Melifeather

Yes. There is that. GRRM does love to hold his mysteries tightly to his chest and he doesn't want the reader to figure them out too easily. Is it possible that he lied, but with the understanding that he needed to rewrite in order to obscure what was so easily guess by his publisher?

My opinion on "who" Coldhands is changed when my understanding of the context changed. I DO think Coldhands is Benjen. Doesn't his scarf not only cover his neck, but partially cover the bottom of his face?

Words can have different meanings when the context is examined in a different light. When Leaf said Coldhands was killed long ago, it was in response to his safety, not his identity. Taken in context, I don't believe Leaf is saying Coldhands has been dead for an extended period of time, but rather he cannot be killed, because you cannot kill what is already dead.

I do not want anyone else to finish writing for GRRM.

Latest Not A Blog: https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/ Interesting choice of words don’t you think?

Personally I view the tale that Meera told as more symbolic or even an allegory rather than a recounting of events. If it were a factual recounting, wouldn't Meera use actual names? Instead there are characters named wolf maid, quiet wolf, crannogman, a maid with purple eyes, etc. So the "sad song" doesn't have to be a literal song that was sung - rather it was a conversation between two people. I think Rhaegar came upon Robert making the moves on another woman and told Lyanna about it, and the news upset her.

Uhtred's badge (sigil) is even a wolf. It's on his flag, helmet, and shield. Hmm. The Last Kingdom was copyrited in 2004 whereas A Game of Thrones in 1991. GRRM wrote fantasy inspired by ancient Brittons, and it looks like Cornwell based Uhtred on Jon Snow's storyline and wove him into 9th century Wessex. He's basically the same character.

Adding to my thoughts above... The wildlings are the Danes that have gone viking. In the Saxon Stories Uhtred, son of Uhtred of Bebbanburg also went by the name of Uhtred Ragnarson. He was a Saxon who was raised by Danes when Ragnar Ravnson killed Uhtred's father in battle. Uhtred was also not his birth name. His birth name was Osfred. He was his father's second son, but the eldest son Uhtred died in an earlier fight with the Danes. When Osfred became his father's heir, his father had him re-baptized and re-named Uhtred. Jon Snow is very much like Uhtred. He wasn't his father's heir until Robb Stark died and now it's assumed he may become legitimized (baptized) in order to inherit Winterfell. After Jon's father Ned died, Jon pretended to defect to the wildlings and lived among them. That's pretty much a direct parallel to Uhtred being raised by Danes. Uhtred takes an oath to King Alfred - again a direct parallel to Jon Snow to the Watch - and promises to defend the Saxon kingdoms against the Danes, aka the Northmen and threat from the North. Uhtred loves the viking Danes and knows their ways, but he takes his oaths very seriously. Even the Danes take oaths seriously, because they understand that an oath-breaker cannot be trusted. A man's word and reputation are everything. Uhtred is very much a leader and dresses like a viking warlord. His wife Gisela emblazoned a giant white lightning bolt across the back of his large black cloak. The lightning bolt is a representation of Thor, because Uhtred keeps to the old gods and when he draws his longsword Serpent-Breath, he brings it down as quickly as lightning. The sword, forged by Ealdwulf, was so named, because of the way the iron swirled in the steel. These are again direct parallels. The Saxons sharing the old gods with the viking Danes, and the Stark sword Ice with its swirls. Uhtred wears a necklace of Thor's hammer around his neck too, and every time he kills a Dane he takes their necklace and adds the tiny hammers to the bottom of his cape which jingle like the Dothraki bells. King Alfred of Wessex was a Christian. In the Saxon Stories, Uhtred is his best warrior, but he doesn't trust him, because he isn't a Christian. The character is fictional, but the author said his family does have an ancestor named Uhtred and his family is also from Bebbanburg (Bamburg) in Northumbria. The play between old gods and new is a constant theme in both GRRM's and Corwell's story and the two authors are obviously drawing from the same sources.

It bears mentioning that the Saxons were in awe of the Roman technology and the structures that were still standing hundreds of years after they left and even felt a sense of loss that civilization had actually gone backward. The Saxons built their defenses with wood and earth because it was easier, but they may have also lacked the ability. There's an ancient Saxon poem titled The Ruin. It's an Anglo-Saxon poet being sad about the lost Roman culture. Along with Hadrian's wall, the Romans left stone/brick roads, stone villas, stone amphitheaters, stone city walls, Roman bathhouses, stone barracks and gatehouses, stone bridges including the famous Lunden (London) bridge, and wharf piling - not to mention assorted statues, vases, etc. The Roman occupation of England stretched from AD 55 to AD 410. The Angles, Saxons, Jutes, and Frisians began invading in waves around AD 450, and defeated much of the Welsh - Celtic Britons - many of which tried to defend their Romanized religion and civilization. The British isles weren't referred to as "England" until Alfred the Great of Wessex began his dream of a unified country under one king in the 9th century. A time when the Vikings had defeated the Saxon kingdoms - thus the inspiration behind the Bernard Cornwell Saxon Stories series that begins with The Last Kingdom. Wessex was the last Saxon kingdom to hold out against the Danes (Vikings). This is the time period that was the inspiration for Westeros. Now that I think of it - it even mimics the name of Wessex. Hmm, I wonder who is/was our King Alfred?

I saw that! He's another very attractive man. I'd watch just to see his face! hahaha

Alexander Dreymon is a German actor that uses a particular cadence when speaking as Uhtred. At first I thought it sounded very forced, but forgave him because he's so very handsome. But when I started reading the books just a few weeks ago, I could hear the actor while I read and it fits the character and the writing very well.

There’s a Netflix series based on these books as well. The actor that plays Uhtred is very attractive. May as well give yourself a visual since he’s on every page.

I’m reading The Last Kingdom series by Bernard Cornwell. I’m on book 4 of like 13 and he’s still writing. It’s historical fiction based in late 880’s England with King Alfred of Wessex, King Guthrum of East Anglia, and the fictional 1st person narration of Uhtred son of Uhtred, Lord of Bebbanburg. There are oodles of historic references that GRRM must have pulled from this same era. Cornwell says he can write a book every six months. He should go help George.

I may have to subscribe to HBO Go again... I've brought up Zeitgeist before and the fact that Christ is just one more sun god in a long line of many. I don't know why humans have created the concept of gods, but it makes sense that a supreme being would be an analog of the sun as creator. It gives everything on our planet life. Our brains are always trying to find answers and we develop beliefs based on what makes sense to us. But I acknowledge that maybe all of these ancient religions have common roots in mostly forgotten truths, sort of like how Winterfell has forgotten what the north remembers...

The disturbing thing Ned told Bran was that he allowed Robert to believe that Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna, gave up the woman he loved, and refused Jon his birthright as heir, in favor of a marriage alliance that secured Robert's throne. The whole conquest was built on lies. What could be more disturbing than that?