A Minor Murder Mystery in Meereen and its Wider Implications

[BryndenBFish]

I've been re-reading all Dany's chapters in ADWD for the analysis series on the upcoming Battle of Meereen. And in doing some of the research, I came across something that piqued my interest. It's not relevant to the essay I'm working on, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

In ADWD, Daenerys I, Dany sits in judgement of petitioners who have come to her court in the Great Pyramid of Meereen. A petitioner by the name of Grazdan zo Galare comes to Daenerys court with an interesting petition.

The noble Grazdan had once owned a slave woman who was a very fine weaver, it seemed; the fruits of her loom were greatly valued, not only in Meereen, but in New Ghis and Astapor and Qarth. When this woman had grown old, Grazdan had purchased half a dozen young girls and commanded the crone to instruct them in the secrets of her craft. The old woman was dead now. The young ones, freed, had opened a shop by the harbor wall to sell their weavings. Grazdan zo Galare asked that he be granted a portion of their earnings. "They owe their skill to me," he insisted. "I plucked them from the auction bloc and gave them to the loom."

Very little is mentioned elsewhere in ADWD about Grazdan zo Galare, but there is one interesting aspect to him. Grazdan is the cousin of Galazza Galare, the Green Grace of Meereen. More on that in a little bit. Daenerys had a personal question for Grazdan.

Dany listened quietly, her face still. When he was done, she said, "What was the name of the old weaver?"

"The slave?" Grazdan shifted his weight, frowning. "She was … Elza, it might have been. Or Ella. It was six years ago she died. I have owned so many slaves, Your Grace."

Of course, this answer fell far short of a good one to Daenerys.

"Let us say Elza. Here is our ruling. From the girls, you shall have nothing. It was Elza who taught them weaving, not you. From you, the girls shall have a new loom, the finest coin can buy. That is for forgetting the name of the old woman."

Much later in the story, the Green Grace appears in Dany's court and gives Dany some horrific news.

Galazza Galare sipped her wine, but her eyes did not leave Dany. "Storms rage within the walls as well as without. More freedmen died last night, or so I have been told."

"Three." Saying it left a bitter taste in her mouth. "The cowards broke in on some weavers, freedwomen who had done no harm to anyone. All they did was make beautiful things. I have a tapestry they gave me hanging over my bed. The Sons of the Harpy broke their loom and raped them before slitting their throats." (ADWD, Daenerys IV)

Could it be that the 3 freedwomen were among the 6 that Grazdan zo Galare brought the complaint against back in Dany I? I think so. From reading through Dany's chapters, I can't find too many references to weavers outside of this group from Meereen's docks. There are a few scattered references to Astapori refugees arriving at Meereen who happen to be weavers, but this takes place some time after the murder of the weavers in Meereen.

If the weavers from Dany I and Dany IV are the same, I think that Grazdan was the one who ordered the Sons of the Harpy to attack the store in retaliation for Dany's ruling against him in Dany I. It's also possible that these could be unrelated, but I think there's a significant clue in the Green Grace's statement to Dany.

"More freedmen died last night, or so I have been told."

How did the Green Grace hear about the murders? Of course, she could have known from talk in the streets, or y'know she could have found out from her cousin Grazdan, the person who ordered the murders.

But even if the murders of the 3 weavers are unrelated to Grazdan & Galazza, the fact that Galazza reports on the murders first to Daenerys without prompting leads me to believe that she has a close relationship with the Sons of the Harpy and perhaps a leadership role.

Anyways, I might be throwing out a half-baked theory out there, but it was of interest to me while re-reading Dany's chapters. So, is this half-baked? Is it flat-out wrong? Maybe, even right?

[Ygrain]

I think that you are right and the murdered weaveresses are the very ones from Dany I. Also, Galazza Galare being the Harpy is a solid theory around here.

[BryndenBFish]

Yeah, I've been a long-time believer in the Green Grace as the Harpy theory. The wrinkle of the weavers from Dany I and Dany IV added a new layer of evidence for me that the killings were motivated both by the weavers' association as freedmen as well as the very personal motivation that came from Dany's rejection of Grazdan's petition. More so, the whole "so I have been told" by the Green Grace struck me while re-reading Dany's chapters. To me, it implies that the Green Grace heard about this directly from the Sons of the Harpy and even more likelier, heard it from her cousin, Grazdan who ordered the killings.

[Pod The Impaler]

I'm not sold on the Green Grace being the chief Harpy, but I do think these are the same weavers.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Yes, that's an argument that's brought up quite often to support the Green Grace = Harpy theory.

I'm not sure that the Green Grace is indeed the Harpy, since I doubt that there is a single Harpy instead of a council or something more informal, but she is at least very close to the top.

[Daena the Defiant]

I thought it was very strongly implied that the weavers were the same ones in the decree. The Sons of the Harpy are deliberately targeting those people who associate with Dany or those whom she has ruled in favor of. They also killed Rylona

Rhee the bard freed woman that Dany used to hire to play for her.

[Fire Eater]

I think it was the GG who ordered the killings not Grazdan. Grazdan was here cousin, and he was pissed about Dany's decision.

I thought it was very strongly implied that the weavers were the same ones in the decree. The Sons of the Harpy are deliberately targeting those people who associate with Dany or those whom she has ruled in favor of. They also killed Rylona
Rhee the bard freed woman that Dany used to hire to play for her.

The weavers also gave Dany a tapestry. The Sons of the Harpy do seem to especially target freedmen whom Dany shows favor towards.

[SeanF]

I've been re-reading all Dany's chapters in ADWD for the analysis series on the upcoming Battle of Meereen. And in doing some of the research, I came across something that piqued my interest. It's not relevant to the essay I'm working on, but I found it interesting nonetheless.

In ADWD, Daenerys I, Dany sits in judgement of petitioners who have come to her court in the Great Pyramid of Meereen. A petitioner by the name of Grazdan zo Galare comes to Daenerys court with an interesting petition.

Very little is mentioned elsewhere in ADWD about Grazdan zo Galare, but there is one interesting aspect to him. Grazdan is the cousin of Galazza Galare, the Green Grace of Meereen. More on that in a little bit. Daenerys had a personal question for Grazdan.

Of course, this answer fell far short of a good one to Daenerys.

Much later in the story, the Green Grace appears in Dany's court and gives Dany some horrific news.

Could it be that the 3 freedwomen were among the 6 that Grazdan zo Galare brought the complaint against back in Dany I? I think so. From reading through Dany's chapters, I can't find too many references to weavers outside of this group from Meereen's docks. There are a few scattered references to Astapori refugees arriving at Meereen who happen to be weavers, but this takes place some time after the murder of the weavers in Meereen.

If the weavers from Dany I and Dany IV are the same, I think that Grazdan was the one who ordered the Sons of the Harpy to attack the store in retaliation for Dany's ruling against him in Dany I. It's also possible that these could be unrelated, but I think there's a significant clue in the Green Grace's statement to Dany.

How did the Green Grace hear about the murders? Of course, she could have known from talk in the streets, or y'know she could have found out from her cousin Grazdan, the person who ordered the murders.

But even if the murders of the 3 weavers are unrelated to Grazdan & Galazza, the fact that Galazza reports on the murders first to Daenerys without prompting leads me to believe that she has a close relationship with the Sons of the Harpy and perhaps a leadership role.

Anyways, I might be throwing out a half-baked theory out there, but it was of interest to me while re-reading Dany's chapters. So, is this half-baked? Is it flat-out wrong? Maybe, even right?

Good catch. I think they are the same weavers.