Aldarion Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 Just reading through "The Irish Mythological Cycle and Celtic Mythology", and on pg. 83 it is mentioned that Celtic druids burned men alive in wicker cages - predominantly criminals, but also innocents if criminals were not available. What is known about tradition of human sacrifice in North, especially pre-Andal Conquest? I seem to remember that there were sacrifices in front of Heart Trees, but I don't remember where exactly is that mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kissdbyfire Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 In Bran’s last chapter in ADwD he has a series of visions, and the last one is an old woman w/ a bronze sickle who may seem to be sacrificing a man in front of a heart tree. There’s the tale of the Stark who freed slaves in the Wolf’s Den and gave them their captors, which the freed men proceeded to kill and decorated the heart tree w/ their entrails. “Then a long cruel winter fell,” said Ser Bartimus. “The White Knife froze hard, and even the firth was icing up. The winds came howling from the north and drove them slavers inside to huddle round their fires, and whilst they warmed themselves the new king come down on them. Brandon Stark this was, Edrick Snowbeard’s great-grandson, him that men called Ice Eyes. He took the Wolf’s Den back, stripped the slavers naked, and gave them to the slaves he’d found chained up in the dungeons. It’s said they hung their entrails in the branches of the heart tree, as an offering to the gods. The old gods, not these new ones from the south. Your Seven don’t know winter, and winter don’t know them.” There’s also a very similar thread on the same subject from a couple of weeks back. https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/156968-did-the-starks-practice-blood-sacrifice/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizz-The-Smith Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 The Skaggosi supposedly still practise human sacrifice. Quote The Skagosi call themselves the stoneborn, referring to the fact that Skagos means "stone" in the Old Tongue. A huge, hairy, foul-smelling folk (some maesters believe the Skagosi to have a strong admixture of Ibbenese blood; others suggest that they may be descended from giants), clad in skins and furs and untanned hides, and said to ride on unicorns, the Skagosi are the subject of many a dark rumor. It is claimed that they still offer human sacrifice to their weirwoods, lure passing ships to destruction with false lights, and feed upon the flesh of men during winter. [TWOIAF] Garth the Greenhand apparently wanted blood sacrifice from his worshippers back in the day. Plus the tales of him being sacrificed and reborn in the spring ala the Corn King myth. Quote A few of the very oldest tales of Garth Greenhand present us with a considerably darker deity, one who demanded blood sacrifice from his worshippers to ensure a bountiful harvest. In some stories the green god dies every autumn when the trees lose their leaves, only to be reborn with the coming of spring. This version of Garth is largely forgotten. [TWOIAF] And hi @kissdbyfire Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Ice-Eyes Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 27 minutes ago, Wizz-The-Smith said: The Skaggosi supposedly still practise human sacrifice. Garth the Greenhand apparently wanted blood sacrifice from his worshippers back in the day. Plus the tales of him being sacrificed and reborn in the spring ala the Corn King myth. And hi @kissdbyfire What’s the corn king myth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frey family reunion Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 28 minutes ago, Brandon Ice-Eyes V1 said: What’s the corn king myth? It's similar to the tale of the Prince of Pentos. The ruler gets sacrificed to appease the Gods and bring good weather or good fortune. In this particular tale, the notion of the Corn King would probably entail the sacrifice of a ruler to bring an end to Winter and a rebirth to Spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizz-The-Smith Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 15 minutes ago, Brandon Ice-Eyes V1 said: What’s the corn king myth? Hey @Brandon Ice-Eyes V1 The corn king is a god who sacrifices himself for the Land or for a good harvest to come the next year. He can appear in other traditions around the world, for instance as Adonis, Osiris or Tammuz. 1 minute ago, Frey family reunion said: It's similar to the tale of the Prince of Pentos. The ruler gets sacrificed to appease the Gods and bring good weather or good fortune. In this particular tale, the notion of the Corn King would probably entail the sacrifice of a ruler to bring and end to Winter and a rebirth to Spring. Jon is a very strong candidate for a Corn King in the current narrative. One who dies only to come back to life to bring in the new season, namely spring. There's good foreshadowing for such as well.... Quote He rose and dressed in darkness, as Mormont's raven muttered across the room. "Corn," the bird said, and, "King," and, "Snow, Jon Snow, Jon Snow." That was queer. The bird had never said his full name before, as best Jon could recall. [Jon XII, ADWD] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowen 747 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 The Starks engaged in human sacrifice. That is how their tree got so big. The people of the north are generally not sacrificing. It is the Starks who ruled and therefore made the periodic offerings. The Children were also feeding blood, animal and human, to the trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curled Finger Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Makes me wonder if that's what's wrong with the giant weirwood at Raventree Hall...it needs watering with blood and fertilizing with entrails? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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