Manderly and the guest right

[The King in The Mount]

I seriously doubt Manderly actually put human flesh in the pies. They were described as pork and very large. Likely he killed the Frey's and fed their bodies to three large pigs that were then slaughtered for the pies. To my knowledge refrigeration isn't in widespread use in Westeros so meat has to be baked shortly after butchering. It just isn't conceivable that they were killed in Winterfell and there was ample time to fatten three pigs on the Frey's during his transit there.

Or there weren't any pigs.

[psyqo78]

People are still in denial of the Frey pies? I see it as being blatantly obvious after connecting the dots.

[Blow My Horn]

I seriously doubt Manderly actually put human flesh in the pies. They were described as pork and very large. Likely he killed the Frey's and fed their bodies to three large pigs that were then slaughtered for the pies. To my knowledge refrigeration isn't in widespread use in Westeros so meat has to be baked shortly after butchering. It just isn't conceivable that they were killed in Winterfell and there was ample time to fatten three pigs on the Frey's during his transit there.

No one thinks they were killed at Winterfell. The Freys were killed on the road from White Harbor. Human flesh is often described as smelling like pork when cooking.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

I seriously doubt Manderly actually put human flesh in the pies. They were described as pork and very large. Likely he killed the Frey's and fed their bodies to three large pigs that were then slaughtered for the pies. To my knowledge refrigeration isn't in widespread use in Westeros so meat has to be baked shortly after butchering. It just isn't conceivable that they were killed in Winterfell and there was ample time to fatten three pigs on the Frey's during his transit there.

Pork is closest to human flesh. Cellular and everything. 99pointsomething identical if I remember correctly.

The pies were baked (or pre-baked) on the way, not in Winterfell.

[Jak Scaletongue]

I seriously doubt Manderly actually put human flesh in the pies. They were described as pork and very large. Likely he killed the Frey's and fed their bodies to three large pigs that were then slaughtered for the pies. To my knowledge refrigeration isn't in widespread use in Westeros so meat has to be baked shortly after butchering. It just isn't conceivable that they were killed in Winterfell and there was ample time to fatten three pigs on the Frey's during his transit there.

And refrigeration wouldn't be an issue - they're in the North, and it's already cold and snowing. Just letting them freeze would be preservation enough! I live in Saskatchewan - trust me, if it's cold enough to snow, it's cold enough to "refrigerate" meat! Even above 0 degrees Celsius it's still cold enough to keep meat safe - our modern fridges are usually set above 0, or else all your juice or milk would freeze! That's how pioneers (and probably everyone else before fridges) froze meat for the winter - leave it in an uninsulated shed to freeze, the shed helped keep the animals out and the winter did the rest.

[Minuteman]

I'm not in denial. Manderly ate the pies himself. Feeding them to his unknowing hosts is one thing but turning cannibal? I don't think so. If we go with the cannibalism route then there is the additional complication that besides Manderly you have the killers, the butchers, the cooks, and the occasional camp hand all in on the conspiracy. That's a lot of tongues to keep a secret. Manderly has shown himself to be shrewd. So shrewd that he plays the part of the fat fool to keep that fact hidden. I just don't see Manderly risking feeding the Frey's their own directly when he could get it done by proxy and still makes his point. Condemnation would be universal if he used actual human flesh (think of the Rat King).

[Bright Blue Eyes]

The Rat King wasn't condemned for cannibalism. He had a right to that. He was condemned for breaking guest right.

[Minuteman]

Fair enough. But I'm just not buying Wyman Manderly being a cannibal. Stannis burned four of his soldiers at the stake for doing it and they were starving. What do you think would become of Manderly should he be exposed as a cannibal? Would someone like Manderly risk it when he could still get his point across using pigs as a proxy?

[Bright Blue Eyes]

About 10 million Northmen toasting him for his taste in poetic justice?

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

I'm not in denial. Manderly ate the pies himself. Feeding them to his unknowing hosts is one thing but turning cannibal? I don't think so. If we go with the cannibalism route then there is the additional complication that besides Manderly you have the killers, the butchers, the cooks, and the occasional camp hand all in on the conspiracy. That's a lot of tongues to keep a secret. Manderly has shown himself to be shrewd. So shrewd that he plays the part of the fat fool to keep that fact hidden. I just don't see Manderly risking feeding the Frey's their own directly when he could get it done by proxy and still makes his point. Condemnation would be universal if he used actual human flesh (think of the Rat King).

One, if the secret never gets out, then the entire enterprise was rather pointless, wasn't it? The secret doesn't need to hold forever, just long enough for the wedding guests to feast on Frey. And they must learn about it, too.

[Universal Sword Donor]

I seriously doubt Manderly actually put human flesh in the pies. They were described as pork and very large. Likely he killed the Frey's and fed their bodies to three large pigs that were then slaughtered for the pies. To my knowledge refrigeration isn't in widespread use in Westeros so meat has to be baked shortly after butchering. It just isn't conceivable that they were killed in Winterfell and there was ample time to fatten three pigs on the Frey's during his transit there.

1) google "long pig"

2) Refrigeration doesn't matter. It's already cold and snowy. There are other ways to preserve meat before cooking .

3) Manderly took barges as far as he could and then took a litter. If you're trying to fatten up large pigs on a march lasting hundreds of miles, you're doing it wrong.

[DarkSister1001]

Just like the "pork" Coldhands brought back to Bran & Co.

Manderly would absolutely indulge in Frey Pie to make a point. It's about guest right and the breaking of it by the Frey's at the Red Wedding. Manderly did it completely by the book and followed the rules.

[Minuteman]

I'm only talking about the cannibalism. Feeding the Frey's to Bolton and his guests is one thing but eating them yourself is another. It seems out of character and I don't think too many in the North would be fine with it let alone commend it. Killing the Freys? Yes. Feeding them to Bolton? Yes. Eating them yourself? No. But if you think differently fine. Unless we get a Manderly POV we'll never know anyway.

[TitansBastard **]

Fuck I just passed the part of the books where Lord Manderly lets Davos go now I am super spoiled oh well idc but I feel like Davos is going to Soagos am I right?

[TitansBastard **]

Skagos*

[SeanF]

I'm only talking about the cannibalism. Feeding the Frey's to Bolton and his guests is one thing but eating them yourself is another. It seems out of character and I don't think too many in the North would be fine with it let alone commend it. Killing the Freys? Yes. Feeding them to Bolton? Yes. Eating them yourself? No. But if you think differently fine. Unless we get a Manderly POV we'll never know anyway.

Manderly relished the pies. He loved eating the men he hated.

[DarkSister1001]

IMO, it’s not about cannibalism it’s about an ultimate fuck you to the Frey’s and Bolton’s. I don’t think Manderly is in the habit of eating people. He needed to get back at the Frey’s and Bolton’s for the Red Wedding, for breaking guest right. He chose the story about the Rat Cook as his inspiration; he was able to succeed where the Rat Cook failed by properly releasing the Frey's from his protection. Since he brought the food to WF he HAD to eat them too to ease Roose’s fears of poison.

ETA: Any hesitation on Manderly's part to eat the pies would have made Roose suspicious.

[Rohed]

Memory is foggy but I thought Reek stated that Manderly didn't seem hungry when the lies came out .. I assumed he didn't eat them just fed them to the Frey's

[The Wolves]

Memory is foggy but I thought Reek stated that Manderly didn't seem hungry when the lies came out .. I assumed he didn't eat them just fed them to the Frey's

He ate I think two slices from each pie, Roose didn't eat anything until he saw Manderly eat it, so Wyman ate it.

[Ser Leftwich]

I'm only talking about the cannibalism. Feeding the Frey's to Bolton and his guests is one thing but eating them yourself is another. It seems out of character and I don't think too many in the North would be fine with it let alone commend it. Killing the Freys? Yes. Feeding them to Bolton? Yes. Eating them yourself? No. But if you think differently fine. Unless we get a Manderly POV we'll never know anyway.

Manderly is probably under the same impression as Roose, that he won't survive through the winter.

Also, he had to eat the pie, otherwise no one would trust it. He was 'taking one for the team.'