Certain mistakes

[Zoë Sumra]

It seems we're running in circles trying to avoid the conclusion that the winters thing was a mistake.

The horse Jaime gives Brienne is bay in ASOS and grey in AFFC. That's a continuity error.

[mormont]

GRRM has had some trouble keeping his horses straight.

[Jon Targaryen]

It seems we're running in circles trying to avoid the conclusion that the winters thing was a mistake.

That's why I say we should just accept it and move on. George and his editors aren't infallible. It's just a fact of life.

[Ser Spidey]

No one said they are. We just want a detailed study of it.

But yeah, Gared's is probably a mistake.

[Septic Septon]

In AGoT, Mormont says to Tyrion that Alliser is one of the best knights that came during his days as Lord Commander. That can not have been more than one year after the sack of King's Landing.

In ASoS, Mance tells Jon he has already seen him while coming to Winterfell as an escort to old Lord Commander Qorgyle. Jon and Robb were five or so, so it must be about 5 years after the sack, and Mormont is not yet Lord Commander.

[The Journeyman]

I didn't read the entire thread so sorry if someone pointed this out already, but from AGoT:

The first Bran chapter, page 12 of the hardcover

"Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his 35 years."

So if Ned was 35 in 298 AL that would have him born in 263. That would have made him 20 during Robert's Rebellion.

From the first Eddard chapter, page 37 of the hardcover.

"Brandon had been twenty when he died, strangled by the order of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen days before he was to wed Catelyn Tully of Riverrun."

Yet Brandon was Ned's older brother, but they were both 20 at that time?

[Gilgafresh the Bling]

I didn't read the entire thread so sorry if someone pointed this out already, but from AGoT:

The first Bran chapter, page 12 of the hardcover

"Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his 35 years."

So if Ned was 35 in 298 AL that would have him born in 263. That would have made him 20 during Robert's Rebellion.

From the first Eddard chapter, page 37 of the hardcover.

"Brandon had been twenty when he died, strangled by the order of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen days before he was to wed Catelyn Tully of Riverrun."

Yet Brandon was Ned's older brother, but they were both 20 at that time?

The question(s) would be: How much time passes between Brandon's death and Ned's marriage to Catelyn? I don't remember if the exact amount of time has been mentioned, but naturally, a certain amount of time did pass.

And, another question: Is it ever mentioned how much older Brandon is? After all, they could be "Irish Twins".

I think if one could couple the time between the two events and assume a relative small age difference between Brandon & Ned it would be certainly possible that they both could be 20 at said times.

[Jon Targaryen]

Yes, this could be the explanation. Brandon dies just before he turns 21. A few months pass and then Ned stars fighting the war when he's 20. It could work.

[mormont]

In AGoT, Mormont says to Tyrion that Alliser is one of the best knights that came during his days as Lord Commander. That can not have been more than one year after the sack of King's Landing.

In ASoS, Mance tells Jon he has already seen him while coming to Winterfell as an escort to old Lord Commander Qorgyle. Jon and Robb were five or so, so it must be about 5 years after the sack, and Mormont is not yet Lord Commander.

Actually, Mance's story doesn't mention what age the boys were (although they were old enough to be playing snowballs and for Jon to remember it, so five is a good guess) and what Jeor says is that Thorne is 'one of the few [knights] to take the Black since I became Lord Commander'. Even so, it's a slip, certainly: although we could explain it away by saying Jeor was speaking loosely - if Thorne took the Black shortly before Jeor became LC and few have done so afterwards, it's just about a credible excuse.

I didn't read the entire thread so sorry if someone pointed this out already, but from AGoT:

The first Bran chapter, page 12 of the hardcover

"Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed beard was shot with white, making him look older than his 35 years."

So if Ned was 35 in 298 AL that would have him born in 263. That would have made him 20 during Robert's Rebellion.

From the first Eddard chapter, page 37 of the hardcover.

"Brandon had been twenty when he died, strangled by the order of the Mad King Aerys Targaryen days before he was to wed Catelyn Tully of Riverrun."

Yet Brandon was Ned's older brother, but they were both 20 at that time?

Brandon's execution was slightly before the Rebellion began, we don't know exactly how long. I think it's still possible for Ned to have been a year or so younger than Brandon, even with these dates.

[Gilgafresh the Bling]

Regarding the ages of Brandon & Ned...

The Citadel does have some information as well - it might help.

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/1992/

Also, this page has some information that may be useful, but I don't know how reliable it is.

[JohnDoe]

Qyburn has warm brown eyes according to Jaime post op. (ASoS) and bold blue eyes when Cersei meets him in AFfC. Although this could be Qyburn experimenting on himself??? Ok, seriously, this looks like a mistake.

[Ser Greguh]

I think it's safe to say that GRRM has a little trouble keeping his horses and his eye colors straight.

My favorite, of course, is not in the text but rather in the maps, where "Riverrun" is spelled "Riverrrun" - with three r's - leading to many a pirate joke.

[BlackTalon]

Yes, I love the "Riverrrun" spelling. Too bad they´ve removed it it my latest copy of AGOT (my fifth so far!)

I cannot agree with the people who think that the Alleras/Sarella bow thing was a mistake, the bow case was probably not a modern rigid suitcase box think but more like a soft leather tube cover that was pulled over the bow, like the Japanese use for those huge asymmetrical war bows. That "case" probably had a strap attached and was carried over the shoulder like a strung bow.

A glaring mistake that is almost never mentioned is that in one book GRRM accidentally calls Osmund or Oswell Kettleblack "Oswald"

It was a paperback edition, I think ASOS.

[cybroleach]

As I recall, one of Chataya's girls hair changes color between ACOK and ASOS. This may have been corrected in later editions like the Targaryen family tree that Ran referenced.

GRRM said this wasn't a mistake, hair dye is around in his world the girl just dyed it like the Tyroshi with their blue beards or Sansa.

One mistake that always bothered me is the Storm's End Tourney descriptions in ASOS (IF thet're the same tourny) since i can find like 4 errors here:

Symon Toyne should be dead,

Lord Steffon Baratheon should be dead,

Oberyn Martell, and Jason Mallister were beaten twice

I usually reconcile these as two different tourney's that took palce at Strom's End One held by Lord Steffon while he and Symon were alive, with some unnamed champion of the Kingsguard besting Raegar... Martell, Hightower, Whent, or Darry. With the second being held years later in honour of Lord Robert's father where Barristan bested Raegar. However this is problematic in that in an E-mail GRRM pretty much confirms they're the supposed to be the same tourney saying 'Barristan is old and misremember Symon being there' (which i guess could apply to the rest as well) or he was just confused by the question and threw out that quick answer.

And the Lannisport Tourney where Jorah Mormont says he defeated Lord Whent yet he and all his sons died in Robert's Rebellion leaving his widow as Lady of Harrenhall, so how could he be defeated years later after Greyjoy's Rebellion.

At the start of AGOT: (not sure if this counts as a 100% error)

Ned Says he and Cat last saw the royal family when Tommen was at Cersei's tit (who is now seven).

Yet in Ned's chapter right after when he meets Robert he thinks he hasn't seen him since the Greyjoy Rebellion nine years ago.

So how is it that Ned and Cat were all the way south at KL 6 or 7 years ago to hangout with Cersei yet Ned doesn't even bother to see his best friend Robert before heading back north??

About the Saesons:

Doesn't Robert's and Ned conversation at the start of AGOT explain these discrepencies with Tyrion and Garred. Where Robert says something like it's snowing here while Ned calls these summer sonws. If tyrion could easily have lived thew several of such "winters" in the mountain of the west where a Northerner would only consider them summer snows.

[OldNanwasmywetnurse]

Because the maesters Can't know if it's going to be a winter or a Winter when it begins. When weather becomes worse after an autumn, they ought to call it a winter.

I think this proves the other point. Any common man could see snow falling and know that it's winter. The maesters make a specific point of announcing winter is upon the land. What would be the point if there weren't shorter "false" winters in between the real winters??

[Shewoman]

Someone said it was intentional that Martin made Tyrion an acrobat in the first part of GoT and since then we've seen how much pain even small movements can cause him. If this was intentional, what's the point? Tyrion's physical condition does seem to have degenerated rather fast.

[Jon Targaryen]

Someone said it was intentional that Martin made Tyrion an acrobat in the first part of GoT and since then we've seen how much pain even small movements can cause him. If this was intentional, what's the point? Tyrion's physical condition does seem to have degenerated rather fast.

I think it is meant to be in there for Tyrion using his acrobatics in riding a dragon. ASOIAF was meant to be a trilogy at first. ADWD would have come second under that rubric. Also, GRRM has said Tyrion's acrobatics may come to play in later volumes.

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

I think this proves the other point. Any common man could see snow falling and know that it's winter. The maesters make a specific point of announcing winter is upon the land. What would be the point if there weren't shorter "false" winters in between the real winters??

Not at all. It snows quite a bit in the North, and occasionally in the riverlands and the Eyrie, during the Westerosi fall. It snows in Oldstones at the end of ASoS, and yet Jaime (and the Darries) are hoping for one more harvest several months later. The _point_ of the declaration, as near as I can tell, is to alert those who work the land so that they don't forgo a harvest after a freak snow, or lose a crop by planting after winter has begun.

[Alwyn]

My paperback of one of them definitely says 'wailing window' instead of 'wailing widow'. Can't be bothered to find it right now, would be life looking for a needle in a haystack, but it's there.

[BlackTalon]

You mean Joffrey´s sword " Widow´s Wail"? LOL, thats a good one. "Window´s Wail", we should email this to Bill Gates.

I also remember that on one occasion GRRM called Joffrey´s first sword (the one Arya flung in the river) "Lion´s Paw" instead of "Lion´s Tooth".