Der Anarch Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Will we get any detail on them in The World of Ice and Fire?Just wondering, are they just folklore (like Tatzelwurms and Trolls were in medieval Europe) or are they something real, like the Others or the Childern of the Forest who have since 'disappeared from the world.' Who are they and why does the Night Watch protect us from them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ServantOnIce Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Snarks of course are in reference to fictional creatures created by Lewis Carroll the author of "Alice in Wonderland."I've heard of Grumkins in something else . . I can't remember. Martin does a lot of literary tributes in his work and some of his own sarcasm to those vices in other works as well.Martin is a genius IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffywarthog Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 As with most legends, there's probably a grain of truth at the center of them. Many of the less-outlandish beings beyond the Wall have turned out to be somewhat true: the Wildlings do exist and practice strange/obscene habits, giants exist, but are merely very large and intelligent primates. Animals behave like human beings while possessed by wargs. The Children of the Forest are so far removed from time that anyone who caught a glimpse of them would probably not even recognize them, and make up something else. Even the Others and their wight walkers have turned out to be real, but don't seem quite as all-powerful as everyone seems to think they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great Other Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 I was always curious about their appearence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FanTasy Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 Snarks of course are in reference to fictional creatures created by Lewis Carroll the author of "Alice in Wonderland."I've heard of Grumkins in something else . . I can't remember. Martin does a lot of literary tributes in his work and some of his own sarcasm to those vices in other works as well.Martin is a genius IMO.Snarks - Alice , that I got.For the grumkins I had to google. I stumbled upon grumpkins, which has several meanings and connotations.One of them is that a grumpkin is a Halloween pumpkin grown into or cut into a head that looks grumpy.It could be a reference to the faces that are cut into trees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Crow Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 On one level they are names with which to frighten children, drawn as suggested above from Lewis Carroll and others, at a different level I'd suspect that their origin in Martin's world is the slang used by the Andal crusaders as they slaughtered the Old Races and sent them fleeing above the Wall - like Gooks in more modern parlance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Crow Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There is another thought, given GRRM's fondness for multi-layered meanings. While Snarks most obviously come originally from Lewis Carroll, it only requires the substitution of one letter to turn them into Starks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kephv Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 What I really want to know about are the squishers. Those guys seem the most dangerous of them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benethon Stark Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Won't we be surprised when it is revealed that "grumpkin" is the Old Tongue word for "giant ice spider". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stark Winds Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 it would be really amusing to see Tyrion come across a grumkin and/or a snark and think, "could it be possible that the Others are real too?" :cool4: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House Balstroko Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I think they're just part of folklore. There's just something about the name you can';t take seriously. Imagine if theyre were an alien attack of Earth and the UN said " Our planet is under bombardment from a regiment of Grumpkins, while the Snark empire is considering annexation of Europe". :P I don't think anyone could hear that and keep a straight face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterCrist Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Won't we be surprised when it is revealed that "grumpkin" is the Old Tongue word for "giant ice spider".I would then be impressed and frightened at the same time, seeing a grumpkin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hughie Posted October 21, 2012 Share Posted October 21, 2012 Grumpkins and snarks are the 'ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night' of Scottish Folklore.I am sure every culture has its own version to scare the kids to sleep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiet Isle Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Grumpkins and snarks are the 'ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night' of Scottish Folklore.I am sure every culture has its own version to scare the kids to sleep. See above. They are just words like the Bogeyman. The thing is, there are unexplainable (yet) creatures in this epic. As Varys tells Tyrion, you believe in what you have seen. Apparently there are things that exist that Tyrion has not seen - like the Wights, the Others, giants, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.Grumpy Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Well, iirc, grumpkins are wish-granting little creatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dragon has three heads Posted August 5, 2013 Share Posted August 5, 2013 Won't we be surprised when it is revealed that "grumpkin" is the Old Tongue word for "giant ice spider".Haha don't mind this at all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Wolf Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Wasn't it mentioned in the books that Snarks and Grumpkins actually refer to the Others and Wights? These are terms used by people south of the wall to belittle the dangers North of the Wall. Maybe I'm wrong, I thought I read that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Flashheart Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Wasn't it mentioned in the books that Snarks and Grumpkins actually refer to the Others and Wights? These are terms used by people south of the wall to belittle the dangers North of the Wall.Maybe I'm wrong, I thought I read that.That is pretty much what the wiki has to say about Grumpkins, but it isn't exactly cannon. I think it makes the most sense however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aethermancer Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 Well, iirc, grumpkins are wish-granting little creatures.I think a lot of people missed the meaning of the question, I think you are closest to answering it so far. The OP wasn't asking if Grumkins and snarks were real, but what were they supposed to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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