Ice and Fire animal project: Wolves

[ARYa_Nym]

I was thinking more of a families canines vs felines, dogs vs cats, wolves vs lions... Interestingly enough to see how Hound fits in Arya's storyline, and how in Sansa. Two different perspectives on one person... While in Sansa it's more of returning to her roots, for Arya is blossoming of the hatred that isn't quite Stark, but more of a Lady Stoneheart. Somehow Hound shifted the girls, and he brought the Starkness in Sansa and harsh 'Tullyness' in Arya.

The Tullys don't strike me as hateful people. Edmure actually seems to have more compassion for his people to me than Ned. Lysa is insane and I think acts out of fear not hate. She was a sweet girl before that. The rest don't seem hateful. Uncat is an undead zombie and thus isn't indicative of the rest of the family.

Ned was the one who told Arya to hate the Hound. He specifically named the Hound and told Arya to hate those who do her harm so she did.

I also mentioned in my essay that Arya showed the wolf life quality in refusing to show him mercy. The wolf being unmerciful is what helped fuel the wolf being associated with the Devil and Jesus with the lamb.

[The Sleeper]

Brandon Stark - The winged wolf

Bran soared ... it was better than anything.

The attributes of wolves in fact and fiction have been covered in great detail in previous posts in this thread. I would like to outline a few of them to place a context for the following overview of Bran’s arc. Wolves frequently represent the animalistic side of man both in terms of power and freedom as well as base desire and savagery. Another aspect of them is loyalty and solidarity. As such they are often dwellers of unknown wild places. In reality of course, wolves are merely animals and do what they do to survive following behavior that is utterly practical and utilitarian, optimized through the generations. The house Bran is a member of and whose founder’s name he bears, bear a mythological version of this animal as their sigil and rule a land at the edge of civilization with their long history rooted myth and legend, their legacy and struggles intricately interwoven with their land. Bran’s direwolf Summer and their relationship features more prominently than any other and we see large part of their arc through the eyes of both boy and wolf as they delve deeper and deeper into that legacy and a fascinating play between reality and myth unfolds. This overview roughly organized by books is an attempt to discover some of the underlying themes in this character’s journey as they come up and hopefully raise some interesting points to discuss. I hope you enjoy it.

- A Game of Thrones -

Bran is the first POV character we encounter. Through his eyes we are first introduced to Ned, Robb, Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy going out to carry out the duty of the lord Stark. At the end of this first chapter he is given by his brother, the then unnamed puppy who blindly squirms in his lap turning to him for warmth. His next chapter is the fall that begins with a climb. Bran climbs the roofs of Winterfell, wanting to take a last look at the place he believed he was about to leave. On his way to feed corn to the crows of the Broken Tower, by way of the first keep, he stumbles upon Jaime and Cersei discussing Ned's appointment as hand of the King and eventually having sex. Upon being discovered he is defenestrated. Next we see comatose Bran dreaming of falling and of looking in wonderment at the whole wide world of the story. During this vision he is faced with a daunting choice: fly or die, and he is told why: ... because Winter is coming. The first words he says upon waking are: ... his name is Summer.

These chapters serve to set up little Bran as pivotal figure in the story. We are introduced to several characters, we hear some basic tenets of Ned's philosophy and the Stark legacy, we first hear of a person called Old Nan telling tales about Wildlings, we witness the effects an encounter with the Others had on a survivor, we are introduced to Robb Stark, the future king in the North and Jon Snow, the future lord commander of the Night's Watch and the differences between them. We see Theon Greyjoy, the dead direwolf mother killed by an antler and the little direwolf pups left alone in the snow. It is a very Stark chapter, in which we are shown places no-one else is and more importantly no-one else can follow. He reaches heights where he observes unseen and knowing things no-one else knows and how that knowledge made him lord of and told what their way is and why it is, which is a lesson for Bran's benefit and at the end of the chapter Bran is handed by his brother a blind and helpless pup that will grow to be the living sigil of their House: a grey direwolf running through the snow. Next we see, Bran on the rooftops of Winterfell, dwelling in Winterfell more than Robb ever would. The little wolf pup is still unnamed, we are told is very smart, understands everything told to him and has no interest in games like throwing sticks and tries to warn Bran of the consequences of his path. Bran is on his way to feed the crows of the Broken Tower with corn. We know of a raven that constantly demands similar tribute. The Broken Tower is in fact a watchtower which is the tallest in Winterfell, out of use for ages. Bran stumbles upon the secret that lies at the heart of the emerging conflict and his fall is the precipitous event (no pun intended) that shapes the things to come. Next comes our first introduction in the mythology of the series. The bird's eye view of the song of ice and fire Bran experiences seems to encompass physical reality, the destinies of the characters in it as well as metaphor. The true enemy is named: Winter. Bran is asked to do the impossible, something, I believe, many of the characters will be asked to do at one time or another during the course of the series (some already have), that is to transcend in order to survive. We get a description of his third eye being opened being every bit as painful as an actual procedure like that might be and the one to greet him as he is born again into a new life is the wolfling. He has grown, radiates warmth and his eyes look like the sun. The first thing Bran does as he wakes is naming his wolf as the opposite of the enemy.

Little Summer, during Bran's coma stubbornly refuses to abandon his side. When chased away he returns and consistently howls, prompting the accompaniment of the other wolves in Winterfell to the annoyance of the human occupants. It appears that he is calling Bran back to life as according to Tyrion the wolf's howls make Bran's heart beat stronger. When Joffrey's cat’s-paw shows up to kill Bran, all appears lost. Despite her best efforts Catelyn lies injured and Bran is helpless on the bed. Summer storms into the room and gives a brutal ending to Bran's would be murderer and then proceeds to lick Catelyn's fingers, before reclining behind Bran. He is the first of the direwofves to take a life, while still little more than a pup, but he also cleans Catelyn's wounds. Summer is established as a devoted companion, a killer and a healer.

In the mean time we see a little bit about what Bran means to his family and his personality in general. We learn that he is mother favorite. Ned sees him as someone who will be able to bridge the gap between Joff and Robb. While he lays in a coma, he becomes the catalyst for Jon and Catelyn to have their one and only heart to heart confrontation.

Bran was described as a happy, lively and friendly boy with the dreams of being a knight of the kingsguard. Instead, his brief encounter with the game of thrones leaves him broken, and when he emerges from the comma, he finds himself abandoned, facing many of life’s harsh realities much sooner that he was meant to be. He has to come to grip with his disability. He is confined in the role of the watcher, and though him we as readers view the situation in Winterfell as it increasingly becomes emptier and the situation direr. Bran acknowledges the mounting losses of their family, as he observes the absence of those that have gone south never to return. He listens to the direwolves howling as Lady's bones return from the south and points Sansa's loss to Robb. He is Robb's chronicler who in some ways is gone before he ever leaves; he also is the one who witnesses Robb's vulnerability beneath the facade of lordship he is struggling to maintain. In a way he is his confessor. The first book ends with him discovering Rickon in the crypts after dreaming their father's death.

In some ways Bran continues observing unseen as he did from the rooftops of Winterfell. Few people pay him any attention and he still conveys us an overview of what is going on in Winterfell. He sees the bannermen assemble and we see through his eyes the first glimpses in their characters and their history. We learn their heraldry through him, a bit about their ambitions. Umbers, Boltons and Karstarks are introduced through Bran's POV. Bran also sees how his brother cowed them into submission and gained their respect. Bran is the POV through which Old Nan tells about the Karstarks and the Others and maester Luwin conveys us the history of the Children of the Forest. Unfortunately both are interrupted. Meanwhile Bran spends more time in the godswood beneath the Heart Tree which used to frighten him and listens to Osha and her tales and starts having an inkling of the true threat. Instinct tells him Osha is right and Robb is marching in the wrong direction. However, like in the scene in the crypts after their father's death, he doesn't trust that instinct yet.

Bran also has to come to grips with his disability. He displays a fair bit amount of despair and denial. The first ray of hope appears in the unlikely form of Tyrion Lannister in the same chapter that Summer is described as silver and smoke, coming behind Grey Wind and Shaggydog and being smaller and warier than the former. Tyrion shows him that he may ride, which stirs hope for the first time after his injury. Still the smell of Lannister is intolerable to Summer who initiates an attack on Tyrion that demonstrates how deadly they can be as a pack as they close on him from both sides while Shaggy attacks unseen from the shadows. Likewise it is Bran who takes the initiative to call the wolves off and tells Rickon to call Shaggy off. Later Bran hugs Summer in anticipation for their outing. After Dancer has been trained Bran goes out with Summer to the latter's natural environment. Bran notices smells that might have been beyond human olfactory ability, while his vulnerability becomes painfully apparent as he finds himself alone and surrounded by wildlings who mean to kill him, rob him and or take him prisoner. When being called a cripple, Bran loudly exclaims that he is Brandon Stark of Winterfell and that he would see them all dead if they do not let him go. As it turns out he is right as Robb shows up with Summer and Grey Wind who proceeds to tear the wildlings apart. The next and more permanent answer to Bran's mobility problems is his caretaker and friend Hodor. Unsatisfied with watching from his room and refusing to leave his life there he goes to the gate on Hodor's back to see the men Karhold arriving at Winterfell, earning their mockery. When he calls Summer to him, however, they struggle to remain on their horses.

There are the themes of Bran experiencing loss, learning all aspects of life in Winterfell and regaining alternate means of getting around and with Summer at his side being somewhat less defenseless than he would seem at first. There is also an apparent conflict between the knowledge of the maesters and the mythology that Bran learns. All these elements come together in the chapter where Bran finds out about his father's death. The secret knowledge comes first. Bran dreams of speaking to his father in the crypts. Maester Luwin denies the significance and attributes it to other factors. They proceed to the crypts, where Bran recounts the names of the procession of the lords of Winterfell and kings in the north until they find Rickon and Shaggydog waiting in Eddard's tomb where Shaggydog attacks maester Luwin. Summer who had been waiting by the stairs, perhaps due to Bran's sense of trepidation of what they might find there, jumps out of the darkness to fight off Shaggydog, leaving the startled maester Luwin to discover that Rickon had the same dream as his brother. They proceed to the maester's turret where Osha dresses Luwin's wounds while the latter recounts the tale of the children of the forest before being interrupted by the bloodied raven that comes to confirm that the dream was true. The scene begins with a presentation of the legacy of house Stark going from kings to lords to Bran's immediate family and finally to his father, recounted by Bran himself, while later we get some more exposition to the mythology of the series, which Bran will actually experience. It is Bran who drags maester Luwin down to the crypts to see if his father was there indeed. Bran diffuses the situation and clams his little brother and takes him and Shaggydog to the turret. Osha acknowledges Bran as the lordling. Summer is Bran's strong arm as he subdues Shaggy but also licks his wounds after the fight. The wolves themselves are aware of the news before they arrive. Against Luwin's council, Bran is the one who is aware of the situation, is calm enough to resolve it and later hugs his little brother as they receive the news of their father's death.

- A Clash of Kings -

Robb's departure leaves Bran with an apparent promotion. He becomes a prince and the Stark in Winterfell. His dreams take on a new meaning. Instead of the figurative dream of being a night, he has nightmares about falling, the weirwood calling to him, the three-eyed crow pecking through his skull and viewing the world through Summer's eyes, who due to Shaggy's aggression has been confined to the godswood. Summer sees his brother stubbornly trying to get out, but unlike him understands that they cannot. Bran experiences a similar sense of confinement. His room and the label "broken" begin to feel like a prison. He howls at the wolves and they howl back to him. The sound carries, giving off the impression that Winterfell is infested with direwolves. This is a mere auditory illusion unfortunately, as there are only two left. Likewise, while Winterfell is full of human occupants, most of them are now strangers and the few people that are not, are too busy to deal with prince who is simply a figurehead. Even his little brother has found new company in the despised Freys, who are now the wards of Lady Catelyn's and he is left worrying that the ones who have gone south will not return again. The prince in the midst of his home, among people who look after him is isolated and alone.

Bran attempts at conversing with the wolves and when they respond to him, he feels that it is in a language that he once knew and has forgotten. He asks various people why the wolves are howling at the comet. Several people give him plausible answers. The ones that seem closer to the mark are the ones from Osha and Old Nan again. Old Nan unequivocally says that the comet means dragons, even though she can't see the comet. Osha puts this into context: Fire and blood, boy and nothing sweet. Bran will get his most relevant answer from dreaming he is Summer. The outside world is calling and he must answer or die.

Meanwhile, Bran is called to play the part of the Stark in Winterfell. At first he observes Ser Rodrick training new recruits. Through Bran we witness the celebrations of the harvest. Various lords visit Winterfell lay out the issues the North faces before maester Luwin and Ser Rodrick to either settle themselves or pass the message on to Robb, while Bran sits on his father's seat, observes protocol, listens and occasionally speaks. Bran serves as a figurehead, but also learns as he is present during Luwin's and Rodrick's deliberations. Though it is not the part he would have chosen he bears with it and doesn't find it too much to his distaste. We are introduced to several more northern lords; the tragic lady Hornwood, the boisterous Umbers and the amiable and obese lord Manderly. The little Freys tags along all the way giving their considerably more cynical perspective. Bran is excluded from the little game of who gets to be the lord of the crossing they introduced in Winterfell; he is asked, though, to play the role of arbitrator. It might prove of some importance that the game abruptly ends in screams when, unconcerned of who said "mayhaps", Shaggydog charges Little Walder when he hits Rickon. It was this little incident that got the direwolves locked in the godswood. When Rickon takes the Freys to the crypts, Bran enraged reminds him that this is a Stark place and that he had no right to do that.

The celebration of the harvest culminates in a grand feast, where Bran makes a grand entry mounted on Dancer's back, wearing his best clothes and his direwolf brooch. Bran himself thinks that he would much rather have Summer on his side. He is again seated on his father's seat, drinks from his father's goblet, hosts the ceremony. The dishes are presented to him, for him to take the lord's portion and sends dishes as a sign of favor and friendship. The festivities eventually only serve to remind him, however, of his infirmity and isolation. This is the time when the offspring of Howland Reed arrive and swear to him the memorable and presumably ancient oath that they swear by ice and fire, that Bran does not know how to respond to. The chapter ends through Summer's eyes; the Reeds approach him unafraid and when Jojen touches him he falls.

Bran has a discussion at some point with maester Luwin about dreams. He poses three questions: Whether wolves, dead men and trees dream. Luwin answers yes on the first, that he doesn't know in the second and no in the third case. Bran disputes his third answer and affirms that trees dream tree dreams. Bran has been having three recurring dreams. He dreams that he is Summer, that the weirwood beckons him and the three eyed crow comes to peck out his eyes and dig a third one out of his skull and that he is falling. Dreaming being Summer is more than pleasant; Bran is enthusiastic to feel that he is walking again. The other two are nightmares. He denies talking about them; at times he denies even having them. Jojen comes to place them into context. They are true dreams and he is the winged wolf, but he is chained with great stone chains. As Jojen forces Bran to face his fears, Summer channels Bran's anger and tries to attack Jojen. Shaggy takes Summer's cue and the Reeds are forced to find shelter on the branches of the weirwood.

Bran still remains unconvinced and asks for proof. Jojen tells him of his dream that the Freys would enjoy their grey and dead meat better than Bran would savory fresh meat. The dream is confirmed and Jojen begins telling him of his other dreams. Bran who was the boy who did not cry wolf in the previous book, he now does and tells the people of Winterfell that they are going to drown. Much like the howls of the wolves themselves, he is dismissed out of hand. The sea comes but Summer and Shaggy are locked in the godswood and unable to help. Winterfell falls to the hands of Theon Greyjoy who frees Reek from his cell.

Bran, his brother, the Reeds and Hodor disappear from Winterfell in the middle of the night. Through Theon’s eyes we see the devastating assault on the ironborn guard and he recounts the terrifying death he suffered. Theon knows better than to try hunting direwolves in the night, but daylight brings no better results. Knowing he is being tricked he tries a trick of his own prompted by Reek, using the direwolf brooch Bran used to wear.

Bran survives his ordeal by pulling off the nifty little trick of being at two places at once, as he sends the wolves ahead and finds refuge with his companions in the crypts beneath Winterfell among his ancestors, the ancient kings and more recent lords. Hidden he touches Jon, who wished for Bran's courage as he was climbing the Skirling pass, in his dreams. Appearing to him as a growing weirwood with three fierce eyes, smelling of boy, wolf and tree but also of darkness and death, he gives Jon his first genuine warg dream. He then witnesses the burning of Winterfell through Summer's eyes. Reluctant to return to the shadows, he then becomes reluctant to return to the light, as he knows what awaits him. He views a scene of death and devastation and finds the dying maester Luwin beneath the heart tree. They say their farewells and embark on their fateful journey. Taking a last look at the home of his childhood, he conveys what Winterfell is to the reader. The walls, the crypts and the ancient godswood. As long as those remain so does Winterfell. Like him it is not dead, only broken.

This is the closing line of the ACOK. It parallels Bran's condition to Winterfell's. Bran's story arc can be said to reflect not only Winterfell, but house Stark in general. The surviving members of house Stark are hunted, in hiding, on the run and/or presumed dead while their home is empty and ruined for others to make their claim in their place. There are elements in Bran's story that reflect how it came to be that way. Like Bran's fall, the fall of house Stark was caused by their involvement with the game of thrones and also how pointing their whole attention there left vulnerable and undefended. Bran bore the impact of Theon's betrayal and in many ways it was Bran's and Winterfell's apparent losses that broke the Starks. It enabled their untrustworthy allies to betray them, it pushed Robb into breaking his vow to the Freys, it caused most of Catelyn's controversial actions, it got Arya to think that she should fly back and never return. After the loss of Lady and Nymeria, Robb set Grey Wind aside; likewise Ser Rodrick had Brandon wear a brooch instead of having Summer walking by Bran's side. As the direwolves represent both the characters of the respective Starks as well as their connection to the mythology of the series, ignoring the call of their actual direwolves as well as their own nature had dire consequences. The reason why is made plain by Shaggydog. They are dangerous. They might also prove to be necessary. The direwolves were aware of the ironborn climbing over the walls, who can say if Winterfell would still have fallen if they were on the loose. As it were, the direwolves were instrumental in the boys escape and survival. The theme of the direwolves saving and/or helping their Starks, is evident in Robb’s victories in the West, in Sansa’s and Arya’s vulnerability and in Nymeria enabling Arya’s escape from Harrenhal, as well as an inspiration for finding her courage back.

Bran's mythological associations which were hinted at in the previous book are developed here in earnest, as we get the first “wolf” POV. It is somewhat of a contradiction that this is the book that the two, Bran and Summer, spend most apart. In some ways Bran displays the same attitude with the rest of his family, not in regards to his direwolf but to his dreams, which many consist of looking through Summer’s eyes. The dreams are disturbing and he is afraid of them so he keeps them out of his mind as much as possible and even accepts Luwin’s salve in the hopes that they will suppress them. In other ways he suffers the same fate as Summer does, as he is ignored, largely on account of being young and crippled. Summer is confined, not because of his own aggression but because of Shaggydog’s. The apprehension, however, is justified on both accounts, as Summer while being generally calm and in control is capable of extreme violence. We have the circle of the wild calling to both Summer and Bran, Summer calling to Bran, Bran’s dreams calling to Bran and all of them being ignored or dismissed in the midst of the seemingly more important affairs Bran and his immediate caretakers have to contend with. There is a differentiation of the meaning of dreams as well. Bran’s dream in the sense of aspiration or goal to become a white knight is irretrievably lost. Dreams have now become doorways into one’s self, hopes, desires and fears. In Bran’s instance they commence an end to childhood, revealing him a much more direct desire than being a knight, but also confronting him with his terrifying destiny. Being crippled, Bran dreaming that he can walk, and be free is contrasted both with the terror of his calling and his waking reality of duties and being carried around and how he must cope with both. This being a fantasy series of course they have a host of manifestations.

The other pattern that continues to be developed is of Bran conveying the traditions and realities of ruling the North, only now form the position of the lord himself. He hosts the ceremonies, receives the dignitaries and hears their issues. This reflects Sam telling Jon that one of Lord Tarly’s methods of education, of having Sam and later Dickon with him when he held council and taking him along as he visits other lords. This is also the explicitly stated purpose of Bran attending these functions; to be educated in being a lord. Ser Rodrick tells him that he is doing well. Bran himself is ambivalent. He understands that he is merely a figurehead, he is only half-aware of what is being said, this is not the vision he had of his future and that he stands apart which only serves to accentuate his isolation. Still, he echoes his mother and his sisters when he tells himself to be strong, because he is a Stark of Winterfell and that he has a duty. He can’t help himself feeing proud when the people of Winterfell cheer him as he makes his way down the Great Hall during the feast. In this context I think there are three events that stand out. Him being at the receiving end of the Reeds swearing him what appears to be the ancient oath to the kings of winter, him scolding his little brother for taking the Freys to the crypts and finding shelter there when Theon was occupying Winterfell and Ramsay sacked it.

Bran being broken and house Stark along with him is only half the story. There is a sense of being marked and burdened by a grander and darker destiny. This is exemplified by the imagery of the winged-direwolf being tied to the earth by stone chains. All the surviving Stark siblings are called on to become not only more than they are, but also more than they were meant to be and all seem to be going into journeys that will lead them to just that. There is a need of growing up, reexamining all they have learned so far and pacing into a new context. Loss of innocence is an unavoidable consequence of that and within this story it is brought about in a traumatic fashion. This is not an easy transition, it is violent and painful and there is fear as well as temptation along the way. Bran’s longing to be free is answered in the most horrid way possible; the loss of anything he has ever known including his own health and facing a daunting journey towards an unknown destination with enemies at his back.

- A Storm of Swords -

The book finds Bran & Co taking shelter in the vault of an old abandon tower, they dub tumbledown tower. Its start takes place through Summer’s eyes who is running free and wild and is as happy as could be, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of his surroundings as well as his own robustness. The wolf recalls the title the boy had and claims it for himself. He is the prince of the wild and all that lives in the green world goes in fear of him. Seeing a pack of his little grey cousins, he recalls his own pack that has been scattered, saddened by the memory of his lost sister. The smell of prey calls to him and he finds the pack he observed earlier feasting on a deer. The direwolf subdues the head of the pack, relishing the fight and then licks his opponent’s wounds before proceeding to feast. This warging session is brought to a halt as Bran is being called back into his own body, to his dissatisfaction. The situation under the tower seems miserable in comparison and Jojen asks Bran if he did the things he asked him to do when he was in Summer’s skin. Bran tells him no and Jojen reminds him that he and Summer are separate entities and expresses the fear that Bran may fall through his third eye. Bran thinks he would much rather be Summer and brings up his age as an excuse, to which Jojen replies by reminding him of the Stark words. Their musings are interrupted by Meera to whom Bran can’t stay mad at. They consider their situation and while Bran wonders why they always listen to Jojen, the choice is placed in his hands. Bran tries to emulate his father, considering all the options and opts to head for the three-eyed crow.

Their journey takes them through the wilderness of the north, with Meera being practical and enjoying the scenery, Jojen being solemn and stalwart in his determination and Bran being a nine year old. They amuse themselves telling each other stories, live off the land and find shelter wherever they encounter it. Bran demonstrates his knowledge of the North and Summer’s superior senses by revealing that they are not as unnoticed as they think, but that the denizens of the mountain will leave them alone as long as they do not disturb them in turn. When they encounter a member of the Liddle clan, he pretends not to recognize them and gives them food and information. Jojen in turn tells him that the wolves will come again. From the Reeds, we hear the tale of the knight of the laughing tree and their surprise that Bran does not know of this tale.

Their journey takes them to Queenscrown a place both Bran and Jon recall for the teachings of maester Luwin and Bran also remembers the causeway beneath the surface of the lake allowing the group to find shelter form the coming storm in the tower in the middle of the lake. As fate would have it, the wildling group led by Styr also finds this place and makes camp there. As Hodor is shouting in fear of thunder, Bran spontaneously and momentarily enters his mind in order to keep their presence hidden form the wildlings. Bran watches the scene that unfolds in the ruins of the inn through Summer’s eyes and exploits a bolt of lightning leaving the wildlings blind to launch a devastating assault which kills at least three and allows Jon the opportunity to escape in the confusion, though both him and Summer are injured.

On the aftermath of the assault Bran is gravely concerned about Summer’s fate as the pain the direwolf is feeling from the arrow he received, drives Bran away from the wolf’s mind and so makes him unable to know the condition of the direwolf. There is also a sense of dread from a dream that Summer and himself had regarding the fate of Robb and Grey Wind. Bran does not share his dream with his companions although Meera senses something is wrong. As the group approaches the Nightfort Bran recounts the horror stories that are attached to this place. This is the place where the Night’s King reigned, the place where Mad Axe killed fellow members of the Night’s Watch, the place where the Rat Cook baked a guest into a pie and fed him to his father, where the deserters are buried in the ice of the Wall to stand eternal vigil, where the thing in the night was seen by the apprentices and where Brave Danny Flint was rapped and murdered. The place itself is abandoned and has gone to ruin and lives up to the ambience that the stories lend it. Unable to find passage through or over the Wall, the group settles for the night in the kitchens, where a young faceless weirwood is growing out the tiles and through the roof, until sounds come out from the well. Afraid of what might be making these sounds and unwilling to allow his friends to fight alone, Bran enters Hodor’s mind for a second time. As it turns out it is Samwell Tarly accompanied by Gilly and her baby. After some confusion, Sam promises not to reveal their encounter and proceeds to lead the group down the well and before the black gate, a magical weirwood door with an impossibly old face carved on it. Sam recites the vows of the Night’s Watch and the door lets them through.

Summer is finally free in this book and in his natural environment, he is a happy wolf. The only blemish is his recollection with his lost pack. There is an interesting point: Summer is saddened by the loss of his sister, though when he elaborates, his thoughts are that she left the wild woods where their kind has dominion to dwell where other hunters ruled and that it was hard to find her way out of there. As Nymeria is running free in the riverlands, one can only assume that there is some identification in the wolf’s mind between Lady and Sansa. Summer also seems to be aware of his siblings, hinting that there is a bond between the direwolves. Bran’s own situation is much less satisfactory and Summer’s strength and freedom is much more preferable to his own condition as a disabled, dispossessed exile. Bran’s woken abilities present themselves as a temptation and an escaped. It takes Jojen as a dedicated teacher to point to him that in order for his gift to be useful he must use it with purpose, deliberation and moderation. This is a heavy task for a nine year old, but as Jojen points out they don’t have the luxury of time and Jojen’s limitations as a teacher in this regard are exposed. The composition of Bran’s group is of interest as well. Jojen is wise and resolute in his conviction, Meera is able, cheerful and practical and Hodor is tireless, essential, but in a sense the most vulnerable member of their party. They all play their part within the group and Bran wonders why they all listen to Jojen though he has none of the others abilities nor Bran’s formal authority. When Bran ponders this question the decision of where to head to, when they are within the tumbledown tower, is placed in his hands. He tries to emulate his father and considers all options. As he does this he realizes that there are no guaranties and that even if he found a safe place, there will be no progression. Thus is also Jojen’s function revealed; he is the one who has sight of their purpose and the one who keeps them going.

At first glimpse it would appear that Bran is the least helpful part of their little band. Through his connection to Summer he becomes rather valuable. Summer’s superior senses make him aware of things that the others are not and the direwolf brings them food as well. Bran’s ability will even save their lives as he gets to quiet Hodor when the wildlings are outside the tower in Queenscrown. In regards to Jon, Bran acts as nothing less than a deus ex machina. In the moment where his death seemed certain and his mission failed Summer gives him a chance to escape. Jon goes on to warn Castle Black and take part in its defense, thus living something for Stannis to save when he turns up north. Jon thinks to himself that he has never seen an animal move so fast and wonders if Robb has returned to the north. Combined with giving Jon his first warging dream this is the second time Bran has provided critical aid to the Night’s Watch.

Bran continues to display his knowledge of the north as they travel through the mountains. He conveys what mountain clans dwell there, that they are aware of them and that they would leave them alone. When they encounter one of them they are provided with aid and the readers are told a little bit of what the Starks meant to the people of the north and how they view the situation as it has unfolded, with hint of reprehension towards Robb. There are many tales being told and at some point Jojen points that retelling the tales is a means of keeping Old Nan alive when Bran is contemplating about her loss, highlighting these tales and the legacy as a link with the past and a means of building a continuum. We get a lot more of tales as the group approaches the Nightfort and the tales take a turn for the darker, which were Bran’s favorite kind until he was forced to live them. One of these stories (the Rat Cook) has had direct significance to the story so far. The castle at the end of the world needs to be something awe-inspiring and it lives up to the expectations. There are hints of hidden things and it does not yield up its secrets easily; it takes Sam emerging from a well to take our heroes through. The Black Gate appears to swallow them and it sheds a tear as they pass through.

- A Dance with Dragons -

As they cross the threshold their journey takes a turn for the darkest. They trek through desolate lands and the joy of discovery and sharing stories is gone, as exhaustion, exposure and hunger are constant threats. Jojen’s aura of wisdom is gone and he is struggling visibly for survival, while even Hodor begins to falter. The emptiness grates on them as well and they go on in silence hoping to find shelter for the night. Bran being cargo prefers to spend most of his time in Summer’s skin who if hungry and cold as well, is at least more aware of his surroundings. When Bran tires of being Summer, he enters Hodor’s mind who doesn’t fight him as much as he used to. Their guide does not put them at ease either. Obviously diseased and attended by ravens he departs at some point to deal with followers they have, denying Meera’s offer to help, telling him that Bran needs to be protected and directs the rest of the group to find shelter in a fishing village. With Bran’s prompting Summer turns his attention from the elk and manages to find the village for them. As the group huddles down in their bleak and cold refuge, Summer goes out to hunt and Bran joins him. Summer’s sense of smell leads him to the pack that had been following the group, feasting on the remains of the foes Coldhands dealt with. Summer proceeds to subdue the head of that pack as well, aware that it is a warg. After he does so, Summer urinates on the old wolf and claims dominion over the pack, despite Bran’s protestations that they already have a pack and proceeds to eat the bodies of the slain foes, again against Bran’s qualms about the fact that the they were members of the Night’s Watch. The wolf is unconcerned as he is hungry and notes that this is the best flesh he has ever tasted. Returning in his own body just in time for a supper of questionable origin, Bran and Meera confront Coldhands. Unperturbed the ranger admits that he is dead as if it were of no consequence and names the three-eyed crow as a friend, a dreamer, the last greenseer. Alarmed by the news they receive, the group briefly reconsider their chosen path, but as Jojen points out they have crossed the point of no return.

The journey of the group concludes in sight of the cave of the children of the forest, as Jojen is at the end of their rope and the great elk that had carried them this far has succumbed and butchered for meat. Even most of the raven’s that had been following them have vanished. There is a sense of fear as Coldhands senses the threat and even Summer is afraid smelling the cold. Just before Bran reaches the entrance to the cave, the ambush is sprung and they find themselves in a desperate fight against wights. Summer again saves the helpless Bran form a wight and the latter finds himself in Hodor’s skin carrying Jojen up the hill as Summer tries to keep a burning wight from Bran’s body. In the end it takes the intervention of a child of the forest called leaf, who Bran mistakes for his sister Arya, setting the wights ablaze with a torch and a tree burying Bran under snow to save them. When Bran awakes inside the cave, he realizes his error regarding Leaf and feels like he has fallen inside Old Nan’s stories. Leaf tells them, that they name themselves those who sing the song of the earth and that the giants called them squirrel people. She also claims that she is two hundred years old, has lived amongst humans for a considerable amount of time and that she learned to speak the common tongue for Bran’s sake. She then leads, through what appears the underside of a vast weirwood grove, a graveyard and a maze to a seemingly dead lord seated on a throne of weirwood roots that go through him. The lord is alive and watching though; he says that he has been watching and waiting for Bran since before he was born and after telling him that he cannot fix his legs, promises that Bran will fly.

Bran’s flight lessons are laid out like a dream sequence. In no particular chronological order that echoes the timelessness of the caves, Jojen grows more sullen and Meera angrier as they explore the caverns, Hodor no longer resists the incursions of his master but retreats further into himself as Bran in his skin explores the caves and tags along Jojen and Meera unasked. Bran learns to fly in the skin of a raven and discovers that there is a long dead woman of the singers present within. He learns that the ravens spoke the messages in the old times, proving Old Nan right once again. Sometimes through the raven’s eyes and sometimes through Summer’s he observes the latter and his pack feasting on dead flesh and growing gaunter with each hunt. He learns that the children of the forest are waning much like all the other legendary creatures of Westeros, as men leave no room for them. Bran thinks to himself that men would fight and kill if they faced such a fate. We learn that weirwoods are the living memory of the children of the forest (and not just them), that they are immortal and that time to them is meaningless and that he is to wed them. When the time comes he is fed a paste of weirwood seeds veined with something that looks a lot like blood. The paste initially tastes bitter, but progressively its taste improves until he comes to spoon it eagerly. He is told then to go into the trees and catches a glimpse of his father. He whispers, which his father seems to hear. Startled, he retreats entertaining briefly the notion that his father is still alive. Leaf and Bloodraven dispel this notion and tell Bran how the mind can shape perception. Bloodraven also tells him that he will eventually be able to see whatever he wants. Bran wants to share his progress with his friends, but they are nowhere to be found. Failing to stay awake he goes back into the tree in Winterfell and sees various scenes from the history of Winterfell going back in time until he sees a blood sacrifice taking place before the heart tree. … Brandon Stark could taste the blood.

This is the last we see of Bran so far, but there hints of his presence and his influence later in the books, most notably in Theon’s chapters where it is him on the other side of the weirwood, trying to communicate with Theon as the tree seems to whisper his name and a blood-red hand-shaped leaf touches him. This is what prompts Theon to find some courage and rescue Jeyne Poole form their tormentor.

The journey in this book is in stark contrast with the journey in ASOS. There is no joy of exploration, adventure, or companionship. This is a bitter struggle with no happy destination in sight. Coldhands’ presence itself, casts a grim light on their goal. Summer himself, reflects this shift. An unfailingly sympathetic figure previously, he becomes gaunt and hungry, a savage, relentless predator. In the previous book, he fought the leader of another pack. Summer enjoyed that fight and afterwards he licked the beaten wolf’s wounds. This time there is no joy or sport. The struggle is bitter and desperate, the motivation food, dominion and survival. He defeats Varamyr’s wolf, pisses on him and takes his pack for his own. The prize is human flesh dressed in the clothes of the Night’s Watch. Summer does not care at all and Bran is unable to stop him. Likewise Summer can’t help, but see the great elk that carried the Reeds as prey. Bran thinks of the animal as a friend and does not want to eat the animal’s flesh when it fails. The imperatives of hunger are undeniable and he eats twice; as boy and as wolf. The fate of Bran’s companions seems to be reflected by the fate of the elk. They are used for all they can give and then discarded. Jojen and Meera, make for particularly tragic figures. Jojen left his home on a holy quest. He is a true believer that laid out his life and brought Bran where he was meant to be. At the end of the road he is left with nothing and the power he put his faith in cares naught for him. Likewise, his sister went with him, protected him, fed him and even carried him finds that she took her brother to a dead end. And poor Hodor, who has only been kind, loyal and friendly finds himself being used despicably by Bran. They went in a quest to find power and they did. Power is seductive, uncaring and consuming. Bran is not beyond the prize of power himself. It does not give him what he wants. He cannot walk, and he cannot console Meera. He does develop two very adult traits about it, though. Denial and rationalization. Also, as the others are left behind, he is meant to go forward alone where they can’t follow.

Bran’s entire story arc has been littered with references to him being special, the chosen one. His guides and his hosts all demonstrate that attitude. Coldhands was sent to find him, Leaf has learned the Common Tongue for him and Bloodraven has been watching him all his life. Finally we get to see what that destiny is. Coming full circle the series shows us Ned cleaning ice by the black pool in the godswood. Bran becomes the one watching through the eyes of the trees, he becomes the one others pray too. We see that the power is knowledge, memory, shared experience, to see through someone else’s eyes, to know their desires, their fears and dreams. To know that thread that weaves men’s fates together through time. To influence, unseen and untouchable. It is a terrible power and a terrible burden as well for a broken boy. It is also something that will set him forever apart. Bran has been through hell and I think he has a good deal more to go through.

“Gone down into the earth,” she answered. “Into the stones, into the trees. Before the First

Men came all this land that you call Westeros was home to us, yet even in those days we were few. The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us.”

She seemed sad when she said it, and that made Bran sad as well. It was only later that he thought, Men would not be sad. Men would be wroth. Men would hate and swear a bloody vengeance.

The singers sing sad songs, where men would fight and kill.

I’ve included this passage, because I think it poses a good question for Bran’s future. Will he be sad or wroth?

[Mladen]

Just an Other, this is amazing essay. I haven't been around for some time, so I hadn't had a chance to say how great this piece is. Bran isn't my specialty so I don't have much to say except to complement detailed and wonderfully written work. As OP of this project, I couldn't be more proud to have this essay on my thread... Well done indeed...

Now,

OP NOTIFICATION: After Bran essay, somewhere around August 1st, we'll start with analysis of Sansa wolf traits. During entire August, I'll post three essays dedicated to exploration of most wrongly denied wolf traits. I hope most of you will like it. Also, I will present you entire Animal project outline with around 20 separate topics we'll cover in the months to come. So, August will be Sansa month... Thanks for your support...

[Mladen]

OP NOTIFICATION:

When I began Animal project in April, I couldn’t even hoped for response I got from this community. In the past months, Animal project received praises from so many of you, that I really thought it would be best to present you with an outline for entire project I plan to write. The plan is to do at least once a month, with exception of August of 2013 where both Stag and Dragon project will be started. Suggestions, as always, are more than welcome. Those of you that want to join our quest will be gladly accepted. So, here it is:

1. Wolf

2. Lion

3. Stag

4. Dragon

5. Kraken

6. Fish

7. Dog

8. Cat

9. Bear

10. Snake

11. Pig* - waiting mods’ approval

12. Fox

13. Horse

14. Spider

15. Mockingbird

16. Frog

17. Tiger and elephant

18. Ornithology subproject: Raven

19. Ornithology subproject: Crow

20. Ornithology subproject: Falcon

21. Ornithology subproject: Sparrow

22. Mythology creatures subproject: Giants

23. Mythology creatures subproject: Mermaid

24. Mythology creatures subproject: Griffon

25. Mythology creatures subproject: Harpy

26. Botanic spin-off project: Rose

27. Botanic spin-off project: Onion

28. Astronomy spin-off project: Sun

29. Astronomy spin-off project: Stars

30. Astronomy spin-off project: Moon

[Alia of the knife]

I'll take spider, just give me a due date :)

[Mladen]

I'll take spider, just give me a due date :)

That would be June 2014 :), but you'll be working with me on OP project of Spider thread since I plan to write each OP... I consider this my legacy to this forum...

[Fire Eater]

This project looks ambitious and interesting can't wait for the dragon one, I already have some material for that.

[Lala]

Looking forward to the upcoming Sansa analysis =D

Random thought on Bran as the winged wolf - I remember something about how there were rumors of Sansa turning into a wolf with the wings of a bat and escaping KL after the PW, which I think is an interesting connection between the siblings.

Also~ I would be very interested in working on the Rose project when that comes up (if it's not already taken)

[Mladen]

Looking forward to the upcoming Sansa analysis =D

It will be done by the end of the week. And I hope people will like it. After all, it's the reason why this thread is opened.

Random thought on Bran as the winged wolf - I remember something about how there were rumors of Sansa turning into a wolf with the wings of a bat and escaping KL after the PW, which I think is an interesting connection between the siblings.

I think it ties Sansa Stark roots, with her Whent roots (their sigil was a bat, their seat Harrenhall, and Sansa grandmother, Cat's mother, was Minisa Whent), so it's more of connection between Sansa and Harrenhall.

Also~ I would be very interested in working on the Rose project when that comes up (if it's not already taken)

I'll be looking for co-hosts of the project, and individual threads soon, so any idea, suggestion and conversation about organization would be best to be dealt on PM.

[WinterKing]

I'll be waiting anxiously for all this.

[Alia of the knife]

That would be June 2014 :), but you'll be working with me on OP project of Spider thread since I plan to write each OP... I consider this my legacy to this forum...

Okay, sounds good.

I am fascinated by them because they repel me, but at the same time are my best friends in the sweltering heat of the Summer, because I'm allergic to mosquitoes, and guess what spiders LOVE?

Spiders are quite vicious even as they are utterly beneficial to the ecosystem- Varys?

With the imagery of spiders and Varys with his silks, as well as his "children" we may see something of how his mind works.

He's vicious, but he serves the Realm.

[evita mgfs]

Nice topic and great work, Mladen. Will have to take some time because of your essays length. Incidentally, I found this a few days back:

http://seeker7.hubpa...gy-Power-Animal

Also, it would be valid for someone who has a copy to explore the parallels with

London's novels. I think he's an author Martin is fond of.

:bowdown: :bowdown: ARABELLA: AWESOME LINK. I have always been a fan of Jack London who presents his novels The Call of the Wild and White Fang from the POV of the wolf/canines, animals used and manipulated by humans in the harsh environments of the Klondike/Yukon.

Readers sympathize with the canines who suffer immeasurable cruelty, even being used as a “fight” dog until the animal is near death and abandoned by his owner. London’s novels and short stories also demonstrate how the canines are better suited to survive in cold environments because they rely on instinct whereas their male counterparts are arrogant and think they are superior to the elements. Often the man dies due to his own folly and the canine lives.

I am just writing from memory – but if Martin is a London fan, a closer and more thorough comparisons might be in order. ESPECIALLY if Jon WARGS Ghost in TWoW. All the detractors who argue against Martin penning a POV from Ghost/Jon’s perspective is not likely because of a novel named Farscape in which such is done, thereby disallowing Martin from pursuing what may be construed as borrowing from a source that which has already been done.

Well, long before Farscape, there was Jack London, who also also features a canine in “To Build A Fire”, a short story about a man who lacks imagination – and whose dog is smarter than he and more suited to survive in the Klondike. The man freezes to death after a fruitless attempt to build a fire – the dog survives, and the dog tries to get the man not to go, but the man is arrogant!

IMHO, Martin’s writing style when creating the children’s wolf dreams echo London’s perspective from the consciousness of the wolf or canine. The acute sensory perceptions that develop in the Stark wargs mirrors London’s approach of telling a story via an animal’s viewpoint.

It has been a few years since I revisited London’s novels, but I vividly remember the theme of man versus nature and nature’s superiority to man who always underestimates the environment and overestimates his abilities to arise victorious when faced with an indomitable foe. London’s force of nature is often the Klondike and Yukon where weather and freezing conditions are threatening and merciless. With the lands north of the Wall and with “Winter” pelting the north, Martin’s setting is not unlike London’s.

Maybe the purpose of the direwolves and Stark allegiance is to have a means of surviving the force of Winter through accessing the instincts of the wolves that are more defined by their living in such harsh conditions.

Great catch, Arabella!

[Mladen]

First, I would like to welcome evita mgfs to the thread, and to inform you all that she has accepted my invitation to become co-host of the Animal project. Evita, with some of her associates, opened a reread thread about animals in January 2013, and she was someone who worked a lot on the field of animal symbolism in ASOIAF. Therefore, I felt that this thread could only benefit from her vast knowledge of animals. Also, I am curretly negotiating with one more member for the third host of this project. All the ideas, thoughts and suggestions can be directed to evita, and we will together talk about them...

Also, this is the chance to announce, once again (I know :bang: ) Stag project, that will come, if God is merciful, tomorrow.

Gratitudes to Rapsie, a dear friend and exquisite poster, I post these two articles about wolves for which she thought we will enjoy reading:

Wolf Tattoo Meanings

Article about wolf howl

snip

Well, I think it's time to reread London's novel, evita? :)

[King of Winters]

First, I would like to welcome evita mgfs to the thread, and to inform you all that she has accepted my invitation to become co-host of the Animal project. Evita, with some of her associates, opened a reread thread about animals in January 2013, and she was someone who worked a lot on the field of animal symbolism in ASOIAF. Therefore, I felt that this thread could only benefit from her vast knowledge of animals. Also, I am curretly negotiating with one more member for the third host of this project. All the ideas, thoughts and suggestions can be directed to evita, and we will together talk about them...

Also, this is the chance to announce, once again (I know :bang: ) Stag project, that will come, if God is merciful, tomorrow.

Gratitudes to Rapsie, a dear friend and exquisite poster, I post these two articles about wolves for which she thought we will enjoy reading:

I have a feeling these threads will turn out like GRRM and the series, saying it'll be posted then, but you keeping having to postpone it, or it not posted on time :P

Thinking about it now, is there anything on a flayed man you could do, seeing as your such a big fan of Roose Bolton now :P

[Mladen]

I have a feeling these threads will turn out like GRRM and the series, saying it'll be posted then, but you keeping having to postpone it, or it not posted on time :P

Thinking about it now, is there anything on a flayed man you could do, seeing as your such a big fan of Roose Bolton now :P

Reason of my delay, and of course another one ... You know, there is no way you can write several essays at once...

And, BTW, Mladen is not your bitch :)

The only flaying I will be doing is the flaying of trolls from my thread...

[King of Winters]

Reason of my delay, and of course another one ... You know, there is no way you can write several essays at once...

And, BTW, Mladen is not your bitch :)

The only flaying I will be doing is the flaying of trolls from my thread...

Has that Pig animal project been approved yet or not?

[Mladen]

Has that Pig animal project been approved yet or not?

Not yet, since I didnt get reply by the mod I was talking to... There needed some clarifications to be done by my side, and it all ended there. I will contact one of the mods soon about that...

[1234567]

Hope I am not too late to the party. If no one else is particularly desperate to cover it, I would be keen to work on the Mermaid sub project.

[evita mgfs]

DIREWOLVES, WOLVES AND MEN

Homo homini lupus est. Or as we would say, a man is a wolf to man. Can we say the same for men and wolves? And in that equation, where does direwolf stand? What is direwolf to a wolf, and wolf to a man?

Direwolf, one of the most ferocious predators that ever walked the Earth, persisted during Ice Age for nearly 1, 8 million years. It was the largest known wolf. Approximately 2 feet tall and 5 feet long and around 180 pounds weight, direwolf was the force to be reckoned with in Ice Age. For thousands of years, it lived in harsh world among mammoths, bisons, and sabertooth cats. In the ruthless condition, 10 000 years ago, in North America, direwolves dominated the landscape like so few others.

In comparison to his younger, weaker brother, grey wolf, direwolf was truly a savage animal. Although, they share anatomy and physiology, there are few significant differences between two species. Direwolf`s bones were aproxiately of the same size as wolf`s, but they were much thicker, indicating that the muscles connected to bones were much longer and stronger. The difference was also in their head size, especially in jaw and teeth area, where direwolf dominated over wolf. The importance of head size is seen during hunt. Larger head, with stronger jaw and teeth provide stronger and more lethal bite. Unlike wolf, direwolf was capable of tackling down animal 10 times bigger. In that time, wolves were underdogs because of their smaller size and strength comparing to direwolf`s.

But, then 10 000 years ago, at the near end of Pleistocene epoch, things abruptly changed. Suddenly, in just several hundred years, direwolves extinct and somehow wolves survived. Although, there are no definite scientific proofs, there are few very likely scenarios that scientists believe it happened. According to the most scientists, the extinction of direwolves happened because of climate changes that occurred at the end of Pleistocene epoch, making climate much warmer. But, some scientists believe that climate isn`t the only cause of their extinction, due to the fact that direwoves had survived several climate changes during Ice age. For them, there are two more possible causes. The first one is the comet that passed near Earth, somewhere 10 000 years ago and exploded over North America. The explosion influenced climate changes and made the change more abrupt and difficult to adapt. With this sudden change, many prehistoric predators alongside direwolves fell into oblivion. The other and also very possible cause is appearance of men. Prehistoric men, who behaved just like wolves, lived in tribes and hunted that way. They competed with direwolves for food, and were more intelligent hunters. But also, with appearance of men, appeared variety of microorganisms that could have infected animals. With combination of climate changes, competition for food, and new diseases, direwolves had no chance. But, how then the grey wolf, the weaker kind survived?

Unlike direwolves, wolves had to satisfy with what was left. They were also forming packs, and were attacking in them, but they weren`t as nearly as dangerous as direwolves. This influenced their diet. While direwolves were feeding of large animals like horses or bisons, wolves had to satisfy with smaller animals, and fish. This dietary distinction will save wolves from extinction. Because of the fewer number of large animals, wolves would eat smaller animals and fish, while direwolves would starve to death. Wolves` ability to adapt on new conditions saved them from the fate their stronger relatives had to suffer. But they were far from safe.

If any animal throughout the history was considered men`s worst enemy, it certainly would be the wolf. Thousands of years passed, and there is still a constant fight between men and wolf all around the world. With growing population and development of agriculture, men fought endless battles with wolves to protect the livestock. In history, wolf has been presented as evil, something that should be afraid of and even raw malice of wilderness. That had led to even legislated prosecutions of wolves (like in England and Yugoslavia) in Europe and North America through various periods of time. Lastly, the number of wolves is at its lowest point ever. In USA there are only 9 000 wolves, in Canada 60 000, in Russia 20 000 and in entire Europe, no more than 15 000. When you compare that to population of each continent, one thing is obvious. Man has won the war against the wolves.

The wolves have outlived diewolves, man has beaten wolves. This is what happened in our world. But, how things stand in ASOIAF? As was already been discussed, Stark family embodies the wolves in Westeros. Direwolves would be their distant relatives, First Men and ancient Kings in the North, and the role of men goes to Southerners, descendents of those that prosecuted the First Men and their religion, and those that enforced their lifestyle, culture and beliefs.

The wonderful parallel between North back then and North at the beginning of ASOIAF, gives Ned Stark. In the crypts of Winterfell, Ned senses the strength, cruelty and harshness of ancient Kings. They were not knights of summer, or men known for mercy and kindness. They were strong men with their own code. They created their own laws and followed them. From all we know of them, they weren`t alike Kings of today, they were like winter, cold, powerful and wild. They were direwolves just like the animal on their sigil. More dangerous than calm, they ruled fiercely for thousands of years, remaining unchallenged and unbeaten for all that time. But, just like uncompromising direwolves, their reign ended. When Aegon the Conqueror landed on Dragonstone, and began invasion of Westeros, last King in the North bended his knee and surrendered him the North. With that, time of the unbeaten direwolf has passed. Their sons shall be called the Lords and Wardens, and they shall be called the wolves.

For wolves they were. Each of Stark Lord was bound to Iron Throne. He could have been wild and unchallenged in his own area, but he was obliged to obedience to another animal – dragon. From alpha position Starks as direwolves had, they had become strong betas, for dragon took them the power they had. So, for three hundred years, they lived and ruled the North, without too much interference in Southern affairs. But, wolf is hungry beast, and it seeks for new prey and power. With misguided idea that mixing with Southerners will bring him something good, Lord Rickard engaged his firstborn son to daughter of Riverrun, and his only daughter to Lord of Storm`s end.

Dragons were gone, and the Kings of Westeros were nothing more than men with pathological obsession of grandeur and purity of blood, lesser sons of greater fathers. And when conflict began, Aerys showed how little of that grandeur is in him. He did what neither dragon nor wolf would ever do. The atrocity committed during so-called trial of Rickard and Brandon Stark was the doing of a man. Beasts know how to kill, but not to torture. Beasts kill for food and power, not for sick amusement. And just like in our world, men, with their intelligence and cruelty, were victorious over wolves. But wolves fought, and at the end Aerys was killed, the crown passed to another man, and half of the royal family had gone to exile.

But this was just the beginning of war the wolves will have with men. Only 14 years after, the men will once more challenge the wolves. When Joffrey ordered Ned`s death, it wasn`t lion who did it. Joffrey wasn`t the beast we often compare him to. Once more, this was done by someone who wanted grandeur and respect, by someone who didn`t kill of need, than out of fun. Joffrey was in this act, more human than beastly. And everything he has been doing since then was confirmation of that. Starks had to face another peril. With the death of alpha male, the young pup had to claim position. But, alas others had made of him direwolf. His bannermen made of him King in the North. Robb Stark, a child, a pup, had suddenly had the title of such different people. Robb wasn`t the like the old Kings in the North. He had not their strength, their harshness and preservation. Unfortunately, he died in treacherous act orchestrated by lion, and played by so lesser creature, that calling him a being would be an insult. His siblings, scattered around the world, survived the worst. They were attacked, tortured and captured. But, they have endured all that, and are in path that leads home. For wolf`s path always leads home.

Direwolves died out of their inability to compromise, wolves are almost extinct because they don`t have sense for cruelty as men, and men prevailed due to his intelligent nature. The war between the South and the North is not finished. Of four remaining Stark children, only one will have to make the first move and attack, and then others will follow. They will tackle the beasts and the men that wounded them and rip them apart. Just like all the wolves in nature do.

:bowdown: :bowdown: Awesome theme. Amazing work and thought. I am reading through your essays and trying to share or contribute additional material worthy of the scholarly level you have established:

I do have something to add about Ghost being an albino. According to Leaf in ADwD, “but once in a great while one is born amongst them with eyes as red as blood, or green as the moss on a tree in the heart of the forest. By these signs do the gods mark those they have chosen to receive the gift” (451-452).

Ghost is “marked” by the CotF as an agent, so I think in this way his red eyes are important because Ghost will be the conduit that will allow Jon to communicate with Bran through the weirwood – but only when Jon is in Ghost.

[Lady Beyond the Wall]

Although I have only read through page 5.....Props to the OP Mladen, and to the contributors as well. I look forward to finishing this read, as well as your thread re Lions. Wolves and lions were both used in Christian storytelling as representatives of human character (incontinence, greed, vengeance, etc) and behavior that the Church wished to eradicate. I'm sure these points will come up, as I haven't finished all of the reading on this thread. Great topic!