Ghost of Groat Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 In Benjen's unique case, he can go south "on business" to visit the Lord Of Winterfell and Warden Of The North and ask him for recruits, volunteers, and talented scum rotting in the dungeons......and it just so happens he can also visit his family on the same trip, because said Lord Warden is his older brother.The Watch probably also is inclined to trust Benjen with a longer leash since he, as far as we know, volunteered (i.e. he's not a rapist who took the black to avoid being gelded/hung), and he's risen up the ranks to an important position in the organization.Exactly. The watch depends upon the donations from the seven kingdoms. The King is going to be there so what better chance to ask for more stuff than when the King is on your doorstep and who better to send than the brother of the King's BFF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Tippy Wolfsbane Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Sorry if there is another thread,Why would Ben Stark join the Night's Watch? Rickard Stark had three sons and a daughter, and lost his heir and his daughter, it would seem that it was imperative for House Stark that Benjen marry and produce more Starks. So what is his motivation there?IMO, it was guilt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Wolf Smith Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 Benjen's brother is warden to the North, and as such is the biggest supporter of the NW. I would guest that from time to time that Benjen would be "sent" to WF somewhat regularly. All the Stark kid, including Bran seem to know him, so it wasn't the first time he has been there in years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howling Mad Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 IMO Benjen joins the NW to reinforce the special relationship between the NW and Starks/Lord of Winterfell/King in the North. Rickon had Southron ambitions that led to civil war and pain and suffering for House Stark. Benjen joining NW is part of Ned and Benjen's plans to rebuild/reestablish a strong north under Stark control. Whether or not either understood the importance of keeping a Stark in the NW is TBD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nepaliman_7 Posted July 31, 2012 Share Posted July 31, 2012 The theory with him wanting to repent for helping Lyanna makes sense seeing as they were close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Huntsmen Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Hi, I have theory.......When Arys killed Bran and Rickard, he than called for the exicution of Ned, but not Benjen. I believe that Arys than placed Benjen Stark as the Lord of Winterfell. The Crown should of had some forces in the North and they may have held Winterfell with Benjen and tried to rule through him. When the war was over leagly they had a problem , Benjen was techinally in league with the Mad King. Now to make up for the shame or because of a weird issue regarding the war Benjen joined the NW. (Robb would be born now) how old was Benjen at the Harrenhall tourny? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbarebear Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 He likes to steal women. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Huntsmen Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 He likes to steal women.That's stupid, he wouldn't need to join the NW for that. He's a Stark he could set himself up and Steal all the peasent girls he wants. He just has to do better than Ramsey at making sure no tales were told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerbarebear Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Nope what I meant is he likes it wildling style. He likes em the the wildlings. Wasn't even deregatory, was supposed to be a compliment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Huntsmen Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Or maybe Arys declared him Lord of Winterfell. And after the war he join because of a issue involving stepping down, or maybe he felt guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fat Huntsmen Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Nope what I meant is he likes it wildling style. He likes em the the wildlings. Wasn't even deregatory, was supposed to be a compliment.Sorry thought you were mocking me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Aemon I Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Remember Ned tried very hard to reach to Winterfell.. He landed on the sister islands, then they let him go and stuff.. Lyanna was 16 when she died so when the war started she was 15.. She was the youngest as far as I know so Benjen was at least 16.. Robb raised his banners when he was 14 and he wasn't even the Lord Stark.. If Ned raised his banners after landing North, if Benjen didn't call the bannermen, he was probably a man of the Night's Watch even then... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stark Raving Ned Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 If Ned raised his banners after landing North, if Benjen didn't call the bannermen, he was probably a man of the Night's Watch even then...Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Benjen was "the Stark in Winterfell" during Rob's Rebellion, so he couldn't have yet joined the Night's Watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aedalia Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Remember Ned tried very hard to reach to Winterfell.. He landed on the sister islands, then they let him go and stuff.. Lyanna was 16 when she died so when the war started she was 15.. She was the youngest as far as I know so Benjen was at least 16.. Robb raised his banners when he was 14 and he wasn't even the Lord Stark.. If Ned raised his banners after landing North, if Benjen didn't call the bannermen, he was probably a man of the Night's Watch even then...If Bran's tree vision is to be believed, Lyanna may have been older than Benjen. It's not proof though.I'm starting to think that maybe, Lyanna asked Ned to send him there. I'm wondering if she and Rhaegar didn't have an affair, but rather he taught her of the prophecies he read about and they concluded a Stark had to go to the wall, perhaps beyond it to fulfill the prophecy. We don't know for sure Benjen is dead- he could be off doing something for the prophecy.It would have been hard for Ned to do that too since he would have had no real family left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Pipes Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 In AGOT, Cat is the one who suggests contacting Benjen at the Wall and having him come to Winterfell, which Ned agrees to.GRRM basically said in an interview (I can't find it) that essentially Benjen was sent back to Winterfell when the Wall started and left for the Wall shortly after Ned returned. So think about that, Benjen was the Stark in Winterfell. Like Bran was the Stark in Winterfell in A Clash of Kings. At 13/14, he was older than Bran and able-bodied so he was less of a de facto "Lord" than Bran was. So when Benjen tells Jon that he wants him to live a little before the Watch, Benjen can definitely talk. He basically got to rule Winterfell for an entire year before heading off to the Wall.I think it was always his intention to leave for the Wall but I agree it's not in the Stars best interest for him to join after Robert's Rebellion. He basically became the second son for the family and would have put himself in a position for a good marriage. He probably would have become a bannerman for Ned too. That's the only reason I think there must be more to Benjen's decision to leave for the Wall when he did. It could have simply been grief over losing Lyanna, along with his father and brother. But it was probably more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Aemon I Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure Benjen was "the Stark in Winterfell" during Rob's Rebellion, so he couldn't have yet joined the Night's Watch.I don't remember something like that.. Was "the Stark in Winterfell" used for Benjen, in this form?? If it is, I can search and find it in pdf books.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alric Stark Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 I have a pet theory Benjen left because that way Ned would have to return North.If Benjen does not join the watch he can be the "Stark in Winterfell" and Ned gets sucked into Southron politics, being made to help run the Kingdom with Jon Arryn and King Robert, maybe even made hand of the King. With Benjen joining the watch Ned want to honor the Stark in Winterfell, and becomes Warden of the Noth. Robert knows he can't keep the only remaining son of Rickard in the South.So Benjen was protecting his big brother. I think that knowing about the KoLT and R+L might be in play as well, but I think ultimately he was looking out for Ned....same as why he came South when the King arrived. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davos' fingertip Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Incest with Lyanna, forming Jon Snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buried Treasure Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Although it seems problamatic that Benjen joined the NW when Ned only had one child as heir, you can look at it the other way and think that maybe Benjen swore the oaths for the specific purpose of removing himself from the succession.Ned was well-loved after ruling the North for 15 years but when he first came home it was with a southern wife and after being raised in the south. Perhaps there was a faction of the northern nobility (including Lady Dusten no doubt) that would have preferred northern-raised Benjen - and so he took himself away to avoid being used against his brother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Turtle Posted August 15, 2012 Share Posted August 15, 2012 Nor Rickard, nor Edwyle had any brothers, I think that at that point NW was too long without a Stark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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