how come old-Nan know so much

[Macgregor of the North]

24 minutes ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Thanks for clearing that up. I got my Starks mixed up. Never could follow the family tree things.

As to Nan, I don't have a firm opinion how she got there, when she got there or where she came from. All I know is that she was a wet nurse to Brandon. I got no theory. She can be whatever a person wants her to be. She can be a wildling, a person from the North, a person from the South or magical old woman.

There is some media speculation that the readers are supposed to find out why Hodor Hodor's so maybe her back story will be revealed then. I don't believe the time travel stuff. That is a firm opinion.

 

I love family trees and can quite happily spend hours pondering them.

I think the WF Novella may help clear things up on Nans origin a wee bit if she is there at the same time as D&E.

[devilish]

Old Nan is ancient and she lives in Winterfell. That sentence means a lot

a- jobs in castles come loaded with perks and are therefore rare. A castle offers protection, guaranteed good quality food, decent shelter and clothing (noble men cant afford that their servants get sick because most of the time it could be infective). It also means being close to the Lord and his children. Noblemen may be elitist but ultimately they are human. A good servant will be noticed and once noticed it will be respected. A respected servant can ask for favours and those favours may be listened too. That's why so many noblemen sent their own sons to be ladies in waiting to the queen. The closer and the more cushy the job is the more important it becomes. 

b- Old servants aren't very useful anymore. In medieval times they would either retire with their family or sent on the streets. Because of a, jobs in the castles were highly sought for. Therefore there's the temptation for the Lord to hire young pretty girls that will provide him with favours that old Nan can't provide. Alternatively these jobs are offered to loyal soldiers or rich merchants/lower noblemen bastards

Old nan has a cushy job, she is in close proximity to the Starks boys (who will eventually become lords) and she even has the audacity to scare the shite out of them with impunity. She also managed to hire her mentally challenged relative with the Starks which means 2 extra (and useless) mouths to feed if Winterfell end up under siege. I am pretty confident that Old nan has Stark blood in here. She's either Rickard's distant relative (a second cousin maybe) or a Stark bastard.