Lightning in the AGOT Prologue

[Nadden]

Here’s a good lightning theory I don’t think anybody has posted about. It most likely the first lightning strike in the series. And we don’t even see it:) The Ironwood tree in the prologue (AGOT) was struck by lightning. That’s why Gared seemed shell shocked before his beheading (Bran 1). The ironwood tree in the prologue where Gared was guarding the horses is symbolically linked with Waymar’s sword. I’ll have to ask you to please except that as a premise in order to avoid a lengthy discussion about literary devices used to create figurative meaning in order to arrive at the symbolism that I’m pointing out. If you’ll simply except the premise than we can easily stay on topic and that would take less time:) So staying on topic, the sword shatters when struck by a sword that “danced with pale blue light.” “Pale blue light” is a nice description of lightning wouldn’t you say. Then after the sword duel Will found the broken hilt.

“He found what was left of the sword a few feet away, the end splintered and twisted like a tree struck by lightning.” The word “like” in this sentence makes this a simile. The simile draws a direct comparison of the broken sword to a tree struck by lightning. Thus, allowing us to subvert the literal meaning in the narrative and consider the figurative meaning. 

That tree being struck down was foreshadowed by the stumps on the side of Gared’s head where his ears used to be. “Stumps” being the operative word. The two trees in the prologue(AGOT), the sentinel and the Ironwood, will both be destroyed according to Gared’s head:) 

“the scars around his ear holes flushed red with anger where Maester Aemon had cut the ears away.” Did Maester Aemon conspire against the old Gods or just help to fulfill prophecy?

So those “ear holes flushed red” against the Ironwood stump that would be covered in Gared’s blood is very ironic, right?

“His father took off the man’s head with a single sure stroke; “iron certainty”, just like Gared said about “the cold”. And so Gared was talking about the cold and his head was cut off by “Ice”. Next, “Blood sprayed out across the snow, as red as summerwine. One of the horses reared and had to be restrained to keep from bolting.”

That horse trying to bolt is another hint. That horse, near the ironwood stump, parallels the garrons belonging to Will and Gared in the prologue. “Bolt”, some lightning language, is a word specifically chosen by our author. 

Next, a description of the stump. “They forced his head down onto the hard black wood.” “Black” wood, as if struck by lightning:) that would burn and char the wood. That “ironwood” is now an iron anvil (kind of).

But what happened to the rest of the tree after it was struck by lightning? Here are these quotes:

“Race you to the bridge?” (Robb challenged Jon)

“They found Robb on the riverbank north of the bridge, with Jon still mounted beside him.” (Bran and Ned caught up to Robb and Jon)

“his father made them dismount beside the bridge and approach on foot.”

“Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks,” 

Ironwood planks!!!?

So the bridge near the dead direwolf mother is made of ironwood!!

I’m guessing that the lightning in the prologue is figurative for an axe that cut the ironwood down in the Bran 1.

Back to the ironwood stump. The Destrier that was tied to the ironwood away from the smaller garrons by Waymar shows up again in ASOS

ASOS “Sam felt a moment’s relief, until he saw the horse. Hoarfrost covered it like a sheen of frozen sweat, and a nest of stiff black entrails dragged from its open belly. On its back was a rider pale as ice.” 

I believe this is the dead horse from the prologue(AGOT). And was brought back like Waymar. However, it now came back with those “entrails”. Now, some more figurative imagery, picture the image of the black Destrier with it’s head down and entrails hanging down. Kind of looks like an ironwood stump if you could see the roots. Don’t you agree?

In fact, this scene is a nice parallel to the first scene in the next chapter.

Desmond and Tomard(Fat Tom) the guardsmen guarding Gared are an inverse parallel to Gared guarding the garrons. This makes the destrier as nice parallel to our ironwood stump. So does this make the “white shadow” that Will glimpsed symbolic of the lightning or the sword “Ice”? Both!!? Considering, the “white shadow” will be riding the reanimated destrier and that “Ice” will be delivering justice (Just Ice) to Gared. Thoughts??