King17 Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Anyone else think it is weird that bloodraven was elected Lord commander of the nights watch? I mean the guy was pretty unpopular during his time as hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Snow Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Didn't he take 300 Raven's teeth with him? That would be a useful base to build from.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King17 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 Just now, Rufus Snow said: Didn't he take 300 Raven's teeth with him? That would be a useful base to build from.... 200 I think and the nights watch was probably a bit bigger 70 years ago so 200 wouldn't have been anywhere near two thirds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frey family reunion Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Maybe he warged a raven to say his name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Leftwich Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 BR was in a position of power for years and years. A leader of men, a soldier, and on the Small Council. Had the ear of kings and princes. Assuming that most in the NW took seriously that BR was serious about his vow to the NW, convincing a military order to follow him would be very easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King17 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 3 minutes ago, Ser Leftwich said: BR was in a position of power for years and years. A leader of men, a soldier, and on the Small Council. Had the ear of kings and princes. Assuming that most in the NW took seriously that BR was serious about his vow to the NW, convincing a military order to follow him would be very easy. Maybe but during his time in power he was hated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Leftwich Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 2 minutes ago, King17 said: Maybe but during his time in power he was hated Hence the, "Assuming that most in the NW took seriously that BR was serious about his vow to the NW," part. Obviously. between popularity, ability, fear, admiration, and other means, etc., he was elected. The NW was willing to elect Janos Slynt, just on his saying he used to be important and that he had friends, along with an incredibly weak personality. BR's personality and presence, across the board (charm to fear to regal presence) would get him elected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King17 Posted March 12, 2020 Author Share Posted March 12, 2020 1 minute ago, Ser Leftwich said: Hence the, "Assuming that most in the NW took seriously that BR was serious about his vow to the NW," part. Obviously. between popularity, ability, fear, admiration, and other means, etc., he was elected. The NW was willing to elect Janos Slynt, just on his saying he used to be important and that he had friends, along with an incredibly weak personality. BR's personality and presence, across the board (charm to fear to regal presence) would get him elected. Oh yeah forgot about that whole Janos slynt thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Leftwich Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 It is unpleasant, but most of the NW is made up of peasants, criminals (who were likely peasants) and honorable men who self-exile to the Wall. All those groups are raised to follow authority and/or out of fear/danger. BR has the ability to exude all of those. (Much moreso than say, the Old Bear or Janos Slynt.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Snow Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 15 minutes ago, King17 said: Maybe but during his time in power he was hated But being hated in the Realm could be an advantage in the NW, many of whom would have been sent there as punishment themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Uncle P Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 The things that made BR so feared and hated in the South (sorcery, ruthlessness, decisiveness) would have made him ideal for the NW. It's easy to imagine the officer upper class (bit like Mormont or Mallister in ASOIAF) picking him due to his status as the son of a King and a former Hand. Small folk and criminals would recognize his bastard status, and fearsome reputation in war. Bit like the way Sam pitched Jon's candidacy in different ways to both Mallister and Cotter in ASOS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megorova Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 Maybe his election was connected to Blackfyre Rebellions. Brynden was sent to the Wall in 233, in 236 happened Fourth Rebellion, and in 239 he became Lord Commander. There's a possibility that after the Rebellion some of those rebells (members of Golden Company, and Blackfyre supporters from Houses of 7K) were sent to the Wall, and Brynden helped officials of NW to deal with those people, kept them in check, with assistanse of his Raven's Teeth. So when three years later their Lord Commander died, people chose Brynden, because previously he showed himself as capable leader and problemsolver. Or maybe the previous Lord Commander was killed by one of ex-Blackfyre supporters, and then Brynden killed that person, so of course other Night Watchers chose him as their new Commander. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megorova Posted March 12, 2020 Share Posted March 12, 2020 12 hours ago, Ser Leftwich said: It is unpleasant, but most of the NW is made up of peasants, criminals (who were likely peasants) and honorable men who self-exile to the Wall. All those groups are raised to follow authority and/or out of fear/danger. BR has the ability to exude all of those. (Much moreso than say, the Old Bear or Janos Slynt.) It's likely that at the time when Brynder joined Night's Watch, many of those people were those whom he had sent to The Wall, like participants of Blackfyre Rebellions and other criminals. So he was like an ex-cop in prison, only he had a lot of supporters there, thanks to those 200 Raven's Teeth that went with him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James West Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 On 3/11/2020 at 10:33 PM, King17 said: Anyone else think it is weird that bloodraven was elected Lord commander of the nights watch? I mean the guy was pretty unpopular during his time as hand. Brothers who come from noble blood have advantages. They get preferential treatment at the wall. Jon Snow did. Aliser and Janos are respected because of their titles before signing up. Brynden was famous and a Targaryen bastard. I would have been more surprised if he didn't get elected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissdbyfire Posted April 1, 2020 Share Posted April 1, 2020 Bloodraven was feared b/c he was ruthless, and also b/c people knew he was involved in sorcery somehow. He’s a Blackwood on his mum’s side, and we know how big a part the Old Gods have played and still play in his life. So, the southerners didn’t understand it, and he didn’t care. As to becoming LC of the NW, think about it... royal blood, former HotK, had a nephew (or is it cousin? Great nephew? Whatever. So hard to keep the Targ familial connections straight) that came w/ him, experienced, apparently (from what we can tell) dedicated to the Watch (he wasn’t elected LC upon arriving, but ~ 6 years later, plenty of time for him to show what he was all about). All of this make for BR being a great candidate for LC. But there’s something else that shouldn’t be ignored... the man, ruthless as he was, inspired such loyalty that several of his Raven’s Teeth went to the Wall w/ him. Yup, I’d vote for him to be my Lord Commander w/o a doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bael's Bastard Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 On 3/11/2020 at 10:33 PM, King17 said: Anyone else think it is weird that bloodraven was elected Lord commander of the nights watch? I mean the guy was pretty unpopular during his time as hand. Bloodraven had an impressive resume in the first place. The guy had loyally waged war on the Blackfyres for forty years. Interestingly, both the future King Aegon V and Lord Willam Stark wed Blackwoods whose exact relations to each other and Bloodraven are unknown. Melantha Blackwood was widowed in 226 when Lord Willam was killed by wildlings, and their likely still young son Edwyle became lord. Bloodraven was sent to the Wall in 233, and elected Lord Commander in 239. It wouldn't be surprising IMO if Melantha and/or Artos were willing to support Bloodraven's candidacy, and perhaps even infuse the Watch with more northmen to get it done. The Starks and north would have every reason to support the rise of such an aggressive and competent leader against the wildlings who had succeeded in killing a Lord Stark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernie Mac Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 He's royalty. Connections to the Crown will mean that he would be an obvious choice to command. Aegon's reign was a challenging one, starting as it did in the midst of a winter that had lasted three years and showed no signs of abating. There was starvation and suffering in the North, as there had been a hundred years before, in the long winter that reigned from 130 to 135 AC. King Aegon, always concerned for the welfare of the poor and weak, did what he could to increase the flow of grain and other food to the North, but some felt he did too much in this regard. Given Aegon was a King who wanted to help and the Watch would need considerable help, especially in Winter, then having a relative of Aegon as Lord Commander may increase supplies. It is the same reason why Jon was earmarked for a leadership position, why an 8-year-old Stark bastard was made Lord Commander or why Royce was given a leadership position before he earned it. Nepotism is rife. Also helps that Brynden was hugely experienced in command. Even if many of the men on the Wall did not like him, were sent to the Wall by him, they'd recognize that it was better to be managed by someone who knew what they were doing rather than a likeable buffoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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