red comet in ACOK who got it right

[Pod The Rod]

Brynden Blackfish.

"That thing's not Lannister crimson, child. Nor is it Tully red, the mud red of the river. That's blood up there, Cat, smeared across the sky."

[jon rhaegar stark]

Brynden Blackfish.

"That thing's not Lannister crimson, child. Nor is it Tully red, the mud red of the river. That's blood up there, Cat, smeared across the sky."

thank you i missed that one too ...

and i think its wise to put what Brynden says in the league with Osha and others who have said "Blood and fire"

[Consigliere]

Old Nan knows all. ;)

The comet heralded the coming of dragons (literal ones).

[Mithras]

And yet… old as he was, Cressen had never seen a comet half so bright, nor yet that color, that terrible color, the color of blood and flame and sunsets.

The comet was splendid and scary all at once. “The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade still red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel, and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head. Yoren had made her look away when it happened, yet it seemed to her that the comet looked like Ice must have, after.

“I’ve heard servants calling it the Dragon’s Tail.”

“In the streets, they call it the Red Messenger,” Varys said. “They say it comes as a herald before a king, to warn of fire and blood to follow.”

“Blood and fire, boy, and nothing sweet.”

“It is the sword that slays the season,”

“Dragons,” she said, lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it. “It be dragons, boy,” she insisted.

“The Greatjon told Robb that the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance for Ned. Edmure thinks it’s an omen of victory for Riverrun—he sees a fish with a long tail, in the Tully colors, red against blue.” She sighed. “I wish I had their faith. Crimson is a Lannister color.”

“That thing’s not crimson,” Ser Brynden said. “Nor Tully red, the mud red of the river. That’s blood up there, child, smeared across the sky.”

The Dothraki named the comet shierak qiya, the Bleeding Star.

“The colors are strange,” he commented as he turned the blade in the sunlight. Most Valyrian steel was a grey so dark it looked almost black, as was true here as well. But blended into the folds was a red as deep as the grey. The two colors lapped over one another without ever touching, each ripple distinct, like waves of night and blood upon some steely shore. “How did you get this patterning? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor I, my lord,” said the armorer. “I confess, these colors were not what I intended, and I do not know that I could duplicate them. Your lord father had asked for the crimson of your House, and it was that color I set out to infuse into the metal. But Valyrian steel is stubborn. These old swords remember, it is said, and they do not change easily. I worked half a hundred spells and brightened the red time and time again, but always the color would darken, as if the blade was drinking the sun from it. And some folds would not take the red at all, as you can see.”

Tyrion put down Joffrey’s sword and took up the other. If not twins, the two were at least close cousins. This one was thicker and heavier, a half-inch wider and three inches longer, but they shared the same fine clean lines and the same distinctive color, the ripples of blood and night. Three fullers, deeply incised, ran down the second blade from hilt to point; the king’s sword had only two. Joff’s hilt was a good deal more ornate, the arms of its crossguard done as lions’ paws with ruby claws unsheathed, but both swords had grips of finely tooled red leather and gold lions’ heads for pommels.

“Magnificent.” Even in hands as unskilled as Tyrion’s, the blade felt alive. “I have never felt better balance.”

I think Ned’s beheading by Ice had a magical consequence which triggered the Red Comet. If we bring together different accounts, the comet is Targaryen Red. Arya's account and Gendry calling it the Red Sword is very interesting. I think when Ice was joined with Ned's blood, the metal of Oathkeeper was created, which was announced by the Red Comet. Tobho tried to create the crimson of the Lannisters but the blade refused to show that, instead it turned out to be Targaryen red. Just like Cat mistook the comet for the crimson of the Lannisters but Blackfish corrected her and said that the color of the comet is blood (Targaryen Red).

Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. “Life is not a song, sweetling,” he’d told her. “You may learn that one day to your sorrow.”

There is a hero and he has a song. He is the prince that was promised, his is the song of ice and fire.

When she slid Oathkeeper from the ornate scabbard, Brienne’s breath caught in her throat. Black and red the ripples ran, deep within the steel. Valyrian steel, spell-forged. It was a sword fit for a hero. When she was small, her nurse had filled her ears with tales of valor, regaling her with the noble exploits of Ser Galladon of Morne, Florian the Fool, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, and other champions. Each man bore a famous sword, and surely Oathkeeper belonged in their company, even if she herself did not.

Black and Red are the colors of Targaryens. Jon and Robb used to take the names of the legendary heroes while they were training together. I think Jon’s ultimate sword is Oathkeeper. He may have the scabbard reworked and get rid of the lions to have dragons with ruby eyes. I don’t think he would give a new name to the sword just like he kept the name of the Longclaw.

[jon rhaegar stark]

And yet… old as he was, Cressen had never seen a comet half so bright, nor yet that color, that terrible color, the color of blood and flame and sunsets.

The comet was splendid and scary all at once. “The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade still red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel, and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head. Yoren had made her look away when it happened, yet it seemed to her that the comet looked like Ice must have, after.

“I’ve heard servants calling it the Dragon’s Tail.”

“In the streets, they call it the Red Messenger,” Varys said. “They say it comes as a herald before a king, to warn of fire and blood to follow.”

“Blood and fire, boy, and nothing sweet.”

“It is the sword that slays the season,”

“Dragons,” she said, lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it. “It be dragons, boy,” she insisted.

“The Greatjon told Robb that the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance for Ned. Edmure thinks it’s an omen of victory for Riverrun—he sees a fish with a long tail, in the Tully colors, red against blue.” She sighed. “I wish I had their faith. Crimson is a Lannister color.”

“That thing’s not crimson,” Ser Brynden said. “Nor Tully red, the mud red of the river. That’s blood up there, child, smeared across the sky.”

The Dothraki named the comet shierak qiya, the Bleeding Star.

“The colors are strange,” he commented as he turned the blade in the sunlight. Most Valyrian steel was a grey so dark it looked almost black, as was true here as well. But blended into the folds was a red as deep as the grey. The two colors lapped over one another without ever touching, each ripple distinct, like waves of night and blood upon some steely shore. “How did you get this patterning? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor I, my lord,” said the armorer. “I confess, these colors were not what I intended, and I do not know that I could duplicate them. Your lord father had asked for the crimson of your House, and it was that color I set out to infuse into the metal. But Valyrian steel is stubborn. These old swords remember, it is said, and they do not change easily. I worked half a hundred spells and brightened the red time and time again, but always the color would darken, as if the blade was drinking the sun from it. And some folds would not take the red at all, as you can see.”

Tyrion put down Joffrey’s sword and took up the other. If not twins, the two were at least close cousins. This one was thicker and heavier, a half-inch wider and three inches longer, but they shared the same fine clean lines and the same distinctive color, the ripples of blood and night. Three fullers, deeply incised, ran down the second blade from hilt to point; the king’s sword had only two. Joff’s hilt was a good deal more ornate, the arms of its crossguard done as lions’ paws with ruby claws unsheathed, but both swords had grips of finely tooled red leather and gold lions’ heads for pommels.

“Magnificent.” Even in hands as unskilled as Tyrion’s, the blade felt alive. “I have never felt better balance.”

I think Ned’s beheading by Ice had a magical consequence which triggered the Red Comet. If we bring together different accounts, the comet is Targaryen Red. Arya's account and Gendry calling it the Red Sword is very interesting. I think when Ice was joined with Ned's blood, the metal of Oathkeeper was created, which was announced by the Red Comet. Tobho tried to create the crimson of the Lannisters but the blade refused to show that, instead it turned out to be Targaryen red. Just like Cat mistook the comet for the crimson of the Lannisters but Blackfish corrected her and said that the color of the comet is blood (Targaryen Red).

Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. “Life is not a song, sweetling,” he’d told her. “You may learn that one day to your sorrow.”

There is a hero and he has a song. He is the prince that was promised, his is the song of ice and fire.

When she slid Oathkeeper from the ornate scabbard, Brienne’s breath caught in her throat. Black and red the ripples ran, deep within the steel. Valyrian steel, spell-forged. It was a sword fit for a hero. When she was small, her nurse had filled her ears with tales of valor, regaling her with the noble exploits of Ser Galladon of Morne, Florian the Fool, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, and other champions. Each man bore a famous sword, and surely Oathkeeper belonged in their company, even if she herself did not.

Black and Red are the colors of Targaryens. Jon and Robb used to take the names of the legendary heroes while they were training together. I think Jon’s ultimate sword is Oathkeeper. He may have the scabbard reworked and get rid of the lions to have dragons with ruby eyes. I don’t think he would give a new name to the sword just like he kept the name of the Longclaw.

interesting read and as always good points ...but i dont see oathkeeper coming to him maybe i can be wrong but i guess we will see what sword he gets when the time comes

[Snow Dottir]

Old Nan got it right, she smelt the dragons!!!

:agree: My thoughts exactly.

[Ulthosian Stark]

And yet… old as he was, Cressen had never seen a comet half so bright, nor yet that color, that terrible color, the color of blood and flame and sunsets.

The comet was splendid and scary all at once. “The Red Sword,” the Bull named it; he claimed it looked like a sword, the blade still red-hot from the forge. When Arya squinted the right way she could see the sword too, only it wasn’t a new sword, it was Ice, her father’s greatsword, all ripply Valyrian steel, and the red was Lord Eddard’s blood on the blade after Ser Ilyn the King’s Justice had cut off his head. Yoren had made her look away when it happened, yet it seemed to her that the comet looked like Ice must have, after.

“I’ve heard servants calling it the Dragon’s Tail.”

“In the streets, they call it the Red Messenger,” Varys said. “They say it comes as a herald before a king, to warn of fire and blood to follow.”

“Blood and fire, boy, and nothing sweet.”

“It is the sword that slays the season,”

“Dragons,” she said, lifting her head and sniffing. She was near blind and could not see the comet, yet she claimed she could smell it. “It be dragons, boy,” she insisted.

“The Greatjon told Robb that the old gods have unfurled a red flag of vengeance for Ned. Edmure thinks it’s an omen of victory for Riverrun—he sees a fish with a long tail, in the Tully colors, red against blue.” She sighed. “I wish I had their faith. Crimson is a Lannister color.”

“That thing’s not crimson,” Ser Brynden said. “Nor Tully red, the mud red of the river. That’s blood up there, child, smeared across the sky.”

The Dothraki named the comet shierak qiya, the Bleeding Star.

“The colors are strange,” he commented as he turned the blade in the sunlight. Most Valyrian steel was a grey so dark it looked almost black, as was true here as well. But blended into the folds was a red as deep as the grey. The two colors lapped over one another without ever touching, each ripple distinct, like waves of night and blood upon some steely shore. “How did you get this patterning? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Nor I, my lord,” said the armorer. “I confess, these colors were not what I intended, and I do not know that I could duplicate them. Your lord father had asked for the crimson of your House, and it was that color I set out to infuse into the metal. But Valyrian steel is stubborn. These old swords remember, it is said, and they do not change easily. I worked half a hundred spells and brightened the red time and time again, but always the color would darken, as if the blade was drinking the sun from it. And some folds would not take the red at all, as you can see.”

Tyrion put down Joffrey’s sword and took up the other. If not twins, the two were at least close cousins. This one was thicker and heavier, a half-inch wider and three inches longer, but they shared the same fine clean lines and the same distinctive color, the ripples of blood and night. Three fullers, deeply incised, ran down the second blade from hilt to point; the king’s sword had only two. Joff’s hilt was a good deal more ornate, the arms of its crossguard done as lions’ paws with ruby claws unsheathed, but both swords had grips of finely tooled red leather and gold lions’ heads for pommels.

“Magnificent.” Even in hands as unskilled as Tyrion’s, the blade felt alive. “I have never felt better balance.”

I think Ned’s beheading by Ice had a magical consequence which triggered the Red Comet. If we bring together different accounts, the comet is Targaryen Red. Arya's account and Gendry calling it the Red Sword is very interesting. I think when Ice was joined with Ned's blood, the metal of Oathkeeper was created, which was announced by the Red Comet. Tobho tried to create the crimson of the Lannisters but the blade refused to show that, instead it turned out to be Targaryen red. Just like Cat mistook the comet for the crimson of the Lannisters but Blackfish corrected her and said that the color of the comet is blood (Targaryen Red).

Sansa stared hard at his ugly face, remembering how he had thrown down her father for Ser Ilyn to behead, wishing she could hurt him, wishing that some hero would throw him down and cut off his head. But a voice inside her whispered, There are no heroes, and she remembered what Lord Petyr had said to her, here in this very hall. “Life is not a song, sweetling,” he’d told her. “You may learn that one day to your sorrow.”

There is a hero and he has a song. He is the prince that was promised, his is the song of ice and fire.

When she slid Oathkeeper from the ornate scabbard, Brienne’s breath caught in her throat. Black and red the ripples ran, deep within the steel. Valyrian steel, spell-forged. It was a sword fit for a hero. When she was small, her nurse had filled her ears with tales of valor, regaling her with the noble exploits of Ser Galladon of Morne, Florian the Fool, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, and other champions. Each man bore a famous sword, and surely Oathkeeper belonged in their company, even if she herself did not.

Black and Red are the colors of Targaryens. Jon and Robb used to take the names of the legendary heroes while they were training together. I think Jon’s ultimate sword is Oathkeeper. He may have the scabbard reworked and get rid of the lions to have dragons with ruby eyes. I don’t think he would give a new name to the sword just like he kept the name of the Longclaw.

This. I felt it had something to do with Neds beheading. I'm gonna go a bit further with this.

1st action of Eddard was to execute a deserter, afterward he would wipe Ice down with a presumably wet rag from the pond in front of the heart tree (lightbringer was tempered in water), then it could have been used on a wolf , Lady (tempered in a lion), then it killed someone it loved (Ned) *they remember*.

Then it was reforged into Oathkeeper and was sent on a walkabout with Brienne, I feel checking with the last surviving sibling/cousin of the girls she was sworn to keep safe to see if he had info would be a good idea, and why would Brienne *not* give him the sword made of his "fathers" steel. It'd be cool if longclaw got to Jorah somehow, or Jon can just dual wield [emoji48]

This could have been bloodravens plan all along somehow, Bran is just his Eye in the Sky/Tree. I wouldn't doubt it after learning LF and Lysa were behind so much.

(The mental image of him chopping up WWs, wights, Frey's and Bolton's with them both at the same time is pretty badass)

[The Kinkslayer]

sorry but it was from the chapter in ACoK only he sees that ...its exact appearence is first known through Danny's chapters

Luwin sees a comet in the morning sky in AGOT, in ACOK he only says that the wolves are howling to the comet.

Everybody is forgeting what Hodor said about the comet, and let me tell you that he wasn't wrong.. in the sense that every character just sees what they want to see, just as in the case of all the princes who were promised.

[Hand to King Davos]

It meant dragons were back.

Comet unlike any seen for hundreds of years appears, dragons appear for the first time in a hundred years, within an hour of each other, directly correlated by a person whose fate is intimately related to ancient prophecies about stone dragons and bleeding stars... And it's a coincidence? Sorry, not buying it.

[Bryanfury]

It's not being sold. Comet pre-empted the dragons. Had dragons not been born, comet still exists in the sky. No causation to be had. Deal with it.

[TheHouseHB]

It was a foreshadow of how the series is going to end. The comet will come back and destroy westeros and kill all the characters except Bran.

[Hand to King Davos]

It's not being sold. Comet pre-empted the dragons. Had dragons not been born, comet still exists in the sky. No causation to be had. Deal with it.

I am not saying the comet caused anything. Dany had already decided to hatch the dragons. It was happening regardless of what the comet did. So to signify to the rest of the world that the dragons are back, the comet appears. They were already being hatched. Same as ESPN reporting that Lebron is going to sign with Cleveland before it happens. Because they already know that it will.

ETA: sorry, lifelong Cleveland fan here, had to get in a Lebron reference. Go Cavs! Now back to the originally scheduled thread.

[Skoboe]

I remember once reading a book (or more correctly, having it read to me - I was 6) about a comet that appeared out of the sun, and grew larger and larger every day...turned out to be a dragon heading towards Earth.

Not much to do with the OP but it just jogged a nostalgic memory :)

[Winterfell is Burning]

The comet means nothing and that's the point: people will interpret information as they want to or deem fit. The point was that the comet doesn't signify anything unless you want it to.

Yes, exactly. The comet means nothing, it's just that every idiot will attribute to it the meaning he or she wants and use it as a sign either for whatever they want in life or whatever their religions and superstitions indicate.

It also shows how religion works: natural phenomena are attributed to the work of Gods, either as a reward, a sign, an ill omen, or a punishment, when we all know there's nothing to do with that.

It's not being sold. Comet pre-empted the dragons. Had dragons not been born, comet still exists in the sky. No causation to be had. Deal with it.

Yep.

Do people really think a ball of dust, rock and frozen gases will appear in outer space because a dragon was born? If you really believe that, there's a bridge I'd like to sell you, because you fall easily into anything...

[Hodor's Dragon]

Do people really think a ball of dust, rock and frozen gases will appear in outer space because a dragon was born? If you really believe that, there's a bridge I'd like to sell you, because you fall easily into anything...

Don't be silly, we're reading a fantasy novel.

Obviously, Martin does a good job of showing how everybody with a cause of any sort latches on to the comet and describes in detail how it portends the success of whatever it is they're pulling for. It's pretty amusing.

However, it's also clear enough to the readers - or should be, anyway - that the comet first shows up when the character whose story arc is most marked by dreams, visions and miracles is about to make the most crucial decision of her story, and she uses it go guide her. No matter how the others spin it, it's Dany's comet and it means dragons, fire and blood.

[jon rhaegar stark]

Don't be silly, we're reading a fantasy novel.

Obviously, Martin does a good job of showing how everybody with a cause of any sort latches on to the comet and describes in detail how it portends the success of whatever it is they're pulling for. It's pretty amusing.

However, it's also clear enough to the readers - or should be, anyway - that the comet first shows up when the character whose story arc is most marked by dreams, visions and miracles is about to make the most crucial decision of her story, and she uses it go guide her. No matter how the others spin it, it's Dany's comet and it means dragons, fire and blood.

this i agree

Luwin sees a comet in the morning sky in AGOT, in ACOK he only says that the wolves are howling to the comet.

Everybody is forgeting what Hodor said about the comet, and let me tell you that he wasn't wrong.. in the sense that every character just sees what they want to see, just as in the case of all the princes who were promised.

can you provide that quote because i cant find it

[Cubicz]

Brynden Blackfish.

"That thing's not Lannister crimson, child. Nor is it Tully red, the mud red of the river. That's blood up there, Cat, smeared across the sky."

Couple that quote with "Eddard!" she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death." and you have blood (red comet) in the sky at the Tower of Joy. Proof of AAR / TPtwP?

[Malchyor]

Doubt it's singularly about Dragons, but about the return of magic in general. Rise of the Others, Dragons and the return of magic to the candles in Old Town, more and more visions and rebirth via the Red Priests, etc.... It's just a general awakening, which will be at its height very soon, as the awakening is recognized and exploited by those with knowledge, and then it'll diminish over time again, as that comet stretches out in it's furthest arc away from the planet.

[Whitering]

Comet, lose one stability, that's all it means.

Well, let's look, everyone was doing something they would have done anyways, or used the comet as justification for something they wanted to do, except Dany. I mean, Dany would have burned Mirri and Drogo anyway, but she's the only person who got anything out of these events that was extraordinary in some way. Dragons were reborn. If death paid for life then where were the Dragons at Summerhall? Lots of people died that day, nothing was born.

The major difference seems to the comet, Dany is not a sorceress, she doesn't do these things expecting to raise the Dragons, she laid them in there as a gift for Drogo. During the fire she either goes crazy or receives divine revelation and walks into the fire, and gets Dragons. To me, it's clear that the comet and maybe the sacrifices, or maybe just the heat of the fire = Dragons. The comet and one or both of those other factors were necessary. The spectacular timing of the two events leads me to believe that within the books, R'hllor is real.

[jon rhaegar stark]

Comet, lose one stability, that's all it means.

Well, let's look, everyone was doing something they would have done anyways, or used the comet as justification for something they wanted to do, except Dany. I mean, Dany would have burned Mirri and Drogo anyway, but she's the only person who got anything out of these events that was extraordinary in some way. Dragons were reborn. If death paid for life then where were the Dragons at Summerhall? Lots of people died that day, nothing was born.

The major difference seems to the comet, Dany is not a sorceress, she doesn't do these things expecting to raise the Dragons, she laid them in there as a gift for Drogo. During the fire she either goes crazy or receives divine revelation and walks into the fire, and gets Dragons. To me, it's clear that the comet and maybe the sacrifices, or maybe just the heat of the fire = Dragons. The comet and one or both of those other factors were necessary. The spectacular timing of the two events leads me to believe that within the books, R'hllor is real.

Danny learns from MMD and she thinks this the only way she can hatch dragons

A life in return to another