for shields, tools, costumes, or jewelry.

While they [claws/talons]  can symbolically denote something going against nature, this is usually when seen independently as in signs, omens, dreams and visions. In these cases they can also indicate control over aggressiveness or grasping what you need.

As fetishes. claws and/or talons indicate “a desire to connect and seek protection or assistance from that creature”  [http://spiritlodge.yuku.com/topic/1169/ClawsTalons#.Vs-5wvkrK00].

Julia H. said:

Unlike the two related lion families, the Starks and the Mormonts have formed a strong alliance and they help each other against common enemies. Of course, there is still a wild card in this relationship, Jorah Mormont, who used to possess this very "claw" and is currently not a friend of the Starks. 

Harlaw's Book the Sequel said:

Flashback to day the Starks found the direwolves

Jon comes to the more cynical conclusion that Ghost was driven out of the pack.  This may be the closest Jon gets in this chapter to admitting he is angry with the Starks.  It could also be his brain trying to provide a justification for why he isn’t marching with Robb.  However it’s interpreted, it’s a huge indication of how low Jon feels.  

Good point. I would also like to add that the idea of being different and driven out can also be a reflection of how Jon is feeling in his new pack right now:

·       Your assertion that Jon justifies his feelings of guilt and reveals his anger at the Starks through his cynical conclusion that Ghost was driven out of the pack – makes sense.  Some might speculate that Jon feels sorry for himself, equating himself to Ghost because he feels driven out of his “pack”, his home Winterfell, and his prospects for a future as a Stark.

"Once they had been six, five whimpering blind in the snow beside their dead mother, sucking cool milk from her hard dead nipples whilst he crawled off alone. Four remained … and one the white wolf could no longer sense"( Jon 1, ADwD).

 

·       In the above narrative passage, Martin’s third-person-limited-point-of-view communicates through Jon Snow and through his direwolf Ghost.  While in a wolf dream, Jon discloses information through the instincts of Ghost.  For example, the warg Jon Snow shares his direwolf’s  longing for his pack and his sadness over littermates lost.  Jon Snow gives the otherwise silent Ghost “a voice” to disclose truths, to clarify ambiguities, and to reveal important information.

 

·       1].  The first example confirms the circumstances behind Ghost’s separation from his littermates.  In Bran I of AGoT, Jon says, “He must have crawled away from the others” and Ned replies, “Or he was driven away” (21).  Jon’s instincts are correct as Ghost conveys through Jon the warg that the direwolf Ghost leaves the litter of his own volition.  He is not “forced out” by his littermates.

·       2].  The repetition of information, such as the pups are all “blind” but for “Ghost”, emphasizes the importance of the theme of “blindness”, which figures significantly in the character arcs of the Starks and others as well.

·       3].  Ghost is not a runt as so many people seem to conclude. He has received the same nourishment as his pack mates have. 

·       4].  Ghost sees “something” that draws him away from the litter, so he sets off to explore, possibly because he is the only pup who can see where he is going.

 

Julia H. said:

His friends meant well, but they did not understand. It was not their fault, truly; they had not had to face Othor, they had not seen the pale glow of those dead blue eyes, had not felt the cold of those dead black fingers. Nor did they know of the fighting in the riverlands. How could they hope to comprehend? He turned away from them abruptly and strode off, sullen. Pyp called after him, but Jon paid him no mind.

Jon returns to his cell and finds Ghost there, the only being who has truly shared his recent traumatizing experiences, also the only friend he still has who was with him in Winterfell and saw how important his brothers were to him. 

. . . and suddenly he found himself remembering how he’d found him, that day in the late summer snow. They had been riding off with the other pups, but Jon had heard a noise and turned back, and there he was, white fur almost invisible against the drifts. He was all alone, he thought, apart from the others in the litter. He was different, so they drove him out.

Despite the new wolf pommel, accepting the Mormont sword has also reminded him that he has lost his real family and even the right to help his siblings and his father in need. 

Jon thinks it is Ghost who "deserves an honor" - an observation that illuminates an important aspect of Jon's character. 

·        Jon is a series of contradictions.  At times, he is selfless; at other times, he is selfish.  Actually, Jon  is honest most of the time, except when Jon engages in lying to himself.  Jon resists the lure of his warg nature, vehemently and deliberately.  He pretends that when others speak of skinchangers, beastlings, and wargs that they are referring to others, especially those wildlings beyond the Wall, and not Jon Snow.

 In closing, once again “Good Work” Julia H. and others. 

[evita mgfs]

On 1/30/2016 at 8:34 AM, Julia H. said:

In addition, Grey Wind's howling is described as one of the Northern warhorns (as well as a the sound of Death):

 

 

Great Job Again, Julia H.

Thank you for inspiring me to read, write, and analyze by sharing your insightful ideas.  You have given me lots to think about!

I am not sure if I am approaching the reread in correct form –I am rereading the character POVs that writers are using as a source for their quoted citations.

I am working my way down the page – so much good stuff!

 

Julia H.

Posted 30 January · 

 

·        Cat’s thoughts are similar to Tyrion’s thoughts on the idea of facing a direwolf in battle.

• This passage reminds me of what people thought when introduced to the direwolves –both awe and horror.

• Cat’s reaction to Grey Wind’s howl is markedly different to her reaction to the howling she heard back while Bran was in a coma.  While it’s still frightening, the fact she can recognize the music shows she can also hear the beauty of it.  Even though she still associates the howl with death–instead of being a life giving force like it was for Bran–she recognizes it’s death for the Lannisters instead of her party.  

In addition, Grey Wind's howling is described as one of the Northern warhorns (as well as a the sound of Death):

·       Good points on GW’s howling and Catelyn’s “newly-gained” appreciation for the musicality in the direwolf’s song. 

·       Awesome observation on the paradoxical aspects of the direwolves’ howls:  Summer’s song has powers to heal Bran, causing his heart to beat stronger, yet Grew Wind’s song is an anthem announcing engagement in battle. 

·       The warhorns produce noise that reminds Catelyn of the direwolf’s mournful cries, which evocate in her the physical response of shivering and the emotional response of pity. Consequently, she determines that “this is what death sounds like” [698].

A Symphony of Sounds Before, During, and After Battle

The first sentence of Catelyn’s POV insinuates that sounds are the sensory details Martin will make audible for his readers by choosing language to evocate the noises of war.  Until the factions meet in battle, there is a haunting silence that is disturbed by man and animal sounds hardly audible in the tension-glutted air.

“The woods were full of whispers”.

·       Martin’s word orchestration features alliteration by repeating sounds, such as the “w” in woods, were, and whispers.

·       Poetic devices within Martin’s narrative prose allow him to compose harmony and discord among the words themselves and the text’s content material

·       “Whispers” are a theme unto themselves as they are key in the description of Braavos, the city of masks and whispers, in communications between BR and Bran and among Arya and her teachers in the HoBaW.  Furthermore, Martin incorporates whispers elsewhere, so these are but a few of many, many examples throughout the ASoIaF series.

I could elaborate in great detail on Martin’s arrangement of sounds in Catelyn’s POV, as sounds are artfully and prominently featured.  However, I will only point out a few to illustrate how Martin masters building a “noise-filled” motif.  This is important here and elsewhere because Martin’s series is called “A SONG of Ice and Fire”; thus, it stands to reason the author infuses musicality in linguistics.

Of note is that Martin includes wind, string, and percussion “noises” to compose the movements of battle.  For example, the warhorns are wind instruments – they are sounded by causing air to vibrate by blowing into a tube.  The archers’ bows and arrows are the “string instruments, and when the archers stretch their strings to release arrows, this release causes the vibrations of the strings; hence, the strings and arrows “sigh”.  Finally, battle noises are produced by percussion instruments, or anything that can be hit to produce noise.  When the arrors find purchase among the enemy ranks, men and horses scream. The mail worn by the northmen wear makes noise when they move, as do their weapons.

Here are a few “sounds” Martin employs to provide background for the action of the narrative:

Pre-Battle

Martin builds suspense and tension through language choices that convey a quiet yet collective unease that is palpable.  Men whisper and jest in hushed voices, horses whicker, and the sounds of spears and mail are muffled.  The men nervously anticipate the onset of battle:

The woods were full of whispers

warhorses whickered softly

****Martin continue alliteration of the “w” sound from the first sentence with “warhorses” and “whickered”.

[warhorses] pawed at the moist, leafy ground

***pawing does not define as a sound, yet Martin may wish readers to associate the horses’ movements against a moist, soppy-leafed ground as evocating a sloppy, wet noise.

 men made nervous jests in hushed voices.

she heard the chink of spears,

the faint metallic slither of chain mail

***”Slither means to slide along effortlessly, using friction to move forward as a snake does.  Martin’s poetic wording calls upon readers to imagine what slithering chain mail sounds like.

 even those sounds were muffled.

Catelyn was content to listen

****A woman must listen if she hopes to hear,

 to the whispers in the woods

·       Martin repeats the whispering of the woods, which may be actual sounds produced by elements of nature that the wind carries over short and long distances.  Or the whispering in the woods may be from the men communicating in hushed tones.  Maybe both the wind through the trees and the army concealed within the woods are sources of the whispering.

[to] the faint music of the brook

·       Martin associates music with the flow of water, a “babbling brook” that makes “faint music” as if it too keep its volume on low to manage hushed or muffled sounds.

·       The musical brook speaks to Martin’s poetic touch in Catelyn’s narrative, an approach that is ironic and dark. 

Repetition of Language Patterns as A Poetic Device

Martin repeats the word “here” in Robb Stark’s efforts to point out areas on his map for his comrades, and Robb does so with the word “HERE” to indicate and emphasize a location on the map.

Martin then repeats “HERE” as an introductory word beginning three subsequent word groupings that seemingly build  toward the climactic howl of the direwolf Ghost.  Homeric conventions include similar repetition of key words, and on occasion prior to a major happening in Iliad, Homer stacks similes, usually seven comparisons that build to a climactic revelation.

“Raid him here,” he said, pointing. “. . . we will be waiting”—his finger moved an inch to the left—“here.”

Here was a hush in the night, moonlight and shadows, a thick carpet of dead leaves underfoot, densely wooded ridges sloping gently down to the streambed, the underbrush thinning as the ground fell away.

Here was her son on his stallion, glancing back at her one last time and lifting his sword in salute.

Here was the call of Maege Mormont’s warhorn, a long low blast that rolled down the valley from the east, to tell them that the last of Jaime’s riders had entered the trap.

And Grey Wind threw back his head and howled.

The sound seemed to go right through Catelyn Stark

It was a terrible sound,

a frightening sound,

yet there was music in it too

So this is what death sounds like

·       Death has more sounds than the keening of a direwolf announcing battle; however, Martin certainly describes the howling as terrible and frightening with a shrill pitch that “cuts” right through Catelyn.  It makes sense that Catelyn is representative of what the northmen are contemplating as they await the fight:  their own mortality.

The Alarum

HAAroooooooooooooooooooooooo

came the answer from the far ridge

 the Greatjon winded his own horn.

the trumpets of the Mallisters and Freys blew vengeance

****Trumpets are wind instruments, but the sound they blow is “vengeance”.  Martin invites readers to imagine for themselves the sound of vengeance.

 Lord Karstark’s warhorns added their own deep, mournful voices

 to the dark chorus.

****The mention of “the dark chorus” may be a nod to Greek tragedies, especially since Martin finds inspiration in world mythologies.

The Onslaught of Battle

Men were shouting

The whispering wood let out its breath all at once,

the bowmen  , . . let fly their arrows

the night erupted with the screams of men and horses.

 “Winterfell!” she heard Robb shout

the arrows sighed again

·       Shouting men lead the way to the sigh of arrows from the archers, after which the screams of men and horses reveal that the arrows met with living targets.  The Young Wolf shouts his  pledge to “Winterfell”, and the archers let loose another band of sighing arrows.

·       Martin humanizes the the whispering wood by giving it a voice, one that “breathes” and speaks in whispers.  When the arrows fly, their collective voice “sighs”.

·       In order to make noise or attempt to speak words, vibration is necessary.  Often, the wind creates sound by causing a vibration, as when the wind rustles through the leaves, which can evocate the sound of whispered words.

·       The reason the wights do not speak is that they are dead; therefore, they no longer inhale and exhale air.  Without the passage of air over human vocal chords, a human cannot speak.  This concept appears in many vampire mythologies in that these “undead” do not perform the act of respiration, which is a typical human process that vampires attempt to emulate by training themselves to inhale and exhale.  Strangely, vampires do speak, and the science of how they do so is seldom clearly explained.  Probably some dark magic produces vibrations even without respiration.

·       Why does this interest me?  Well, I think Martin’s frequent assignation of voices to inanimate objects has far reaching significance in the series as a whole.  Furthermore, the appearance of an “allegedly” talking Coldhands has not been clearly explained by Martin . . . yet.  I, however, think Coldhands “is” a clue or “clues” to something ???? important.  Coldhands covers his mouth and nose so that Bran and company cannot see that he speaks without lips and without respiration, and that he does not inhale and exhale.  So, how does Coldhands speak words?  [His crow companions may provide CH’s voice, a possibility since Martin describes  CH as always in the company of at least one or two crows, and most often even more crows.]  What does everyone else think?

These are a few illustrations of Martin’s attention to sounds in one of many POV narratives.

 

[bemused]

Nipping in again...

On 2/26/2016 at 1:42 AM, evita mgfs said:

Jon returns to his cell and finds Ghost there, the only being who has truly shared his recent traumatizing experiences, also the only friend he still has who was with him in Winterfell and saw how important his brothers were to him. 

 

. . . and suddenly he found himself remembering how he’d found him, that day in the late summer snow. They had been riding off with the other pups, but Jon had heard a noise and turned back, and there he was, white fur almost invisible against the drifts. He was all alone, he thought, apart from the others in the litter. He was different, so they drove him out.

Yes, well.. It seems I'm quoting Evita, who was quoting Julia ,who was responding to Harlaw's book... 

In fact, Jon was driven out of his first pack by Catelyn (supported by Luwin). If not for her refusal to have him in WF, Ned would probably not have allowed him to join the NW so young. ... But of course, it looks like that is now working out for the best (or as planned) anyway.

With that in mind, I've never been sure that Ghost wasn't driven off by either the dying mother or  whoever was inhabiting her. (I think someone probably was, to get her so far south.) I think this entity (either BR or another of the CotF greenseers) probably then inhabited Ghost, and Ghost's eyes were opened to allow him to crawl away. All this would be to ensure that Jon (the one with Stark blood, but not the Stark name .. and with an extra few drops of dragon blood) would be the one to bond with Ghost. The Stark children would of course have first dibs, and it would not have done, if (e.g.) young Sansa had wanted the pretty white one.  (You know she would have...)

I don't think this inhabiting amounts to a proper bond, but is more akin to flying a raven, or influencing someone's dreams. I also don't think a direwolf will properly bond to anyone but a Stark (just my guess).

We're not there yet, but I think there are signs of Ghost occasionally having some other inner awareness... (more when we get there). It adds a bit more meaning to his name, too.This would not be strange, frightening or confusing for Ghost, since he's always experienced it... probably from the womb.

[bemused]

On 2/23/2016 at 6:32 AM, LongRider said:

Hello!  Enjoying this great reread.  I just wanted to comment on this.  

In the Trident scene, Sansa's wolf was tied up somewhere and Joff's dog was also somewhere else.  Each of these would have acted much differently than if their wolf and dog had been present.  The Hound would have kept Joff in line and Sansa may have been braver had her wolf been there. 

Without his dog, Joff's cruelty and arrogant side came out without restraint, and Sansa didn't have Lady to draw on for bravery here, nor was the wolf with her at the inquest.  Compare to Arya, who had her wolf to draw on for bravery and protection of Mycha and herself. 

edt; Lady and the Hound were left behind on Joff's suggestion.  Joff boasting he was almost a man grown and could go without his shield, and that Lady would frighten the horses.  The same horses that had already traveled many miles with the direwovles already.  No, it was Joff who was afraid of the wolves, and Lady and Mycha paid for it.

 

I really like this.. very satisfying insights.

[Bastetcat]

On 2016. február 23. at 3:32 PM, LongRider said:

Hello!  Enjoying this great reread.  I just wanted to comment on this. 

In the Trident scene, Sansa's wolf was tied up somewhere and Joff's dog was also somewhere else.  Each of these would have acted much differently than if their wolf and dog had been present.  The Hound would have kept Joff in line and Sansa may have been braver had her wolf been there.

Without his dog, Joff's cruelty and arrogant side came out without restraint, and Sansa didn't have Lady to draw on for bravery here, nor was the wolf with her at the inquest.  Compare to Arya, who had her wolf to draw on for bravery and protection of Mycha and herself.

edt; Lady and the Hound were left behind on Joff's suggestion.  Joff boasting he was almost a man grown and could go without his shield, and that Lady would frighten the horses.  The same horses that had already traveled many miles with the direwovles already.  No, it was Joff who was afraid of the wolves, and Lady and Mycha paid for it.

 

I agree, and I always assumed Mycah had to die because he witnessed Joffreys cravenness and shame. He was beaten by a 9 (8-9 I am not sure) year old girl, and witnessed by his fiancé and a common boy. 
Joffrey cried his story, Cercei acted immediately so his son's word's couldn't be find false. A Lannister (Cercei's Son) couldn't be seen any less then a half-god. No way she would let the gossip spread that Joffrey is a looser. So I am not blaming Joffrey as much as I did n the first read. He was a frightened kid. But Cercei...

 

[Raisin' Bran]

On ‎2‎/‎28‎/‎2016 at 3:27 PM, Bastetcat said:

I agree, and I always assumed Mycah had to die because he witnessed Joffreys cravenness and shame. He was beaten by a 9 (8-9 I am not sure) year old girl, and witnessed by his fiancé and a common boy. 
Joffrey cried his story, Cercei acted immediately so his son's word's couldn't be find false. A Lannister (Cercei's Son) couldn't be seen any less then a half-god. No way she would let the gossip spread that Joffrey is a looser. So I am not blaming Joffrey as much as I did n the first read. He was a frightened kid. But Cercei...

As much? So you still do blame him?

There are many things to blame on people.

Cercei is very much the person with the power in this situation, who sent out Sandor and the other Lannister men to find Mycha, Big Nyms, and Arya. She's the one who had control over the severity of the outcome. She reacted emotionally

Joff is a product of Cercei's rearing, but he is still a person capable of his own decisions. The situation would not have occurred without his interference. He acted stupidly, then after being hit, reacted emotionally.

Arya was protecting Mycha. Probably not in the best way, but in a way that accomplished her goal: "Get Joff away from Mycha". Then there were repercussions, Joff attacks Arya, Big Nyms attacks Joff. Arya (with Big Nyms) acted shortsighted.

In the end, I place 40% blame on Cercei, 40% on Joff, 20% on Arya (Big Nyms is an extension of Arya at this point). Sansa's blame plays no part in Mycha's death.

So even though Arya had her wolf with her, the wolf only provided protection in an immediate sense, but could provide no protection in the long run. The wolf will not protect you from the idea of power, only the present danger.

POST #100 Hooray for me.

[evita mgfs]

On 1/31/2016 at 7:19 PM, Julia H. said:

BRAN VII

<snip>

JULIA H. GREAT JOB with Bran VII.

 

BRAN VII

<snip>

Something in the Crypts

So the Stark children used to play in the crypts, as we know from Arya and Bran’s recollections. Yet, Summer does not feel comfortable there. (Nor does Hodor, and we also know that Jon has nightmares related to the crypts.) Bran and Rickon are not afraid to go down there, yet, Bran at least has misgivings this time – he wishes his brothers and sisters were with him.

Summer leaves his bone without hesitation when Bran calls him, yet:

Summer refused to move from the steps, even when Osha followed the torch, Bran in her arms.

Summer definitely has some strong feelings here:

Summer stalked out in the echoing gloom, then stopped, lifted his head, and sniffed the chill dead air. He bared his teeth and crept backward, eyes glowing golden in the light of the maester’s torch.

Is it just the awful premonition and in the case of Summer perhaps a certainty that something terrible is going to happen related to the crypts? Or is there something in the crypts that even direwolves and simple-minded humans like Hodor can sense? To what extent is Eddard “really” in the tomb where Bran and Rickon saw him in their dreams?

·        Knowing dogs the way that I do, at times, I have observed them react to their own shadows and growl and bark at dust mites. Summer is reacting to Bran’s apprehension.  However, Summer very likely sniffs his direwolf brother and Rickon, but smelling wolf and boy in the darkened crypts is unexpected and has him confused.

·        Summer does not alert a warning to Bran NOT to progress into the crypts.  Whatever Summer senses, he does not fear for Bran’s safety.  But, he stands guard nonetheless and is a force to be reckoned with when his master does call!

·        Summer may also sense the early onset of the living magic awakening.  It had been dormant for many long years, and with the ghost of Ned appearing in both Bran and Rickon’s dreams, this is a good indication that the greenmagic is expanding and reaching out to people and places.

·        Your premonition gave me chills.  I worry that when Bloodraven says he had a brother he loved and one he hated, he is speaking prophetically of what Bran will likewise experience.

·        I have a theory that when the direwolves taste blood, their Stark wargs are empowered:  Here, Rickon issues orders and Bran takes charge.

The Creepy Crypts

“The vault is cavernous,  longer than Winterfell itself, and Jon had told him once that there were other levels underneath, vaults even deeper and darker where the older king were buried” [732].

I have issues with the crypts and their impracticality. 

****How did the builders know how many levels to stack on top the other to house the past dead and the current dead, and the soon-to-be dead?

****Why does the staircase stop at the current level?

****How do the pallbearers carry coffins or the dead down a narrow spiral staircase?

****How challenged is the artist who must sculpt  granite in a Stark likeness with the poor lighting conditions!

****The iron swords rest on the knees of the statues – were these swords forged at Winterfell?  Does this mean they have magic powers – or will in the future?

****Are the wolves buried with their Stark owners?  Or are they in the lichyard?

****Is the statue mounted atop the vault that houses the dead?  Or is the vault in front, behind, or to the side of the statue?  

****Where does the chunk of granite come from?  It makes no sense to load granite down a spiral staircase!  For that matter, if granite is brought in, the artist could sculpt above ground instead of below!

 

Shaggydog

He looked around the vault uneasily, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. Had he heard a noise? Was there someone here?

Bran’s hearing is certainly better than Maester Luwin’s… Now he can and see and hear and observe better than the old maester – in the sense that Arya has learned to see and hear from Syrio.

·        Very good observation.  When Ghost needs to get Jon’s attention, Jon feels his neck hairs bristling – a wolf/dog/warg response.

Maester Luwin stepped toward the open sepulchre, torch in hand. “As you see, he’s not here. Nor will he be, for many a year. Dreams are only dreams, child.” He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. “Do you see? It’s quite empt—”

The darkness sprang at him, snarling.

Maester Luwin denies the truth of Bran’s dream, he denies the presence of Eddard in the crypts. He even thrusts an arm into a place which is not for him – does he disturb / anger a spirit there? That is the moment when he is attacked by a direwolf.

He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast.

·        The “mouth of the beast” reminds me of Lord of the Flies and the children who fear a beast that does not exist outside of themselves – they are the beasts, a horror Golding reveals when he has the dancing, chanting and mostly naked savages metaphorically represent a beast that opens its mouth and swallows Simon!

·        Golding’s premise is that men are the beasts, with hearts full of darkness.  He uses children to demonstrate the failings of human nature.  Even though all the children participate in murdering Simon, Ralph is the only one willing to acknowledge his guilt and admit the role he played. 

·        Martin seems to agree with Golding because he creates truly evil characters along with mostly grey ones.  Those who represent Christ-like goodness are often the first to die, like Simon.

·        The black wolf reminds me of the Gmork in The Neverending Story.  Scariest screen wolf ever!

I love the irony of the simile here. Of course, he thrusts his arm directly and literally into the mouth of a great beast!

·        CLEVER  GIRL!   This passage should be framed and sent to mean dentists!

·        I’ll add to irony:  Maester Luwin as the “lightbringer” in this POV.  Martin subtly shows how ineffectual the maester is – he fumbles with the torch!  A symbolic way of hinting at ML’s limited knowledge – represented by the “light”, which almost fizzles out!

·        For all his Citadel learning and his fancy Myrish lens, ML is limited.  However, ML has good intentions – but so do lots of others who end up dead!

·        ML does teach many valuable lessons to his charges – I do not mean to undermine his contributions to the story.

I know we have observed many times the fundamental differences between dogs and wolves, yet, Shaggydog is called a dog, and I can’t help but compare his description here to that of another doglike creature, a famous one in literature:

Bran saw eyes like green fire, a flash of teeth, fur as black as the pit around them. Maester Luwin yelled and threw up his hands. The torch went flying from his fingers, caromed off the stone face of Brandon Stark, and tumbled to the statue’s feet, the flames licking up his legs. In the drunken shifting torchlight, they saw Luwin struggling with the direwolf, beating at his muzzle with one hand while the jaws closed on the other.

Now look at this:

<snip> standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped  like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon.  And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on which, as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life, still screaming, across the moor.

(The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle)

Black-furred Shaggydog appears in this scene as some terrible mythical creature of vengeance and death.

·        Great parallel to Doyle – on point.  [I have found similar comparisons in Jack London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang – but I am holding my work until a Ghost POV appears in TWoW!]

·        Post your Doyle allusion in Ran’s References and Homages thread.

·        Shaggydog’s fury is borne of Rickon who ‘temporarily’ despises the Maester whom he blames for chaining up his direwolf.  Rickon may also blame ML for the absence of all his family and the Stark retainers who have departed WF and not yet returned.  The maester is a constant in Rickon’s life, which makes him an easy mark for a scapegoat.

·        Now, if Summer does smell Shaggydog and Rickon in the crypts, then he likely feels his brother’s growing anger and stays back, which is an instinctive choice - if he is needed, he will have the advantage of the element of surprise.

·        Summer as wolf may feel the man with fire has the “power” to detract Rickon and his wolf. 

·        Summer may underestimate wolf and warg and over-estimate a healthy wolf-fear of fire.  [London’s wolf and dog narrators call men “Gods” because they make fire, and fire means warmth, protection, community, food, security; gods are to be obeyed or they will administer great pain to wolf and dog.  London’s canine protagonists are sorely mistreated by gods – dog eventually flees the gods to join a wolf pack, and wolf is rescued from death by a kind god – and wolf learns love, then how to love back.]

·        Rickon’s words reveal the source of his fear and rage.  He speaks to the maester:  “You let my father be . . . you let him be”.  Rickon – in his child’s mind – fears Luwin will take away the spirit of his father, maybe even chain the spirit as he did Shaggydog.  However misplaced Rickon’ fear and anger, Rickon unwittingly infuses Shaggydog with like emotions. 

·        My heart aches for Rickon.  He is a throwaway child.  No one is taking charge of him, lessoning him and demanding appropriate behavior consistently.  No one notices him – unchaining SD twice and going into the dark crypts alone without a torch?  Isn’t anyone about to see him?  Or is this another nod to Martin’s blindness motif?  I can “feel” Rickon’s barely suppressed rage.  Bran is schooled by frog folk and Osha – who is schooling Rickon?  The Walders Frey?

·        Walt Disney made a movie called Shaggy Dog, about a boy who turns into a Shaggy Dog.  Maybe warg and wolf will morph into one – a werewolf!

·        I hope Rickon becomes a “beastmaster” with a Tarzan yell!

A Fight between Direwolves

snip

Direwolves and Death

As I said above, I think the fight between Shaggydog and Summer can be interpreted as a fight between something death-related and something life-related, but that is only a segment of a more complicated picture.

The direwolves in general are often associated with death. It is very apparent in this chapter, where a direwolf literally jumps out of a tomb, and where the arrival of the raven (with the news of Eddard’s death) is announced by the howling of the wolves:

Summer began to howl.

Maester Luwin broke off, startled. When Shaggydog bounded to his feet and added his voice to his brother’s, dread clutched at Bran’s heart. “It’s coming,” he whispered, with the certainty of despair. He had known it since last night, he realized, since the crow had led him down into the crypts to say farewell.

·        “It’s coming” echoes CatX and “They’re coming”, which is repeated several times in her POV.

·        The direwolves and dragons are born amid death.  The torch flame licks and has a tongue – is this a hint of dragon fire?

·        Oh – regarding dogs/wolves, in pack, one establishes him/herself as the dominant.  Summer – if he retreats to Bran’s side – is higher than SD because he is outside the tomb -  the wolf with Rickon is lower “in’ Ned’s tomb.  Head wolf must be above tails – like in The King and I?

·        AN ISSUE:  If ML follows Bran and company with the torch, how are Bran and company finding their way to the exit without torchlight?  Are the direwolves leading their way?

 Fine work again, Julie H.  I hope to continue, but no promises.  Keep up the awesome job!

 

 

[evita mgfs]

On 1/31/2016 at 7:19 PM, Julia H. said:

BRAN VII

<snip>

JULIA H. GREAT JOB with Bran VII.

 

BRAN VII

<snip>

Something in the Crypts

So the Stark children used to play in the crypts, as we know from Arya and Bran’s recollections. Yet, Summer does not feel comfortable there. (Nor does Hodor, and we also know that Jon has nightmares related to the crypts.) Bran and Rickon are not afraid to go down there, yet, Bran at least has misgivings this time – he wishes his brothers and sisters were with him.

Summer leaves his bone without hesitation when Bran calls him, yet:

Summer refused to move from the steps, even when Osha followed the torch, Bran in her arms.

Summer definitely has some strong feelings here:

Summer stalked out in the echoing gloom, then stopped, lifted his head, and sniffed the chill dead air. He bared his teeth and crept backward, eyes glowing golden in the light of the maester’s torch.

Is it just the awful premonition and in the case of Summer perhaps a certainty that something terrible is going to happen related to the crypts? Or is there something in the crypts that even direwolves and simple-minded humans like Hodor can sense? To what extent is Eddard “really” in the tomb where Bran and Rickon saw him in their dreams?

·        Knowing dogs the way that I do, at times, I have observed them react to their own shadows and growl and bark at dust mites. Summer is reacting to Bran’s apprehension.  However, Summer very likely sniffs his direwolf brother and Rickon, but smelling wolf and boy in the darkened crypts is unexpected and has him confused.

·        Summer does not alert a warning to Bran NOT to progress into the crypts.  Whatever Summer senses, he does not fear for Bran’s safety.  But, he stands guard nonetheless and is a force to be reckoned with when his master does call!

·        Summer may also sense the early onset of the living magic awakening.  It had been dormant for many long years, and with the ghost of Ned appearing in both Bran and Rickon’s dreams, this is a good indication that the greenmagic is expanding and reaching out to people and places.

·        Your premonition gave me chills.  I worry that when Bloodraven says he had a brother he loved and one he hated, he is speaking prophetically of what Bran will likewise experience.

·        I have a theory that when the direwolves taste blood, their Stark wargs are empowered:  Here, Rickon issues orders and Bran takes charge.

The Creepy Crypts

“The vault is cavernous,  longer than Winterfell itself, and Jon had told him once that there were other levels underneath, vaults even deeper and darker where the older king were buried” [732].

I have issues with the crypts and their impracticality. 

****How did the builders know how many levels to stack on top the other to house the past dead and the current dead, and the soon-to-be dead?

****Why does the staircase stop at the current level?

****How do the pallbearers carry coffins or the dead down a narrow spiral staircase?

****How challenged is the artist who must sculpt  granite in a Stark likeness with the poor lighting conditions!

****The iron swords rest on the knees of the statues – were these swords forged at Winterfell?  Does this mean they have magic powers – or will in the future?

****Are the wolves buried with their Stark owners?  Or are they in the lichyard?

****Is the statue mounted atop the vault that houses the dead?  Or is the vault in front, behind, or to the side of the statue?  

****Where does the chunk of granite come from?  It makes no sense to load granite down a spiral staircase!  For that matter, if granite is brought in, the artist could sculpt above ground instead of below!

 

Shaggydog

He looked around the vault uneasily, the hairs on the back of his neck bristling. Had he heard a noise? Was there someone here?

Bran’s hearing is certainly better than Maester Luwin’s… Now he can and see and hear and observe better than the old maester – in the sense that Arya has learned to see and hear from Syrio.

·        Very good observation.  When Ghost needs to get Jon’s attention, Jon feels his neck hairs bristling – a wolf/dog/warg response.

Maester Luwin stepped toward the open sepulchre, torch in hand. “As you see, he’s not here. Nor will he be, for many a year. Dreams are only dreams, child.” He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. “Do you see? It’s quite empt—”

The darkness sprang at him, snarling.

Maester Luwin denies the truth of Bran’s dream, he denies the presence of Eddard in the crypts. He even thrusts an arm into a place which is not for him – does he disturb / anger a spirit there? That is the moment when he is attacked by a direwolf.

He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast.

·        The “mouth of the beast” reminds me of Lord of the Flies and the children who fear a beast that does not exist outside of themselves – they are the beasts, a horror Golding reveals when he has the dancing, chanting and mostly naked savages metaphorically represent a beast that opens its mouth and swallows Simon!

·        Golding’s premise is that men are the beasts, with hearts full of darkness.  He uses children to demonstrate the failings of human nature.  Even though all the children participate in murdering Simon, Ralph is the only one willing to acknowledge his guilt and admit the role he played. 

·        Martin seems to agree with Golding because he creates truly evil characters along with mostly grey ones.  Those who represent Christ-like goodness are often the first to die, like Simon.

·        The black wolf reminds me of the Gmork in The Neverending Story.  Scariest screen wolf ever!

I love the irony of the simile here. Of course, he thrusts his arm directly and literally into the mouth of a great beast!

·        CLEVER  GIRL!   This passage should be framed and sent to mean dentists!

·        I’ll add to irony:  Maester Luwin as the “lightbringer” in this POV.  Martin subtly shows how ineffectual the maester is – he fumbles with the torch!  A symbolic way of hinting at ML’s limited knowledge – represented by the “light”, which almost fizzles out!

·        For all his Citadel learning and his fancy Myrish lens, ML is limited.  However, ML has good intentions – but so do lots of others who end up dead!

·        ML does teach many valuable lessons to his charges – I do not mean to undermine his contributions to the story.

I know we have observed many times the fundamental differences between dogs and wolves, yet, Shaggydog is called a dog, and I can’t help but compare his description here to that of another doglike creature, a famous one in literature:

Bran saw eyes like green fire, a flash of teeth, fur as black as the pit around them. Maester Luwin yelled and threw up his hands. The torch went flying from his fingers, caromed off the stone face of Brandon Stark, and tumbled to the statue’s feet, the flames licking up his legs. In the drunken shifting torchlight, they saw Luwin struggling with the direwolf, beating at his muzzle with one hand while the jaws closed on the other.

Now look at this:

<snip> standing over Hugo, and plucking at his throat, there stood a foul thing, a great, black beast, shaped  like a hound, yet larger than any hound that ever mortal eye has rested upon.  And even as they looked the thing tore the throat out of Hugo Baskerville, on which, as it turned its blazing eyes and dripping jaws upon them, the three shrieked with fear and rode for dear life, still screaming, across the moor.

(The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle)

Black-furred Shaggydog appears in this scene as some terrible mythical creature of vengeance and death.

·        Great parallel to Doyle – on point.  [I have found similar comparisons in Jack London’s Call of the Wild and White Fang – but I am holding my work until a Ghost POV appears in TWoW!]

·        Post your Doyle allusion in Ran’s References and Homages thread.

·        Shaggydog’s fury is borne of Rickon who ‘temporarily’ despises the Maester whom he blames for chaining up his direwolf.  Rickon may also blame ML for the absence of all his family and the Stark retainers who have departed WF and not yet returned.  The maester is a constant in Rickon’s life, which makes him an easy mark for a scapegoat.

·        Now, if Summer does smell Shaggydog and Rickon in the crypts, then he likely feels his brother’s growing anger and stays back, which is an instinctive choice - if he is needed, he will have the advantage of the element of surprise.

·        Summer as wolf may feel the man with fire has the “power” to detract Rickon and his wolf. 

·        Summer may underestimate wolf and warg and over-estimate a healthy wolf-fear of fire.  [London’s wolf and dog narrators call men “Gods” because they make fire, and fire means warmth, protection, community, food, security; gods are to be obeyed or they will administer great pain to wolf and dog.  London’s canine protagonists are sorely mistreated by gods – dog eventually flees the gods to join a wolf pack, and wolf is rescued from death by a kind god – and wolf learns love, then how to love back.]

·        Rickon’s words reveal the source of his fear and rage.  He speaks to the maester:  “You let my father be . . . you let him be”.  Rickon – in his child’s mind – fears Luwin will take away the spirit of his father, maybe even chain the spirit as he did Shaggydog.  However misplaced Rickon’ fear and anger, Rickon unwittingly infuses Shaggydog with like emotions. 

·        My heart aches for Rickon.  He is a throwaway child.  No one is taking charge of him, lessoning him and demanding appropriate behavior consistently.  No one notices him – unchaining SD twice and going into the dark crypts alone without a torch?  Isn’t anyone about to see him?  Or is this another nod to Martin’s blindness motif?  I can “feel” Rickon’s barely suppressed rage.  Bran is schooled by frog folk and Osha – who is schooling Rickon?  The Walders Frey?

·        Walt Disney made a movie called Shaggy Dog, about a boy who turns into a Shaggy Dog.  Maybe warg and wolf will morph into one – a werewolf!

·        I hope Rickon becomes a “beastmaster” with a Tarzan yell!

A Fight between Direwolves

snip

Direwolves and Death

As I said above, I think the fight between Shaggydog and Summer can be interpreted as a fight between something death-related and something life-related, but that is only a segment of a more complicated picture.

The direwolves in general are often associated with death. It is very apparent in this chapter, where a direwolf literally jumps out of a tomb, and where the arrival of the raven (with the news of Eddard’s death) is announced by the howling of the wolves:

Summer began to howl.

Maester Luwin broke off, startled. When Shaggydog bounded to his feet and added his voice to his brother’s, dread clutched at Bran’s heart. “It’s coming,” he whispered, with the certainty of despair. He had known it since last night, he realized, since the crow had led him down into the crypts to say farewell.

·        “It’s coming” echoes CatX and “They’re coming”, which is repeated several times in her POV.

·        The direwolves and dragons are born amid death.  The torch flame licks and has a tongue – is this a hint of dragon fire?

·        Oh – regarding dogs/wolves, in pack, one establishes him/herself as the dominant.  Summer – if he retreats to Bran’s side – is higher than SD because he is outside the tomb -  the wolf with Rickon is lower “in’ Ned’s tomb.  Head wolf must be above tails – like in The King and I?

·        AN ISSUE:  If ML follows Bran and company with the torch, how are Bran and company finding their way to the exit without torchlight?  Are the direwolves leading their way?

 Fine work again, Julie H.  I hope to continue, but no promises.  Keep up the awesome job!

 

 

[evita mgfs]

On 1/31/2016 at 4:28 PM, bemused said:

Hi, everyone...

<snip>

 

BEMUSED:  Nice insightful observtions.

Some thoughts that come to mind : The Crypts and the Stark family are inextricably linked to the history of the continent, specifically the north. Stepping into them is literally like stepping into history.

The children playing in the crypts make me think of the state of the Starks in general, who in "recent" generations (since the disappearance of direwolves south of the wall) might be said to only have been playing at being Starks, even though they didn't know it. They've been disconnected from a very important sense of who they are (and why they are). The various memories the Stark children have of playing in the crypts all come from before they had their direwolves. Now, Rickon, the youngest , most wild and willful - and the least educated - appears to be the most comfortable being there, alone in the dark with his wolf.

·        Good observation – no more playing – the Stark kiddoes must grow up fast.

·        I like the story of Jon and Robb covered in flour, pretending to be ghosts to scare the others – foreshadowing?  Jon in white as Ghost?  Or Jon and Robb dead?

With hindsight, after reading TWoIaF.. "shadow wolves twenty feet tall fought on the wall and roof." .. reminds me of the Stark who vanquished the Wolf King. The crypts are a place of history, and this seems, to me, to be the shadow of their most ancient history looming over them (perhaps overshadowing them, in a sense?) as it stretches up, even onto the ceiling.

·        I like this metaphor as well.

·        If this corridor is the “top”, the ceiling is just below the floors/property of WF and beyond.

Just as an aside, and in regard to the questions Julia raises about direwolves and Starks ...

I also find this very interesting... "... Dreams are only dreams, child.” He thrust his arm into the blackness inside the tomb, as into the mouth of some great beast. “Do you see? It’s quite empt-”
The darkness sprang at him, snarling." 

As we know, Osha has the right of it, regarding, dreams are only dreams .. “Some are, some aren’t.”...  And much as we love Luwin and trust he is motivated to do good, this whole exchange may illustrate something of what has been going on with the maesters trying to supress magic, trying to eradicate it with the light of reason (their reason). It implies that their reason (thus far, or in this specific) is totally inadequate.

I thought of the following:

“Dreams became lessons, lessons became dreams, things happened all at once or not at all” [ADwD 451].

Bran asks Rickon to come with him, but Rickon says “No, I like it here . . . I am not afraid.  I want to wait for father” [735].

This reminds me of . . .

Bran’s thoughts to Jon foreshadow or reveal BloodRaven’s lessons to Bran concerning the darkness.

“Never fear the darkness” [450 ADwD] is much like Bran’s assurance to Jon:  “Don’t be afraid, I like it in the dark” [766 ACoK].

 

This is a Stark tomb and the Starks are bound in, part of, an ancient magic (one that bonds man with beast).. Magic itself can be seen as some great beast, shrouded in darkness or blackness. It's far from empty , and if you try to wash it away with one feeble torch, it is like to spring back snarling. It's dangerous to ignore it, dangerous to deny it, and doubly dangerous to try to destroy it, when you don't even know how it works or what its purpose is.  We can see this is true in the case of the Starks, specifically, in the scenario playing out at the Wall.

·        Great analysis here with lots of merit.  Bran especially is possessive of the crypts . . . later, and he resents that his bro does not share his feelings.

ETA: There are so many things in this chapter that resonate with things we learn later, so many little touches I love, I'm grateful you prompted me to look at them... e.g...

Rickon, so innocently immersed in his bond with Shaggy, licking the blood from his hand as the direwolves lick their wounds.

·        Ingesting blood MAY empower the Stark wargs through their wolves.

And Rickon again, wanting not just one obsidian arrowhead but four (a cache, or stockpile?)..but when the raven comes announcing Ned's death he begins crying and his arrowheads slip out of his fingers and fall to the floor...The use of obsidian is another thing the Starks have lost sight of over the years while caught up in their pressing personal lives.

·        The Starks forgot because magic in the world receded with the absence of the Singers and dragons, etc, but when the dead walk, the trees have eyes again. 

·        “A bloody sword is a beautiful thing”  - what powers will be unleashed with blood and fire and living magic combined with the knowledge of spells within Bran and his teacher?

And the chaining of the direwolves ... Rickon just naturally sets Shaggy free because Shaggy doesn't like it. Bran has a more mature insight.. “He was not made for chains."

This too , is true of the Stark line .. Since kneeling to Aegon the Starks have been prevented from exercising some of the authority they were meant to have , they've been restricted, symbolically chained ..and they were not made for chains. 

·        Nice catch on the “chains” – how important is this as a motif?  Even the winged wolf is chained in the frogeater’s greendreams.

[evita mgfs]

On 2/2/2016 at 4:43 PM, Raisin' Bran said:

<snip>

 

RAISIN’ BRAN:  GREAT JOB!  I enjoyed reading your comments and I added a few quick thoughts of my own for fun.

<snip>

To Luwin angering a spirit and being attacked for it. It is a thought, but to the best of my knowledge, spirits do not haunt the physical world of Planetos, but perhaps the dream world (like in Jon Snow's and Theon's dreams).

·        Because the appearance of Ned’s ghost to his sons is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s ghost of Old Hamlet appearing to his son Prince Hamlet, I draw parallels.  However, I do not think Ned’s ghost demands vengeance from his sons.  Ned wants to prepare them, maybe, for what is to come.

·        Old Hamlet does share knowledge with Hamlet of his brother’s treachery.  But the truth and the responsibilities of knowing it nearly drives Hamlet mad.  Good thing Ned’s ghost is silent!

·        Regardless, Ned’s ghostly appearance paves the way for Jon’s Ghost – Great Caesar’s Ghost!  In Shakespeare’s tragedy of Julius Caesar, Caesar dies in Act III but appears as a ghost in Acts 4 and 5.  [All of which Martin surely knows and may make use of later.] - Great Jon Snow’s Ghost!

<snip>

Getting back to Eddard's behavior, he was fostered with Bobby B in the Vale with Lord Arryn. I believe that during that time, Ned lost a part of his connection with his northern heritage (partially due to Andal influence, partially to geographic isolation) and somewhat abandoned his wolfish side. Brandon, Lyanna, and Benjen were able to remain in the North and cultivate their wolfish tendencies, to different degrees. The consequences of Brandon's and Lyanna's actions, I believe, made Ned even more reclusive than he would have been (Ned was even hesitant to agree to the betrothal of his daughter to the crowned prince, something Lord Rickard Stark would have probably done without much debate). Add to that, Ned's marriage to Catelyn and Benjen leaving for the wall, there were few living reminders to Ned of his heritage, potentially eliminating the possibility that he could return to his Stark roots. Had Ned been more wolfish, would his demise have played out in the same way? IMHO, no. For the narrative's sake, he would have died most likely, but in a manner more in accordance with the title of Lord of Winterfell.

·        Wow!  Nice analysis – I never looked at Ned’s child development in terms of a wolfishness.  As part of the pack, Ned is not desirous of the alpha position.  He is a content wolf, willing to follow where the alpha leads.  He is reared subordinate to the first born son whose father Rickard groomed to be the top dog.  Hence, Brandon as alpha wolf sees beauty in a bloody sword.  Unlike Ned who is the wolf who comes upon Jaime Lannister and his sword red with the blood of the fallen Targaryen king, the very one who is responsible for the deaths of Ned’s father and brother, but Ned finds no joy or honor in the violent death of the king by a man sworn to protect him.  No high fives for you, KingSlayer! 

·        Okay – your ideas have brought home scenes of Bran who complains that he never wanted to be the lord or prince of Winterfell – Bran says he wants to be a knight!  Perhaps Bran has a great deal more in common with his father than I thought.  Ned also says WF was to be Brandon’s and Cat as well – Ned never asked for either.  Hmmm.  Nor does sweet Bran ask for his fate.  If Ned had gushed over Jaime’s deed and shook his bloody hand in congratulations, how might that have impacted events that followed?  Would Jaime have been as cavalier to still push Bran from the window?

·        I think we can speculate until the cows come home.  But if the incident in the crypts is a cautionary tale for the Stark boys, the lesson is “Learn to control the wolf within you – do not let it control you!”

We also have other in-story examples, Sansa first, then later Robb, who ignored their wolfish side in favor of being "refined". Their rejections did result in severe consequences for those involved.

·        This is interesting – and I do see Martin playing to the idea of ‘Karma” or fate in that what a person gives out will come back to him/her – directly or indirectly.  Jon gives Arya Needle, Mormont gives Jon Longclaw.  Jon gives up five grey/black direwolf pups, then Jon finds Ghost.  Jaime orders Bran “Take my hand!”, and Jaime loses his hand.  Martin’s works contain endless illustrations of the sins of the fathers visited upon their children

·        On his spirit quest with BR, Bran will learn that humans have free will, and no matter how hard he tries to influence favorable events, people will always have minds of their own, despite godly inspiration.  This may be why BR visits Ned and Bran’s dreams – the best parts of Ned live on in Bran. 

·        The great Little Wing called Ned the “lame wolf”.  Ned pays hand over fist for not high fiving Jaime for his kingslaying!

Rickon, as stated by bemused, is the most wild and willful. Concern has been raised as to Rickon's feral nature and potential for devolving (or not maturing emotionally) as he matures physically. I am not in that camp. We need to keep in mind that Rickon is 3-4 years old and has not had a parental figure around him for about a year. Robb, Bran, and the servants at Winterfell do their best, but none are in a parent/child relationship with him. Once Rickon has consistent personal care, his emotional development will progress appropriately.  Sure, Shaggy will still be an influence on him, as the other littermates have influence on their respective Starks, but that will be key for a resurgence of House Stark.

·        Yes, I lean toward Rickon seeing beauty in a bloody sword.  As Marc Antony cries over the slain body of Caesar in a “monarch’s voice / Cry Havoc – and let slip the dogs of war” [JC, III].  The Stark direwolves so long leashed in forgotten lore will remember and rise to mutiny!  [So sorry – I get carried away!]

Great Job again, Raisin’ Bran.  I look forward to reading more!