Thoughts on the Glass Candles

[Ciarzard27]

So we know there are four glass candles brought over to Weseros. They are made of dragonglass and saved from the Doom of Valyria. What do these candles mean/represent? Sam is told that the Citadel knew of his arrival because of a glass candle so they may be connected to the flames that te red priests forsee events in. Is Jaqen after these candles or the secret behind them cuz he could have already taken it by now if he is disguised as Pate. Do the 3 black represent Dany's dragons and the green a dragon yet to be awakened (the stone one Mel wants to raise or an ice dragon hidden in the wall)? Why would Quiathe begin her warning with "the glass candles are burning"

[tf13]

Could the glass candles represent the re-awakening of the Others?

[MotherMerciless]

There are reports of more glass candles.

Urrathon seems to have more than one

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Urrathon

[Howlin' Howland]

I think they're probably like the palantir from The Lord of the Rings. They can be used for communication and a little like a crystal ball. The've been dormant since the fall of Old Valyria, but with magic returning to the world they're waking up.

[RumHam]

Is Jaqen after these candles or the secret behind them cuz he could have already taken it by now if he is disguised as Pate.

It seems more likely he's after the book Blood and Fire, of which the Citadel has the only remaining copy.

Could the glass candles represent the re-awakening of the Others?

Or the re-awakening of magic in general. I tend to think the Others aren't really "magical" but just another type of life the the Giants or Children of the Forest.

The've been dormant since the fall of Old Valyria, but with magic returning to the world they're waking up.

It is said that the glass candles are burning in the house of Urrathon Night-Walker, that have not burned in a hundred years.

So they went out closer to the death of the last dragon, rather than with the Doom of Valyria.

[MotherMerciless]

Yeah, they are clearly linked to the force of magic. All of a sudden we have dragons, shadowbinders, a meteorite (or so it seems), direwolves below the Wall, people being brought back to life, hands being restored, UnGregors being made, glass candles working, loads of warging, visions in dreams fro people that had never had them and so on. Magic is the only thing that seems to link all of these things together. What was the trigger? It all points to the dragons, but we can't be sure of anything.

[CJ McLannister]

It all points to the dragons, but we can't be sure of anything.

Yeah, or the dragons owe their rebirth to the same magic. It's a chicken-egg argument. Some of the "magic" seems to have been alive and well north of the wall long before the dragons were born, but we, at least know the red priests increase in power afterward.

If the glass candles = obsidian = dragonglass, then there's some kind of (negative) connection with the Others.

[Malchyor]

Yeah, or the dragons owe their rebirth to the same magic. It's a chicken-egg argument. Some of the "magic" seems to have been alive and well north of the wall long before the dragons were born, but we, at least know the red priests increase in power afterward.

If the glass candles = obsidian = dragonglass, then there's some kind of (negative) connection with the Others.

I'd agree, except it all seems to be from the meteor, which, if so, makes Arthur's sword all the more special.

[BearQueen87]

Yeah, or the dragons owe their rebirth to the same magic. It's a chicken-egg argument. Some of the "magic" seems to have been alive and well north of the wall long before the dragons were born, but we, at least know the red priests increase in power afterward.

If the glass candles = obsidian = dragonglass, then there's some kind of (negative) connection with the Others.

Begs the question, what came before the White Walkers to make them rise and move south. Why now? Seems like we're missing some sort of starting point.

[Pod The Impaler]

Maybe partly like a palantir (an arcane tool that people can use who know how), and partly like a weather vane or Geiger Coiunter, in that they may simply be showing signs of magic presence in the world. As magic waned, they went out, and now as it waxes, they come back to life ?

[Driesel Snow]

Begs the question, what came before the White Walkers to make them rise and move south. Why now? Seems like we're missing some sort of starting point.

Winter is coming

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Begs the question, what came before the White Walkers to make them rise and move south. Why now? Seems like we're missing some sort of starting point.

I personally think they never actually stopped to be around, but they kept themselves in the far far north for a reason we don't yet have and instead of being produced by some protective magic, is meant to be something humans were meant to do and they didn't. Meaning, they returning is a complete human mistake.

I already posted that on a Heresy thread. The only "main" event happening in the North before aGoT is Rickard and Brandon dying. One was the Warden of the North, and the other one was his heir. In the same way Craster kept the Others away by sacrificing their sons, maybe the Starks were meant to do a sacrifice (or some blood ritual) every certain number of years, or, I dunno, bent the knee to the "Other Boss", paralleling Torrhen Stark bending the knee to the fire. When they died and Ned was named Lord, he was never told of his "duties" and the Others returned because whatever pact it was, it was unintentionally broken.

[BearQueen87]

I personally think they never actually stopped to be around, but they kept themselves in the far far north for a reason we don't yet have and instead of being produced by some protective magic, is meant to be something humans were meant to do and they didn't. Meaning, they returning is a complete human mistake.

I already posted that on a Heresy thread. The only "main" event happening in the North before aGoT is Rickard and Brandon dying. One was the Warden of the North, and the other one was his heir. In the same way Craster kept the Others away by sacrificing their sons, maybe the Starks were meant to do a sacrifice (or some blood ritual) every certain number of years, or, I dunno, bent the knee to the "Other Boss", paralleling Torrhen Stark bending the knee to the fire. When they died and Ned was named Lord, he was never told of his "duties" and the Others returned because whatever pact it was, it was unintentionally broken.

That's a very interesting theory.

[The other prince]

I'd agree, except it all seems to be from the meteor, which, if so, makes Arthur's sword all the more special.

How so exactly?

[three-eyed monkey]

Maybe partly like a palantir (an arcane tool that people can use who know how), and partly like a weather vane or Geiger Coiunter, in that they may simply be showing signs of magic presence in the world. As magic waned, they went out, and now as it waxes, they come back to life ?

I tend to largely agree with your weather vane analogy. Magic is part of the cosmic order in ASoIaF and so it's only natural that it's seasonal, for want of a better word. And if you someone steeped in magic, like the dragonlords, then it would nice to know if the wind is blowing before you go fly your kite.

As for other uses, Alleras tells Sam they knew of his coming due to the candle, and Marwyn claims that they could enter a mans dreams, give him visions and talk to one another half a world apart. That makes me think there is a parallel between the candles and weirwoods, as in they are another way of connecting to the source of magic. Another interesting parallel is that when asked what feeds the candle's flame, Marwyn answers that Valaryian magistrate was rooted in fire or blood, which mirrors blood sacrifice to the weirwoods.

[The other prince]

I tend to largely agree with your weather vane analogy. Magic is part of the cosmic order in ASoIaF and so it's only natural that it's seasonal, for want of a better word. And if you someone steeped in magic, like the dragonlords, then it would nice to know if the wind is blowing before you go fly your kite.

As for other uses, Alleras tells Sam they knew of his coming due to the candle, and Marwyn claims that they could enter a mans dreams, give him visions and talk to one another half a world apart. That makes me think there is a parallel between the candles and weirwoods, as in they are another way of connecting to the source of magic. Another interesting parallel is that when asked what feeds the candle's flame, Marwyn answers that Valaryian magistrate was rooted in fire or blood, which mirrors blood sacrifice to the weirwoods.

It also mirrors some of the practices of the priests of R'hllor. Interesting

[three-eyed monkey]

It also mirrors some of the practices of the priests of R'hllor. Interesting

Yea, exactly. The red priests feed their fires with blood. Blood is definitely a common denominator in all forms of magic.

So Marwyn claims the candles can be used to enter someone's dreams and give them visions. That makes me wonder if Mel's fire visions or even Targ prophetic dreams were seeded by someone with a glass candle?

[The Kinkslayer]

Glass candles are to the doom of Valyria what:

A) Palantiri are to the fall of Numenor.

B) all of the above.

Sometimes Martin is lazy.

[Bryanfury]

I get the feeling Quaithe is using one of them to manipulate Dany to her own ends.

[CJ McLannister]

So Marwyn claims the candles can be used to enter someone's dreams and give them visions. That makes me wonder if Mel's fire visions or even Targ prophetic dreams were seeded by someone with a glass candle?

We also have evidence that Bloodraven can enter someone's dreams, though that may be dependent on the target also having the greensight.