A great GRRM's easter egg.

[PurpleLynch]

Hello,I'm new to this forum,but I've been a lurker for a long time:the material and the discussions brought in this forum on Asoiaf are almost always excellent and I love it.

So,I decided to introduce myself starting this topic:two days ago I was reading an article on Cracked.com(idk if you know it) and this article was named "5 pop culture references nobody got in movies and tv shows".

At the n.1 spot there was this really awesome GRRM's easter egg written in Asoiaf(don't mind the article's title,the title guy is not good on that website).

Anyway,I won't link the article because I actually don't know if it is allowed on this forum,but I summarize this splendid easter egg for you.

"The galley was also where the ship's books were kept ... the fourth and final volume of The Life of the Triarch Belicho, a famous Volantene patriot whose unbroken succession of conquests and triumphs ended rather abruptly when he was eaten by giants."

This is a passage from ADWD and you know better than me what is the history behind it. But actually,it's more than that.

GRRM was born in New Jersey and he is an american football fan,especially he loves the New York Giants and New York Jets.

Now,he also hates one of the most hated franchise in the NFL,the New England Patriots.

The Patriots coach is Bill Belichick or in this case...Triarch Belicho...who is also a patriot.

"...whose unbroken succession of conquests and triumphs..." is the Patriot's almost perfect season in 2007,they won all games,except for the Superbowl,where they lost against the New York Giants.

Bonus easter egg:in the same article it's explained also another NFL related easter egg.

GRRM lost a bet against his friend Patrick St.Denis,who is a Dallas Cowboys fan. How our beloved writer decided to pay?

The answer is "Ser Patrick of King's mountain",who is killed by Wun Wun. Also,Wun Wun is a homophone of one-one,the jersey number of one of the best quarterbacks of Giants's history: Phil Simms.

Hope you are going to appreciate this and feel free to insult me if it is a well known easter egg in this forum.

PS:I'm italian,so I don't know everytime if my english is correct. Please,correct me if I make mistakes.

I'm really glad to finally be a poster in this forum.

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

I wouldn't consider it "great". It's a reference that'll go over the heads of 99% non-American readers. I mean, yes, I'm aware that they have "coaches", and that there's a fella on the team called "quarterback", I even know there's a game called "Superbowl" (which is somehow linked to the Apple Macintosh and to Janet Jackson's boobs), but... Patriots? Cowboys? Giants? Belichick? Sims? Those names don't mean anything to me. Sorry.

[Varysfan]

I'm suprised anyone outside U.S.A cares about American football

[CreativeName]

Welcome to the forum! :cheers:

I didn't know about the first easter egg. Thanks for pointing it out.

The second one is, AFAIK, a well known and often discussed easter egg, because it could be related to the prophecy of Azor Ahai (Ser Patrick is the bleeding star, smoke from Jon's wounds, salt in the tears of Bowen Marsh).

And don't worry. Almost everything in the forums has been discussed one way or the other. No one is holding it against you. Some members here are active for over 10 years.

Regarding additional easter eggs and references etc., you might find the following thread interesting:

References and Homages

[Rose of Ice]

Welcome to the forum Purple Lynch,

Not being American, I would never have noticed your Easter Egg, however it it pretty cool of GRRM to slip things like that in.

I always thought 'Wun Wun' was a lame choice of a name for a giant (too Harry Potteresque), but if it's a homophone of 'one one' for the jersey number, then it has more meaning.

Thanks for sharing. GRRM is a genius. I don't think he wastes a single word!

Yes, it's ok to post links here, I think.

[Daena the Defiant]

These are great! Thanks for bringing them to my attention!

[A horsefaced girl]

Haha. Love it, thanks for pointing it out.

[bittersteelsgold]

I wouldn't say he's a Jets fan, that's a terrible no no for us Jerseyans. Especially since they share a stadium in Jersey. I caught this a while back its quite quite hilarious.

[PurpleLynch]

Thanks for all the response!

I know that the NFL is not popular outside of the USA(even if I'm italian and I love american football),but it's not the focal point: we should just be glad that GRRM is both a genius and an amazing joker...it's not about the content of the joke imo,it's about the craftiness.

Ah,also thanks for the link!

[Dildo_Baggins]

I'm suprised anyone outside U.S.A cares about American football

Surprise Surprise. I co-founded the first ever american football team in my country during college. I'am also a baltimore fan.

[Lost Melnibonean]

You can find a lot of these things in the References and Homages thread.

[Tyrell_like_Squirrel]

Welcome to the forums, and good first thread! I had never noticed until now, but I laughed so hard at "eaten by giants". It's nice to see little touches like this in ASOIAF. I know the term "the American Tolkien" is a little silly, but being an American its nice to see references to America in a fantasy series. Just like all the English touches Tolkien added to his works.

And to all the idiots saying "who cares about American football?!?" George R.R. Martin, that's who.

[PurpleLynch]

Welcome to the forums, and good first thread! I had never noticed until now, but I laughed so hard at "eaten by giants". It's nice to see little touches like this in ASOIAF. I know the term "the American Tolkien" is a little silly, but being an American its nice to see references to America in a fantasy series. Just like all the English touches Tolkien added to his works.

And to all the idiots saying "who cares about American football?!?" George R.R. Martin, that's who.

I agree. I personally was mindblowed when I read that. It is hilarious,even if you don't know the NFL. In this case I'm just glad to have witnessed Superbowl 2007 ahah

[Poppa Bolton]

I actually never noticed that, despite the fact that I know how much GRRM loves football and I'm a huge Giants fan myself.

For whatever it's worth, I appreciate the post.

[DelSnow]

I'm Irish and I love the NFL. As a Patriots fan I'm not too fond of this Easter Egg but it's awesomely fitted in none the less.

Great first thread and no worries about your English, it's pretty good. :)

[Magnar of Skagos]

I wouldn't consider it "great". It's a reference that'll go over the heads of 99% non-American readers. I mean, yes, I'm aware that they have "coaches", and that there's a fella on the team called "quarterback", I even know there's a game called "Superbowl" (which is somehow linked to the Apple Macintosh and to Janet Jackson's boobs), but... Patriots? Cowboys? Giants? Belichick? Sims? Those names don't mean anything to me. Sorry.

Is that the game where they get baskets or homeruns?

As a Canadian, I know very little of any of this terminology. Not much of a handegg fan.

[Poppa Bolton]

And to all the people who don't love football, there's a special place in one of the seven hells for you.

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

Welcome to the forums, and good first thread! I had never noticed until now, but I laughed so hard at "eaten by giants". It's nice to see little touches like this in ASOIAF. I know the term "the American Tolkien" is a little silly, but being an American its nice to see references to America in a fantasy series. Just like all the English touches Tolkien added to his works.

And to all the idiots saying "who cares about American football?!?" George R.R. Martin, that's who.

I scrolled up, scrolled down, in search for anybody asking "who cares about American football?!", and came up empty. Whom, exactly, did you attempt to insult, and for what reason, then?

[PurpleLynch]

I wouldn't consider it "great". It's a reference that'll go over the heads of 99% non-American readers. I mean, yes, I'm aware that they have "coaches", and that there's a fella on the team called "quarterback", I even know there's a game called "Superbowl" (which is somehow linked to the Apple Macintosh and to Janet Jackson's boobs), but... Patriots? Cowboys? Giants? Belichick? Sims? Those names don't mean anything to me. Sorry.

It's not about the content in my honest opinion. It's about how crafty GRRM was,making these jokes. You can put any sport with x and y teams and this joke would be great anyway. Knowing the NFL just make you love it unconditionally,even if you are a Patriot fan.

[sj4iy]

I wouldn't say he's a Jets fan, that's a terrible no no for us Jerseyans. Especially since they share a stadium in Jersey. I caught this a while back its quite quite hilarious.

Well, it seems that he roots for both. He's publicly supported Jersey A and Jersey B, so I see no reason to think he only likes one.