Melifeather

Plants need a period of darkness. If we never died would that stop the aging of our bodies and minds? The circle of birth, life, and death is only natural. Some seeds can't germinate unless passed through fire and some need a period of icy dormancy. Death equates to regeneration and the start of a new beginning. Even hate makes love sweeter.

I would agree. And maybe that's bad. Maybe one isn't supposed to triumph over the other. Maybe Ice is supposed to rule Westeros and Fire over Essos. I have suggested in the past that I don't believe Daenerys will ever come to Westeros. I think she'll follow Quaithe's advice to go east. In the far north there is light and in the far east there is darkness, but both are places where truth can be found.

Putting Jon Snow's parentage aside, lets review the song of ice and fire: The House of the Dragon has included a dagger with an engraved message that is only revealed when heated: "From my blood will come the prince that was promised, and his will be the song of ice and fire." According to HofD, when Aenar passed the blade onto his son Aegon the Conquerer, Aegon instructed that the last Valyrian pyromancers conceal his prophecy in the blade, so that it can only be seen when exposed to fire. The dagger the catspaw used to attack Bran was described as "plain", but made of Valyrian steel - so unless this blade were to be heated we'll not know if there's some secret message. My question is this, if Jon Snow is intended to become the next Nights King or King of Winter, did the Targaryens get this prophecy wrong? I have always suspected that the prince that was promised was a fire-breathing dragon, sort of a recipe to hatch dragon eggs. You do this, that, and the other thing including burning a living human in sacrifice, and you'll get your promised "prince", namely a hatched dragon. So what do you think is the song of ice and fire? IMO I think its two stories occurring simultaneously which would keep with the two-sides of the same coin and the infamous House of Black and White. Jon Snow appears to be the ice story and Daenerys appears to be the fire story. I think these are two realities or universes. I imagine the fire story playing out right side up with the ice story playing directly underneath and upside down. Light and shadow. Sun and moon. Ne'er the two shall meet no more than the flip side of the coin can meet the other.

Ashara "danced" with four men in Meera's tale, but I think it's implied that these were the four men that people gossiped as being possible fathers of Ashara's bastard growing in her belly. A white sword must have been one of the Kingsguard, I'm thinking Barristan Selmy. A red snake surely was Oberyn Martell. The lord of griffins was Jon Connington, and the quiet wolf was Ned Stark. Not knowing for sure who the father was is repeated later by Lollys Stokeworth who was raped by multiple men. She married Bron the sellsword and the crown gave him some land. Barristan Selmy, one of the best swordsmen on King Aerys Kingsguard, had a crush on Ashara and wished that she'd turned to him instead of Stark. His thoughts are what makes me think he also danced with her. I think Ned defeated the three Kingsguard during the Sack on Kings Landing trying to get to the royal apartments to save Elia in Maegor's holdfast, because he saw Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch climbing it. I'm sure he took no pleasure in killing Arthur, but enemy swords are normally spoils of war and kept. Tywin kept Ned's sword Ice and melted it into two swords. I think the only reason why Ned decided to return the sword was the guilt he carried over Ashara. Bringing her Dawn was an apology for not marrying her and for taking Jon. I think Ashara's suicide was staged and that Ned helped her push a dead body off the Palestone Sword tower dressed in her clothes. The parallel to this event is Alyssa Arryn's plan to push Sansa out the Moondoor. There must have been three up in the Palestone Sword tower, but one person was already dead. Perhaps an aunt or other relative that had lived at Starfall. Ashara's desire to remain in her family home as Wylla was to avoid shame and perhaps a forced marriage to someone beneath her station like Lollys was with Bron. Maidenheads are the coin of arranged marriages and no honorable or important house would have wanted to marry their heir to a soiled Ashara. This is a theme that is currently going on with Harry the Heir Hardyng of the Vale. He doesn't want to marry Alayne, because he believes she's a bastard and below his station. ...probably more later.

I'd like to explore the parallels between Sansa (Alayne) and Ashara (Wylla). Sansa escaped Kings Landing with the help of Ser Dontos (the fool) and Littlefinger, sailing on a ship named The Merling King under cover of night. The name of the ship seems to hint at a parallel to the Manderlys whose sigil is a merman, because a merling is exactly that: half man half fish. The Manderlys have their own Wylla as well as other names that are along that same vein, like Wyman and Wyllis. Seems like Ashara may have been inspired by this to come up with her new identity. If Ashara were the fisherman's daughter and Maester Walys was with her (died on the trip just like Maester Aemon), then after Ned crossed the Bite they would have gone on to White Harbor and to the Manderlys. Some fool, probably her brother Arthur Dayne, helped Ashara escape Kings Landing by ship - probably after witnessing the executions of Rickard and Brandon. It was widely known at court that Ashara was pregnant. If King Aerys knew or even thought the father was a Stark, her life was in mortal danger. Being a pregnant/soiled lady at court is paralleled later by Lollys Stokeworth. Sansa is brought to the Fingers (or the Five Fingers) where Petyr Baelish's home is. She poses as LIttlefinger's daughter Alayne and he soon brought her to the Vale. Ashara's ship probably did go the Fingers or Saltpans first with Ashara's intention to go to the Vale to find Ned, but they must have crossed paths after he left the Vale to call his banners, and then travelled together to the Bite and on to White Harbor to see the merlings. ...to be continued.

Arya travelled along the Gods Eye in a repeat of Lyanna's path with a Man of the Black named Yoren and a bunch of children: with Gendry, Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands, and Weasel. The Man of the Black that Lyanna travelled with was yet a little boy named Benjen. Lommy Greenhands seems to hint that he may be a parallel to Howland Reed. Lommy of course is killed by a spear to the throat wielded by the Sweetling. Howland may have also been injured during the abduction, but survived. Why do you think so? I agree that GRRM has set up the conflict for Winterfell, but if Jon were older than Robb then that could be one reason as well. If Ashara got pregnant at the Harrenhal tourney and Catelyn not until before the Battle of the Bells, then Jon is about 7-8 months older than Robb. Added to that, Jon is described as small and slight where Robb is more robust so their physical appearances make them look closer in age.

Ned never thinks badly of Rhaegar nor wonders what the heck he was thinking abducting his sister, but he has plenty of criticisms for that "pit viper" Tywin Lannister. It's also how he concluded that Tywin had sent Gregor Clegane to raid the Riverlands. He knew from past history that it was done before and why.

It would be a very difficult journey to bring a newborn from Starfall all the way back to Winterfell on horseback. Wouldn't it make more sense that Ashara is Wylla and that she gave birth to Jon at Winterfell? I can only theorize based on the parallels that I've noticed with the historical events that have been reoccurring in reverse order. If Lyanna's abduction follows the "script" the events would be similar (but jumbled) to the Wedding Tourney that was held at Whitewalls roughly 80 years ago in 212 AC. The champion was supposed to receive a dragon egg that was on display. Ser Duncan competed in the tourney which was a front for a Second Blackfyre Rebellion. Lord Butterwell abducted Egg (Aegon) and hid him in a sept/chapel. Here is what I theorize: After the tourney at Harrenhall, Rhaegar travelled with Elia to Dragonstone in anticipation of the birth of Aegon. I believe Tywin and Kevan took advantage of his absence to carry out the abduction scheme. Tywin had the monetary means to have a duplicate of Rhaegar's armor made as well as banners. I posit that the group disguised as Rhaegar and his men was led by Sumner Crakehill and their job was to make people believe that Rhaegar abducted Lyanna. The purpose? To spark the Rebellion. After the Harrenhal Tourney people would have been packing up to go home. I believe Brandon Stark left to go to Riverrun to marry Catelyn. Perhaps Ned rode with him, but for some reason Lyanna didn't go along. Perhaps she was riding home with Benjen so that there would still be a Stark in Winterfell in order for Rickard to attend Brandon's wedding? The evidence that Lyanna wasn't along is that Brandon didn't hear about her abduction until he was already on the road. Somehow he sends word to Riverrun that he wasn't coming. We don't know how Hoster Tully received that information, but Brandon immediately rode for Kings Landing, because he believed it was Rhaegar. I suspect that this belief was fueled due to reports that "Rhaegar and his men" (Sumner Crakehall and his men) were causing trouble in the Riverlands after the tourney. We don't know who was with Lyanna, but people obviously saw Rhaegar's armor and the banners and so the rumor spread. Sumner Crakehall had to keep Lyanna prisoner in a location that no one would think to look. What better place than the ruins of Whitewalls just south of Harrenhall on the banks of the Gods Eye. After the Battle of the Bells at Stoney Sept, Ned Stark's and Hoster Tully's combined forces travelled northeast to regroup with Jon Arryn's forces. We don't have any information as to what Jon Arryn was doing, but maybe he was charged with looking for "Rhaegar and his men" much like Beric Dondarrion was charged with finding Gregor Clegane, and stumbled upon Sumner Crakehill. A fight ensued and Lyanna was injured. She likely fought back or perhaps Sumner deliberately tried to kill her if he thought he and his men could get away before their identities were revealed. Once Ned Stark and Hoster Tully reached Jon Arryn he was led to where Lyanna lay dying, in the ruins of the sept/chapel tower where Egg was once held. Her discovery came before the Battle of the Trident and its why the northern forces ended up north of the river, because if you trace the path of the battles they followed a zig-zag circle that began in Gulltown, then south to Summerhall, over to Ashford, then up to Stoney Sept, then even further northeast to the Trident. Why travel north from Stoney Sept when the loyalist forces were closer to Kings Landing? The reason why the Dornish were marching north up the Kings Road to the Trident were because the Rebel forces were there. As for the conversation between Ned and Lyanna where she gives voice to her concerns regarding Robert, I imagine it took place during the Harrenhal tourney, because that was probably the first time she's seen Ned since he left home to be Jon Arryn's ward. She must have heard about the bastard daughter at the tourney too after witnessing Robert's behavior first hand. Meera's story noted that the "storm lord drank down the knight of skulls and kisses", so he got exceedingly drunk and maybe the admission came out then?

The only thing Ned Dayne confirmed is that he and Jon shared the same wet nurse which implies that Wylla was at Starfall to nurse Ned Dayne, but how she came to nurse Jon Snow is a mystery, because his age places his birth before Ned Stark returned Arthur’s sword, leaving the logistics of it all a mystery.

I can see how you might draw some parallels between Big Rob the simpleton and Jon Snow, but Jon is described as being small and slight (like Ned) whereas Robb Stark was the big one. Jon was stabbed multiple times, but his abdomen wasn't gored or ripped open. I also disagree with the theory that Jon is the son of Lyanna. I understand it is a very popular assumption. It's just not one that I buy into. Whenever Ned thinks of Jon, it's his "honor" that he's ashamed of. He has stated that he dishonored himself. Now why would that be? Is it possible that he impregnated Ashara and then didn't marry her because he needed to bring the Tullys to Robert's cause? I think there is compelling evidence that Ashara came to Winterfell, crossed the Bite with Ned when he went home to call his banners, and then gave birth to Jon at Winterfell. The story of the Bastard O'Winterfell being "born in the crypts" applies to Ashara as well, because people believe that she is dead. It is my assertion that she assumed the identity of Wylla just as Sansa is now Alayne, and is yet alive living in her family home at Starfall. I posit that a few weeks after Ned married Catelyn he rode back to Winterfell to send Ashara back home on a ship from White Harbor, and convinced her to leave Jon with him much like LC Jon Snow convinced Gilly to leave her son at the Wall. Gilly set sail with Mance's son along with Sam and Maester Aemon - sort of a reversal of the Fisherman's Daughter story. The whispers that Catelyn heard at Winterfell were enough for her to come right out and ask Ned about Ashara. She touched a nerve. Why was Ned so angry? Wouldn't it be convenient for people to believe Ashara was Jon's mother if Ned wished to keep the true mother's identity concealed? The servants of Winterfell must have been saying that Ashara was Jon's mother because its implied that this is the question that Catelyn asked the truth of. Ned specifically addresses this question and he's very, very angry about it. Angry enough to frighten Catelyn. I'd say his reaction is more evidence that Ashara is Jon's mother. As for Lyanna, I believe her life was paralleled by Arya, traveling through the Riverlands, becoming "no one", dying from a sword inflicted wound to the belly, and most definitely childless. Arya, of course, is not dead, but for all intents and purposes she isn't Arya any longer either.

I understood Big Rob the simpleton to be Robert Baratheon. As for stot, isn’t it another word for an old horse too?

Duncan the tall had a dream that echoed Ned’s. In his dream the horse was named Chestnut. When he woke up he thinks to himself that it didn’t happen like that in real life. Duncan’s Dream

Well, I interpret that to mean that Ned is the only one who has this dream making it a production of his own mind. If the sequence were literal than the dream wouldn’t be solely his. It also wouldn’t be a dream at all. It would be a memory.

Words and phrases can have multiple meanings. Just as I had suggested that the Wall has figuratively (already) fallen, the "tower long fallen" could be interpreted as a defeat just as much as a physical dismantling. King Aerys was keeping Elia and her children in Maegor's holdfast - not so much for their safety as for his belief that it was necessary to ensure the loyalty of House Martell and all of Dorne. He was also paranoid that Rhaegar was plotting to overthrow him. Such valuable hostages would require the very best security - three Kingsguard. The Mad King had 9 Kingsguard: Ser Gwayne Gaunt - died during the Defiance of Duskendale Ser Harlan Grandison - died in his sleep in 281 Ser Lewyn Martell and Ser Jonothor Darry both died at the Trident Ser Barristan Selmy survived the Trident Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent, and Ser Arthur Dayne died in the conflict with Ned and his men. Ser Jaime Lannister was Harlan Grandison's replacement. The Mad King kept him close, because he feared Tywin Lannister's disloyalty. King Aerys had already sent three Kingsguard to the Trident. He needed three to guard his hostages and one to guard himself. Maegor's holdfast "fell" the day the city was sacked. Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch scaled the tower to murder Elia and her children. Ned saw what they were doing and tried to stop them, but what if he had to fight his way through the Kingsguard stationed along the way to the royal apartments in the same places that they were stationed for King Robert when he lay dying in his bed of blood? Ser Boros Blount guarded the far end of the bridge. Ser Preston Greenfield stood at the bottom of the steps, and Ser Barristan Selmy waited at the door of the king’s bedchamber. Of the three positions, only one may have had a chance at seeing Gregor and Amory climbing: the one stationed at the end of the drawbridge. But, if you were guarding a drawbridge would you be facing the tower? Or would you be facing your attacker? When Cersei feared another sack on Kings Landing during the battle of the Blackwater, she stationed Ser Ilyn Payne at the door to Maegor's holdfast. When Sansa made her way to Maegor's holdfast that night, she noted that the drawbridge was left unguarded. This is significant, because it confirms that this is a station commonly protected by Kingsguard. When Sansa snuck out to see Ser Dontos she checked to see who was guarding that night. One time she notes Ser Boros Blount and another night she noted such a large figure could only be Ser Preston Greenfield.

Some interesting tidbits about Jory Cassel... Jory was Ned's Captain of Guards for eight years. He was very good natured with the children, separating Sansa and Arya once when they had a snow fight, had chased Bran across the roofs of Winterfell many times, and went hunting with Jon, Robb, and Theon. He was like family. Jory's father died fighting alongside Eddard at the tower of joy. Jory joins Robert's hunt for boar before the king departs Winterfell for the south. It is my belief that hunting for boar and being gored by a boar are parallels of Lyanna. Jaime Lannister was squire to Sumner Crakehall for four years. The Crakehall sigil is a striped boar. When Ned and his men faced Jaime Lannister and his guard it was 3 guardsmen against 20. Ned reminded Jaime that if he is killed that Catelyn would kill Tyrion. Jaime instructs his men not to kill Ned. The whole scene seems to be an echo that may have influenced Ned's fever dream where he and his men met the three Kingsguard. King Robert's death in his bed of blood is likely a repeat of Lyanna's bed of blood. The three Kingsguard were positioned on the way to the royal apartments in Maegor's holdfast.

Very evocative of:

GRRM has cleverly written a very descriptive dream, but at the same time doesn't spell out or confirm anything at all. It's all symbolic. Such is the way of dreams. Ned called it "an old dream", but was it old because it occurred frequently or because he hadn't dreamt it in a very long time? And what had just happened right before he blacked out and had the dream? He was attacked by Jaime and his men. All of Ned's men were killed. And Ned imagined the Red Keep's walls looking red as blood. Let me repeat that. His last waking moments were of the Red Keep and its sandstone walls red as blood. The very next Ned chapter begins with the dream. There are allot of assumptions being made by readers according to personal interpretation and preference.

I have one word for this: hogwash! I have a hard time accepting the HBO version as well as the assumptions that are defended rabidly by the R+L=J crowd because I just don’t see it! Until these mysteries are spelled out in a published book and I’ve been proven either right or dead wrong, I’ll continue to believe that the tower of joy was simply a nickname Rhaegar gave to Maegor’s Holdfast, that Lyanna was mortally wounded by Sumner Crakehall, and that Ned found Lyanna near the ruins of Whitewalls on the shore of the Gods Eye.

Wouldn't it be something if the singing of the COTF were a deep, BRAAAAAAH like didgeridoo!

The Earth hums due to a phenomenon known as “microseisms,” which are low-frequency, long-period seismic waves that constantly reverberate through the planet's crust. Even without earthquakes, seismometers constantly record seismic energy. They record periods of oscillations about every 6 seconds as background noise. Earth hum was once thought to be very mysterious in nature. It went unexplained for decades. But now scientists discovered that these oscillations are due to ocean waves constantly crashing into continents. Ocean waves pound continents vibrating like a bell. Then land masses shake back and forth like a metronome. And during storms, it worsens as the reverberations are amplified. The universe is filled with a constant hum of gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of the universe, caused by the motion of giant, accelerating celestial bodies. They travel through space-time like waves in an ocean, but at the speed of light. There's an electrical hum in most animals, including ourselves. Purposeful humming can also help cleanse and detoxify the body by allowing more airflow in the lymphatic system. It eases stress and improves your mood. Yogis have long used humming to wind down and relax the nervous system. They call it "bhramari pranayama". “Bhramari” is derived from the Sanskrit word for bee. It works, because humming causes turbulence in the nasal cavity, which increases the release of a powerful molecule known as nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, meaning it helps blood flow more easily through the body. Speaking of your Maori and Aboriginal peoples...the first thing that comes to my mind is that deep throated sound the Didgeridoo makes. And lets not forget about hummingbirds...

We've got a formerly respected tv news journalist (now ridiculed conspiracy theorist) over here in Minnesota that made a "documentary" (and I mean that generously) about the "fall" of Minneapolis when people rioted after George Floyd was killed by police. 1300 businesses were damaged with about 100 being severely or completely destroyed including three post offices. I'm not trying to downplay the damage nor do I agree with the rioters, but when a city "falls" then I would expect that the attackers would then gain control over the city which didn't happen. In many people's minds they (still) believe Minneapolis "fell" and that it is now a dangerous place largely left in ruins and run by gangs which would be news to the thousands of people who actually live and work there. Granted, the people that believe this are from rural areas of the state and avoid downtown, preferring to stick to the suburbs to get their Scheels and Fleet Farm shopping done. I'm only using this as an example of how something can be described as "fallen" when it obviously remains intact.

Yeah, that does seem to be an accidental slip, however I guess it depends upon the definition of "fall". Technically the Wall did fall as soon as LC Jon Snow allowed the wildlings through the tunnels. Yes, there are still things beyond the Wall like the wight army that are (for now) still being contained, but with wildlings on the south side now, I would not be surprised if Winds begins with wights on the south side as well. I also still like an old theory of LynnS where she posited that the Wall is blowing away, that originally the Wall drew the cold unto itself accumulating ice and snow through the ages, but that the blizzard that is now emanating - seemingly through Winterfell - is evidence that the reverse is happening. It is expelling itself in the form of a blizzard and blowing away - which would be a fulfillment of this Mirri Maz prophecy: When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east is a reversal of time. When the seas go dry could mean the Narrow Sea and other large bodies of water freezing over and allowing people to walk across. "Mountains" blow in the wind like leaves could be explained as the Wall disintegrating and blowing away.

What we call the early Christians were people who still identified with Judaism. Many of the letters between Paul and the various congregations were clarifications of the law as written in the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) which comprise the Torah. These books dictate how to atone for particular sins and the sacrifices needed in order to receive forgiveness which included animal sacrifices and burnt offerings of grain, etc. Paul instructed these congregations that sacrifices were no longer needed since Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice, but they still requested guidance on a number of practices that were common to the Jewish faith such as abstaining from eating blood or anything strangled, avoiding bigamy and other sexual immorality, and prohibiting idol worship. The early Jews knew of Jesus and believed he was a prophet, but the large majority didn't believe he was the Messiah. The Jews that believed Jesus was their Messiah began referring to themselves as those who followed "The Way". The earliest known use the term Christianity wasn't until 100 years after Jesus's death.

It’s just something that I was wondering about. I’m afraid I’m an avid reader and love history as well as historical fiction. You actually learn allot about history reading historical fiction! I just see the overall „issue“ of our age to be equal rights for everyone and the age of Aquarius is supposed to be a time of enlightenment both spiritually and figuratively. MLK embodies the time we live in. As for the debate about fishes…I can just imagine the Romans thinking how perfectly the symbolism worked out. I could do a deep dive on this particular subject alone, but I’m just now walking into work!

Martin Luther King Jr has been on my mind lately as well. I have been wondering lately if years from now people will believe he was the "Messiah" for the Age of Aquarius just as Jesus was for the Age of Pisces (2 fishes). I feel I must insert that I am not religious nor do I believe Jesus was a god, but I do believe that the Bible is a collection of historical records and should be viewed as a large history book assembled by the Council of Nicaea in 325 common era at the directive of the Roman emperor Constantine. The "good news" that Jesus was known for has been distorted over time. He was actually a political activist preaching about debt - financial debt that used to be forgiven every Jubilee year. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the jubilee was a time to free slaves, to return land to its rightful owners, and to forgive debts. It was both a time of repentance when injustices were put right and the symbolic beginning of a new era. It was also how rulers were overthrown with the new ruler promising to bring about a Jubilee year - a tradition that the Romans abolished in 313 common era. Is it a coincidence that the council of Nicaea followed so closely after? The Romans created the Christian faith (and gave it a home base in Italy) in order to control the messaging - a sophisticated propaganda campaign that rewrote Jesus's message of forgiveness. How clever of the Romans to turn the message of financial debt forgiveness into the forgiveness of venial sins. The Romans based Christianity on the Zodiac knowing that the symbolism would appeal to the masses which followed a variety of gods including horoscopes. Jesus is symbolized by two fish (Pisces) which matched up with the current astrological age in which they were living (1 CE to 2150 CE). The precession of the equinoxes are roughly 2150 years until we move from one astrological age to the next. In the Bible, Luke 22:10 confirmed that the next "age" would be Aquarius. It states, “When you have entered the city, a man carrying an earthen jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters." We have about 150 years before we are officially in the age of Aquarius. Maybe some political giant as clever as the Romans will make MLK or someone like him be the prophet of this age?