Howland Reed is the KotLT - Proof by Canon

[LynnS]

16 hours ago, Targaryen Restoration said:

Howland could be the knight but it's not proven.  He's a leading suspect. 

Is he your number one suspect? 

[LynnS]

 I recall an interview that Martin gave many years ago when he talked about watching TV shows with his Mom and that she could always figure out what was going to happen.  He made it a personal a challenge to write a story that nobody could figure out.  He threw down the gauntlet and said that he had provided clues to these mysteries he created in his books.  He triple dog dared anyone to figure it out.  People took him up on that and when he was looking at the forums in the early days;  he also said there were a few people who had figured out some things.  He didn't say who or what; but he did say that he wasn't worried about it because very few people would believe them.  In other words, they weren't popular theories.

[mormont]

On this one, we have some firm information in the shape of theories that proved true (and those that proved false) since the early days of the forum. (GRRM no longer reads the forum, of course.) Some of those that proved true weren't popular - but others were.

Also, of course, the above does not mean that an unpopular theory is in any way more likely to be true, certainly not by reason of its unpopularity. That would mean the most unpopular ideas would be the most likely to be true, and that would be silly. For a start it would mean Howland was a very bad candidate to the KotLT, since more unpopular ideas exist.

[LynnS]

32 minutes ago, mormont said:

On this one, we have some firm information in the shape of theories that proved true (and those that proved false) since the early days of the forum. (GRRM no longer reads the forum, of course.) Some of those that proved true weren't popular - but others were.

Also, of course, the above does not mean that an unpopular theory is in any way more likely to be true, certainly not by reason of its unpopularity. That would mean the most unpopular ideas would be the most likely to be true, and that would be silly. For a start it would mean Howland was a very bad candidate to the KotLT, since more unpopular ideas exist.

My point is that just because a theory is popular, that doesn't make it true and if it is unpopular, it doesn't make it false. 

Have you listened to Martin's speech at Northwestern University starting around the 9m 27 s mark?  There are some important lessons in this speech that apply to his own writing.

Why does Martin say the Rhaegar never discovered the identity of the KotLT.  Why ignore that fact?  Why does he then tell us that Howland left with all the armor and leave behind only the shield.   Why does Merra then show up with a greathelm (typically used for jousting) that she uses for a cooking pot?  Why didn't Martin just give her a cooking pot?

George RR Martin Northwestern Graduation Speech 2021 - YouTube

"Unless you get your facts right, you have no hope of arriving at the truth."

"No matter how deft your writing, how insightful your analysys, how skillful your interview technique;  if you got the facts wrong, even a single fact, a single, small inconsequential trivial fact, your story was worthless.  Readers who noticed your mistake would lose trust in the whole story."

  

 

[TheMiddleHero]

On 7/17/2021 at 4:12 AM, LynnS said:

OK well, I'm a bit surprised that Ned didn't have his own armour and also I thought he was otherwise pre-occupied in the castle that night with the dancing and Ashera Dayne.

If he was a mystery knight, why would he wear his own armor?  It's Ned, has always been Ned. Never wasn't. People may like to throw other candidates in, but if they pay attention to the story, it was Ned.

[Egged]

It was Hodor, the stableboy.

They were not going to dress up in bits of armor and risk their lives, but the strong yet simple-minded stableboy? Ah yes, good idea, let's use him.

His booming voice when he yelled surprised Lyanna and co, because Hodor could only say "Hodor!", and yet suddenly he spoke clearly and loud.

When Rhaegar finally found who it had been, and it turned out to be a simpleminded boy who could only say "Hodor!", more questions then answers arose. Rhaegar understood something magical was afoot.

edit: Hodor was still not fully grown by then, so the short-stature was because it was a boy, not an adult yet.

[corbon]

4 hours ago, Egged said:

It was Hodor, the stableboy.

They were not going to dress up in bits of armor and risk their lives, but the strong yet simple-minded stableboy? Ah yes, good idea, let's use him.

His booming voice when he yelled surprised Lyanna and co, because Hodor could only say "Hodor!", and yet suddenly he spoke clearly and loud.

When Rhaegar finally found who it had been, and it turned out to be a simpleminded boy who could only say "Hodor!", more questions and then answers arose. Rhaegar understood something magical was afoot.

edit: Hodor was still not fully grown by then, so the short-stature was because it was a boy, not an adult yet.

Quote

Teach your squires honor, that shall be ransom enough.'

 

[Egged]

1 hour ago, corbon said:

Teach your squires honor, that shall be ransom enough.'

Honoooooooooooooor!