Skagos

[A Dark And Stormy Knight]

I think that it is more likely that they are trading Narwhal horns and making up stories about them to the rest of Westeros.

Yeah, I'm with Talyn. I'd always just assumed the 'unicorns' were narwhals. But, I'd be happy to be proven wrong in a future volume.

[Faceless Sam]

The major house/rulers are called Magmar i.e leaders/rulers, so they have rather deep connections to the wildlings.

"magnar" simply means "king/lord" in the old tongue, so their only confirmed connection is that they still use that old word to some extent, like in thenn.

[The Bastard of Bolton]

I don't think Skagos will have any big role in the future. I think it's just one of those fantasy places. I was gonna say "just like the Summer Islands" but then I started thinking the Summer Islands might have a big role in the future. It's hard to say. Point it, just cause it's in the book doesn't mean we'll hear a lot about it in the future.

I was thinking this as well. GRRM already has a lot of story to tell without dwelling too much on the peoples and cultures of the rest of his world. Even places like Tarth and Bear Island have hardly been explored, let alone the Shadow, Sothoryos, Valaryia, the Summer Isles and much more. It's a damn shame and I wish that GRRM was in his 30s instead of mid-60s.

We will surely have a taste of Skagos considering Osha, Rickon and Davos but it might be little more than a taste.

[SerBronn]

In ADwD GRRM leads on that Rickon Stark is hiding out on Skagos with Osha. Is that not where Lord Wyman sends Davos to look for him?

[The Bastard of Bolton]

Pretty sure that is the conundrum that Davos was left with in ADWD

[ForeverBallin]

Unicorns are alluded to being actual beasts, the Child that led Bran to the last greenseer mentions how they, giants, lions, and unicorns are vanished from Westeros.

[Fraemakr]

In a DwD, there are already strong hints that Rickon is on Skagos, and that Davos will go to Skagos to find him, to help Stannis bring down the Boltons. It's on page 394, and he says that 'there were other places in this world were men were known to break their fast on human flesh.' And, as we know, Osha was looking after Rickon. In reality, Skagos is probably a very safe place for him; stories of them being cannibals are probably only rumours to look down on them, and with the mainland prey to Boltons, Freys, Stannis and the Ironbron, a large island offshore might be the safest place for Rickon with a wildling guide. So I think that we will soon have more than enough info on Skagos, because my bets on it playing a role in the Winds of Winter

[RhaegarTheRed]

In a DwD, there are already strong hints that Rickon is on Skagos, and that Davos will go to Skagos to find him, to help Stannis bring down the Boltons. It's on page 394, and he says that 'there were other places in this world were men were known to break their fast on human flesh.' And, as we know, Osha was looking after Rickon. In reality, Skagos is probably a very safe place for him; stories of them being cannibals are probably only rumours to look down on them, and with the mainland prey to Boltons, Freys, Stannis and the Ironbron, a large island offshore might be the safest place for Rickon with a wildling guide. So I think that we will soon have more than enough info on Skagos, because my bets on it playing a role in the Winds of Winter

My thoughts exactly

[the_stormborn]

I can't remember where or how I found it but there's an interview with GRRM somewhere out there where he discusses Skagos and it's role in the upcoming books.

Supposedly the "unicorns" on Skagos aren't anything like the pretty, fairytale creatures that you'd assume. In ADWD Jon has a dream that consists of Shaggydog fighting and killing a unicorn and in his description they're more like goat-like. Except they are larger and instead of two horns they have one.

In ADWD Lord Manderly sends Davos to find Rickon and when Wex throws the dagger at the map to show them where he is, Davos says that "...there were other places in this world where men were known to break their fast on human flesh" (ADWD 394).

A lot of readers have taken this to refer to Skagos and GRRM has said that he's making Osha a POV character in the next book so hopefully we'll get to learn more about the land and it's people.

[nachoknight]

A lot of readers have taken this to refer to Skagos and GRRM has said that he's making Osha a POV character in the next book so hopefully we'll get to learn more about the land and it's people.

Where did he say he was making Osha a POV character? In the same Skagos interview? I can't find anything about it online.

[Mad King Joffrey]

Where did he say he was making Osha a POV character? In the same Skagos interview? I can't find anything about it online.

I remember reading that GRRM said Osha will have a more significant role in TWoW, but he didn't say anything about her being a POV character- in fact, he said that he won't be adding any new POV characters, IIRC.

[Sheena]

If we're looking at POVs for Skagos, it will most definitely be Davos'. Who else? If Osha and Rickon are there and Davos is sent to get them from there, then of course it would be him. I don't know if this was already said, but ... there it is anyway.

I don't believe that the stories of the inhabitants being cannibals is true either but are rather made up to sully their name. Davos will show us the truth :)

[Jon's Queen Consort]

The major house/rulers are called Magmar i.e leaders/rulers, so they have rather deep connections to the wildlings.

I think that House Magnar of Kinghouse was just a noble house from Skagos like House Crowl of Deepdown and House Stane of Driftwood Hall, not the ruler of Skagos.

Skagos is maybe the only place except from the North of the Wall that I am anxious to read more about. The Skagos-cannibal think sounds a little too Westerosi urban legend in my ears.

I am curious to find out what really happens is Skagos and what kind of creatures live there.

[Saeed]

Davos is one of the most interesting characters because of his honesty and also his tendency to do the right thing

It's really amazing how fate took him from being a smuggler to somewhere like Skagos as a hand of a king to help a lord to take revenge of another king!

I think he will be able to deal with the people of Skagos no matter how they react and as always he'll find a way to do the right thing.

[Fire Eater]

Davos is one of the most interesting characters because of his honesty and also his tendency to do the right thing

It's really amazing how fate took him from being a smuggler to somewhere like Skagos as a hand of a king to help a lord to take revenge of another king!

I think he will be able to deal with the people of Skagos no matter how they react and as always he'll find a way to do the right thing.

Welcome to the board, and all you said is true.

Davos has proven that while he lacks book smarts due to his illiteracy (until recently), he has street smarts from his years of smuggling. He showed his street smarts when dealing with Lord Godric Borrell of Sweetsister; managing to avoid getting sent to King's Landing and being put on a ship for White Harbor.

[richard_ba]

Skagos is going to be featured in TWOW, because Davos will try to smuggle Rickard Stark from there

[IRON BANK]

Skagos is going to be featured in TWOW, because Davos will try to smuggle Rickard Stark from there

with Davos headed there and also being a pretty prominent p.o.v.. we will at least get a glimpse into what is going on at Skagos. I highly doubt that cannibles live there if osha was told to take rickon their because it wouldn't be a safe place. I think we will get into who Neds mother, or her side of the family might be and to do that why not Skagos. I dont feel the maester would have sent Osha to a place of strangers.

[Man of Many Faces]

If Rickon is on Skaggos (which I think he is, it seems quite likely with all the hints in ADwD), I have to wonder how he will be when he returns to Westeros. What I mean by this is that we know Rickon is a wild child, angry that his family has all abandoned him, Shaggydog seems to be a physical manifestation of his wildness and anger. Skaggos is know for being an island of wild, warriors who aren't particularly found of anybody but their own kind and wildlings. I am not sure Davos showing up and trying to smuggle Rickon off Skaggos to help Stannis win will really work. Or if he does come back to the mainland, once he finds out about Robb and his mother "dying," how will he react? Will his wild side and anger rise up and make him hellbent on revenge? I feel like that mixed with a large, wild, fierce, not very-well trained Dire Wolf could be a bad combo.

Anywho, I am excited to learn more about Skaggos and RIckon in the coming books.

[Hug0r]

Kind of hoping that the unicorns are just horses with crudely fashioned 'horns' in their heads.

[Lord of Dragonstone]

Despite their savage reputation, I wonder how developed Skagos is. Their rebellion wasn't something to be take lightly, so it can probably be assumed that they can raise several thousand men if needed? They might be able to be a significant factor in future battles in the North, especially if Davos can win them to his cause.