Brynden Rivers, Bloodraven - The Dreamer. Novella content.

[Macgregor of the North]

This thread runs a wee bit long so there is a tl;dr at the bottom for a brief run through.

Bloodraven, The Mystery Knight:

"There have always been Targaryens who dreamed of things to come, since long before the Conquest," Bloodraven said, "so we should not be surprised if from time to time a Blackfyre displays the gift as well."

If the Blackfyre son (Daemon II) of a legitimised bastard of Aegon IV (Daemon I) has the gift, then why not another legitimised bastard too I say?

Another quote from TMK:

"A dragon would. The prince insists the egg will hatch. He dreamed it, just as he once dreamed his brothers dead. A living dragon will win us all the swords that we would want."

"A dragon is one thing, a dream's another. I promise you, Bloodraven is not off dreaming. We need a warrior, not a dreamer. Is the boy his father's son?"

But what if Bloodraven has been off dreaming though?

My interest has peaked on this subject once again, after re-listening to an interview with Elio and Linda where later in the interview they talk on Bloodraven. Ran explains a conversation he had with GRRM where he straight up asked him whether he always knew the Three Eyed crow would be Bloodraven, to which GRRM told him that he only knew then that the 3EC "would always be tied to the Targaryens".

Now I read that to mean that of course now the 3EC is Bloodraven but back then, Ran gives 1994 as the time, GRRM had not yet fleshed out the character Bloodraven but had decided either way from very early on that his 3EC would indeed be tied to the Targaryens. 

It may seem like I am trying to simply make this 'fit' my theory but bear with me. What I am proposing might have been the case is that GRRM had already made his mind up that a prophetic dream was going to be involved somewhere and that in order for this to happen GRRM had to decide that he would make this character "tied to the Targaryens", whom i believe he must have already decided that Targaryens would have this "gift".

In an even later part of the video, Ran even states again that GRRM always had the idea that the Three Eyed Crow would be a Targaryen, and not a child of the forest so it's pretty solid in my eyes if you have doubts on who the 3EC actually is.

Here is the link below, check it out at around 1 hour 22 minutes onwards where they begin to talk about Bloodraven as a book character etc..

This thread will centre around a belief of mine that Bloodraven will show, through his journey in the Novellas, that he too has what he describes as "the gift".

I begun a thread on this a while back. I hadn't seen what I was proposing discussed anywhere so I decided to take my own wacky ideas and throw them out there. I will admit the thread maybe needs tidied up and revised to flow a bit better but I will link it below as a reference point for any who fancy a look if this topic interests you. 

It is the same topic effectively but I will try to present this one as more of a neater theory. 

Here I will discuss what I think will be an eventual reveal that Brynden Rivers, aka Bloodraven, The Three Eyed Crow, friend, Dreamer, wizard and the Last Greenseer will show that he too had the Targaryen gift for prophetic dreams/visions and this helped guide him to where he is in the story now and what his true purpose was for the realm for which he was responsible for in his younger days as Hand of the King, then as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and which he still feels responsible for now. 

This true responsibility and purpose was always to become the Last Greenseer and tutor whom the Singers call "the Bran boy" in the ways of the Greenseer so he can realise his potential and play his part in the upcoming Long Night and War for the Dawn, and rebuild process thereafter.

A brief touch on Targaryens and their "gift". There are a few cases in the series as a whole with mentions in the books proper, the WOIAF book and also the Novellas. 

There are two such cases in the Novellas, which are a story of the journey of Dunk and Egg from their meeting before the Tourney at Ashford in 209AC right up to their deaths. 
Both dream cases involve big Duncan the Tall.

In the Hedge Knight Daeron Targaryen who has the said gift meets Dunk and automatically recognises him from a dream he had. He believes all his dreams come true. These dreams do come true as we know but they contain symbolic meaning that can throw the dreamer off sometimes. 

Daeron dreamed that a Dragon fell on Dunk and died, with Dunk surviving. This came true of course but the Dragon was not a literal Dragon but Baelor Targaryen the beloved prince who sadly perished while Dunk lived.

Later, in The Mystery Knight, A man using the name 'John the Fiddler' appeared in the story. In truth he was Daemon II Blackfyre who was plotting to ascend the Iron throne. 

Involving Dunk once again, this Targaryen with "the Gift" claimed that he recognised Dunk as soon as he saw him and he had dreamed him all in white as a member of the Kingsguard, which we know later came true.

He also dreamed that his older twin brothers would die, which was incidentally at Bloodravens hand during the Blackfyre Rebellion on the Redgrass field, although I am unsure whether they appeared as literal Dragons in the dream or that he actually saw Bloodravens involvement as it's never mentioned, only that he dreamed they would die. 

Finally, he dreamed of a Dragon hatching from an Egg at Whitewalls which turned out to be similar to Daerons dream in the Hedge Knight wherein the Dragon appeared as a literal Dragon but instead was a metaphor as the Dragon was young Egg/Aegon V revealing himself. 

These instances have shown that Targaryen blood is the key, and whether the dreamer be a Targaryen or a Blackfyre from the line of a legitimised bastard, I believe each have the potential to dream of what's to come as they all have Targaryen blood of old Valyria.

While these Novellas are a tale of Dunk and Eggs journey, the character Bloodraven is mentioned throughout and is actually heavily involved in the plot of The Mystery Knight. I think BR will pop up plenty more in the Novellas, and we will read of his exploits on page through our adventurers Dunk and Egg.

What I think will also receive more attention, alongside BR's inclusion, is the Targaryen gift for dreaming of things to come.

I will now head on to something which was the first thing to catch my attention and begin all my notes on this topic.

A chance meeting between Bloodraven and Duncan the Tall which I have always felt meant something. 

THE SWORN SWORD:

"Six years ago in King's Landing, Dunk had seen him with his own two eyes, as he rode a pale horse up the Street of Steel with fifty Raven's Teeth behind him. That was before King Aerys had ascended to the Iron Throne and made him the Hand, but even so he cut a striking figure, garbed in smoke and scarlet with Dark Sister on his hip. His pallid skin and bone-white hair made him look a living corpse. Across his cheek and chin spread a wine-stain birthmark that was supposed to resemble a red raven, though Dunk only saw an odd-shaped blotch of discolored skin. He stared so hard that Bloodraven felt it. The king's sorcerer had turned to study him as he went by. He had one eye, and that one red. The other was an empty socket, the gift Bittersteel had given him upon the Redgrass Field. Yet it seemed to Dunk that both eyes had looked right through his skin, down to his very soul."

This shows a younger Bloodraven before he became hand of the King. Dunk who is a teenager at the time will already be a massive lad. 
What I propose is that sometime before this Bloodraven had a dream/vision.

I think BR possibly saw a very large man carrying a boy into the Winter stricken North. This vision I believe is BR's first piece of prophetic guidance that shows Bran Stark as a crippled boy being carried to meet Bloodraven's future self as the Three eyed Crow, friend, Dreamer, Wizard and Last greenseer he becomes later, on the back of a massive young man who we all know to be Hodor.

Of course at this stage BR will not understand this dream, just like Daeron and Daemon before him who never understood their dreams before him, until they saw Dunk.

Daeron and Daemon's dreams of Dunk are clear in that they recognise him immediately, so in the dream he must have appeared to them clearly and with no visual deterrent. 

 Bloodravens vision in my theory however is hampered by harsh snowy winter type conditions so he may not manage to make out the large mans features, but when he sees Dunk in the street something stirs deep inside him and he stares at big Dunk so hard it's as if he looks right through his skin into his very soul.

I think it's possible that BR makes the connection right there and then between Dunk and this large man. 

What I propose will happen going forward now is that GRRM will continue with this in the Novellas. BR will be involved at certain times along the way with Dunk and Egg and BR will continue to show interest in Dunk. 
If you note, BR was present as Maynard Plumm in TMK when Dunk is nearly killed. 

I think the visions and dreams will continue and BR will come to realise somewhere along the line the boy in the dream is a Stark of Winterfell who's name is Brandon. 

During the next Novella BR will ride North and be the final force that deals with Dagon Greyjoy. This I think could place him close again to Dunk and Egg at Winterfell as they will be there to help as the last time we saw them they were planning on riding North to help Beron Stark against the Ironborn. 

If my dates are correct I think this will place Dunk, Egg, BR, a young newly enlisted Wet Nurse of the Starks "Nan" and a baby by the name of Brandon Stark all in close proximity to each other.

Going forward from this, I believe that BR will come to realise that the large man is not actually Dunk himself, nor is the young boy this baby Brandon (which he may have wondered) but the large man is a descendant of Dunk and the Wet Nurse Nan, and that the boy Bran is not the baby currently at Winterfell, who dies at three years old, but a future Brandon Stark.

These two figures will, as we know, become Bran and Hodor. Who if you can't tell by now I have obviously placed my bets on becoming the Great Grandson of Old Nan and Duncan the Tall. 

More and more lately I am viewing Bloodraven as a man who thinks with the good of the realm in mind. His actions are harsh, questionable and can be quite sinister but I think this man has a bigger picture in mind which requires some questionable acts all for the greater good. 

He was Hand of the King, looking out for the realm while the realm thought he was a sorcerer looking to corrupt the realm. 

He became the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, charged with the duty of protecting the realms of men while the realm looked North likely with a certain joy that the kinslayer Bloodraven was condemned to an icy cold life for his crimes. 

He became the Three Eyed Crow. A friend. Dreamer, wizard, call him what you will. The last greenseer, all to help guide a boy named Bran Stark North of the Wall on the back of a giant man so he could cloak the boy in darkness and fully open his third eye to become the most powerful Greenseer and come to the aid of the realm in the upcoming Long Night and War for the Dawn and the rebuilding process to follow it. 

All while Forum posters everywhere look on him with disgust and name him the dark villain of the series.

I'm not so sure it's as simple as that, but it's certainly not as simple as him being a clear cut good guy either.

Bloodravens most Nororious acts are largely thought to be his Kinslaying. Lots believed the realm was cursed and they were run by a kinslaying sorcerer. One of the most infamous acts of his was in the build up to the Great council of 233AC to determine the successor to the Iron Throne. 

Bloodraven as Hand of the King had instigated this council and offered safe passage for Aenys Blackfyre to come across the narrow sea to present himself as a candidate at the council. Upon his arrival, Bloodraven had the man detained and shortened by a head to save any future Blackfyre uprisings. Though many agreed with the action, it also served to damage his reputation further.

Once Egg ascended the throne as King Aegon V, he had Bloodraven arrested. BR was given the death sentence which makes me think he was confined to a dungeon or darker cell of the red keep with little comfort. 

Here in this darkness it is possible that BR has a breakthrough moment where his third eye opened fully, taking his powers to a higher level than they had been previously. This may have given him more insight into his future and the path he must take. 

It seems a little too straightforward that Aegon had pronounced a death sentence for BR but then offered him to take the Black. I think there were possibly conversations between BR and Egg concerning a higher purpose of BR's that involved him going to the Wall first. Egg I think was a man who believed in prophetic dreams and such and agreed to let BR take the Black after these discussions. 

In my other thread on this topic I go into detail on further possibilities involving Dunk, Nan and Bloodravens trip North so I'll leave those details out here. This thread and the other are sort of connected that way with many possibilities thrown around. 

I will leave it there for now and possibly revise as time goes on. 

Tl;dr:

I have a theory that the Novellas will follow the theme they are on with bringing our attention to the Targaryen gift of being able to dream of things to come. We will see more of Bloodraven as he pops up throughout Dunk and Eggs adventures and it will come to light that BR had a dream/vision in his youth of a very large young man carrying a boy through the Winter stricken North. 

Bloodraven is drawn to Duncan the Tall, possibly believing him to be the large man, only later to determine that the large man is not him, but a descendant of his. He will also come to learn that the young boy is a Brandon Stark of Winterfell. 

Bloodraven will come to realise that his whole life has been leading along this path to his destiny, which is to tutor this young Stark in what it means to be a Greenseer as this Brandon Stark is the one who will play an enormously important role in the upcoming Long Night and War for the Dawn and the rebuild process thereafter.

 

 

 

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

1 hour ago, Macgregor of the North said:

During the next Novella BR will ride North and be the final force that deals with Dagon Greyjoy.

Very good post, but I was under the impression that Dagon Greyjoy was dealt with by invasion by the Lannisters and the Starks. It's mentioned in Theon's POV I think. We don't know much, but I think that BR was too preoccupied by the Blackfyres to intervene in the North. 

I don't think that discounts your theory though, as he doesn't have to be present to "see" Dunk, Nan, etc., given his powers. I think the theory is actually excellent. In fact, he may have worked out that if he put down Dagon's rebellion too soon then Dunk would never have anything compelling him to travel North and meet Nan, and therefore Hodor would never have been born. It's noticeable in the novellas how it's purposely mentioned that BR is doing nothing about the rebellion. 

[GloubieBoulga]

1 hour ago, Macgregor of the North said:

 

Quote

 

THE SWORN SWORD:

"Six years ago in King's Landing, Dunk had seen him with his own two eyes, as he rode a pale horse up the Street of Steel with fifty Raven's Teeth behind him. That was before King Aerys had ascended to the Iron Throne and made him the Hand, but even so he cut a striking figure, garbed in smoke and scarlet with Dark Sister on his hip. His pallid skin and bone-white hair made him look a living corpse. Across his cheek and chin spread a wine-stain birthmark that was supposed to resemble a red raven, though Dunk only saw an odd-shaped blotch of discolored skin. He stared so hard that Bloodraven felt it. The king's sorcerer had turned to study him as he went by. He had one eye, and that one red. The other was an empty socket, the gift Bittersteel had given him upon the Redgrass Field. Yet it seemed to Dunk that both eyes had looked right through his skin, down to his very soul."

 

 Bloodravens vision in my theory however is hampered by harsh snowy winter type conditions so he may not manage to make out the large mans features, but when he sees Dunk in the street something stirs deep inside him and he stares at big Dunk so hard it's as if he looks right through his skin into his very soul.

I think it's possible that BR makes the connection right there and then between Dunk and this large man. 

What I propose will happen going forward now is that GRRM will continue with this in the Novellas. BR will be involved at certain times along the way with Dunk and Egg and BR will continue to show interest in Dunk. 
If you note, BR was present as Maynard Plumm in TMK when Dunk is nearly killed. 

I think the visions and dreams will continue and BR will come to realise somewhere along the line the boy in the dream is a Stark of Winterfell who's name is Brandon. 

 

Great post ! I come back to what I have quoted : I had exactly the same reflexion when I read the Dunk&Egg, and when I was interested by the theory "Hodor is a descendant of Dunk the Tall via Old Nan" (now, I'm not convinced that it's the case, but this isn't very important)

BR could also have had a dream like the two others Targaryen, but "down to his soul" suggests something else at this moment : as you said, he don't only recognize a man he saw in a dream, but - and here, my interpretation is a little different - perhaps he felt Bran's presence, more than Dunk's future. Indeed, Bran's dream was to be a knight, a great knight. Curiously, the Bran boy never mentioned Duncan the Tall in his list, despite the fact he was known as a great knight. I suspect he was his "secret garden" = the life that Bran particullary dreamt during the time he is in the cave. This could also explain why sometime Dunk feels as if another spoke or act to his place, and also why he miraculosly never die. You wrote about the 1st and the third novella, but at the end of the 2nd, Dunk is drowned and before he loose conscious, he feels/see a long white think, kind of worm, who swimm through his legs. 

No certitude, then, because the "other presence" who is acting as a "protective angel" could also be BR, as you explain it. Just a proposition for another explanation (and if Bran must die at the end of ASOIAF, it could be interesting to discover that he had time to dream one life over all he could dream : the life of a boy without family and parents, without special blood, in theory without future, aso...). 

[Macgregor of the North]

40 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

Very good post, but I was under the impression that Dagon Greyjoy was dealt with by invasion by the Lannisters and the Starks. It's mentioned in Theon's POV I think. We don't know much, but I think that BR was too preoccupied by the Blackfyres to intervene in the North. 

I don't think that discounts your theory though, as he doesn't have to be present to "see" Dunk, Nan, etc., given his powers. I think the theory is actually excellent. In fact, he may have worked out that if he put down Dagon's rebellion too soon then Dunk would never have anything compelling him to travel North and meet Nan, and therefore Hodor would never have been born. It's noticeable in the novellas how it's purposely mentioned that BR is doing nothing about the rebellion. 

Thanks for the compliment mate. 

I was basing my assumption on this text here from Victarion. 

ADWD VICTARION I:

"The Iron Islands shall be free again, and the Old Way will return. Even Dagon could not do that." Almost a hundred years had passed since Dagon Greyjoy sat the Seastone Chair, but the ironborn still told tales of his raids and battles. In Dagon's day a weak king sat the Iron Throne, his rheumy eyes fixed across the narrow sea where bastards and exiles plotted rebellion. So forth from Pyke Lord Dagon sailed, to make the Sunset Sea his own. "He bearded the lion in his den and tied the direwolf's tail in knots, but even Dagon could not defeat the dragons. But I shall make the dragon queen mine own. She will share my bed and bear me many mighty sons."

I believe this shows that Bloodraven intervened to put a stop to this once and for all. 

Whether it places him at Winterfell is what I wait to see. The next Novella can't come quick enough!

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

6 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

ADWD VICTARION I:

"The Iron Islands shall be free again, and the Old Way will return. Even Dagon could not do that." Almost a hundred years had passed since Dagon Greyjoy sat the Seastone Chair, but the ironborn still told tales of his raids and battles. In Dagon's day a weak king sat the Iron Throne, his rheumy eyes fixed across the narrow sea where bastards and exiles plotted rebellion. So forth from Pyke Lord Dagon sailed, to make the Sunset Sea his own. "He bearded the lion in his den and tied the direwolf's tail in knots, but even Dagon could not defeat the dragons. But I shall make the dragon queen mine own. She will share my bed and bear me many mighty sons."

Interesting. I hadn’t picked up on that quote. It could mean that he couldn’t defeat the dragons in the sense that he couldn’t break free of the IT, rather than literally he got defeated by the crown’s army. That being said your reading of it seems more likely.

Also, thinking about it, Theon was raised at Winterfell and the Starks may have had a more pro-Stark interpretation of who was responsible for defeating Dagon than the Ironborn did.

 

[Macgregor of the North]

21 minutes ago, GloubieBoulga said:

Great post !

Thanks GB.

22 minutes ago, GloubieBoulga said:

I suspect he was his "secret garden" = the life that Bran particullary dreamt during the time he is in the cave.

I applaud this idea, quite thought provoking.

22 minutes ago, GloubieBoulga said:

No certitude, then, because the "other presence" who is acting as a "protective angel" could also be BR, as you explain it. Just a proposition for another explanation

I am open always to different interpretations and ideas so i will reread the part from the Sworn Sword you mentioned and keep your ideas in mind. 

[Macgregor of the North]

1 minute ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

Interesting. I hadn’t picked up on that quote. It could mean that he couldn’t defeat the dragons in the sense that he couldn’t break free of the IT, rather than literally he got defeated by the crown’s army. That being said your reading of it seems more likely.

Also, thinking about it, Theon was raised at Winterfell and the Starks may have had a more pro-Stark interpretation of who was responsible for defeating Dagon than the Ironborn did.

 

I see what you are saying for sure but i certainly got the vibe that BR stepped in in the same kind of vibe we see him in TMK. An army with Dragon banners stirring and all that jazz turns up and along with the Starks and Lannisters sends the Ironborn back across the water to think again.

How though would this see BR appear at Winterfell? I am unsure. Maybe Egg was left there and wasnt part of the fighting so BR and Dunk return to WF together? This is what i am waiting to see how it all plays out.

I do hope we get a chance to read the Novella as a single story and not as part of three which would leave me hanging for ages sadly.

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

Thinking about this some more. You get the impression that BR is much more in control of his powers than Daemon or Daeron, and most others with green-sight. It may mean that he doesn’t misinterpret a vision of Hodor and Bran, but finds some way of actually looking through the timeline and knowing what needs to happen for it to come to pass.

He may actually be able to do this after he first meets Dunk, perhaps even after he becomes the Three Eyed Crow. He could then reach back in time and manipulate his own, Egg’s, or Dunk’s actions retroactively.

All speculation of course, but I’m 100% convinced by your main assertion, that BR knows Hodor is significant in Bran’s development and therefore ensures his existence.

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

3 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

How though would this see BR appear at Winterfell? I am unsure. Maybe Egg was left there and wasnt part of the fighting so BR and Dunk return to WF together? This is what i am waiting to see how it all plays out.

Another thought – just like in Mystery Knight, BR could just as easily be present as another character in Winterfell without anyone knowing. He could witness and manipulate what goes on up there while not announcing his presence.  

[Macgregor of the North]

2 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

 

He may actually be able to do this after he first meets Dunk, perhaps even after he becomes the Three Eyed Crow. He could then reach back in time and manipulate his own, Egg’s, or Dunk’s actions retroactively.

 

All speculation of course, but I’m 100% convinced by your main assertion, that BR knows Hodor is significant in Bran’s development and therefore ensures his existence.

 

Oh the time travel aspect! How I have missed it. It's been a while since I've spoke on it. 

I don't believe that any character can reach back in time to "change" or manipulate any event directly though. 

BR himself has told Bran that indefinitely. 

If there is any manipulation of the past it will be by Bran possibly, in the form of a stable timeloop, and it won't be forced or meant. Bran may find that he causes events, as in he always was the cause of it, but he never "changes" the past as it always happened that way if you catch my meaning. 

With BR, I think it will go the route of him seeing ahead through dream possibly but I don't think that any character can look back and manipulate the past as they desire. 

That is not the way the story is going in my opinion and I think that would upset a lot of readers if a character could do this. 

 

[Macgregor of the North]

8 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

Another thought – just like in Mystery Knight, BR could just as easily be present as another character in Winterfell without anyone knowing. He could witness and manipulate what goes on up there while not announcing his presence.  

 

Possible of course but I get the feeling that GRRM wouldn't think to pull that one again in the very next Novella, he may feel that is over using the technique maybe?.

[Macgregor of the North]

@Shouldve Taken The Black

I will give a couple examples to explain a bit better what I meant in my last post. 

Remember when Ned is startled in front of the tree when Bran whispers?. 

I believe there was no other timeline where Ned never did that, he always did that at that point and it was always Bran who did it due to a Stable time loop. Bran never changed that past, he always caused it. 

I'll use my buddy @Little Scribe of Naath's theory for the next example.

Lyanna prays in front of a Weirwood telling the old gods of her plan to enter the lists, Bran(quick to laugh and smile as the books have shown us) is watching her and laughs, his expression showing on the tree briefly. This prompts Lyanna to paint her shield that way and she becomes TKOTLT. 

But Bran never changed that past, he caused it, he always did.

These are ideas a few of us have floated for a while and I still stick to them. If GRRM does insert a time travel trope it will be like this I believe because as Bloodraven says, we cannot change the past.

[Shouldve Taken The Black]

19 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

Lyanna prays in front of a Weirwood telling the old gods of her plan to enter the lists, Bran(quick to laugh and smile as the books have shown us) is watching her and laughs, his expression showing on the tree briefly. This prompts Lyanna to paint her shield that way and she becomes TKOTLT. 

I haven’t heard that theory before and like it.

You may well be right about the time travel thing. Do you think BR can “cause the past” as you say, or just Bran?

[aryagonnakill#2]

I really liked your idea that BR's 3rd eye opened when he was in the black cells, this kind of seems to run contrary to that.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

Great post indeed, mate, I wish I have the eye to see such details, well, I can see some, but I am never a goo theorist, that is a very well crafted theory, I need to reread the books and the novellas to see if I can flesh that out as well. Yes, it seems quite correct that Bloodraven was looking for a Bran, he even states that to Bran in the cave, that he waited for a long time to see Bran, he probably saw a few Brans who were not the Bran he was waiting for.

 

Do you think Bran will be connected to the weirdwood as it happened to him? The show Three-Eyed Crow said he won't, but the show is not canon in my opinion, so this question about the connection to the weirdwood is book-wise.

[LiveFirstDieLater]

Bran is also a dreamer, wizard, etc right?

 

Quote

 

"Who sent you? Who is this three-eyed crow?"

 

"A friend. Dreamer, wizard, call him what you will. The last green-seer." The longhall's wooden door banged open. Outside, the night wind howled, bleak and black. The trees were full of ravens, screaming. Cold-hands did not move.

 

"A monster," Bran said.

 

The ranger looked at Bran as if the rest of them did not exist. "Your monster, Brandon Stark."

 

But I won't go to far down that road (BR isn't the 3eC) because we've done that before, and this is your thread...

 

Instead, I wanted to focus on how you pointed out the old interview seemed to indicate that GRRM always knew that Blood Raven would be related to the Targaryans...

 

You seem to indicate that this is important because of the prophetic dreams of Targs...

 

But Green dreams are prophetic too, we see the ghost of high heart and Jojen both having dreams filled with imagery seemingly predicting future events... Similar to the "dragon dreams" you mentioned where the dragon's represented Targs, be it white walls or dunk's trial.

 

So do you think there is another reason why it is important for Blood Raven to have Targ Blood?

 

(I'm inclined to believe that he's responsible for the return of the Others and his mix of Fire and Ice blood, like Jon, makes him special, but somehow I doubt you will agree haha)

[Macgregor of the North]

33 minutes ago, Shouldve Taken The Black said:

I haven’t heard that theory before and like it.

 

You may well be right about the time travel thing. Do you think BR can “cause the past” as you say, or just Bran?

 

Yeah Lil Scribe pulled out a cracker with that one. I love it and hope it happens.

As to BR, well he is a greenseer too so maybe, its hard to tell if we would ever know as the scenarios i am referring to are from Brans POV which would make it easy for us readers to determine that is what indeed caused an event in the past.

BR says the past can not be changed, does he mean that he tried but only ever ended up being the actual cause?, changing nothing. Or are we to take that it will mean he is not as powerful as Bran and it is only Bran who can indirectly cause such feats.

The next book will explore this further i think.

Short answer for you though, im not sure lol.

[Macgregor of the North]

20 minutes ago, aryagonnakill#2 said:

I really liked your idea that BR's 3rd eye opened when he was in the black cells, this kind of seems to run contrary to that.

Cheers, i had came to these thoughts myself but as (nearly )always, found that others had beaten me to it. The whole darkness/open third eye thing is great to look up in the books.

[Macgregor of the North]

16 minutes ago, Shadow of Asshai said:

Great post indeed, mate, I wish I have the eye to see such details, well, I can see some, but I am never a goo theorist, that is a very well crafted theory, I need to reread the books and the novellas to see if I can flesh that out as well. Yes, it seems quite correct that Bloodraven was looking for a Bran, he even states that to Bran in the cave, that he waited for a long time to see Bran, he probably saw a few Brans who were not the Bran he was waiting for.

 

Do you think Bran will be connected to the weirdwood as it happened to him? The show Three-Eyed Crow said he won't, but the show is not canon in my opinion, so this question about the connection to the weirdwood is book-wise.

Thanks SoA!

Bran has shown that now he is "tied to the trees" after eating the paste, he could have tree visions while away from the weirwood seat.

I believe he will return to Winterfell, not be confined to the cave forever, and wherever he is his powers will allow him to witness the past through the trees. 

In time though his powers will show him things that never happened in front of weirwoods, that will be the really juicy stuff.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

2 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

Thanks SoA!

Bran has shown that now he is "tied to the trees" after eating the paste, he could have tree visions while away from the weirwood seat.

I believe he will return to Winterfell, not be confined to the cave forever, and wherever he is his powers will allow him to witness the past through the trees. 

In time though his powers will show him things that never happened in front of weirwoods, that will be the really juicy stuff.

Oh, that would be awesome, I am looking forward to see what else he is going to see via weirdwood network, sadly not many things from the south though, as many weirwoods were cut down by the Andals