Magnar of Skagos

[Falcon2908]

And how many monthes of sail is that from Braavos?

I'm not sure. Pentos to Asshai takes 3 years I think.

So Braavos to Sothoryos should be 10-12 months?

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

 

I agree. It fits in with the theme of the North (as real animals from the ice age), they'd look much less ridiculous than traditional unicorns.

 I'd imagine they'd look more like this though:

Actually the traditional imagary of a Unicorn is more like a goat. The modern imagary of a sleek white horse is well, modern. 

In Jon's dream, he see's Shaggydog fighting with what we assume is a Skagossi Unicorn and it indeed sounds way more like the traditional idea of a sort of goayty type creature. 

 

[Aemond's Eye]

No, Magnar is the name of their house. there is no "magnar" of Skagos as the word means Lord in the old tongue. They are not wildlings, they are "kneelers" who rebel on occasion. They are just isolated. My guess is Skagos is like the far northern Isles of Scotland. There isn't much produced  to export and the region is resource poor so there isn't much reason to go there for trade either. Cold, damp and isolated. 

Good shout. The Hebrides, Isles etc pretty much did their own thing, even after the modern boundaries of Scotland were established. Due to their isolation they were, in some ways, a nation unto themselves.

[Dorian Martell]

Good shout. The Hebrides, Isles etc pretty much did their own thing, even after the modern boundaries of Scotland were established. Due to their isolation they were, in some ways, a nation unto themselves.

Until distillation  was invented, there wasn't much that they could export 

 

[Bluetiger]

I'm not sure. Pentos to Asshai takes 3 years I think.

So Braavos to Sothoryos should be 10-12 months?

3 years? I don't know what's your source but this seems to be much too long.

If, let's say Asshai is 10 000 km from Pentos, if it took 1095 days (3years), then average speed wpuld be less than 10 km per DAY!

15 century galley could maintain speed of 7-8 knots for 24 hours (about 14km per hour)

Viking longships could maintain speed of 5-10 knots (max. 19 km per hour).

IMO voyage to Asshai (10 000km, in reality it may be less) should take (with speed of 10km per hour, about 240 per day), 40-50 days. If we add time for stops at ports and repairs, it shouldn't take more than 4 months.

[Bluetiger]

Even if the distance was 20 000 km or 30 000 km, the travel would take (with speed of 240 km per day) 81 or 125 days. Even adding time of stops, repairs, rests and delays, it shouldn't take 3 years to reach Asshai.

[Dorian Martell]

Even if the distance was 20 000 km or 30 000 km, the travel would take (with speed of 240 km per day) 81 or 125 days. Even adding time of stops, repairs, rests and delays, it shouldn't take 3 years to reach Asshai.

It isn't a one stop trip. They have to stop and take on provisions at various ports. sometimes takes weeks to unload and reload a ship for the return and then there is the fact that no journey is perfect. There will be storms, maybe prates, people getting sick  ect. 

 

[Aemond's Eye]

Until distillation  was invented, there wasn't much that they could export 

 

Yeah, and they were too distant from the crown for it to be worth the hassle of ensuring they paid the correct tax, at least prior to the UK being formed.

Funnily enough, during our indepenence referendum, it was pointed out how much those parts of Scotland contribute - and it raised the question of, 'What if they would rather then become independent of an independent Scotland?' Hell, some in Orkney and the Shetlands would rather be linked to Norway.

I digress!

[jarl the climber]

Even if the distance was 20 000 km or 30 000 km, the travel would take (with speed of 240 km per day) 81 or 125 days. Even adding time of stops, repairs, rests and delays, it shouldn't take 3 years to reach Asshai.

I think that Illryio said that the ship he was sending there would take 2 or 3 years round trip. I think that is the source for that, its in the first Tyrion chapter of ADWD. I'm not sure if the ship he sent was a Galley or a Cog. 

[Chicxulub]

I am of the opinion that the unicorn of Skagos are actually some great wooly rhinos

Agreed.  Particularly Elasmotherium.



These bad boys are believed to have survived into early historical times in the Near East, and are largely responsible for the cultural memory that gave rise to the unicorn myth.  Given that these are actually a type of rhinoceros, the common association of 'unicorn horn' and having medicinal properties is perfectly consistent with other real-world species of rhino.

[Chicxulub]

 

 

 

3 years? I don't know what's your source but this seems to be much too long.

If, let's say Asshai is 10 000 km from Pentos, if it took 1095 days (3years), then average speed wpu

ld be less than 10 km per DAY!

15 century galley could maintain speed of 7-8 knots for 24 hours (about 14km per hour)

Viking longships could maintain speed of 5-10 knots (max. 19 km per hour).

IMO voyage to Asshai (10 000km, in reality it may be less) should take (with speed of 10km per hour, about 240 per day), 40-50 days. If we add time for stops at ports and repairs, it shouldn't take more than 4 months.

 

 

 

 

Agreed.  I'm on a re-read of ACOK right now, and when the Summer Islander calls on Dany with news from the 7K, he mentions that he's six months into his trading rounds out of Pentos whilst in Qarth.  And this is with his calling on various ports on the way there, which would of course add significant time in each port to actually do his business.  

With a determined captain, a competent crew, fair winds and a following sea, I don't see any reason to assume that a trip to Asshai wouldn't take more than a couple of months.

[Neptunium]

On 1/16/2016 at 4:36 PM, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Actually the traditional imagary of a Unicorn is more like a goat. The modern imagary of a sleek white horse is well, modern. 

In Jon's dream, he see's Shaggydog fighting with what we assume is a Skagossi Unicorn and it indeed sounds way more like the traditional idea of a sort of goayty type creature. 

 

Ah, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. Looking at the description from where Shaggydog fought the goat with the horn, I think the unicorns are as you described. I'm kind of disappointed though - I was really hoping they'd look like woolly rhinos! :-D

At the very least the ASOIAF unicorns would have to be a lot bigger than real life goats to be able to hurt Shaggydog.

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

13 hours ago, Neptunium said:

Ah, I didn't know that. Thanks for the info. Looking at the description from where Shaggydog fought the goat with the horn, I think the unicorns are as you described. I'm kind of disappointed though - I was really hoping they'd look like woolly rhinos! :-D

At the very least the ASOIAF unicorns would have to be a lot bigger than real life goats to be able to hurt Shaggydog.

Hahahaha! You've clearly never been attacked by a goat.  

 

But in all seriousness I really hope we do get to see a Unicorn at some point. For a long time I had it in  my head that Rickon will be reintroduced and that he will have a  Unicorn as one of his animals. I so want him to skinchange a Unicorn. 

[Melisandre's White Pubes]

On 1/16/2016 at 6:18 PM, It'sAlwaysWinterInScotland said:

I'd expect it to be something like an enormous goat and the image Garlan posted.

I have a theory that they are large, two horned goats, and the Skagosi remove one horn for crafting and trading and leave one so the animal can still defend itself.

[White Ravens]

On 1/16/2016 at 4:09 PM, khal drogon said:

But isn't there a quote which says it looks like an enormous goat?

There is a quote that often gets interpreted that way. 

I don't think that Shaggydog killed a unicorn.

[Neptunium]

On 1/31/2016 at 4:20 PM, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Hahahaha! You've clearly never been attacked by a goat.  

 

But in all seriousness I really hope we do get to see a Unicorn at some point. For a long time I had it in  my head that Rickon will be reintroduced and that he will have a  Unicorn as one of his animals. I so want him to skinchange a Unicorn. 

In Australia there are no wild goats, only domesticated ones! I moved to Europe about a month ago though, so I should go out and find some wild goats to get a true measure of their strength :-D

 

On 1/31/2016 at 4:43 PM, A Song of Ass and Fire said:

I have a theory that they are large, two horned goats, and the Skagosi remove one horn for crafting and trading and leave one so the animal can still defend itself.

That's a plausible explanation, and it makes perfect sense. The only problem I have with it is that it's too much of a Maester's explanation :-D

 

It'd be a good way to drive up the price though. "Goat's horn? It's a unicorn horn! It's worth ten times that much!". 

Or later on: "Here Lord Commander, have this helmet - it's has a "rare" and "valuable" unicorn horn on it!".

[The Weirwoods Eyes]

Well in that case, a bit of friendly advice, steer clear of the Goats and the Geese.  

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

On 1/16/2016 at 6:36 AM, aryagonnakill#2 said:

Its not just Jon's dream, the worldbook says they are goats as well.  Since there is a unicorn goat in the real world which lives in Vietnam, it seems perfectly reasonable that a bigger version exists on Skagos.

Not to mention one horned deer. Which inspired our own Unicorn stories.

[Daemon Blackfyre IV]

On 1/15/2016 at 4:37 AM, Bonkers said:

Funny the comments about Unicorns, as one Wildlings gave over to the Watch a Unicorn head lol

I actually really enjoy the little details in the books like Jon's plans to rebuild the watch and the Wildling Ransom's. Along with the unicorn head I found the broken sword interesting

[the Scorpion Knight]

On 15.1.2016 at 11:06 AM, Falcon2908 said:

I am of the opinion that the unicorn of Skagos are actually some great wooly rhinos

my thought too

 

On 16.1.2016 at 4:36 PM, The Weirwoods Eyes said:

Actually the traditional imagary of a Unicorn is more like a goat. The modern imagary of a sleek white horse is well, modern. 

In Jon's dream, he see's Shaggydog fighting with what we assume is a Skagossi Unicorn and it indeed sounds way more like the traditional idea of a sort of goayty type creature. 

 

AFAIK the first known european mention of a unicorn (and creator of that name) was herodeots description of a rhino

On 17.1.2016 at 4:40 AM, Chicxulub said:

Agreed.  Particularly Elasmotherium.


These bad boys are believed to have survived into early historical times in the Near East, and are largely responsible for the cultural memory that gave rise to the unicorn myth.  Given that these are actually a type of rhinoceros, the common association of 'unicorn horn' and having medicinal properties is perfectly consistent with other real-world species of rhino.

not to mention these animals were huge size comparison (it's the light grey one )