The "Winged Wolf" A Bran Stark Re-read Project - Part II ASOS & ADWD

[MoIaF]

Bran, Skinchanging Hodor and the Deconstruction of Destiny of ASOIAF

snip

SOOGM thank you for a very insightful essay.

I was recently commenting on the morality of wargining on a thread. We are introduced to the Starks as the heroes of the story and therefore we sympathize with what has befallen them. When we look at their wargining we have the initial expectation that it can't be a bad things because the Starks are heroes. However, as you noted the more we look into it the more we see that it's not a good thing and we should be weary of these powers. The skinchanging abilities seem very similar to what the Others do to control the Wights.

As for Bran's understanding of this, I really like your commentary and research in a child's ability to process their actions and the context in which they seem them. We forget how young he is and that his mind hasn't developed yet. Of course that's not to say that he's not doing something wrong and that he knows it's wrong. The interesting part is why he thinks it's wrong which can be different then why its' really wrong.

I also wonder if the Children and BR know of Bran's skinchanging of Hodor and as you have shown, they probably do know he is doing it, however, this is probably a case of justifying the means in order to have Bran explore and expand his power. Whatever is coming they need to train Bran as quickly as possible and so therefore have elected to turn a blind eye to his actions. This, however, still doesn't make it right.

The comparison with V6S is also of interest because here we have another very strong skinchanger who already had as a child dubious morality and grew to become completely corrupted by his own power.

[BearQueen87]

Coldhands, Wights and Ravens

Very nice job Queen Alysanne!

This chapter is almost the opposite of Bran’s previous chapters. Whiles Bran is trying to get North of the Wall this chapter focuses on Sam and Gilly trying to get South of the Wall.

That's pretty interesting isn't it? There is a general theme that ran through AGOT which is that bad things come from the south and going south never leads to anything good. Just ask Ned Stark. But after AGOT, I think we begin to see that nowhere is safe. There is no direction on a compass that will get you to safety. Going North is ideal for Bran and co because they need to find the 3EC in order for Bran to fly. But, on the other hand, going South is better for Sam and Gilly because they've been to the Far North and it's a nightmare hellscape. On the other side of Planetos, Daenerys's first venture east toward Qarth almost kills her khalasaar and then she stumbles into Warlocks who want to steal her dragons and eat her. Yikes! But moving west to Slaver's Bay, and in the far West, Westeros itself, leads to war, famine, plague, and her losing (or chaining) her identity. There is no "safe" on Plantoes anymore. Even WF, the great keep that always seemed like it was the safest place in Westeros is burnt and taken over.

All of it stresses that danger and death are all around and there really is no fleeing from it.

We also notice that after Sam kills the wight, his blue eyes disappear, which probably means it is related to ice magic of some kind.

The way the killing of Paul is described, it's as if the wight is melting. As if he has become a creature mostly made up of ice and snow and that's why fire harms them the way it does. Same with Jon way back in AGOT. The Others then are something more than the wights. Ice magic, to be sure, but something...else?

So looking at both this chapter and the first we can see that, the blue eyes appear as soon as the wight is raised from the dead and disappears once it is killed. So the blue eye probably represents the lifeforce the wight is living off of at the momen

Not much to add, just want to say that blue is such an "alive" color that I always thought it was interesting that GRRM chose it for the basically "dead" eyes of his Others and wights. The wights and Others having dead white eyes would make sense but the blue is interesting.

He heard the dark red leaves of the weirwood rustling, whispering to one another in a tongue he did not know.

We've also seen the idea of a language no one knows in the prologue for AGOT. The Others speak in some sort of tongue that we don't recognize. I believe there is something in the World Book about the COTF speaking a "nature" tongue that we don't know anymore either.

So at this moment I believe a greenseer was at work here.

Yes, I agree. Which raises a question of why would a greenseer save Sam and Gilly? Out of the goodness of his heart? We all know who the Greenseer is and that he is also the 3EC, a figure that is more enigmatic than caring. The 3EC has been telling Bran to push the memories of Jaime and what happened to him to the side because Bran "doesn't need them" for the road ahead. He's not exactly a kindly old grandfather. So does the greenseer save Sam because he's a nice guy or because he needs Sam for something?

[Jon Weirgaryen]

Excuse my barging in, I only just stumbled over the Bran re-read threads and haven't yet read it all (will do).

So does the greenseer save Sam because he's a nice guy or because he needs Sam for something?

He surely needs Sam to open the door and "ferry" Bran and his party over to the lands beyond the wall and into Coldhands' welcoming embrace, that is the short term explanation, of course.

I am not au courant with all the Samwise in Oldtown theories, but there is the one that he will learn about the nature of dragons or go seeking the book the FM is looking for. If there's truth in there, maybe Sam has been set on a collision course or otherwise. But I strongly suspect this is some big crackpot until I've learned more about it.

[BearQueen87]

Bran, Skinchanging Hodor and the Deconstruction of Destiny of ASOIAF

Fascinating! Really nicely done SOOGM.

Bran is not a morally grey character as a result because he, as a 10 year-old child, is not capable of making the same morally grey choice that an adult can. He is only being egocentric in the way that almost all children at that age are, and it is partly from that egocentricity that he makes the decision to skinchange Hodor.

I totally get where you're coming from with this. Children don't rationalize and see the world the way adults do who are much more informed because, simply, they've lived in the world longer. And, hell, often times adults can't really tell the difference between moral greys. However, I do think it bears mentioning that Bran did have an older adult male who tried very hard to inform Bran about treating others, particularly Hodor, with respect and not as an animal or toy, which is what Bran is doing. Luwin berated the two Frey boys and Bran himself in ACOK when the Frey boys ganged up on the sable boy and Bran watched. Luwin tried to impart on Bran that it was unacceptable to treat Hodor in such a way, something Bran doesn't reflect on when he is skinchanging Hodor in later chapters.

This isn't to say that Bran is thus making that morally wrong choice consciously (it's still a very egocentric thing to do, as you said), but he has had lessons in the treatment of Hodor. Bran might be consciously pushing them aside in order to pursue his own egocentric agenda, but that is also very in line with what the 3EC has been telling him all along: put aside the things that will keep you from flying (Jaime and the dreams and the less than appealing way you're treating Hodor)

Magical power is made more alluring to Bran with the same methods as it is made alluring to us, building on prior expectation. In Bran’s case, it is the songs and stories of knights such as Symeon Star-Eyes and the mystical Children of the Forest:

So long as there was magic, anything could happen. Ghosts could walk, trees could talk, and broken boys could grow up to be knights.

Maester Luwin and his skepticism is part of the “stone chain” that Jojen saw in his greendream that was holding Bran back from “flying.”

That's a very good point. It's something we as readers expect as well: magic is...magical. It should be a wonder to behold because our lives are decidedly lacking in that area. But the reality is that magic is a grave practice and it comes with a cost.

This brings up some disturbing possibilities, one of which is that both Bloodraven and the Singers know what Bran is doing, and have decided to let him do it. For what purpose exactly, I can barely fathom

For nothing good, that's for sure. I continue to believe that BR is using Bran for some purpose that might be "for the greater good" but is going to have some devastating consequences. If warging a human is an abomination (and I think the COTF would have agreed at one point with that assessment even if they recognize the usefulness of it now) but they are letting Bran continue, then it means--from a forwshadowing standpoint--that they need him to Warg another human/being at some point.

Even as of ADWD, Bran can be compelled to do exactly what he said he would never do because of his natural gentleness:

Bran wept like a little girl when the bright blood came rushing out. He had never felt more like a cripple than he did then, watching helplessly as Meera Reed and Coldhands butchered the brave beast who had carried them so far. He told himself he would not eat, that it was better to go hungry than to feast upon a friend, but in the end he’d eaten twice, once in his own skin and once in Summer’s.- Bran, ADWD

Compelled by one of the most basic forces there is...hunger. No one is not driven by that force. We all need to eat and when you're in a frozen wasteland and you haven't had any sort of real food for awhile, you'll eat whatever comes your way. The fact that he doesn't want to eat the elk speaks to his gentle nature, but the fact that he does eat--twice--shows that his basic urges win over. I don't mind his eating, that's just want humans need to do. I think it's more disturbing that he eats twice--eats more than anyone else. Summer (and just Summer) could have partook in the eating and that's great, the wolf needs food too. But the fact that Bran skinchanged him while Summer was eating, even though Bran himself does not get anything out of Summer eating except for the pleasure the wolf feels at the feast, that's rather alarming for me.

Bran’s narrative deconstructs all our positive notions about “destiny” as it exists in heroic myth by showing the cruelty that is inherit in forcing a young person, and a young child at that, to take on powers and roles that they do not want for the sake conflict and narrative. To do so is to put them in a position to make choices that they cannot appreciate the full consequences of.

Yes, the overarching theme for Bran's entire story (and likewise for Dany's and Jon's) is that destiny...sucks.

[BearQueen87]

Excuse my barging in, I only just stumbled over the Bran re-read threads and haven't yet read it all (will do).

He surely needs Sam to open the door and "ferry" Bran and his party over to the lands beyond the wall and into Coldhands' welcoming embrace, that is the short term explanation, of course.

Oh Sam is totally the ferryman. Stay tuned because in Sunday's analysis (brought to you by me) of Bran IV ASOS, I'll be talking about it.

[LongRider]

Lurker here, great work everyone! Just wanted to say a bit about Sam the question of Sam being saved by the greenseer. I think it's clear that BR is watching CB which means he's seen and is familiar with him. So a sworn brother of the NW pops up just when BR needed one. An honest reliable one too.

[BearQueen87]

Lurker here, great work everyone! Just wanted to say a bit about Sam the question of Sam being saved by the greenseer. I think it's clear that BR is watching CB which means he's seen and is familiar with him. So a sworn brother of the NW pops up just when BR needed one. An honest reliable one too.

True. I guess the real question is did BR save Sam because BR is a friend to the NW or because he knows Bran can't get out of the Nightfort without Sam's help?

[LongRider]

True. I guess the real question is did BR save Sam because BR is a friend to the NW or because he knows Bran can get out of the Nightfort without Sam's help?

Why either-or? Could be both. IIRC there ravens around when Sam killed the White Walker with the dragon glass. He works in the ravenry for Maester Aemon. As he has ravens all around him, I would have to assume BR is quite familiar with Sam and knew he could be trusted, and he was right.

[BearQueen87]

Why either-or? Could be both. IIRC there ravens around when Sam killed the White Walker with the dragon glass. He works in the ravenry for Maester Aemon. As he has ravens all around him, I would have to assume BR is quite familiar with Sam and knew he could be trusted, and he was right.

I don't think BR cares about Sam's well being. He's not saving Sam to save Sam, but because of what Sam can do for him. BR seems to be all about his end game. So I think saving Sam is more a very calculated move in order to ensure that all BR's hardwork and his plans for Bran aren't undone.

[LongRider]

I don't think BR cares about Sam's well being. He's not saving Sam to save Sam, but because of what Sam can do for him. BR seems to be all about his end game. So I think saving Sam is more a very calculated move in order to ensure that all BR's hardwork and his plans for Bran aren't undone.

I agree totally, he saved Sam for his own purposes. It just happened to a good thing for Sam, Gilly and her babe.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

Fascinating! Really nicely done SOOGM.

Thank you! Flattered that you're all enjoying my contribution the project.

Luwin tried to impart on Bran that it was unacceptable to treat Hodor in such a way, something Bran doesn't reflect on when he is skinchanging Hodor in later chapters.

I think Bran was actually trying to defend Hodor in the moment you are recalling.

I think what you're remembering is an earlier incident when Bran said he wanted "swat [Hodor] on the ear" for not wanting to go down into the crypts and Luwin reprimanded him saying that "he is a man, not a mule." Bran also, i believe, talked about jousting with Hodor, i.e. using him as a horse. The maester like you mention also has to remind him that he can't sent the Walders away, as it is not the proper behavior of a lord. In other words, while Bran shows a natural talent for ruling, he still needs an adult to guide him and remind him when he being selfish or childish.

When Bran does object to their abuse of Hodor, notably, he does in a way that directly quotes Luwin's words: "Hodor's no horse!" and he thinks a "a good lord protects the weak" (if I'm remembering that right); Luwin's role in making Bran not just a good lord but also a good person, cannot be underestimated.

Osha refers to Hodor as "Bran's legs" and as cool a character as she is, that is really not a good message to be sending.

[kissdbyfire]

Excellent posts, guys, very insightful.

I have two cents of my own…

I know there’s this whole ‘thou shalt not skinchange into a human being’ feeling on the forum. Nevertheless, I think it is precisely what may happen in Winds.

We have V6S thinking about Haggon’s lessons, and that it’s an abomination.
Same as with many other instances, there are ‘rules’ and then these rules are broken, be it for a good reason or not.

Words are wind.

And they are. You can say or swear or vow to anything, ultimately, it’s your actions that will matter, not the words you’ve said or that someone made you say.

Theon & the Old Gods

A Dance with Dragons, The Prince of Winterfell

“Above their heads the trees were full of ravens, their feathers fluffed as they hunched on bare brown branches, staring down at the pageantry below. Maester Luwin’s birds. Luwin was dead, and his maester’s tower had been put to the torch, yet the ravens lingered. This is their home. Theon wondered what that would be like, to have a home.
Then the mists parted, like the curtain opening at a mummer show to reveal some new tableau. The heart tree appeared in front of them, its bony limbs spread wide. Fallen leaves lay about the wide white trunk in drifts of red and brown. The ravens were the thickest here, muttering to one another in the murderers’ secret tongue.”
[…]
“I take this man,” the bride said in a whisper.

All around them lights glimmered through the mists, a hundred candles pale as shrouded stars. Theon stepped back, and Ramsay and his bride joined hands and knelt before the heart tree, bowing their heads in token of submission. The weirwood’s carved red eyes stared down at them, its great red mouth open as if to laugh. In the branches overhead a raven quorked.

[…]
Theon found himself wondering if he should say a prayer. Will the old gods hear me if I do? They were not his gods, had never been his gods. He was ironborn, a son of Pyke, his god was the Drowned God of the islands … but Winterfell was long leagues from the sea. It had been a lifetime since any god had heard him. He did not know who he was, or what he was, why he was still alive, why he had ever been born.

“Theon,” a voice seemed to whisper.

His head snapped up. “Who said that?” All he could see were the trees and the fog that covered them. The voice had been as faint as rustling leaves, as cold as hate. A god’s voice, or a ghost’s. How many died the day that he took Winterfell? How many more the day he lost it? The day that Theon Greyjoy died, to be reborn as Reek. Reek, Reek, it rhymes with shriek.

Suddenly he did not want to be here.

A Dance with Dragons, The Turncloak

Snow was falling on the godswood too, melting when it touched the ground. Beneath the white-cloaked trees the earth had turned to mud. Tendrils of mist hung in the air like ghostly ribbons. Why did I come here? These are not my gods. This is not my place. The heart tree stood before him, a pale giant with a carved face and leaves like bloody hands.
A thin film of ice covered the surface of the pool beneath the weirwood. Theon sank to his knees beside it. “Please,” he murmured through his broken teeth, “I never meant …” The words caught in his throat. “Save me,” he finally managed. “Give me …” What? Strength? Courage? Mercy? Snow fell around him, pale and silent, keeping its own counsel. The only sound was a faint soft sobbing. Jeyne, he thought. It is her, sobbing in her bridal bed. Who else could it be? Gods do not weep. Or do they?

The sound was too painful to endure. Theon grabbed hold of a branch and pulled himself back to his feet, knocked the snow off his legs, and limped back toward the lights. There are ghosts in Winterfell, he thought, and I am one of them.

A Dance with Dragons, A Ghost in Winterfell

Farther on, he came upon a man striding in the opposite direction, a hooded cloak flapping behind him. When they found themselves face-to-face their eyes met briefly. The man put a hand on his dagger. “Theon Turncloak. Theon Kinslayer.”

“I’m not. I never … I was ironborn.”

“False is all you were. How is it you still breathe?”

“The gods are not done with me,” Theon answered, wondering if this could be the killer, the night walker who had stuffed Yellow Dick’s cock into his mouth and pushed Roger Ryswell’s groom off the battlements. Oddly, he was not afraid.
[…]
And in the heart of the wood the weirwood waited with its knowing red eyes. Theon stopped by the edge of the pool and bowed his head before its carved red face.
[…]
The night was windless, the snow drifting straight down out of a cold black sky, yet the leaves of the heart tree were rustling his name. “Theon,” they seemed to whisper, “Theon.”

The old gods, he thought. They know me. They know my name. I was Theon of House Greyjoy. I was a ward of Eddard Stark, a friend and brother to his children. “Please.” He fell to his knees. “A sword, that’s all I ask. Let me die as Theon, not as Reek.” Tears trickled down his cheeks, impossibly warm. “I was ironborn. A son … a son of Pyke, of the islands.”

A leaf drifted down from above, brushed his brow, and landed in the pool. It floated on the water, red, five-fingered, like a bloody hand. “… Bran,” the tree murmured.

They know. The gods know. They saw what I did. And for one strange moment it seemed as if it were Bran’s face carved into the pale trunk of the weirwood, staring down at him with eyes red and wise and sad. Bran’s ghost, he thought, but that was madness. Why should Bran want to haunt him? He had been fond of the boy, had never done him any harm. It was not Bran we killed. It was not Rickon. They were only miller’s sons, from the mill by the Acorn Water. “I had to have two heads, else they would have mocked me … laughed at me … they …”

A Dance with Dragons, Theon

These whores meant to steal Ramsay’s bride; Reek could not allow that. But the old gods had known him, had called him Theon.

And from The Winds of Winter sample chapter Theon

“The heart tree knew my name. The old gods. Theon, I heard them whisper. There was no wind but the leaves were moving. Theon, they said. My name is Theon.”
[...]
Stannis Baratheon looked up at him, but did not answer. “Tree”, a raven cried. “Tree, tree, tree.”
Then the other said, “Theon”, clear as day, as Asha came striding through the door.
[…]

“Theon is my mother’s last surviving son. When his brothers died, it shattered her. His death will crush what remains of her… but I have not come to beg you for his life.”
“Wise. I am sorry for your mother, but I do not spare the lives of turncloaks. This one, especially. He slew two sons of Eddard Stark. Every northman in my service would abandon me if I showed him any clemency. Your brother must die.”
“Then do the deed yourself, Your Grace.” The chill in Asha’s voice made Theon shiver in his chains. “Take him out across the lake to the islet where the weirwood grows, and strike his head off with that sorcerous sword bear. That is how Eddard Stark would have done it. Theon slew Lord Eddard’s sons. Give him to Lord Eddard’s gods. The old gods of the north. Give him to the tree.”
And suddenly there came a wild thumping, as the maester’s ravens hopped and flapped inside their cages, their black feathers flying as they beat against the bars with loud and raucous caws. “The tree”, one squawked, “the tree, the tree”, whilst the second screamed only, “Theon, Theon, Theon.”
Theon Greyjoy smiled. They know my name, he thought.

I think BR/Bran are controlling the two ravens in the excerpt from Winds. I think they want Stannis to bring Theon in front of a weirwood but not to have him killed as a sacrifice.

What better time for Bran to reveal something, the northern clans are there, and will want to see Stannis bring Theon before the weirwood.

And something that might lessen the disgust most readers feel about the whole ‘skinchanging into another person’ thing is, I think Theon may be a willing participant, so to speak. He now feels a connection to the Old Gods, and he is desperate to atone for all he’s done.

And finally, there is, in my opinion, quite a lot of foreshadowing regarding Bran skinchanging into Theon, and thinking about how Martin seems to choose each word very carefully and deliberately, I find it hard to believe it’s all just a big coincidence.

We know that dogs are the easiest animals to skinchange into.

ADwD, Prologue

Dogs were the easiest beasts to bond with; they lived so close to men that they were almost human. Slipping into a dog’s skin was like putting on an old boot, its leather softened by wear. As a boot was shaped to accept a foot, a dog was shaped to accept a collar, even a collar no human eye could see. Wolves were harder.


And Theon is presented to us, time and again, as a dog. This point is driven home throughout Dance.

ADwD, Reek II

Lord Ramsay laughed. “You’re not a man, Reek. You’re just my creature. You’ll have your wine, though. Walder, see to it. And fear not, I won’t return you to the dungeons, you have my word as a Bolton. We’ll make a dog of you instead. Meat every day, and I’ll even leave you teeth enough to eat it. You can sleep beside my girls. Ben, do you have a collar for him?”


ADwD, Reek II

Farther back came the baggage train—lumbering wayns laden with provisions and loot taken in the war, and carts crowded with wounded men and cripples. And at the rear, more Freys. At least a thousand, maybe more: bowmen, spearmen, peasants armed with scythes and sharpened sticks, freeriders and mounted archers, and another hundred knights to stiffen them.
Collared and chained and back in rags again, Reek followed with the other dogs at Lord Ramsay’s heels when his lordship strode forth to greet his father.

[BearQueen87]

Thank you! Flattered that you're all enjoying my contribution the project.

I think Bran was actually trying to defend Hodor in the moment you are recalling.

I think what you're remembering is an earlier incident when Bran said he wanted "swat [Hodor] on the ear" for not wanting to go down into the crypts and Luwin reprimanded him saying that "he is a man, not a mule." Bran also, i believe, talked about jousting with Hodor, i.e. using him as a horse. The maester like you mention also has to remind him that he can't sent the Walders away, as it is not the proper behavior of a lord. In other words, while Bran shows a natural talent for ruling, he still needs an adult to guide him and remind him when he being selfish or childish.

When Bran does object to their abuse of Hodor, notably, he does in a way that directly quotes Luwin's words: "Hodor's no horse!" and he thinks a "a good lord protects the weak" (if I'm remembering that right); Luwin's role in making Bran not just a good lord but also a good person, cannot be underestimated.

Osha refers to Hodor as "Bran's legs" and as cool a character as she is, that is really not a good message to be sending.

There are definitely some mixed messages coming from the older people in Bran's life WRT Hodor. Luwin tells Bran that Hodor is a man but he's also the one designed the basket to put on Hodor's back to carry Bran around. Even the Reeds don't seem particularly disturbed by using Hodor as "transporter." They need to get Bran north, the only way to realistically do that is to use Hodor. A lot of that probably comes down to the fact that the Westerosi mindset is different than ours. We see Hodor being used (but not ill treated) and our 21st century mindset balks at the idea of using another human as, more or less, a horse. They all care for Hodor but they don't make a big deal out of using him and his strength for their advantage, in this case getting Bran from place to place.

[Jon Weirgaryen]

A lot of that probably comes down to the fact that the Westerosi mindset is different than ours. We see Hodor being used (but not ill treated) and our 21st century mindset balks at the idea of using another human as, more or less, a horse. They all care for Hodor but they don't make a big deal out of using him and his strength for their advantage, in this case getting Bran from place to place.

Really? I am a parent and my kids see no problem with using me as a horse. Neither do they see a problem using each other as a horse, but I do :) Just for comic relief, no substantial objection from my side.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

<I have two cents of my own…>

A very well quoted essay.

I agree that neither Bran nor the narrative is setting up Theon to function as a blood sacrifice (at least not yet; besides it's a plan spoken aloud and you know how those go in ASOIAF).

There's definitely a common thread in ASOIAF concerning prophets and suffering. You can speak to gods temporarily be inflicting suffering on others, as the sorcerer did with Varys, but only accepting suffering on your own person can become a permanent avatar of divine power and prophecy.

Bran, Damphair, Patchface, Jojen (and apparently Theon); by having their mind and bodies massively damaged and to some extent dehumanized, do their beings become able to "make room for" divine knowledge and foresight, and they receive in proportion to the degree to which they suffer.

While its outside the scope of this re-read project, I think we can safely speculate that Theon is being set up both to reenact the history of Torgon Latecomer and the myth of the Grey King (Theon's skin and hair have become notably grey).

It fits in with the Cain-and-Abel connotations of the story of the Grey King waging war on the Singers, burning their sacred grove (now known as Nagga's bones) and as punishment having the Hammer of the Waters brought down on him and taking from the Iron Islands what fertile soil they might have had, which established drowning as something of immense symbolic importance in their culture. As a consequence, the Cain (The Grey King) is cast out from the land and forced to raid and pillage to survive and CANNOT "sow." Ever since that time, the fortunes of the islands have progressively worsened, as their main livelihood dooms them to more and more violent backlashes from the "green landers."

That Theon is an almost adoptive brother to the chosen Avatar of the Old Gods is very fitting.

I believe that Theon may have a similar moment of drowning in Long Lake, and awaken from it reborn as the Grey King.

[Tijgy]

Another interesting aspect about Bran skinchanging Hodor:

The religion of the old gods doesn't have many rules. It does however forbid slavery, while actually one of the "gifts" (or curses ;-) ) of the gods make it possible to use somebody else almost like it was his own property, to use somebody against its will.

So when actually uses Hodor (or maybe even Summer, the ravens, ...) in that way, he commits a sin.

[Queen‍‍‍‍‍‍ Alysanne‍‍™]

snip

Amazing essay! :bowdown:

Just as MOIAF said, I also found it very insightful, I also agree about the part where BR and the CotF are only interested in Bran and really don't care what happens to his friends. I'll comment more on this when we meet the CotF in ADWD.

Yes, I agree. Which raises a question of why would a greenseer save Sam and Gilly? Out of the goodness of his heart? We all know who the Greenseer is and that he is also the 3EC, a figure that is more enigmatic than caring. The 3EC has been telling Bran to push the memories of Jaime and what happened to him to the side because Bran "doesn't need them" for the road ahead. He's not exactly a kindly old grandfather. So does the greenseer save Sam because he's a nice guy or because he needs Sam for something?

I think it's the latter, I think Sam (unfortunately) may have just been a pawn in the whole Coldhands dilemma.

Another interesting aspect about Bran skinchanging Hodor:

The religion of the old gods doesn't have many rules. It does however forbid slavery, while actually one of the "gifts" (or curses ;-) ) of the gods make it possible to use somebody else almost like it was his own property, to use somebody against its will.

So when actually uses Hodor (or maybe even Summer, the ravens, ...) in that way, he commits a sin.

That's an interesting contradiction. I think when the "gifts" were first given there may have been some laws put in place, without jumping ahead, when Bloodraven met Bran I think he said something about the raven accepting you before you can warg it. Perhaps there were laws like that in place but they got lost over time.

[BearQueen87]

A Storm of Swords

Bran IV

No, Bran thought, it is the Nightfort, and this is the end of the world.

Summary

Brandon Stark and his wolf Summer, companions Meera and Jojen Reed, and Hodor arrive at the Wall, home of the Night’s Watch. Specifically, they come to an abandoned keep, The Nightfort, a landmark out of many of Old Nan’s scariest story. The Nightfort is a gothic horror castle, full of unseen ghosts, eerie wind, scratches at the windows, and other familiar “ghost story” types of elements. As the Stark/Reed force explore the Nightfort, Bran treats the readers to several of Old Nan’s horror stories from his childhood, all of which center at the Nightfort. The prince and company make camp for the night in the rundown kitchen and hear something coming up from what appears to be a bottomless well; they are shocked to find that it is a brother of the Night’s Watch. Samwell Tarly, lately returned from a scouting venture beyond the Wall, with Gilly and her babe in tow, takes Bran, Jojen, Meera, Hodor and Summer down the well to a magical gate in the shape of a man’s face, called the Black Gate. After Sam has uttered the words that only he can utter as a brother of the Night’s Watch, the mouth opens allowing Bran and company to move beyond the world they grew up in, now in the company of Coldhands, and begin their journey even further north, forever in search of the Three Eyed Crow.

Observations

1. This chapter takes place after the Red Wedding. Bran has seen what happened through Summer but has yet to speak to his companions about it. Much like his dreams of Jaime shoving him from the tower, Bran has adopted a stance of pushing it deep into his subconscious: “If he never talked of it maybe he could forget he ever dreamed it, and then it wouldn’t have happened and Robb and Grey Wind would still be….”

2. In spite of the fact that this chapter reads like a campfire ghost story, complete with most of the necessary spooky elements, there is quite a bit of screwball comedy, especially once Sam arrives on the scene and everyone tries to communicate with each other.

3. “There was no thing that comes in the night…if there ever been such a thing, it was gone from the world now, like giants and dragons.” Um. Bran? I hate to break this to you but…

4. In order to not make this essay horribly long, I have to pass over some of the stories Bran relates to us. So consider the following: Blind Symeon Star –Eyes (who put sapphires in his eyes) saw Hellhounds at the Nightfort. How, I ask you, how? Was Symeon Star-Eyes, a legendary folk hero, really an Other? And if yes, why are stories of heroism told about him in Westeros? And what might this say about stories and heroes in general and the muddy nature they take after being around so long?

5. The “tear” that falls on to Bran’s head as he passes through the Black Gate has always perplexed me. Is it a baptism? A blessing? Is the spirit inside the Gate mourning his loss as he moves into a new world, as if knowing Bran won’t be retuning?

Analysis

I want to start off my analysis by looking at types of literature that are quite replete in this chapter: gothic horror and the ghost story. As Bran moves closer to his endgame, there are more things that go bump in the night, more terrors that leave the realm of the fantastical and become tangible and real. His story begins to resemble a ghost story told ‘round a campfire: brave companions that set out on a quest only to run into the most horrible of monsters and demons.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

During the 18^th century and into the 19^th, a new form of literature sprung up from the Romantic Movement due in large part to a growing interest in the supernatural and the otherworldly. It became known as Gothic literature and, while there have been many branches of it, perhaps the best known subgenre is that of gothic horror. The term Gothic comes from architecture left behind in Europe by “barbarian” tribes known as Goths. These ruins had an atmosphere of mystery and the macabre and as such, the key to any good Gothic novel is building an atmosphere that is mysterious, melancholy, and “creepy.”

Most often these settings are abandoned castles--a desolate ruin, steeped in mist and fog with rumors of unnatural happenings and goings on. The castle is normally an enigma in and of itself. There are secret passageways, trap doors, secrets rooms, trick panels, and hidden staircases. There should be unsettling pieces of scenery such as axes, hooks, knives, deep dark places or rooms of torment. Near the abandoned castle, one normally finds a cave of horrors in which some sort of mythical monster lurks: a dragon, a vampire, a wolf. Along with these seeable atmospheric elements, the other senses such as hearing and touch should be poked at. Wind howls, doors creek, the house moans and settles in an odd way, chains rattle, and branches scratch at the windows, all while the hair on your arms or the back of your neck stands on edge.

Similarly, the ghost story operates under the same guise of mystery and suspense. Both the Gothic and the ghost story build tension and unease in the reader while the characters explore their new haunted surroundings. There should be a feeling of anxiety, nervousness, and terror lurking around every corner, as if at any second, a ghost could spring out and butcher you. For the ghosts themselves, they are often legendary figures who are doomed to float around their surroundings either for a crime they committed or a crime committed against them. Most of the time, they are incorporeal and this is where Martin differs. Of all the stories we get from Bran about the Nightfort, which we’ll look at more closely below, the most famous are of beings that were seemingly never destroyed; they simply became something else but their flesh and bones bodies remain. There is no indication that the Night’s King was killed and buried; the Rat Cook became a giant rat; and the 79 Sentinels were incased in ice, alive instead of being burned as is the Night’s Watch custom.

When we look at Bran IV, we see all of these elements, especially the atmospheric element of mystery, suspense and terror. George R.R. Martin has clearly put his cast of characters into the center of a gothic castle, where the memories of ghosts (and maybe even the ghosts themselves) run around, haunting the place. Apart from the stories Bran tells us, the ghosts of the Children of the Forest from the “very long ago” past haunt the Nightfort as their weirwood trees begin to spring to life, the trees themselves ghostly specters. And of course, whatever life force inhabits the Black Gate is the real ghost of the Nightfort. Its dead but eternal eyes bear witness to everyone and everything that pass overhead.

The most obvious place to start is with the atmosphere that surrounds the Nightfort and the Nightfort itself. This is our first look at the Nightfort:

”It’s only another empty castle,” Meera Reed said as she gazed across the desolation of rubble, ruins, and weeds.

Isn’t that how all horror movies start? The nightmare places looks like it can’t possibly be that bad, but it turns out to be an unmitigated terror. From the first, we are set up with a classic gothic setting: a run down, old and abandoned castle.

The morning was cold but bright, the sun shining down from a hard blue sky, but he did not like the noises. The wind made a nervous whistling sound as it shivered through the broken towers, the keeps groaned and settled, and he could hear rats scrabbling under the floor of the great hall. The Rat Cook's children running from their father. The yards were small forests where spindly trees rubbed their bare branches together and dead leaves scuttled like roaches across patches of old snow.

All of the bold words help create an uneasy atmosphere and are all perfectly common in gothic and ghost story writing.

There were a lot of dark doors in the Nightfort, and a lot of rats. Bran could hear them scurrying through the vaults and cellars, and the maze of pitch-black tunnels that connected them.

Some of the towers had fallen down and others looked unsafe, but they climbed the bell tower (the bells were gone) and the rookery (the birds were gone). Beneath the brewhouse they found a vault of huge oaken casks that boomed hollowly when Hodor knocked on them. They found a library (the shelves and bins had collapsed, the books were gone, and rats were everywhere). They found a dank and dim-lit dungeon with cells enough to hold five hundred captives, but when Bran grabbed hold of one of the rusted bars it broke off in his hand. Only one crumbling wall remained of the great hall, the bathhouse seemed to be sinking into the ground, and a huge thornbush had conquered the practice yard outside the armory where black brothers had once labored with spear and shield and sword. The armory and the forge still stood, however, though cobwebs, rats, and dust had taken the places of blades, bellows, and anvil. Sometimes Summer would hear sounds that Bran seemed deaf to, or bare his teeth at nothing, the fur on the back of his neck bristling.

Again, more atmospheric building, this time within the castle itself as we see the tell-tale signs of hidden doors, mazes, passageways, dungeons, cobwebs, and dust that enhance the ominous feelings. You can also see that it is creating a sense of unease in both Bran and Summer. Neither one of them like the look, feel or smell of the Nightfort. There is something unearthly about it all.

Bran, Jojen, and Meera finally settle in the kitchens but even here, doom and gloom reign supreme.

Bran did not like the shadows either, or the huge brick ovens that surrounded them like open mouths, or the rusted meat hooks, or the scars and stains he saw in the butcher's block along one wall. That was where the Rat Cook chopped the prince to pieces, he knew, and he baked the pie in one of these ovens.

The well was the thing he liked the least, though. It was a good twelve feet across, all stone, with steps built into its side, circling down and down into darkness. The walls were damp and covered with niter, but none of them could see the water at the bottom, not even Meera with her sharp hunter's eyes.

Finally, we have a moment in which tension is built and your adrenaline rises because, like in all ghost stories, you expect that this is the moment when the little intrepid band of heroes will come face to face with the great unknown. In this sequence in which we wait for the thing that goes bump in the night to come forth from the well, I can’t help but recall H.P. Lovecrat’s seminal The Call of Cthulhu. A little group of explorers reach the great unknown (something Lovecraft specialized in detailing) and awaken a great Old One beast named Cthulhu who rises from the depths, forever traumatizing the sailors.

"It lumbered slobberingly into sight and gropingly squeezed Its gelatinous green immensity through the black doorway.... The stars were right again, and what an age-old cult had failed to do by design, a band of innocent sailors had done by accident. After vigintillions of years great Cthulhu was loose again, and ravening for delight".

(From the Call of Cthulhu H.P Lovecraft, 1926)

Of course our band is not confronted with a great terror like Cthulhu but the feeling of terror as something rises from a watery grave is the same. This is part of gothic horror writing. Compare the above with these selections as Bran witnesses Sam’s rising from the well:

It's coming from the well, he realized. That made him even more afraid. Something was coming up from under the ground, coming up out of the dark….Or was it the faint, far-off rattling of ghostly chains? Bran listened harder. Footsteps. It was definitely footsteps, each one a little louder than the one before. He couldn't tell how many, though. The well made the sounds echo. He didn't hear any dripping, or chains either, but there was something else . . . a high thin whimpering sound, like someone in pain, and heavy muffled breathing. But the footsteps were loudest. The footsteps were coming closer….The footfalls sounded heavy to Bran, slow, ponderous, scraping against the stone. It must be huge….From the well came a wail, a piercing creech that went through him like a knife. A huge black shape heaved itself up into the darkness and lurched toward the moonlight, and the fear rose up in Bran so thick that before he could even think of drawing Hodor's sword the way he'd meant to, he found himself back on the floor again with Hodor roaring "Hodor hodor HODOR," the way he had in the lake tower whenever the lightning flashed. But the thing that came in the night was screaming too, and thrashing wildly in the folds of Meera's net.

It’s worth noting that gothic horror is often and easily parodied because of its tendency to be over the top in terms of emotions and setting. The most famous example of this kind of parody is Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey. Having the big bad thing from the well be Samwell Tarly, a known craven who whimpers and moans about being stabbed with a spear? That’s a perfect parody of gothic horror.

Once Upon A Time….

A large portion of this chapter is devoted to detailing some of Old Nan’s classic and scariest stories that take place at the Nightfort. In my opinion, there are three stories that are more important the others, either for foreshadowing future events or having significant thematic importance. I will only be discussing those three here, though we can touch on all the stories after, of course.

1. The 79 Sentinels

"There are ghosts here," Bran said. Hodor had heard all the stories before, but Jojen might not have. "Old ghosts, from before the Old King, even before Aegon the Dragon, seventy-nine deserters who went south to be outlaws. One was Lord Ryswell's youngest son, so when they reached the barrowlands they sought shelter at his castle, but Lord Ryswell took them captive and returned them to the Nightfort. The Lord Commander had holes hewn in the top of the Wall and he put the deserters in them and sealed them up alive in the ice. They have spears and horns and they all face north. The seventy-nine sentinels, they're called. They left their posts in life, so in death their watch goes on forever. Years later, when Lord Ryswell was old and dying, he had himself carried to the Nightfort so he could take the black and stand beside his son. He'd sent him back to the Wall for honor's sake, but he loved him still, so he came to share his watch."

The main theme behind the story of the 79 Sentinels is oath keeping, a theme that is expressed quite often by many of the characters in ASOIAF. The chapter preceding Bran IV is Jon VII in which his oaths as a Night’s Watchman are again tested in the first Battle for the Wall and he witnesses the woman he loves, Ygritte the Wildling, die in his arms. The chapter immediately following Bran IV is Daenerys V in which Dany learns that Artisan Whitebeard is really Barristan Selmy, formerly of her father’s and then King Robert’s Kingsgurd and, more damning than that, that Ser Jorah Mormont, her “good right hand” and closest friend, once sent news and information to Lord Varys in King’s Landing concerning the young Khalessi. Jon swears he is loyal to the Night’s Watch, but finds himself drawn to a Wildling woman and develops a deeper sympathy for their cause; Dany must face the fact that all men have the capacity for dishonor and do not hold all vows to be sacred, even men you would trust with your life.

The story of the 79 Sentinels is perfectly situated between these two chapters as a further demonstration that men break their vows. Is there any foreshadowing here for Bran? Possibly. We might have to enter the realm of wild speculation but it all comes down to what the 3EC’s plan is for Brandon Stark. What vows that Bran has made, either to Winterfell, to his friends, to the realm, might he be forced to break once the 3EC has pushed him far enough? What sort of vows might all our characters have to break before the Dawn comes once more?

Finally, we’ve keep running into various horns and “sleepers.” Yes, these 79 Watchers are literally dead, but death and sleep often work together as a metaphor, one for the other. Might these 79 Sentinels be some of the sleepers that will wake when the horns sound? The Others have their own army of undead warriors, could the Night’s Watch have the same?

2. The Rat Cook

When the flames were blazing nicely Meera put the fish on. At least it's not a meat pie. The Rat Cook had cooked the son of the Andal king in a big pie with onions, carrots, mushrooms, lots of pepper and salt, a rasher of bacon, and a dark red Dornish wine. Then he served him to his father, who praised the taste and had a second slice. Afterward the gods transformed the cook into a monstrous white rat who could only eat his own young. He had roamed the Nightfort ever since, devouring his children, but still his hunger was not sated. "It was not for murder that the gods cursed him," Old Nan said, "nor for serving the Andal king his son in a pie. A man has a right to vengeance. But he slew a guest beneath his roof, and that the gods cannot forgive."

First, I want to point out that the story of the Rat Cook has its roots in the classic Greek tale of Tantalus. In the most famous story of Tantalus, the gods were invited to sup at his table and, in order to test the gods apparent omniscience, Tantalus offered up his son Pelops as a sacrifice. Not only did he cut up his son, but Tantalus served him banquet-style to Zeus and the other gods who came to dinner. The gods were wise and caught on to the plan and thus did not partake, with the exception of Demeter who was too distraught over the loss of her daughter Persephone to the god of the Underworld, Hades. She ate a bit of Pelops’s shoulder. The gods were so offended by Tantalus’s act that he was given an eternal punishment to forever be tantalized by food and water, without ever partaking of nourishment. Every time Tantalus reaches for water or for food, it recedes from him. Also note that the Rat Cook can never be satisfied, even though he does eat his own children. Tantalus’s entire house, the House of Atreus, is cursed as a result (many many many bad things happen to House Atreus….) The horror of the story, for the Greeks, is kin slaying and cannibalism, two themes that run through the Rat Cook story as well.

But where Martin weaves his own tale is that he adds the element of Guest Right, something that continually comes up in ‘A Storm of Swords,’ especially when we are post-Red Wedding and Walder Frey has conspired with Tywin Lannister to slay Robb Stark after Frey has offered The King in the North bread, salt and hospitality. The basic idea of guest right is that once a visitor is inside your walls, you are responsible for their well-being and safety. You have taken up a sacred oath to protect your guests. Breaking with guest right is breaking a sacred vow, the same theme we saw in the 79 Sentinels and will see again in the Night’s King.

A lot the cultural stories we have in Bran IV reflect the cultural mores of Westeros, and one that appears to be held in the highest regard is Guest Right. Martin is obviously getting at something here by examining it in a microcosm. What might it mean in a macro sense? Are the Others the victims of some breaking of Guest Right? Or did they themselves break Guest Right and thus are doomed to walk the earth as creatures of ice and snow? Who was the other party involved—the Children of the Forest, the First Men?

As far as foreshadowing goes, the Rat Cook will remerge in the form of Wyman Manderly who slays the Frey’s living in his household and serves them up as Frey Pies at the wedding of Ramsey Bolton and “Arya Stark” for vengeance against the Frey’s murder of Robb Stark and the Bolton role in the Red Wedding and taking Winterfell. While the Bolton hosts eat their pies, Manderly asks that the song of the Rat Cook be sung.

3. The Night’s King

The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan's stories, the tale of Night's King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night's Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. "And that was the fault in him," she would add, "for all men must know fear." A woman was his downfall; a woman glimpsed from atop the Wall, with skin as white as the moon and eyes like blue stars. Fearing nothing, he chased her and caught her and loved her, though her skin was cold as ice, and when he gave his seed to her he gave his soul as well.

He brought her back to the Nightfort and proclaimed her a queen and himself her king, and with strange sorceries he bound his Sworn Brothers to his will. For thirteen years they had ruled, Night's King and his corpse queen, till finally the Stark of Winterfell and Joramun of the wildlings had joined to free the Watch from bondage. After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night's King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.

"Some say he was a Bolton," Old Nan would always end. "Some say a Magnar out of Skagos, some say Umber, Flint, or Norrey. Some would have you think he was a Woodfoot, from them who ruled Bear island before the ironmen came. He never was. He was a Stark, the brother of the man who brought him down." She always pinched Bran on the nose then, he would never forget it. "He was a Stark of Winterfell, and who can say? Mayhaps his name was Brandon. Mayhaps he slept in this very bed in this very room."

The tale of Night’s King is an odd one. On a smaller scale we once again see the theme of vows and that men break them. The Night’s King broke his Night’s Watch vows—he declared himself King; he took a lover; he performed human sacrifices. We also begin to see hints of a darker side to the Stark history. The Night’s King, according to Old Nan, was a Stark which helps to illustrate that while we associate the Starks with a sense of justice and heroism (thanks in large part to Ned, Arya, Sansa, Bran and Jon) there are darker currents to the family, from the stony Kings of Winter to this most terrifying figure who performed the most severe of blood magic.

Briefly, but this story presents an interesting twist on another classic Greek story, one that was mentioned above: Demeter, Persephone and Hades, god of the Underworld. The myth goes that Hades saw Persephone and was so taken by her that he stole her away and declared her Queen of the Underworld. Demeter, the harvest goddess, was so distraught by the loss of her child that it affected the growth of the people on Earth. They cried out for help from Zeus who eventually forced Hades to return his new bride. But before doing so, Hades tricked Persephone into eating pomegranate seeds (most assuredly a euphemism for another sort of seed) but because she had eaten of the food of the Underword, she was compelled to return to Hades for 6 months out of the year during which time the world would turn barren until Persephone returned. And that’s how seasons work, kids! There are a lot of similar elements here, but reversed. The Night’s Queen in the story seems to be more in control and is a willingly participant instead of a victim, like Persephone. There are elements of sex and the loss of the soul but it’s the man instead of the female. The Night’s King and his Queen are set up like rulers of the Damned and while there is no mention of the seasons in the story, we do know that the seasons seem to have a link to the coming of the Others and how strong ice (and fire) magic are in the world at present. Given that the apparent dark deeds done by the NK and his Queen are sacrifices to the Others, it’s not a stretch to assume it might have something to do with the level of magic in the world and the seasons.

On a larger scale, this story, along with the story of the Last Hero, are probably two of the most significant stories we get from Old Nan. Most of us have come to believe that the Last Hero was Brandon the Builder, a Stark. Here is a proposition: what if all three figures are one and the same? Brandon the Builder, the Stark in Winterfell, is the Last Hero but also the Night’s King. It is said that the NK was the 13^th Lord Commander but we also learn from Sam later on in AFFC for that the record keeping of the Night’s Watch isn’t accurate or precise. They call Jon the 998^th but in reality he’s not. In the earliest periods of history, dates and numbers and facts are skewed and distorted because of imprecise record keeping. Also, this has always stuck out to me quite a bit: how does Old Nan (and whoever told her this story) know that he was the 13^th LC of the NW? All the records of the NK and his reign of terror were destroyed. His very name is forbidden; to speak of him is a taboo. So how is it that a wet nurse and maid of Winterfell knows this story or knows anything definitive about him?

I think what Martin is playing out here is the idea that heroes are much more complicated than the legends that spring up around them. The stories are easy: the good guys win, the bad guys lose and you can always tell the difference between the two. However, the historical reality is normally not so black and white. It is very unlikely given how GRRM writes that the more fairy tale version of the Last Hero Old Nan tells Bran (and is, of course, curiously interrupted) is the historical truth. It’s likely a mix of fact and fiction, with the history of the LH/BtB being something more complicated. I’ve suggested previously that there was some sort of pact between this LH and the Others, a marriage alliance perhaps.

Here in the story of the NK we have a hint at this with the NK taking an Other woman (and can we really doubt that she’s an Other?) and consummating their marriage. It’s the joining of two “houses”—just that one house happens to be “Other.” The sacrifices that surround the NK need not be sinister; we will see in a little while that the First Men were not so innocent that they did not shed sacrificial blood themselves to the Old Gods and, as we touched upon in the very first Bran POV of AGOT, the northerners seem to be making unintentional blood sacrifices to the weirwoods. If the Others are the original inhabitants of Westeros, might they not also offer up sacrifices to the Old Gods, much like the First Men? The idea that blood sacrifice is “wrong” seems more of an Andal tradition, long past the era of the NK.

So why did the Stark in WF and the King Beyond the Wall join forces to take down the NK? Simply put: because that’s what men do. The song and the game are interwoven, not two distinct stories with no ties to each other. Is it possible that the Stark in WF was troubled by how much power his brother had? The same with Jorramun the King Beyond the Wall? Is it possible that the Night’s King overreached and tried to take territory that wasn’t “his?” It’s also possible that the story Old Nan tells us isn’t even remotely the way it really happened. The historical reality will probably come to light in other books, but for now, it’s enough to say that this nighttime terror story is probably far more complicated.

The Descent

The last section of the analysis deals with Bran’s (and company) descent into the underbelly of the Wall and out the other side through the Black Gate. I’ve made mention of the katabasis (descent to the underworld) before but to me this is the most in-your-face example of that literary device for Bran (and possibly anyone else in the story). In a classical story, the hero’s descent into the underworld and their subsequent return demonstrates their “larger than life” status and solidifies them as the hero of their own epic tale. Bran’s journey so far has not had the return aspect, only the descent and crossing of the threshold itself. There are several examples of a katabasis in classical (specifically Greek and Latin/Latin-esque) texts, but I’ll focus on just a few to get the point across.

1. The Odyssey

Book 11 of the Odyseey has the hero Odysseus descend into the underworld in what is called the nekiya or rite by which ghosts were called up and questioned about the future. A few salient points: while there, Odysseus sees several other heroes who lament their life (Achilles for one) proving that destiny and heroism are often not what you’d expect, and the journey is one that Odysseus alone must take. He is neither guided nor assisted on his journey. We will see that this is more rare and something that GRRM does not follow, preferring to give Bran his own guide. It’s worth noting that even though the Gothic genre is centuries away, the setting of the underworld in book 11 of the Odyseey plays into what will become classic gothic atmosphere: a setting of "ghosts and dark blood and eerie noises.”

2. The Aeneid

The wandering hero Aeneas embarks on his own descent into the underworld in order to speak with his father. Virgil, the Latin poet responsible for this work, paralleled Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey quite heavily so many of the elements are the same. While in the underworld, Aeneas receives visions and prophecies of what his lineage will do—found Rome and the Empire. The big difference is that Aeneas is not alone; the Sybil guides him. The Sybil was the priestess who had access to the underworld; she serves as guide and mentor and furthermore, stresses how dangerous the path that Aeneas wants to walk really is:

Trojan, Anchises' son, the descent of Avernus is easy.

All night long, all day, the doors of Hades stand open.

But to retrace the path, to come up to the sweet air of heaven,

That is labour indeed. (Aeneid 6.126-129.)

3. The Inferno

A little after the great classics of Greece and Rome, Dante took up where Virgil left off and presented himself as a wanderer who was lost on his path and found himself venturing into the depths of hell and up into the realms of paradise. Like both Odysseus and Aeneas, Dante speaks to many historical and mythic figures who explain the underworld, offer messages and life lessons and tease the future. Like Virgil, Dante is not alone but is given a guide to show him through Hell itself. And because everyone steals from everyone else, Dante’s own guide is Virgil. It’s important to note that Virgil, the guide, is not allowed to move beyond Hell; a vitreous pagan he might be, but he is not allowed to see the divine realm of Purgatory and Paradise.

Returning to Bran and ASOIAF we see several of these elements at play. First, we have a literal descent deep into the ground.

It was a long way down. The top of the well was bathed in moonlight, but it grew smaller and dimmer every time they went around. Their footsteps echoed off the damp stones, and the water sounds grew louder. "Should we have brought torches?" Jojen asked.

"Your eyes will adjust," said Sam. "Keep one hand on the wall and you won't fall."

The well grew darker and colder with every turn. When Bran finally lifted his head around to look back up the shaft, the top of the well was no bigger than a half-moon. "Hodor," Hodor whispered, "Hodorhodorhodorhodorhodorhodor," the well whispered back. The water sounds were close, but when Bran peered down he saw only blackness.

It’s interesting that there is some sort of water running down below. Water is often a symbol for a threshold that you must cross---the Rivers Sytx, Archeron, Lethe, Phlegethon, and Cocytus all make up the ancient Underworld in Greek mythology. There is usually a ferryman who must shepherd the souls across the river in order to continue on their journey, each crossing bringing you closer to the center of hell where King Hades waits.

Sam and Coldhands both serve as guides, though the latter isn’t important to Bran yet. Coldhands seems to be a perversion of Dante’s guide, Virgil, a more virtuous and kind-of-sort-of alive wight but who serves no purpose except in doling out information when needed and getting the hero to the final phase of his journey, an audience with the “king.” Sam, on the other hand, is both Sybil (taking the hero down to the underworld) and serves as Charon, who ferries souls across over the river Archeron (river of Woe). Only Charon can get you across the river; if you cannot pay the toil (in ASOIAF’s case, this is equated to saying the proper words) then you cannot move further in the Underworld.

The Black Gate itself is some sort of ghost like entity as well as being the final threshold to the next life. There is clearly a life force in that weirwood tree but the larger question looms of who is it.

The Black Gate, Sam had called it, but it wasn't black at all.

It was white weirwood, and there was a face on it.

A glow came from the wood, like milk and moonlight, so faint it scarcely seemed to touch anything beyond the door itself, not even Sam standing right before it. The face was old and pale, wrinkled and shrunken. It looks dead. Its mouth was closed, and its eyes; its cheeks were sunken, its brow withered, its chin sagging. If a man could live for a thousand years and never die but just grow older, his face might come to look like that.

The door opened its eyes.

They were white too, and blind. "Who are you?" the door asked, and the well whispered, "Who-who-who-who-who-who-who."

Is this what happened to the Night’s King? Is this the leader of the Children of the Forest? Brandon the Builder? The First Man of the Night’s Watch? The difference with this ghost and the ghosts Odysseus, Aeneas, and Dante visit is that the Black Gate spirit does not give any information, it only confuses us further. Its first utterance is not to clarify but asking the question of “who” something that doubles back on the door itself. Once you pass through you are truly in the realm of the dead, the land of the Others. Beyond the Wall there really are things that go bump in the night and the question becomes not if Bran will run into those nightmares, but when.

Conclusions

After two books of being completely stationary, A Storm of Swords finds Bran Stark on the move; he passes from the forests of the north to the Wall of the Night’s Watch and finally to what lies beyond, the wasteland of the frozen north. Along the way we’ve seen him become more bonded with Summer, but also find himself in danger of losing himself to the abilities of the warg. We’ve noted that Bran is showing signs of “being a teenager” with all the angst, self-centered and selfish actions that accompany that. His main thrust is still getting to the 3EC in order to learn to “fly.” His abilities take a dangerous and unprecedented leap forward when he wargs Hodor, an act that other wargs will tell you is taboo and wrong. The ending of his ASOS story is that Bran is determined to be on his chosen path, but it might be a very cold one.

[Illuminated by Fire]

A Storm of Swords

Bran IV

No, Bran thought, it is the Nightfort, and this is the end of the world.

A great and very extensive analysis BearQueen!

Observations

1. This chapter takes place after the Red Wedding. Bran has seen what happened through Summer but has yet to speak to his companions about it. Much like his dreams of Jaime shoving him from the tower, Bran has adopted a stance of pushing it deep into his subconscious: “If he never talked of it maybe he could forget he ever dreamed it, and then it wouldn’t have happened and Robb and Grey Wind would still be….”

2. In spite of the fact that this chapter reads like a campfire ghost story, complete with most of the necessary spooky elements, there is quite a bit of screwball comedy, especially once Sam arrives on the scene and everyone tries to communicate with each other.

3. “There was no thing that comes in the night…if there ever been such a thing, it was gone from the world now, like giants and dragons.” Um. Bran? I hate to break this to you but…

4. In order to not make this essay horribly long, I have to pass over some of the stories Bran relates to us. So consider the following: Blind Symeon Star –Eyes (who put sapphires in his eyes) saw Hellhounds at the Nightfort. How, I ask you, how? Was Symeon Star-Eyes, a legendary folk hero, really an Other? And if yes, why are stories of heroism told about him in Westeros? And what might this say about stories and heroes in general and the muddy nature they take after being around so long?

5. The “tear” that falls on to Bran’s head as he passes through the Black Gate has always perplexed me. Is it a baptism? A blessing? Is the spirit inside the Gate mourning his loss as he moves into a new world, as if knowing Bran won’t be retuning?

To the first point: This is not the only thing Bran does not want to accept. In the last chapter he does not even consider the fact that Benjen might be dead, but is sure that he must have returned to Castle Black (something which I have overlooked in the analysis). It is not particularly suprising, he has lost so much already that he does not want to acknowledge additional losses.

Regarding Symeon Star-Eyes: This is a story that is very appealing to Bran, since he lost his eyesight, replaced his eyes with sapphires and could see again, at least in some way. This hints at some kind of magic and Bran also hopes that magic can restore his ability to walk. If Symeon was an Other or at least used similar magic (in whatever way) that could reflect very darkly on the price of such a wish, if it is possible.

To the last point: I do not know what to think of that, but it is very possible that Bran will not return. He even thinks this before they go down the well: Will I ever go someplace warm again? Which also matches your conclusion, but does not necessarily bode well for Bran. The water drop itself is compared to a tear, which could very well mean mourning. But the desciption of being warm and salty does also remind me of blood.

Analysis

I want to start off my analysis by looking at types of literature that are quite replete in this chapter: gothic horror and the ghost story. As Bran moves closer to his endgame, there are more things that go bump in the night, more terrors that leave the realm of the fantastical and become tangible and real. His story begins to resemble a ghost story told ‘round a campfire: brave companions that set out on a quest only to run into the most horrible of monsters and demons.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

[...]

I do not have much to add to the application of the gothic horror and ghost story structures to the chapter. Only one thing that enhances this eerie feeling that is present in this chapter. The things they find are nothing unusual for a castle: A library, a bell tower, a rookery, cells, a practice yard and more. But the books are gone, the shelves collapsed, the bells are gone, the birds too and the practice yard is unusable due to a giant thornbush. These places cannot fulfill their original function anymore. These functions are a thing of the past, mere shadows. And this transfers itself to the overall atmosphere, which combined with the stories that are told about the Nightfort is not a good thing. Interesting to note is that the Night's Watch itself wants to forget this place: 'Benjen Stark never said the tales were true, but ht never said they weren't; he only shrugged and said, "We left the Nightfort two hundred years ago," as if this was an answer.' The Nightfort is a reminder of things that went wrong with the Night's Watch and they did not want to remember, it is a shunned place. Which is maybe a reason for the lack of information Sam encounters.

Also interesting is how the group reacts to this atmosphere. Bran and Summer are constantly nervous, not wanting to go too deep into the Nightfort and thinking of the stories Old Nan told. Jojen is more curious than anything else and even wants to go deep down into the cellars, presumably to look for a gate. He is only stopped by Bran and Hodor. Jojen even tells Bran that there is nothing to fear in the Nightfort, which is notable because he is the ones with the greendreams, but is very focussed in this regard and sticks to the 'rational' approach, similar to what Luwin would say. Meera on the other hand does not concern herself with the Nightfort at all, but climbs the Wall instead to look on the other side:

"At least I should climb to the top of the Wall," Meera decided. "Maybe I'll see something up there."

"What could you hope to see?" Jojen asked.

"Something," said Meera, and for once she was adamant.

It shows her curiosity for the land beyond the Wall on the one hand, similar to the enthusiasm she showed on the top of Queenscrown a chapter before. On the other hand she is a bit fed up with Jojen's constantly critical and doubting approach, similar to Bran, although it is probable that their underlying conflict about his greendreams is also a cause for this reaction.

Someone we should not forget is Hodor: His situation is a cruel one, because he also lost his home and everyone he knew, except Bran. The Nightfort unnerves and scares him as well, which shows itself in him having a very rough sleep. He only has Bran and Summer to remind him of his old home and only Bran and the Reeds to give him orientation. And now Bran's skinchanging also comes into play and Hodor does not understand what happens: 'It fit all wrong, and the boot was scared too, the boot didn't know what was happening, the boot was pushing the foot away.' I'm letting the fact that he compares Hodor to a boot slide, since a comparison does not need to apply on all levels. But it certainly does not improve Hodor's situation and he is visibly shaken by it: '[...] with Hodor roaring "Hodor hodor, HODOR," the way he had in the lake tower whenever the lightning flashed.' This callback shows very well how distraught he is. It also compares Bran's skinchanging to the lightning, some power far beyond Hodor's control, something which you cannot do anything about. He is at the mercy of those powers.

On a lighter side note: 'Hodor woke it up. He woke it up with that stupid piece of slate, and now it's coming.' Yes, why did you do that, Pippin Hodor?

The Descent

[...]

Not that much to add here, very well done. It is worth it to point out that the act of the descent and transition is mirrored by Jojen's sentence: "No," said Jojen. "This boy is dead." It is in the context of Sam keeping it secret that Bran still lives, but it also mirrors the fact that Bran now takes a step that will change him forever, for better or worse. It is also noteworthy that Bran makes the decision to trust Sam and go beyond the Wall, not Jojen. And he does it because Summer trusts him, which is probably one reason Bloodraven sent Sam. It shows that even the sense of direwolves can be tricked by one way or another (however, we still do not know how far Bloodraven will go here, so we should refrain from judgement for now).It is to note however is that Bran still clings to his memories before the fall as shown by his memories when he sees Meera climbing. There is some bitterness to them, but he is not entirely consumed by it. And there is still the societal component to consider. Bran thinks of himself as a prince: 'He almost did that now, before he remembered that he was a prince, and almost a man grown.', Jojen refers to him as 'prince' or 'Your Grace' and Meera comments them coming with Bran with "He's our prince.". These roles also stick with them, even at this point. This shows that this situations has several layers that are present at any moment.

Other things to note:

This is the first time Meera is annoyed or angry in a situation that has not to do anything with Jojen's greendreams. This chapter also shows the similarities between the two, since they both pick up on essential points throughout the dialogue with Sam. Jojen lends attention to the ravens Sam mentions instead of the elk and Meera asks the pivotal question why Coldhands did not come himself.

Another point I noticed: Bran's first instinct when the steps come closer is to slip into Summer's skin. He defaults to his skinchanging because it is easy and gives him more options whereas doing things with his broken body is much more difficult and painful. Also to note is that it is Bran's sense of responsiblity which holds him back here and leads to him warning the Reeds. What he does not mention here is that slipping into Summer's skin would leave his body as vulnerable as the Reeds.

Conclusions

After two books of being completely stationary, A Storm of Swords finds Bran Stark on the move; he passes from the forests of the north to the Wall of the Night’s Watch and finally to what lies beyond, the wasteland of the frozen north. Along the way we’ve seen him become more bonded with Summer, but also find himself in danger of losing himself to the abilities of the warg. We’ve noted that Bran is showing signs of “being a teenager” with all the angst, self-centered and selfish actions that accompany that. His main thrust is still getting to the 3EC in order to learn to “fly.” His abilities take a dangerous and unprecedented leap forward when he wargs Hodor, an act that other wargs will tell you is taboo and wrong. The ending of his ASOS story is that Bran is determined to be on his chosen path, but it might be a very cold one.

A very apt conclusion, although I want to mention that I doubt that there are general taboos the majority of skinchangers follows or acknowledges. I think it is fallacious to think of them as a coherent group (but more on that in the prologue chapter). But still: The Nightfort might not be the end of the world. But it might very well be the end of Bran's old one.

[SacredOrderOfGreenMen]

A Storm of Swords

Bran IV

No, Bran thought, it is the Nightfort, and this is the end of the world.

Analysis

I want to start off my analysis by looking at types of literature that are quite replete in this chapter: gothic horror and the ghost story. As Bran moves closer to his endgame, there are more things that go bump in the night, more terrors that leave the realm of the fantastical and become tangible and real. His story begins to resemble a ghost story told ‘round a campfire: brave companions that set out on a quest only to run into the most horrible of monsters and demons.

Things That Go Bump In The Night

During the 18^th century and into the 19^th, a new form of literature sprung up from the Romantic Movement due in large part to a growing interest in the supernatural and the otherworldly. It became known as Gothic literature and, while there have been many branches of it, perhaps the best known subgenre is that of gothic horror. The term Gothic comes from architecture left behind in Europe by “barbarian” tribes known as Goths. These ruins had an atmosphere of mystery and the macabre and as such, the key to any good Gothic novel is building an atmosphere that is mysterious, melancholy, and “creepy.”

This is a really well elaborated and structured analysis of gothic horror.

I've never considered the element of horror this way in Bran's story; it would be worth anyone's time to take the ideas you've laid the groundwork for and once TWOW comes out and craft an analysis of horror from Bran's dreams in AGOT all the way his coming passage through Gorne's Way (I'm sure GRRM will have a bananza with the story of Gendel's "children" which, you know, might be those Children, and the bones in the Cavern seem very suggestive).

Given that what we know about Night's King is very suggestive but still scattered, I'm staying agnostic. We very likely will get an answer in TWOW.