Why did Beric Dondarrion revive Catelyn?

[Nukelavee]

There's a couple of interesting points floating around...

I'd need to re-read that section to be exact, but, basically, yes, Beric mentions that every return seems to leave less of "him" than there was (he talks about memories, losing track of his own loves, etc). I think he refers to a feeling of darkness, as well. Mind you, that may not mean evil, it may just mean he's getting lost in a , sigh, twilight of existance, like a distance from actual life.

Now, I don't remember it ever being mentioned how clearly he ever remembers taking a mortal wound, but, seriously, that's got to get old, fast. It doesn't mention pain in the book, but just the sheer physical damage his body has taken, and isn't really healing from, has got to be having an effect on at least his outlook.

And, yes, he is tired. Used up.

Why Cat? to give her a chance for retribution? possibly.

[zephyr]

IMHO, and this is perhaps reading much more into the BwB than we are given in actual info, seeing Catelyn dead awakened Beric to the group's twisted motives. The group, by following a long dead (relative to the other pretenders to the throne) king, and almost stubbornly refusing to acknowledge that the political world had gone on without them, was living in a kind of fantasy world. Catelyn's body made Beric realize that. But I could be way off base here.

[Rex]

The only thing that slightly gets in the way of the "he wanted Catelyn to have justice" is that surely, knowing how horrible it was to be brought back, he would not want to wish that on anyone else.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

It is not the choice of Beric or Thoros who gets brought back, but R'hllor.

Beric only kept coming back because R'hllor willed it, and R'hllor decided that he did not need Beric any more but now needed Catelyn.

[JoaKing]

It is not the choice of Beric or Thoros who gets brought back, but R'hllor.

Beric only kept coming back because R'hllor willed it, and R'hllor decided that he did not need Beric any more but now needed Catelyn.

After seeing Martin raging over the finale of Lost i dont think gods have anything to do with anything in this series

[Podrick + Arya = Win]

After seeing Martin raging over the finale of Lost i dont think gods have anything to do with anything in this series

Which is exactly why I question this undead business.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

After seeing Martin raging over the finale of Lost i dont think gods have anything to do with anything in this series

Martin will not have Gods actually appearing, but clearly some of them are mysteriously influencing events.

[Pate Peet]

Mayhaps the BwB wanted to get some specifics from Un-Cat, about who to hang. They do ask her about Merritt Frey when they go to hang him.

Beric felt that he was "used up" in both a physical and spiritual sense. The deaths/revenges that were able to fuel him were used up (fighting Gregor) and the revenge in Cat was still fresh, so could fuel her.

As to who can come back and how, not having the books in front of me, IIRC Thoros just does the standard ritual over a dead body when Beric dies the first time. It just happens to work, because dragons/magic are coming back into the world.

[Marakesh]

The Starks are no longer a warring noble faction so whatever problems the BWB would have had with them is now gone. Plus they seem to be the flag bearer for the peasants moral outrage. At first its the competing kings rolling over the common folk on the way to the throne but now its moved on to include the complete disregard for any moral authority by the winning noble houses. I guess I'm fine with something if I get the gist of what people are about, I don't worry as much about the little details of why Berric would help Cat specifically.

[Kaitscralt]

Maybe he is a necrophiliac and the revival was an accident.

[alguien]

We know Harwin begged him to. We know Beric promised to reunite Arya with her mother. We know he gave her the kiss of life, as it were (after Thoros refused).

What we don't know, since up till now no resurrected character has had a POV, is what his motivations or expectations were, though there are interesting speculations.

Did he know it would work? Did he know that he would be losing his life in the process? Maybe he thought he'd be fine and both he and Catelyn would be resurrected. Maybe he just went through the motions and didn't expect anything to happen. Maybe the god was working through him and he had no choice in the matter.

I think his reason had more to do with Harwin's begging coupled with the injustice of Catelyn's murder, and if he did know it would end his life, perhaps a world-weariness, rather than his promise to Arya.

What I'm a bit curious about is where are the other contingent of the BwB? Edric Dayne and co? (see appendix--very clearly divided into two groups) On a pilgrimage to bury Beric?

[LadyMary]

I got the impression that he existed but was not really content with his circumstances. He sought justice at a great cost to his...body (not really much of a "life") and probably wanted to end it. That, on top of making a promise to Arya and feeling that Cat probably was the one person that he knew who most deserved justice for had been done to her and her family, he made her his successor and died-for real. Unbeknownst to him, UndeadCat is more interested in vengeance than justice.

[Lily Rivers]

Maybe he is a necrophiliac and the revival was an accident.

Ha! Here I was thinking that is was just so I could have a FABULOUS and gruesome Halloween costume!

[Kaitscralt]

Make sure to take pictures!

[Guest]

I also question this undead business. And whatever reason Beric had to revive Cat, I think it was a stupid ass thing to do. All Cat did while she was alive was brood and worry and feel sorry for herself. What she's doing now doesn't seem to be any different (I realize she obviously has a much larger role than was shown the last book but still....)

Beric was much more effectual and if he was a finished done man, they should have chosen someone better. unCat sucks and I hate her. :angry:

[Kaitscralt]

Poor Beric! ^

He didn't even know her.

[Kadence]

I feel as if Beric was one of the most interesting characters in the series. And one of the ones who shouldn't have been killed off yet.

For instance, Oberyn might well be my favorite character in the series. But, he came, he shined, he died. It made sense and I certainly don't feel like his death was a waste - it was one of the most epic scenes in the series, and very climactic. Likewise there's other characters who have died that I liked and enjoyed, but with them I didn't have any real moment of saying "I think Martin made a legit mistake with this death".

Beric's off-screen death was just...what? And we don't even hear about it until the next book. It just seemed like this character of Beric, the handsome young hopeful naive lordling who becomes this undead disgusting revenant, and who repeatedly fails miserably at killing Gregor yet keeps trying while leading a very strange yet noble gang, was a very original and interesting character. Someone who really should have been given more screen time. I was very surprised when I read that Beric had died in exchange for Catelyn (and we probably won't ever find out what the hell Beric's expectations even were for that kiss).

I also question this undead business. And whatever reason Beric had to revive Cat, I think it was a stupid ass thing to do. All Cat did while she was alive was brood and worry and feel sorry for herself. What she's doing now doesn't seem to be any different (I realize she obviously has a much larger role than was shown the last book but still....)

Beric was much more effectual and if he was a finished done man, they should have chosen someone better. unCat sucks and I hate her. :angry:

This is well said, I think you captured my feelings as well.

Beric was definitely more effective as a leader of the Brotherhood than Uncat. He was absolutely perfect for that role. I think Uncat would be better off as an advisor figure, who lurks in the shadows, and that's what I figured she'd be at the end of Storm of Swords. This insane replacement for Beric is not what seems to suit the best interests of the story, IMO.

[El Pinko Grande]

My impression was that, whatever the BWB thought about Robb and the Stark cause, the Red Wedding was just such a monstrous affront to the gods that Beric felt comfortable passing the mouth-torch to someone bettered suited to be an instrument of the Red God's justice.

also, could it be that Gregor was dead at that point? Perhaps he sensed that his original mission was at an end.

[Kaitscralt]

I just wish it didn't happen offscreen. I mean, come on, GRRM, the official fanclub is called the Brotherhood Without Banners. Everybody loved Beric. :thumbsdown:

[Guest]

I just wish it didn't happen offscreen. I mean, come on, GRRM, the official fanclub is called the Brotherhood Without Banners. Everybody loved Beric. :thumbsdown:

Agree. But I think/hope in the next book, unCat will tell the story of what happened.