Question about the NW's knowledge on Others.

[ApostolinO]

Garen dismounted. "We need a fire, I'll see to it"

"How big a fool are you, old man? If there are enemies in this wood, a fire is the last thing we want."

"There's some enemies a fire will keep away," Gared said. "Bears and direwolves and ... and other things ..."

 

It's pretty weird to suspect an Other attack while they're gone for like 8000 years. (How)Did the Night's Watch know anything about their existence before the attack on the Old Bear's tower happened?

 

 

p.s

I'm sorry if this topic has either been discussed to death already or doesn't belong here or is just stupid. I have little experience on AFOIF but I had that question for a long time.

[Unacosamedarisa]

The whole of Westeros knows about the Others... It's just that they've slipped into the realm of superstition and myth for most people. But a seasoned Ranger of the Night's Watch might have heard rumours and tales from Wildlings or other Rangers, or might just be wary, considering they are in the wintry abode of the White Walkers, being North of the Wall and all. 

[Deepbollywood Motte]

32 minutes ago, ApostolinO said:

Garen dismounted. "We need a fire, I'll see to it"

"How big a fool are you, old man? If there are enemies in this wood, a fire is the last thing we want."

"There's some enemies a fire will keep away," Gared said. "Bears and direwolves and ... and other things ..."

 

It's pretty weird to suspect an Other attack while they're gone for like 8000 years. (How)Did the Night's Watch know anything about their existence before the attack on the Old Bear's tower happened?

 

 

p.s

I'm sorry if this topic has either been discussed to death already or doesn't belong here or is just stupid. I have little experience on AFOIF but I had that question for a long time.

We can assume that this wasn't the first attack on the NW. I don't have the exact quote ready but Ned mentioned something about a spike in deserters of the Wall in the recent time. Maybe the stories started to come back again. And they never really left the minds of people (Nan is probably not the only one in the world telling these stories. There are also some curses ect. using the Others).

Wildlings also act like they never forgot about them, Craster was offering sons to them way before our story began. The watch and the wildlings have some contact, especially with Craster.

[kissdbyfire]

Just now, Unacosamedarisa said:

The whole of Westeros knows about the Others... It's just that they've slipped into the realm of superstition and myth for most people. But a seasoned Ranger of the Night's Watch might have heard rumours and tales from Wildlings or other Rangers, or might just be wary, considering they are in the wintry abode of the White Walkers, being North of the Wall and all. 

This. Also, we have the Old Bear telling Tyrion (I think it was Tyrion but could be wrong) that WWs had been seen near Eastwatch. If he knew this it's verly likely that other crows did too.

[JNR]

2 hours ago, ApostolinO said:

It's pretty weird to suspect an Other attack while they're gone for like 8000 years.

Yes.  Gared does appear to be more superstitious than the majority of the Watch at this time, to imagine this, (assuming he means the Others, which he doesn't actually specify).

The other answer is that GRRM didn't really think everything through in that prologue.  

For instance, he has the Watch ride for nine days north by northwest... well, that's hundreds of miles north.  It's not surprising at all that in more than week, riding north, the weather could change dramatically.  (I've been places where the temperature can shift fifty degrees in a single day.)

Yet GRRM still gave us this rather illogical exchange:

Quote

 

"Weeping," Will said, frowning. He saw it clear enough, now that the lordling had pointed it out. "They couldn't have froze. Not if the Wall was weeping. It wasn't cold enough."

Royce nodded. "Bright lad. We've had a few light frosts this past week, and a quick flurry of snow now and then, but surely no cold fierce enough to kill eight grown men."

 

Well, yes, these wildlings could have frozen... because they are now in a totally different place, hundreds of miles north of the weeping Wall, and nine days later.

[Lollygag]

Having only one eye in the series seems to confer a special other sight/knowledge to the character and I've noticed a pattern with ears in the series as well.

Gared lost both ears to frostbite. Craster had lost one to frostbite.

[John Suburbs]

Also, don't get the idea that the Night's Watch just ups and kills any and all wildlings on sight. They only go after those that violate the king's peace. Will, Gared and Waymar were tracking wildling raiders. At Eastwatch, in fact, the NW trades with wildlings.

So if rangers encounter wildling friendlies, they will have certainly heard tales that the walkers are back -- and then suddenly all the wildling villages are deserted...