Heresy 118 The Shadows

[Black Crow]

Welcome to Heresy 118, the latest chapter in the popular thread that takes a sideways look what’s really going in the Song of Ice and Fire.

Heresy started off over two and a half years ago by questioning the widely-held assumptions that the Wall and the Nights Watch were created to keep the Others at bay - and that the story is going to finish up with Jon Snow being identified as the lost Targaryen heir and Azor Ahai rolled into one and that he will ride a fire-breathing dragon to victory over the icy hordes intent on destroying all life. We still have our doubts about some of this – if the white walkers are Craster’s sons they’re clearly not an invading army - but in general terms Heresy has expanded to encompass the whole business of Ice and Fire [as distinct from the Game of Thrones], in an effort to understand the conflict as a whole.

Nevertheless we still largely concentrate on the Wall and what lies beyond, and the largely ignored Stark connection to Winter. We can also claim to know more than anybody else on the board about the Others/white walkers and warging/skinchanging.

Beyond the belief that things are not as they seem, there is no such thing as an accepted heretic view on a particular topic, and in fact the fiercest critics of some of the ideas discussed on these pages are our fellow heretics. Rather heresy is all about questioning common assumptions and discussing the various possible outcomes, based either on clues in the text itself, or in identifying GRRM’s own sources and inspirations, ranging from Celtic and Norse mythology such as the Cu Chulainn cycle and the Mabinogion all the way through to Narnia and the original Land of Always Winter.

At first sight, stepping into our world might at first appear confusing, but what we are really engaged in is an exercise in chaos theory. While most threads concentrate on a particular issue, we range pretty widely and more or less in free-fall, to try and reach an understanding of what may be happening through the resulting collision of ideas.

In the run-up to HERESY 100 Mace Cooterian very kindly organised a Centennial Seven project, looking at seven major topics in Heresy, featuring a specially commissioned introductory essay followed by a whole thread concentrating on that one topic. A link to Heresy 100 follows, in which will be found updated essays on the Seven, with a bonus essay on the Crows: http://asoiaf.wester...138-heresy-100/. Links are also provided at the end of each essay to the relevant discussions, and for those made of sterner stuff we also have a link to Wolfmaid's essential guide to Heresy: http://asoiaf.wester...uide-to-heresy/, which provides annotated links to all the previous editions of Heresy.

Don’t be intimidated by the size and scope of Heresy. It has been running for over two years now but we’re very good at talking in circles and we don’t mind going over old ground again, especially with a fresh pair of eyes, so just ask.

Otherwise, all that we do ask of you as ever is that you observe the house rules that the debate be conducted by reference to the text, with respect for the ideas of others, and above all great good humour.

[Black Crow]

AND SO TO WOLFMAID ON SHADOWS:

They litter the story while lying in the backdrop. Yet, there is a sense that their inclusion hold profound revelations yet to be discovered. Yes boys and girls we delve into the world of “Shadows “and what they may mean in the context of ASOIAF. I will refrain from doing too much of an analysis, so we can do this together. Instead, I’ll present the topic, the myths that propel them and how that might shed light on what is happening in the story. So let’s begin with a quote from our favorite Red Priestess.

Shadows and the inner self

“There are no shadows in the dark. Shadows are the servants of the light, the children of fire. The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows.”(COK, 42, Davos, pg.622).

In several myths the “Shadow” is the dual complimentary part of an individual’s current nature. As a person expands their nature, and become “more enlightened”, the Shadow becomes more and more defined as it feeds off powerful emotions and desires. The Ancient Greeks believed the Shadow was a person’s soul, a consciousness housing what was perceived to be darker energy. Therefore, symbolically and metaphorically; individuals who have been illuminated, produces the darkest, densest and most profound Shadows. This couldn’t be more evident in some of our characters, the knowledge they’ve gained and shadows they cast.

Stannis’s Shadow- Melisandre shone………..“Two arms wriggled free ,grasping ,black fingers coiling around Melisandre’s straining thighs,pushing,until the whole of the shadow slid out into the world and rose taller than Davos ,tall as the tunnel ,towering above the boat…………..He knew that shadow. As he knew the man who’d cast it (ACOK,Davos,pg.623).

Tyrion’s Shadow- Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs." And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. 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 (ADWD,Jon,pg.49 electronic version).

Jon’s Shadow- “You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The Moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the Wall twenty feet tall (ADWD, Jon, pg.339 electronic version).

“Some lights cast more than one shadow. Stand before the night fire and you’ll see for yourself. The flames shift and dance, never still……………………….. Some are fainter than others, that’s all (ACOK, Davos, pg.617).

These three men have similarly lived their lives eclipsed by older siblings for one reason or the other. They were bastards,dwarves or plain unlikable .However, when it comes to these “second sons” their repressed desires, status in their homes; cultivated this darker energy which intern perpetuated a kind of strength that their older siblings didn’t/don’t possess. They have a lot of depth though, which is hidden below cynicism, hardness and melancholy .The height on a shadow is also telling, “Tall Shadows” denotes plenipotentiary authority and destiny. With the preceding in mind; I’d like to point out how the shadow of these men are cast, which I think is a bit of insight into where their destiny lies and where their authority will come/come from. We see one shadow cast by the light of men (Tyrion), one by sorcery (Stannis), and one by the light of the moon (Jon).***

Shadows and the unknown

“Some lights cast more than one shadow. Stand before the night fire and you’ll see for yourself. Theflames shift and dance, never still……………………….Well,men cast their shadows across the future as well. One shadow or many. Melisandre sees them all (ACOK,Davos,pg.617).

Shadows can also represent the uncertain paths of what could be. In this case it represents individuals, events and their place in the stream of time; how they can have many possible futures …..of which one can be death. ***

Then Dany sees her son, tall and proud with Drogo's skin and her hair, and violet eyes shaped like almonds. He smiles and reaches for her, but fire pours from his mouth and then he is consumed by fire. Next come ghosts, dressed as kings with hair of silver, gold, and platinum, and eyes of opal, amethyst, tourmaline, and jade. They cry out that she must go faster and faster. Pain rips through her and her skin tears open, revealing the shadow of wings. Then she flies.

Dany glanced back at the pomegranate tree, there was no woman there was no hooded robe, no Quaithe“a shadow, a memory, no one. (Dany ADWD, 148).

“Swift as a deer. Quiet as a shadow. Fear cuts deeper than swords.
Quick as a snake (AGOT,Arya).

I see their shadows on the snow, hear the crack of leathern wings, feel their hot breath (AFFC,Sam chpt 26).

“And death leapt down amongst them. The lightning flash left Jon night-blind, but he glimpsed the hurtling shadow half a heartbeat before he heard the shriek (ASOS,Jon,pg.567).

"Inside the tent the shapes were dancing, circling the brazier and the bloody bath, dark against the sand silk, and some did not look human. She glimpsed the shadow of a great wolf, and another like a man wreathed in flames." (There are other textual examples I left out, you guys can throw in the discussions).

Then the towers by the sea, crumbling as the dark tide came sweeping over them, rising from the depths. Shadows in the shape of skulls, skulls that turned to mist, bodies locked together in lust, writhing and rolling and clawing. Through curtains of fire great winged shadows wheeled against a hard blue sky(Mel,ADWD).

The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limmed in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half seen behind a fluttering curtain (Mel,ADWD)***

Will saw movement for the corner of his eye. Pale shapes gliding through the wood. He turned his head, glimpsed a white shadow in the darkness. Then it was gone (AGOT,Prologue).”

He saw his father pleading with the king, his face etched with grief. He saw Sansa crying herself to sleep at night, and he saw Arya watching in silence and holding her secrets hard in her heart. There were shadows all around them. One shadow was as dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in amour made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood (AGOT,Bran,3).****

The Double Walker

Lastly, one of the most intriguing parallels I’ve found relating to Shadows which fits nicely into ASOIAF, is the “Double Walker” the predecessor of ,”Shadow Walkers” and the “doppelganger” The double walker is said to be one part of a dual soul/s.

"...On the day that we are born the Many-Faced God sends each of us a dark angel to walk through life beside us. When our sins and our sufferings grow too great to be borne, the angel takes us by the hand to lead us to the night lands, where the stars burn ever bright. Those who come to drink from the black cup are looking for their angels. If they are afraid, the candles soothe them..."(The Kindly Man).

Melisandre Shadow babies/Assassins: and Glamours

The Shadow .Something dark and evil happened here, something that she could not begin to understand.“I swear it, you know me, it was Stannis killed him.”………….”Stannis?How?” “I don’t know how.Sorcery,some dark magic. There was a shadow, a shadow…………..”A shadow with a sword, I swear it,i saw.(ACOK,Cat,pg.502).

“Soft as a woman’s kiss. Your kiss. Every day I think how it would be to take it off, pry it out, and every day I don’t. Must I wear the bloody bones as well? “The spell is made of shadow and suggestion (ADWD,Mel,pg.366).

The Ruby on the Wildling’s wrists darkened, and the wisps of light and shadow around him writhed and faded……………………………….With whispered words and prayers a man’s shadow can be drawn forth from such, and draped over another like a cloak(ADWD,Melisandre,pg.372 electronic version).

“Two arms wriggled free ,grasping ,black fingers coiling around Melisandre’s straining thighs,pushing,until the whole of the shadow slid out into the world and rose taller than Davos ,tall as the tunnel ,towering above the boat…………..He knew that shadow. As he knew the man who’d cast it (ACOK,Davos,pg.623).

“I dream of it sometimes .Of Renly’s dying. A green tent, candles a woman screaming and blood.”Stannis looked down at his hands. I was still abed when he died your Devan would tell you. He tried to wake me. I thrashed and cried out, but what does it matter .It was a dream was in my tent when Renly died and when I awoke my hands were clean (ACOK, Davos, pg.612).***

“Jon watched Stannis descend from the platform, with Melisandre by his side, his red shadow, she never leaves his side for long (ADWD, Jon, 137). ***

The Direwolves:

Ghost padded after him, a white shadow at his side (ADWD,Jon Pg 107 electronic version).

They walked, with Ghost pacing along beside Jon like a white shadow. "I leave on the morrow," Tyrion said (AGOT, Tyrion, pg.188 electronic version).

Note: This is not the first time in the books Ghost is referred to as a White Shadow or Jon’s White shadow.

The White Walkers:

“The cold gods”, she said. “The ones in the night. “The white shadows.”

Wights

The empty village was no longer empty. Blue-eyed shadows walked amongst the mounds of snow. Some wore brown and some wore black and some were naked, their flesh gone white as snow (ADWD,Prologue).

Dragons

“Drogon.the winged shadow” they called him.

To continue with the metaphor the above creatures are extensions of someone else. Ghost to Jon, Dany to Drogon, Wights to WWs or “the cold” (whichever theory you prescribe too), The Shadow babies/assassins and Glamours to Mel, and the men from which she drew the light necessary to make the shadows.I would like to add that in the case of WWs, on Heresy there are several competing theories as to how they’ve come about. Be it Craster’s sons transformed, Golems, disembodied Greenseers etc. There is one common theme to all these theories, that they are also extensions. One of the above theories could be right. ***

Where Shadows dare not go

“Who rowed you to Renly?”

“There was no need” she said. “He was unprotected. But here…….this storm’s End is an old place.There are spells woven into the stones. Dark Walls that no shadow can pass-ancient, forgotten, yet still in place”(ACOK,Davos,pg.621).

“But when they reached the ringfort, Ghost balked again. He padded forward warily to sniff at the gap in the stones, and then retreated, as if he didn’t liked what he smelled. Jon tried to grab him by the scruff of his neck and haul him in bodily inside the ring………..”Ghost what’s wrong with you?”It was not like him to be so unsettled (ACOK,Jon,pg.509).

Bran found himself remembering the tales Old Nan had told him when he was a babe. Beyond
the Wall the monsters live, the giants and the ghouls, the stalking shadows and the dead that walk, she
would say, tucking him in beneath his scratchy woolen blanket, but they cannot pass so long as the Wall
stands strong and the men of the Night’s Watch are true(Bran,ADWD,pg.73).***

GRRM’s use of “Shadows” is intentional and it certainly isn’t arbitrary; each use adds more to the overall picture and the characters place in it.

Note: Asterisk means further discussion definitely needed

http://asoiaf.wester...the-dragonbond/

http://asoiaf.wester...e-wight-walker/

http://asoiaf.wester...those-who-sing/

“Their name ruled the North,my name IS the North....SNOW

[Voice]

Awesome! I submitted a topic about a week ago, I'll post my theory below. Here's the original thread: Three Shadows in Bran's Vision

Basically I suggest the Three Shadows Bran sees at the Trident in his Falling Dream are actually present there, when Bran sees his father pleading with the King. I strongly disagree with the assertions made at the Citadel, and many comments support the status quo interpretations. I am very interested in hearing Heretical opinions!!!

Here's the full theory:

I've read several threads, as well as the essay at the Citadel, that deal with Bran's Vision in AGOT Bran III and have yet to see someone else suggest my own belief regarding the identities of the shadows Bran sees around Eddard, Sansa, and Arya when they're stopped at the Trident on their way to KL.

Quote

Bran was falling faster than ever. The grey mists howled around him as he plunged toward the earth below. "What are you doing to me?" he asked the crow, tearful.

Teaching you how to fly.

"I can't fly!"

You're flying tight now.

"I'm falling!"

Every flight begins with a fall, the crow said. Look down.

"I'm afraid . . . "

LOOK DOWN!

Bran looked down, and felt his insides turn to water. The ground was rushing up at him now. The whole world was spread out below him, a tapestry of white and brown and green. He could see everything so clearly that for a moment he forgot to be afraid. He could see the whole realm, and everyone in it.

He saw Winterfell as the eagles see it, the tall towers looking squat and stubby from above, the castle walls just lines in the dirt. He saw Maester Luwin on his balcony, studying the sky through a polished bronze tube and frowning as he made notes in a book. He saw his brother Robb, taller and stronger than he remembered him, practicing swordplay in the yard with real steel in his hand. He saw Hodor, the simple giant from the stables, carrying an anvil to Mikken's forge, hefting it onto his shoulder as easily as another man might heft a bale of hay. At the heart of the godswood, the great white weirwood brooded over its reflection in the black pool, its leaves rustling in a chill wind. When it felt Bran watching, it lifted its eyes from the still waters and stared back at him knowingly.

He looked east, and saw a galley racing across the waters of the Bite. He saw his mother sitting alone in a cabin, looking at a bloodstained knife on a table in front of her, as the rowers pulled at their oars and Ser Rodrik leaned across a rail, shaking and heaving. A storm was gathering ahead of them, a vast dark roaring lashed by lightning, but somehow they could not see it.

He looked south, and saw the great blue-green rush of the Trident. He saw his father pleading with the king, his face etched with grief. He saw Sansa crying herself to sleep at night, and he saw Arya watching in silence and holding her secrets hard in her heart. There were shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood.

He lifted his eyes and saw clear across the narrow sea, to the Free Cities and the green Dothraki sea and beyond, to Vaes Dothrak under its mountain, to the fabled lands of the JadeSea, to Asshai by the Shadow, where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise.

Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like blue crystal, and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. And he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead plains where nothing grew or lived. North and north and north he looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then beyond that curtain. He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks.

Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live.

"Why?" Bran said, not understanding, falling, falling.

Because winter is coming.

Bran III, AGOT (chapter 17)

I included a large part of Bran's Vision in the quote above because I think it is important to understand the context in which GRRM places the Shadows. Bran is seeing different, yet specific, places in the world at present, not several years (or books) into the future. While there are many prophetic elements to absorb, the scenes and individuals he sees are all as they exist in the present moment. As his body lies motionless abed, eyes wide and seeing nothing in the cold tower at Winterfell, his consciousness takes a journey, viewing the world from above. He is not looking into the future, or the past, rather he sees the deeper truths in current affairs - and people.

I'll refer to the shadows all around his father and sisters as Shadow #1 (dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound), Shadow #2 (armored like the sun, golden and beautiful), and Shadow #3 (a giant in armor made of stone, with nothing inside his visor but darkness and thick black blood).

Main shadow-identity theories, from the Citadel:

The ash-dark shadow with the face of a hound is obviously the Hound, Sandor Clegane. The figure in golden armor must then be the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister. The giant in armor made of stone has been discussed a little more, however. There are three main possibilities: Robert Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, or Gregor Clegane, the Mountain that Rides. (full essay: http://www.westeros....ies/Entry/1791/)

Another plausible candidate offered in forum comments for Shadow #2 is Joffrey.

There are also some great arguments made for Ser Gregor, unGregor/Robert Stone, being Shadow #3 (even though his metamorphosis does not occur for several books/years into the future, he is not at the Trident with the Starks, and never plays a large role in their character arcs).

Another popular suspect for Shadow #3 is Littlefinger due to the Giant of Braavos being associated with his ancestral heraldry, his role as puppetmaster looming over KL, and the bloody game in which he uses the Starks so often.

But here's the problem with the Mountain and LF, they're no where near the Trident when Bran sees the shadows around his father and sisters. As stated, he is viewing people and locations at present, not conflicts (or mad-maester Qyburn's science experiments) yet to come, and this all occurs at the time of Lady's death sentencing at the blue-green rush as his father pleads with the king. Also, LF does not fit with the pattern GRRM has laid out in the vision - the first shadow is not described in armor, while the second and third are. This leads me to think the first is not a knight (he is "no Ser"), and that the other two are indeed anointed knights. It is often mentioned in ASOIAF and D&E that usually only knights wear armor. So that rules out LF as Shadow #3.

Shadow #1 dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound

I think people have been a little too literal in their interpretations of the shadows. While the Hound has burn scars on half his face, he is not ash-dark in color. And though he is scarred, his face still looks like a human man, not a hound. Yes, yes, I know he has a helm fashioned in the shape of a dog's head, but I don't think Bran is having a literal vision of his helm. Alas, he doesn't describe Shadow #1 as having armor at all. He sees through to the inner character of each shadow, and he sees that one was abused/burned, brutal but loyal, and does not make his own decisions.

So yes, I agree Shadow #1 is the Hound, Sandor Clegane.

Shadow #2 "armored like the sun, golden and beautiful"

The second shadow is not wearing "golden armor" as the Citadel mistakenly claims above. Rather, "he was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful." I think that is an important distinction that must be made. At a moment such as this, experiencing supreme spiritual clarity, why would Bran see Jaime or Joffrey as bright as the sun and beautiful?

Remember, he is not simply witnessing physical appearances in his spirit-flight, he is seeing through the facade and understanding characters' inner intentions.

In conclusion, Shadow #2 is Ser Barristan Selmy. The only remaining true steel knight of the King's Guard, the kind of true knight Bran once wished to become. His honor shines as brilliantly as the sun in Bran's eyes.

Shadow #3 "loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood"

This seems to be the shadow with the most possible identities in the threads I have read. For me, this can only be Ser Ilyn Payne. He's the one that lept to mind on my first reread, and now that I'm reading AGOT for the fifth time, it can only be him.

He looms over the others as a giant because he is an unflinching threat to Lady (and Bran) at the moment, and he represents the darkness and blood awaiting Ned.

Armor made of stone... because he is hard, cold, and silent.

And there's nothing inside his visor but darkness and thick black blood due to the countless murders he has 'seen to', and soon he will 'see to' the death of the father of House Stark. Like Sansa, Bran sees darkness, death and blood in Ser Ilyn, and rightly so. Bran may even sense his own imminent death in Ser Ilyn.

In the quote/scene/moment below (the chapter just before Bran's Vision), we see the moment firsthand from Eddard's POV that Bran is seeing simultaneously while learning to fly in the very next chapter - Ned pleads with the king and the presence of all three Shadows are felt.

Quote

"We have a wolf," Cersei Lannister said. Her voice was very quiet, but her green eyes shone with triumph.

It took them all a moment to comprehend her words, but when they did, the king shrugged irritably. "As you will. Have Ser Ilyn see to it."

"Robert, you cannot mean this," Ned protested.

The king was in no mood for more argument. "Enough, Ned, I will hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would have turned on your girl the same way the other did on my son. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it."

That was when Sansa finally seemed to comprehend. Her eyes were frightened as they went to her father. "He doesn't mean Lady, does he?" She saw the truth on his face. "No," she said. "No, not Lady, Lady didn't bite anybody, she's good . . . "

"Lady wasn't there," Arya shouted angrily. "You leave her alone!"

"Stop them," Sansa pleaded, "don't let them do it, please, please, it wasn't Lady, it was Nymeria, Arya did it, you can't, it wasn't Lady, don't let them hurt Lady, I'll make her be good, I promise, I promise . . . " She started to cry.

All Ned could do was take her in his arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the room at Robert. His old friend, closer than any brother. "Please, Robert. For the love you bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please."

The king looked at them for a long moment, then turned his eyes on his wife. "Damn you, Cersei," he said with loathing.

Ned stood, gently disengaging himself from Sansa's grasp. All the weariness of the past four days had returned to him. "Do it yourself then, Robert," he said in a voice cold and sharp as steel. "At least have the courage to do it yourself."

Robert looked at Ned with flat, dead eyes and left without a word, his footsteps heavy as lead. Silence filled the hall.

"Where is the direwolf?" Cersei Lannister asked when her husband was gone. Beside her, Prince Joffrey was smiling.

"The beast is chained up outside the gatehouse, Your Grace," Ser Barristan Selmy answered reluctantly.

"Send for Ilyn Payne."

"No," Ned said. "Jory, take the girls back to their rooms and bring me Ice." The words tasted of bile in his throat, but he forced them out. "If it must be done, I will do it."

Cersei Lannister regarded him suspiciously. "You, Stark? Is this some trick? Why would you do such a thing?"

They were all staring at him, but it was Sansa's look that cut. "She is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher."

He left the room with his eyes burning and his daughter's wails echoing in his ears, and found the direwolf pup where they chained her. Ned sat beside her for a while. "Lady," he said, tasting the name. He had never paid much attention to the names the children had picked, but looking at her now, he knew that Sansa had chosen well. She was the smallest of the litter, the prettiest, the most gentle and trusting. She looked at him with bright golden eyes, and he ruffled her thick grey fur.

Shortly, Jory brought him Ice.

When it was over, he said, "Choose four men and have them take the body north. Bury her at Winterfell."

"All that way?" Jory said, astonished.

"All that way," Ned affirmed. "The Lannister woman shall never have this skin."

He was walking back to the tower to give himself up to sleep at last when Sandor Clegane and his riders came pounding through the castle gate, back from their hunt.

There was something slung over the back of his destrier, a heavy shape wrapped in a bloody cloak. "No sign of your daughter, Hand," the Hound rasped down, "but the day was not wholly wasted. We got her little pet." He reached back and shoved the burden off, and it fell with a thump in front of Ned.

Bending, Ned pulled back the cloak, dreading the words he would have to find for Arya, but it was not Nymeria after all. It was the butcher's boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above.

"You rode him down," Ned said.

The Hound's eyes seemed to glitter through the steel of that hideous dog's-head helm. "He ran." He looked at Ned's face and laughed. "But not very fast."

Eddard III, AGOT (chapter 16)

Bear in mind that this is all happening just before Bran awakens. I subscribe to the theory that the sacrifice of Lady in some way pays for Bran's life. Three shadows surround this event and his life depends on it. The Hound is fetching for his master, Ser Barristan senses the ill being done, and Ser Ilyn is evoked to send the Direwolf to darkness. If Cersei had succeeded, and Ser Ilyn had been the one to 'see to Lady' I believe Bran would have remained in his unconscious state. They are of the North, and the pain Eddard felt as he took Lady's life was necessary or it wouldn't have been a sacrifice, and Bran would still be dreaming or dead.

Here's further mention of who I believe are the three Shadows, from Sansa's POV (the chapter just before Ned and Bran's above):

Quote

"What's happening?" she asked a squire she knew.

"The council sent riders from King's Landing to escort us the rest of the way," he told her. "An honor guard for the king."

Anxious to see, Sansa let Lady clear a path through the crowd. People moved aside hastily for the direwolf. When she got closer, she saw two knights kneeling before the queen, in armor so fine and gorgeous that it made her blink.

One knight wore an intricate suit of white enameled scales, brilliant as a field of new-fallen snow, with silver chasings and clasps that glittered in the sun. When he removed his helm, Sansa saw that he was an old man with hair as pale as his armor, yet he seemed strong and graceful for all that. From his shoulders hung the pure white cloak of the Kingsguard.

His companion was a man near twenty whose armor was steel plate of a deep forest-green. He was the handsomest man Sansa had ever set eyes upon; tall and powerfully made, with jet-black hair that fell to his shoulders and framed a clean-shaven face, and laughing green eyes to match his armor. Cradled under one arm was an antlered helm, its magnificent rack shimmering in gold.

At first Sansa did not notice the third stranger. He did not kneel with the others. He stood to one side, beside their horses, a gaunt grim man who watched the proceedings in silence. His face was pockmarked and beardless, with deepset eyes and hollow cheeks. Though he was not an old man, only a few wisps of hair remained to him, sprouting above his ears, but those he had grown long as a woman's. His armor was iron-grey chainmail over layers of boiled leather, plain and unadorned, and it spoke of age and hard use. Above his right shoulder the stained leather hilt of the blade strapped to his back was visible; a two-handed greatsword, too long to be worn at his side.

"The king is gone hunting, but I know he will be pleased to see you when he returns," the queen was saying to the two knights who knelt before her, but Sansa could not take her eyes off the third man. He seemed to feel the weight of her gaze. Slowly he turned his head. Lady growled. A terror as overwhelming as anything Sansa Stark had ever felt filled her suddenly. She stepped backward and bumped into someone.

Strong hands grasped her by the shoulders, and for a moment Sansa thought it was her father, but when she turned, it was the burned face of Sandor Clegane looking down at her, his mouth twisted in a terrible mockery of a smile. "You are shaking, girl," he said, his voice rasping. "Do I frighten you so much?"

He did, and had since she had first laid eyes on the ruin that fire had made of his face, though it seemed to her now that he was not half so terrifying as the other. Still, Sansa wrenched away from him, and the Hound laughed, and Lady moved between them, rumbling a warning. Sansa dropped to her knees to wrap her arms around the wolf. They were all gathered around gaping, she could feel their eyes on her, and here and there she heard muttered comments and titters of laughter.

"A wolf," a man said, and someone else said, "Seven hells, that's a direwolf," and the first man said, "What's it doing in camp?" and the Hound's rasping voice replied, "The Starks use them for wet nurses," and Sansa realized that the two stranger knights were looking down on her and Lady, swords in their hands, and then she was frightened again, and ashamed. Tears filled her eyes.

She heard the queen say, "Joffrey, go to her."

And her prince was there.

"Leave her alone," Joffrey said. He stood over her, beautiful in blue wool and black leather, his golden curls shining in the sun like a crown. He gave her his hand, drew her to her feet. "What is it, sweet lady? Why are you afraid? No one will hurt you. Put away your swords, all of you. The wolf is her little pet, that's all." He looked at Sandor Clegane. "And you, dog, away with you, you're scaring my betrothed."

The Hound, ever faithful, bowed and slid away quietly through the press. Sansa struggled to steady herself. She felt like such a fool. She was a Stark of Winterfell, a noble lady, and someday she would be a queen. "It was not him, my sweet prince," she tried to explain. "It was the other one."

The two stranger knights exchanged a look. "Payne?" chuckled the young man in the green armor.

The older man in white spoke to Sansa gently. "Oft times Ser Ilyn frightens me as well, sweet lady. He has a fearsome aspect."

"As well he should." The queen had descended from the wheelhouse. The spectators parted to make way for her. "If the wicked do not fear the King's Justice, you have put the wrong man in the office."

Sansa finally found her words. "Then surely you have chosen the right one, Your Grace," she said, and a gale of laughter erupted all around her.

"Well spoken, child," said the old man in white. "As befits the daughter of Eddard Stark. I am honored to know you, however irregular the manner of our meeting. I am Ser Barristan Selmy, of the Kingsguard." He bowed.

Sansa I, AGOT (chapter 15)

So what do you think?

[wolfmaid7]

Awesome! I submitted a topic about a week ago, I'll post my theory below. Here's the original thread: Three Shadows in Bran's Vision

Basically I suggest the Three Shadows Bran sees at the Trident in his Falling Dream are actually present there, when Bran sees his father pleading with the King. I strongly disagree with the assertions made at the Citadel, and many comments support the status quo interpretations. I am very interested in hearing Heretical opinions!!!

Here's the full theory:

I've read several threads, as well as the essay at the Citadel, that deal with Bran's Vision in AGOT Bran III and have yet to see someone else suggest my own belief regarding the identities of the shadows Bran sees around Eddard, Sansa, and Arya when they're stopped at the Trident on their way to KL.

Quote

Bran III, AGOT (chapter 17)

I included a large part of Bran's Vision in the quote above because I think it is important to understand the context in which GRRM places the Shadows. Bran is seeing different, yet specific, places in the world at present, not several years (or books) into the future. While there are many prophetic elements to absorb, the scenes and individuals he sees are all as they exist in the present moment. As his body lies motionless abed, eyes wide and seeing nothing in the cold tower at Winterfell, his consciousness takes a journey, viewing the world from above. He is not looking into the future, or the past, rather he sees the deeper truths in current affairs - and people.

I'll refer to the shadows all around his father and sisters as Shadow #1 (dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound), Shadow #2 (armored like the sun, golden and beautiful), and Shadow #3 (a giant in armor made of stone, with nothing inside his visor but darkness and thick black blood).

Main shadow-identity theories, from the Citadel:

The ash-dark shadow with the face of a hound is obviously the Hound, Sandor Clegane. The figure in golden armor must then be the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister. The giant in armor made of stone has been discussed a little more, however. There are three main possibilities: Robert Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, or Gregor Clegane, the Mountain that Rides. (full essay: http://www.westeros....ies/Entry/1791/)

Another plausible candidate offered in forum comments for Shadow #2 is Joffrey.

There are also some great arguments made for Ser Gregor, unGregor/Robert Stone, being Shadow #3 (even though his metamorphosis does not occur for several books/years into the future, he is not at the Trident with the Starks, and never plays a large role in their character arcs).

Another popular suspect for Shadow #3 is Littlefinger due to the Giant of Braavos being associated with his ancestral heraldry, his role as puppetmaster looming over KL, and the bloody game in which he uses the Starks so often.

But here's the problem with the Mountain and LF, they're no where near the Trident when Bran sees the shadows around his father and sisters. As stated, he is viewing people and locations at present, not conflicts (or mad-maester Qyburn's science experiments) yet to come, and this all occurs at the time of Lady's death sentencing at the blue-green rush as his father pleads with the king. Also, LF does not fit with the pattern GRRM has laid out in the vision - the first shadow is not described in armor, while the second and third are. This leads me to think the first is not a knight (he is "no Ser"), and that the other two are indeed anointed knights. It is often mentioned in ASOIAF and D&E that usually only knights wear armor. So that rules out LF as Shadow #3.

Shadow #1 dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound

I think people have been a little too literal in their interpretations of the shadows. While the Hound has burn scars on half his face, he is not ash-dark in color. And though he is scarred, his face still looks like a human man, not a hound. Yes, yes, I know he has a helm fashioned in the shape of a dog's head, but I don't think Bran is having a literal vision of his helm. Alas, he doesn't describe Shadow #1 as having armor at all. He sees through to the inner character of each shadow, and he sees that one was abused/burned, brutal but loyal, and does not make his own decisions.

So yes, I agree Shadow #1 is the Hound, Sandor Clegane.

Shadow #2 "armored like the sun, golden and beautiful"

The second shadow is not wearing "golden armor" as the Citadel mistakenly claims above. Rather, "he was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful." I think that is an important distinction that must be made. At a moment such as this, experiencing supreme spiritual clarity, why would Bran see Jaime or Joffrey as bright as the sun and beautiful?

Remember, he is not simply witnessing physical appearances in his spirit-flight, he is seeing through the facade and understanding characters' inner intentions.

In conclusion, Shadow #2 is Ser Barristan Selmy. The only remaining true steel knight of the King's Guard, the kind of true knight Bran once wished to become. His honor shines as brilliantly as the sun in Bran's eyes.

Shadow #3 "loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood"

This seems to be the shadow with the most possible identities in the threads I have read. For me, this can only be Ser Ilyn Payne. He's the one that lept to mind on my first reread, and now that I'm reading AGOT for the fifth time, it can only be him.

He looms over the others as a giant because he is an unflinching threat to Lady (and Bran) at the moment, and he represents the darkness and blood awaiting Ned.

Armor made of stone... because he is hard, cold, and silent.

And there's nothing inside his visor but darkness and thick black blood due to the countless murders he has 'seen to', and soon he will 'see to' the death of the father of House Stark. Like Sansa, Bran sees darkness, death and blood in Ser Ilyn, and rightly so. Bran may even sense his own imminent death in Ser Ilyn.

In the quote/scene/moment below (the chapter just before Bran's Vision), we see the moment firsthand from Eddard's POV that Bran is seeing simultaneously while learning to fly in the very next chapter - Ned pleads with the king and the presence of all three Shadows are felt.

Quote

Eddard III, AGOT (chapter 16)

Bear in mind that this is all happening just before Bran awakens. I subscribe to the theory that the sacrifice of Lady in some way pays for Bran's life. Three shadows surround this event and his life depends on it. The Hound is fetching for his master, Ser Barristan senses the ill being done, and Ser Ilyn is evoked to send the Direwolf to darkness. If Cersei had succeeded, and Ser Ilyn had been the one to 'see to Lady' I believe Bran would have remained in his unconscious state. They are of the North, and the pain Eddard felt as he took Lady's life was necessary or it wouldn't have been a sacrifice, and Bran would still be dreaming or dead.

Here's further mention of who I believe are the three Shadows, from Sansa's POV (the chapter just before Ned and Bran's above):

Quote

Sansa I, AGOT (chapter 15)

So what do you think?

Sweet! response and this is what we are looking for for this thread.Some of the analysis have been left up to you members because the interpretation can be varied and insight can come from a lot of angles.I put the Bran dream below the unknown because there are possible future events that can be fleshed out and you've done a great job at analysing what the Shadows in his dream could mean.I myself took the Citadel's interpretation as an ample one but i love your thinking out the box on this in presenting alternate interpretations.No doubt there will be varying views on what these shadows mean for sure from others.Thanks very much for sharing this.

[TheButcherCrow]

<snip>

I just posted on your original thread. I'm well on board with this :cheers:

edited for length

[Voice]

Sweet! response and this is what we are looking for for this thread.Some of the analysis have been left up to you members because the interpretation can be varied and insight can come from a lot of angles.I put the Bran dream below the unknown because there are possible future events that can be fleshed out and you've done a great job at analysing what the Shadows in his dream could mean.I myself took the Citadel's interpretation as an ample one but i love your thinking out the box on this in presenting alternate interpretations.No doubt there will be varying views on what these shadows mean for sure from others.Thanks very much for sharing this.

So cool! Yeah, outside the box thinking isn't appreciated in the general forum I guess LOL. And to be honest, the theory is my "short version" haha. There's a lot more I could say. Particularly about the dragons stirring beneath the sunrise :)

I just posted on your original thread. I'm well on board with this :cheers:

edited for length

Awesome! checking it out now....

[Melifeather]

In conclusion, Shadow #2 is Ser Barristan Selmy. The only remaining true steel knight of the King's Guard, the kind of true knight Bran once wished to become. His honor shines as brilliantly as the sun in Bran's eyes.

Shadow #3 "loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood"

Sansa I, AGOT (chapter 15)

So what do you think?

While I do appreciate the detail and your insights are interesting, I still firmly believe that Littlefinger is the giant shadow. LIttlefinger conspired with Lysa to kill Jon Arryn, which brought Ned to Kings Landing. It was Littlefinger's "revelation" of the ownership of the dagger that led to Catelyn kidnapping Tyrion. Littlefinger said he won the dagger from Tyrion when he bet against his brother, but Tyrion would never bet against Jaime, so we know LIttlefinger deliberately lied. Jaime later attacks Ned in revenge, injuring Ned and killing all his men. All of these events ultimately lead to Ned's beheading, Sansa becoming a hostage, and Arya having to leave in disguise. Even though LIttlefinger wasn't at the Trident, he was ultimately the puppetmaster pulling all the strings.

Edited to add: I also disagree that Barristan Selmy is #2 as he has no bearing over what happens to the Starks.

Edited for length.

[Black Crow]

While I do appreciate the detail and your insights are interesting, I still firmly believe that Littlefinger is the giant shadow...

Yeah, I'm with Littlefinger too.

As a general point people, when responding to some of the long posts that started this thread off, can we please

edit down the originals when quoting them as I've done with Feather's one. All we need is enough to identify which post you're responding to without wading through a page that rivals one of GRRM's books in size. :cool4:

[wolfmaid7]

Edited to add: I also disagree that Barristan Selmy is #2 as he has no bearing over what happens to the Starks.

Interesting Feather and i will bring it back to the OP about what shadows can mean interms of events in the stream of time(possible paths and outcomes).So to clarify what your saying is it that you believe the events are "only" Stark centric?

Edit: Good idea BC,there is alot to cover,it would be nice to get through all of them.

[Melifeather]

Interesting Feather and i will bring it back to the OP about what shadows can mean interms of events in the stream of time(possible paths and outcomes).So to clarify what your saying is it that you believe the events are "only" Stark centric?

Edit: Good idea BC,there is alot to cover,it would be nice to get through all of them.

I wouldn't go to lengths to say everything is Stark centric, just that particular prophecy.

[Direwolf Blitzer]

<snip>

So what do you think?

That was really good, man. I had been imagining different scenarios for the stone-armored knight, but you've convinced me it's Ilyn Payne. The whole vision seems to be almost literal.

Well-reasoned, sir.

[wolfmaid7]

I wouldn't go to lengths to say everything is Stark centric, just that particular prophecy.

I was definitely speaking in terms of the prophey,but playing Devil's advocate in that maybe the Starks might be caught or drawn into what event or persons those shadows represent.I should have clarified that was where my train of thought was...lol

[Melifeather]

I was definitely speaking in terms of the prophey,but playing Devil's advocate in that maybe the Starks might be caught or drawn into what event or persons those shadows represent.I should have clarified that was where my train of thought was...lol

Well, if you're wanting to go all metaphorical, then I guess it would depend upon whether or not "shadows' should be understood as being dangerous to the person seeing them? Of course my thoughts go immediately to Catelyn and Brienne, because they saw Stannis's shadow and it didn't harm them, or did it? You could say that his shadow did have an effect on their lives.

[wolfmaid7]

Well, if you're wanting to go all metaphorical, then I guess it would depend upon whether or not "shadows' should be understood as being dangerous to the person seeing them? Of course my thoughts go immediately to Catelyn and Brienne, because they saw Stannis's shadow and it didn't harm them, or did it? You could say that his shadow did have an effect on their lives.

True it did change their lives, that crap blew minds for sure.The Shadow in that sense did represent death for Renly.The depth of Mel's power is amazing,the effect on Stannis who knew and didn't know he actully killed Renly.

[Voice]

While I do appreciate the detail and your insights are interesting, I still firmly believe that Littlefinger is the giant shadow. LIttlefinger conspired with Lysa to kill Jon Arryn, which brought Ned to Kings Landing. It was Littlefinger's "revelation" of the ownership of the dagger that led to Catelyn kidnapping Tyrion. Littlefinger said he won the dagger from Tyrion when he bet against his brother, but Tyrion would never bet against Jaime, so we know LIttlefinger deliberately lied. Jaime later attacks Ned in revenge, injuring Ned and killing all his men. All of these events ultimately lead to Ned's beheading, Sansa becoming a hostage, and Arya having to leave in disguise. Even though LIttlefinger wasn't at the Trident, he was ultimately the puppetmaster pulling all the strings.

Edited to add: I also disagree that Barristan Selmy is #2 as he has no bearing over what happens to the Starks.

Edited for length.

LF simply dropped pieces into play, and had to wait and see if things would go his way. I see him as more of the anarchist in KL.

For me Shadow 3 is far more sinister. And if you look at Sansa's reaction to him in the chapter before, it was very powerful even though she had never met Ser Ilyn before.

LF throws a wrench into the machine every now and then, but I don't see him as the all powerful puppetmaster others do. Now when it came to Sansa's removal from KL, yes, but the fate that awaited Ned was cast once that Direwolf and Stag killed one another back in chapter 1.

Yeah, I'm with Littlefinger too.

As a general point people, when responding to some of the long posts that started this thread off, can we please

edit down the originals when quoting them as I've done with Feather's one. All we need is enough to identify which post you're responding to without wading through a page that rivals one of GRRM's books in size. :cool4:

Sorry about that. Didn't mean to hog up thread space, I was just really stoked that Heresy is looking at Shadows. Pretty awesome!

Though I must admit, without WoW in front of me to read, I definitely enjoy the longer posts here in Heresy...plenty o' time to read up on theories at the moment :)

LF has an agenda, is intelligent, and is an astute player of the game. But, if we lift Petyr Baelish's visor, I find it hard to believe there would be nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood. And again, why would Bran see him at the Trident when everyone else in the dream is in situ?

I wouldn't go to lengths to say everything is Stark centric, just that particular prophecy.

I would argue that Barristan's presence would still be Stark-centric. He tells the queen the whereabouts of Lady... of the knights present, he alone shows apprehension in her sentence... and from Bran's POV, the sacrifice of Lady could have meant the difference between life/awakening or death/remaining in a coma.

In the other thread one commenter proposed Cersei as Shadow 2 at the Trident. And that makes a whole lot of sense. Shadow 2 is armored like the sun, golden and beautiful.

And one could easily argue no one has armored themselves in beauty more than her. She was not a part of my original theory, but I can definitely see her has Shadow 2.

True it did change their lives, that crap blew minds for sure.The Shadow in that sense did represent death for Renly.The depth of Mel's power is amazing,the effect on Stannis who knew and didn't know he actully killed Renly.

LOL yes, upon that day, there were definitely some minds blown.

[Black Crow]

In the other thread one commenter proposed Cersei as Shadow 2 at the Trident. And that makes a whole lot of sense. Shadow 2 is armored like the sun, golden and beautiful.

And one could easily argue no one has armored themselves in beauty more than her. She was not a part of my original theory, but I can definitely see her has Shadow 2.

I do like the idea of Cersei, although given that she and Jaime are twins that particular shadow could be both.

I'm not convinced about the stone giant beng Ilyn Payne or anybody else other than Littlefinger, given all the evidence in favour of Littlefinger. While the vision is in "real time" it is still a vision rather than surveillance footage, which is why Bran sees the shadows which threaten his father rather than characters X, Y and Z.

[Black Crow]

Returning to the OP, I agree that the use of shadows is significant way beyond anything seen in Bran's vision and specifically in pointing to the nature of some of the adversaries.

Mel as we've seen and no-one disputes has twice produced "shadow babies" by drawing upon some of Stannis' life force to create a recognisable "shadow" which looks and behaves as Stannis and carries out actions which he himself secretly or subconsciously wishes to do. Renly alone dies in front of Catelyn and Brienne not because Mel is directing the shadow but because he is defying Stannis. Similarly the shadow introduced to Storm's End kills the castellan not because Mel is directing it but because he is defying Stannis. In both cases the shadow is Stannis.

Craster's sons are very similar in conception. They too are shadows, but with two crucial differences. First, while only a part of Stannis' spirit or soul was drawn out to create each of his shadows, it would appear that Craster's sons are drawn out as shadows in their entirety and secondly they are given the substance Stannis' shadows lack, with bodies "of snow and ice and cold".

There may be an intentional irony here in that it is Stannis, whose black shadows were so insubstantial, who may be giving us the best description of the white shadows.

[Voice]

I'm more than happy to keep talking about the 3 Shadows at the Trident, but I don't want to hijack this thread and there are far too many interesting Shadows to discuss!

So back to the OP... (and, I assume you'd appreciate more discussion re: the Shadows with asterisks)

AND SO TO WOLFMAID ON SHADOWS:

They litter the story while lying in the backdrop. Yet, there is a sense that their inclusion hold profound revelations yet to be discovered. Yes boys and girls we delve into the world of “Shadows “and what they may mean in the context of ASOIAF. I will refrain from doing too much of an analysis, so we can do this together. Instead, I’ll present the topic, the myths that propel them and how that might shed light on what is happening in the story. So let’s begin with a quote from our favorite Red Priestess.

Shadows and the inner self

“There are no shadows in the dark. Shadows are the servants of the light, the children of fire. The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows.”(COK, 42, Davos, pg.622).

In several myths the “Shadow” is the dual complimentary part of an individual’s current nature. As a person expands their nature, and become “more enlightened”, the Shadow becomes more and more defined as it feeds off powerful emotions and desires. The Ancient Greeks believed the Shadow was a person’s soul, a consciousness housing what was perceived to be darker energy. Therefore, symbolically and metaphorically; individuals who have been illuminated, produces the darkest, densest and most profound Shadows. This couldn’t be more evident in some of our characters, the knowledge they’ve gained and shadows they cast.

Stannis’s Shadow- Melisandre shone………..“Two arms wriggled free ,grasping ,black fingers coiling around Melisandre’s straining thighs,pushing,until the whole of the shadow slid out into the world and rose taller than Davos ,tall as the tunnel ,towering above the boat…………..He knew that shadow. As he knew the man who’d cast it (ACOK,Davos,pg.623).

Tyrion’s Shadow- Remember this, boy. All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs." And with that he turned and sauntered back into the feast, whistling a tune. 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 (ADWD,Jon,pg.49 electronic version).

Jon’s Shadow- “You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The Moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the Wall twenty feet tall (ADWD, Jon, pg.339 electronic version).

“Some lights cast more than one shadow. Stand before the night fire and you’ll see for yourself. The flames shift and dance, never still……………………….. Some are fainter than others, that’s all (ACOK, Davos, pg.617).

These three men have similarly lived their lives eclipsed by older siblings for one reason or the other. They were bastards,dwarves or plain unlikable .However, when it comes to these “second sons” their repressed desires, status in their homes; cultivated this darker energy which intern perpetuated a kind of strength that their older siblings didn’t/don’t possess. They have a lot of depth though, which is hidden below cynicism, hardness and melancholy .The height on a shadow is also telling, “Tall Shadows” denotes plenipotentiary authority and destiny. With the preceding in mind; I’d like to point out how the shadow of these men are cast, which I think is a bit of insight into where their destiny lies and where their authority will come/come from. We see one shadow cast by the light of men (Tyrion), one by sorcery (Stannis), and one by the light of the moon (Jon).***

Shadows and the inner self

Now, she is my favorite Red Priestess too, but is not the dark itself a shadow? The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows. Well that would be the Sun IMO ;)

But, getting serious now, that quote, "The brightest flame casts the darkest shadows" could easily be taken as a reference to AA casting down the forces of the night, as almost anything that comes out of her red lips can be such a reference. Now, getting back to the individual shadows Wolfmaid presents to us...

Stannis - I'm often surprised by how many people are on the Stannis bandwagon. No other kinslayer seemed less justified in their actions. Renly offered a peach, Stannis offered the voodoo baby. These next two men cast a much happier shadow IMO.

Tyrion - I'm not one who normally takes things at face value, but I think this is one we have to take at face value. It was just a moment. Tyrion will not be king. If anything, I think this shows that for just one moment, thanks to the cast of his shadow, Tyrion stood as tall as...

Jon.

Wow, lots of stuff going on here:

1. The Moon
   
2. has kissed you
   
3. and etched your shadow
   
4. upon the Wall
   
5. twenty feet tall.
   

1. The Moon it is a dragon's egg according to Doreah:

"A trader from Qarth once told me that dragons came from the moon," blond Doreah said as she warmed a towel over the fire. Jhiqui and Irri were of an age with Dany, Dothraki girls taken as slaves when Drogo destroyed their father's khalasar. Doreah was older, almost twenty. Magister Illyrio had found her in a pleasure house in Lys.

Silvery-wet hair tumbled across her eyes as Dany turned her head, curious. "The moon?"

"He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi," the Lysene girl said. "Once there were two moons in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return."

2. has kissed you ~ kissed by fire

Ygritte was lucky. Kissed by Fire according the the free folk, right?

The wildlings seemed to think Ygritte a great beauty because of her hair; red hair was rare among the free folk, and those who had it were said to be kissed by fire, which was supposed to be lucky.

And who has kissed Jon? His mother? Sadly, I find that unlikely as she most likely died too soon to give him a loving peck. Ned? I don't think so. Cat? LOL

So, Ygritte was kissed by fire and Ygritte may have been the only person, ever! to kiss Jon. So Jon is one who was kissed by one kissed by fire. Doesn't that make him fire?

Ahh, but wait.. Did not Jon also kiss Ygritte? Yes, of course he did. And the Romantic in me (or maybe it's the 13 year old) cannot help but add this quote, whether it helps or not LOL

He had been in her half a hundred times by now, but always beneath the furs, with others all around them. He had never seen how beautiful she was. Her legs were skinny but well muscled, the hair at the juncture of her thighs a brighter red than that on her head. Does that make it even luckier? He pulled her close. "I love the smell of you," he said. "I love your red hair. I love your mouth, and the way you kiss me. I love your smile. I love your teats." He kissed them, one and then the other. "I love your skinny legs, and what's between them." He knelt to kiss her there, lightly on her mound at first, but Ygritte moved her legs apart a little, and he saw the pink inside and kissed that as well, and tasted her.

So, not only has Jon been kissed by one who was kissed by fire, but, perhaps more importantly, he kissed one who was kissed by fire. Doesn't that make him Fire?

And he thought of that fire as being lucky. There might be a parallel here with Dany and her extremely hot baths - be they fire or water - or, there might not. In any case, I think this adds an extra element to what Mel tells him:

The Moon has kissed you... (+ My Translation) = The Dragon's Egg, Fire has kissed you... and...

3. etched your shadow

etch

transitive verb [transitive means the verb must have an object, and here it is Jon's Shadow]

1: to produce (as a pattern or design) on a hard material by eating into the material's surface (as by acid or laser beam)

2: to delineate or impress clearly <scenes etched in our minds> <pain was etched on his features>

In the spirit of full disclosure I should let you all know I am a linguist by trade, and may get a bit more pleasure than is normal from parsing language LOL.

But I think this definition supports Wolfmaid's statement:

In several myths the “Shadow” is the dual complimentary part of an individual’s current nature. As a person expands their nature, and become “more enlightened”, the Shadow becomes more and more defined as it feeds off powerful emotions and desires. The Ancient Greeks believed the Shadow was a person’s soul, a consciousness housing what was perceived to be darker energy. Therefore, symbolically and metaphorically; individuals who have been illuminated, produces the darkest, densest and most profound Shadows. This couldn’t be more evident in some of our characters, the knowledge they’ve gained and shadows they cast.

I think GRRM's choice of verb in this case greatly supports this idea. The Shadow = "more enlightened" self, is being produced. And what's really cool, from a language point of view, is the subject of the verb is the Moon's Kiss. Let me further my translation:

The Dragon's Egg - Fire has kissed you - and projected your more enlightened self...

4. upon the Wall

Taking our favorite Red Priestess' word, the Wall is one of the great hinges of the world. I think this is one of her more important statements. Regardless of the mechanical engineering that went into it :P the Wall is perhaps the starkest contrast to the Iron Throne that exists. The Wall is a barrier, cold forged separation. The Iron Throne is the melting pot, unifying 7 kingdoms and countless families, clans, and heritages (the Rhoynar, the Andals, etc), and forged with fire. Let us continue the new translation:

The Dragon's Egg, Fire has kissed you, and projected your more enlightened self upon one of the great hinges of the world...

5. twenty feet tall.

Hmm. We have Giants that are 12 feet tall. WW seem to be about the same size as a man... How big are Dany's kids these days? As Wolfmaid said, "The height on a shadow is also telling, “Tall Shadows” denotes plenipotentiary authority and destiny."

The Moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the Wall twenty feet tall:

My translation:

The Dragon's Egg, Fire has kissed you Jon Snow, and projected your more enlightened self upon one of the great hinges of the world as tall as a dragon.

[King Benjen II]

Littlefinger practices Keynesian economics. He is not an anarchist.

[Harlan]

I've become compiling quotes on shadows in the text and will likely be posting lots of info over the next few days. this first post I will devote to descriptions of Sandor's shadow....

Clegane cast a long shadow across the hard-packed earth as his squire lowered the black helm over his head.

A shadow fell across his face. He turned to find Clegane looming overhead like a cliff. His soot-dark armor seemed to blot out the sun. He had lowered the visor on his helm.

“I’ll tell you what it was, girl,” he said, a voice from the night, a shadow leaning so close now that she could smell the sour stench of wine on his breath.

“No.” A shadow detached itself from the shadow of the wall, to become a tall man in dark grey armor. Sandor Clegane wrenched off his helm with both hands and let it fall to the ground.

...and now I give you the shadows in Bran's dream....

There were shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood.

....Unfortunately, I don't believe an analysis of sandor's shadows was particularly helpful in identifying the first shadow in Bran's vision. It did allow me to find the description of Sandor's armor as "soot-dark" which seems fairly close to "dark as ash." In any case, I can think of no good alternatives to the theory, so I'm going to say that shadow 1 = Sandor Clegane.

I now leave you with one final quote along with the knowledge that every single direwolf, with the exception of Lady, has been called a shadow at least once. At the very least, those shadows can kill.....

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.”

....Make of it all what you will....