45 replies to this topic

[HyacinthGirl]

Crown, on 23 January 2012 - 03:57 PM, said:

I'm so curious about this right now.

I knowww. We will just have to wait and see. But it does indicate that

Spoiler

Benjen's story isn't done, he will not be abandoned North of the wall without explanation, GRRM hasn't forgotten about him and we'll get some closure. Well, we had better.

[Crown]

HyacinthGirl, on 23 January 2012 - 04:09 PM, said:

I knowww. We will just have to wait and see. But it does indicate that

Spoiler

Benjen's story isn't done, he will not be abandoned North of the wall without explanation, GRRM hasn't forgotten about him and we'll get some closure. Well, we had better.

Yeah,

Spoiler

I thought he would show up somewhere in CoK or SoS, at first I thought he was undercover with the Wildlings, and Jon would meet him, but that didn't turn out that way. So, I assume GRRM is going to let him play a role in the series finale, if I can call it that way.

Edited by Crown, 23 January 2012 - 04:15 PM.

[HyacinthGirl]

Crown, on 23 January 2012 - 04:15 PM, said:

Yeah,

Spoiler

I thought he would show up somewhere in CoK or SoS, at first I thought he was undercover with the Wildlings, and Jon would meet him, but that didn't turn out that way. So, I assume GRRM is going to let him play a role in the series finale, if I can call it that way.

Me too. I'm pretty shocked it's been left so long, and it'll definitely affect the TV series:

Spoiler

If he is Coldhands, they'll have to use his actor, if he's not, they'll have to use someone else, and either way, after 5 or 6 seasons, the audience who don't know the books might think "who's this?" when he reappears.

[Crown]

HyacinthGirl, on 23 January 2012 - 04:20 PM, said:

Me too. I'm pretty shocked it's been left so long, and it'll definitely affect the TV series:

Spoiler

If he is Coldhands, they'll have to use his actor, if he's not, they'll have to use someone else, and either way, after 5 or 6 seasons, the audience who don't know the books might think "who's this?" when he reappears.

Argh, fucking hell.

Spoiler

I didn't expect this to be of the most interesting things of A Song of Ice and Fire: Where is Benjen and what has he become? And recently added: Why did he join the Night's Watch?

EDIT: You're right about that, but I think if they just keep telling his name, the viewers don't forget who is.

Edited by Crown, 23 January 2012 - 05:25 PM.

[Chelly]

Wow. I always assumed that it was a sort of tradition for at least one Stark in every generation to join the NW because of Ned's whole "The Starks have manned the Wall for thousands of years" or something like, but that was big asumption on my part. Now that Martin mentioned later revealing Benjen's choice to join the NW, might hint that there was a significant reason that will come into play later on. I can't wait. Benjen is quite interesting.

[Lykos]

HyacinthGirl, on 23 January 2012 - 02:03 AM, said:

When Meera and Jojen tell Bran the story about the wolves at the Tourney at Harrenhal, they said something about a Black Brother coming to speak to all the guests. Although Benjen was just a 'pup', he may have made his mind up back then, being at an impressionable age.
And then there's the whole R+L=J thing.

edit:
SSM covers this too - GRRM is obviously not done with Benjen

[Why did Benjen join the Night's Watch?]
Good question. One day you will get an answer. But it will not be today.


http://www.westeros....SSM/Entry/2997/

rr
Also at the Tourney at Harrenhal: "The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head." and later the pup offered "I could find you a horse, and some armor that might fit"

This made me think that:

1. Benjen ( the pup) knew of Lyanna´s love to Rhaegar.

2. Benjen helped Lyanna to fight in the tourney as the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

[HyacinthGirl]

Lykos, on 02 February 2012 - 02:34 PM, said:

rr
Also at the Tourney at Harrenhal: "The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head." and later the pup offered "I could find you a horse, and some armor that might fit"

This made me think that:

1. Benjen ( the pup) knew of Lyanna´s love to Rhaegar.

2. Benjen helped Lyanna to fight in the tourney as the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

Ah, I wish Martin could write a whole book on the Tourney at Harrenhal, so much going on there.
I think you've got a point about Benjen knowing about R+L, perhaps he joined the NW after Robert's rebellion because he felt guilty that he had known for years and not warned Ned, and he could have prevented things turning out the way they did.
I think that in the TV series, if they are skipping the Reeds, Benjen will be the one to tell Jon about his parents (provided R+L=J) (and provided we ever see Benjen again).

[Lykos]

Skipping the Reeds?!

Martin should write another one on the Tragedy of Summerhall.

[psychogobstopper]

Lightening Lord, on 07 November 2011 - 07:33 AM, said:

Brandon died before Robert's Rebellion, BenJen did not go to the Wall until Ned returned from war.  At this time Catelyn had given birth so Ben Jen was 3rd in line but behind Ned and Robb.
My feeling is that BenJen went to the Wall out of guilt for his role in the events leading up to the rebellion.

I don't see why Benjen would have considered his place in the line of succession for Winterfell to be a particularly weighty factor in his decision.  Ned says in AGOT that Bran will one day rule a holdfast as bannerman to Robb (presumably Ned expected Rickon would as well), so why wouldn't that have been an option for Benjen?

I agree that something else was at play in that decision, though it might have been as simple as Stark honor and duty.

[ckal]

What is this Tourney at Harrenhal? I haven't quite finished AGOT yet, but is this event detailed in another book?

[psychogobstopper]

ckal, on 26 February 2012 - 12:48 PM, said:

What is this Tourney at Harrenhal? I haven't quite finished AGOT yet, but is this event detailed in another book?

I'm using the Wiki of Ice and Fire to refresh my memory here, so it may not be entirely accurate.  Based on the entry there for the Tourney, the event is mentioned in AGOT only in Ned's Chapter 58 POV.  After that, most of the details we know about the Tourney came from A Storm of Swords, with some information from A Dance with Dragons.  Also, you can safely look at that entry if you want; it consists entirely of factual information, no speculation.

Edited by psychogobstopper, 26 February 2012 - 02:45 PM.

[ckal]

Thank you. I think I'll just wait until I get to Storm of Swords to find out more about it, I was just worried I missed something in AGOT.

Ned's Chapter 58? I'm guessing that would be the page number?

[psychogobstopper]

The Wiki numbers the chapters, even though the paperback and hardocver books don't.  It's also numbered as Ned's 15th POV, starting at page 647 on my eBook copy.  There are 72 chapters total in AGOT.  My paperback copy is in a box somewhere at the moment, so I can't compare page numbers between the editions.

Edited by psychogobstopper, 26 February 2012 - 08:33 PM.

[ckal]

Ohh ok, I didn't know that about the chapters, thanks.

And if it is about page 647 that would explain why it doesn't sound familiar to me, I am just before that section in the book currently.

[lightbringer333]

Zenefertiti, on 10 October 2011 - 04:28 AM, said:

Just wondering I'm loving the series, I've read a GoT and aCoK .. and this forum!

Taking into account everything we know about the Starks and Benjen and the Wall (from the first two books) do we find out why Benjen went there? Was it for honour? Did he do something bad?

If we find out later in the series, please just say that - otherwise, what are your ideas???

benjen might had sex with catelyn. may be benjen is sansa's father.

[houseHB]

People saying because he had no claim is the reason he joined the watch is ridiculous! He could have been married off to a house down south or married off to a loyal Northern house to seal an alliance. I think he was involved in Lyanna running off with Rhaegar and joined the watch over guilt over the deaths of Rickard, Brandon and Lyanna.

[Stark bannermen]

The north see the wall as an honourable duty and for thousands of years they have kept that honour however in the south the wall is seen as a punishment

[niamh O'Togbui]

Zenefertiti, on 13 October 2011 - 07:08 AM, said:

that makes sense - being of the ' north' where the Starks had been for centuries.. and reasonably believing he wouldnt have a claim to Winterfell being the third born.. I was just wondering if there was some kind of scandal involved!

Spoiler

I made the mistake of looking up the Starks in wikipedia - now I wish I hadnt, because of the shocking future storylines for 3 of the members! Of course I wont mention it here, but yeah.. i didnt see that coming, and now, when I read aSoS .. I know what is coming couldnt help myself!

note to self - dont look it up on wikipedia

Silly thing to do. Honestly.

Without spoilers, since we're in the GOT forum, the reason why Benjen joined the night watch is unresolved to this day.

[It Only Takes 500]

He was third in line, never likely to inherit. It would have been difficult to find a wife for someone who was likely never to be a Lord.

[Not-a-Weirwood-Tree]

Maybe he figured WINTER WAS COMING. But he also might have felt like Jon did in the beginning of AGoT, and that's why he was against Jon joining in the first place (he probably would have anyway, but since we're talking about it...)