Eddard's Mother

[Ygrain]

I recall an interview or chatsession where there was a question about Ned's mother. If my brain isn't wightified (it's late where I live) he said that no one ever asked Tolkien about Aragorns mother :frown5:

That's a weird thing to say, unless GRRM has never read the LOTR apendices, or simply is not such a hard-core fan to remember this stuff. It rather feels like avoiding the answer. If I recall correctly, Benjen was just a "pup" at Harrenhall, so I take it he was a couple of years younger than Ned, so even if Ned's mother died at childbirth, he would still have some memory of her. Although, I can't recall him remembering Lord Rickard at any moment, either.

I find this intriguing. A bit crackpot, yes, but it gives some logic/reason/motive behind Osha/Rickon/Shaggy finding refuge on an island inhabited by cannibals.

Why not? Unless Osha herself has some relatives there, I cannot see why she chose to go just there.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Do we really know if the cannibal story is true? Could it be folklore and everyone is afraid to go there?

I think it's way oversold, probably passed on by the Skagosi themselves to make sure that people on the mainland leave them the hell alone. :P

As much as I'd like to believe that Ned's mother has some super secret importance that will be revealed, my gut says that she just isn't that important. She's the ASOIAF equivalent to Harry Potter's grandparents. :P

[The Shadowbinder]

Question: Why would Lord of Winterfell Rickard Stark choose to marry a Skagosi women in the first place? Being the home of cannibals doesn't make it sound like the most useful ally. And I don't see how it's in line with Rickard's "southern ambitions" for him to be wedding someone from his northern most providence.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Question: Why would Lord of Winterfell Rickard Stark choose to marry a Skagosi women in the first place? Being the home of cannibals doesn't make it sound like the most useful ally. And I don't see how it's in line with Rickard's "southern ambitions" for him to be wedding someone from his northern most providence.

I'm not convinced that Ned's mother was from Skagos, but in any case, I imagine that Rickard married whoever his own father wanted him to.

[Ygrain]

I'm not convinced, either, but as it seems, the Starks are nor really related to the Southron big houses except the Tullys, which is only a recent thing. They do not seem to be closely related to the Boltons or Umbers or Manderleys or Mormonts or whoever of the big Northern houses, because if any of these were Ned's maternal uncle or something of the sort, it would certainly be worth mentioning. I find it strange that GRRM would ommit such an important fact.

Also: why do the Stark children exhibit such strong warging talents, after so many generations that lie between them and whichever ancestors brought it into the lineage? Was it always present and just didn't become manifest becuse there were no convenient direwolves around, or was there some fresh influx of the gene into the lineage? - Or both?

Besides: why don't we get ANY hints at the lady's name, from various sources, if we get quite a couple of references on Joanna Lannister? Curiouser and curiouser.

[HyacinthGirl]

Aragorn's mother is Gilraen. It is known.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Also: why do the Stark children exhibit such strong warging talents, after so many generations that lie between them and whichever ancestors brought it into the lineage? Was it always present and just didn't become manifest becuse there were no convenient direwolves around, or was there some fresh influx of the gene into the lineage? - Or both?

I think there's some "magical" (possibly even dragon-related, by which I mean, warging) reason why it was these six children at this particular time. It might not have revealed itself yet, but there's ultimately a cause for the family-wide skinchanging ability. I don't think it's as simple as all of them having pet psychic wolves. The Starks probably have always had the talent on some level — I think the stone direwolves are nods to old warging companions, and I think that's how they got their sigil — but for it to manifest itself so strongly at this time, when we know that only one person in 1,000 can be a warg, it's gotta be important.

[FanTasy]

I think there's some "magical" (possibly even dragon-related, by which I mean, warging) reason why it was these six children at this particular time. It might not have revealed itself yet, but there's ultimately a cause for the family-wide skinchanging ability. I don't think it's as simple as all of them having pet psychic wolves. The Starks probably have always had the talent on some level — I think the stone direwolves are nods to old warging companions, and I think that's how they got their sigil — but for it to manifest itself so strongly at this time, when we know that only one person in 1,000 can be a warg, it's gotta be important.

I agree. I always wondered if all six kids have the warging ability, though. Sansa lost her wolf before there was any mentioning of wolf dreams (if my memory doesn't deceive me). And I don't recall a clear reference to warging by Rickon, that he saw through Shaggy's eyes or that when Bran was in Summer and sensed Shaggydog there was mentioning of Rickon being inside his wolf.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I agree. I always wondered if all six kids have the warging ability, though. Sansa lost her wolf before there was any mentioning of wolf dreams (if my memory doesn't deceive me). And I don't recall a clear reference to warging by Rickon, that he saw through Shaggy's eyes or that when Bran was in Summer and sensed Shaggydog there was mentioning of Rickon being inside his wolf.

I think Martin has confirmed that all six kids are wargs.

[Silmarien]

Only House I could see it being is Karstark from the North, because Lord Rickark Karstark calls Robb a kinslayer before his execution (and the argument that they were related 1000 years ago is laughable re kinslaying).

[Grail King]

I agree. I always wondered if all six kids have the warging ability, though. Sansa lost her wolf before there was any mentioning of wolf dreams (if my memory doesn't deceive me). And I don't recall a clear reference to warging by Rickon, that he saw through Shaggy's eyes or that when Bran was in Summer and sensed Shaggydog there was mentioning of Rickon being inside his wolf.

August 05, 2007

Trinoc*Con 8 (Durham, NC; August 3-5, 2007)

Oh, George said all the Stark children of this generation were full Wargs. I thought they were like one shot Wargs and were only bonded to their wolves but no they can warg into just about anything. Bran is just the only one working on it.

http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Concordance/Entry/Wargs_and_Skinchangers/

[FanTasy]

I think Martin has confirmed that all six kids are wargs.

Okay, I've missed that interview. Thanks for clearing this up :) ETA And thank you Grail King!

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

That's a weird thing to say, unless GRRM has never read the LOTR apendices, or simply is not such a hard-core fan to remember this stuff. It rather feels like avoiding the answer. If I recall correctly, Benjen was just a "pup" at Harrenhall, so I take it he was a couple of years younger than Ned, so even if Ned's mother died at childbirth, he would still have some memory of her. Although, I can't recall him remembering Lord Rickard at any moment, either.

Why not? Unless Osha herself has some relatives there, I cannot see why she chose to go just there.

Obviously GRRM didn't feel that she was needed in the story. I don't see him springing some new relatives at this junction. Being that its war time Skagos seems like a very smart place to hide from the four kings who would benefit from Robb's heirs death. I'm sure Osha and other wildlings know the truth about Skagos. I suspect the cannibal stories are folklore based on the widespread stereotypes that most have of the wildlings.

[Lord Damian]

I think it's way oversold, probably passed on by the Skagosi themselves to make sure that people on the mainland leave them the hell alone. :P

As much as I'd like to believe that Ned's mother has some super secret importance that will be revealed, my gut says that she just isn't that important. She's the ASOIAF equivalent to Harry Potter's grandparents. :P

Similar to Dorne bragging that they can muster 50 thousand spears alone. They prefer to be left alone, so help create and nurture a myth that makes all potential threats fear to cross you.

[Ygrain]

Only House I could see it being is Karstark from the North, because Lord Rickark Karstark calls Robb a kinslayer before his execution (and the argument that they were related 1000 years ago is laughable re kinslaying).

Tho North remembers. It is known.

[Elaena Targaryen]

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/7273-unanswered-questions/page__st__360

A post from Ran on 8/6/2008, post #379

"I know her name and house now. There's even a rather interesting back story concerning her...But it may have to wait for ADWD or the world book to come out, unless someone gets GRRM to cough up the details."

We still have to speculate for now...but atleast we will find out.

[Lord Damian]

I have always thought Ned's mother was Targ but most people shoot that as BS. Maybe it is not important but considering how intertwined the Starks are the North, their heritage etc. Also, Lady Dunstin mentions Lord Rickard's Southron ambiions. Maybe it was not just for his kids.

[FanTasy]

http://asoiaf.wester...s/page__st__360

A post from Ran on 8/6/2008, post #379

"I know her name and house now. There's even a rather interesting back story concerning her...But it may have to wait for ADWD or the world book to come out, unless someone gets GRRM to cough up the details."

We still have to speculate for now...but atleast we will find out.

Hmm ... interesting! Maybe she was a Bolton :devil:

If she was a Mormont ... probably not, wouldn't Jeor tell Jon about this ... but if she was, the alleged skinchanching abilities of the Mormonts and her grandchildren getting all close to a direwolf may have invoked their warging abilities :drunk:

[iamb]

Why not? Unless Osha herself has some relatives there, I cannot see why she chose to go just there.

When I referred to this as a bit crackpot, it was merely because there was nothing I recall from the books to support any of the reasoning/logic behind going to Skagos. That does not mean that I do not find it plausible that there are Skagosi known to Osha... or that Skagosi blood runs through the Stark children's veins on account of their grandmother's paternal ancestors. However, this knowledge, if true, would have to be known to either Rickon or Osha, would it not? If I were to hazard a guess, I would agree with you and suspect that Osha is familiar with Skagos.

[Northern light]

Maybe Eddard's mother was from a nowdays extinct house? I also like the theory that she was from house Reed which would explain why all the Stark kids are wargs.