Arya's apprenticeship under mummers

[Ice Turtle]

This isn’t really my own theory, more like putting together what has been already posted here and there and adding few bits. Evita mgfs was most probably the first one to bring up this theory, but I wasn’t sold on it until Elaena Targaryen pointed towards two SSMs that claim that there will be a character who calls himself The King of the Mummers. This character hasn’t appeared yet so he is in the stuff that was cut from ADwD, stuff that almost surely contains Arya going to Izembaro.

Izembaro can be a person or a place but after having a good look at Braavosi male names, I’m almost sure it’s a person. More specifically, someone working with King of the Mummers, or even the King himself. (Now, he could be from other chapters that didn’t make it into the fifth book but from Arya, Sansa and Aeron, Arya is by far most likely to meet him.)

If King of the Mummers isn’t enough there are some other points. KoM points out that there are three stages when you pretend to be someone else: mummery, glamour and what FM do. It makes sense that Arya will be starting with the basics, though because leaving 5-years gap GRRM will need to speed up things a little so I can see Arya learning art of mummery and glamouring at the same time.

Another important question is how long will Arya remain in Braavos. Even if she will be a mummer she doesn’t need to be a mummer in Braavos, though I think she will be. I’ll go even farther and say that she will be performing with Blue Lantern.

So far we hear of two mummer groups in Braavos, the Ship and Blue Lantern. Mummers from Blue Lantern are better and more renowned. As Cat of the Canals Arya became close to mummers of the Ship, I don’t think KoM would send her somewhere where she was well known and FM most probably train with the best.

There was a question if a woman can be a mummer, I think that Sloey from the Ship is a woman. Another interesting point is that Arya was already learning speeches from plays, ones that have strong female protagonists – especially if The song of the Rhoyne has something to do with Nymeria.

It would be waste of paper to have Arya just train again, I think that this part of her life will have another important aspect to it: things are going to get interesting in Braavos. Sealord is dying; there are dragons and slave revolt in Slaver’s Bay, slavery thanks to Euron and Stannis’ Lyseni fleet is spreading to Westeros, winter is coming and wood is expensive, and there is a ship full of wildlings, who know that the Others are coming too.

As Cat of Canal she was foreigner most at home in Ragman’s Harbor, as the pretty mummer girl, Arya is going to be more Braavosi, and more affected by those things. It’s fascinating how in Braavos people who are in other lands considered bottom of the society have important position here: “whores” are courtesans with whom common people are not even allowed to talk, killers are FM most famous guild of assassins in the world and anyone will do them a favor just seeing their badge, money mongers formed Iron Bank, most fearsome financial institution of all… It could very well be that mummers have more privileged position too and mingle with ruling class of Braavos. Which mean more juicy gossip for Arya and us.

However nothing lasts forever and sooner or later something will disturb this life, I think it even will be before scheduled end of this apprenticeship. Though I think we will see another near-miss (Tycho will probably return only after Arya goes elsewhere) and Arya won’t reach the North till the last book.

Some interesting quotes about Arya and mummery:

“I read a book about Braavos when I was small. The whole city is built in a lagoon on a hundred little islands, and they have a titan there, a stone man hundreds of feet high. They have boats instead of horses, and their mummers play out written stories instead of just making up the usual stupid farces.“

“I know the mummers at the Blue Lantern are going to do The Lord of the Woeful Countenance and the mummers at the Ship mean to answer with Seven Drunken Oarsmen.“

The mummers off the Ship showed her how a hero stands, and taught her speeches from The Song of the Rhoyne, The Conqueror’s Two Wives, and The Merchant’s Lusty Lady.

The courtesans of Braavos were famed across the world. Singers sang of them, goldsmiths and jewelers showered them with gifts, craftsmen begged for the honor of their custom, merchant princes paid royal ransoms to have them on their arms at balls and feasts and mummer shows, and bravos slew each other in their names

“Quence and Alaquo had a fight and left the Ship, but I think that they’ll come back.”

“Do you only think, or do you know?”

“I only think,” she had to confess, even though she was certain of it. Mummers had to eat the same as other men, and Quence and Alaquo were not good enough for the Blue Lantern.

—MYRMELLO, JOSS THE GLOOM, QUENCE, ALLAQUO, SLOEY, mummers performing nightly on the Ship,

On her way across the city Arya had wondered what the kindly man would say when she told him about Dareon. Maybe he would be angry with her, or maybe he would be pleased that she had given the singer the gift of the Many-Faced God. She had played this talk out in her head half a hundred times, like a mummer in a show.

The Shy Maid was tied up in one of the meaner sections of the long, chaotic riverfront, between a listing poleboat that had not left the pier in years and the gaily painted mummers’ barge. The mummers were a loud and lively lot, always quoting speeches at each other and drunk more oft than not.

Then the mists parted, like the curtain opening at a mummer show to reveal some new tableau...

... weirwood’s carved red eyes stared down at them, its great red mouth open as if to laugh. In the branches overhead a raven quorked.

Fake Arya’s wedding is described as mummery with hearttrees and ravens as audience. Bloodraven is watching.

The waif had shaved her head for her when they took her eyes; a mummer’s cut, she called it, since many mummers did the same so their wigs might fit them better.

“Mummers change their faces with artifice,” the kindly man was saying, “and sorcerers use glamors, weaving light and shadow and desire to make illusions that trick the eye. These arts you shall learn, but what we do here goes deeper. Wise men can see through artifice, and glamors dissolve before sharp eyes, but the face you are about to don will be as true and solid as that face you were born with.”

“It was Father’s idea to do the tilts. He even trained the first pig, but by then he was too sick to ride her, so Oppo took his place. I always rode the dog. We performed for the Sealord of Braavos once, and he laughed so hard that afterward he gave each of us a … a grand gift.”

[ARYa_Nym]

Thanks for compiling the info together.

Good catch on the Blue Lantern. Also, on the mummers specifically teaching her things on female figures.

I wonder if she will have time to learn to change her face which would be a shame since she wanted to learn it so bad. I think she will learn the glamor making at least.

It was first figured that she would stay in Braavos by someone because the KM told her she needs a face that the city watch doesn't know. I believe it was also figured that Izembaro is a Braavosi name.

I think she will stay for a while and then will perhaps go to another Free City.

[Mrs.Grumpy]

You're great ! :laugh: :bowdown:

[Ice Turtle]

I wonder if she will have time to learn to change her face which would be a shame since she wanted to learn it so bad. I think she will learn the glamor making at least.

I think that probably no, even glamors are little stretching it. Though maybe she will cheat and spy on FM trough eyes of animals to learn what they don't want her to know (yet).

[ARYa_Nym]

I think that probably no, even glamors are little stretching it. Though maybe she will cheat and spy on FM trough eyes of animals to learn what they don't want her to know (yet).

I don't agree with the theories that she is going to impersonate a member of the NW but she did keep Dareon's boots and boots are part of glamor making.

He may squeeze it in or have her learn it simultaneously.

GRRM may continue to speed up her chapters. She was just told to learn Pentoshi and Lyseni too so she's going to need a bit of time.

[Fire Eater]

Thanks for compiling the info together.

Good catch on the Blue Lantern. Also, on the mummers specifically teaching her things on female figures.

I wonder if she will have time to learn to change her face which would be a shame since she wanted to learn it so bad. I think she will learn the glamor making at least.

It was first figured that she would stay in Braavos by someone because the KM told her she needs a face that the city watch doesn't know. I believe it was also figured that Izembaro is a Braavosi name.

I think she will stay for a while and then will perhaps go to another Free City.

Like Pentos?

Izembaro could be the King of the Mummers GRRM talked about in an interview.

[Mrs.Grumpy]

Izembaro could be the King of the Mummers GRRM talked about in an interview.

Seems plausible ^_^

[bemused]

I'm enthralled by this. Seems very likely to me. :)

I felt strongly that they would be sending her somewhere ( or to someone) who would help her develop her femininity. She already turned down ( more or less ) training as a courtesan..which ,as a reader ,I was glad of , considering her age. This seems like a pretty ideal situation .. and history could be revealed in the plays... Bonus !

ETA: Glamours could follow in very short order..she's shown herself to be a prodigy at every turn , so far ... and she's already had to be something of an actress to survive .

[Mithras]

I agree that Izembaro should be someone in Braavos since Arya needs a different face in her next training. Learning mummer tricks is naturally the first step for a FM. By the way, I tried to search for possibilities in Arya's future and I think she will reunite with the FM who slapped her some time. Not necessarily in Braavos but possibly somewhere else.

[ARYa_Nym]

I noticed the other day that Arya mentions mummers to Ned in AGoT when talking about Varys. I wonder if AGoT has more foreshadowing like that in her chapters that I've missed. I know it brings up Braavos too beyond Syrio.

[The Broke Howard Hughes]

Didn't she already get another face, The ugly little girl? Or am I mistaken?

[DrunkSister]

She did, now she need a prettier one 'a face as pretty as your own' if I am remembering right

[Syrio.Forel]

I know it brings up Braavos too beyond Syrio.

Did someone mention Syrio Forel??

[SkaggCannibal]

A nice theory indead.

[Julia Martell]

Congrats OP! Treat yourself to something nice as a reward.

[Winnief]

Kudos to the OP!

There's another significance to Arya spending time with Izembaro's troup-as we all know Master of Whispers Varys, was in a mummer's troupe as a child, (and no doubt learning stage management, acting, and audience control were all key to his later calling,) could this be setting up Arya to be a future Master of Whispers?!?

[aryagonnakill#2]

Kudos to the OP!

There's another significance to Arya spending time with Izembaro's troup-as we all know Master of Whispers Varys, was in a mummer's troupe as a child, (and no doubt learning stage management, acting, and audience control were all key to his later calling,) could this be setting up Arya to be a future Master of Whispers?!?

Perhaps it foreshadows Arya beating Varys like a drum. People have speculated that Varys was a FM, but what if he really was just a mummer and in fact only mastered the first level of manipulation, which will be nothing to Arya when she is done. I am wondering if Arya will not cause more trouble of Harys Swift while he is in Bravos. I also wonder if Massey will arrive while he is still there.

[yolkboy]

congrats Ice Turtle, Elaena and Evita! What's sad about this thread is that for all the talk of theories coming true, here's one that did and it didnt make it off the first page! Community fail! But well done those involved :cool4:

[DrunkSister]

deleted

[Lady Gwynhyfvar]

congrats Ice Turtle, Elaena and Evita! What's sad about this thread is that for all the talk of theories coming true, here's one that did and it didnt make it off the first page! Community fail! But well done those involved :cool4:

Seconded!

Amazing assembly of textual foreshadowing. Well done OP and GRRM ;)