77 replies to this topic

[boojam]

I think the secret meaning of Hodor is 'Hodor'.

[Gingerly Grumkin]

I always thought it meant Rosebud

[Andy Reynolds]

It seems to me that the most likely explanation for the word "Hodor" is that, being a simpleton, that was the closest Hodor could get to pronouncing "Walder".

I also like the idea that Hodor is the grandson of Dunk (and possibly Tanselle Too-Tall). Bran does see Dunk (presumably) kissing someone in the Godswood.

[Secret Targ]

I'm feeling the "You have to know your name thing" and I'd like to think there is more to Hodor than we've gotten so far. I've been re-reading the books but I don't recall if we know if Hodor was born "simple," or if something happened to him. Perhaps some tragic event scarred him with the word or name?
Or maybe he just likes saying Hodor. The Tansy name we got some hints to with the connection to the herb/plant and what that meant, but I'm pretty sure the word Hodor hasn't appeared anywhere else.

Edited by Secret Targ, 05 March 2012 - 02:48 PM.

[Karimbus]

Hodor. Hodor hodor, hodor. Hodor.

[Khal Worthington]

That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "Hodor", what he meant was, "I love you." And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.

[Blisscraft]

Hodor probably comes from a Middle Dutch word, "hodde" which means a tray or trough that is used to carry heavy loads.  It seems an apt word upon which to base the character's name since Hodor does all of the heavy lifting in this series.  If it has a more mystical or magical meaning in the series: hooray!  

[Hot Pie Targaryen]

Hodor also could be a mispronunciation of "R'hllor". He's actually the Lord of Light.

[Cheese Pudding]

Holy
Others
Doomed
Our
R'hllor

[Grumpy Midget]

Considering the fact that all Hodor ever say is "Hodor", he is clearly a very rare, very reclusive, once thought to be extinct species of Pokemon.

[Melpomene]

It's an original theory, defnitely.

I can't really say that the name "Hodor" would be that significant though...to the point where it could control dragons. Bt, I do agree that there might be some story behind it.

Might as well have an analysis, just for fun - if we want to get really literal.


Hodor, Slovak/Polish, "from the eastern Slavic personal name Chodor, a vernacular form of Teodor" A.K.A Theodore, derived from Greek meaning "Gift of God"

I wonder if that has any relevancy

[RevengeOfTheStarks]

I don't think Hodor is a magic word at all. "Hodor" is Hodor's (whom I will call Walder in the rest of this post to avoid confusion) way of trying to communicate something that left a really lasting impression on him. Hodor being an anagram, magic secret word that unlocks some magic secret power, or any other super fantastical cliched device doesn't seem remotely Martinesque to me. Martin deals with real people who happen to live in a world where magic is a natural force. Within that construct there are two possibilties.

1. Hodor doesn't mean anything. Walder is a sweet but sadly intellectually disabled person who can't speak but uses this one sound to vocalize

2. Walder saw something, experienced something which left a huge impression on him. Even though he's simple, and can't talk, it's evident from his ability to follow orders and understand people's overtly expressed emotions (anger, displeasure, fear, humor etc.) that he's not a mental vegetable. He can pick up on some information about the world around him. So he experienced something traumatic, which forced him to want to vocalize, and the closest thing he can come up with to describe what he saw or experienced, is the world Hodor.

Point one above is boring so I'm going to pursue the second point.

I literally just said Hodor ten times fast before I started this post to see what it sounds like. It sounds like "Other" to me. Old Nan tells stories of Others to the Stark kids all the time and Walder is her own grandson who must have been around to hear tons of stories in his own childhood as well as present day. There's plenty of indication that Hodor can comprehend complex language given how he carries out very specific orders from Bran. Maybe some part of these stories gets through to him. How much could range from all of it to  perhaps just the fact that they're supposed to be scary, based on the reactions of the other listeners and the facial cues and voice of the storyteller.

Old Nan indicates that there was a point in time during which Walder did not say Hodor, and then he started saying Hodor. Walder basically has free reign of the castle. His movements aren't restricted. When he wants to take a dip in the hot springs, he does. He wanders around and amuses himself when he's not needed for a task. Maybe at one point he wandered into the Winterfell crypts and saw something in there that not only made him start saying "Hodor" but also made him frightened to go back in the crypts. When Bran dreams of Ned down there, he has to get Osha to carry him because Hodor is too scared.

So that's my theory. "Hodor" is Walder trying to say Other.

[Exitao]

Khal Worthington, on 05 March 2012 - 04:11 PM, said:

That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "Hodor", what he meant was, "I love you." And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.

Now all he needs is an apocalypse cloak and a wheelbarrow. And maybe a pirate ship.

[Budj]

Regardless of any of this when Bran started responding to Hodor's "hodor-ing" with "hodor" as if expressing agreement I literally laughed out loud while reading.  I thought it was great.

Edited by Budj, 26 April 2012 - 09:21 PM.

[sagaz]

LadyoftheNorth72, on 05 March 2012 - 07:22 AM, said:

Regarding warging dragons, I have seen many posts state that warging a dragon would simply be impossible, and I tend to agree with this.  If an extremely powerful warg/skinchanger like Varamyr cannot even warg a human of standard intelligence/strength, I find it difficult if not impossible to believe that a human could warg a dragon, a much stronger and stronger-minded target.

Maybe the only exception is a Targaryen warg? (Jon Snow?)

RevengeOfTheStarks, on 26 April 2012 - 09:06 PM, said:

I don't think Hodor is a magic word at all. "Hodor" is Hodor's (whom I will call Walder in the rest of this post to avoid confusion) way of trying to communicate something that left a really lasting impression on him. Hodor being an anagram, magic secret word that unlocks some magic secret power, or any other super fantastical cliched device doesn't seem remotely Martinesque to me. Martin deals with real people who happen to live in a world where magic is a natural force. Within that construct there are two possibilties.

[...]

2. Walder saw something, experienced something which left a huge impression on him. Even though he's simple, and can't talk, it's evident from his ability to follow orders and understand people's overtly expressed emotions (anger, displeasure, fear, humor etc.) that he's not a mental vegetable. He can pick up on some information about the world around him. So he experienced something traumatic, which forced him to want to vocalize, and the closest thing he can come up with to describe what he saw or experienced, is the world Hodor.

[...]

Old Nan indicates that there was a point in time during which Walder did not say Hodor, and then he started saying Hodor. Walder basically has free reign of the castle. His movements aren't restricted. When he wants to take a dip in the hot springs, he does. He wanders around and amuses himself when he's not needed for a task. Maybe at one point he wandered into the Winterfell crypts and saw something in there that not only made him start saying "Hodor" but also made him frightened to go back in the crypts. When Bran dreams of Ned down there, he has to get Osha to carry him because Hodor is too scared.

So that's my theory. "Hodor" is Walder trying to say Other.

Maybe he became friends with the dragon of winterfell, the one suppodsely Summer saw? That might be a link with Hodor and dragons.

[Night Gathers]

It would be way too comical if it actually turns out to be true, which I strongly doubt. Throughout the books, we've heard Hodor's phrase again and again, I believe it has some significance, but I don't believe it has anything to do with TCOTF or dragons.

[chris999]

Howling4Reed, on 05 March 2012 - 12:03 AM, said:

There is no evidence that I am aware of that warging equates to a mind meld. Actually, all of the instances of warging, animal and human, have shown the characters being in that moment of time without the warger knowing the wargee's memories.

I think that the memories of both creatures meld together... at least they do so with the "main companion".

Whenever The Stark children, especially Bran, have their wolf 'dreams', they always remember the taste of the last kill, the eagerness to hunt, and feeling like they are missing from the pack.

Of course the children are experiencing these feelings IRL too, but I think that they definately experience the feelings of the wolves too.

[AsoiafFTW!]

hodor it's actually a thu'um or shout, ho do or. it mean fuck this shit in dragon tongue and shatters any others within ear shot.

[The Red Maester]

Gee... I always assumed it was just a play on words from jötnar, giants in norse mythology.

[Rhaegar Targaryen's Ghost]

i dont think it will help control dragons, but i do wish that I knew what it meant...