Why would Benjen Stark join the Nights Watch?

[Jay21]

I dont think that a lot of Northerners become masters and there is no clergy for the old gods. What else is a third son to do? Though the idea that it related to the NW recruiter at Harrenhal and R and L's trist is interesting as well. Perhaps he didn't want to take part in a war that to some degree could have been between his brother and his sister.

[Toccs]

There's a long history of young Stark boys taking the Black. Jon is the fifth youngest Lord Commander recorded and every one of the younger ones was a Stark or Stark bastard. Osric Stark was just 10 years old when he was elected Lord Commander, so Benjen taking the Black at a (relatively) young age isn't really that odd of a situation.

[Hoid]

Benjen "dishonored" Ashara Dayne and joined the Night's Watch in shame. Duh.

[Amoracchius]

Again, we don't actually know when Benjen took the black. All we know was that it was some time after Robert's Rebellion but before the events of the novels.

[Toccs]

All we know was that it was some time after Robert's Rebellion but before the events of the novels.

We don't know that at all. It could well have been during the Rebellion.

[OllyS]

There's a long history of young Stark boys taking the Black. Jon is the fifth youngest Lord Commander recorded and every one of the younger ones was a Stark or Stark bastard. Osric Stark was just 10 years old when he was elected Lord Commander, so Benjen taking the Black at a (relatively) young age isn't really that odd of a situation.

Wtf?

[Toccs]

Wtf?

"My lord, when I was looking through the annals I came on another boy commander. Four hundred years before the Conquest. Osric Stark was ten when he was chosen, but he served for sixty years. That's four, my lord. You're not even close to being the youngest ever chosen. You're fifth youngest, so far."

"The younger four all being sons, brothers, or bastards of the King in the North. Tell me something useful. Tell me of our enemy."

[OllyS]

"My lord, when I was looking through the annals I came on another boy commander. Four hundred years before the Conquest. Osric Stark was ten when he was chosen, but he served for sixty years. That's four, my lord. You're not even close to being the youngest ever chosen. You're fifth youngest, so far."

"The younger four all being sons, brothers, or bastards of the King in the North. Tell me something useful. Tell me of our enemy."

Wow I'd completely missed that, that's strange.

Who actually said it?

[Toccs]

Sam after he's been diggin around in the library at Castle Black. Jon (being a Stark) was clearly already aware ot it.

[King Tyrion XX]

My personal favorite is that he fathered Jon on Lyanna. However I think that Mance is Jon's father and Mance is Rhaegar.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Benjen "dishonored" Ashara Dayne and joined the Night's Watch in shame. Duh.

He was like 12 at the time. It's not impossible as Oberyn fathered Obara at that age, but I doubt is the case of Benjen, specially because Ashara was a bit out of his league.

Anyway, it's not only that there is "honour" in the NW. There is real work to do, and a very important work if you're from the North. People below the Neck doesn't really get how dangerous the situation with the wildlings is, because they don't go that far. But for many people who live above the Neck, the NW is the only thing they have to protect them, in a way. Anyone from the North could know and appreciate that the Watch really has some work to do, work the Crown don't mind nor care.

[Fuzy_gsxr1000]

My personal favorite is that he fathered Jon on Lyanna. However I think that Mance is Jon's father and Mance is Rhaegar.

Wow dude that's simply brilliant! Manse has kingly qualities no doubt. But don't they confirm that Rhaegar was killed by Jaime or whst your saying is that he escaped somehow? Either way I love it. I'm sure there are more curveballs coming in this series!!!

[King Tyrion XX]

Wow dude that's simply brilliant! Manse has kingly qualities no doubt. But don't they confirm that Rhaegar was killed by Jaime or whst your saying is that he escaped somehow? Either way I love it. I'm sure there are more curveballs coming in this series!!!

Robert not Jaime. I'm glad someone likes it :) Here's a link to the theory.

http://manceisrhaegar.blogspot.com/2014/04/asoiaf-last-of-dragons-mance-is-rhaegar.html?m=1

[Amoracchius]

We don't know that at all. It could well have been during the Rebellion.

I thought we'd been told explicitly that Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell during the Rebellion. Am I remembering wrong?

[the Dread Pirate Davos]

I have a theory (with absolutely no evidence to support it) that Benjen was sent to the wall by Ned for possibly spreading the rumor of Ashara Dayne being Jon's mother. I don't remember the exact quote, but it was something about the name Ashara Dayne was never heard in Winterfell again.

[King Tyrion XX]

I thought we'd been told explicitly that Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell during the Rebellion. Am I remembering wrong?

You are correct

[have mercedene]

I thought we'd been told explicitly that Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell during the Rebellion. Am I remembering wrong?

"During Robert's Rebellion, Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell, but once his brother Eddard returned to Winterfell shortly after the end of the Rebellion, with an heir of his own, Benjen joins the Night's Watch, for reasons unknown." <-- That's from his page on the wiki and I believe it's accurate and taken from the first book.

To add on to what Jon Con's Red Beard said, I would make a loose comparison to joining the Armed Forces. Why would anyone join the Armed Forces? It's very difficult physically and mentally and you have to sacrifice a lot, most people can't hack it. And you may have to go to war, in a strange place away from your families and the comforts of home, you may be severely injured, you may have to kill people, maybe watch your friends die, and of course, you could die as well. But people do it because protecting their country is important to them, and it outweighs the risks. I'm too chicken to join the military, or the Night's Watch. Benjen was not, and if he were a real person living in the US today, he'd probably be in the army or another military branch.

[Kikajon]

What if he discovered something on WF crypts as they put the rests of Lyanna there? Even also some vision.

That would only have added (in my mind) to "there must always be a Stark on the NW"

In any case don't Lose faith! The members of the Benjen Watch are there bumping every day for him and we'll see him again!

Definitely!

And he'll tell,us!

[Amoracchius]

"During Robert's Rebellion, Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell, but once his brother Eddard returned to Winterfell shortly after the end of the Rebellion, with an heir of his own, Benjen joins the Night's Watch, for reasons unknown." <-- That's from his page on the wiki and I believe it's accurate and taken from the first book.

To add on to what Jon Con's Red Beard said, I would make a loose comparison to joining the Armed Forces. Why would anyone join the Armed Forces? It's very difficult physically and mentally and you have to sacrifice a lot, most people can't hack it. And you may have to go to war, in a strange place away from your families and the comforts of home, you may be severely injured, you may have to kill people, maybe watch your friends die, and of course, you could die as well. But people do it because protecting their country is important to them, and it outweighs the risks. I'm too chicken to join the military, or the Night's Watch. Benjen was not, and if he were a real person living in the US today, he'd probably be in the army or another military branch.

Minor point: there are tons of errors, discrepancies, and contradictions in the wiki, so I try to avoid using it as a source and, instead, I rely on SSMs and, of course, the novels themselves.

Besides that, I'm in total agreement with your modern day military comparison. To add to it, in real life, we see plenty of American families with long military traditions. One of my friends in high school never considered a career outside of the Army because his father, and grandfather had served in the Army. It had been ingrained in him from an early age that this is what he was supposed to do, this is what his family does. Now imagine how much stronger that feeling would be within the ASOIAF universe for someone like Benjen Stark, who grew up being told that his family had, "manned the Wall for 8,000 years."

[have mercedene]

Thanks Amoracchius, I'm seeing if I can find specifically where it says that. It's going to drive me crazy.

I just saw a theory that cancels out, or somewhat cancels out, the reasons I listed earlier. This theory assumes that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, and it also assumes that Benjen helped her, by lending her armor and maybe in some other way(s). She's unhorsed by Rhaegar. If that was their first meeting and Benjen was aware of it, he may have felt responsible for the events following their meeting and joined the Watch out of guilt, shame, and grief.

I know there are mystery knight theories within the forums but I haven't seen it as a catalyst for Benjen taking the black in this thread yet. Even if Lyanna wasn't the mystery knight, she and Rhaegar could have crossed paths anytime. If she is, he was ordered by Aerys to find the mystery knight afterward. They may have already been getting busy before the last joust at the Tourney at Harrenhal (which was at least five days long), and Benjen knew about it. Or they had somehow met up post-tourney in the year before the alleged abduction, and Benjen knew about that and kept it a secret for Lyanna. Either way, if Benjen knew there was something going on with R & L before the rebellion and its consequences and didn't tell anyone, he probably would have felt at least a little bad about it. If he felt like he could never look Ned in the eye again after that, the Wall would have been a great place to go to run away from the shame. A far cry from the whole honor thing, but I think it would make sense.

One more thing to add: Benjen could be a warg. Since wargs are looked at funny, he might have then fled to the Wall. And then he dies and wargs into a wight and becomes Coldhands (which would make me happy because I want CH to be Benjen. :) )