The Curse of the Great Barrow, the First King, and Jon Snow.

[three-eyed monkey]

Our first introduction to the barrows of the First Men came early in AGoT, when Ned and Robert were on the Kingsroad:

The rising sun sent fingers of light through the pale white mists of dawn. A wide plain spread out beneath them, bare and brown, its flatness here and there relieved by long, low hummocks. Ned pointed them out to his king. “The barrows of the First Men.”

Robert frowned. “Have we ridden onto a graveyard?”

“There are barrows everywhere in the north, Your Grace,” Ned told him. “This land is old.”

The largest of the barrows is the Great Barrow, in Barrowton. This is the location of Barrow Hall, the seat of House Dustin, and according to legend the burial place of the First King, who once ruled supreme over all the First Men, if the legends can be believed. Reek visited Barrow Hall in ADwD:

As he climbed a wide flight of wooden steps to the hall, Reek’s legs began to shake. He had to stop to steady them, staring up at the grassy slopes of the Great Barrow. Some claimed it was the grave of the First King, who had led the First Men to Westeros. Others argued that it must be some King of the Giants who was buried there, to account for its size.

House Dustin’s sigil is a pair of longaxes and a rusted crown. AWoIaF explains:

The rusted crown upon the arms of House Dustin derives from their claim that they are themselves descended from the First King and the Barrow Kings who ruled after him. The old tales recorded in Kennet’s Passages of the Dead claim that a curse was placed on the Great Barrow that would allow no living man to rival the First King. This curse made these pretenders to the title grow corpselike in appearance as it sucked away their vitality and life. This is no more than legend, to be sure, but that the Dustins share blood and descent from the Barrow Kings of old seems sure enough.

This blood and descent was also shared with the Kings of Winter, on the maternal side. AWoIaF again:

More historical proof exists for the war between the Kings of Winter and the Barrow Kings to their south, who styled themselves the Kings of the First Men and claimed supremacy over all First Men everywhere, even the Starks themselves. Runic records suggest that their struggle, dubbed the Thousand Years War by the singers, was actually a series of wars that lasted closer to two hundred years than a thousand, ending when the last Barrow King bent his knee to the King of Winter, and gave him the hand of his daughter in marriage.

The tale of the Night’s King and his corpse bride comes to mind immediately. Most fans consider her to have been a female Other or maybe even a wight, but the archmaesters at the Citadel, who like to try and keep it real, think otherwise:

Some suggest that perhaps the corpse queen was a woman of the Barrowlands, a daughter of the Barrow King who was then a power in his own right, and oft associated with graves.

Of course one interesting option is that the archmaesters and the old tales are both right to some degree. Could the cursed and corpselike Barrow Kings, oft associated with graves, have been banished north of the Wall by the victorious Starks?

But who was this First King, and why was his barrow cursed? Well, there is a clear parallel between the First King and Garth Greenhand. AWoIaF tells us:

Garth was the High King of the First Men, it is written; it was he who led them out of the east and across the land bridge to Westeros. Yet other tales would have us believe that he preceded the arrival of the First Men by thousands of years, making him not only the first man in Westeros, but the only man, wandering the length and breadth of the land alone and treating with the giants and the children of the forest. Some even say he was a god.

Perhaps that last part is no surprise as Garth has much in common with a springtime fertility god. “Garth made the corn ripen, the trees fruit, the flowers bloom,” the singers tell us. He is often portrayed with green hair and skin, sometimes with antlers, a symbol of renewal, and sometimes with a crown of flowers, similar to the one presented to Lyanna by Raeghar. Garth's description also closely matches that of the Greenmen of the Isle of Faces, as given by Old Nan and Meera Reed.

So in many ways Garth is symbolic of spring. But everything that blooms in spring eventually succumbs to the advance of winter, just as the descendants of the First King, the Barrow Kings, eventually bent the knee to the Kings of Winter. I think this bears a strong relationship to the curse. Without wanting to sound too morbid, the process of dying begins when we are born. The slow march towards death is as relentless as the changing of seasons. Whether we like it or not, winter is coming.

A few of the very oldest tales of Garth Greenhand present us with a considerably darker deity, one who demanded blood sacrifice from his worshippers to ensure a bountiful harvest. In some stories the green god dies every autumn when the trees lose their leaves, only to be reborn with the coming of spring. This version of Garth is largely forgotten.

The above passage, also from AWoIaF, is reminiscent of two things. Firstly, Bran’s weirwood vision in ADwD where a woman with a bronze sickle spills blood before the heart tree in Winterfell. And then there is the sigil of House Blackwood, the dead weirwood having lost its leaves and the ravens taking flight, perhaps carrying the seed of the following spring, which Bloodraven is in the process of passing to Bran. This supports the idea that the old tales do have relevance to the current narrative, and it’s not just Bran’s story.

The curse of the Great Barrrow says that no living shall rival the First King. That suggests rivals have to be dead, or perhaps have to die and then be reborn, a bit like Azor Ahai in the tales from the east. Jon certainly seemed to be growing very corpselike when last we saw him, and many readers believe he is in the process of dying and being reborn. Interestingly, the crown of the First King was present at the Tower of Joy as it adorned the shield of the late Lord Dustin. And consider Jon’s relationship with Mance Rayder and the freefolk. The First King was king of the First Men, and the First Men kept the old ways. Nowhere in Westeros are those ways better preserved than they are beyond the Wall. Are we to take it that the freefolk’s manner of choosing a king was the way of the First Men?

But finally, let’s not forget Howland Reed, who visited the Greenmen, attended the tourney in Harrenhal, survived the Tower of Joy, and sent his children to lead Bran to the Three Eyed Crow. He stands in a unique position to tie many of these strands together, and I would think he is more interested in Jon as the Prince who was Promised than the heir to the Iron Throne. In fact, if Jon does ever end up being king then I think it will spell an end to the Iron Throne, because I see him taking whatever is left of the realm back to the old ways, and perhaps even rivalling the First King.

[sassmuffin]

Really interesting...for me the first men are really fascinating, I hope there is more about them in the future books/short stories

[LiveFirstDieLater]

So I've struggled for a long time with why the First Men would have barrows before the wall went up. Either there were no Others to raise the dead or for some reason that wasn't a concern.

I think you are on to something and that these barrows have a real part to play still...

[three-eyed monkey]

Really interesting...for me the first men are really fascinating, I hope there is more about them in the future books/short stories

Thanks.

I don't know if we will learn much more than we already have, but there are a few key aspects of their story yet to come. GRRM confirmed that the Sacred Order of the Greenmen will feature in future books, and they were born from the pact between First Men and the Children on the Isle of Faces. In art and literature, green men are always symbolic of spring, so no prizes for guessing what part of the story they'll connect with. While many readers are waiting for Howland Reed to show up with a revelation about Jon, I'm more interested to learn about his visit with the Greenmen, a visit that ended in the year of false spring.

I do think the role of the First Men is understated, because that's where the realm is headed in my opinion, back to the old ways, considering what Jon has learned from Ned, Mance, and the freefolk. The new ways are corrupt and treacherous and I think there will be a massive purge in the Long Night, one that sweeps the board clean for fresh beginnings in spring. Only winter can pay for spring, as only death can pay for life.

So I've struggled for a long time with why the First Men would have barrows before the wall went up. Either there were no Others to raise the dead or for some reason that wasn't a concern.

It is an interesting question. The thing that strikes me about the Barrow Kings is that, by virtue of their title, they are kings of the graves, and what that might mean can be interpreted in various ways. Did they have the authority to stop the occupants of the graves from rising again, or were those occupants their subjects. The latter option really parallels with the Others and their dead servants.

[DarkSister1001]

Great job! I really like how you tied all those things together.

[three-eyed monkey]

Great job! I really like how you tied all those things together.

Thanks. It's not really meant to be a theory, just an exploration, so any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

[DarkSister1001]

Thanks. It's not really meant to be a theory, just an exploration, so any thoughts or ideas are welcome.

Gotcha. I got nuttin right now. Been a while since I've read that section of the World Book. I'll refresh myself and open up a dialogue soon.

[Lady Blizzardborn]

<snip

It is an interesting question. The thing that strikes me about the Barrow Kings is that, by virtue of their title, they are kings of the graves, and what that might mean can be interpreted in various ways. Did they have the authority to stop the occupants of the graves from rising again, or were those occupants their subjects. The latter option really parallels with the Others and their dead servants.

I'd like to add something here. Though I don't know how the piece fits into the puzzle overall, I think it's part of it: the swords placed in the hands of the statues of the Kings of Winter/Kings in the North to keep their spirits from rising.

With regard to the Others, every once in a while I remember Ned's dream about "a frozen hell reserved for Starks." Are the Others the spirits of those who tried to attain First King status...and chief among them might we find the Kings of Winter and/or the Kings in the North? The only reasons I'm inclined to discount the idea are that I see no reason why the spirits would need armor (or wear armor that wasn't recognizably human) if that were the case, or why they would melt when stabbed with obsidian.

The fact that they melt makes me wonder if they aren't the real enemy, just some kind of temporal icy projection of the true Others--the ones with the arachnid vehicles. Of course that gets back into a possible hierarchy of Others (shout-out to the theorist on that one) or difference between Others and White Walkers/Neverborn.

[Bael's Bastard]

So I've struggled for a long time with why the First Men would have barrows before the wall went up. Either there were no Others to raise the dead or for some reason that wasn't a concern.

I think you are on to something and that these barrows have a real part to play still...

The Long Night seems to be the first time men in Westeros encountered the Others. So for thousands of years the First Men would have had no reason to worry about their dead. As for the future, if they can be raised perhaps they already were in the Long Night? Or perhaps not.

[three-eyed monkey]

I'd like to add something here. Though I don't know how the piece fits into the puzzle overall, I think it's part of it: the swords placed in the hands of the statues of the Kings of Winter/Kings in the North to keep their spirits from rising.

With regard to the Others, every once in a while I remember Ned's dream about "a frozen hell reserved for Starks." Are the Others the spirits of those who tried to attain First King status...and chief among them might we find the Kings of Winter and/or the Kings in the North? The only reasons I'm inclined to discount the idea are that I see no reason why the spirits would need armor (or wear armor that wasn't recognizably human) if that were the case, or why they would melt when stabbed with obsidian.

The fact that they melt makes me wonder if they aren't the real enemy, just some kind of temporal icy projection of the true Others--the ones with the arachnid vehicles. Of course that gets back into a possible hierarchy of Others (shout-out to the theorist on that one) or difference between Others and White Walkers/Neverborn.

Thanks Lady Blizz. That's a good point about the crypt swords. The stone kings in the crypts could be seen as grave kings too. I think it is part of the puzzle.

The Others definitely seem to be physical beings as opposed to just spirits, but my question is what happened the cursed kings who turned corpse like and had their vitality sucked away. Did they die? Or were they hunted/banished north?

Another thing that comes to mind is Mance opening all those graves beyond the Wall while searching for the horn.

[Knight and Dayne]

OP - Some really great stuff here - I hadn't made the barrow kings/corpse queen connection before, but now it looks pretty obvious. I'm really interested in exploring cultural diffusion in Westeros, and I think you've done a lot here to shed light on First Men culture.

[Mithras]

"Growing corpselike" is exactly what happened to Bloodraven after he was wed to the trees. He is a greenseer seated on a weirwood throne. The Gardener Kings used to sit on Oakenseat, a throne made from living wood.

Another thought: The dead live underground. "No living man" might be a resident of underground like Bran.

[three-eyed monkey]

Great connection Mithras. The Gardener kings, like the Barrow kings, also claim descent from the First King. So was the Oakenseat a nod to the First King being a greenseer?

I'm really interested in exploring cultural diffusion in Westeros,

And will we see a sort of cultural reunion before the Long Night?

[Mithras]

Great connection Mithras. The Gardener kings, like the Barrow kings, also claim descent from the First King. So was the Oakenseat a nod to the First King being a greenseer?

Exactly. I think it was not a curse but a gift.

[FoolishOwl]

With regard to the Others, every once in a while I remember Ned's dream about "a frozen hell reserved for Starks." Are the Others the spirits of those who tried to attain First King status...and chief among them might we find the Kings of Winter and/or the Kings in the North?

There seem to be a lot of suggestions scattered through the books that the Starks resemble the White Walkers.

I've wondered if some or all of the Starks *become* White Walkers after their death -- like it's a second stage of their lives. Or at least, that the Starks have White Walker ancestry, through the Night King.

[TheSmallOther]

There seem to be a lot of suggestions scattered through the books that the Starks resemble the White Walkers.

I've wondered if some or all of the Starks *become* White Walkers after their death -- like it's a second stage of their lives. Or at least, that the Starks have White Walker ancestry, through the Night King.

It's very likely that Craster is Stark relative. And his sons are closely (perhaps very closely) related to White Walkers.

I'd like to add something here. Though I don't know how the piece fits into the puzzle overall, I think it's part of it: the swords placed in the hands of the statues of the Kings of Winter/Kings in the North to keep their spirits from rising.

With regard to the Others, every once in a while I remember Ned's dream about "a frozen hell reserved for Starks." Are the Others the spirits of those who tried to attain First King status...and chief among them might we find the Kings of Winter and/or the Kings in the North? The only reasons I'm inclined to discount the idea are that I see no reason why the spirits would need armor (or wear armor that wasn't recognizably human) if that were the case, or why they would melt when stabbed with obsidian.

The fact that they melt makes me wonder if they aren't the real enemy, just some kind of temporal icy projection of the true Others--the ones with the arachnid vehicles. Of course that gets back into a possible hierarchy of Others (shout-out to the theorist on that one) or difference between Others and White Walkers/Neverborn.

It definitely looks like White Walker's body is held intact by some sort of spell. Dragonglass brakes the spell, not the body.

[joluoto2]

This of course all beg the question: why are the Barrows in the North? The First Men reached the North last, and would have settled in the South for centuries before coming North. Why are there no Barrows in the Reach, for example?

[Knight and Dayne]

And will we see a sort of cultural reunion before the Long Night?

I think we're already seeing it with Bloodraven, Rhaegar, and (to some extent) Aemon. BR is a sorcerous Targ who ends up turning into the sacred tree god of the north. Rhaegar is (probably) inspired to seek out a wintery mate because of prophesy. Aemon colludes with Rhaegar and conducts his business at the wall.

Tracing current Westerosi cultural practices back to their roots in First Men (Old Gods, Guest Right, Abolition of Slavery), Andal (Knighthood, the Faith of the Seven, "modern" weaponry), and Valyrian (Dynastic incest, unity through conquest, prophesy) cultures is really fruitful ground. So much of the story "gets unlocked" when you think of it as the permutations and contradictions in these cultures playing out.

[ciliate]

Well, add this to the list of things that are going to bug me but I have no idea what's going on!

@joluoto2: good question! Perhaps it's just an overcrowding problem? In general, places with more space for burial use it. In crowded places, burial takes a more economical approach, usually cremation...

Anyone recall if crypts are known anywhere besides WF?

[Lady Blizzardborn]

This is totally nuts but...anyone think the guys under the First King curse might be an undead-ish army that could actually help fight the Others?