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Wildlings vs. Westeros ....


Propheticverses

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Why do the the people of Westeros hate the Wildlings ? and vice-versa ...?

Is it because :

a. Each thinks the other is inherently inferior in some major trait ( like freedom, tradition etc. )

b. That the wall separates them as outsiders just like the Berlin wall or maybe India-Pakistan where the same people reside on both sides yet the hatred is there because the others are on the 'other side'.

c. The Wildlings association with Old Gods against the majority of Westeros following New Gods ( debatable since Starks are old gods keepers )

d.The distinct cultural & climatic differences.

e. Perception of Wildlings as being raiders / rapers / 'some other equally sinister term '

Also , if I am not wrong .. the wall was mainly built to keep the Others away & not 'particularly' wildlings .

As Tyrion remarked to Benjen once in the TV show I think '' The only difference between us & the wildlings is that our ancestors chose the 'right' side '....

In some ways Credit to Jon Snow for going beyond any of these above mentioned perceptions.

So, have I missed some point or is it that my assumptions mentioned are wrong by itself ?

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Wildlings vs. Northmen is actually even more incomprehensible than India vs. Pakistan, because there is no religious difference, most wildlings keep the Old Gods as do most Northerners.

I think I big reason for the distrust is that wildlings are "poor" compared to those South of the Wall, i.e. no castle-forged steel, still in the stone ages.

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Wildlings vs. Northmen is actually even more incomprehensible than India vs. Pakistan, because there is no religious difference, most wildlings keep the Old Gods as do most Northerners.

I think I big reason for the distrust is that wildlings are "poor" compared to those South of the Wall, i.e. no castle-forged steel, still in the stone ages.

Not so much poor, but they don't believe in someones right to rule them based on who their parents were. It endangers all nobility to have a large amount of people thinking like that associating freely with the people who do all their work for them and fight their wars to maintain their power.

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Not so much poor, but they don't believe in someones right to rule them based on who their parents were. It endangers all nobility to have a large amount of people thinking like that associating freely with the people who do all their work for them and fight their wars to maintain their power.

That's actually a very valid point in the larger scheme of things .

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What I want to know is whether or not the Wildlings just watched idly as the Wall was being constructed. If you saw a large force of men building a Wall that is cutting you off from the rest of the world and trapping you with the world's known "enemy", and you're large in numbers yourself, you're not just going to watch, you're going to fight.

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The main reason for the Wildlings being shunned, hated etc. is simple: They are too primitive.

While yes, they do worship the Old Gods and follow many of the Northern ways, they are not half as advanced as the Northerners.

(i) They take all their weapons from the dead, and the weapons that they do make are not as advanced as those of the North, no castle-forged steel etc.

(ii) They do not believe in following someone because of who their parents were. This threatens the nobility, as if the wildlings were to settle in the North, Riverlands or anywhere South of the Wall, they would associate with the farmers, knights and smiths who do all the noble's work for them and fight/assist in their wars to maintain their power. If these people were to think in the same way that the wildlings do, the entire system could come crashing down.

(iii) The wildlings, in a way, resent leadership and organisation. Jon himself notes that while they are skilled warriors, they do not take commands or work as a group, and that disorganisation and lack of unity will be their undoing in battle against the knights and soldiers South of the Wall.

(iv) Because of the wilding's resenting nobility and the feudal system, they consider the Northmen "kneeler"s and view them as weak. Because of this, they often raid and pillage the North and so in turn, the Northerner's resent them.

(v) The wildlings have no laws. This leads to, in the Northerner's and others South of the Wall to view them as barbarians, which in all honesty many of them are. Rape, murder and cannibalism are viewed as disgusting things South of the Wall, while Beyond the Wall they are not half so disgusting.

Other than the reasons I gave, are the OP's points. When you add it all up, it is perfectly understandable that the wildlings are hated/mistrusted by most.

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The main reason for the Wildlings being shunned, hated etc. is simple: They are too primitive.

While yes, they do worship the Old Gods and follow many of the Northern ways, they are not half as advanced as the Northerners.

(i) They take all their weapons from the dead, and the weapons that they do make are not as advanced as those of the North, no castle-forged steel etc.

(ii) They do not believe in following someone because of who their parents were. This threatens the nobility, as if the wildlings were to settle in the North, Riverlands or anywhere South of the Wall, they would associate with the farmers, knights and smiths who do all the noble's work for them and fight/assist in their wars to maintain their power. If these people were to think in the same way that the wildlings do, the entire system could come crashing down.

(iii) The wildlings, in a way, resent leadership and organisation. Jon himself notes that while they are skilled warriors, they do not take commands or work as a group, and that disorganisation and lack of unity will be their undoing in battle against the knights and soldiers South of the Wall.

(iv) Because of the wilding's resenting nobility and the feudal system, they consider the Northmen "kneeler"s and view them as weak. Because of this, they often raid and pillage the North and so in turn, the Northerner's resent them.

(v) The wildlings have no laws. This leads to, in the Northerner's and others South of the Wall to view them as barbarians, which in all honesty many of them are. Rape, murder and cannibalism are viewed as disgusting things South of the Wall, while Beyond the Wall they are not half so disgusting.

Other than the reasons I gave, are the OP's points. When you add it all up, it is perfectly understandable that the wildlings are hated/mistrusted by most.

Very well put .... Appreciate it :) .. Although personally , it's almost similar to the issues that the Children of the forest had with the Andals ... and once the Others came up .. Andals & The Children joined hands to build the wall & stop them .

Intrestingly , history seems to be repeating here with the Wildlings & Westeros 'beginning' to come together .

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Very well put .... Appreciate it :) .. Although personally , it's almost similar to the issues that the Children of the forest had with the Andals ... and once the Others came up .. Andals & The Children joined hands to build the wall & stop them .

Intrestingly , history seems to be repeating here with the Wildlings & Westeros 'beginning' to come together .

Thank you :) Any time :)

Yes, it does bear a striking similarity with the CotF and the Andals. I believe that the Wildlings will indeed join Westeros to unite against the Others, and they have already began that slow, and no doubt hard, process.

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