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Unicorns


Suzanna Stormborn

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Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.24.19

 

Martin: “I tried to be very accurate, for example, with horses. A lot of fantasy writers get horses all wrong. They make them these tireless beasts that can go anywhere and gallop for seven days straight.”

Tyson: “You don’t give the horses wings on their backs, like pegasus.”

Martin: “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books. [smiles] Oops.”

 

 

Thoughts?

Rickon comes back from Skagos mounted on a Unicorn?.....

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2 hours ago, Suzanna Stormborn said:

Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.24.19

 

Martin: “I tried to be very accurate, for example, with horses. A lot of fantasy writers get horses all wrong. They make them these tireless beasts that can go anywhere and gallop for seven days straight.”

Tyson: “You don’t give the horses wings on their backs, like pegasus.”

Martin: “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books. [smiles] Oops.”

 

 

Thoughts?

Rickon comes back from Skagos mounted on a Unicorn?.....

There have been discussions here in the past when it was suggested that Skagosi unicorns look like enormous goats but I don't there is enough support for the idea.  The notion comes from this quote:

Quote

A Dance with Dragons - Jon I

"Snow," the moon murmured. The wolf made no answer. Snow crunched beneath his paws. The wind sighed through the trees.

Far off, he could hear his packmates calling to him, like to like. They were hunting too. A wild rain lashed down upon his black brother as he tore at the flesh of an enormous goat, washing the blood from his side where the goat's long horn had raked him. In another place, his little sister lifted her head to sing to the moon, and a hundred small grey cousins broke off their hunt to sing with her. The hills were warmer where they were, and full of food. Many a night his sister's pack gorged on the flesh of sheep and cows and horses, the prey of men, and sometimes even on the flesh of man himself.

"Snow," the moon called down again, cackling. The white wolf padded along the man trail beneath the icy cliff. The taste of blood was on his tongue, and his ears rang to the song of the hundred cousins. Once they had been six, five whimpering blind in the snow beside their dead mother, sucking cool milk from her hard dead nipples whilst he crawled off alone. Four remained … and one the white wolf could no longer sense.

I believe that this quote illustrates that Ghost was injured by one of the goat's horns but many others believe that this quote suggests that the goat only has one horn.  The word "horn" is used as a singular when bullfighters are injured by one horn in bullfights, for example.  I look forward to reading what GRRM meant in the interview when he said “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books."

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49 minutes ago, White Ravens said:

There have been discussions here in the past when it was suggested that Skagosi unicorns look like enormous goats but I don't there is enough support for the idea.  The notion comes from this quote:

I believe that this quote illustrates that Ghost was injured by one of the goat's horns but many others believe that this quote suggests that the goat only has one horn.  The word "horn" is used as a singular when bullfighters are injured by one horn in bullfights, for example.  I look forward to reading what GRRM meant in the interview when he said “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books."

Found this too:

Quote

The "unicorns" of Skagos were once scoffed at by maesters at the Citadel. The occasional "unicorn horn" offered by disreputable merchants has never been more than the horn of a kind of whale hunted by the whalers of Ib. However, horns of quite a different kind—reputed to be from Skagos—have been seen by the maesters at Eastwatch upon occasion. It is also said that those seafarers brave enough to trade on Skagos have glimpsed the stoneborn lords riding great, shaggy, horned beasts, monstrous mounts so sure-footed they have been known to climb the sides of mountains. A living example of such a creature—or even a skeleton—has long been sought for study, but none has ever been brought to Oldtown.

The World of Ice and Fire - The North: The Stoneborn of Skagos

Does sound more reminiscent of a goat than a horse. But we shall have to wait and see, because you are right, I do not think it is enough to go on.

But I want to see a Unigoat, desperately. Rickon and Osha riding them with Shag loping alongside - hell yeah!

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5 hours ago, Suzanna Stormborn said:

Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.24.19

 

Martin: “I tried to be very accurate, for example, with horses. A lot of fantasy writers get horses all wrong. They make them these tireless beasts that can go anywhere and gallop for seven days straight.”

Tyson: “You don’t give the horses wings on their backs, like pegasus.”

Martin: “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books. [smiles] Oops.”

 

 

Thoughts?

Rickon comes back from Skagos mounted on a Unicorn?.....

Silly me, I am under the impression Manderly lied to Davos.

Sent Davos on a wlild goose chase.

Any animal with one horn can be a unicorn, uncatchable and mystical.

Wex the mute, who is learning his letters aims a knife at a map. Throws. Hits a spot.

Anyone have an idea how Wex ended up in Manderly's control?

 

 

 

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57 minutes ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Silly me, I am under the impression Manderly lied to Davos.

Sent Davos on a wlild goose chase.

Any animal with one horn can be a unicorn, uncatchable and mystical.

Wex the mute, who is learning his letters aims a knife at a map. Throws. Hits a spot.

Anyone have an idea how Wex ended up in Manderly's control?

 

 

 

Why you have this impression? Would like to hear your mind about this because I think Manderly is acting honorable with Davos. He has no reason to support the Boltons, quite the opposite actually considering everything that happned with his sons. Having Rickon would be a a card up his sleeve to rally the northern lords against the Boltons. He could even became Regent of North or something like this while Rickon is growing.  

Also he would be in good terms with Stannis as after Jon's refusal to come South, Stannis needs someone with legitimacy to be named Warden of the North and Rickon would be perfect. A much stronger claimant than both Jon or "Arya" Poole and with a strong regent too (considering that Manderly would ask for something like this).

About Wex I think there's no explanation yet for how he became Manderly's guest. My guess is that he stranded from Osha and Rickon and was eventually found somewhere on the coast by a White Harbour merchant ship or something like this and eventually made himself be understood that he knew something of importance thus gaining Lord Manderly attention.

About the Unicorns: Considering the quotes above I think Martin take on unicorns is that they are not majestical or beautiful as normally descibed on fantasy literature. They are ugly and strong beasts, most used to ride rough terrai, in war or to carry heavy cargo. I would imagine them as ugly as goats but bigger than average horses. Big, strong, shaggy, smelly, ugly, stubborn and rough beasts with a pointy and sharp horn that could easily impale a man and with a natural inclination to do so.

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39 minutes ago, Petyr Lannister said:

Why you have this impression?

 

40 minutes ago, Petyr Lannister said:

Would like to hear your mind about this because I think Manderly is acting honorable with Davos.

Manderly was not acting honorable with Davos.

Wyman flat out said if the ruse had not worked he would have had Davos killed in order to get his son back.

Wex --- a mute, a person who can't speak, follows Osha, Rickon and Shaggy after they leave WF.

Somehow Wex, the mute who according to Wyman & Glover is illiterate, ends up in Manderly's control and Wex throws a knife at a map.

53 minutes ago, Petyr Lannister said:

Having Rickon would be a a card up his sleeve to rally the northern lords against the Boltons. He could even became Regent of North or something like this while Rickon is growing.  

 

Are you perhaps suggesting that Manderly does not need Davos to get to Rickcon?

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15 hours ago, White Ravens said:

I believe that this quote illustrates that Ghost was injured by one of the goat's horns but many others believe that this quote suggests that the goat only has one horn. 

It wasn't Ghost, who was injured by "unicorn". It was Rickon's wolf.

While Jon was sleeping, his consciousness was switching between all of them. Ghost, chased by the moon, that was trying to talk to him. Next is "his black brother" - Rickon's wolf at Skagos, Shaggydog. And next is "his little sister" - Arya's wolf.

This is Ghost's POV:

Quote

"Snow," the moon murmured. The wolf made no answer. Snow crunched beneath his paws. The wind sighed through the trees.

This is Ghost "hearing his family":

Quote

Far off, he could hear his packmates calling to him, like to like. They were hunting too.

This is Shaggydog at Skagos (he is a black direwolf):

Quote

A wild rain lashed down upon his black brother as he tore at the flesh of an enormous goat, washing the blood from his side where the goat's long horn had raked him.

This is Arya's wolf, wherever she is, somewhere in Riverlands:

Quote

In another place, his little sister lifted her head to sing to the moon, and a hundred small grey cousins broke off their hunt to sing with her. The hills were warmer where they were, and full of food. Many a night his sister's pack gorged on the flesh of sheep and cows and horses, the prey of men, and sometimes even on the flesh of man himself.

So GRRM's reveal, that there will be unicorns in next book, only means, that there will be Davos' chapter at Skagos, where he will see those one-horned goats.

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23 minutes ago, Megorova said:

It wasn't Ghost, who was injured by "unicorn". It was Rickon's wolf.

While Jon was sleeping, his consciousness was switching between all of them. Ghost, chased by the moon, that was trying to talk to him. Next is "his black brother" - Rickon's wolf at Skagos, Shaggydog. And next is "his little sister" - Arya's wolf.

This is Ghost's POV:

This is Ghost "hearing his family":

This is Shaggydog at Skagos (he is a black direwolf):

This is Arya's wolf, wherever she is, somewhere in Riverlands:

So GRRM's reveal, that there will be unicorns in next book, only means, that there will be Davos' chapter at Skagos, where he will see those one-horned goats.

My bad.  The black direwolf referenced in Ghost’s dream is indeed Shaggydog.  But the quote does not state that the enormous goat he killed only has one horn.  :D

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13 hours ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Wex the mute, who is learning his letters aims a knife at a map. Throws. Hits a spot.

Anyone have an idea how Wex ended up in Manderly's control?

Ah... there was a long thread some time ago. It depends on how you think Osha and Rickon reached Skagos, which is not clear at all. It smells a little like a retcon.

look here

 

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11 hours ago, Clegane'sPup said:

Are you perhaps suggesting that Manderly does not need Davos to get to Rickcon?

In theory he doesn t need davos for that. If I remember right he does have an armada and several men capable of sailing a ship no?

Besides, why would osha or rickon or any skagosi believe whatever davos says? I think that davos chances of sucess are very little…

Honestly, the entire arc of stannis in the north is a huge red herring for the ascension of the starks. I find it much more likely that rickon/davos will tie their story with hardhome or whatever happens with the NW than with stannis/wyman story.

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3 hours ago, White Ravens said:

My bad.  The black direwolf referenced in Ghost’s dream is indeed Shaggydog.  But the quote does not state that the enormous goat he killed only has one horn.  :D

Yes I think it does say that, 'Raked by his long horn' right?

It is a confirmed unicorn in Jon's warg vision.

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22 minutes ago, Suzanna Stormborn said:

Yes I think it does say that, 'Raked by his long horn' right?

It is a confirmed unicorn in Jon's warg vision.

"A wild rain lashed down upon his black brother as he tore at the flesh of an enormous goat, washing the blood from his side where the goat's long horn had raked him."

I interpret that sentence as Shaggydog being injured when the goat raked him with one of its horns.  You interpret it as the goat having one horn.  Shall we agree to disagree?

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1 hour ago, White Ravens said:

"A wild rain lashed down upon his black brother as he tore at the flesh of an enormous goat, washing the blood from his side where the goat's long horn had raked him."

I interpret that sentence as Shaggydog being injured when the goat raked him with one of its horns.  You interpret it as the goat having one horn.  Shall we agree to disagree?

another thing to consider is that grrm has indicated that the Bran povs are the hardest to write because everything needs to be interpreted through the lens of a small boy.  So, has Bran ever SEEN a unicorn before?  I doubt it.  Coupled with the quote from the OP about grrm doing an interesting take on unicorns and it seems likely that Bran doesn't recognise what he sees as an actual unicorn because he's never seen one before.  in that case he names the animal he sees a goat, but in grrm's world the animal is actually a unicorn.

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On 4/25/2019 at 1:41 PM, Suzanna Stormborn said:

Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson 4.24.19

 

Martin: “I tried to be very accurate, for example, with horses. A lot of fantasy writers get horses all wrong. They make them these tireless beasts that can go anywhere and gallop for seven days straight.”

Tyson: “You don’t give the horses wings on their backs, like pegasus.”

Martin: “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books. [smiles] Oops.”

 

 

Thoughts?

Rickon comes back from Skagos mounted on a Unicorn?.....

Rickon, Shaggy, Osha and Davos will come back w/ a horde of wild Skagosi warriors and their fierce unicorns. I. Can’t. Wait. :D

And instead of being cute and farting rainbows, Martin’s unicorns are gonna be nothing like that. :commie:

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On 4/25/2019 at 10:45 PM, White Ravens said:

There have been discussions here in the past when it was suggested that Skagosi unicorns look like enormous goats but I don't there is enough support for the idea.  The notion comes from this quote:

On 4/25/2019 at 10:45 PM, White Ravens said:

Far off, he could hear his packmates calling to him, like to like. They were hunting too. A wild rain lashed down upon his black brother as he tore at the flesh of an enormous goat, washing the blood from his side where the goat's long horn had raked him.

I believe that this quote illustrates that Ghost was injured by one of the goat's horns but many others believe that this quote suggests that the goat only has one horn.  The word "horn" is used as a singular when bullfighters are injured by one horn in bullfights, for example.  I look forward to reading what GRRM meant in the interview when he said “I have an interesting take on unicorns coming up in the new books."

It wasn't Ghost being injured, it was Ghost sensing his brother Shaggydog being injured. And yes, when I read this it shouted "UNICORNS, SKAGOS, RICKON". As for the goat analogy, remember that this the mind of a (dire)wolf : a horn probably means a kind of goat to them and not a horse. And an enormous goat would be the size of a horse I guess.

EDIT  :ninja:ed by @Megorova

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11 hours ago, White Ravens said:

My bad.  The black direwolf referenced in Ghost’s dream is indeed Shaggydog.  But the quote does not state that the enormous goat he killed only has one horn.  :D

"THE goat's long horn"; nuff said, only THE one horn.

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2 hours ago, Jô Maltese said:

"THE goat's long horn"; nuff said, only THE one horn.

Nuff said from your perspective. 

You wouldn't assume that Bronn has one hand if GRRM said that he punched someone with his fist, or that Arya has one foot because she kicked someone.   Shaggydog was raked with the goat's horn.  An injury inflicted by one of two horns. 

Nuff said. 

:)

 

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5 hours ago, kissdbyfire said:

Rickon, Shaggy, Osha and Davos will come back w/ a horde of wild Skagosi warriors and their fierce unicorns. I. Can’t. Wait. :D

And instead of being cute and farting rainbows, Martin’s unicorns are gonna be nothing like that. :commie:

I hope to see your dream come true. 

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