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Skagos


Ser Doctor

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A odd island, big. The major house/rulers are called Magmar i.e leaders/rulers, so they have rather deep connections to the wildlings. They ride unicorns, are warlike, killed a stark of the north in an uprising, and generally sound interesting.

It sounds like they are or should have a place in the upcoming book what with stannis, the boltons, and the ironmen, and all the troubles of the north.

I'd love more info on the island when the world of Ice and Fire comes out. The whole world sounds neat, but the north and westeros probably take precedence over much of everything else.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I dunno, I think you pretty much covered it: they are cannibals, they rebelled millenia ago ( like every other northern lord by the sounds of it), and they ride "unicorns". And considering the fact that no-one actually goes to Skagos I'd say the last on is pretty shifty. Hidden ace- I think not.

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I am doubtful that GRRM throws islands into the ocean without having any purpose for them. Tarth provides a home for Brienne... the Iron Islands for the Ironmen... Dragonstone for the Targaryens... and Bear Island for the Mormonts, who are pretty prominent.

I think we can expect to see someone native to Skagos turn up later in the books and it might be cool to have at least a brief overview of the islands current state.

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I don't think Skagos will have any big role in the future. I think it's just one of those fantasy places. I was gonna say "just like the Summer Islands" but then I started thinking the Summer Islands might have a big role in the future. It's hard to say. Point it, just cause it's in the book doesn't mean we'll hear a lot about it in the future.

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It just seems to be a important place at an important time. If skagos is going to be involved in ASOIAF it will be in the next book I'd wager, and even if it doesn't play any sort of role, then I'd say it is some pretty interesting scenery, sort of like the Ibenese, except there seems to be more information mentioned about Skagos than on the ibenese. (In the books at least)

Maester Aemon talked about the Skagosi once, and mentioned that the ruling house of Skagos was called Magnar, which seems to be a odd bit of information to drop in, and Sam monologues on skagos for a bit. I could be wrong it just seems like it'll come into play at least once during the northern civil war and Winter confusion. It wouldn't be unlike george to do this.

All I'm doing is thinking about Dance and the north. I'm curiouse about whats happening and what could happen. We have Jon, Asha, Theon, and Davos in the North, surely some interesting things are due, if nothing else we are all in store for some more nothern Scenery.

The Northern houses are going to be at odds and I'm just guessing whats what and who's who, and where's where in the North.

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  • 2 weeks later...

IMHO Skagos could play some role in the future and the information about the isle has it’s meaning. Probably the island will be a hiding place for Osha with Rickon.

The islanders have deep connection with wildings and Osha is the one so she probably knows about the place.

It well isolated so they will be pretty safe there.

Unlike all other people wildings doesn’t seem to be much concerned about direwolves so Rickon could keep his pet there.

They were not particularly loyal to Starks in the past but even wildings revered Stark blood so islanders almost doubtless will give refuge to the Stark child.

Rickon supposed to become a warrior and Skagosi known as warlike people.

And the island is only few miles from the mainland. While the passage is very dangerous one who know it could reach island just by small boat.

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I am doubtful that GRRM throws islands into the ocean without having any purpose for them. Tarth provides a home for Brienne... the Iron Islands for the Ironmen... Dragonstone for the Targaryens... and Bear Island for the Mormonts, who are pretty prominent.

I think we can expect to see someone native to Skagos turn up later in the books and it might be cool to have at least a brief overview of the islands current state.

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  • 5 months later...
I think Skagos is the theatre in the Davos ADWD spoiler on the board. Or shit, was that the fingers? Can't remember.

No I think that it was one of the three sisters he was on.

A odd island, big. The major house/rulers are called Magmar i.e leaders/rulers, so they have rather deep connections to the wildlings. They ride unicorns, are warlike, killed a stark of the north in an uprising, and generally sound interesting.

I think that it is more likely that they are trading Narwhal horns and making up stories about them to the rest of Westeros.

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I believe the references to them riding unicorns is to some prehistoric (in our world) hairy rhinocerous like thing. Dick Crabb mentions his famous ancestor as having ridden one as well. In GRRM's world there seems to be a number of prehistoric throwbacks still breathing ie. Aurochs, Mammoths, Dire wolves.

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Maybe it is. I just thought that it is just one of those things George has got from real history. Since they were way up in the north I thought that they may share some things with the Norse peope. But for all I know they really do ride unicorns. :P

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Okay, so first post, please don't bite me!

I believe the references to them riding unicorns is to some prehistoric (in our world) hairy rhinocerous like thing (snip) In GRRM's world there seems to be a number of prehistoric throwbacks still breathing ie. Aurochs, Mammoths, Dire wolves.

This has been bugging me.

Now on the one hand GRRM steers away from the fantastical, particularly in the realm of mythical beasts (dragons notwithstanding). His manticore is beetle-like rather than large and leonid, and his other creatures (at least the ones we've seen) are not really fantastical (except shadowcats, mebbe).

He does seem fond of megafauna. Now I just can't see a Skagosi cannibal getting on an unusually pointy My Tiny PonyTM.

So, it might just be a really big draft horse with, well, a horn. Or. Perhaps. The Giant Unicorn, or Elasmotherium, was a relative of the woolly rhinoceros that seems to have links to the unicorn mytho-historically. It looked, supposedly quite horse-like, it galloped, was about 2m high, 6m long and a 2m horn. Now that's what I call a unicorn.

The problem with this is that the classic, heraldic unicorn is a horse with cloven hooves and a lion's tail (oh, and a spike, of course). It's also very closely tied to much of the medieval romantic mythology of which GRRM is so fond.

Just to add to this, On Grrm's site, he has the House Brax shield, and it's got a double lion's tail, which does appear in some heraldic devices (I wonder what form it takes on House Doggett's shield).

So, really, the question (yes, there's actually a question here) is two-fold: what's more likely? and what's more Westeros? (not, after all, necessarily the same thing). I think I'm leaning towards the Elasmotherium, but I'm interested to know what others think.

Dick Crabb mentions his famous ancestor as having ridden one as well.

Ref? Would be keen to see that!

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In AFFC, when Dick Crabb is taking Brienne and Pod to the whispers, they get caught up in a conversation about their ancestors. Brienne goes on about some local hero of Tarth with a magic sword, and Dick Crabb talks about some heroic ancestor of his, who was supposedly eight feet tall and rode a unicorn. I'm sorry I don't have the book availible to give you a chapter and page reference on it.

If Dick's little story has any truth to it, and isn't pure legend it would seem to indicate the unicorns referred to were more of the Elasmotherium type, and not the typical fantasy/mythology unicorn. Dick's eight foot ancestor would probably break the delicate back of your standard fantasy unicorn were he to mount it. (Gregor is about eight foot tall, and what's it say he weighed? Forty stone or something monstrous. Throw on armour and a normally sized mount is going to be sufficient).

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Guest Other-in-law
Brienne goes on about some local hero of Tarth with a magic sword, and Dick Crabb talks about some heroic ancestor of his, who was supposedly eight feet tall and rode a unicorn.

I just checked, and it's an aurochs, not a unicorn.

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  • 3 months later...
Considering its place in the world the population of skagos is not very likelky high enough to support a large contingent of troops to help whomever they support. An ace? not very likely but even if they field say 500 soldiers to make good scouts, reavers etc it will help to anyone who wins them to their side.
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It was mentioned that people of Skagos are warlike and not very different by their ways from wildings. If so this would mean that all their grown men are warriors and could fight unlike peasants in southern Westeros.
Yet such a warriors are unlikely to travel and fight very far from their homes.
The population of the island is hard to estimate. The island is far north and may be in some ways similar to Iceland in real world. During medieval times Iceland had population about 40000. Skagos is smaller and like Iceland it’s population most probably concentrated close to seaside. So my estimate is most probably less then 10000 altogather. Yet it was mentioned that it was rather hard for Starks for put down rebellion on Skagos so there must be few thousands of warriors there not hundreds. So I will stay with estimate of around 10000 people.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Because Skagos is so far to the north it isn't unlikely that the
Others will strike at this place, this could give the Skagosi (?) an excuse to fully migrate to the main land. In that case there is an excuse for the Skagosi warriors to leave there houses.
Than there are easily 5000 (if the woman fight to) wariors in the north without any alligance, could mess some things up is you ask me.
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As for the unicorn thing... it very well could be the "traditional" unicorns that are being referred to. I get the impression of a slow "reawakening" of sorts of the magical and/or fantastical in the world. Dragons, krakens, hints of actual magic (of the wizardly sort), giants, the others, etc... all coming back into play and out of legendary status.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the return of the Children of the Forest either.
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