A Thread for Small Questions VII

[Ice-wolf]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask this question but anyway...

Is the man/thing that Samwell Tarly referred to as 'Cold Hands' Benjen Stark?

At first I assumed it was but now I'm not so sure, especially when he said that he couldn't go beyond the wall because of some ancient spell or something, which would make no sense if it was in fact Benjen

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

Does it ever state (or strongly imply) that they can only be created by creatures the Others themselves killed?

Not that I can recall. The wildlings always burn their dead, suggesting that they don't believe the Others need to kill a creature first.

[Anya, Vengeance Demon]

Is the man/thing that Samwell Tarly referred to as 'Cold Hands' Benjen Stark?

That's a commonly debated topic here. Benjen Stark is the most popular answer, but a significant minority (including myself) think that he's Brynden Rivers, former Hand of the King and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Other brothers of the Night's Watch (Stonesnake, etc.) are less popular. If you want to see the evidence, I suggest searching for "Coldhands" on this forum. There are a number of lengthy threads on the subject.

[Whatever]

Who was the first to blame pod and why? :P

[BladeDancer]

Do we know how far the Tower of Joy was from Starfall? We are told it is in the Red Mountains of Dorne, but not exactly where?

The reason I ask, is that if R+L=J then Ned travelled with Jon from the Tower of Joy to Starfall. Was Wylla with them on this journey or was she already at Starfall and met them there. If Wylla is not travelling with Ned, Jon and Reed to Starfall, then Starfall must be pretty close otherwise Jon would have starved to death. Ned and Howland Reed would have needed a wetnurse to feed Jon. I am not sure how long a new babe can live with feeding, not long I would think. So the journey would have had to have been at most 2 days travel unless Wylla was travelling with them.

Any ideas?

[Alexia]

While what Rinso wrote is certainly true, I'd say that the Warden titles are in reality more honorary than anything else.

The Dornish certainly would never take orders from Mace Tyrell, neither the Ironmen from Tywin.

If I recall correctly, part of the Warden of the South's job is to keep the Dornish in check (who are not fully integrated with the kingdoms) and part of the Warden of the West's job is to keep the Ironborn in check and dissuade them from invasion.

The Warden of the North is focused on supporting the NW and protecting against wildling/Other invasion - and I'm not actually sure about the Warden of the East.

[zmflavius]

If I recall correctly, part of the Warden of the South's job is to keep the Dornish in check (who are not fully integrated with the kingdoms) and part of the Warden of the West's job is to keep the Ironborn in check and dissuade them from invasion.

The Warden of the North is focused on supporting the NW and protecting against wildling/Other invasion - and I'm not actually sure about the Warden of the East.

Well I guess that since virtually all foreign nations are to the East, the Warden's job includes dealing with them.

[mormont]

If I recall correctly, part of the Warden of the South's job is to keep the Dornish in check (who are not fully integrated with the kingdoms) and part of the Warden of the West's job is to keep the Ironborn in check and dissuade them from invasion.

The Warden of the North is focused on supporting the NW and protecting against wildling/Other invasion - and I'm not actually sure about the Warden of the East.

I don't recall reading any of this before... have you got a source?

(I mean, it would make sense to me that the Wardens might have some function other than being another layer of command above the Great Lords in times of war, but I don't recall seeing this mentioned previously.)

[Lady Winter Rose]

Folks, Wardens are Generals in war. Actually, if generals mean something else, they are the ones who are directly below King in war and above anyone else. Because they are 7, they could be King's close war council and King is part of their "band", member 8th., whatever.

See talk about Sweetrobin. Warden is "honorable" title, person who is ready for war, one who could call arms. See Ned and Cat talk in KL. Bran hears Robb thinking "calling arm" and Cat is worried Edmure "calling arms".

[Huan]

Folks, Wardens are Generals in war. Actually, if generals mean something else, they are the ones who are directly below King in war and above anyone else. Because they are 7, they could be King's close war council and King is part of their "band", member 8th., whatever.

See talk about Sweetrobin. Warden is "honorable" title, person who is ready for war, one who could call arms. See Ned and Cat talk in KL. Bran hears Robb thinking "calling arm" and Cat is worried Edmure "calling arms".

Towards the beginning of GOT Robert admits to Ned that he named Jaime Warden of the East instead of Sweetrobin. But do we ever get a reference to that fact subsequently? I can't remember reading anything about Jaime's role as Warden of the East, but I would have thought the lords of the Vale wouldn't have taken kindly to Jaime holding that position.

[Alexia]

I don't recall reading any of this before... have you got a source?

I could swear that the mention of the West and the North was specifically mentioned in the books but I would have to dig for it (anyone have an electronic version that can be searched for keywords?). But I think I may have read the bit about the South on here.

Alternatively, I could just be going crazy...it wouldn't be the first time. :)

I can't remember reading anything about Jaime's role as Warden of the East, but I would have thought the lords of the Vale wouldn't have taken kindly to Jaime holding that position.

Lysa called her son The TRUE Warden of the East.

[Xenophon]

What's a bannerman?

Are they only the most important/direct retainers of a Lord (like the Japanese hatamoto/bannermen), or is the term used more broadly?

[Presenteira]

Okay, I have no idea how this thread works because I've never been in it before. Is there some protocol about asking 'small questions?' Because I have a question and I don't know where else to put it. Somebody has probably brought it up already but I've missed it, so here I go.

Today I bought the HBO tie-in A Game of Thrones, the one with Sean Bean on the cover. The blurb on the back started out saying "Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance."

How did I not know there was a 'preternatural event'? What's up with that? I thought we had no info on the seasons. Is this a spoiler or am I just clueless, and maybe I need to read the books a few more times?

Well, this is a wild guess but...

I remember reading (don't remember where in the books) that once there was another moon in the world of Ice and Fire but it broke and dragons were born of it (as if it was an egg). I allways assumed that the loss of this satellite would have caused the axis of the planet to be unstable, wich would lead to unstable seasons too.

[Fez]

Well, this is a wild guess but...

I remember reading (don't remember where in the books) that once there was another moon in the world of Ice and Fire but it broke and dragons were born of it (as if it was an egg). I allways assumed that the loss of this satellite would have caused the axis of the planet to be unstable, wich would lead to unstable seasons too.

That actually sounds familiar (damn its been a long time since I've read the books), I think it was something Dany was told once. But I put very little stock in quite a lot of things Dany has heard, particularly legends.

BTW, do we actually know for certain that Martin's world is round? I know Dany was told to go east to go west, but that could have meant "visit the east and then come back" not "go all the way around the planet".

[mummer]

What's a bannerman?

Are they only the most important/direct retainers of a Lord (like the Japanese hatamoto/bannermen), or is the term used more broadly?

More broadly. Martin uses it to refer to all the houses that owe allegiance to a particular higher-up lord; his army is made up of all their fighting men, who have to show up when he "calls the banners". So House Stark's bannermen are Karstark, Bolton, Reed, etc. It doesn't mean they serve him individually on a daily basis.

[Rinso]

What's a bannerman?

Are they only the most important/direct retainers of a Lord (like the Japanese hatamoto/bannermen), or is the term used more broadly?

A bannerman is basically a vassal. The bannermen hold their lands and incomes in their liege lord's name and are expected to provide any support - usually military one - to him, if they are ordered to do so. It's the basic feudal system. In Westeros, it seems, bannermen is a term used both for lords and landed knights who hold lands and titles as fiefs to the Great Lords.

[Skittles]

That actually sounds familiar (damn its been a long time since I've read the books), I think it was something Dany was told once. But I put very little stock in quite a lot of things Dany has heard, particularly legends.

Here's the section from the book you're referring to:

“A trader from Qarth once told me that dragons came from the moon,” blond Doreah said as she

warmed a towel over the fire. Jhiqui and Irri were of an age with Dany, Dothraki girls taken as slaves

when Drogo destroyed their father’s khalasar. Doreah was older, almost twenty. Magister Illyrio had

found her in a pleasure house in Lys.

Silvery-wet hair tumbled across her eyes as Dany turned her head, curious. “The moon?”

“He told me the moon was an egg, Khaleesi,” the Lysene girl said. “Once there were two moons

in the sky, but one wandered too close to the sun and cracked from the heat. A thousand thousand

dragons poured forth, and drank the fire of the sun. That is why dragons breathe flame. One day the

other moon will kiss the sun too, and then it will crack and the dragons will return.”

The two Dothraki girls giggled and laughed. “You are foolish strawhead slave,” Irri said. “Moon

is no egg. Moon is god, woman wife of sun. It is known.”

“It is known,” Jhiqui agreed.

[morbiczer]

The reason I ask, is that if R+L=J then Ned travelled with Jon from the Tower of Joy to Starfall. Was Wylla with them on this journey or was she already at Starfall and met them there.

I don't think there is text that tells us where the Tower of Joy exactly was. All maps that I so and included it put it a fair distance from Starfall.

I always assumed Wylla was already at the Tower of Joy, for exactly the reason you mention. Knights of the Kingsguard are probably not much help as midwives, and highborn girls rarely give birth on their own. Wylla must have had some previous connection with Lyanna or Rhaegar (or the Daynes). She certainly was not just some random peasant girl found in a nearby village. After all, she was trusted with the secret, and has maintained it until now (assuming she is still alive).

There is another question though. Wylla can only have acted as a wetnurse and given milk to Jon (and Edric), if she had also given birth shortly before. But when she and Eddard arrived at Starfall, she certainly didn't have her own kid with her, since that would have blown the cover story. I wonder is this will get any significance in later books.

[Xenophon]

Thanks, Rinso and mummer.

There is another question though. Wylla can only have acted as a wetnurse and given milk to Jon (and Edric), if she had also given birth shortly before...

Is that ever specified as a rule in the setting? Because it isn't exactly true in RL.--one of my wife's co-workers adopted a kid recently, and her doctor told her that she could probably induce lactation using a pump. Also, in a fantasy world, there could easily be some magic herb that does the same thing.

[morbiczer]

Well, I am a man with no child, but I am pretty sure that women cannot spontaniously start to produce milk. Certainly not through simple pumping. Okay, maybe you can start milk production by artificially giving the woman the hormones that would start milk production normally, don't know.

Westerosi humans follow the rules of normal human biology and medicine, there is no reason to assume that it would be different in this case. Wetnurses in real mediaval times (or later) were always women who had either a newborn child, otr who had lost their own child, and so had milk.

Edit: Okay, I did some googling, and apparently it is possible to lactate without having given birth, but it is fairly rare, and success is not certain. AGOT teaches you something new every day!

I stand by my assessment that Wylla must have had a baby closely before Lyanna. It could have been a stillbirth, so it might not be plot relevant at all.