Why would Benjen Stark join the Nights Watch?

[SerWalterPuffsAlot]

Guilty conscience plus it looks honorable i can buy it

[The Kinkslayer]

Benjen, just like Brynden Tully, is gay. He went to the wall rather than having to marry.

All other black brothers with two names (except Mallister) had a reason for joining the watch:

Cotter Pyke: sent to the wall to pay for his crimes

Edd Tollet: the youngest son of a poor family

Jeor Mormont: so that his son could be lord

Alliser Thorne et al: for supporting the mad king

Aemon: so that his brother could be king

Ser Piggy: The grave or the wall.

Other Sers: too old to be a hedge knight

Janos Slynt: for being a butcher's son

The pomegranate: the Marshes are bannermen of the Reeds, who are poor.

[Lopsang]

Wow; you guys are really quick to paint Benjen as some raving moron. I think he's more than a damp vegetable - nobody seems to consider the possibility that he committed some crime. He may have been sent to the Wall as punishment for something. Besides, all of you saying that he's a complete moron for joining the NW because it's cold and hard or something are failing to realize it's not that much warmer or easier to live at Winterfell. They're behind the wall anyway, not beyond it. Even if Benjen were to have joined voluntarily, he probably realized he would get high in the ranks; he is the Lord of Winterfell's brother, so that could help (even though it's not necessarily supposed to) but he has also been trained well in the realm of chivalry, swordsmanship, and leadership. Anyway, it's a great question, and I have always wondered it.

[Jay21]

Wow dude that's simply brilliant! Manse has kingly qualities no doubt. But don't they confirm that Rhaegar was killed by Jaime or whst your saying is that he escaped somehow? Either way I love it. I'm sure there are more curveballs coming in this series!!!

They kill everyone or leave them for dead at one point or another. Apparently GRRM confirmed that Rhaegar died on the Trident, but that's not as final a fate in Westeros as other places. Check out the theories threads for some very compelling investigations into the Mane Rhagar possibilities.

[SerWalterPuffsAlot]

real quick on mance he was at winterfell when King Robert was there so if he is Raegar that'd be ballzie to show up unless he's really a faceless man. I'm kidding Raegar is as dead as Arya's teacher Sirio Forell or whatever his name is

[oramami]

Because he is a Stark. Thats why Craig. Thats why.

Really though, I think he joined because GRRM wanted him there to dissappear in the the north. Thats pretty much it. And of course to show that the Starks are tied to the wall along with Winterfell.

[Jay21]

real quick on mance he was at winterfell when King Robert was there so if he is Raegar that'd be ballzie to show up unless he's really a faceless man. I'm kidding Raegar is as dead as Arya's teacher Sirio Forell or whatever his name is

This isn't the thread to get into it, but that's addressed in the theory.

A possible clue to Benjen's whereabouts though is the fact that Ned, if anyone would have known about R if he was secretly back on the Wall and then beyond. He could also have known why. Benjen may have also have been clued in and his disappearance before the willing invasion could have been a part of R's bigger plan.

[SerWalterPuffsAlot]

This isn't the thread to get into it, but that's addressed in the theory.

A possible clue to Benjen's whereabouts though is the fact that Ned, if anyone would have known about R if he was secretly back on the Wall and then beyond. He could also have known why. Benjen may have also have been clued in and his disappearance before the willing invasion could have been a part of R's bigger plan.

i started the thread it can go wherever it goes and I'm fine with it LOL.... and are you really trying to justify Mance being Raegar and Ned and Benjen being in on it? Cuz i promise you that is not the way i want this thread going lmao

[King Tyrion XX]

i started the thread it can go wherever it goes and I'm fine with it LOL.... and are you really trying to justify Mance being Raegar and Ned and Benjen being in on it? Cuz i promise you that is not the way i want this thread going lmao

The Mance is Rhaegar theory is very sound. Trying to include Ned and Benjen into it is very tricky. I doubt Ned was for sure and I believe Benjen has something else in store. I believe he will be our 1st Land of Always Winter POV.

[Jane Parallel]

Benjen abused of Ashara Dayne and got her pregnant... of Jon... Ned told him "shame on you Benjen, now march to the Wall... I will raise your son as mine putting Catelyn in anger" lol... I think that is ridiculous.

I think Benjen went to the Wall and became a Night's Watch man for something beyond our understanding, something really important that has to do with the Others and/or the prophecy.

I hope Winds of Winter offers us information on Benjen's whereabouts and his motivations for joining the NW.

[JNR]

real quick on mance he was at winterfell when King Robert was there so if he is Raegar that'd be ballzie to show up unless he's really a faceless man. I'm kidding Raegar is as dead as Arya's teacher Sirio Forell or whatever his name is

GRRM on Ned: "Ned is dead."

GRRM on Rhaegar: "Rhaegar was cremated."

GRRM on Syrio: "Draw your own conclusions."

One of these things is not like the others.

[Jay21]

GRRM on Ned: "Ned is dead."

GRRM on Rhaegar: "Rhaegar was cremated."

GRRM on Syrio: "Draw your own conclusions."

One of these things is not like the others.

Yeah but what's he going to say? We saw Ned die. That can't be said of the other 2. Someone was cremated, perhaps those missing bones that has Lady Dustin all worked up?

[unitron]

Tried and can't find any. ...

Maybe Martin just hasn't revealed her yet, but I suspect there may have been some chick that broke his heart and soured him on romance.

And maybe she was even one of King Robert B.'s many "conquests".

[alienarea]

Don't know how that fits with the timelines, but maybe Benjen was involved in Jorah's slave business somehow and had to go to the wall to keep it quiet?

That would, at least for me, explain why Benjen is First Ranger and not the likely more experienced and older Quorin Halfhand, and why Mormont gives the family sword to Jon instead of sending it back to Bear Island.

And Benjen's speech to Jon about fathering a bastard gets a different meaning: Benjen would have liked a normal life but had to go to the wall. Jon doesn't know that Benjen was forced to go (he knows nothing), and being 14 or so and a virgin he draws the wrong conclusions.

[Jay21]

Think Jon and Jorah may have an ale and a chat about Longclaw someday?

[LordManderlyAsDragonRider]

I don't find it strange at all that Benjen took the black. Still seems like a reasonable comment things for younger born sons in the North, and especially for the Starks who have such a close relationship with the Wall.

He has probably been destined for the Wall since he was a kid, and he has been dreaming of all the feats he would accomplish and of becoming 1st Ranger and possibly LC, just like Jon is dreaming of it when we first meet him.

I don't think Benjen got sent away from Winterfell because of any "bad" behaviour on his side. The Stark kids all seen very familiar with him, so he has clearly been coming to Winterfell quite often, I can't imagine that being the case if he had been sent away in shame.

[Aryya Stark]

Okay so the thread is too long and I didn't read all of it so I apologize if this has been mentioned before. I think the reason why Benjen Stark went to the Wall is the following:

Benjen had helped Lyanna elope with Rhaeggar. During the rebellion he was the Stark in Winterfell and when Ned returned with Jon and told him what had happened he had no choice but to join the Wall because helping Lyanna and Rhaegar elope would have been considered an act of treason by Robert the new king. However, at the Wall all of a man's crimes are erased. He would never have to speak of the part he had taken in the elopement thereby ensuring Jon's safety and helping keep his identity a secret.

I think he may have had feelings of guilt but also that Ned forced him to join the NW so that he could make sure that his promise to Lyanna would not be broken.

[Willem Darry]

In Bran's last chapter of aDwD, at the very end when he starts to see visions of events that occurred in the past through Winterfell's weirwood tree....

"Now two children danced across the godswood, hooting at one another as they dueled with broken branches. The girl was the older and taller of the two. Arya! Bran thought eagerly, as he watched her leap up onto a rock and cut at the boy. But that couldn't be right. If the girl was Arya, the boy was Bran himself, and he had never worn his hair so long. And Arya never beat me playing swords, the way that girl is beating him. She slashed the boy across his thigh, so hard that his leg went out from under him and he fell into the pool and began to splash and shout. "You be quiet, stupid," the girl said tossing her own branch aside. "It's just water. Do you want Old Nan to hear and run tell father?" She knelt and pulled her brother from the pool..."

So I assume this must be Lyanna and Benjen, since Benjen is her only younger brother. Poor Benjen! Fourth born child in his family...third son. Probably not gonna get too many opportunities in life like his other siblings....And on top of that... He's getting his ass whooped by his sister! He must be thinking to himself, "damn, this really sucks." So decides that he needs to at least learn to be competent enough at fighting to beat a girl 1v1....and he already lives in the North anyways....So he gallops on up to join the black Watchers on the Wall!

[Benandante]

In Bran's last chapter of aDwD, at the very end when he starts to see visions of events that occurred in the past through Winterfell's weirwood tree....

"Now two children danced across the godswood, hooting at one another as they dueled with broken branches. The girl was the older and taller of the two. Arya! Bran thought eagerly, as he watched her leap up onto a rock and cut at the boy. But that couldn't be right. If the girl was Arya, the boy was Bran himself, and he had never worn his hair so long. And Arya never beat me playing swords, the way that girl is beating him. She slashed the boy across his thigh, so hard that his leg went out from under him and he fell into the pool and began to splash and shout. "You be quiet, stupid," the girl said tossing her own branch aside. "It's just water. Do you want Old Nan to hear and run tell father?" She knelt and pulled her brother from the pool..."

So I assume this must be Lyanna and Benjen, since Benjen is her only younger brother. Poor Benjen! Fourth born child in his family...third son. Probably not gonna get too many opportunities in life like his other siblings....And on top of that... He's getting his ass whooped by his sister! He must be thinking to himself, "damn, this really sucks." So decides that he needs to at least learn to be competent enough at fighting to beat a girl 1v1....and he already lives in the North anyways....So he gallops on up to join the black Watchers on the Wall!

Benjen is about Bran's age 6-8. Very young.

Notice that Lyanna says "Do you want Old Nan to hear and run tell father?" First, it means Old Nan was once able to run.

But more importantly: where is their mother?

Like Jon, Ben-Jen did not know his Mother. Unlike Jon, he has gone to the Wall to find her.

[Toccs]

Like Jon, Ben-Jen did not know his Mother. Unlike Jon, he has gone to the Wall to find her.

Where do you get hat idea. There is nothing in the books that suggests that Ned or his siblings never knew their mother.

In fact that information isn't even unkown to us the readers anymore. Their mother was Lyarra Stark, daughter of Rodrick Stark "the Wandering Wolf" and Arya Flint.

ETA : Or are you suggesting that Lyarra died either giving birth to Benjen or soon thereafter. If that is the case I necessarilly disagree.