Heresy 217 Dreams and Dust

[Brad Stark]

On 2/4/2019 at 4:42 PM, Tucu said:

I think GRRM is including a weak version of genetics. People can have the magic genes and pass them, but the magical traits need more to be activated; like in real life where a phenotypic trait becomes active by a combination of genotype and environmental conditions (plus the activation and deactivation processes of epigenetics). Sacrifices could be a tool for the genes to express into a trait.

I think we are dealing with 3 different things entirely.

1) Sacrifice, such as the faceless men, where the value received is based on the value of the thing given up to the person giving it up.  Killing another person you don't otherwise don't value isn't much of a sacrifice by this definition.  Sacrifice doesn't need to involve a person or living thing at all, material possessions can be sacrificed.

2) Genetics.  The Targaryens have prophetic dreams, silver/gold hair, blue/purple eyes, and are obeyed by dragons.  The less Targaryen blood the less chance of inheriting these, and whether you are a know bastard, unknown bastard or heir or second son doesn't matter.

3) Right of inheritance.  This goes both for claims to a throne or titles, as well as possibly the Stark's direwolves.  How much or how little actual genetic material is passed down is irrelevant.  We don't know for certain about the wolves, but I suspect at least some of the Stark children are not naturally Wargs, but their wolves have the warging ability, and the wolves were gifts to the descendants of the Warg King.  This also goes for fate (or GRRM writing characters a certain way), such as Brienne, following a certain arc because she is a descendant of Dunk.

As far as 2) - my theory has always been there are only 2 magic bloodlines, Ice and Fire, and they were created in Asshai in an event that threw off the seasons.  The Baratheon blood is significant for carrying both strength and dark hair - the Gardner blood, Arryn blood and blood of the other Houses, especially Great Houses, may be the same way.  But this is no different from our world, where Tutsi are tall and Pygmies are short and no magic is involved.  An exception might be those with Blood of the Children of the Forest, such as the Ghost of High Heart.  This isn't so much a magic bloodline as it is blood of a creature which is inherently magical (or at least appears magical by human standards).