Real myths. What could they mean to Asoiaf?

[AlaskanSandman]

Been a while since I ruffled some feathers, so I thought Id do a thread discussing real world influences and the possible inspirations to the novel.  This is not a theory. This is not a collection of evidence and quotes from the books. This is mostly real world myth, with questions as to their implications to the story. You are invited to quote the books though to support your thoughts or theories, or real myths. 

So, jumping right in. Lets talk the inspiration for the 13, the Golden Empire of the Dawn, and why George paints both sides as not to be trusted.

 

Comparing real world myths and linking them, as I did in old threads with the myths and legends of ASOIAF, one can find similarities just like the Azor Ahai, Huzhor Amai, Hugor of the Hill, etc links.

To begin, we start with the Greeks (Who often linked other gods to their own). Where the Greek Titan Iapetus is linked with Japheth, son of Noah. 

Iapetus was linked to Japheth (יֶפֶת) one of the sons of Noah and a progenitor of mankind in biblical accounts. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iapetus

If you follow this and make a linked family tree. This is what you get.

1- Adam and Eve

2- Seth

3-Enos

4- Cainan

5- Mehalaleel 

6- Jared

7- Enoch

8-Methuselah

9- Lamech

10- Noah

11- Iapetus (Japheth) ,  Kronos, and Hyperion

12-    Prometheus             Zeus/Odin   and       Eos

13-  Deucalion                  Apollo/Baldur   and Eosphoros/Lucifer

 

We end on the 13th in line from Adam and Eve, With Deucalion (Son of Prometheus and grandson to Iapetus) who is the flood hero. Apollo/Baldur, the sun god who's father Zeus/Odin over usurped the gods above him (Titans/Aesir) and flooded the World trying to kill mankind. Who usurped Eosphoros, the Morning Star/ Venus, and replaced him with Zeus's daughter Aphrodite. While Apollo/Baldur, replaced Lucifer's Uncle. Helios, the original Sun god.

Now, lets go into the legend of both Lucifer and Apollo.

Earendel (You might recognize from Lord of the Rings), is Lucifer. Who in Old English is referred to as the brightest of Angels sent to men over Middle Earth. He is Jesus, who announces himself as the Morning Star.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_I

Hail Earendel, brightest of angels,
Sent to men over middle-earth,
And true radiance of the sun,
Fine beyond stars, you always illuminate,
From your self, every season!

Which in the beginning was from the Father almighty,
Jointly eternal with God, and now again became
The flesh without sin that the virgin bore
Through suffering to safety.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurvandill

The Old Norse name Aurvandill stems from a Proto-Germanic form reconstructed as *Auza-wandilaz,^[1] *Auzi-Wandalaz,^[5] or *Auzo-wandiloz.^[6][7] It is cognate with Old English Ēarendel, Old High German Aurendil (≈ Orentil), and Lombardic Auriwandalo.^[1][2] The Gothic word auzandil, translating the Koine Greek ἑωσφόρος (eosphoros, 'dawnbringer')

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus_(morning_star)

The Latin word corresponding to Greek "Phosphorus" is "Lucifer".

 

 Jesus is part of the New Testament not recognized by Jews, who's Old Testament God is the god who flooded the Earth. Zeus, who in Ancient Canaanite lands was known as Baal Hadad, who along with his brothers Yam and Mott, over threw the gods above them. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadad

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(god)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mot_(god)

These are Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Or Odin, Villi, and Ve. Odin, the One Eyed Crow god.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attar_(god) The Morning Star who fought Baal Hadad.

 

Now lets talk about the son of the One Eyed Crow. Apollo-Baldur.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_and_Daphne

Apollo, chased Daphne into the forest of Hyperborea where she turned into an Ever Green Laurel Tree.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldr

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistilteinn

Baldur, who is Apollo in German, is later murdered with Evergreen Mistletoe.

Apollo-Baldur, who is the sun god who replaced Helios. Who begins his reign (gaining daylight hours) during the Winter Solstice in December. When we still hang Laurel Reefs and Mistletoe in forgotten memory. His father, Zeus (Jupiter) rules the last half of the year when darkness returns.

A few more things about Baldur-Apollo though. His death, and return to rule the new age as supreme god was prophesied in "Prometheus Bound" and "Ragnorak". First with Prometheus warning Zeus that he would be usurped by a son of his, as he usurped his father. This is what set off the events of the Trojan War, when Zeus wed Thetis to the mortal Peleus. As Zeus was going to have sex with her, but her son was destined to be greater than the father. So, Achilles was greater than his mortal father Peleus, but not greater than Zeus (Or Herakles). 

Baldur-Apollo dies though and his supposed to be reborn to rule the new age. He can't though till all of men worship him, and as Christianity took over, Baldur cannot return. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupnir

This was told to Odin by Hel, when Odin sent his Magic Ring Draupnir with Baldur when he died.

 

So, is the returned savior a good thing, or a bad thing? Is it Lucifer reborn, or Baldur come again. Does it matter? This seems to be the question Martin plays with. Though to what end, depends still on how you take the myths and what you think martin did with them.

 

This colors much of my interpretation of the Books. Like, Who is Daenerys, and who is Jon Snow. Should we trust Daenerys? Should we trust Bran, the 3 Eyed Crow?

Brân the Blessed (Welsh: Bendigeidfran or Brân Fendigaidd, literally "Blessed Crow") is a giant and king of Britain in Welsh mythology. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brân_the_Blessed

Bran the Blessed Crow. Bloodraven, the one eyed crow stuck in a tree (Yggdrasil)

 

Daenerys? The Dayne Heiress? Star Fall? The Sword of the Morning, the Star of the Morning. Lucifer.

 

Is Daenerys really the child of The Mad King and Rhaella? Does that fit real world myths and the myth Martin has created? 

 

Is Jon the Child of Lyanna and Rhaegar? and if he is, being the balance of both sides, will he have to kill both Daenerys and Bran? Or just the Nights King? 

Or is Jon not the child of Rhaegar or any Targaryen? Being purely Ice, and Daenerys purely Fire. Their potential offspring could be the "Stallion who Mounts the World", prophesied child of Ice and Fire.

 

 

Is Bran the Nights King, or Blood Raven?

 

Let me know what you think, especially after knowing some of the real world myths. I didn't give my theories, but I've done that plenty else where. Im curious what some of you think. Unfortunately we cannot compare the books with the show, not in this thread at least. So no comparisons or using the show to support ideas.

 

There is a lot more one can compare. Like the 12 Olympians, plus Hades, makes 13. Plus you have Jesus and his 12 disciples making 13 total. 

 

(This isn't the place to discuss Lotr, but you can clearly see Sauron as Odin, and Earendil as part of the Elves 

 

My thoughts?

I understand the story to be that Daenerys is the Dayne Heiress, the Sword/Star of the Morning that is Lucifer the Light Bearer, born near Star Fall. The Child of Rhaegar and Ashara Dayne.

Jon I see as the Child of Mance Rayder and Lyanna Stark. A child of Ice, tied to the 3 eyed crow, Bran the Blessed. 

[AlaskanSandman]

These are archived, so you can't respond to them. They detail my thoughts behind Jon and Daenerys though for any curious. I had these theories just following the clues in the books, but since learning more about real world myths, my feelings have been solidified more. 

 

Edit- Ignore the stuff about Gael the Winterchild. This was before Fire and Blood cleared up that time frame.

[AlaskanSandman]

To be more detailed about the Real Myths and Martins myths, I will tell in more detail how I understand his myth compared to the real myths.

The Golden Empire of the Dawn in Asoiaf, I think, is the family of Adam and Eve before the Flood. The 13th Gemstone Emperor who usurped the throne from the Amethyst Empress is the One Eyed Crow god that in real myth is Odin/Zeus. Who went to war with the gods before him (his parents) and fought the Morning Star. The Morning Star is Lucifer, but also Venus/Aphrodite. George seems to be going with the Morning Star as a female, as Daenerys seems to be the fire side and the Morning Star with her dragons.

  Adam and Eve stole fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, but there was two trees in the Garden. These Two Trees are the Weirwoods and the Inky Blue Trees in Quarth. 

  Odin/Zeus, the Bloodstone Emperor, or 3 eyed (one eye) crow, gave his eye and hung himself from Yggdrasil for greater Knowledge. Which Martin seems to have turned into giving your life of sorts to bond with the Trees, as Bloodraven did, and as Bran has possibly done. There are many corpses in that cave strapped to tree roots. 

  House Blackwood and Bloodraven seem to be tied to the Trees, and may possibly be tied to House Stark. (I did a time theory that shows the Bracken-Blackwood feud happens before the Long Night, or about the time of the Long Night. 

2700Bc  - Blackwoods vs Bracken feud begins during the Age of Hereos 1. Gendel and Gorne 2.

 

 

1700 Bc – Dawn Forged to fight the Long Night.  3 . Joramun teams up with Brandon the Breaker against the Night King? Or the Century after? 4. Andal Invasion of Westeros 5. Inner Walls and only defense of Winterfell built 6. Abandonment of Zamettar by Ghis 7.

1436 Bc- Scouring of Lorath by Valyria 8

1336 Bc- Boash on Lorath 9

 

1000 Bc- Starry Sept built in Old Town after Andal Conquest 10, Glass Candles brought to Old Town from Valyria 11, Falcon Crown first worn by Artys Arryn I forged 12

950 Bc- Start of Rhoynish Wars with Valyria 13

700 Bc- The Horned Lord passes the Wall using magic 14. Nymeria’s 10,000 ships. And End of Rhoynish Wars with Valyria 15

400Bc- Osric Stark youngest L.C. serves for 60 years 16

300 Bc- Hardhome, first city north of the Wall burned to the ground 17, Valyrians take Dragonstone  18. . Commanders at Night Fort and Snow Gate go to war, teaming up to kill the L.C. till the Stark in Winterfell kills them.  19 Freys take the Neck. 20. Bael the Bard 

200Bc- Gate at Wall/ Bridge of Skulls Sealed. 21. Valyrian Steel Blades begin to enter Westeros. 22.

112Bbc – Exile of the Targaryens from Valyria and flight to Westeros 23.

100 Bc- Doom of Valyria by Lannister Gold to the Faceless Men for entering Westeros? 24

0 – Aegon’s Conquest 25

226 Ac – Raymund RedBeard vs Lord Willam Stark 27

300 Ac- Mance Rayder 28

The Andal Invasion likely happened during the Long Night or round about, with their Dragon Steel helping to end the White Walkers, and legends of Dragon slayers popping up after when they got rid of them.

 

I think Daenerys is the Dayne Heiress and child of Rhaegar and his Dornish paramour, Ashara Dayne. Who I think Dany is seeing her vision of Rhaegar with baby Aegon, through her mother Ashara's eyes. 

To assume Rhaegar and Lyanna are Jon's parents would be to assume a few weird assumptions. 

1. Rhaegar "cheated"  on his faithful wife Elia, who provided him a healthy heir in his son Aegon. While also giving him a daughter. A marriage to Elia which garnered him no advantage. As it angered his father, and Lord Tywin who later rebelled, and disgruntled House Hightower and the Thorny Rose. Dorne, being so far south, is not much aid against the Lannisters, and at best could distract House Hightower from flanking Kings Landing with House Lannister from the other side. Kidnapping Lyanna though would gain House Arryn, House Stark, and House Tully against the Crown. 

2. It assumes that Lyanna, who doesn't want to marry Robert for being a cheater, would turn around and fall in love with another cheater. Rhaegar. This alone makes absolutely no sense, at all. 

3. Everyyyyyy thinks Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna and raped her. They then see honorable Ned Stark pop up with a baby after finding his sister at the Tower of Joy. Then assume that honorable Ned cheated on his new bride, rather than thinking its the child of Rhaegar by the woman he's been raping in a Tower. Not one single person questions honorable Ned cheating. Not one single person assumes the child is Rhaegars and Lyanna's. This is a huge stretch, at least for Little Finger and Varys. 

4. We have to assume GRRM has decided to use the "extra Targaryen" plot twice, in both Jon Snow, and F/aegon. Like, how does this play out with Daenerys? She arrives, find Aegon already has took Storm's End and has a following with out having dragons. People already except him as Rhaegar's son. He even has Jon Con backing him. Assuming Daenerys thinks he's fake, kills him. Then discovers Jon Snow claiming to also be a Targaryen and Rhaegar's other son. With less evidence than Aegon, but is going to believe Jon, and fall in love with him? Despite him also being a threat to her claim. 

5. We have to assume Varys lied, twice, to dying men. First time when he talks to Ned in the dungeon, recounts Elia and her daughters death, but fails to mention Aegon dying. Then later tells Kevin Lannister flat out as he lays dying that Aegon is real and alive. Despite no one possibly being around to hear and tell, and Kevin taking it to his grave. 

6. We have to assume Varys and Ilyrio are secretly Blackfyre supporters, an extinct house on the Male side. Despite helping Dany and Viserys, till Viserys proved to be crazy. While also giving Dany dragon eggs, and trying to align her and Aegon. Rather than sending assassins'. (Blackfyres not even being mentioned for the first couple books, but in the first book, Varys is already omitting Aegon's death from his accounts of the past). Tyrion messed up Dany and Aegon aligning because Tyrion doesn't Trust Varys and Illyrio. Tyrion doesn't trust any though except for prostitutes' who betray him for money. So maybe not the best judge of character.  

7. We have to assume that Jon is already the child of Ice and Fire, and any union between him and Dany does not produce the child of Ice and Fire, so any union between them is safe and actually good as it unites the North and South. 

8. We have to assume the legend of a Stark born to a King Beyond the Wall who he fights, and kills, is not a plot device meant to bring attention to Mance and Jon Snow. Despite their being a Nights Watchmen in attendance at Harrenhal. Mance being among the "Free" Folk, something much more appealing to Lyanna. Being of the North, and not into "Cheaters" and being a "princess". Despite Mance singing about the Dornishman's wife when meeting Jon and stopping at the part and staring at Jon. We have to assume this isn't a plot device. 

 

A Storm of Swords - Jon I

"Well enough. I'd heard it before."

"But what does it matter, for all men must die," the King-beyond-the-Wall said lightly, "and I've tasted the Dornishman's wife. Tell me, does my Lord of Bones speak truly? Did you slay my old friend the Halfhand?"

 

When Jon first meets Mance, Mance insist on reciting the line about kissing the Dornishman’s wife again.

  Quote

The Dornishman's wife was as fair as the sun,

and her kisses were warmer than spring.

But the Dornishman's blade was made of black steel,

and its kiss was a terrible thing.

The Dornishman's wife would sing as she bathed,

in a voice that was sweet as a peach,

But the Dornishman's blade had a song of its own,

and a bite sharp and cold as a leech.

As he lay on the ground with the darkness around,

and the taste of his blood on his tongue,

His brothers knelt by him and prayed him a prayer,

and he smiled and he laughed and he sung,

"Brothers, oh brothers, my days here are done,

the Dornishman's taken my life,

But what does it matter, for all men must die,

and I've tasted the Dornishman's wife!"

Brothers oh Brothers? Who else calls their fellow men brothers? Nights' Watchmen. 

Tasted Robert’s Wife and killed by Stannis his brother.

  Quote

The Dornish Marches, located in the south-west in a long salient along the Red Mountains, serve as an effective buffer zone between the stormlands and their old enemies of the Reach and Dorne.

 

  Quote

A Dance with Dragons - Melisandre I

"The spell is made of shadow and suggestion. Men see what they expect to see. The bones are part of that." Was I wrong to spare this one? "If the glamor fails, they will kill you."

The wildling began to scrape the dirt out from beneath his nails with the point of his dagger. "I've sung my songs, fought my battles, drunk summer wine, tasted the Dornishman's wife. A man should die the way he's lived. For me that's steel in hand."

 

Mance says he has drank summer wine and tasted the Dornish Man’s wife.

 

When and where did Mance drink Summer Wine and Taste Dornishman's wives????

 

 

 

The only thing that makes me question anything, is Beric Dondarion. The One Eyed Fire Wight sitting in a weirwood throne.

Isn't Daenerys the side of Fire? Isn't the One Eyed Crow strapped in a Tree Blood Raven??

Yes, Yes he is.

A Dance with Dragons - Bran III

Bran's throat was very dry. He swallowed. "Winterfell. I was back in Winterfell. I saw my father. He's not dead, he's not, I saw him, he's back at Winterfell, he's still alive."

"No," said Leaf. "He is gone, boy. Do not seek to call him back from death."

"I saw him." Bran could feel rough wood pressing against one cheek. "He was cleaning Ice."

"You saw what you wished to see. Your heart yearns for your father and your home, so that is what you saw."

Quick Note. Why is there wood pressing into Bran's Cheek suddenly???? O.o

Bran then, is done with the Tree, and goes to lay down and wait for Meera and Jojen. Then something really interesting happens. He begins to time travel through vision,  without the Tree…

. He had hoped that Meera and Jojen would be there, so he could tell them what he had seen, but their snug alcove in the rock was cold and empty. Hodor eased Bran down onto his bed, covered him with furs, and made a fire for them. A thousand eyes, a hundred skins, wisdom deep as the roots of ancient trees.

Watching the flames, Bran decided he would stay awake till Meera came back. Jojen would be unhappy, he knew, but Meera would be glad for him, He did not remember closing his eyes.

 

… but then somehow he was back at Winterfell again, in the godswood looking down upon his father. Lord Eddard seemed much younger this time. His hair was brown, with no hint of grey in it, his head bowed. "… let them grow up close as brothers, with only love between them," he prayed, "and let my lady wife find it in her heart to forgive …"

"Father." Bran's voice was a whisper in the wind, a rustle in the leaves. "Father, it's me. It's Bran. Brandon."

 

Eddard Stark resumed his prayer. Bran felt his eyes fill up with tears. But were they his own tears, or the weirwood's? If I cry, will the tree begin to weep?

The rest of his father's words were drowned out by a sudden clatter of wood on wood. Eddard Stark dissolved, like mist in a morning sun. Now two children danced across the godswood, hooting at one another as they dueled with broken branches. The girl was the older and taller of the two. Arya! Bran thought eagerly, as he watched her leap up onto a rock and cut at the boy. But that couldn't be right. If the girl was Arya, the boy was Bran himself, and he had never worn his hair so long. And Arya never beat me playing swords, the way that girl is beating him. She slashed the boy across his thigh, so hard that his leg went out from under him and he fell into the pool and began to splash and shout. "You be quiet, stupid," the girl said, tossing her own branch aside. "It's just water. Do you want Old Nan to hear and run tell Father?" She knelt and pulled her brother from the pool, but before she got him out again, the two of them were gone.

After that the glimpses came faster and faster, till Bran was feeling lost and dizzy. He saw no more of his father, nor the girl who looked like Arya, but a woman heavy with child emerged naked and dripping from the black pool, knelt before the tree, and begged the old gods for a son who would avenge her. Then there came a brown-haired girl slender as a spear who stood on the tips of her toes to kiss the lips of a young knight as tall as Hodor. A dark-eyed youth, pale and fierce, sliced three branches off the weirwood and shaped them into arrows. The tree itself was shrinking, growing smaller with each vision, whilst the lesser trees dwindled into saplings and vanished, only to be replaced by other trees that would dwindle and vanish in their turn. And now the lords Bran glimpsed were tall and hard, stern men in fur and chain mail. Some wore faces he remembered from the statues in the crypts, but they were gone before he could put a name to them.

 

Bran glimpsed into the fires.

There is only one god, the God of Death. 

Both Ice and Fire draw their power from the Trees. The True power, the True God. Garth Greenbeard. Who possibly use mind control to control Bran and Bloodraven as both are possibly dead. 

No matter which side wins, the Tree's win. 

[AlaskanSandman]

Another real world thing that links East and West myths is the word Elf. 

Elf comes from Old English Aelfe, from High German Alfar, to Old German Alvane, to Latin Alban (all coming from the Root Alb- meaning "White" as Alba Longa of Italy means "long white house"

, to Hebrew Laban meaning "White" or "Milk"

Which Martin calls people in his story Milkmen. Maybe a nod to this?

Lebanon where once the Phoenicians were are spelled with same consonant roots LBN. From which Laban gets its root. (In hebrew you can change the vowels or order of consonants to get new words with similar meaning.)

This is a similar phonetic shift represented in Asoiaf with Azor Ahai, Huzhor Amai, Hugor of the Hill, etc.

The Phoenicians were Ugaritic Semitics who believed in many gods including Baal Hadad, Yam, and Mott. Who in Greece were Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The Phoenicians sailed as far as England for Tin to make Bronze. Gifting the Greek, Latins, and Germans with their writing styles, all deriving from Phoenician. 

On ancient maps, England was named Albion. Possibly for its white cliffs of Dover. Aelfwine, a name from England, means  "Elf friend"

 

England was once connected to Europe (via the Doggerlands) till around 10,000Bc when Atlantis is said to have fallen (According to plato).

Atlantis which was once home of Atlas, who led the Titans in war against Zeus. Then sank under the waves. The same time frame as the Flood of Ogyges in Greek myth. The name Ogyges sounding similar to Gyges who finds a magic ring.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_of_Gyges#:~:text=The Ring of Gyges %2Fˈ,to become invisible at will.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogyges

Zeus, who is Odin, had a magic ring named Draupnir. That made 8 new rings every 9th day. Totaling 9 rings

In Norse mythology, Draupnir (Old Norse: [ˈdrɔupnez̠], "the dripper"^[1]) is a gold ring possessed by the god Odin with the ability to multiply itself: Every ninth night, eight new rings 'drip' from Draupnir, each one of the same size and weight as the original.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Draupnir

https://www.newsweek.com/legendary-miracle-rings-monastery-galicia-discovery-1552131

Perhaps tied to the Nine Rings of Power possessed by the Spanish Priest?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inferno_(Dante)

Perhaps tied to the Nine Rings of Hell?

 

Now, I don't think Martin took this in the same sense Tolkien did with physical rings. Rather I think he did it with Tree Groves. A Tree stump is a ring of sorts too. With tree rings inside.

 

Who's garden was the paradise Adam and Eve were in? And who's Two Trees were they?

 

The 5 Forts?

 

Perhaps the 5 Evergreens in Paradise that guard the secret garden that houses the Two Trees?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Trees

 

It belonged to the Elves, the Children of the Forest. The Albans.

[AlaskanSandman]

Its also worth noting that not only did the Phoenicians sail as far as England, but the Celtic Gauls likewise traveled as far. Establishing a colony in modern day Turkey, to the East of Troy. In Galatia. 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galatians_(people)

The Galatians (Ancient Greek: Γαλάται, romanized: Galátai; Latin: Galatae, Galati, Gallograeci; Greek: Γαλάτες, romanized: Galátes, lit. 'Gauls') were a Celtic people dwelling in Galatia, a region of central Anatolia surrounding present-day Ankara, during the Hellenistic period.^[1] 

 

There was a lot of trade in ideas, goods, and beliefs between the Middle East and Europe in the Ancient days.

[AlaskanSandman]

A Dance with Dragons - Melisandre I

"The spell is made of shadow and suggestion. Men see what they expect to see. The bones are part of that." Was I wrong to spare this one? "If the glamor fails, they will kill you."

The wildling began to scrape the dirt out from beneath his nails with the point of his dagger. "I've sung my songs, fought my battles, drunk summer wine, tasted the Dornishman's wife. A man should die the way he's lived. For me that's steel in hand."

 

Mance says he has drank summer wine and tasted the Dornish Man’s wife.

 

When and where did Mance drink Summer Wine and Taste Dornishman's wives????

 

A Game of Thrones - Jon I

Suddenly he realized that the table had fallen silent, and they were all looking at him. He felt the tears begin to well behind his eyes. He pushed himself to his feet.

"I must be excused," he said with the last of his dignity. He whirled and bolted before they could see him cry. He must have drunk more wine than he had realized. His feet got tangled under him as he tried to leave, and he lurched sideways into a serving girl and sent a flagon of spiced wine crashing to the floor. Laughter boomed all around him, and Jon felt hot tears on his cheeks. Someone tried to steady him. He wrenched free of their grip and ran, half-blind, for the door. Ghost followed close at his heels, out into the night.

 

To the Question of where has Mance had Summer Wine? I ask again. As the only wine mentioned in AGOT around the time Mance was at Winterfell, is spiced wine.

 

A Game of Thrones - Prologue

The young knight turned back to his grizzled man-at-arms. Frost-fallen leaves whispered past them, and Royce's destrier moved restlessly. "What do you think might have killed these men, Gared?" Ser Waymar asked casually. He adjusted the drape of his long sable cloak.

"It was the cold," Gared said with iron certainty. "I saw men freeze last winter, and the one before, when I was half a boy. Everyone talks about snows forty foot deep, and how the ice wind comes howling out of the north, but the real enemy is the cold. It steals up on you quieter than Will, and at first you shiver and your teeth chatter and you stamp your feet and dream of mulled wine and nice hot fires. 

 

Gareth mentions Mulled wine.

 

A Game of Thrones - Daenerys II

There was no one to talk to. Khal Drogo shouted commands and jests down to his bloodriders, and laughed at their replies, but he scarcely glanced at Dany beside him. They had no common language. Dothraki was incomprehensible to her, and the khal knew only a few words of the bastard Valyrian of the Free Cities, and none at all of the Common Tongue of the Seven Kingdoms. She would even have welcomed the conversation of Illyrio and her brother, but they were too far below to hear her.

So she sat in her wedding silks, nursing a cup of honeyed wine, afraid to eat, talking silently to herself. I am blood of the dragon, she told herself. I am Daenerys Stormborn, Princess of Dragonstone, of the blood and seed of Aegon the Conqueror.

 

Daenerys drinks Honey Wine.

 

A Game of Thrones - Tyrion II

Tyrion was never much use in making a camp or breaking one. Too small, too hobbled, too in-the-way. So while Stark and Yoren and the other men erected rude shelters, tended the horses, and built a fire, it became his custom to take his fur and a wineskin and go off by himself to read.

On the eighteenth night of their journey, the wine was a rare sweet amber from the Summer Isles that he had brought all the way north from Casterly Rock, and the book a rumination on the history and properties of dragons. With Lord Eddard Stark's permission, Tyrion had borrowed a few rare volumes from the Winterfell library and packed them for the ride north.

 

So unless he was nipping Tyrion's stash, Summerwine is not something Mance would find in the North. He would need to come south of the Neck to taste summer wine. The only unknown Knightwatchmen south of the Wall with a chance to taste summer wine, was the one at the Tourney of Harrenhal. The unnamed crow who shows up around the time of the mystery night. Mance, born likely in Whitetree. Where a giant Weirwood is, is likely the Mystery Knight, who at the behest of Lyanna stood up for Howland Reed.

 

The Mystery Knight and his booming Voice, and Mance's Voice being able to speak over all the wildlings and command their attention