Is Melisandre 400 years old?

[SeanF]

No.

I think there'd be clues in her POV chapters if that was the case. I found her more human after those.

From her POV, we learn that she's quite sincere, and not trying to manipulate Stannis to his doom; that she makes mistakes; a great deal about her hopes and fears; that her back-story is quite sad; that she's a kind and generous person (when she isn't burning people); and that her magic has transformed her physically, to the point where it's debatable whether she's human anymore.

[Mithras]

GRRM said that he doesn't write POV chapters for undead characters, so that rules out Mel being a revenant like Beric or Catelyn. Honestly, I think she's just a middle-aged woman whose glamours probably don't make her look all that different from her true appearance.

I dont recall that but even so, Cat and Beric surely knows that they are undead, whereas I think Mel does not know that she is resurrected at least once. She seems to forget most of her memories but still bits of pieces are enough to give her freaks.

[Mikkel]

I thought that was just kind of assumed. There's a strange amount of Fire and Blood associated with Melisandre:

Here's Maester Cressen's description from ACOK:

A little later in ACOK, Davos:

Here's Jon's description of Mel from ADWD:

Fire and blood. Fire and Blood. Fire and Blood. Now, this could just be a Mel is the daughter of Shiera Seastar thing. However, in all three of those quotes, either just before or just after the character describes the ruby at her neck. Fire and Blood + Ruby = Rhaegar, at least in my mind.

Fire and blood are both red, so it's little surprise they're often used in descriptions of the Red Priestess. I see no reason to jump from there to a Melisandre <-> Rhaegar connection.

[jet199]

There's a chance that Mel is just an emotional vampire who had spent 400 years feeding off the sexual energy of Targ-related princes. It fits with her actions so far. At the end she'll probably just turn into a giant spider or something. Or am I getting books mixed up?

[J. Stargaryen]

Concerning "Rhaegar's rubies": http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/88235-what-is-the-rhaegar-ruby-theory/#entry4479978

Start there and give the thread a read. :)

Mel isn't wearing Rhaegar's rubies.

[Lady Winter Rose]

From this topic I found that:

1) Martin doesn't write undead POV

2) She was picked to be prostitute, so she sure must be at least very pretty

3) She call other people mortal

4) She studied years beyond count

5) She hides her tattoo, which every slave in Volantis gets

6) She doesn't need to eat, but need to sleep or can sleep

7) She doesn't remember death

8) She looks unnatural and as any red priest want to look (red eyes and hair = celebrating Red God)

I concluded she might be immortal in sense she didn't die, but should, she is using glamour to make herself look 'more red' and hide tattoo, but can't tell if she is ugly...

[Rooseman]

she is using glamour to make herself look 'more red' and hide tattoo, but can't tell if she is ugly...

I think she uses a glamour to appear younger than she is, too.

The interesting part about her appearance are her eyes. It's very possible that she was born as an albino, and the glamour only enhances the red eyes. They have been compared to Ghost's eyes by Jon. She also has the pale skin, and her red hair was described as a different hue than your typical ginger hair, so it's natural color may be white.

You should check out yolkboy's excellent thread on this topic, if you haven't already: http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/96824-sbm-mel-the-red-star-bleeding-melony-seastar-part-2-has-been-added-on-pg9/

[Mrs.Grumpy]

Pretty sure that she's very old but 400 y/o? Hell no.

She was probably a red (bed)slave in Volantis as we get her slave memories and are introduced The Great Red Temple of Volantis (wow, what a mouthy name). Kinda like how we got more information about the Blackfyres in the book that Aegon makes his debut.

[Lady Winter Rose]

I think she uses a glamour to appear younger than she is, too.

The interesting part about her appearance are her eyes. It's very possible that she was born as an albino, and the glamour only enhances the red eyes. They have been compared to Ghost's eyes by Jon. She also has the pale skin, and her red hair was described as a different hue than your typical ginger hair, so it's natural color may be white.

You should check out yolkboy's excellent thread on this topic, if you haven't already: http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/96824-sbm-mel-the-red-star-bleeding-melony-seastar-part-2-has-been-added-on-pg9/

Only comparison to Ghost albino eyes were that Melisandre eyes were red, and Ghost eyes were pink. So this was supposed to be pair of antonyms.

[Mithras]

I think she uses a glamour to appear younger than she is, too.

The interesting part about her appearance are her eyes. It's very possible that she was born as an albino, and the glamour only enhances the red eyes. They have been compared to Ghost's eyes by Jon. She also has the pale skin, and her red hair was described as a different hue than your typical ginger hair, so it's natural color may be white.

You should check out yolkboy's excellent thread on this topic, if you haven't already: http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/96824-sbm-mel-the-red-star-bleeding-melony-seastar-part-2-has-been-added-on-pg9/

She inherited red eyes and pale skin from BR.

[Black Crow]

Only comparison to Ghost albino eyes were that Melisandre eyes were red, and Ghost eyes were pink. So this was supposed to be pair of antonyms.

Ghost's eyes are as red as blood.

[Deucalion]

Mel's actually older than 400 years old, since she's the one who started the R'hllor faith.

[Not Dead Just Broken]

Concerning "Rhaegar's rubies": http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/88235-what-is-the-rhaegar-ruby-theory/#entry4479978

Start there and give the thread a read. :)

Mel isn't wearing Rhaegar's rubies.

Not mutually exclusive ideas. If Jon Snow is the last of Rhaegar's "rubies" to be found and Mel has the last of Rhaegar's actual rubies, that would work. After all, a lot of people think Mel will be involved in saving Jon from the assassins blades.

[Teal'c]

"R'hllor provided her with all the food she needed *but that was something best concealed from mortal men* " implies that she's no longer mortal.

That's what I think as well, especially when, as Sean F. points out, she says "but that was something best concealed from mortal men." She uses the word "mortal," possibly meaning she is immortal in the undead sense. She possibly does practice a few glamours on herself, or the very least spells to preserve her appearance.

I agree, she's a wight and also VERY old.

[Mithras]

I agree, she's a wight and also VERY old.

She cant be a wight. Wights are cold creatures with blue eyes and black hands. Mel is like Beric, resurrected by fire.

[MoIaF]

She inherited red eyes and pale skin from BR.

She couldn't have inherit albino coloring, unless she was an albino herself.

[Aerys Blackfyre]

400? she's a GILTF! :drool:

[fuem]

Such is flame is eternal whilst feed i believe she falls into the same

[J. Stargaryen]

Not mutually exclusive ideas. If Jon Snow is the last of Rhaegar's "rubies" to be found and Mel has the last of Rhaegar's actual rubies, that would work. After all, a lot of people think Mel will be involved in saving Jon from the assassins blades.

Actual evidence is mutually exclusive from the notion that Mel is wearing Rhaegar's rubies, though.

There's literally nothing that suggests the rubies she wears once belonged to Rhaegar. So I feel pretty confident in asserting that "Mel was not wearing Rhaegar's rubies," until I see even the faintest suggestion of evidence to the contrary.

[Teal'c]

She cant be a wight. Wights are cold creatures with blue eyes and black hands. Mel is like Beric, resurrected by fire.

Ice wights have black hands. Mel is a fire wight, all warm where Coldhands is all cold. Time will tell.