Hoster Tully's mother

[TheKingWhoNeverWas]

"I have an uncle Brynden," Bran said. "He’s my mother’s uncle, really. Brynden Blackfish, he’s called."

“Your uncle may have been named for me. Some are, still. Not so many as before. Men forget.”

These are Bloodraven's word, said as a response to Bran bringing up the Blackfish's name (same as Bloodraven's - Brynden). This got me thinking - why would someone be named after one of Westeros's worst tyrants? People, at least at his days, hated Bloodraven. He was thought, justly or unjustly, to something like a second Maegor.

We know only one group of people who sympathise him - the Blackwoods, his kins. In addition the Rivers and Tully, we know another Brynden - the son and heir of Tytos Blackwood, the current lord of Raventree Hall.

Another reason to connect between the name Brynden and the Blackwood is the similarity between it and the name Brandon - which is a common northern (and Starkish) name. The Blackwood are very close to the north - they married the Starks several times, and their religious backgroud indicates deeper connection between them to the North. Perhaps Brynden is a disturbed form of the name Brandon, brought south by the Blackwoods.

So Brynden is a Blackwoodish name, or at least a name closely connect to House Blackwood. Why would the previous Lord Tully (Hoster's father) name his son with this name?

Maybe we should look at the name Hoster - we know Hotser Tully, Hoster Blackwood (another son of Tytos, the one that Jaime took hostage after the Blackwoods bent their knees), and Hoster Frey - who is the grandson of Lord Walder and Alyssa Blackwood.

So every single mention of the names Brynden or Hoster is connected to the Blackwoods. Maybe their mother was a Blackwood? We know knothing about their parents, but we can assume that their father married someone from his bannerman houses. If so, why not a Blackwood lady? It could explain the names.

And, it would put some Blackwood blood in Bran's veins (and his brothers and sisters). Bloodraven seems to like him, maybe because of that?

"I saw your birth, and that of your lord father before you. I saw your first step, heard your first word, was part of your first dream. I was watching when you fell. And now you are come to me at last, Brandon Stark, though the hour is late".

[House Volton]

Hi TheKingWhoNeverWas

May you have a nice time in these forum

Regarding the Blackwoods

from WoIaF

[spoiler]http://edelweiss-ass...eads-lowres.pdf[\spoiler]

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Welcome, TheKingWhoNeverWas :)

The link House Volton tried to link is this one. This is a preview of the World Book. The last page is a Stark family tree, and while that tree isn't finished, nor canon (as editing and such was still necessary when this preview was released), as can be seen here is that the Starks definitly have Blackwood ancestry, as the mother of Edwyle Stark (Edwyle is the grandfather of Eddard ;) ) was Melantha Blackwood.

That a Blackwood married into House Tully isn't so weird. After all, they are Tully bannermen.

Brynden Rivers wasn't hated, as much as he was feared. We've only seen a few years of his reign as Hand, though, so the public opinion of him might have changed later on, leading to people to name their children after him. Maegor, in any case, was much, much worse as Bloodraven ever was.

I personally doubt that the mother of Hoster and Brynden was a Blackwood.. That would probably have meant that the conversations that the Blackwoods and Brackens had regarding the Tully's a bit different. But perhaps an ancestor.. certainly possible

[Mithras]

Given that Melissa Blackwood has a statue in the godswood of Raventree Hall, I am sure that Brynden is a very favorable name among the Blackwoods. I agree that the mother of Hoster being a Blackwood is perfectly plausible.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

This got me thinking - why would someone be named after one of Westeros's worst tyrants? People, at least at his days, hated Bloodraven. He was thought, justly or unjustly, to something like a second Maegor.

He wasn't hated, but feared.

And that name was probably around before him. If he thinks people are been named after him, remember that he's also a Targaryen, with all the entitlement that involves ;)

[Bright Blue Eyes]

And that name was probably around before him. If he thinks people are been named after him, remember that he's also a Targaryen, with all the entitlement that involves ;)

It's just a slightly different prononciation of Brandon, rather in line with the typical speech patterns of the Andals (favoring y and e in male names instead of a and o like the First Men prefer to).

[Jon's Queen Consort]

These are Bloodraven's word, said as a response to Bran bringing up the Blackfish's name (same as Bloodraven's - Brynden). This got me thinking - why would someone be named after one of Westeros's worst tyrants? People, at least at his days, hated Bloodraven. He was thought, justly or unjustly, to something like a second Maegor.

He wasn't hated, but feared.

Red is right you know. He wasn't hated he was feared. People feared Aegon I but his name exists even outside the Targ family.