Are we suppose to like the Blackwoods and dislike the Brackens ?

[Seams]

Ok you guys. I get it. Someone is taking bets on how many posts Seams will make in response to the "It's been too long since the last book" and "there is no deeper meaning" posts. How many people bet on three responses? 

9 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

it’s an interesting tidbit but bloodraven’s lineage is not part of the narrative (yet). More so it is interesting lore that might or might not come into play.

I hate these animated emoji things but I can't think of another way to respond to this. 

11 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

I was thinking of you.

I am shocked! Shocked! (Here's the game: if you provide an obvious explanation for something that was intended to be ironic, you lose.)

12 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

the lines that delineate good from bad are clear. 

Yawn. Like the size of a-Blue-Whale-sucking-down-krill yawn.

14 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

I should also forewarn those people

Really? You're forewarning me? Or are you really post-warning me.

I should forewarn you I'm thinking about making you a realistic Vargo Hoat costume for Halloween. In a psuedo-intellectual, vaguely symbolic sense, of course.

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

On 6/27/2022 at 6:32 PM, Nevets said:

The Blackwoods are worshippers of the Old Gods, very rare in the South, and they were the last castle in the Riverlands to fly the Stark banner. 

Well, they are originally from the North, so them still holding on to the Old Gods is somewhat understandable.

[Black Crow]

29 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

it’s an interesting tidbit but bloodraven’s lineage is not part of the narrative (yet). More so it is interesting lore that might or might not come into play.

I rather thought it came into play when Bloodraven introduced himself to Bran in the cave

[butterweedstrover]

Just now, Black Crow said:

I rather thought it came into play when Bloodraven introduced himself to Bran in the cave

His identity perhaps. His lineage I do not see as relevant (yet).

[butterweedstrover]

15 minutes ago, Seams said:

I am shocked! Shocked! (Here's the game: if you provide an obvious explanation for something that was intended to be ironic, you lose.) 

Since you did not refrain from slinging some obvious muck I thought perhaps these subtleties insufficient as regards to yourself.

15 minutes ago, Seams said:

Yawn. Like the size of a-Blue-Whale-sucking-down-krill yawn.

Really? You're forewarning me? Or are you really post-warning me. 
 

Not towards anyone specifically but more a general precaution that one must first deal with the moral claims of the characters and narrative before assuming symbolism that itself is rather vague. 
 

Sexual promiscuity, greed, opportunism, and bullying are portrayed in a negative light so what does that mean when these attributes are the sole descriptors for characters like the Freys and Brackens? 
 

And what does it say when their opponents behave honorably, prudently, and loyally even to a fault?

15 minutes ago, Seams said:

I should forewarn you I'm thinking about making you a realistic Vargo Hoat costume for Halloween. In a psuedo-intellectual, vaguely symbolic sense, of course.

Exerting a lot of effort can be depressing when there is not much to be found but it also, sadly, incentivizes people into inventing their own depth by way of vague symbolism to justify the time spent. 
 

But these attempts do not refute evidence clear at hand, something I see you are not able to do.

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

On 6/23/2022 at 10:46 PM, Ran said:

Well said.

I'm always surprised by how people treat the various houses like baseball teams and pick sides. Even minor houses! Now, I admit, I am a Dayne-phile, but not to the point where if we found out they were eating children  or kicking puppies that I would try to justify it. 

Well, while Arthur Dayne did have a great run during the 283 AC regular season, he totally choked in the playoffs against the northeners. I heard the team had to fire the general manager and have a big roster shakeup afterwards.

On the other hand, Bloodraven became season MVP in 209 AC, and refuses to hang up his boots almost a hundred years later. That's true dedication and passion for the sport.

[Black Crow]

1 hour ago, butterweedstrover said:

His identity perhaps. His lineage I do not see as relevant (yet).

Lineage and identity are one and the same - especially when we bring crows into it

[butterweedstrover]

9 minutes ago, Black Crow said:

Lineage and identity are one and the same - especially when we bring crows into it

His identity as a Targ is important. Where the blackwood blood is relevant, if it all would be interesting to see. 

And keep in mind if the show is right then even his Targaryen identity will not amount to anything. We just don't know yet. 

[Black Crow]

There was absolutely nothing in the Mummers' Farce which identified Bloodraven as a Targaryen

As to the books, which is what we're discussing here, Bran [Stark] has only encountered Bloodraven as Brynden Blackwood and believes him to be the Crow. There is no Targaryen involvement.

[butterweedstrover]

4 hours ago, Black Crow said:

There was absolutely nothing in the Mummers' Farce which identified Bloodraven as a Targaryen

As to the books, which is what we're discussing here, Bran [Stark] has only encountered Bloodraven as Brynden Blackwood and believes him to be the Crow. There is no Targaryen involvement.

The name Blackwood has never been mentioned as relates to Brynden in the books, nor had it affected his or Bran's character in any way. Based on context clues we can figure out who Brynden Rivers is, but his Blackwood blood is never mentioned. And the lineage you mention is from the extended lore, not the series itself.  

Could it become relevant? Sure, but not yet. 

[Takiedevushkikakzvezdy]

5 minutes ago, butterweedstrover said:

The name Blackwood has never been mentioned as relates to Brynden in the books, nor had it affected his or Bran's character in any way. Based on context clues we can figure out who Brynden Rivers is, but his Blackwood blood is never mentioned.

It's impossible to know who he is without reading D&E stories. 

[TheLastWolf]

You don't meet a lot of irrational posters when the issue doesn't revolve around StarksnJon/DanynTargs

My condolences you three for having to bear with this. I'm a SJW for rational thinking BTW.

[butterweedstrover]

3 hours ago, Takiedevushkikakzvezdy said:

It's impossible to know who he is without reading D&E stories. 

Yeah, and even with them I didn’t know he had Blackwood blood.

[Black Crow]

There's a very good wiki on this very site

[butterweedstrover]

7 minutes ago, Black Crow said:

There's a very good wiki on this very site

People reading a book only have the information from the book, not external sources. 
 

It’s interesting, but not yet relevant. It was also not relevant to his character in Dunk & Egg. If it’s never mentioned in the story I can’t see how it is relevant. 

[Moiraine Sedai]

The union of Blackwood and Whitewood (Stark) is death. Just like the doors in the Palace of Dust. The House of B&W.  Bran, the Whitewood/Weirwood, will use /misuse the teachings of Bloodraven Blackwood to cover Westeros in darkness. 
 

The Brackens are barely in the story. 

[TheLastWolf]

2 minutes ago, Moiraine Sedai said:

The Brackens are barely in the story. 

Anyone and everyone who don't play a part in fairy Godmother Queen Dany's rise to power and the downfall of the evil Starks are barely in the story. 

[LongRider]

On 7/24/2022 at 10:54 AM, Black Crow said:

I rather thought it came into play when Bloodraven introduced himself to Bran in the cave

I did a search in the A Search of Ice and Fire site and found this

Quote

A Dance with Dragons - Bran III

The last greenseer, the singers called him, but in Bran's dreams he was still a three-eyed crow. When Meera Reed had asked him his true name, he made a ghastly sound that might have been a chuckle. "I wore many names when I was quick, but even I once had a mother, and the name she gave me at her breast was Brynden."

"I have an uncle Brynden," Bran said. "He's my mother's uncle, really. Brynden Blackfish, he's called."

"Your uncle may have been named for me. Some are, still. Not so many as before. Men forget. Only the trees remember." His voice was so soft that Bran had to strain to hear.

I also searched for Blackwood and Bracken in ADWD filtered by Bran and had no hits.  So no, Brynden did not mention Blackwood, and only referred to 'a mother' without naming her. 

[butterweedstrover]

5 minutes ago, LongRider said:

I did a search in the A Search of Ice and Fire site and found this

I also searched for Blackwood and Bracken in ADWD filtered by Bran and had no hits.  So no, Brynden did not mention Blackwood, and only referred to 'his mother' without naming her. 

Yes, and even his reference to mother does not put import into her heritage, just to point that he had one (establishing a level of normalcy to his character).  
 

[Black Crow]

Whether or not you choose to accept how much previous knowledge the reader of this passage [which caused great excitement when it was first published] the fact that Bloodraven is a Blackwood is directly relevant to this thread about taking sides in the Blackwood/Bracken feud