Who is Haldon Halfmaester?

[Lord Varys]

Haldon is no unknown face among the members of the Golden Company. He is welcomed back in their ranks when the gang meets with Strickland.

We also see him being the guy in charge at Griffin's Roost in Connington's absence. He commands the company there, not Lysono Maar or any of the other officers. That makes him a rather important person.

Haldon is a veteran of the Golden Company, most likely a man whose ancestors went into exile with Bittersteel. He would have been sent to Connington by Myles Toyne to educate Aegon just as Strickland later sent Duck to Connington to train with Aegon. The fact that Varys and Illyrio thought they could trust him makes it pretty likely that they can be sure they can trust him, however if Aegon is not Rhaegar's son he most certainly doesn't know.

[Night Train to Kathmandu]

Haldon is much the same as Jorah, Tyrion, and Barristan.  People who have lost favor in westeros.  Disillusioned with the way things are.  Lost.  Varys and Illyrio find people like that and export them to serve and support the Targaryen restoration.  A soiled septa and a failed maester.  Just the types who might have a grudge against the establishment in westeros.  Who Haldon specifically is is not important.  He's a lost man who needed a great cause to serve and he is like Jorah in this.

[PrettyPig]

On ‎5‎/‎3‎/‎2017 at 4:20 PM, Good Guy Garlan said:

The problem with this is that Walys contributed to the downfall of the Targs. Why then would he be contributing with Dany's return to Westeros now, especially since she's bringing dragons, which the Citadel apparently hates?

With that thought in mind, one could throw out the possibility that he is the former maester (or apprentice maester) of Dragonstone during the Rebellion  - he's MIA too.  

We're told that maesters are loyal to castles, not houses...so what happened to the one at Dragonstone that led Stannis to bring Cressen from Storm's End?    Are we to just assume that he was killed during the assault?   That doesn't seem like a very Stannis-y thing to do.

[Praetor Xyn]

If he has a secret identity, my bet is on Walys Flowers, the one supposedly responsible for Rickard Stark's "Southron Ambitions," though that's just my own bit of crackpot.

[Wolf's Bane]

1 hour ago, Night Train to Kathmandu said:

Haldon is much the same as Jorah, Tyrion, and Barristan.  People who have lost favor in westeros.  Disillusioned with the way things are.  Lost.  Varys and Illyrio find people like that and export them to serve and support the Targaryen restoration.  A soiled septa and a failed maester.  Just the types who might have a grudge against the establishment in westeros.  Who Haldon specifically is is not important.  He's a lost man who needed a great cause to serve and he is like Jorah in this.

Would Varys send Ned Stark to the Targaryens if things had gone differently during his public trial?  Say Joffrey lets him take the Black instead of taking his head.  Would Varys find a way to get Ned to aid in restoring the Targaryens to the throne?   I think that is a thought that Varys would seriously consider and it will be up to Ned to accept.  Say Yoren's wagon train was attacked before they got to the wall and before Ned has taken his vows, would Ned agree to help the Targaryens take back their throne?  I think if it was Dany instead of Viserys, he would. 

[Foot_Of_The_King]

@Lord Varys mentioned something's I totally forgot to bring up in the OP. The fact that the Golden Company knew him well and that he was left in charge of Griffin's Roast. Those are two major bits of evidence to help solve this mystery. 

[Universal Sword Donor]

1 hour ago, Foot_Of_The_King said:

@Lord Varys mentioned something's I totally forgot to bring up in the OP. The fact that the Golden Company knew him well and that he was left in charge of Griffin's Roast. Those are two major bits of evidence to help solve this mystery. 

I can't wait to see Haldon emcee the Roast of Jon Connington. Wonder if they will find out about the greyscale beforehand. It'd be a pretty epic reveal.

[LiveFirstDieLater]

On 5/15/2017 at 6:54 PM, Lord Varys said:

Haldon is no unknown face among the members of the Golden Company. He is welcomed back in their ranks when the gang meets with Strickland.

We also see him being the guy in charge at Griffin's Roost in Connington's absence. He commands the company there, not Lysono Maar or any of the other officers. That makes him a rather important person.

Haldon is a veteran of the Golden Company, most likely a man whose ancestors went into exile with Bittersteel. He would have been sent to Connington by Myles Toyne to educate Aegon just as Strickland later sent Duck to Connington to train with Aegon. The fact that Varys and Illyrio thought they could trust him makes it pretty likely that they can be sure they can trust him, however if Aegon is not Rhaegar's son he most certainly doesn't know.

But there is no reason to believe that means Haldon was part of the Golden Company before Roberts Rebellion. Connington, for instance, was known to the company but didn't grow up in exile.

Also, how much Varys and Illyrio trust him isn't exactly clear... nor how honest they have been with him...

We also know that Benjen took the Black after the Rebelion for some reason, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Walys Flowers chose exile. Especially if, like Lady Dustin, Ned blamed Flowers for the "southern ambitions" leading up to the rebellion.

But at this point it all seems like speculation.

On 5/15/2017 at 9:04 PM, Steelshanks Walton said:

Would Varys send Ned Stark to the Targaryens if things had gone differently during his public trial?  Say Joffrey lets him take the Black instead of taking his head.  Would Varys find a way to get Ned to aid in restoring the Targaryens to the throne?   I think that is a thought that Varys would seriously consider and it will be up to Ned to accept.  Say Yoren's wagon train was attacked before they got to the wall and before Ned has taken his vows, would Ned agree to help the Targaryens take back their throne?  I think if it was Dany instead of Viserys, he would. 

I think Varys had Jaquen Hagar waiting to kill Ned even if he took the black and went north instead of being beheaded.

Quote

He (Varys) leaned forward intently. "I trust you realize that you are a dead man, Lord Eddard?"

And this is just before convincing Ned to take Cersei's deal, admit guilt, and join the Night's Watch.

[Lord Varys]

3 minutes ago, LiveFirstDieLater said:

But there is no reason to believe that means Haldon was part of the Golden Company before Roberts Rebellion. Connington, for instance, was known to the company but didn't grow up in exile.

We can reasonably assume that Haldon must have gone to Oldtown in his youth - that's usually the time when people study at the Citadel (assuming the Halfmaester thing refers to him having been at the Citadel and not just that he is a learned guy) - and we can also reasonably assume that Prince Aegon received proper education from a very early age onwards, say, beginning at the age of five or six. That is around the age when the Stark children began getting lessons from Luwin. That would mean that Haldon most likely was with Connington and Aegon from the very beginning or shortly after the boy was given to Connington. Just as Lemore was.

That would make it rather likely that he must have been with the Golden Company at the same time as Connington, and that he was at the Citadel even before that.

3 minutes ago, LiveFirstDieLater said:

Also, how much Varys and Illyrio trust him isn't exactly clear... nor how honest they have been with him...

True, but the chances that Varys and Illyrio did not carefully pick (and check the loyalty and trustworthiness of) the people they were allowing to handle Aegon isn't very likely. It is quite clear, for instance, that Lemore is very much invested in this whole thing when she warns Connington that all people involved were determined to keep this thing a secret.

In that sense they certainly would have trusted Haldon, making it not that likely that he is just another exile that washed up in Essos and joined the Golden Company.

[Falcon2909]

There are some who speculate that he's Leyton Hightower...but I think that's all a load of dragon droppings!

[Bloodraven's Spider]

On May 3, 2017 at 5:23 PM, LynnS said:

Walys Flowers was the maester at Winterfell who disappeared around the same time as Lyanna.  He is the son of an archmaester and a noble woman.... so half-a-maester.

This...

[asongofheresy]

I believe he is Walys Flowers the missing WF maester. He is key to understand Southorn Ambitions, he is connected to Maester Cressen and Archmaester Walgrave (who taught Cressen at the Citadel) it is interesting Walgrave takes cares of raveny of Citadel and the moment Varys talks to Kevan about Aegon's return we have white raven heralding winter. Haldon is also referred as icy c*nt, has grey eyes, and has a similar hair style to Ned, Lady Dustin and High Sparrow - I think HS may wear the face of Balon Greyjoy who have a connection to North as well but that's just speculation. AFFC literally has Pate talking about possessions of Walgrave where there is a portrait of a Florent woman that resembles Walgrave, House Florent's sigil has blue flowers and a fox hence the red cloak, a lock of blonde hair - i believe Malora's hair, it is possible her story has a connection to Lysa Arryn, and a gauntlet of a prince - there must even be a crab reference to it (wasn't there a Roynish figure connected to crabs?)  The guy is great for R+L=A clues. But I am curious who the prince was. 

[Damsel in Distress]

On 5/3/2017 at 4:31 PM, Foot_Of_The_King said:

Sorry if this (I'm certain it has) been discussed before, But who is Haldon Halfmaester, really? So much speculation goes into Lemore's identity but I never see any questions about Haldon. Even when Tyrion is naming the "secret identities" of the pole boat, Haldon is never mentioned.

ADWD - Tyrion VI

Tyrion mentions the entire pole boat crew except Haldon. Why is that? Is GRRM trying to take our focus off this smart/ out of place man? Is he someone that might have been important in pre GOT history? What does everyone here thing. Tinfoils are welcome.

He's the Kris Kringle of Westerosi nightmare.  He's made his way with a greyscale bomb to unknowingly let loose bio warfare on the Lannisters.  He comes in the guise of a healer but he already dropped Jon Connington off.  He's just another guy with a grudge against the Westerosi establishment.  He's on the same list as Viserys, Tyrion, Quentyn, Jorah, Arya, Vic, and Barristan.  Lord Eunuch sent them over to help Aegon.  He doesn't know it yet but his team is about to unleash hell on earth when greyscale spreads.  

[sweetsunray]

Not a secret identity in the sense of "another name", but a secret identity as in "not a man". Haldon Halfmaester is a woman imo, and not a man.

At first meeting Haldon, Duck and Tyrion debate about whores, and Haldon is a) affronted and b) Tyrion remarks that maesters don't need a cock, with Duck replying "but Haldon is only half a maester".

Tyrion is wrong though when he quips that maesters don't need a cock. They do, if only to prove they're men, because the Citadel does not accept female students.

And right after that conversation Haldon decides that Tyrion should double ride with Duck instead, and thus avoids Tyrion having a chance at checking whether Haldon has a cock or not, or breasts, etc.

And then there is the peeing scene. Tyrion has his morning pee together with Duck from the boat. Then he gets back to his work in the books and writing about dragons. That's when Haldon comes on deck and seems to go do his peeing off the boat, except George here makes a point of it to mention there are puffs of wind. No guy pisses against the wind. So, Haldon is only faking it. This is further hinted at, because Haldon tries to get Tyrion's attention with some remark. Tyrion threatens to join him and show his cock. Haldon warns him off, and then changes the subject by asking what part of Lannisport he said he was born (Tyrion's lying about his identity: claims he's yollo from Lannisport).

Makes the greeting of one of the Golden Company to Haldon quite ironic, "Icy cunt".

There is no other conceivable reason why Haldon was ousted from the Citadel: Haldon knows several languages, math, history and is rational. When he teaches Aegon, Tyrion is reminded of the time when maesters at CR taught him. Even Tyrion picks up a few things from Haldon. Haldon is as learned as Luwin, or more even, and he doesn't believe in magic. He's everything the Citadel would want in a student. He's not interested in women whatsoever, nor men. And he's got nothing in his characterization even remotely criminal. That doesn't leave much options anymore: wrong gender.

So, he's like the sphinx. Haldon is a woman who pretended to be a boy to learn and forge a chain. But at some point, after years, she got caught, and ousted from the Citadel. And that's it. Her name of course isn't Haldon, but it doesn't matter what her real name is, except that it's a woman's name.

[OtherFromAnotherMother]

13 hours ago, sweetsunray said:

So, he's like the sphinx. Haldon is a woman who pretended to be a boy to learn and forge a chain. But at some point, after years, she got caught, and ousted from the Citadel. And that's it. Her name of course isn't Haldon, but it doesn't matter what her real name is, except that it's a woman's name.

Which echoes quite nicely with another sphinx currently at the citadel.

[sweetsunray]

4 minutes ago, OtherFromAnotherMother said:

Which echoes quite nicely with another sphinx currently at the citadel.

Exactly, and that was the sphinx I was referring to.

We have one known female character in the books as a student at the Citadel, pretending to be a boy. And where there is one, there could be more. Haldon is one who would fit the bill very nicely.

And there's a main POV of a girl who pretended to be a boy and was found out by another boy, because he had the acuteness to observe she didn't pee just on the side of the road like all the other boys. Gendry challenged Arya to show her cock. We see Haldon seeming to make an effort to pee like men, but while making sure that the inquisitive and observant man doesn't come close to take out cocks to compare. 

[asongofheresy]

14 hours ago, sweetsunray said:

Not a secret identity in the sense of "another name", but a secret identity as in "not a man". Haldon Halfmaester is a woman imo, and not a man.

At first meeting Haldon, Duck and Tyrion debate about whores, and Haldon is a) affronted and b) Tyrion remarks that maesters don't need a cock, with Duck replying "but Haldon is only half a maester".

Tyrion is wrong though when he quips that maesters don't need a cock. They do, if only to prove they're men, because the Citadel does not accept female students.

And right after that conversation Haldon decides that Tyrion should double ride with Duck instead, and thus avoids Tyrion having a chance at checking whether Haldon has a cock or not, or breasts, etc.

And then there is the peeing scene. Tyrion has his morning pee together with Duck from the boat. Then he gets back to his work in the books and writing about dragons. That's when Haldon comes on deck and seems to go do his peeing off the boat, except George here makes a point of it to mention there are puffs of wind. No guy pisses against the wind. So, Haldon is only faking it. This is further hinted at, because Haldon tries to get Tyrion's attention with some remark. Tyrion threatens to join him and show his cock. Haldon warns him off, and then changes the subject by asking what part of Lannisport he said he was born (Tyrion's lying about his identity: claims he's yollo from Lannisport).

Makes the greeting of one of the Golden Company to Haldon quite ironic, "Icy cunt".

There is no other conceivable reason why Haldon was ousted from the Citadel: Haldon knows several languages, math, history and is rational. When he teaches Aegon, Tyrion is reminded of the time when maesters at CR taught him. Even Tyrion picks up a few things from Haldon. Haldon is as learned as Luwin, or more even, and he doesn't believe in magic. He's everything the Citadel would want in a student. He's not interested in women whatsoever, nor men. And he's got nothing in his characterization even remotely criminal. That doesn't leave much options anymore: wrong gender.

So, he's like the sphinx. Haldon is a woman who pretended to be a boy to learn and forge a chain. But at some point, after years, she got caught, and ousted from the Citadel. And that's it. Her name of course isn't Haldon, but it doesn't matter what her real name is, except that it's a woman's name.

Interesting, I don't believe in Alleras being woman sorry he is typical red herring for me, too in your face, plus Alleras has attention of females, frequently bathes for Lazy Leo to comment on it, shown as shooting apples with arrows we know Foss the Archer was renowned for shooting apples off the head of any maid who took his fancy. 

[sweetsunray]

26 minutes ago, Jova Snow said:

Interesting, I don't believe in Alleras being woman sorry he is typical red herring for me, too in your face, plus Alleras has attention of females, frequently bathes for Lazy Leo to comment on it, shown as shooting apples with arrows we know Foss the Archer was renowned for shooting apples off the head of any maid who took his fancy. 

Women can pay attention to effiminate boys. Doesn't prove that Alleras is an actual boy. Women can learn to shoot with bows, and in Alleras' case, not shooting apples on a maid's head, but on nobody's head (maybe that's another hint). Alleras has a widow peak and black curls, and a soft smile, slight figure and arms (not male muscles), has a Dornish drawl, always smiling as if enjoying a personal secret. 

Lazy Leo's comment about bathing is used to insult someone else, not one where he actually witnessed Alleras bathing. And bathing by itself is a reference to the water gardens in Dorne.

George isn't too difficult with his hints on identities as some readers assume he is, because the purpose of the alternate identities isn't so much to keep it a mystery for the reader to figure out, but by the characer to hide his or her true identity from other in-world characters. You could predict from miles away in aFfC by the mention of Bloodraven that Bran would end up with him.

[Bowen Marsh]

A citadel flunkie?  Enough knowledge to be of some use but not enough to have the full credential.  He has the  knowledge if not the diploma to prove it.  He's a Targaryen loyalist like Marwyn.  

[sweetsunray]

43 minutes ago, Bowen Marsh said:

A citadel flunkie?  Enough knowledge to be of some use but not enough to have the full credential.  He has the  knowledge if not the diploma to prove it.  He's a Targaryen loyalist like Marwyn.  

A flunkie?

 

Quote

 

The Halfmaester's cabin was the largest of the four. One wall was lined with bookshelves and bins stacked with old scrolls and parchments; another held racks of ointments, herbs, and potions. Golden light slanted through the wavy yellow glass of the round window. The furnishings included a bunk, a writing desk, a chair, a stool, and the Halfmaester's cyvasse table, strewn with carved wooden pieces.

The lesson began with languages. Young Griff spoke the Common Tongue as if he had been born to it, and was fluent in High Valyrian, the low dialects of Pentos, Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys, and the trade talk of sailors. The Volantene dialect was as new to him as it was to Tyrion, so every day they learned a few more words whilst Haldon corrected their mistakes. Meereenese was harder; its roots were Valyrian as well, but the tree had been grafted onto the harsh, ugly tongue of Old Ghis. "You need a bee up your nose to speak Ghiscari properly," Tyrion complained. Young Griff laughed, but the Halfmaester only said, "Again." The boy obeyed, though he rolled his eyes along with his zzzs this time. He has a better ear than me, Tyrion was forced to admit, though I'll wager my tongue is still more nimble.

 

[So Haldon can teach all the languages from Westeros to Mereen, and sailor trade talk]

 

Geometry followed languages. There the boy was less adroit, but Haldon was a patient teacher, and Tyrion was able to make himself of use as well. He had learned the mysteries of squares and circles and triangles from his father's maesters at Casterly Rock, and they came back more quickly than he would have thought.

 

[Geometry]

 

By the time they turned to history, Young Griff was growing restive. "We were discussing the history of Volantis," Haldon said to him. "Can you tell Yollo the difference between a tiger and an elephant?" [...]"And what lesson can we draw from Volantene history?"

"If you want to conquer the world, you best have dragons."

 

[Haldon already discussed history of dragons before with Tyrion and exhibits it again when they pass Chroyane of the Rhoynar]

 

Later, when Young Griff went up on deck to help Yandry with the sails and poles, Haldon set up his cyvasse table for their game. Tyrion watched with mismatched eyes, and said, "The boy is bright. You have done well by him. Half the lords in Westeros are not so learned, sad to say. Languages, history, songs, sums … a heady stew for some sellsword's son."

 

[Also a cyvasse adept, though perhaps not the Planetos champion. And notice how Tyrion assesses that half of the lords haven't had as able teachers as Aegon has had. ]

"The Bridge of Dream," said Tyrion.

"Inconceivable," said Haldon Halfmaester. "We've left the bridge behind. Rivers only run one way."

"Mother Rhoyne runs how she will," murmured Yandry. (Tyrion V)

 

[Haldon regularly scoffs at superstitions and curse stories, like Luwin scoffed at the idea of wargs, greendreams, CotF, etc... perfectly in line with the Citadel's agenda to dismiss any tales of magic as poppycock]

"As you prick, look for patches of dead grey skin, for nails beginning to turn black," said Haldon. "If you see such signs, do not hesitate. Better to lose a toe than a foot. Better to lose an arm than spend your days wailing on the Bridge of Dream. Now the other foot, if you please. Then your fingers."  (Tyrion VI)

[Along with the potions and Haldon taking care of Tyrion, he's also a reliable healer, as much as Luwin was, even if it may not be his specialty]

 

 

If he is that good, half the maesters teaching heirs in Westeros should have flunked the Citadel.