Duckfield Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 About 2 years ago I noticed a passage in ACOK that suggested a new possible candidate for Coldhands, so I mentioned it in a post and some people agreed that it's a plausible candidate, so I thought I'd share. My suggestion is that Coldhands was a ranger named Redwyn. Personally I don't buy into the whole Coldhands is Benjen thing, there are SO many people who are sure that it's him but I just don't see it. I do like the Night's King theory though. Here's the post:Hi, I just finished reading the books and I'm starting to get into the theoriesAs for Coldhands, I find it very hard to believe it's Benjen Stark for obvious reasons that were already posted.Another possibilty which I haven't seen mentioned anywhere is that Coldhands is a ranger named Redwyn.In ACOK, on first Jon chapter, he meets Sam in the library of Castle Black. Sam was up all night trying to read through hundreds of books and scrolls, and there was book he was really excited about:From ACOK:" He unfolded a square of parchment. "The paint has faded, but you can see where the mapmaker marked the sites of wildling villages, and there's another book... Where was it now? I was reading it a moment ago."He shoved some scrolls aside to reveal a dusty volume bound in rotted leather. "This", he said reverently, "is the account of a journey from the Shadow Tower all the way to Lorn Point on the Frozen Shore, written by a ranger named Redwyn. It's not dated, but he mentions a Dorren Stark as King in the North, so it must be from before the conquest. Jon, they fought giants! Redwyn even traded with the children of the forest, it's all here." Ever so delicately, he turned pages with a finger. "He drew maps as well, see..." "That's when Jon interrupted him... At first I thought maybe George just wrote it for world building, and if he was asked about him now he wouldn't even remember writing it... But a few weeks ago I noticed that Redwyn is mentioned again briefly in one of the AWOIAF excerpts, so I guess he wasn't forgotten after all. It's possible that Coldhands is Redwyn, it seems that he (and the NW generally) was friendly with the children of the forest. It could explain him knowing the old tongue, and I recall that a poster mentioned how his speech sounds ancient and arcane. "Foes. I'll deal with them." As for "They killed him long ago", we don't know EXACTLY when he wrote the account, or when King Dorren ruled the North, but it's quite obvious that it was a very long time ago judging by the details he wrote. It also explains the fact that he's dressed in Night Watch clothing. IMO, Coldhands is either The Night's King, Redwyn, or some random dead ranger. But not Benjen. Never Benjen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Martell Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Interesting theory, OP. I must admit, I missed/forgotten this passage completely, even though I made efforts to take note of every little detail during my second re-read this year. As brief as his mention is, it kind of does fit. What does TWOIAF entry say about Redwyn, out of curiousity? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
walkingWITHcersei Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Eh hem have u read leaked WoIaF chapter on giants? Doesn't give an answer to the CH question but it def makes ur theory no longer crackpot... In fact I'd say (purely based on circumstantial evidence no spoilers here bc nothing gets spoiled) I'm a believer in ur theory now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor227 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 That's... a really good one. Beats the Night's King as Coldhands, that's for sure. It also gave me a mental image of Jon Snow looking out at the forest from the Wall after the final battle, and watching Benjen stumble out of the brush and reveal that he'd apparently gone on a wicked bender and just happened to get really, really, lost out in the wilderness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckfield Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Interesting theory, OP. I must admit, I missed/forgotten this passage completely, even though I made efforts to take note of every little detail during my second re-read this year. As brief as his mention is, it kind of does fit. What does TWOIAF entry say about Redwyn, out of curiousity? It doesn't say anything about him specifically, his name is mentioned and a few lines about the account that he wrote, pretty much word for word from the book. Nothing special. EDIT: @walkingWITHcercei - If you mean the entry about the Dawn Age, then yes I have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonardo Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 This and the 79 sentinels story are the only two theories that seem probable based on lore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgul-Blade Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I recall the conversation between Sam and Jon, that Sam was excited about the NW interacting with the Children. I don't recall that there was a specific ranger named Redwyn, and thanks to your keen eye, I am now convinced that Redwyn is much more likely to be CH than Benjen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bastard Daughter Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Redwyn makes sense to me, more so than Benjen or the Night's King. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frey family reunion Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The thought occurred to me as well. I also wonder if there is a connection between House Redwyne and the ranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Blizzardborn Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Good catch. A real possibility here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTyrion Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 He's the most likely candidate of the people put forward. However, I don't think we will learn who coldhands used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrus Martell Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 It doesn't say anything about him specifically, his name is mentioned and a few lines about the account that he wrote, pretty much word for word from the book. Nothing special. EDIT: @walkingWITHcercei - If you mean the entry about the Dawn Age, then yes I have Interesting. Good catch on this, too. G.R.R.M. has proven time and time again even once-off mentions of characters sometimes lead to future significance or revelations. Just look at how slyly he kept dropping Marwyn's name once a book (AGOT, ASOS) before introducing him at the end of AFFC as actual character of importance. If Redwyn's been name-dropped in TWOIAF and remembered by G.R.R.M., I'd like to think he's linked to Coldhands as a likely candidate and a not a throw-away world-building name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Northman Reborn Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Well, Redwyn made it back to write his journal and draw his map. So unless he departed for the unknown again at a later stage, it isn't him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aryagonnakill#2 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I personally think its way to obscure a reference to be coldhands, but I've been wrong before, many times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor227 Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Well, Redwyn made it back to write his journal and draw his map. So unless he departed for the unknown again at a later stage, it isn't him. Rangers range, it's what they do. Entirely possible he went out for another ranging one day and never came back. Considering he was probably the most knowledgeable the Watch had, it only makes sense he'd poke around in things that may have wound up with him ending up like that. What's more, he knew about the door. The black gate rather. That didn't seem like something Benjen would know. In fact, he seemed to be familiar with it, as though he were from a time when the Watch actually used it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Blizzardborn Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Well, Redwyn made it back to write his journal and draw his map. So unless he departed for the unknown again at a later stage, it isn't him. Except that we know Redwyn is dead. He died at some point. Probably killed. Most rangers are. Old rangers are like old sellswords, you don't see many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Like Davos Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 I can't wait to get my hands on the World book. Hopefully it helps at least cross off some names if not help build up theories. Is it Tuesday yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sword of the Morgan Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 That's the best Coldhands candidate I've heard so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Northman Reborn Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 The point is, the only reason Redwyn is a candidate, is because of the specific journey he went on, deep into the Haunted Forest. But he returned from that journey, so his last known location is presumably the Shadow Tower (where he started out from). After that point in time, he is no more or less likely as a Coldhands candidate than any other ranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elessar Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Good stuff. I also think it's entirely possible that we never find out the "true" identity of Coldhands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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