The Significance of the Number Nine (9)

[Crowfood's Daughter]

I would suggest the number nine in the ASOIAF series has shown patterns which I believe have connection to conspiracy in some shape or form with special attention to The God's Eye Conspiracy Theory, the Dornish Master Plan, and the Son's of the Harpy. The only major exception to this rule of nine were the instances where the Ironborn are concerned which I believe, can also be explained.

First, before considering this, you should already be familiar with the concepts of the above theories. If you are unfamiliar, go ahead and take the time to brush up on these points in the above links.

Alright, now let's begin. When I was going through the instances of the number nine in the series, I excluded ages from what I examined because firstly, everyone has to be of some age and everyone in the series gets older. I did include one instance of age related to a historical event of a long dead character. Instances where GRRM used phrases such as "nine out of ten" or "ninety-nine out of one hundred" were also excluded as these are figures of speech. What was left, is listed below:

Son’s of the Harpy/ Green Grace

"The humble tent of Yezzan zo Qaggaz proved to be a palace of lemon-colored silk. Gilded harpies stood atop the center poles of each of its nine peaked roofs, shining in the sun."

“I want peace. I gave Hizdahr ninety days to end the killings. If he does, I will take him for a husband.” “Take me for your husband. I will do it in nine.” You know I cannot do that, she almost said."

“How many men did you lose in the fighting?” “Nine,” said Daario, “but a dozen of the Long Lances decided they would sooner be Stormcrows than corpses, so we came out three ahead. I told them they would live longer fighting with your dragons than against them, and they saw the wisdom in my words.”

"Put an end to this shadow war, my lord. That is your quest. Give me ninety days and ninety nights without a murder, and I will know that you are worthy of a throne. Can you do that?”

Reznak wrung his hands. “N-nine, Magnificence. Foul work it was, and wicked. A dreadful night, dreadful.” Nine. The word was a dagger in her heart. Every night the shadow war was waged anew beneath the stepped pyramids of Meereen."

"Dany handed the slaver the end of Drogon’s chain. In return he presented her with the whip. The handle was black dragonbone , elaborately carved and inlaid with gold. Nine long thin leather lashes trailed from it, each one tipped by a gilded claw. The gold pommel was a woman’s head, with pointed ivory teeth. “The harpy’s fingers,” Kraznys named the scourge."

"The tumblers who came next failed to move her either , even when they formed a human pyramid nine levels high, with a naked little girl on top. Is that meant to represent my pyramid? the queen wondered. Is the girl on top meant to be me?"

Nope, the girl on top is supposed to be the Harpy

.

“I would shatter it.” Once, long ago, a prince had named him Barristan the Bold. A part of that boy was in him still. “We have built a beacon atop the pyramid where once the Harpy stood. Dry wood soaked with oil, covered to keep the rain off."

The God’s Eye Conspiracy (TGEC) and ancient references

For those familiar with TGEC, this theory states that there are those who are influenced by the Old Gods and somehow in League with the Green Men on the Isle of Faces which weakened the Targaryen dynasty and brought about the extinction of dragons. Weirwoods, Harrenhal, Maesters of the Citadel, and First Men Blood are a theme of this theory with certain houses being key players such as the Whents, Strongs, Daynes, and Reeds for example. There are possibly the other First Men Houses involved such as the Blackwoods. The MOST important House involved however, is House Hightower.

ANCIENT REFERENCES:

The number nine appears to refer to something ancient and archaic in the series possibly giving a nod to the events prior to or during the Long Night. The coming Long Night is what I believe is motivating the players of TGECT

"The sun was sinking below the trees when they reached their destination, a small clearing in the deep of the wood where nine weirwoods grew in a rough circle. Jon drew in a breath, and he saw Sam Tarly staring. Even in the wolfswood, you never found more than two or three of the white trees growing together; a grove of nine was unheard of. […] Bowen Marsh commanded them to leave their horses outside the circle. "This is a sacred place, we will not defile it.”

Later in the series after the wildling incursion, Jon and his companions return to the Weirwood grove and the number nine is used yet again to describe the group of wildling survivors they had come across at this sacred place.

"Nine, Tom Barleycorn had said, and nine there were, but two were dead and one so weak he might have died by morning."

Here we have another ancient nod to the original crown of The Kings of Winter which was worn by Starks of old, and possibly even worn by the first Stark King.

"Robb’s crown looked much as the other was said to have looked in the tales told of the Stark kings of old; an open circlet of hammered bronze incised with the runes of the First Men, surmounted by nine black iron spikes wrought in the shape of longswords. Of gold and silver and gemstones, it had none; bronze and iron were the metals of winter, dark and strong to fight against the cold."

The number of black iron spikes worn by the Kings of Winter could have some significance just as the tales of the crown worn by the first Andal King which has religious symbolism.

"The Faith taught that the Seven themselves had once walked the hills of Andalos in human form. “The Father reached his hand into the heavens and pulled down seven stars,” Tyrion recited from memory, “and one by one he set them on the brow of Hugor of the Hill to make a glowing crown.”

The series also notes the ancient sacred place at the site of “Nagga’s Bones” where the Kingsmoot takes place. Nagga's Bones although ancient and mysterious in its own right is speculated to in reality be a petrified ancient Weirwood grove which would have been once sacred to tCotF and the First Men

"The Storm God drowned Nagga’s fire after the Grey King’s death, the chairs and tapestries had been stolen, the roof and walls had rotted away. Even the Grey King’s great throne of fangs had been swallowed by the sea. Only Nagga’s bones endured to remind the ironborn of all the wonder that had been. It is enough, thought Aeron Greyjoy. Nine wide steps had been hewn from the stony hilltop. Behind rose the howling hills of Old Wyk"

The first use of the number nine in the series describes the ranging of Waymar Royce et al. which is our first AND one of our only few encounters with the archaic Other race.

"Something was different tonight. There was an edge to this darkness that made his hackles rise. Nine days they had been riding, north and northwest and then north again, farther and farther from the Wall, hard on the track of a band of Wildling raiders. Each day had been worse than the day that had come before it. Today was the worst of all. A cold wind was blowing out of the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things."

The Wonders Made by Man are also listed as nine. The nine wonders are predominately ancient buildings of incredible construction with many whose origins/purpose are mysterious with possible Long Night implications. The few I have listed are the those I believe have played a role during the Long Night

• The Wall: Need I say more?
  
• The Five Forts: “The Five Forts are very old, older than the Golden Empire itself; some claim they were raised by the Pearl Emperor during the morning of the Great Empire to keep the Lion of Night and his demons from the realms of men . . . and indeed, there is something godlike, or demonic, about the monstrous size of the forts, for each of the five is large enough to house ten thousand men, and their massive walls stand almost a thousand feet high.”
  
• Quarth: "The greatest city that ever was or ever will be. It is the center of the world, the gate between north and south, the bridge between east and west, ancient beyond memory of man."--Pyatt Pree
  
• The Hightower: “It was only with the construction of the fifth tower, the first made entirely of stone, that the Hightower became a seat worthy of a great house. The king who demanded it and paid for its construction is remembered as Uthor of the High Tower. Some say this first stone tower, which rose two hundred feet above the harbor, was designed by Bran the Builder, while others say it was by his son, another Brandon.”
  

Garth the Greenhand, the Green Men, and the Order of the Green Hand

In TGECT, the Green Men on the Isle of Faces are central figures. The AWOIAF book also has some peculiar descriptions of the Green Men on the Isle of Faces:

"Whether the green men still survive on their isle is not clear although there is the occasional account of some foolhardy young riverlord taking a boat to the isle and catching sight of them before winds rise up or a flock of ravens drives him away. The nursery tales claiming that they are horned and have dark, green skin is a corruption of the likely truth, which is that the green men wore green garments and horned headdresses."--The Coming of The First Men chapter

Now take a look at how Garth the Greenhand is described:

"There is disagreement even on his name. Garth Greenhand, we call him, but in the oldest tales he is named Garth Greenhair, or simply Garth the Green. Some stories say he had green hands, green hair, or green skin overall. (A few even give him antlers, like a stag.)"--The Reach Chapter

Bran also specifies the horns of the Green Men as antlers when speaking to Meera about the tale of the Knight of the Laughing Tree even assuming that the Old Gods had sent tKotLT.

“Maybe he came from the Isle of Faces,” said Bran. “Was he green?” In Old Nan’s stories, the guardians had dark green skin and leaves instead of hair. Sometimes they had antlers too, but Bran didn’t see how the mystery knight could have worn a helm if he had antlers. “I bet the old gods sent him.” “Perhaps they did..."

Garth the Greenhand is a symbol of fertility undoubtedly influenced by The Pagan God, Cernnunos and other “green man” mythologic figures which portray a deity of fertility, nature, and virility who goes through a cycle of death and rebirth through the seasons.

"Cernnunos, a nature and fertility god. He is perhaps best known to us now in his Celtic aspects of the untamed Horned God of the Animals and the leaf-covered Green Man, Guardian of the Green World." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos

"Cernnunos, as The Horned God, Lord of the Animals is portrayed as human or half human with an antler crown. Though he wears a human face his energy and his concerns are non-human. While He is recognized most often through his connection to animals, Cernnunos is also a tree, forest, and vegetation god in his foliate aspect of The Green Man, Guardian of the Green World." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos

One Pagan Holiday celebrated by Cernnunos followers is Beltane which is a celebration of Spring.

"In some Wiccan traditions, Beltane is a day in which the May Queen and the Queen of Winter battle one another for supremacy." (some Battle for the Dawn parallels maybe?) "Beltane is a time for planting and sowing of seeds -- again, the fertility theme appears. Certain trees are associated with May Day, such as the Ash, Oak and Hawthorn. In Norse legend, the god Odin hung from an Ash tree for nine days, and it later became known as the World Tree, Yggdrasil." http://paganwiccan.a...ane_History.htm

Nine is also a number associated with traditional fertility as it takes generally takes nine months for a child to be born from, gestation. There are multiple references in the ASOIAF series related to childbirth gestation which is referred to as "nine moons".

Now there is a specific historical sect of Wicca (who were HUGE Cernnunos followers) called “Gardnerian Wicca” named after the founder Gerald Gardner. (please do not forget that we have a Gerold Hightower and a Gerold Dayne in the series, both of whom are from houses theorized in the Gods Eye Conspiracy Theory AND the fact that a now extinct house which was closely tied to Garth was House Gardner whose sigil was a green hand) Gerald Gardner and Algernon Blackwood are both linked heavily to the 20^th century paganism movement.

Now let’s go back to House Hightower for a moment. House Hightower is an ancient First Men house of The Reach who are descended (like House Gardener) from Garth the Greenhand. House Hightower was also heavily intermarried to House Gardener AND there was also something called "The Order of the Greenhand" which appears to be an Andal tradition BUT the Tyrells were not part of this order which is oddly interesting since they were stewards of the Gardner Kings and historically excellent knights. In the Reach, the last members of the Order died with King Mern IX Gardener (9th of his name).

"The greatest champions, men as pure and honorable and virtuous as they were skilled at arms, were honored with invitations to join the Order of the Green Hand. (Though the last members of that noble order perished beside their king on the Field of Fire save in White Harbor, where the knights of House Manderly still profess membership)" --The Reach Chapter

While House Manderly is the only house to claim coming from this order, House Manderly was blacklisted from The Reach by House Gardner nine-hundred years prior and may not have knowledge of or other current members as Aegon’s Conquest was a more recent event at only three hundred years ago.

"Twas no more than nine hundred years ago when they came north, laden down with all their gold and gods. They’d been great lords on the Mander until they overreached themselves and the green hands slapped them down."--Lord Godric to Davos

Now let’s take a look at a possible survivor of this old order who did not perish in the Field of Fire: House Hightower.

"Lord Hightower determined that he would not oppose the Conqueror by force of arms. Thus it was that no men from Oldtown burned on the Field of Fire, though the Hightowers were bannermen to the Gardeners of Highgarden. And thus it was that Lord Manfred rode forth to greet Aegon the Dragon as he approached, and to offer up his sword, his city, and his oath."

Mention of 9 in conjunction with TGECT:

Notice the number nine in relation to this excerpt: nine-finger is describing a hand, Artos the Strong could have been a forbearer to House Strong, along with direct mention of the God’s eye.

Thus, whilst singers and storytellers may regale us with colorful tales of Artos the Strong, Florian the Fool, Nine-Finger Jack, Sharra the Witch Queen, and the Green King of the Gods Eye, the very existence of such personages must be questioned by the serious scholar.---riverland heroes

Here the Lady of the Leaves is reminiscent of the tales of tCotF who would build villages in the trees. The green/nature theme is there. In aSoS the young Maester of Lord Lychester suggested to Greenbeard the BwB should visit The Lady of The Leaves to find Beric’s whereabouts. Interestingly, Frey Family Reunion also pointed out the possibility that Beric could have been the third character to visit the Gods Eye thus far.

"The Lady of the Leaves, a stick-thin white-haired woman dressed in roughspun. “We cannot stay here much longer, with autumn on us,” she told them. “A dozen wolves went down the Hayford road nine days past, hunting. If they’d chanced to look up they might have seen us.”

Alright, now for some obvious stuff with little or no commentary:

"This talk of a stone dragon … madness, I tell you, sheer madness. Did we learn nothing from Aerion Brightfire, from the nine mages, from the alchemists? Did we learn nothing from Summerhall? No good has ever come from these dreams of dragons."

"The look Stannis gave her was dark. “Nine mages crossed the sea to hatch Aegon the Third’s cache of eggs. Baelor the Blessed prayed over his for half a year. Aegon the Fourth built dragons of wood and iron. Aerion Brightflame drank wildfire to transform himself. The mages failed, King Baelor’s prayers went unanswered, the wooden dragons burned, and Prince Aerion died screaming.”

"In 258 AC on Essos, another challenge rose to Aegon’s reign, when nine outlaws, exiles, pirates, and sellsword captains met in the Disputed Lands beneath the Tree of Crowns to form an unholy alliance. The Band of Nine swore their oath of mutual aid and support in carving out kingdoms for each of their members."

"THE TRAGEDY OF Summerhall brought Jaehaerys, the Second of His Name, to the Iron Throne in 259 AC. Scarcely had he donned the crown than the Seven Kingdoms found themselves plunged into war, for the Ninepenny Kings had taken and sacked the Free City of Tyrosh and seized the Stepstones; from there, they stood poised to attack Westeros."

Aegon claimed he had slept with at least nine hundred women (the exact number eluded him), but that he only truly loved nine. (Queen Naerys, his sister, was not counted among them). The nine mistresses came from near and far, and some gave him natural children, but each and every one (save the last) was dismissed when he grew weary of her.

The Ninth mistress was Serenei of Lys (brought to court by Lord Hightower), mother of Sheira Seastar.

"Bittersteel and Bloodraven both loved Shiera Seastar, and the Seven Kingdoms bled."

"Aemond was older, stronger, and crueler than Lucerys— and he hated Lucerys with a passion, for it was Lucerys who had cost him his eye nine years earlier."

"his fingernails cracked yellow claws nine inches long. Yet still the blades tormented him, the ones he could never escape, the blades of the Iron Throne. His arms and legs were always covered with scabs and half-healed cuts. […] “Your Grace,” he said, “might we have a private word?” “As you wish. Tommen, it is past time you had your lesson for the day. Go with the Grand Maester.” “Yes, Mother. We are learning about Baelor the Blessed.” Lady Merryweather took her leave as well, kissing the queen on both cheeks."

"Qyburn’s whisperers claimed that Septon Luceon had been nine votes from elevation when those doors had given way, and the sparrows came pouring into the Great Sept with their leader on their shoulders"

"Alyssa and Aenys’s next eldest son after Aegon, Prince Viserys, had been kept at the Red Keep as the king’s squire, however, and he suffered for her flight. He died after nine days of questioning at the hands of Tyanna of the Tower."

"At this council, nine lesser claimants were heard and dismissed, leaving only two primary claimants to the throne: Laenor Velaryon, son of Princess Rhaenys— who was the eldest daughter of Jaehaerys’s eldest son, Aemon— and Prince Viserys, eldest son of Baelon the Brave and Princess Alyssa."

"The Old Bear left a few cautionary notes about certain of the men, for his successor. We have a cook at the Shadow Tower who was fond of raping septas. He burned a seven pointed star into his flesh for every one he claimed. His left arm is stars from wrist to elbow, and stars mark his calves as well. At Eastwatch we have a man who set his father’s house afire and barred the door. His entire family burned to death, all nine. Whatever Satin may have done in Oldtown, he is our brother now, and he will be my squire.”

“What he was in Oldtown is none of our concern. He’s quick to learn and very clever. The other recruits started out despising him, but he won them over and made friends of them all. He’s fearless in a fight and can even read and write after a fashion.”

In aDwD, Satin strangely goes with Jon Snow to take his oath in the weirwood grove, (yes, the 9 weirwoods in a circle). This is odd, because Satin had previously stated he believed in The Seven.

"Aemon lacked the Dragonknight’s martial nature. He likes to say he had a slow sword but quick wits. Small wonder his grandfather packed him off to the Citadel. He was nine or ten, I believe … and ninth or tenth in the line of succession as well.”

“His Grace is not an easy man. Few are, who wear a crown. Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings.” “He would know.” Aemon Targaryen had seen nine kings upon the Iron Throne. He had been a king’s son, a king’s brother, a king’s uncle. “I looked at that book Maester Aemon left me. The Jade Compendium. The pages that told of Azor Ahai. Lightbringer was his sword."

"Lady Rhea Royce, fell from her horse whilst hawking and cracked her skull upon a stone. She lingered for nine days before finally feeling well enough to leave her bed … only to collapse and die within an hour of rising. A raven was duly sent to Storm’s End, and Lord Baratheon dispatched a messenger by ship to Bloodstone, where Prince Daemon was still struggling to defend his meager kingdom against the men of the Triarchy and their Dornish allies."

"Though Viserys I would reign for nine more years, the bloody seeds of the Dance of the Dragons had already been planted, and 120 AC was the year when they began to sprout. Next to perish were the elder Strongs. Lyonel Strong, Lord of Harrenhal and Hand of the King, accompanied his son and heir Ser Harwin on his return to the great, half-ruined castle on the lakeshore ."

“Find riders to master Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke, and we will have nine dragons against Aegon’s four. […] “That is how we shall win this war.”

Nine days after Lord Staunton dispatched his plea for help, the sound of leathern wings was heard across the sea, and the dragon Meleys appeared above Rook’s Rest. – The death of the “Queen who never was

"Grand Maester Malleon recorded the last mating between stag and lion, some ninety years ago, when Tya Lannister wed Gowen Baratheon, third son of the reigning lord. Their only issue, an unnamed boy described in Malleon’s tome as a large and lusty lad born with a full head of black hair, died in infancy ".

"Ninety warships swept from the Stepstones under the banners of the Three Daughters, bending their oars for the Gullet … and as chance and the gods would have it, the Pentoshi cog Gay Abandon, carrying two Targaryen princes, sailed straight into their teeth. The escorts sent to protect the cog were sunk or taken, the Gay Abandon captured. The tale reached Dragonstone only when Prince Aegon arrived desperately clinging to the neck of his dragon, Stormcloud. The boy was white with terror, shaking like a leaf and stinking of piss. Only nine, he had never flown before … and would never fly again"

"In the days following his half sister’s death, the king still clung to the hope that Sunfyre might recover enough strength to fly again. Instead the dragon only seemed to weaken further, and soon the wounds in his neck began to stink. Even the smoke he exhaled had a foul smell to it, and toward the end he would no longer eat. On the ninth day of the twelfth moon of 130 AC, the magnificent golden dragon that had been King Aegon’s glory died in the yard of Dragonstone where he had fallen. His Grace wept."

“Good. Now, Jon Arryn married thrice, but his first two wives gave him no children, so for long years his nephew Elbert was his heir. Meantime, Elys was plowing Alys quite dutifully , and she was whelping once a year. She gave him nine children, eight girls and one precious little boy, another Jasper, after which she died exhausted. […] “So tell me, sweetling— why is Harry the Heir?” Her eyes widened. “He is not Lady Waynwood’s heir. He’s Robert’s heir. If Robert were to die …”

"Lord Jason Mallister fell before me, and Bronze Yohn Royce. Ser Ryman Frey, his brother Ser Hosteen, Lord Whent, Strongboar, even Ser Boros Blount of the Kingsguard, I unhorsed them all. In the last match, I broke nine lances against Jaime Lannister to no result, and King Robert gave me the champion’s laurel. I crowned Lynesse queen of love and beauty, and that very night went to her father and asked for her hand. I was drunk, as much on glory as on wine. By rights I should have gotten a contemptuous refusal, but Lord Leyton accepted my offer. We were married there in Lannisport, and for a fortnight I was the happiest man in the wide world.” – Also a total of nine jousters that were defeated by Jorah

"Tyrek was still missing, as was the High Septon’s crystal crown. Nine gold cloaks had been slain, two score wounded. No one had troubled to count how many of the mob had died. “I want Tyrek found, alive or dead,” Tyrion said curtly when Bywater was done. “He’s no more than a boy. Son to my late uncle Tygett. His father was always kind to me.”

“We found where he’d been sleeping,” Robb put in. “He had ninety silver stags in a leather bag buried beneath the straw.” “It’s good to know my son’s life was not sold cheaply,” Catelyn said bitterly.

Ironborn references

"Quellon Greyjoy sired nine sons on three wives. His first and second wives were rock wives, joined to him with the old rites by a priest of the Drowned God, but his last bride was a woman of the green lands, a Piper of Pinkmaiden Castle, wed to him in her father’s hall by a septon."

"BALON GREYJOY, the Ninth of His Name Since the Grey King, styling himself King of the Iron Islands and the North, King of Salt and Rock, Son of the Sea Wind, and Lord Reaper of Pyke,"

"Nine sons had been born from the loins of Quellon Greyjoy, the Lord of the Iron Islands. Harlon, Quenton, and Donel had been born of Lord Quellon’s first wife, a woman of the Stonetrees. Balon, Euron, Victarion, Urrigon, and Aeron were the sons of his second, a Sunderly of Saltcliffe. For a third wife Quellon took a girl from the green lands, who gave him a sickly idiot boy named Robin, the brother best forgotten. The priest had no memory of Quenton or Donel, who had died as infants. Harlon he recalled but dimly"

"Nine sons were born from the loins of Quellon Greyjoy, and I was the least of them, as weak and frightened as a girl. But no longer. That man is drowned, and the god has made me strong."

"Nine sons had been born from the loins of Quellon Greyjoy, but only four had lived to manhood. That was the way of this cold world, where men fished the sea and dug in the ground and died, whilst women brought forth short-lived children from beds of blood and pain."

“Nine sons were born from the loins of Quellon Greyjoy. One was mightier than all the rest, and knew no fear.” Victarion met his eyes, and nodded. The captains parted before him as he climbed the steps. “Brother, give me blessing,” he said when he reached the top. He knelt and bowed his head. Aeron uncorked his waterskin and poured a stream of seawater down upon his brow. “What is dead can never die,” the priest said, and Victarion replied, “but rises again, harder and stronger.”

"Nute the Barber fastened the Lord Captain’s cloak about his shoulders. It was made of nine layers of cloth-of-gold, sewn in the shape of the kraken of Greyjoy, arms dangling to his boots."

“Your ships are mine, or burnt. Your men … how many are left? Ten? Twelve?” Nine. Six, if you count only those strong enough to fight. “Dagmer Cleftjaw holds Torrhen’s Square. A fierce fighter, and a leal servant of House Greyjoy. I can deliver that castle to you, and its garrison as well.”

"Now it was perfume that clung to him like perfume, and he had a girth to match his height. Ned had last seen the king nine years before during Balon Greyjoy’s rebellion, when the stag and the direwolf had joined to end the pretensions of the self-proclaimed King of the Iron Islands."

Behind her Grimtongue shouted, “Nine, and damn you all.” Hagen’s daughter burst naked from beneath the trees with two wolves at her heels.

Bannen

Bannen is one of those chosen to die by the conspirators who intend to kill Lord Commander Jeor Mormont due to his great tracking skills. Chett plans to have Lark and his cousins murder Bannen. However, their plans fail when the Others attack the Night's Watch. Bannen's foot is wounded during the ensuing Battle of the Fist of the First Men. Kedge Whiteye later tries to save Bannen by chopping off his mangled foot, but the scout dies from the wound at Craster's Keep.

"Kedge Whiteye had taken Bannen’s mangled foot off nine days past, in a gout of pus and blood that made Sam sick, but it was too little , too late. “I’m so cold,” the pale lips repeated."

The Night’s Watch vote- Orchestrated by Samwell

man needed the votes of two-thirds of the Sworn Brothers to become the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, and after nine days and nine votes no one was even close to that. Lord Janos had been gaining , true, creeping up past first Bowen Marsh and then Othell Yarwyck, but he was still well behind Ser Denys Mallister of the Shadow Tower and Cotter Pyke of Eastwatch-by-the -Sea. One of them will be the new Lord Commander, surely, Sam told himself.

The Dornish Master Plan

"Martell brings some formidable companions, it would seem. Not one of the houses Pod had named was small or insignificant. Nine of the greatest lords of Dorne were coming up the kingsroad, them or their heirs, and somehow Tyrion did not think they had come all this way just to see the dancing bear. There was a message here. And not one I like."

"Nine men had been lost, including a mate, two of the fiery fingers, and Moqorro himself."

"Rosey was her daughter, fifteen and freshly flowered. Emma had decreed that Rosey’s maidenhead would cost a golden dragon. Pate had saved nine silver stags and a pot of copper stars and pennies, for all the good that would do him. He would have stood a better chance of hatching a real dragon than saving up enough coin to make a golden one."

“Nasty thing, a crossbow. How many men you kill with that?” “Nine.” His father counted for at least that many, surely. Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Shield of Lannisport, Hand of the King, husband, brother, father, father, father."

“The steel must be part of your arm,” the bald man told her. “Can you drop part of your arm? No. Nine years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos, he knows these things. Listen to him, boy.”

“That is a river galley coming after us,” Jaime announced after he’d watched for a while. With every stroke, it seemed to grow a little larger. “Nine oars on each side, which means eighteen men. More, if they crowded on fighters as well as rowers. And larger sails than ours. We cannot outrun her.”

"For nine years Mors Martell and his allies (amongst them House Fowler of Skyreach, House Toland of Ghost Hill, House Dayne of Starfall, and House Uller of the Hellholt) struggled against Yronwood and his bannermen ( the Jordaynes of the Tor, the Wyls of the Stone Way, together with the Blackmonts, the Qorgyles, and many more)

"Of late the king had been repeating little jests about the Dornish that he’d picked up from Mace Tyrell’s men-at-arms. How many Dornishmen does it take to shoe a horse? Nine. One to do the shoeing, and eight to lift the horse up."

"Nine of them assembled in the solar: Connington and Strickland, Haldon Halfmaester , Black Balaq, Ser Franklyn Flowers, Malo Jayn, Ser Brendel Byrne, Dick Cole, and Lymond Pease. The Halfmaester had good tidings. “Word’s reached the camp from Marq Mandrake. The Volantenes put him ashore on what turned out to be Estermont, with close to five hundred men. He’s taken Greenstone.”

"The nine-towered manse of Khal Drogo sat beside the waters of the bay, its high brick walls overgrown with pale ivy. It had been given to the khal by the magisters of Pentos, Illyrio told them."

Uncategorized

The following I can’t make sense of yet and am hoping everyone could help me out with. I am sure these will become clearer in the next few books.

“How much?” asked Littlefinger, mildly. Ned read the answer off the letter. “Forty thousand golden dragons to the champion. Twenty thousand to the man who comes second, another twenty to the winner of the melee, and ten thousand to the victor of the archery competition.” “Ninety thousand gold pieces,” Littlefinger sighed."

"She emptied her pouch into her palm; fivesilver stags, nine copper stars, some pennies and halfpennies and groats. She scattered them across the water. Next her boots. They made the loudest splashes. Her dagger followed, the one she’d gotten off the archer who had begged the Hound for mercy. Her swordbelt went into the canal. Her cloak, tunic, breeches, smallclothes, all of it. All but Needle."

"Annals of the Black Centaur, Septon Jorquen’s exhaustively detailed account of the nine years that Orbert Caswell had served as Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch . There was a page for each day of his term, every one of which seemed to begin, “Lord Orbert rose at dawn and moved his bowels ,” except for the last, which said, “Lord Orbert was found to have died during the night.”

"The hunting party returned near evenfall with nine dead wolves. Seven were adults, big grey-brown beasts, savage and powerful, their mouths drawn back over long yellow teeth by their dying snarls. But the other two had only been pups. Lord Bolton gave orders for the skins to be sewn into a blanket for his bed. “Cubs still have that soft fur, my lord,” one of his men pointed out. “Make you a nice warm pair of gloves.”

"Nine great voyages were made upon the Sea Snake, and on the last, Corlys filled the ship’s hold with gold and bought twenty more ships at Qarth, loading them with spices, elephants, and the finest silk. Some were lost, and the elephants died at sea, according to Maester Mathis’s The Nine Voyages, but the wealth that remained made House Velaryon the richest in the realm— richer even than the Lannisters and Hightowers, for a time."

I want to thank everyone who invested the time to read this. Ultimateley, the number nine represents clandestine operations with heavy usage with The God’s Eye conspiracy Theory, The Dornish Master Plan, and the Sons of the Harpy. The ancient archaic references I believe are a nod to the motives behind TGECT and TDMP. The numbering for the Nine Free Cities is a nod to the heavy involvement we have seen since the Dance of Dragons to present day. The Ironborn references are a little bit difficult to explain here, but I will update this thread in the next few days.

“When I was a boy, it was said that a long summer always meant a long winter to come. This summer has lasted nine years, Tyrion, and a tenth will soon be upon us. Think on that.”

[Crowfood's Daughter]

Also, please check out this theory regarding Baelor I who was mentioned twice in the above instances of nine. Baelor I was also the 9th Targaryen king who is believed to have acted upon prophesy.

[Crowfood's Daughter]

Any feedback? Too long of a post?

[DSB]

i would only point out that there only nine numbers, zero being numerical punctuation to alter the given power of the actual number.

even if you disagree with my exact interpretation, you must think the zero in the nineties, and zeroes in the higher figures (90,000 gold), do not alter or detract from the symbolism of the nine.

i agree there are significant examples of its use to a distinguishing degree.

[LmL]

I really enjoyed this... I appreciate the effort and the time spent researching, as well as the general line of inquiry. I do think George is often using numbers as part of his web of symbols, and I have been looking into certain number patterns which seem to align with certain myths. Haven’t tackled 9 at all, so this was fascinating. I think I need a minute to process this.

The Bloodstone Emperor was the 9th emperor of the Great Empire of the Dawn, check out that section of TWOIAF (it’s in the Yi Ti / fare east section).

[Crowfood's Daughter]

i would only point out that there only nine numbers, zero being numerical punctuation to alter the given power of the actual number.

even if you disagree with my exact interpretation, you must think the zero in the nineties, and zeroes in the higher figures (90,000 gold), do not alter or detract from the symbolism of the nine.

i agree there are significant examples of its use to a distinguishing degree.

Yes, the amount of purse needed for the tourney of the hand. My thoughts were running along the lines of the Littlefinger debt scheme, but that is less a conspiracy and more of a hustle in my opinion. My thoughts then turn toward the significance of the tourney itself but then I come up with nothing.

[Ser Creighton]

It's really long and probably should have focused only on 9.

3 is the most important number in the series, followed by 1 and then 13.

3 and 1 one are almost like polarities, if it were a parallel 1 would 3 and one would 1. They are a natural inverse in the books when found within parallels. But 1 also acts like a convergance for 3 where 3 will become 1.

My advice ignore 90, and focus on 9 what do they all have in common? Just a guess but it will involve slavery or hints about it. Also it probably has an inverse parallel within the books. Though it may not.

I think you did pretty good work but again it is super long, and sometimes people go after threads like this. I consider things like this breadcrumbs and small clues that help point you in a direction. You just got to connect the dots, which can be hard if you don't have all the dots.

Also of note in the books are the use of black and white and red, green and blue. Plenty of stuff out there on them if you are intrested in these kinds of theories.

ETA: You may want to consider betryal as well.

[Crowfood's Daughter]

I really enjoyed this... I appreciate the effort and the time spent researching, as well as the general line of inquiry. I do think George is often using numbers as part of his web of symbols, and I have been looking into certain number patterns which seem to align with certain myths. Haven’t tackled 9 at all, so this was fascinating. I think I need a minute to process this.

The Bloodstone Emperor was the 9th emperor of the Great Empire of the Dawn, check out that section of TWOIAF (it’s in the Yi Ti / fare east section).

Yes, I have been seeing patterns and meanings with other numbers as well. Right now I've got my head around the basic patterns for 5 & 6 (especially with certain houses) but haven't delved very deep into those as of yet.

Excellent example with the Bloodstone Emperor, I think this is another Long Night nod by GRRM.

[King of Vaes Tolorro]

Maybe its GRRM's lucky number?

[Crowfood's Daughter]

It's really long and probably should have focused only on 9.

3 is the most important number in the series, followed by 1 and then 13.

3 and 1 one are almost like polarities, if it were a parallel 1 would 3 and one would 1. They are a natural inverse in the books when found within parallels. But 1 also acts like a convergance for 3 where 3 will become 1.

My advice ignore 90, and focus on 9 what do they all have in common? Just a guess but it will involve slavery or hints about it. Also it probably has an inverse parallel within the books. Though it may not.

I think you did pretty good work but again it is super long, and sometimes people go after threads like this. I consider things like this breadcrumbs and small clues that help point you in a direction. You just got to connect the dots, which can be hard if you don't have all the dots.

Also of note in the books are the use of black and white and red, green and blue. Plenty of stuff out there on them if you are intrested in these kinds of theories.

The advice on ignoring 90 and other variations is a good strategy. I have read many of the color theme theories and have noticed a recurring theme of green related to Green Men and the Green Grace makes sense being that emeralds=usurpers. The emerald wearers then being pawns of these more secretive figures.

[DSB]

Yes, the amount of purse needed for the tourney of the hand. My thoughts were running along the lines of the Littlefinger debt scheme, but that is less a conspiracy and more of a hustle in my opinion. My thoughts then turn toward the significance of the tourney itself but then I come up with nothing.

Yes, the amount of purse needed for the tourney of the hand. My thoughts were running along the lines of the Littlefinger debt scheme, but that is less a conspiracy and more of a hustle in my opinion. My thoughts then turn toward the significance of the tourney itself but then I come up with nothing.

what i am saying is deterministic numerology is deeply flawed.

to see meaning in numbers is too easy, though that is not to say numerology is not real.

certainly, when applying to a fictional, created by humans text. like got.

even if you find codes, correlations, hidden meanings, their origin will not constitute a mystery; they were written in, intentionally or unintentionally, they derive from the nature of the thing.

if i build twenty tables, and all the legs are the same length, this is not a numerical anomaly. maybe i wanted them to be, or the bench i cut table-legs on is only so long, or they are the longest i can use and still fit the finished furniture through the door.

numerology can only claim to illuminate allegedly unconnected events or things having some connection.

[Ser Creighton]

The advice on ignoring 90 and other variations is a good strategy. I have read many of the color theme theories and have noticed a recurring theme of green related to Green Men and the Green Grace makes sense being that emeralds=usurpers. The emerald wearers then being pawns of these more secretive figures.

It's not about ignoring 90 really, but more about focusing on 9 then maybe expanding later if you find a correlation. The more focused a theory is the better it tends to be. Not that it is not focused, but also anything that makes them shorter helps. I would take this theory and condense it as much as possible. It is really rare for a very long theory to get a ton of responses unless it's something like R+L=J. Sometimes when you find something really intresting a person might over expand on it.

JStar and Yolkboy are the color guys around here, I have done some work on them but they have threads on Rubies, Emeralds, Sapphires and the trident floating around among other things. I work more on the black and white, though all of them are related to eachother. Also there are always layers to this stuff, there will generally be a correlation to something and it will have an inverse most of the time. I also work with 1,3 and 13 a lot, I am looking forward to incorporating 9 into at as well now. Honestly feel stupid that I missed it, keep up the good work. I need to go over your OP. Also a piece of advice when something is this big one of the best ways to make it work is to break it up into sections and release them over a period of time. Just reserve like the top 3-4 posts for a later date. Then release them in sections, that always seems to work better with big posts.

[Ser Creighton]

what i am saying is deterministic numerology is deeply flawed.

to see meaning in numbers is too easy, though that is not to say numerology is not real.

certainly, when applying to a fictional, created by humans text. like got.

even if you find codes, correlations, hidden meanings, their origin will not constitute a mystery; they were written in, intentionally or unintentionally, they derive from the nature of the thing.

if i build twenty tables, and all the legs are the same length, this is not a numerical anomaly. maybe i wanted them to be, or the bench i cut table-legs on is only so long, or they are the longest i can use and still fit the finished furniture through the door.

numerology can only claim to illuminate allegedly unconnected events or things having some connection.

Would you really say your example of tables is a valid equivalence to what he is talking about? Even Ran has mentioned the use of numbers, noting 13. Numbers and colors are one of the easiest things to translate into symbolism and themes in a book and Martins favorite book the Great Gatsby did it. I agree it will not unlock the secrets of the universe, well math does but in the books, there is nothing wrong with looking at the dropped bread crumbs. If indeed there is a correlation there is nothing wrong with looking at that and exploring it. Sure is better than another Lemon tree thread or what would name your sword thread, or who is a secret Targ or not a secret targ thread.

Does repetative use of such and such corrolate to anything? Sometimes it might, sometimes it might not only Martin has those answers so nothing wrong with exploring in the mean time.

[DSB]

so if the 'codes' origin being known does not makes its discovery a surprise, what is gained?

predictive numerology?

what can be learned from the examination of the recurring number?

[Crowfood's Daughter]

so if the 'codes' origin being known does not makes its discovery a surprise, what is gained?

predictive numerology?

what can be learned from the examination of the recurring number?

what can be learned, is how the Ironborn fit into the equation ;)

[WeaselPie]

Any feedback? Too long of a post?

Not at all, bravo, very well done! Still absorbing it

[LmL]

Check out the number 44, especially in regards to the ironborn. There are 31 main islands, and 13 in the lonely light group, for a total of 44. There are 44 petrified weirwood trees / I mean Nagga's Ribs (I mean petrified weirwood trees actually) on old Wyck. Hugor of the Hill, blessed by the Seven, has 44 children. I'm not sure if George is simply using this number where it's real world connotations are important, or if these things are actually connected. The number 44 is associated with regeneration and establishment of a new order, plus a bunch of other kooky stuff.

Also interesting is how Urron Redhand killed 13 Kings under a peace banner at the last Kingsmoot. He killed them inside the circle of 44.

http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu44.php

[Crowfood's Daughter]

Check out the number 44, especially in regards to the ironborn. There are 31 main islands, and 13 in the lonely light group, for a total of 44. There are 44 petrified weirwood trees / I mean Nagga's Ribs (I mean petrified weirwood trees actually) on old Wyck. Hugor of the Hill, blessed by the Seven, has 44 children. I'm not sure if George is simply using this number where it's real world connotations are important, or if these things are actually connected. The number 44 is associated with regeneration and establishment of a new order, plus a bunch of other kooky stuff.

Also interesting is how Urron Redhand killed 13 Kings under a peace banner at the last Kingsmoot. He killed them inside the circle of 44.

http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu44.php

I checked out the link...very interesting stuff. I know the 31 weirwood stumps at Highheart are also very significant. Naggas Bones and Highheart are both destroyed weirwood epicenters. The Iron Isles are home to the Ironborn and the mythic Grey King. The most celebrated greatest feats of the Grey King were basically killing trees. TWOIAF include discovering fire by taunting the Storm God until he lashed down with a thunderbolt and set a tree ablaze., carving the first longship from the "pale wood" of demonic tree that "fed on human flesh", and slaying Nagga whose bones aka wierwood trees. Not sure about Hugor but that is where I started going.

[Ser Creighton]

so if the 'codes' origin being known does not makes its discovery a surprise, what is gained?

predictive numerology?

what can be learned from the examination of the recurring number?

First off it's not a code, nor is it predicting anything that I see, a simple number can allude to or be symbolic of something. It may infer something reguarding slavery. We see it used in slavers bay and the north. Given Martins previous use of Vampire masters and thralls as a mirror to pre civil war slavery in Fevre Dream it could be hinting at that relationship in the north. Perhaps the ancient northerners practiced in slavery maybe even sold slaves to Others for god knows what. It may have even happened at the Wall.

It's not math it is the simple use of a literary device. Weather it is a number, a color, a flower, or a sigil all can be used as symbolism in literature. You know they even put it on the show right? 13. The last hero and the 13, the Knight king and his 13, the 13 ships sent to Dany by slavers, which she declined. Or how about 3, 3 fires, 3 treasons, 3 heads, 3 dragons, 3 slaver cities, the 3 walls of Qarth.

Black and White? The unity of opposition. The Sun and the moon get together and you get dragons. The Maiden made of light and the lion of night get together and you get the God Emperor of Yi Ti, and if you look close enough you will clearly see the story of Yi Ti and it's emperors mirrors that of the Targaryens and Valyrians all the way to the Dance of the Dragons where the Bloodstone Emperor threw down the Amethyst Empress which ushered in the long night. And if you look real close at the Wake the Dragon dream from thrones you will see the Emperors of YiTi cheering Dany on, which may suggest the proto Valyrians are in fact decendants of YiTi. And all of that goes back to Neds comments on the Sun and the Moon. So yes symbolism and what it alludes to can tell you a lot. Weather a number, a color, a planet, a flower, an element, it does not matter. When you explore enough you can get a very good idea of what Martin is doing. Something alluding to something it's that simple.

[LmL]

Agree with almost all of that. I think the current Yi Tish are actually not the direct descendants of the Great Empire of the Dawn, but rather only one tribe in the area which eventually claimed the mantle of the God Emperor, imitating the memory of the Great Empire. The original Great Empire, I am guessing, was centered at Asshai. It's telling that the YiTish move their capital around so often, and so far. Nobody else in Planetos really does that. Before the disaster of the Long Night, the gemstone emperors of the Great Empire (I think) had dragons and were based out of Asshai. The fact that we see them in book one (Dany's dream) and then again in book 2 (the magicians and people with gemstone armor who offer to teach Dany the speech of dragons), and then again in book 4, (Euron talks about seeing the statues of many gods, some of which are gold with gemstone eyes) says that they are important.