Coldhands is Brandon Stark

[Jabronius Maximus]

But if Coldhands has been around that long why don't we hear about him? Not from Old Nan, not from any of the wildlings, not from Craster or Gilly... There should be some tale or story regarding the dead wandering ranger who's been around for thousands of years, no?

Edit: snip

The CoTF have been alive this whole time, but aside from that wood's witch with Jenny of Oldstones, there has been no mention of them from anyone really. And, as King Doug : :bowdown: says, he was a servant to the CoTF for eternity, so he could've been hanging out in the caves for all that time with the Children. Also, he's a wight, so he would have no problem chilling in the snow for a few ten/hundred/thousand years.

By the same token, the lack of encounters and stories from other characters may be a hint that CH hasn't been dead for that long - and he could be Benjen. Plus, the CoTF want Bran on their side, and I think telling him 'yo your uncle died, but he's still here to help you' wouldn't be music to his ears. So, they say he died long ago to keep Bran around.

[Cliche Guevara]

Guys, the "your monster, Brandon Stark" was in reference to the three eyed crow, NOT to Coldhands. He's not introducing himself. Bran calls the 3EC a monster after CH describes him, and then CH says that line. Someone pointed this out in like the 2nd page of this thread but apparently everyone skipped that post.

[King Doug]

But if Coldhands has been around that long why don't we hear about him? Not from Old Nan, not from any of the wildlings, not from Craster or Gilly... There should be some tale or story regarding the dead wandering ranger who's been around for thousands of years, no?

Why would we hear of him? His very existence was stricken from the record and his punishment concealed. The CotF and Bloodraven know the past/present/future. They aren't going risk losing him for him to go borrow a cup of sugar from Craster.

[King Doug]

Guys, the "your monster, Brandon Stark" was in reference to the three eyed crow, NOT to Coldhands. He's not introducing himself. Bran calls the 3EC a monster after CH describes him, and then CH says that line. Someone pointed this out in like the 2nd page of this thread but apparently everyone skipped that post.

Ummm......What?

"Your monster, Brandon Stark," is a direct quote from Coldhands to Bran. Where are you getting the 3EC in this?

[kissdbyfire]

Ummm......What?

"Your monster, Brandon Stark," is a direct quote from Coldhands to Bran. Where are you getting the 3EC in this?

I think it's very much possible and even likely that the 'your monster' exchange is indeed about BR.

Meera Reed rose, her frog spear in her hand, a chunk of smoking meat still impaled upon its tines. “Show us your face.”

The ranger made no move to obey.

“He’s dead.” Bran could taste the bile in his throat. “Meera, he’s some dead thing. The monsters cannot pass so long as the Wall stands and the men of the Night’s Watch stay true, that’s what Old Nan used to say. He came to meet us at the Wall, but he could not pass. He sent Sam instead, with that wildling girl.”

Meera’s gloved hand tightened around the shaft of her frog spear. "Who sent you? Who is this three-eyed crow?”

“A friend. Dreamer, wizard, call him what you will. The last greenseer.” The longhall’s wooden door banged open. Outside, the night wind howled, bleak and black. The trees were full of ravens, screaming. Coldhands did not move.

“A monster,” Bran said.

The ranger looked at Bran as if the rest of them did not exist. “Your monster, Brandon Stark.”

“Yours,” the raven echoed, from his shoulder.

[kissdbyfire]

They are talking about the 3EC. 'Who sent you?', asks Meera. Coldhands replies, 'A friend. Dreamer, wizard, call him what you will. The last greenseer (the 3EC).

When Bran says, 'A monster', and CH says 'your monster', they are still talking about the 3EC.

[Rohed]

It all implies thay are waiting for Bran as thier PTWP, to lead them. Is it possible the tree exicution was at a diffrent place, not winterfell? any implications that he jumped to a new one.

[Rohed]

I thought of somthing! Mance was digging up graves looking for the horn. Ygritte told jon that they disturbed a lot of heroes. ( Im sure she ment waldlong ones). I beleave there was a reference to the dead coming back, it may not only be for the others. It may help explain where CH came from.. And where he has been

[richard_ba]

But if Coldhands has been around that long why don't we hear about him? Not from Old Nan, not from any of the wildlings, not from Craster or Gilly... There should be some tale or story regarding the dead wandering ranger who's been around for thousands of years, no?

But if Children of Forest exist, why don't we see them? The wildlings, or Craster or Gilly, nobody see them

That follow the same logic, and it skepticism, several things went and came unheard or unseen, still it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, unless it is too much crackpot, like there is a space shuttle in the land of always winter and The Others are ET's (my next thread, lol)

[richard_ba]

Guys, the "your monster, Brandon Stark" was in reference to the three eyed crow, NOT to Coldhands. He's not introducing himself. Bran calls the 3EC a monster after CH describes him, and then CH says that line. Someone pointed this out in like the 2nd page of this thread but apparently everyone skipped that post.

Nobody missed it, but in my paperback version, he asks CH what he is and confronts him for killing people, he says he is a monster and CH replies, his monster

[Jabronius Maximus]

Ummm......What?

"Your monster, Brandon Stark," is a direct quote from Coldhands to Bran. Where are you getting the 3EC in this?

Here's the full exchange that I posted earlier. Again, he could be introducing himself or referring to 3EC. It's not clear

.

ETA: About that 'monster' exchange, here's the full one:

Bran: "Who sent you? Who is this three-eyed crow?"

Coldhands: "A friend. Dreamer, wizard, call him what you will. The last green-seer."

Bran: "A monster,"

Coldhands: "Your monster, Brandon Stark."

Although it's ambiguous, Bran seems to be calling Bloodraven a monster. So, I don't know if CH is introducing himself as Bran's monster.

[Ciazio]

Here's the full exchange that I posted earlier. Again, he could be introducing himself or referring to 3EC. It's not clear

Well, I'm not an english mothertongue, but it's clear as sunlight to me that he is referring to the 3EC...

Might be that he was referring to himself but in that case would be a GRRM's huge stylistic difference with respect to what written before.

[King Doug]

snip

snip

I agree it is quite ambiguous. He very well could be referring to the 3EC. However, that is not the impression I get. But I could see where your argument comes from.

[Jabronius Maximus]

Well, I'm not an english mothertongue, but it's clear as sunlight to me that he is referring to the 3EC...

Might be that he was referring to himself but in that case would be a GRRM's huge stylistic difference with respect to what written before.

Yeah when you consider the context I'd say there's a 5% chance he's introducing himself. Unless the 3EC is Brandon Stark, but that is way out of the realm of possibility.

[kissdbyfire]

But if Children of Forest exist, why don't we see them? The wildlings, or Craster or Gilly, nobody see them

That follow the same logic, and it skepticism, several things went and came unheard or unseen, still it doesn't mean it doesn't exist, unless it is too much crackpot, like there is a space shuttle in the land of always winter and The Others are ET's (my next thread, lol)

Not really. For instance, in AGoT, when Osha is treating maester Luwin's arm after Shaggydog bites him in the crypts, they have that 'history lesson'. In that scene alone we have things like these:

“I’m four now,” Rickon said. He was peeking through the lens tube at the gargoyles on the First Keep. The direwolves sat on opposite sides of the large round room, licking their wounds and gnawing on bones.

“—too young, and—ooh, seven hells, that burns, no, don’t stop, more. Too young, as I say, but you, Bran, you’re old enough to know that dreams are only dreams.”

“Some are, some aren’t.” Osha poured pale red firemilk into a long gash. Luwin gasped. “The children of the forest could tell you a thing or two about dreaming.”

[...]

Bran’s fist curled around the shiny black arrowhead. “But the children of the forest are all gone now, you said.”

“Here, they are,” said Osha, as she bit off the end of the last bandage with her teeth. “North of the Wall, things are different. That’s where the children went, and the giants, and the other old races.”

[Teal'c]

Bran is holding an obsidian arrowhead!

[WillWork4NinjaPowers]

I always theought that the "Your monster..." was meaning Bran's monster, the one he is seeking, not Coldhands. When Bran says "monster," he isn't referring to CH, he is referring to what is going on around them, which is, most likely, Bloodraven stuff.

[Dornishman's wife]

I also believe Cold Hands is one of many Brandon Starks and hides his face so Bran wont recognize his own dead face. I'm happy to have found this thread today."Your monster" IS a' veiled' introduction...the scarf 'veils 'him as well. The "monster" reference reminds me of Frankenstein's monster, both brought back from death. I have a suspicion that all of the "Brandon Starks" may be the same person, reborn over and over since Bran the Builder. After re-reading Chapter 24 of GOT where it says { about Old Nan } that all the Brandon Starks had all become one in her head, It clicked. Then I found this really cool illustration in a video of the history and lore of GOT. It shows Bran the Builder being carried on a litter while overseeing the building of the wall... crippled and carried ...like "our Bran". Maybe BR has been watching the Stark line and waiting for the Brandon

who has this characteristic to be the Brandon who will save humanity again.

http://www.youtube.c...ture=plpp_video

I'll be combing these wonderful illustrations for more clues. "A reader lives a thousand lives". A picture speaks a thousand words !

[Unvanquished]

Benjen Stark was a warg, he was killed, and then re-inhabited his own wights body = Coldhands

:)

[Jslay427]

You piecing together is first rate, something I completely missed, but unless Coldhands is another Brandon Stark (Not Ned's brother) I don't believe it's possible for it to be true. Brandon being killed by the mad king didn't happen THAT long ago either, 15-20 years or so.