Wow, I Never Noticed That, v. 14

[Lost Melnibonean]

The scene where Hodor drops a stone down the well in the kitchen of the Nightfort is an allusion to Pippin doing the same thing in the guardroom in the Mines of Moria. A chill air rose out of both wells. Both stones found water after very long falls. And both splashes echoed. And both Gandalf and Bran were concerned that Pippin and Hodor, respectively, had woken up something. Nevertheless, both parties went to sleep. 

[Lost Melnibonean]

After the the tale of the Night's King, The George gives us the tale of the Rat Cook...

Quote

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."

Bran IV, Strom 56

The story tells us that the gods cannot forgive a man who slays a guest beneath his roof, even if he has a right to vengeance. It also sets up Lord Wyman's Frey pies, and it suggests that Wyman will not be satisfied with Rhaegar, Symond, and Jared. 

[OuttaOldtown]

15 minutes ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

After the the tale of the Night's King, The George gives us the tale of the Rat Cook...

Bran IV, Strom 56

The story tells us that the gods cannot forgive a man who slays a guest beneath his roof, even if he has a right to vengeance. It also sets up Lord Wyman's Frey pies, and it suggests that Wyman will not be satisfied with Rhaegar, Symond, and Jared. 

Based on this quote from Mance its safe to say that burning branches of Weirwoods (as Mel forced the free folk to do) would be as frowned upon as breaking the laws of hospitality:

“Your father would have had my head off.” The king gave a shrug. “Though once I had eaten at his board I was protected by guest right.

The laws of hospitality are as old as the First Men, and sacred as a heart tree.” He gestured at the board between them, the broken bread and chicken bones. “Here you are the guest, and safe from harm at my hands... this night, at least. So tell me truly, Jon Snow. Are you a craven who turned your cloak from fear, or is there another reason that brings you to my tent?”

 

[TheDemonicStark]

Something else I noticed rereading the first book. The Bran chapter where he wakes up. He looks north, very very very far north, and becomes very scared, and wants to know why he has to save the world. And the three eyed raven just says:

Because winter is coming. Just remember the Night's King being a stark

[Criston of House Shapper]

Until yesterday, I thought the House on Orkmont was called Orkmont. It's actually Orkwood.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Right after Viserion shows Brown Ben some love, we find out Brown Ben is a dragonseed. Right after we find out Brown Ben is a dragonseed, The George has Daenerys ask us who will ride her dragons. 

[Lost Melnibonean]

This is right after we met Brown Ben Plum...

Quote

On the road from Yunkai, Daario had brought her a flower or a sprig of some plant every evening when he made his report … to help her learn the land, he said. Waspwillow, dusky roses, wild mint, lady’s lace, daggerleaf, broom, prickly ben, harpy’s gold …

 

[Lord Wraith]

6 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Right after Viserion shows Brown Ben some love, we find out Brown Ben is a dragonseed. Right after we find out Brown Ben is a dragonseed, The George has Daenerys ask us who will ride her dragons. 

Then it would stand to reason that anyone with some Targaryen blood could ride a dragon, like the current line of House Martell?

[Lost Melnibonean]

1 minute ago, Lord Wraith said:

Then it would stand to reason that anyone with some Targaryen blood could ride a dragon, like the current line of House Martell?

Nope. It would stand to reason that the author is saying look at this relationship between Viserion and Brown Ben, and then he is telling us to wonder who will ride the dragons. He is either hinting or feinting. 

[Lord Wraith]

2 minutes ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Nope. It would stand to reason that the author is saying look at this relationship between Viserion and Brown Ben, and then he is telling us to wonder who will ride the dragons. He is either hinting or feinting. 

Well I doubt Brown Ben will ride a dragon... so feint I guess. Who knows?

[Criston of House Shapper]

10 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Nope. It would stand to reason that the author is saying look at this relationship between Viserion and Brown Ben, and then he is telling us to wonder who will ride the dragons. He is either hinting or feinting. 

This is probably a red herring.

[Clegane'sPup]

11 hours ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Nope. It would stand to reason that the author is saying look at this relationship between Viserion and Brown Ben, and then he is telling us to wonder who will ride the dragons. He is either hinting or feinting. 

The Ben Plumm & Viserion interaction has always piqued my curiosity. What say you start a thread.

Her captains bowed and left her with her handmaids and her dragons. But as Brown Ben was leaving, Viserion spread his pale white wings and flapped lazily at his head. One of the wings buffeted the sellsword in his face. The white dragon landed awkwardly with one foot on the man's head and one on his shoulder, shrieked, and flew off again. "He likes you, Ben," said Dany." And well he might." Brown Ben laughed. "I have me a drop of the dragon blood myself, you know." SoS Dany V

I found it comical and fascinating that Brown Ben referred to the dragons as pets.

What, o' the queen's little pets?" Brown Ben's eyes crinkled in amusement. The grizzled captain of the Second Sons was a creature of the free companies, a mongrel with the blood of a dozen different peoples flowing through his veins, but he had always been fond of the dragons, and them of him.  DwD Dany V

Brown Ben could be speaking of dragons as gold coin or he could be referring to actual dragons.  He could be referring to dragons as in Targs, but which branch of the tree?

[Lost Melnibonean]

@Lord Wraith & @Criston of House Shapper, as Tyrion notes, Brown Ben Plumm is a dragonseed. And the "leathery brown-skinned man" reminds me of "the small brown girl called Nettles." After taming Sheepstealer, of course, the small brown girl hooked up with Daemon Targaryen. Daemon Targaryen just so happens to be the great great great great great grandfather of Brown Ben Plumm. In The Rogue Prince we learn that "Prince Daemon had little difficulty assembling an army of landless adventures and second sons." 

[Criston of House Shapper]

30 minutes ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

@Lord Wraith & @Criston of House Shapper, as Tyrion notes, Brown Ben Plumm is a dragonseed. And the "leathery brown-skinned man" reminds me of "the small brown girl called Nettles." After taming Sheepstealer, of course, the small brown girl hooked up with Daemon Targaryen. Daemon Targaryen just so happens to be the great great great great great grandfather of Brown Ben Plumm. In The Rogue Prince we learn that "Prince Daemon had little difficulty assembling an army of landless adventures and second sons." 

I'm not debating that Ben Plumm is descended from some Targaryen, though I wasn't sure about the exact relation. What I'm calling a red herring is the idea of him as a dragon rider for Viserion. That just doesn't make sense, when Quentyn wasn't enough of a major character to be worthy of a dragon.

[BricksAndSparrows]

When Dany is looking at the "stolen gods" on her way to Vaes Dothrak, she sees a black dragon with a griffin...

But she also counts a manticore among them, so I'm not sure if that is just a coincidence.

Also, when Sansa is grieving in her room, after Joff shows Ned "mercy" at the sept, she reflects on Janos Slynt and what happens. She says she wished some here would force him to his knees and take his head.

[Clegane'sPup]

36 minutes ago, Criston of House Shapper said:

That just doesn't make sense, when Quentyn wasn't enough of a major character to be worthy of a dragon.

Quentyn was afraid, scared, and Plumm is not, but someone needs to start a thread. Please.

[Lost Melnibonean]

1 hour ago, Criston of House Shapper said:

I'm not debating that Ben Plumm is descended from some Targaryen, though I wasn't sure about the exact relation. What I'm calling a red herring is the idea of him as a dragon rider for Viserion. That just doesn't make sense, when Quentyn wasn't enough of a major character to be worthy of a dragon.

Was Netty? 

[Lost Melnibonean]

1 hour ago, BricksAndSparrows said:

When Dany is looking at the "stolen gods" on her way to Vaes Dothrak, she sees a black dragon with a griffin...

But she also counts a manticore among them, so I'm not sure if that is just a coincidence.

This...

Quote

Beyond the horse gate, plundered gods and stolen heroes loomed to either side of them. The forgotten deities of dead cities brandished their broken thunderbolts at the sky as Dany rode her silver past their feet. Stone kings looked down on her from their thrones, their faces chipped and stained, even their names lost in the mists of time. Lithe young maidens danced on marble plinths, draped only in flowers, or poured air from shattered jars. Monsters stood in the grass beside the road; black iron dragons with jewels for eyes, roaring griffins, manticores with their barbed tails poised to strike, and other beasts she could not name. Some of the statues were so lovely they took her breath away, others so misshapen and terrible that Dany could scarcely bear to look at them. Those, Ser Jorah said, had likely come from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai.

Goes along with this...

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All the colors that had been missing from Vaes Tolorro had found their way to Qarth; buildings crowded about her fantastical as a fever dream in shades of rose, violet, and umber. She passed under a bronze arch fashioned in the likeness of two snakesmating, their scales delicate flakes of jade, obsidian, and lapis lazuli. Slim towers stood taller than any Dany had ever seen, and elaborate fountains filled every square, wrought in the shapes of griffins and dragons and manticores.

Daenerys II, Clash

Notice that she observes fountains wrought in the shapes of griffins and dragons and manticores. The griffin and dragon allusions are easy, of course, Jon Connington and Aegon. But the manticore allusion is much more elusive. In case you dont know, the manticore is a chimera, a fantastical beast comprised of the body parts of more than one animal or other mythical beast. The manticore most commonly consisted of a human head, a lions body, a bats wings, and a scorpions tail, but there were other variations. In ASOIAF, the manticore was much smaller, with a malign, black face and an arched, venomous tail, with the ability to fold itself into a scarab. In the real world, the manticore and chimeras were depicted in the art of the Romanesque and Renaissance periods to symbolize fraud. So, we have Jon Connington, Aegon, and fraud.

[Criston of House Shapper]

1 hour ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

Was Netty? 

Was Netty flying on one of the only three dragons alive, who also happened to be the first to be hatched in almost two centuries?

[BricksAndSparrows]

1 hour ago, Lost Melnibonean said:

This...

Goes along with this...

Daenerys II, Clash

Notice that she observes fountains wrought in the shapes of griffins and dragons and manticores. The griffin and dragon allusions are easy, of course, Jon Connington and Aegon. But the manticore allusion is much more elusive. In case you dont know, the manticore is a chimera, a fantastical beast comprised of the body parts of more than one animal or other mythical beast. The manticore most commonly consisted of a human head, a lions body, a bats wings, and a scorpions tail, but there were other variations. In ASOIAF, the manticore was much smaller, with a malign, black face and an arched, venomous tail, with the ability to fold itself into a scarab. In the real world, the manticore and chimeras were depicted in the art of the Romanesque and Renaissance periods to symbolize fraud. So, we have Jon Connington, Aegon, and fraud.

Ahhhh... Interesting. I was trying to connect them to Amory Lorch. Very cool. Thank you.