Jon's Burned Hand

[oxmix]

Why did GRRM decide to give Jon Snow a badly burned hand?

He wears a glove on it, and flexes it from time to time, which gives me visions of Luke Skywalker.

There is a tradition in medieval literature that a hero have an old wound that will not heal. This is picked up in Lord of the Rins and the film Excalibur, both of which are strong GRRM influences. I suppose it could be that.

But if we go with the Jon-is-a-Targ theory, what do we make of a Targ with a bad burn? I don't know.

[WinterRyan]

Why did GRRM decide to give Jon Snow a badly burned hand?

He wears a glove on it, and flexes it from time to time, which gives me visions of Luke Skywalker.

There is a tradition in medieval literature that a hero have an old wound that will not heal. This is picked up in Lord of the Rins and the film Excalibur, both of which are strong GRRM influences. I suppose it could be that.

But if we go with the Jon-is-a-Targ theory, what do we make of a Targ with a bad burn? I don't know.

Jon burned his hand around the same time GRRM was reading Harry Potter

Jon must be= Dumbledore

[cjfshaw]

Jon burned his hand around the same time GRRM was reading Harry Potter

Jon must be= Dumbledore

lol, no other explanation

[Jon Targaryen]

But if we go with the Jon-is-a-Targ theory, what do we make of a Targ with a bad burn? I don't know.

Targaryens can burn like regular folk.

[Greywolf2375]

Why did GRRM decide to give Jon Snow a badly burned hand?

He wears a glove on it, and flexes it from time to time, which gives me visions of Luke Skywalker.

There is a tradition in medieval literature that a hero have an old wound that will not heal. This is picked up in Lord of the Rins and the film Excalibur, both of which are strong GRRM influences. I suppose it could be that.

But if we go with the Jon-is-a-Targ theory, what do we make of a Targ with a bad burn? I don't know.

Why not? I suppose he could have easily said that John used the tongs in the fireplaec, but since time was of the essence, he just picked up the burning curtain or blanket (can't remember) and threw without thought for his safety. Sticking his hand in the fire was just the consequence. Same thing could be said of Johns face after the eagle - why does he need the scars? doesn't, just shows the course he has been going on.

As far as being burned...John (or any Targ) isn't immune to fire or being burned. The end of aGoT was a unique situation.

[MojoJojo]

Let me put forward this thought: the other character with an obviously significant burn is Sandor Clegane. The hound was, among other things, spared by Rhllor by surviving the trial by battle when he was captured by and slew Beric Dondarrion. Thoros declared that "The Lord of Light is not yet done with Joffrey's Hound". The burn and the trial by fire are unrelated, but it seems like an important coincidence.

[Knight o' Pansies]

The hound was, among other things, spared by Rhllor by surviving the trial by battle when he was captured by and slew Beric Dondarrion. Thoros declared that "The Lord of Light is not yet done with Joffrey's Hound". The burn and the trial by fire are unrelated, but it seems like an important coincidence.

And the High Septon annointed Jeoff as king, so? Declerations by believers of a religion are not to be taken as absolute truth, nor declerations of anyone else for that matter.

It's really hilarious that someone nowdays would look at the notion of trial by combat, purely invented as a way for professional killers to get away with all sorts of nasty things by declaring that God/the gods believes them to be just, and think it a real indication of divine intent.

Dondarion was never up to the hound, the only 2 things going for him were his utter devotion and lack of fear of death(as he can be ressurected), and, by far more important, his use of a flaming sword, which scared the shit out of Sandor. He was failing mostly because of the flaming sword.

Now if Sandor had failed Thoros(who seems like a very nice man I do admit, but shouldn't be taken as the voice of God) would've said something like "The Lord of Light has judged him guilty blah blah...", even if we, the readers, got the notion of Sandor turning to a somewhat better path by then(though I'm not sure he was).

[Ser Howsmelly]

*idle musings*

In classic mythology, wounds such as the one described by the OP usually denote some type of stigma/duty/obligation placed upon the individual so afflicted. Some examples i can recall off the top of my head would be gawain and the green knight and i think there is a decendant of joseph of arimethea with a never-ending wound (from arthurian mythology) - however these wounds had connotations related to quests, stigma, duty, obligation etc. Jon burning his hand in the fire (to me) cannot be attributed to a greater quest or higher duty. Although he will carry those scars with him for the rest of his life which will serve as an eternal reminder of the night he first encountered the wights I do not believe there is some mythical significance behind it.

[MojoJojo]

And the High Septon annointed Jeoff as king, so? Declerations by believers of a religion are not to be taken as absolute truth, nor declerations of anyone else for that matter.

It's really hilarious that someone nowdays would look at the notion of trial by combat, purely invented as a way for professional killers to get away with all sorts of nasty things by declaring that God/the gods believes them to be just, and think it a real indication of divine intent.

Dondarion was never up to the hound, the only 2 things going for him were his utter devotion and lack of fear of death(as he can be ressurected), and, by far more important, his use of a flaming sword, which scared the shit out of Sandor. He was failing mostly because of the flaming sword.

Now if Sandor had failed Thoros(who seems like a very nice man I do admit, but shouldn't be taken as the voice of God) would've said something like "The Lord of Light has judged him guilty blah blah...", even if we, the readers, got the notion of Sandor turning to a somewhat better path by then(though I'm not sure he was).

This is veering off topic. You have to be pretty blind to the rather obvious irony, symbolism, and mysticism of the story to think that trial was not significant. GRRM did not need to have the trial at all, but chose to show it to us in detail. Rhllor is an important player in the pantheon of dieties in this series. The followers of Rhllor have already shown that his influence is not some abstraction like the blessing of a high septon, but is quite literal and powerful, directed to some sort of larger purpose. It seems like rather a coincidence that the man with the horrible burns is declared to have been chosen by the fire god by someone that can occasionally see the future and bring the dead to life.

[mqoJAN]

This is veering off topic. You have to be pretty blind to the rather obvious irony, symbolism, and mysticism of the story to think that trial was not significant. GRRM did not need to have the trial at all, but chose to show it to us in detail. Rhllor is an important player in the pantheon of dieties in this series. The followers of Rhllor have already shown that his influence is not some abstraction like the blessing of a high septon, but is quite literal and powerful, directed to some sort of larger purpose. It seems like rather a coincidence that the man with the horrible burns is declared to have been chosen by the fire god by someone that can occasionally see the future and bring the dead to life.

Perhaps the only thing the followers of Rhllor have shown is that when human beings discover unexplainable phenomena, they tend to create imaginary stories to make themselves feel more comfortable.

Anyway, what's wrong with a burnt Targ. Did we learn nothing from Summerhall?

[TrueMetis]

Perhaps the only thing the followers of Rhllor have shown is that when human beings discover unexplainable phenomena, they tend to create imaginary stories to make themselves feel more comfortable.

Anyway, what's wrong with a burnt Targ? Did we learn nothing from Summarhall?

Or the Idiots who drank wildfire.

Anyway a burn is a burn it doesn't have to mean anything, other than, in this case that there wasn't enough time to use something else.

[Nichole]

Anyway a burn is a burn it doesn't have to mean anything, other than, in this case that there wasn't enough time to use something else.

I agree. If Jon made it through life with no injuries his character would be flat and one dimensional. GRRM writes characters that have flaws, both physically and emotionally. If Jon had come out of the fight with the wight totally unscathed it would have been less realistic.

Besides, the burn reminds him the threat from the Others is real.

[Samalander]

It's really simple. Jon will become a Red Hand. It is known.

[Clumber]

It's really hilarious that someone nowdays would look at the notion of trial by combat, purely invented as a way for professional killers to get away with all sorts of nasty things by declaring that God/the gods believes them to be just, and think it a real indication of divine intent.

It's really hilarious that someone is looking at this trial by combat from a realiztic perspective instead of taking into account goddamn MAGIC and GODS.

[Errant Bard]

It's really hilarious that someone is looking at this trial by combat from a sane perspective instead of taking into account goddamn BANANAS and JACKALOPS.

[Robb19]

It's really hilarious that someone is looking at this trial by combat from a realiztic perspective instead of taking into account goddamn MAGIC and GODS.

I always thought that was the beauty of the entire series. Everything is based on perspective, but not just the perspective of the character, but the perspective of the reader as well. Any god can be read into the story. The powers of R'hllor can be explained by one character as magic, but used as truth for another. The same with a reader. The story has been so consistent in this that we can actually have discussions about what gods are affecting what events or if they are at all. I think it's rad, is all.

[Jon Targaryen]

GRRM intentionally made the existence of gods a debatable issue and it will remain so. There will be no definitive answer.

[oxmix]

Let me put forward this thought: the other character with an obviously significant burn is Sandor Clegane. The hound was, among other things, spared by Rhllor by surviving the trial by battle when he was captured by and slew Beric Dondarrion. Thoros declared that "The Lord of Light is not yet done with Joffrey's Hound". The burn and the trial by fire are unrelated, but it seems like an important coincidence.

That is an interesting thought. Perhaps there is a paralell with the drowned god here. Maybe being burned and surviving has some kind of significance to Rhllor and being drowned and surviving has some significance to the drowned god.

[Lord Commander Snow]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was brought up, during his whole engagmetns that he'll have with dany... if she sees his burned hand probably be like.. well we can burn more than that.. or some other one-liner.. i don't know if that's the reason he burned his hand, or if martin isj ust giving us a sense of his mortalitiy or what... but i think it coudl serve that literarally role later on.

[Knight o' Pansies]

Or it could still just mean he needed to grab something that's on fire, and that's what you normally get for grabbing something that's on friggin' fire.

I'll make everyone who thinks this might be signifying something extraordinary a deal- when he spontaniously combusts yet remains unharmed...then I'll agree there's something special about it. And I'll eat my hat...or something else that's actually edible, and yummy.