57 replies to this topic

[Errant Bard]

He released the reins. Essentially let the horse go as it wished, if I understand horses correctly.

Either that or he had a woman's head in his saddlebags, and his horse is carnivorous. But that would probably be something more easily understandable in context.

Edited by Errant Bard, 17 June 2012 - 05:48 AM.

[DirePenguin]

When Jon returned from his ride, Mormont told him this. What does it mean?

Quote

The hard truths are the ones to hold tight.

[Lykos]

The hard to accept or hard to understand truths are the ones to keep close or remember best or all of it.  The more difficult a truth is the more it should be valued.

[swarmsea]

Just posting to say this, nice to see that you're almost to an end of the book one!

[DirePenguin]

Yes me too. Thanks everyone. It took a long time, most evening my head grew too heavy to read it after work (looking at computer screen all day)

Found some random sentence. What does "curios sense of apprehension" mean? It was Jon's feeling after he found the 2 wights.

[Bib Fortuna]

It means he senses deep in his gut that something is wrong, but he can't quite figure out what's making him nervous. So the sensation he's feeling is curious to him.

[Lykos]

Apprehension is not only used for the power of comprehension but also for a feeling of anxiety or concern.  Jon is feeling worried but can´t explain why.

[DirePenguin]

What does "lure them into complacency" mean? It's the wind going down the mountain as if to lure Catelyn into complacency.

[Lummel]

persuade someone to be relaxed

to lure is to encourage somebody or something to do something that they shouldn't do, or might not have wanted to do originally.  You might lure an animal into a trap, or lure somebody into a shop to buy something through the use of advertising.

to be complacent is to be relaxed, not worried, easy going.  It is often used with a negative connotation for example somebody being complacent about risks when they should vigilant.

Presumably in context the sound of the wind is calming and relaxing.

Edited by Lummel, 24 June 2012 - 05:02 AM.

[Glom]

As a side note: Around the Alps in Europe there are many ideas about what the warm winds from the mountains do to people, it is said to alter peoples personality.

[Errant Bard]

Heh. Around where I live currently, we have a wind whose one of the names is "Le vent qui rend fou", literally "the maddening wind".

Also, specifically, the quote is

Quote

Above Snow, the wind was a living thing, howling around them like a wolf in
the waste, then falling off to nothing as if to lure them into complacency.

This means:

• The wind is dangerously strong
• It comes in sudden gusts

The "luring them into complacency" is not the wind being calming and relaxing, it's the wind being that much more dangerous, and a somewhat militaristic anthropomorphism, where one will stop one's attack just so one's opponent eases up his guard, and then strike that much harder, with surprise added.

[DirePenguin]

ah. So falling off to nothing actually meant it stopped. I see. I thought it was saying the wind blew downward.

[LuisDantas]

BTW, "lure" is the object (either natural or artificial, but usually colorful) placed at the tip of a fishing hook to attract fish.

It can be used as a verb as well - "to lure" means to attract someone to something that they would probably reject if they knew the whole truth.

It is a fairly poetic verb to use, but not altogether a very unusual one.

[DirePenguin]

A little more backtracking. This sentence, Ned was saying the letter was a small little thing that could determined win/lose, or life/death? Or did he mean he has equal chance for both?

Quote

Ned took out the king’s last letter. A roll of crisp white parchment sealed with golden wax, a few short words and a smear of blood. How small the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death.

[Lummel]

OK.

It's not the letter.  The letter is causing him to think about life.  And he thinks that victory and defeat or life and death are very close.  Tiny actions and events can make all the difference between winning and loosing.

[Errant Bard]

loosing what, an arrow?

Anyway... I think it is about the letter. The letter is Robert's will. In Ned's mind it gives him absolute victory, despite being such a small thing. It's another musing on the nature of power, but I feel it's actually more about describing Ned than anything else. If he was a villain, it would read "HAHA! It was close but now with this I'm unstoppable", but it being Ned, he has to be a bit melancholy about it.

Edited by Errant Bard, 29 June 2012 - 05:17 PM.

[DirePenguin]

What does this mean? Walder Frey was talking to his kin about  Catelyn

Might be she has designs on my fidelity, heh

[Lummel]

Heh is the way that Walder Frey laughs.  Normally in British English we write 'ha', but for Walder Frey, who is very old the laugh comes out a bit like a cough, heh.

Designs on fidelity in this context = maybe she wants to have sex with me.  This is a joke in bad taste, but typical of his conversational style .

[DirePenguin]

Sex ? Is this a phrase general reader understand?

On their own, designs = have plans, fidelity = honesty?

[Lummel]

Fidelity in this context means more integrity and holding to his marriage vows.

Who is this general reader?    There are contexts when I might use a phrase like that,  but I don't think everybody would.  

But remember Walder Frey is an outrageous, outspoken old man, who because he's old thinks he can say whatever he wants.  Catelyn has requested a private discussion with him and this is Walder Frey telling all his children and grandchildren to get out the room.