Mel has no slave tat

[Steelborn]

Here's what I think about Melisandre's backstory;

Her real name was Melony, she was a slave, so was her mom. She's not from Asshai. She said her tears were flames; in Volantis tears are tattoed on whores, flames are tattoed on slaves of R'hllor, one of the jobs in The Red Temple is being a temple prostitute, it makes sense if R'hllorists tattooe flame tears on their temple prostitues, it also works in the narrative way; we see the greates temple of R'hllor in the same book where we learn Melisandre was a slave? Coincidence? I think not!!

She uses glamor to hide her apperance. Glamors do not radiate heat but the ruby, ie the source of glamor, does. Mance said some nights his ruby is as warm as her kisses, and some nights it burns him, Mel radiates so much heat that she melts snow, which means her glamor is powerful, it even burns her while she was maintaining Rattleshirt's glamor at the same time.

I believe she's not (un)dead or resurrected. But I believe she's something like a fiery Bloodraven or the Undying, I mean I think she's immortal in a magical way. So far, all the immortal beings paid dear prices. The Undying and Bloodraven are no longer humans and have to sit in the same chair for years. But we know that fire magic is different, I think Moqorro and Melisandre are burned alive in order to become immortal beings, it also explains why Moqorro is unnaturally black and Mel hides her true form, because she's black in an impossible way. They don't need to drink, eat or sleep.

Yeah.

Wow good points. I've already thought about the burning alive thing or dying to become a great priest, well, she always mentions how she had to suffer to know all the things she knows.

[Lady Flandrensis]

Mel is not what she seems to be or who she says she is. I want to know.

:agree: It's got me screamin'.

[Faint]

And the only other characters that don't eat or sleep like normal people are Beric, Lady Stoneheart and, I'm guessing here, Robert Strong -- all of whom are technically dead.

And Coldhands. But you got my point regardless.

[John Suburbs]

Uh Ok. I thought it was my point, but, whatever.

[Victarion Chainbreaker]

Mel obviously has something else going on as far as her old age, lack of eating, lack of sleeping, body heat, etc, but that doesn't mean she doesn't use a glamour for her appearance.

[Danelle]

Mel isn't from Asshai, from her POV...

That was a lesson Melisandre had learned long before Asshai

Melony isn't from Asshai, Melisandre is.

At some point, she even refers to herself, as Melisandre of Asshai.

Melisandre of Asshai did not fear for herself.

Asshai is the place where she became Melisandre.

So far, tattoos appear to be associated with the slaves in Volantis, but we don't really know whether other cities follow that practice.

But seriously, I´ve speculated that she wears the poor girl Melony´s body similar to how Arya wore the Ugly Girl´s face. I´m not sure that I like this idea any longer though.

I think that this is quite intriguing.

WOW spoiler

Have you read the Mercy chapter from WOW?

In that chapter Arya has a different face, that of a girl named Mercedene, also known as Mercy. Arya as the Ugly Little Girl, could dream of the girl's abuse. The reader actually sees the process required for Arya to get a new face. The Mercy chapter begins, after Arya had been given the new face, and she has spent a time with others, acting and thinking as Mercy. We are given details about Mercy, that she has a pretty smile, was graceful, she would even sleep through her own rape, she was obedient, and was made for smiling and joking. Are you suggesting that Melisandre is a personna created by the Red priests and a Melony a slave girl, ordered to be Melisandre?

[Talking Hodor]

Oh she has tats, you just can't see them when she's clothed.

[SeanF]

Melisandre has none of the infirmities of old age, so I think she's either prolonged her life, and youthfulness, by magical means, or else she's died and been resurrected. She may glamour her appearance to an extent, but she's not an old crone.

The fact that she bleeds, experiences pain, and requires at least a small amount of sleep, points to her never having died, in my view, rather than her being a wight. But, there's not much humanity left in her. She's as close to being a wight as any living person can be.

[Mithras]

Melisandre has none of the infirmities of old age, so I think she's either prolonged her life, and youthfulness, by magical means, or else she's died and been resurrected. She may glamour her appearance to an extent, but she's not an old crone.

The fact that she bleeds, experiences pain, and requires at least a small amount of sleep, points to her never having died, in my view, rather than her being a wight. But, there's not much humanity left in her. She's as close to being a wight as any living person can be.

On the contrary, it shows that she didnot die enough. Beric was bleeding too in his nth incarnation. Besides, Mel bled black blood. The amount of her memory suppression suggests that she was resurrected quite a lot.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

So far, tattoos appear to be associated with the slaves in Volantis, but we don't really know whether other cities follow that practice.

Actually, we know that they don't. Not in Slavers Bay, nor in Lys and the other slaveholding Free Cities. Only in Volantis.

[Faint]

As to the matter of whether Melisandre glamours herself to go along with whatever it is that keeps her young and alive, I suppose that is possible but what exactly is the evidence for it? Her only real distinct physical feature that is not normal is the color of her eyes, but that could just as easily be an effect of the same thing that keeps her young or even something more mundane, like contacts of some sort. Even her red hair, if not natural, is most likely dyed. There is really no need to use magic for something like that.

[John Suburbs]

Melisandre has none of the infirmities of old age, so I think she's either prolonged her life, and youthfulness, by magical means, or else she's died and been resurrected. She may glamour her appearance to an extent, but she's not an old crone.

The fact that she bleeds, experiences pain, and requires at least a small amount of sleep, points to her never having died, in my view, rather than her being a wight. But, there's not much humanity left in her. She's as close to being a wight as any living person can be.

I'm trying to recall any time that Mel was hurt or bled, but I can't think of any. I think she said something about her amulet getting hot once, but are there any other examples?

[SeanF]

I'm trying to recall any time that Mel was hurt or bled, but I can't think of any. I think she said something about her amulet getting hot once, but are there any other examples?

She bleeds while studying her fires. She comments internally that sorcery is very painful for her.

[yolkboy]

I'm trying to recall any time that Mel was hurt or bled, but I can't think of any. I think she said something about her amulet getting hot once, but are there any other examples?

Mel bleeds twice...

cok, shadowbaby

Panting, she squatted and spread her legs. Blood ran down her thighs, black as ink. Her cry might have been agony or ecstasy or both.

DwD, Flame reading

The red priestess shuddered. Blood trickled down her thigh, black and smoking. The fire was inside her, an agony, an ecstasy, filling her, searing her, transforming her. Shimmers of heat traced patterns on her skin, insistent as a lover’s hand. Strange voices called to her from days long past. “Melony,” she heard a woman cry. A man’s voice called, “Lot Seven.” She was weeping, and her tears were flame. And still she drank it in.

[ForgottenKnight]

Good catch. I will now be very suspicious on my next reread. Does anyone else feel as if there are way too many possible secrets to keep up with?

[Faint]

That's what makes the claims that she is under a glamour even more nonsensical. When Davos is seeing her give birth, bleeding out black blood, is she under a glamour then?

[Snow Dottir]

. In the Mel POV chapter she is def physically affected when bloodraven sees her, making her bleed. Like she says a gift requires a sacrifice & her glamours/spells cost in pain etc. Bloodraven works through dreams--that's when he gets at Bran & that's how the great other can get at you. That's why Mel dislikes falling asleep. Also because she dreams of Melony & lot 7, before she was anointed by R'hlor. Slave tat or no she is not exactly as she appears.

Yes.

I've always felt this too. She has to rely on trixy methods for alot of things. It would be important for her to maintain her sexiness, It could be way more than simply a glamor...I'm not talking switching skin or changing bodies but if there is a way for her to magic herself to be forever hot she's doing it IMO. can't wait to find out for sure.

There's no way to convince me she can't be older than she appears just because she's physically up to task...The B*tch has crazy magic, again, if it's possible she's doing it.

[Snow Dottir]

That's what makes the claims that she is under a glamour even more nonsensical. When Davos is seeing her give birth, bleeding out black blood, is she under a glamour then?

Bleeding out black blood isn't exactly the pentacle of health and youthfulness. I'd say if she can birth adult size shadow monsters, maintaining youth and beauty wouldn't be such a stretch. That's just my opinion, could be totally wrong.

It doesn't have to be a glamor, could be anything...a pact, spells, powders, really expensive make up like sephora or somthing (just kidding)

[John Suburbs]

All of her bleeding and her pain, then, came as the result of some magical experience? Has she ever been cut by a simple knife or stubbed a toe?