the meaning of "The Winds of Winter"

[HodorForKing]

Lets give a short analysis in the title of the upcoming book of ASOIAF: THE WINDS OF WINTER ; so, its basically composed by to words: WINDS and WINTER as all the other titles...

In the first book, AGOT, the title was a good resume of nearly everything that happens in the series, and thats probably why HBO used it as a title for the whole TV series. words: GAME and THRONE

In the second book ACOK, it was literally the start of the clash of kings, the inevitable start of the civil war in westeros. words: CALSH and KINGS

then we have the third and forth book, whose titles are not really involved with their content, but still, pretty appropriate words STORM and SWORDS / FEAST and CROWS

in the fifth book, nearly everyone started to dance with the dragon (Daenerys): the Yunkai troops, Victarion, Tyrion, Quentyn and so on... it was a riskful dance that already got victims, but they will not stop dancing until they get their reward for be in the "winning" side: the literal dragons... words: DANCE and DRAGONS

Now we'll have a book called THE WINDS OF WINTER, and I suppose it whill have a litteral or/and figural meaning for the context of the book, as did the other titles, something beyond the simple fact that the winter have finally come and that the winter winds are blowing over westeros; or atleast that's what I hope.

In the second, the third and the forth book titles, they were all refering to war, and in those books, a lot of characters have been killed beacuse of war; In AGOT, characters were killed because of this game of conspiracys (Eddard, Robert and so on); and finally, in ADWD characters were killed because they tried to dance within the dragon, figurally and literally, and ended up dead (basically Quentyn); with this it is pretty easy to see regularities involving the book titles and their meanings for the plot; now in the sixth book, I suppose that many people will be the victims of the winds of winter; what may be referring to either the literal winds of winter or to the figural winter: the others, that, as GRRM commented will be appearing way more in this book then in all the others before.

Based in this suppositions I thought that maybe both of this would happen: there will be those who will fall for the winter itself, as it was happening to Stannis by the end of ADWD (hunger, cold, sickness...), or for the others, as happened to the Nighst Watch at the Fist.

My personal theory is that in this book the wall will finally fall, letting the others start their attack against the realm, and, either Stannis or Roose's army will perish beacuse of the literal winter; I would say that Stannis is going to take winterfell and some of his allies will take dreadfort, leaving Roose and Ramsay rotting in the cold, considering that any Northern house would accept them in their halls (The North Remembers), and after the battle with Stannis and Manderly (If he joins him), they would have only some few soldiers, beacuse of the ones that died in the battle, or turned against them, and with that, no sufficient power to face any Northern House; With this the boltons would either die because of the cold and the winter itself, ot would be killed by their own men to keep the pitfires burning, considering that they dont guard any simpathy for their lords (because of the flaying and torture stuff). I could give more details about my theory, but that's not the objective of the topic, anyways, feel free to ask anything about it.

With that I would like to ask you guys what's your personal interpretation of the title of this upcoming book and what will be it's importance for the plot. (Sorry for my bad english, I made this post in a hurry, and it might get edited later because of grammar errors)

[KingHodorTargaryen]

Winds of Winter means Winter is coming. It means the literal winter is coming, and it means the figurative winter, where a lto of people kick the bucket, is coming. A Dream of Spring means spring has come.

[WidoW101MakeR]

I like the theory the Freys will not be welcome in any household of the north and freezing to death.

[Baelor's Bastard]

As someone said in another thread I read recently, the title "A Dream of Spring," doesn't necessarily mean that spring has come because of the word "Dream" in the title. However unlikely it seems, we may never see spring come in the series. And if you really think about how realistic this series is in the concept of how unfair life and the world we(and the peoples of ASOIAF) live in really is, it doesn't seem that unlikely.

[Drysh Wyvernborn]

WoW is, as stated, the coming of the literal winter, which we know is brutal, and the metaphorical one. In other words: Shit's going down.

DoS fits the bittersweet ending GRRM so often talks about. There will be much bloodshed and stuff going on in these last (planned) two installments, we might end the series on a pretty grim note, yet with a bit of hope to rebuild or whatever; The dream of Spring.

Also, if there is one title I thought of as fitting (after aCoK, that was pretty straightforward) if Feast for Crows.

[Vengeance]

As someone said in another thread I read recently, the title "A Dream of Spring," doesn't necessarily mean that spring has come because of the word "Dream" in the title. However unlikely it seems, we may never see spring come in the series. And if you really think about how realistic this series is in the concept of how unfair life and the world we(and the peoples of ASOIAF) live in really is, it doesn't seem that unlikely.

I think 'a DREAM' of Spring is pretty indicative that things are still pretty dire, it's supposed to be one of the harshest winters for generations remember - as the Others descend and the long night draws in, the realm dreams of the day when Spring will come etc...

[Slingingstones]

"Winter is coming" the words of a once great and tragic house proclaimed. Is their warning too late? With "The Winds of Winter" it's too late to squirrel away your acorns now. While their world leisurely played the Game of Thrones, some other once forgotten, ancient kind of evil re-emerges while everyone is distracted. Soon to realize their weaponry and armies, their gods and prayers, are woefully inadequate to deal with what is on their doorstep. Their civil war over who gets to sit the bloody chair is suddenly misplaced. Their survival will now depend on becoming fast friends and allies with yesterday's enemies. Can they suck it up? Turn a blind-eye to past insults? Infanticide? Murder? Rape? Everyone's survival will depend upon it. The North Remembers. Hold that thought you Northerners! We've bloody work to do.

The Dream of Spring: Are we so locked up in the jaws of raging winter that one can't hold out a little hope for spring? Renewal. Resurrection. Easter. All life teeters on the fulfillment of some archaic prophecy of a messiah wielding a fiery sword; but, that is old wives' tales...isn't it?

[Vengeance]

Wow, you must be the bloke that writes those epic blurbs on the back of books

[HodorForKing]

Wow, you must be the bloke that writes those epic blurbs on the back of books

LoL, totally agreed

[Slingingstones]

Wow, you must be the bloke that writes those epic blurbs on the back of books

I'd give it a go if I were but 40 years younger. Like the Winds of Winter...I beg you, use me as fuel to warm your hearth, please, do not let the Others take me.

[Queen Elsa]

Wind of Winter is the "Ice" of the Song of Ice and Fire. Ice will destroy what is remained of the Wot5K - it is going to be the war against mother nature and war against the Others. WOW is screaming, "The real threat is here and no one is ready. Take your bet who endures and who dies."

[alienarea]

I assume it is mirroring Storm of Swords. SoS was the culmination of the Game of Thrones, Winds of Winter will be calmer (storm > wind) but much colder (winter > sword). What do the winds of winter bring? Mists. Who comes with the mists? The Others

... unless they remain trapped in facebook.

[Beastman]

To me the "Winds of Winter" means winter is here and we will now be experiencing the wind. Normally wind blows and carries, therefore with the wind many things will come such as the others, starvation and general hardship. TWOW will show the consequences of the winter inwhich the starks always warned about, and who knows maybe the wind will also bring with it some people from Essos also.

[Arya2ndFace]

as we saw in other book titles, the word Winds has double meaning. In Storm of Swords, Storm referred to wars, in Feast of Crows, Feast referred to the many dying. Now we have Winds of Winter. Does Winds refer to the actual physical winds that often blow when winter arrives as in our reality? or does Winds refer to the often used phrased "Words are Wind"? and thus mean that to survive this coming winter, what is spoken and written will have more power than the sword? agreements and alliances will be needed for survival such as Aegon needing Dorne, Manderly needing Stannis, etc.

I see the title indicating that many new alliances will be made and old ones smashed with a lot of backstabbing occurring in order for different factions to survive and continue their efforts to sit the Iron Throne.

[I Am TheSongOf IceAndFire]

i think it will be just that. winter blowing in. no hidden meaning about the starks or north taking over, just that what we have been waiting for is finally here. winter has come.

as for a dream of spring, i think it is an early Bran pov or a late Jon one (narrows it down i know) where he talks about how his father wanted to garrison all the castles on the wall again and re-settle the gift, but it 'was a dream for spring'

so im actually only posting in reply to winter to state my thoughts on spring. i think the series will end fairly happily with the wall being rebuilt and the castles along it being re-filled with rat cooks

[Werthead]

On his blog recently, GRRM mentioned:

Horrendous dust storms of some kind.

That may have something to do with it.

[protar]

On his blog recently, GRRM mentioned:

Horrendous dust storms of some kind.

That may have something to do with it.

Something in Dorne perhaps?

[Werthead]

Something in Dorne perhaps?

Or, based on the end of ADWD,

The Dothraki sea.

[Queen Elsa]

Or, based on the end of ADWD,

The Dothraki sea.

Something is going to

burn? :uhoh:

[lojzelote]

On his blog recently, GRRM mentioned:

Horrendous dust storms of some kind.

Why have I not been aware of this before? :eek:

I think it may have a connection to...

"When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east," said Mirri Maz Duur. "When the seas go dry and mountains blow in the wind like leaves. When your womb quickens again, and you bear a living child. Then he will return, and not before."