Barri_The_Bold Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 First of all, I'm sorry if such a thread already exists, but I wasn't able to find any related one. So ever since we got to see the Others (so the prologue of AGoT) I've been wondering who these mysterious creatures are and what they might be up to. We know that GRRM isn't the type of writer with the good vs. evil, light vs. dark, hero vs. villain sort of writer, so I refuse to believe that they are just trying to kill every living man, woman and child in Westeros (what about Essos by the way? Would they go there too? Have they been there during the Long Night?). Unfortunately GRRM doesn't give us much information on the Others, other from their appearance (maybe of only some of them?) and that they can be killed through obsidian/dragonglass and dragon steel (possibly Valyrian steel). And that they can create wights of course. I really hope Sam and/or Jaqen find something at the Citadel or Bran at the cave from Bloodraven/the weirnet, so we get to know more. I don't think we'll get an Other POV so that's probably the only way. I'd like to know so many things about them like how their society works, where they live (in cities or just in the open) how or if they get born or are just created or maybe they're exactly the same as the Others from the Long Night (I'm not sure if the one scene from the series where one of Craster's boys gets turned into an Other is accurate for the books) and many things more... So what do you think? EDIT: This is my first thread, so please be nice ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickeen Stark Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I think they just want to watch the world burn... freeze! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warrewal Halfaxe Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 They want their lands back, for the children. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Crow Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 As to who: “Where?” asked Sam, puzzled. “Where should I take her?”“Someplace warm,” the two old women said as one.Gilly was crying. “Me and the babe. Please. I’ll be your wife, like I was Craster’s. Please, ser crow. He’s a boy, just like Nella said he’d be. If you don’t take him, they will.”“They?” said Sam, and the raven cocked its black head and echoed “They. They. They.”“The boy’s brothers,” said the old woman on the left. “Craster’s sons. The white cold’s rising out there, crow. I can feel it in my bones. These poor old bones don’t lie. They’ll be here soon, the sons.” As to why, that remains to be seen but if you wander across to the Heresy thread on the ADwD page its something we discuss in some depth - and the possible connection with the three-fingered tree-huggers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Facebookless Man Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 They want to bring democracy to westeros. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Lannister Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Given they attack on sight without hesitation every time and are prone to child sacrifices, I'm just going to go out on a limb and say nothing good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Beefheart Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 They're snow elves*. The Unseelie to the CotF seelie. They're eerily beautiful but also sinister and deadly. They steal children, but unlike the fairies of folklore they do not replace the children with one of their own disguised as the child but corrupt the child into being one of their own. They also bare a strong resemblance to the Cailleach of Celtic mythology. Who was a hag that brought winter and one of the most important gods. *Not elves as in immortal Tolkienesque archers but as in "fair folk". Nature spirits that live inside stones and cliffs and trees. More like the Hidden Folk of Icelandic folk lore or the basically every creature in Irish and Scottish folklore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barri_The_Bold Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 As to who: “Where?” asked Sam, puzzled. “Where should I take her?” “Someplace warm,” the two old women said as one. Gilly was crying. “Me and the babe. Please. I’ll be your wife, like I was Craster’s. Please, ser crow. He’s a boy, just like Nella said he’d be. If you don’t take him, they will.” “They?” said Sam, and the raven cocked its black head and echoed “They. They. They.” “The boy’s brothers,” said the old woman on the left. “Craster’s sons. The white cold’s rising out there, crow. I can feel it in my bones. These poor old bones don’t lie. They’ll be here soon, the sons.” As to why, that remains to be seen but if you wander across to the Heresy thread on the ADwD page its something we discuss in some depth - and the possible connection with the three-fingered tree-huggers. Okay, so some of them are the sons of Craster turned into Others, but those are only from the last 20-30 years. Where do the other ones come from? I mean they existed millenia ago during the Long Night, those weren't Crasters son's. I am sure going to check that thread out, sounds interesting thank you :) They're snow elves*. The Unseelie to the CotF seelie. They're eerily beautiful but also sinister and deadly. They steal children, but unlike the fairies of folklore they do not replace the children with one of their own disguised as the child but corrupt the child into being one of their own. They also bare a strong resemblance to the Cailleach of Celtic mythology. Who was a hag that brought winter and one of the most important gods. *Not elves as in immortal Tolkienesque archers but as in "fair folk". Nature spirits that live inside stones and cliffs and trees. More like the Hidden Folk of Icelandic folk lore or the basically every creature in Irish and Scottish folklore. So if I understand you correctly you're saying that the CotF represent the good and the Others the evil side of nature? I don't think GRRM makes it that simple. He hasn't done it with his human characters, so why should he do that with his mystical creatures? But it's interesting to see a connection to celtic/old english myths where GRRM might have gotten his ideas from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roose on the Loose Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I suspect that there is a fairly small population of White Walkers and a vast hoard of wights. The wights are zombies in the old school Voodoo sense that they are thralls to the masters that reanimated them, not George Romero zombieism as communicable disease zombies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markg171 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The Other said something in a language that Will did not know; his voice was like the cracking of ice on a winter lake, and the words were mocking. Seems like an asshole to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Beefheart Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 So if I understand you correctly you're saying that the CotF represent the good and the Others the evil side of nature? I don't think GRRM makes it that simple. He hasn't done it with his human characters, so why should he do that with his mystical creatures? But it's interesting to see a connection to celtic/old english myths where GRRM might have gotten his ideas from. Yeah he's probably going to do a lot more with them than just ripoff myths. The unseelie, who are sometimes associated with winter, are a lot more openly hostile and sinister the seelie, who are often associated with summer, can still be very dangerous. The winter hag I mentioned is also usually considered to be a good god and in some tales she is even the diety that created the world. I suspect that there is a fairly small population of White Walkers and a vast hoard of wights. The wights are zombies in the old school Voodoo sense that they are thralls to the masters that reanimated them, not George Romero zombieism as communicable disease zombies. In the George Romero films the zombies are actually every single person that dies without damaging the brain and are possibly caused by space radiation. The bite just turns you into a zombie because zombie mouths are very unclean and the wounds get easily infected. Zombies as a diease is more of a Resident Evil thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hagorn Icebeard Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 They are fighting back. CotF said to Bran that their time is ending, and the chlidren approve this. But the Others do not want to go so they fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barri_The_Bold Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Yeah he's probably going to do a lot more with them than just ripoff myths. The unseelie, who are sometimes associated with winter, are a lot more openly hostile and sinister the seelie, who are often associated with summer, can still be very dangerous. The winter hag I mentioned is also usually considered to be a good god and in some tales she is even the diety that created the world. That's interesting, because I already wondered whether the children were entirely "human-friendly" or rather whether all of them are. Assuming GRRM got his inspiration from celtic myths the CotF could be dangerous to mess with and the Others could be not entirely hostile or evil. They are fighting back. CotF said to Bran that their time is ending, and the chlidren approve this. But the Others do not want to go so they fight. Another interesting idea. But from what I see, it doesn't look like the Others are fighting for survival but rather the humans have to. Considering that they fight each other and will be very weak once the Others attack. If that's their goal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Brandon Badwater Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The Others are the gods of the weather for Westeros. They have been abandoned by their worshippers and the sacrifices to honour them have dried up. For this the Others shall smite the non believers down Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindcrash Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Seems like an asshole to me. You know, it just occurs to me that the description of the Others' language sounds similar to the Old Tongue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blazfemur Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The Others are a branched off group of The First Men. They came into their powers when they ventured north into the heart of winter/darkness, where they were either granted, or took, the power to become Other. They are currently being led by the Last Hero and his 12 companions, 13th Lord Commander Stark, beholder of Ice, the ancestral Stark blade. They still uphold the night's oath, while trying to reclaim the wall that was taken from them. They steal craster's/wildling's boys, so technically, they dont father any of them, and again, they steal boys, so no girls to wive. Theyre on the move, nomadic, and the land beyond the wall is just snow and ice, so technically, they hold no lands either. The time will come when the truth is revealed. Just you wait and see. There is no night's queen. It was a lie. An excuse, to exile LC Stark. If you think im wrong, look back, read back, either the show OR the books. Not once, did you see a female Other. Wights, yes, but not Other. The Lord Commander is a Stark, and further, his rightful burial place is currently being blocked by a huge chunk of ice, of which, Bran The Builder took credit for. Sure, he may have constructed the forts and castles, but the wall itself? No. Taking credit for someone else's magnificence is no way to become legend. "All crows are liars" - Old Nan /end Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reginald blackfield Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I am certain that all the Others were once Humans, corrupted by some magic, I believe this due to the whole Craster thing, that the others can change Humans into one of them. I believe that rather than being evil they are ensnared by some magic and forced to do some masters bidding, e.g the great other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roxWolfox Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 My crackpot: The singers of the earth created them either by accident (as a by-product of a new spell gone wrong) or as super soldiers. Right until I'm wrong! :devil: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Crow Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I am certain that all the Others were once Humans, corrupted by some magic, I believe this due to the whole Craster thing, that the others can change Humans into one of them. I believe that rather than being evil they are ensnared by some magic and forced to do some masters bidding, e.g the great other. Yes, but given this SSM, I'd say that the three-fingered tree-huggers are their most likely masters: http://www.westeros....w_in_Barcelona/ Is there a closer relationship between the children of the forest and the Others than there might seem to be?Possibly, possibly. It's a topic that will be developing as the story continues, and so I can't say much more right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravenegg Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 “The boy’s brothers,” said the old woman on the left. “Craster’s sons. The white cold’s rising out there, crow. I can feel it in my bones. These poor old bones don’t lie. They’ll be here soon, the sons.” About that, since I guess you're well-versed in the Heresy, I have to ask if the theme of King Aun the Old from ancient Norse legends has been brought up when talking about Craster? King Aun had ten sons, whom he sacrificed to Odin (God of Death) one by one, in order to gain longer life. When it was the last son's turn, someone decided to end Aun's life instead, so the youngest son survived in the end. It struck me when that episode of GOT tv series was showing, that it would be sort of spooky if Craster was like 200 years old or something. Not that Craster needs more spook to him. It just struck me. Sorry for off-topic! :) Edited: Was gonna add the wikipedia link about King Aun, but forgot. Alas! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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