The Seven Guiding Arya

[Roadside Rose]

During Arya's journey from King's Landing, she meets many interesting characters that help her. Despite all she goes through, some of them help her and keep her safe. In Storm of Swords, I felt a pattern emerge with regards to the people who help Arya. Maybe, some of you have already noticed it. I felt they weren't just random characters, but each of them had a purpose to keep her safe. Here is a small essay on Arya and the Seven Gods guiding her. I have drawn parallels between some of these characters and the Seven Gods.

Gendry: The Smith

Gendry, the apprentice smith from King's Landing was part of Yoren's group. Gendry apprenticed with Tobho Mott, and he had no idea why he was being sent to the Wall. But he turned out to be one of Arya's closest friends in her journey.

Gendry (CoK),

Gendry was only spared because he'd admitted to forging the horned helm himself; smiths, even apprentice smiths, were too valuable to kill.

Faith of the Seven song,

The Smith, he labors day and night,

To put the world of men to right.

With hammer, plow, and fire bright,

He builds for little children.

Beric Dondarrion & Thoros of Myr: The Warrior

The warrior priest, Thoros of Myr and the Lightning Lord, Beric Dondarrion are some of the fiercest warriors in Westeros who come to Arya's defence during her journey. These brave warriors helped protect the small folk, and they also came to the aid of Arya.

Lem (SoS),

"That's an old stale tale, and false," said Lem. "The lightning lord's not so easy to kill. Ser Gregor might have put his eye out, but a man don't die o' that. Jack could tell you."

"Well, I never did," said one-eyed Jack-Be-Lucky. "My father got himself good and hanged by Lord Piper's bailiff, my brother Wat got sent to the Wall, and the Lannisters killed my other brothers. An eye, that's nothing."

"You swear he's not dead?" The woman clutched Lem's arm. "Bless you, Lem, that's the best tidings we've had in half a year. May the Warrior defend him, and the red priest too."

Faith of the Seven song,

The Warrior stands before the foe,

Protecting us where e'er we go.

With sword and shield and spear and bow,

He guards the little children.

Ghost of High Heart: The Crone

The Ghost of High Heart warned Arya on what lay ahead. She had the gift of prophecy, which also helped her foretell that Arya should be headed to the Twins to meet her mother, and not Riverrun.

Lem (SoS),

"Aye," Lem complained. "Too old for wine and kisses. All you'll get from me is the flat of my sword, crone."

"My hair comes out in handfuls and no one has kissed me for a thousand years. It is hard to be so old. Well, I will have a song then. A song from Tom o' Sevens, for my news."

"You will have your song from Tom," Lord Beric promised. He gave her the wineskin himself.

The dwarf woman drank deep, the wine running down her chin. When she lowered the skin, she wiped her mouth with the back of a wrinkled hand and said, "Sour wine for sour tidings, what could be more fitting? The king is dead, is that sour enough for you?"

Arya's heart caught in her throat.

"Which bloody king is dead, crone?" Lem demanded.

Faith of the Seven song,

The Crone is very wise and old,

And sees our fates as they unfold.

She lifts her lamp of shining gold,

To lead the little children.

Hound: The Stranger

The Hound was with Arya during one of the darkest times of her life. Her journey to the Twins where she would witness something that would change her life forever. The Hound rides a horse named 'Stranger'.

Arya, the Hound & Stranger (SoS),

"Salt pork never pleases me." The pitchfork knight gave Clegane only the most cursory glance, and paid no attention at all to Arya, but he looked long and hard at Stranger. The stallion was no plow horse, that was plain at a glance. One of the squires almost wound up in the mud when the big black courser bit at his own mount. "How did you come by this beast?" the pitchfork knight demanded.

Arya at the Twins (SoS),

Arya twisted and turned, trying to look everywhere at once, hoping for a glimpse of a direwolf badge, for a tent done up in grey and white, for a face she knew from Winterfell. All she saw were strangers.

The Hound & his horse carried Arya to and away from the carnage happening at the Twins. The Stranger God seems to be saturnine and ill-omened, no wonder people fear it. There seems to be no verse for the Stranger in the song of the Seven.

The rest of the seven include the Father, Mother & Maiden. These could be parallels to Eddard, Catelyn and Sansa.

If the Father symbolizes Eddard, and Mother symbolizes Catelyn, then Arya's tale in Storm of Swords is the most poignant one - the journey of a little girl who lost her father, in search of her mother. Seven gods guiding her way, from the Father to the Mother, with characters appearing randomly but woven in beautifully by GRRM.

[WatcherOnTheWall]

This is well spotted, and it relates to another theory I've seen on this forum that the people Bran meets on his journey are counterparts to those 12 companions of the Last Hero.

[Roadside Rose]

This is well spotted, and it relates to another theory I've seen on this forum that the people Bran meets on his journey are counterparts to those 12 companions of the Last Hero.

Thanks, Watcher...I haven't read the Bran theory...but I'm sure other characters may have something on similar lines. Though I haven't read much into those yet.

[a free shadow]

Idea I have not heard of yet :D

But I think Jaqen fits better for The Stranger. Unless you evaluate the Hound completely by the merits of his horse, he is The Warrior figure as well.

I like the detail where Arya tried to steal Stranger and the horse "almost bit her face off". I count it as foreshadowing that Arya will be able to resist the FM and stay true to herself, but my suggestion is Jaqen for The Stranger.

[Hound Dog]

Excellent post, very interesting. Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed reading this. :)

[Roadside Rose]

Idea I have not heard of yet :D

I like the detail where Arya tried to steal Stranger and the horse "almost bit her face off".

That is a really nice detail.

[Roadside Rose]

Excellent post, very interesting. Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed reading this. :)

Thankyou. Glad you did.

[The Ned's Little Girl]

<snip>

Gendry: The Smith

Gendry, the apprentice smith from King's Landing was part of Yoren's group. Gendry apprenticed with Tobho Mott, and he had no idea why he was being sent to the Wall. But he turned out to be one of Arya's closest friends in her journey.

Gendry (CoK),

Faith of the Seven song,

<snip>

And wasn't Gendry the one who brought Arya a sword when they were escaping from Harrenhal?

This was wonderful to read. Thank you!

[Roadside Rose]

Idea I have not heard of yet :D

But I think Jaqen fits better for The Stranger. Unless you evaluate the Hound completely by the merits of his horse, he is The Warrior figure as well.

I like the detail where Arya tried to steal Stranger and the horse "almost bit her face off". I count it as foreshadowing that Arya will be able to resist the FM and stay true to herself, but my suggestion is Jaqen for The Stranger.

I did wonder where Jaqen would fit. He could be the stranger figure, but I also felt he had references to the Red God, with him being saved by the fire, and asking for sacrifices to the Red God. In the end, I wasn't really sure where he would fit so I left him out.

[Roadside Rose]

And wasn't Gendry the one who brought Arya a sword when they were escaping from Harrenhal?

This was wonderful to read. Thank you!

Thankyou. And thanks for pointing that out, I missed it.

[conon394]

First sorry to disagree but the ideal feels forced.

In general it seems to there is no real conection between Arya and the Seven. When she bothers to pray at all outside of her mantra she only prays to her Father's gods as best I can recall.

Gendry is not much of a protector, a decent friend but he causes more problems than he solves and he never leeds anywhere really.

The Crone only wanted Arya to go away as soon as she met her I don't see any protection role/guidence role.

And of course you have not found a place for Yoren or even Roose Bolten (who in his own way) did protect Ayra by

elevating her to his page which protected her from both retribution and the attentions of the Mummers

[Light a wight tonight]

I prefer to think of Arya as a Northerner, believing in Ned's gods, not Catelyn's. The Seven haven't shown themselves to be very powerful.

[Lady Flandrensis]

I think Arya follows the Old Ones but that doesn't mean she can't have a journey correlating to the 7. She has had many Warriors and Strangers both. GRRM likes Joseph Campbell and there are "Hero's Journey"s all over the place in ASOIAF. Well spotted.

[Roadside Rose]

I think Arya follows the Old Ones but that doesn't mean she can't have a journey correlating to the 7. She has had many Warriors and Strangers both. GRRM likes Joseph Campbell and there are "Hero's Journey"s all over the place in ASOIAF. Well spotted.

Thanks.

[The Duke]

You could make a case as either Yoren or the Kindly Man to represent the Father, and Lady Smallwood as the mother.

[A Man Has Said]

Even if Arya is of the north and more Stark than her siblings, I like this. The symbolism of the Seven could be interpreted as Catelyn's love following and protecting Arya.

I agree with those who think that Sandor Clegane is the better fit for the Warrior, and Jaqen for the Stranger. I believe the Kindly Man explicitly links the Many-faced God with the Stranger, since both represent death. The link to Sandor's horse is I think a relatively weak one. The link between the House of Black and White and the Stranger is explicit in the text.

"The founder of the Faceless Men came to believe that all the diverse slave population of Valyria prayed for deliverance to the same god of death, just in different incarnations. Thus, in Qohor, the Many-Faced God is called the Black Goat; in Yi Ti, the Lion of Night and in the Faith of the Seven, the Stranger."

(Wiki of Ice and Fire entry, "Many-Faced God")

For the thesis to be complete the OP must still come up with the Father, Mother and Maiden aspects of the Seven. Maybe Syrio Forel as the Father's protection? He was in fact Ned's gift to Sansa, and the awareness and skills he showed her have protected her even after his and Ned's deaths. I'll give you the Mother based on my second sentence; all of Arya's protectors together represent Catelyn's love if the thesis holds.

You may have a problem with the Maiden, as I can't think of any clear figure in the Arya arc who comes even close. But isn't the Maiden's role 'to protect the virtue of young women?' Since Arya hasn't been raped, you could resort to that.

[Kate Greyjoy]

I like this idea as well; I have been wondering if we would ever actually see the Seven do something or if they would just end up being the true false gods. I rather hope they do end up contributing to the story in such a way :)

[Longspear Ryk]

Yoren - the father

The lady who dresses an baths arya - the mother

[Bacon Dragon the Crispy]

I think the The Hound is more likely The Warrior, representing strength in battle.

Beric Dondarrion & Thoros of Myr are actually representing The Father. The Father's role in the Faith of the Seven is to bring judgement to the world. This is exactly what the Brotherhood Without Banners does.

[revenant6]

Really nice catch. As others mentioned, Sandor would fit for the Warrior pretty well. Jaqen for the Stranger, but it could be the kindly old man as well. I also agree that Ned, Cat and Sansa fit the remaining three of the seven very well.