On Tywin's rotting corpse- A crackpot theory

[Lemon of Lemonwood]

On rot and embalming

I am currently re-reading A Feast for Crows and I was struck by the condition of Tywin Lannister's corpse on his bier during his seven-day funeral ceremonies. As we read in Jaime's first chapter:

Quote

The King’s Hand was rotting visibly. His face had taken on a greenish tinge, and his eyes were deeply sunken, two black pits. Fissures had opened in his cheeks, and a foul white fluid was seeping through the joints of his splendid gold-and-crimson armor to pool beneath his body.

Normally,  it would not be that unexpected for a corpse to ooze fluids and stink, especially when it is contained in an armor that cause extra humidity by trapping the vapors of decay around the bloated, full of fluids and decaying body during the stages of the bloating and active decay. Yet, as we are told however later by Pycelle:

Quote

“The silent sisters removed Lord Tywin’s bowels and organs, drained his blood... every care was taken... his body was stuffed with salts and fragrant herbs...”

Therefore, measures were taken to prevent the rot and preserve the dead man's dignity on his bier, at least until the ceremony was done and the flesh would be stripped from the bones.  

It could be of course argued that the effectiveness of these techniques is not as great as of the modern ones. However, we can draw a comparison by examining the quite similar Tudor embalming methods:

Quote

The process in the sixteenth century involved washing and eviscerating the body, sluicing out the inner cavities with various disinfectant fluids and then stuffing and covering the body with aromatic herbs and spices, which might include thyme, rosemary or lavender. The body was then wrapped in layers of cerecloth (waxed cloth) with the seams sealed with beeswax, sheathed in lead and encased in a wooden coffin with dry sweet herbs. From the sixteenth century onwards, we also see the introduction of balms, ointments and powders capable of dehydrating and drying out the corpse.

In The Receyt of the Ladie Kateryne we’re told that Arthur’s corpse was disemboweled and ‘well embalmed’ before being ‘dressed with spices and other sweet stuff such as those as bare the charge thereof could provide’. So well embalmed in fact, that there was no need for the usual lead coffin, instead his body was placed in a wooden chest where it lay in state for almost three weeks. Another young Tudor royal, who died at the same age as Arthur Tudor, was Henry VIII’s son, Edward VI. He succumbed to illness on 6 July 1553 but was not buried until 8 August. This extended delay in the warm weather must have posed a challenge for all those within close proximity of the young king’s body.

 So, it appears that the goal was to dry Tywin's body and prevent the bloating and active decay form happening fast, and apparently the embalming did work on that matter.

Quote

“The flesh... as the flesh dries, the muscles grow taut and pull his lips upward. That is no smile, only a... a drying, that is all.”

To sum up, the Silent Sisters and probably Pycelle did their best to prevent to dry and Preserve Tywin's corpse for the seven-day state funeral. The weather during that week appeared to be wet but chill and the body was kept in a vast and dry room, so, judging by Prince Arthur's very similar case, there shouldn't have been any problem, and yet everything went horribly wrong. Was it due to an unwanted mistake or there was foul play at work?

The Suspects

Now, are several cases that could be examined on who would like to disgrace Tywin in his death by a hummiliating decay.

First of all, there is a pretty popular theory  that Tywin was poisoned with Widow's Blood by Oberyn and the effects show on his corpse. It has a good amount of evidence which I will not repeat in this post, plus it has a delightful sense of irony and gives Oberyn's fans the consolation that even after his death, he had the last laugh.

Secondly, in her paranoia, Cersei considers that either Pycelle has grown to fibble to perform any task efficiently or that he did that deliberately under the instructions of the Tyrells. That could be easily discounted on the fact that in all Seven Kingdoms there is no man more sincerely or ardently admiring Tywin than Pycelle. Never mind how high the bribe, he would never do that.

Thirdly, it could be argued that there is no other culprit that Martin himself, and that this decay is a symbol of the equality of all men in death, or of Tywin's own moral decay and a sort of poetic justice for his hypocrisy and his obsession with his legacy.

Finally, the only other people that got involved with Tywin's corpse were the Silent Sisters themselves. Could some of them have a motive?

The Stranger's Wives

In comparison to the Septas, were it appears that in most cases purity of mind and body is, if not required, at least expected, the order of the Silent Sisters appears to be open to women of all backgrounds. In fact, it has been known to take in widows with no other means to leave, noblewomen that either lost wars themselves ( Marla Sunderland) or their families were on the losing side as punishment for their rebelling fathers (Alysanne Osgrey), disgraced women looking for refuge and probably women their families wish to punish.

Now in recent westerosi history few men have caused as many women to be widowed, rapped and disgraced as Tywin Lannister had. So,it wouldn't be that far a stretch to think that a woman widowed in the War of the Five Kings or disgraced in the Sacking of King's Landing would wish to get her revenge on Tywin by humiliating him on his funerary bier. However (and this is where the crackpot begins) there are probably two Silent Sisters that would particularly want revenge on him: Rohanne and Cerelle Tarbeck.

The Last Ladies Tarbeck

As we are told in the World of Ice and Fire, at the end of the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion Walderan,Ellyn and the rest of their Tarbeck kin was killed in Tarbeck Hall, while her two daughters were most likely forced to join the Silent Sisters and Rohanne's baby son was either drowned in a well by baby-killer extraordinaire Amory Lorch or, less likely, survived and became a bard in Essos.

The two Tarbeck sisters would be around 20 when the Rebellion ended and around 60 years old at the time of Tywin's death, ergo it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for them to be alive. Also, given the high profile of the dead, I suppose that the Order would assign some experienced Sisters to care for his corpse, so two women with 40 years of experience would be likely candidates, especially since after so many years and given their silence, not many might know their birth names.

As to whether they could be living in King's Landing, we know from the case of Alysanne Osgrey that hostages of the Crown that join the Sisters go to King's Landing. Now the Iron Throne had no hand in the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion, but one could safely think that Tywin wouldn't want the last two women of Reyne and Tarbeck blood and childbearing age to stay in the still unresting Westerlands, lest any sympathiser save them and use them or a possible child of theirs to stir trouble in the future. King's Landing could be a wise choice of destination, since its large population would make them hard to find. And even if they didn't go to King's Landing at first, during the War of the Five Kings people ran to the capital for safety, so they could go there later and still be around when Tywin died.

Conclusion

The ugliness and inevitability of death and decay is a universal t and truthful heme. It could be that simply the great irony for the ever dignidied, ruthless, unsmilling and careful of his public image Tywin to be remembered as a grinning, stinking, grotesque corpse.It could be though that two experienced Silet Sisters, too long in the Order for everyone to know who they were once and with a very reasonable grudge against a man known to care for his legacy above all else finally stealthily avenged their dead kin.

[Lord Vance II]

13 minutes ago, Lemon of Lemonwood said:

His face had taken on a greenish tinge, and his eyes were deeply sunken, two black pits. Fissures had opened in his cheeks, and a foul white fluid was seeping through the joints of his splendid gold-and-crimson armor to pool beneath his body.

The sunken eyes and cracked skin sounds like what would happen if a body was filled with salt and dried out. 

15 minutes ago, Lemon of Lemonwood said:

Thirdly, it could be argued that there is no other culprit that Martin himself, and that this decay is a symbol of the equality of all men in death, or of Tywin's own moral decay and a sort of poetic justice for his hypocrisy and his obsession with his legacy.

Yes, if you consider it something someone needs pinned with. He probably did make his rot a little more noticeable on purpose, but I don't think some sinister force was at work. If they did, I think making a rotting corpse look more rotten is a pretty weak revenge. 

[estermonty python]

I love this theory.  It doesn't matter at all - and yet its the sort of tightly reasoned detail that's totally plausible.  It's also a way for Martin to get his themes out (what you already described in the original post) in a logical way within the story.  

 

One question:  Why wouldn't they have treated Joffrey's corpse the same way?

[cgrav]

I imagine a delay in embalming would result in some decay processes beginning that cannot be stopped by medieval methods. I seem to recall Cersei being upset that Tywin's body had not yet been taken care of or even covered when she arrives in his chamber.

 

[Lemon of Lemonwood]

3 hours ago, Lord Vance II said:

The sunken eyes and cracked skin sounds like what would happen if a body was filled with salt and dried out. 

Yes, if you consider it something someone needs pinned with. He probably did make his rot a little more noticeable on purpose, but I don't think some sinister force was at work. If they did, I think making a rotting corpse look more rotten is a pretty weak revenge. 

I suppose so, the fluid though seems a bit more out of place. It could be expelled from the body due to the drying process, but it just sounds a little strange, particularly the stench being strong enough for people to observe it as unnatural. Then again, I count myself fortunate enough not to have been in close contact with salted human corpses lately.

The way you put it yes, making a rotting corpse a little worse looking isn't much.

Remember, though, that people in both real and imagnary worlds do like a bit of scandal attached to the death and /or funeral of a man, especially of a not so loved one. See how well the quip " Lord Tywin Lannister did not, in the end, shit gold " stuck with readers. Even the attendants of his funeral were making jokes about the privy and sniggered in the presence of his family. Hell, lady Olenna even brought it up on Cersei's own face in the condolances reception.

Even in our world, Henry VIII exploded in his funeral and some parts of him were eaten by dogs to the delight and mirth of his adversaries.

So yes, having the embarassement of his very own kingly grandson living the temple and people fainting because of the stench attached to his posterity, especially since he has an already memorable way of death and was hated in the city, is the kind of blow that would give ol' Tywin the shadders. I grant it won't be forgotten in Westeros soon.

2 hours ago, estermonty python said:

One question:  Why wouldn't they have treated Joffrey's corpse the same way?

Apart from him being opened up to conduct a post-mortem examination, being dressed in golden armor, laying in state in the Red Keep's sep, several other things done in the vicinity of his bier which would be deemed most inappropriate and that he was burried in Baelor's Sept I can't recall much else on Joffrey's funerary preparations. If you have quotes in hand feel free to share!

[The Wolves]

Tywin was a evil piece of shit so of course his body would be rotten and stank in death. 

But I do like your theory. 

[Lion of the West]

6 hours ago, Lemon of Lemonwood said:

On rot and embalming

I am currently re-reading A Feast for Crows and I was struck by the condition of Tywin Lannister's corpse on his bier during his seven-day funeral ceremonies. As we read in Jaime's first chapter:

Normally,  it would not be that unexpected for a corpse to ooze fluids and stink, especially when it is contained in an armor that cause extra humidity by trapping the vapors of decay around the bloated, full of fluids and decaying body during the stages of the bloating and active decay. Yet, as we are told however later by Pycelle:

Therefore, measures were taken to prevent the rot and preserve the dead man's dignity on his bier, at least until the ceremony was done and the flesh would be stripped from the bones.  

It could be of course argued that the effectiveness of these techniques is not as great as of the modern ones. However, we can draw a comparison by examining the quite similar Tudor embalming methods:

 So, it appears that the goal was to dry Tywin's body and prevent the bloating and active decay form happening fast, and apparently the embalming did work on that matter.

To sum up, the Silent Sisters and probably Pycelle did their best to prevent to dry and Preserve Tywin's corpse for the seven-day state funeral. The weather during that week appeared to be wet but chill and the body was kept in a vast and dry room, so, judging by Prince Arthur's very similar case, there shouldn't have been any problem, and yet everything went horribly wrong. Was it due to an unwanted mistake or there was foul play at work?

The Suspects

Now, are several cases that could be examined on who would like to disgrace Tywin in his death by a hummiliating decay.

First of all, there is a pretty popular theory  that Tywin was poisoned with Widow's Blood by Oberyn and the effects show on his corpse. It has a good amount of evidence which I will not repeat in this post, plus it has a delightful sense of irony and gives Oberyn's fans the consolation that even after his death, he had the last laugh.

Secondly, in her paranoia, Cersei considers that either Pycelle has grown to fibble to perform any task efficiently or that he did that deliberately under the instructions of the Tyrells. That could be easily discounted on the fact that in all Seven Kingdoms there is no man more sincerely or ardently admiring Tywin than Pycelle. Never mind how high the bribe, he would never do that.

Thirdly, it could be argued that there is no other culprit that Martin himself, and that this decay is a symbol of the equality of all men in death, or of Tywin's own moral decay and a sort of poetic justice for his hypocrisy and his obsession with his legacy.

Finally, the only other people that got involved with Tywin's corpse were the Silent Sisters themselves. Could some of them have a motive?

The Stranger's Wives

In comparison to the Septas, were it appears that in most cases purity of mind and body is, if not required, at least expected, the order of the Silent Sisters appears to be open to women of all backgrounds. In fact, it has been known to take in widows with no other means to leave, noblewomen that either lost wars themselves ( Marla Sunderland) or their families were on the losing side as punishment for their rebelling fathers (Alysanne Osgrey), disgraced women looking for refuge and probably women their families wish to punish.

Now in recent westerosi history few men have caused as many women to be widowed, rapped and disgraced as Tywin Lannister had. So,it wouldn't be that far a stretch to think that a woman widowed in the War of the Five Kings or disgraced in the Sacking of King's Landing would wish to get her revenge on Tywin by humiliating him on his funerary bier. However (and this is where the crackpot begins) there are probably two Silent Sisters that would particularly want revenge on him: Rohanne and Cerelle Tarbeck.

The Last Ladies Tarbeck

As we are told in the World of Ice and Fire, at the end of the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion Walderan,Ellyn and the rest of their Tarbeck kin was killed in Tarbeck Hall, while her two daughters were most likely forced to join the Silent Sisters and Rohanne's baby son was either drowned in a well by baby-killer extraordinaire Amory Lorch or, less likely, survived and became a bard in Essos.

The two Tarbeck sisters would be around 20 when the Rebellion ended and around 60 years old at the time of Tywin's death, ergo it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for them to be alive. Also, given the high profile of the dead, I suppose that the Order would assign some experienced Sisters to care for his corpse, so two women with 40 years of experience would be likely candidates, especially since after so many years and given their silence, not many might know their birth names.

As to whether they could be living in King's Landing, we know from the case of Alysanne Osgrey that hostages of the Crown that join the Sisters go to King's Landing. Now the Iron Throne had no hand in the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion, but one could safely think that Tywin wouldn't want the last two women of Reyne and Tarbeck blood and childbearing age to stay in the still unresting Westerlands, lest any sympathiser save them and use them or a possible child of theirs to stir trouble in the future. King's Landing could be a wise choice of destination, since its large population would make them hard to find. And even if they didn't go to King's Landing at first, during the War of the Five Kings people ran to the capital for safety, so they could go there later and still be around when Tywin died.

Conclusion

The ugliness and inevitability of death and decay is a universal t and truthful heme. It could be that simply the great irony for the ever dignidied, ruthless, unsmilling and careful of his public image Tywin to be remembered as a grinning, stinking, grotesque corpse.It could be though that two experienced Silet Sisters, too long in the Order for everyone to know who they were once and with a very reasonable grudge against a man known to care for his legacy above all else finally stealthily avenged their dead kin.

Not unreasonable and I could see GRRM making some hints of this without there being a clear answer. Can't say that I feel the Tarbecks deserves any kind of vengeance but the theory makes sense.

[Not a kneeler]

Actually, it would be hilarious if one of those silent sisters was Tysha. After her treatment at the hands of the Lannisters, becoming a silent sister rather than a whore would be the better option.

[Lion of the West]

13 minutes ago, Not a kneeler said:

Actually, it would be hilarious if one of those silent sisters was Tysha. After her treatment at the hands of the Lannisters, becoming a silent sister rather than a whore would be the better option.

If it was Tysha who was behind it, it would definietly have a clear aspect of vengeance, and justified one at that, but I am more in the line of it bering Martin's way to show that in death all are equal and that no matter how high you rise, there's no such thing as perfection. As in Tywin's post-mortem existance being so flawed.

[Lurid Jester]

7 hours ago, Lord Vance II said:

Yes, if you consider it something someone needs pinned with. He probably did make his rot a little more noticeable on purpose, but I don't think some sinister force was at work. If they did, I think making a rotting corpse look more rotten is a pretty weak revenge. 

I think the state of his corpse is the result of poisons that would have killed Tywin had he not caught a bolt in the chest.  The goal was not so much a stinky corpse so much as a corpse was.  

[BricksAndSparrows]

There are all sorts of factors that impact decomposition. While it is possible that there was some kind of intervention that caused accelerated decay, there did not have to be. There are a boat load of natural factors that could have caused Tywin to rot the way he did.

I always chalked it up to 2 factors. First being the circumstances surrounding his death. Tywin died with a wound in him. That allows microbes to enter the body far easier. Also where he died he died. The quarrel in his bowels could have exposed the wound to fecal matter, and if that didn't do it, he was sitting on the privy. When you compare this to Joff, you can see a stark contrast in circumstances.

The second reason, is a literary one. Eddard Stark's death ended spoiling his honor, and Tywin's death spoiled (pun intended) his pride.

[Lurid Jester]

6 minutes ago, BricksAndSparrows said:

There are all sorts of factors that impact decomposition. While it is possible that there was some kind of intervention that caused accelerated decay, there did not have to be. There are a boat load of natural factors that could have caused Tywin to rot the way he did.

I always chalked it up to 2 factors. First being the circumstances surrounding his death. Tywin died with a wound in him. That allows microbes to enter the body far easier. Also where he died he died. The quarrel in his bowels could have exposed the wound to fecal matter, and if that didn't do it, he was sitting on the privy. When you compare this to Joff, you can see a stark contrast in circumstances.

I don't think so. Punctured bowels and being on the toilet would have been bad if he'd survived the quarrel to the gut.  Risk of infection and septic shock would have been huge. 

But he died. Quickly.  There would be no heartbeat to pump the funk throughout his body so any bowel bacteria would have been extremely localized, and washed away by the sisters within a day or two.  I tend to think they would be called to care for him that night.  The Hand does not wait to be prepared for burial. 

Meat just does not liquefy like he's described without some added agent.  Something that was introduced and had time to circulate throughout his system. Something that had time to corrupt the tissue so much that no amount of cleaning will remove.  

Something that gave him the trots. 

Something like what Tyrion gave Cersie (in small doses) to keep her away from the small council.  

I believe that Oberyn slipped Tywin something and he was a dead man walking well before Tyrion shot him. 

[cgrav]

Could he have been stuffed with substances that accelerated tissue decay? maybe the proper salts and herbs were not available, or the embalming process was compromised by his being displayed in armor instead of a coffin.  The historical information above indicates that bodies were wrapped in leak resistant paper, which perhaps was skimped on in order to fit him in the armor.

[Seams]

You are in good company if you suspect the Silent Sisters. The Tarbecks are definite candidates, and making Tywin stink would be one of the few things they could do to exact revenge after he was already dead. But M_Tootles had some good theories that I stumbled upon through a post he left on another thread. When I googled something about Prince Doran's gout, I discovered extensive ideas laid out by M_Tootles about previous generations of intrigue and love at the court of the Red Keep. You'll find several Silent Sisters in his theory who would have a reason to go after Tywin.

But I think the stench was a longstanding motif connected to Tywin, long before he was known to be dead. From Clash, Arya VI:

The stink of the Lannister host reached Arya well before she could make out the devices on the banners that sprouted along the lakeshore, atop the pavilions of the westermen. From the smell, Arya could tell that Lord Tywin had been here some time. The latrines that ringed the encampment were overflowing and swarming with flies, and she saw faint greenish fuzz on many of the sharpened stakes that protected the perimeters.

Any large gathering of people would stink in medieval sewage conditions, but this is the only place where the point is made explicit, as far as I can recall. The highlighted sentence is an example of one of those slightly ambiguous choices of words that GRRM likes to use - is he talking about the army or about Tywin himself? It's possible that the point is that Tywin is already dead in some way, shape or form (symbolic or literal death can be hard to separate in these books sometimes). Tywin is described as being still as stone at least once, and I wondered whether this was a comparison to Lady Stoneheart and the walking dead club.

Or maybe the association of Tywin and stench is just part of the building of a motif that is supposed to tell us that Tywin is full of sh_t.

Tyrion, on the other hand, is an expert at making sewers flow and keeping drains working, thanks to Tywin forcing him to take charge of the drains at Casterly Rock. The sewers are related to the wordplay and symbolism around sewing, while stench is related to the symbolism around flowers which, in turn, relate to puns about "flow." I think one of the layers of meaning of the Selaesori Qhorin / Fragrant Civil Servant / Stinky Steward ship has to do with Tyrion's relationship to Tywin - Tywin is a stinky steward; Tyrion has no nose.

[BricksAndSparrows]

58 minutes ago, Lurid Jester said:

I don't think so. Punctured bowels and being on the toilet would have been bad if he'd survived the quarrel to the gut.  Risk of infection and septic shock would have been huge. 

But he died. Quickly.  There would be no heartbeat to pump the funk throughout his body so any bowel bacteria would have been extremely localized, and washed away by the sisters within a day or two.  I tend to think they would be called to care for him that night.  The Hand does not wait to be prepared for burial. 

Meat just does not liquefy like he's described without some added agent.  Something that was introduced and had time to circulate throughout his system. Something that had time to corrupt the tissue so much that no amount of cleaning will remove.  

Something that gave him the trots. 

Something like what Tyrion gave Cersie (in small doses) to keep her away from the small council.  

I believe that Oberyn slipped Tywin something and he was a dead man walking well before Tyrion shot him. 

...

Maybe I'll reread the chapter.....

I'll say this. If there was something unnatural at work here (and you're swaying me..), Oberyn is the prime candidate. But this is from  http://aboutforensics.co.uk/decomposition/ I actually read a bit of this before I posted.

Quote

Decay (5-11 days)
The previously inflated carcass now deflates and putrid internal gases are released. As the tissues break down the corpse will appear wet and strong odours are very noticeable. Various compounds contribute to the potent odour of a decomposing body, including cadaverine, putrescine, skatole, indole, and a variety of sulphur-containing compounds. Although foul-smelling to most, these putrid compounds will attract a range of insects. Fluids begin to drain from the corpse via any available orifice, particularly the nose and mouth. The internal organs typically decompose in a particular order, starting with the intestines and ending with the prostate or uterus.

In fairness though, this wasn't written about a body that was prepped for burial the way Tywin was. So it's not case closed.

The problem I have is that something this vile...it's hard to imagine Tywin walking around fine with it in him. You can say "Well that's just the way the poison works," but since this is a hypothetical, fantasy poison, that argument will defeat just about anything.

I'm less sure than when I originally posted, but I'm still not convinced this wasn't completely natural.

[TheSeer27]

Could be from the poison.

[cgrav]

It seems most plausible to me that the preparations were simply rushed in order to get the whole thing over with. A fresh body looks better lying in state than one that's been properly dessicated. 

I just re-read the Cersei chapter and it says that he already smelled when she entered the room, though that could have been from his own bowels, the stench of which Tyrion noted the moment of Tywin's death.

[Jon Fossoway]

Nice irrelevant theory. Not being pejorative at all, btw. These kind of things makes the world GRRM created much more appealing. If it is confirmed anyhow in the future, could line up with the kind of arcs that ends tragically (Tysha/Sailor's Wife). Only, in this case, ironically. 

9 hours ago, estermonty python said:

I love this theory.  It doesn't matter at all - and yet its the sort of tightly reasoned detail that's totally plausible.  It's also a way for Martin to get his themes out (what you already described in the original post) in a logical way within the story.  

 

One question:  Why wouldn't they have treated Joffrey's corpse the same way?

Why would they? Joffrey is a Baratheon for official means. Tywin's grandson, but I don't see Cyrelle and Rohanne throwing a stink bomb anywhere but to the man who wrecked their lives and their houses. Making them mess up all the Lannister dead parentage would just add up unnecessary writing for Martin.

[The Dew]

Martin always gives clues as he is a learned man and he writes so that we research more and read between the lines. Tywin's Great Funeral Stench is not only allegorical but I believe or want to believe that even after his death, one way another he was defiled, and all the theories that I have read are plausible and indeed interesting. Tywin was respected, feared and hated, and, although hate being a soul-eating emotions it is still a strong motive for anyone who has been wronged. On the funny side too bad for the Silent Sisters and Planetos that Chuck Testa, of House Testa of Ojai Valley was not around. 

[Lurid Jester]

1 hour ago, BricksAndSparrows said:

...

Maybe I'll reread the chapter.....

In fairness though, this wasn't written about a body that was prepped for burial the way Tywin was. So it's not case closed.

The problem I have is that something this vile...it's hard to imagine Tywin walking around fine with it in him. You can say "Well that's just the way the poison works," but since this is a hypothetical, fantasy poison, that argument will defeat just about anything.

I'm less sure than when I originally posted, but I'm still not convinced this wasn't completely natural.

The bloat etc is due to the nasty stuff in our bodies (or any bodies) naturally no longer being held in check by our...  Uh, healthy bodies.  Crap, bacteria, undigested food, etc all rots and contributes to the decay and degradation of the body.  Clean all that stuff out and you're basically left with a slab of beef hanging in a cooler.

It'll keep for a while and shouldn't be leaking ... Pus and fluids.  That seems unnatural to me.  

Oberyn seems the best candidate. He had motive and means.  He also wouldn't be able to go at Tywin overtly because it would cause a war.  So he had to be subtle and provide enough reasonable doubt to avoid war with the crown. 

I still need to reread some but I could swear that during a conversation with Tyrion he implies that the trial by combat takes care of one target, but Tywin was still on his shit list.  

I also want to track down the passages where Tyrion finds that poison in Pycelle's quarters and uses it to give Cersie the squirts.  Seems to me that it would also kill someone if the dosage was higher.  

At the end of the day it doesn't really matter though.  Tyrion shot him with a crossbow so at most it suggests that there is more going on in the story than what we know for sure and GRRM gives is giving us hints about it.