Maester Aemons remark about Tyrion?

[Ice and fire freak]

What do we think Aemon means when he says we have a giant among us ref to Tyrion?

It certainly surprises Tyrion which is unusual,what does he know that we don't?

[Gneisenau]

Aemon hopes maybe Tyrion could put in a good word to the southerners about the Wall's needs for men and supplies.

[Ice and fire freak]

Aemon hopes maybe Tyrion could put in a good word to the southerners about the Wall's needs for men and supplies.

Well yeah and so does Mormont but I'd hardly makes him a giant does it?

[Raven in Winter]

Well yeah and so does Mormont but I'd hardly makes him a giant does it?

I just thought it showed that Aemon was impressed by Tyrion's intellect, wit, and seemingly sincere wish to help however he can. Therefore, though he is small, these traits made him bigger in Aemon's mind.

[Faydra]

Aemon hopes maybe Tyrion could put in a good word to the southerners about the Wall's needs for men and supplies.

No way. Aemon was mocking Tyrion. "I have been called many things, my lord, but kind is seldom one of them." - It doesn't sound like begging for reinforcements to me.

[Gneisenau]

No way. Aemon was mocking Tyrion. "I have been called many things, my lord, but kind is seldom one of them." - It doesn't sound like begging for reinforcements to me.

Well the Lannisters did wipe out his family so I guess that makes sense too.

[direwienerdog]

Not the first time that Tyrion is refered to as a giant either. He is also refered to a gargoyle several times.

[BondJamesBond]

He was talking about Tyron's intellect

[Fanless Mace]

This is not the only reference to Tyrion being large, big, on top of things, etc.:

Jon Snow POV: "When he opened the door, the light from within threw his shadow clear across the yard, and for just a moment Tyrion Lannister stood tall as a king.”

Tyrion to Jon: "Oh, yes. Even a stunted, twisted, ugly little boy can look down over the world when he's seated on a dragon's back."

Tyrion to Sansa: “I am malformed, scarred, and small, but . . .” she could see him groping “. . . abed, when the candles are blown out, I am made no worse than other men. In the dark, I am the Knight of Flowers.”

Morqorro: "Dragons old and young, true and false, bright and dark. And you. A small man with a big shadow, snarling in the midst of it all."

Even this, another Jon observation: "His head was too large for his body...”

He's a study in contrast, with his different colored eyes and hair, his childlike stature with adult intellect and libido. He's a small man, but a big character.

[Wade Stark]

Wun Wun is a secret targ. Tyrion is his son. It is known :)

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Something to remember: At the Wall, a giant is not a good "thing", but almost exclusively a dangerous enemy.

[Lummel]

What do we think Aemon means when he says we have a giant among us ref to Tyrion?

It certainly surprises Tyrion which is unusual,what does he know that we don't?

Nothing I think. We see that Tyrion cast's a long shadow throughout his storyline. ADWD ends with him claiming to be the Lord of Casterly Rock - ie one of the seven most powerful people in the whole of Westeros. That is something foreseeable by Aemon and makes him easily bigger than the collection of political dwarves who officered the Night's Watch.

But to pick up on Bright Blue Eyes' point 'giant' is ambiguous, we shouldn't take it as praise or flattery. A giant is big, strong and impressive, but also potential violent and destructive - perhaps even unintentionally. The giants we see are also primitive, uncivilised and untamed. Calling somebody a giant implies both promise and threat.

[R.O.Edwards]

It's been said but i'll say his mind ... maybe the power house lannister could bring to the wall

[Castellan]

No way. Aemon was mocking Tyrion. "I have been called many things, my lord, but kind is seldom one of them." - It doesn't sound like begging for reinforcements to me.

No, that just means he is denying flattering Tyrion ie what he says is true.

They know he must be Tywin's heir (outsiders don't necessarily know how Tywin treats him) and he is probably reputed to have some of Tywin's character and ability. And he is the only person from a great house to come for a visit in recent times - a sign of interest they seize on. Tyrion is embarressed that they assume he has some power when they ask him for help.

[coil]

First of all, we have to consider that by that point, Tyrion has spent almost all of the night mocking Alliser Thorne, Mormont and the Night's Watch as a whole.

Most of the people didn't even recognised it - Mormont has doubts, but Tyrion quickly dismiss everything as it was a joke - but Aemon is too old and wise to be fooled.

"I have been called many things, my lord, but kind is seldom one of them." is not only true, but it's also mimicking what Tyrion said before.

Bright Blue Eyes is right... my personal interpretation is that at the Wall giants aren't only dangerous, but an endangered species.

Meaning that Aemon is either mocking the Imp, or straight up threatening him.

Which wouldn't surprise me at all, since between all the maesters Aemon is surely one of the less maester-like.

[Faydra]

First of all, we have to consider that by that point, Tyrion has spent almost all of the night mocking Alliser Thorne, Mormont and the Night's Watch as a whole.

Most of the people didn't even recognised it - Mormont has doubts, but Tyrion quickly dismiss everything as it was a joke - but Aemon is too old and wise to be fooled.

"I have been called many things, my lord, but kind is seldom one of them." is not only true, but it's also mimicking what Tyrion said before.

Bright Blue Eyes is right... my personal interpretation is that at the Wall giants aren't only dangerous, but an endangered species.

Meaning that Aemon is either mocking the Imp, or straight up threatening him.

Which wouldn't surprise me at all, since between all the maesters Aemon is surely one of the less maester-like.

:agree:

No, that just means he is denying flattering Tyrion ie what he says is true.

They know he must be Tywin's heir (outsiders don't necessarily know how Tywin treats him) and he is probably reputed to have some of Tywin's character and ability. And he is the only person from a great house to come for a visit in recent times - a sign of interest they seize on. Tyrion is embarressed that they assume he has some power when they ask him for help.

Tyrion whines about how he is being treated all the time. And It's not so far-fetched to assume that someone like Tywin despises having a dwarf as an heir. Dwarves are not kept in high regard in Westeros. Everyone knows it. Besides, why would Aemon ask something from the family that killed his own? He is loyal to the NW, but he clearly hates the Lannisters.

[Ragnorak]

I think the closest thing we get to the answer spelled out in the text is from Oberyn.

“I had just been born. What did you expect of me?”
“Enormity,” the black-haired prince replied. “You were small, but far-famed. We were in Oldtown at your birth, and all the city talked of was the monster that had been born to the King’s Hand, and what such an omen might foretell for the realm.”
“Famine, plague, and war, no doubt.” Tyrion gave a sour smile. “It’s always famine, plague, and war. Oh, and winter, and the long night that never ends.”
“All that,” said Prince Oberyn, “and your father’s fall as well. Lord Tywin had made himself greater than King Aerys, I heard one begging brother preach, but only a god is meant to stand above a king. You were his curse, a punishment sent by the gods to teach him that he was no better than any other man.”

Tywin was the topic of conversation just prior. This is the first time Aemon has gotten to take the measure of Tyrion even though he would have heard all the same rumors Oberyn did decades prior. To an Aemon, the future conflict between this very bright Tyrion and the father that has refused to acknowledge him as heir for close to 20 years is predictable even if the specifics are not. Tyrion does in fact go on to fulfill the "enormity" Oberyn tells him of and like Aemon said, it was not kind to Tyrion.

[Mad Monkey]

I can't imagine Maester Aemon, after that big speech he gave to Jon when Jon wanted to leave the NW, just deciding to piss away a rare, once-in-a-century (??) chance to influence a prominent southern lord for future support. Aemon may suspect that Tywin doesn't care for Tyrion as a dwarf, but he can reasonably infer that Tyrion may have some influence over King Robert due to being his brother-in-law. Aemon and the Lannisters might not be BFFs but I would be very much surprised if he got into a petulant snark-off with Tyrion on the assumption that Tyrion has no influence over anyone. I mean, when was the last time a prominent southern lord even visited the NW? Good Queen Alysanne? Bloodraven many years after?

[Woman of War]

Aemon is speaking as much to Tyrion as Martin is speaking to us readers here, preparing us, so-called foreshadowing.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

I always thought Maester Aemons remark was something in the same line as Varys' remark about small men being able to cast a large shadow. Which refers to Tyrion being capable of holding a lot of power

Varys smiled. “Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less.”
“So power is a mummer’s trick?”
“A shadow on the wall,” Varys murmured, “yet shadows can kill. And ofttimes a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”

Perhaps when Maestar Aemon is calling Tyrion a giant come amongst them, he's referring to Tyrion being able to hold a lot of power, when the oppertunity arises.

Together, they could also be forshadowing that Tyrion will hold a prominent position at Dany's court/Meereen, and it might also mean he will eventually end up as the Lord of Casterly Rock. There's more than one way Tyrion could hold power.