The Sigil of House Stark and Direwolf Pups

[GillyTarly]

I believe it was a symbol things to come in the book. The Stag and Direwolf deaths were a symbol of Ned's and Robert's deaths. The direwolf pups were a symbol of the Stark children.

[Duncan the Lunk'n]

I cannot particularly recall a Greyjoy with a pet kraken or a Lannister with a pet lion. ;)

I think those sigils are mere symbols (except for the Targaryans) and most highborn never actually think of their symbol as literally having a relationship with that animal. Those people are not necessarily raised within a shamanic worldview and I cannot remember any historic hints at Starks actually keeping direwolves as pets. If you think of modern analogies, look at sports teams with their bears and tigers and crocodiles - how many of those football or basketball fans or players actually have a crocodile or bear at home or wouldn't furiously run for the hills when they met one in the wild?

So the thought of taking them as pets didn't even cross his mind, I guess. They are just dangerous creatures, not meant to be tamed.

Having said all of this, I'm quite the hippy myself and would have begged my father to keep the puppies. The wolves are the primary weapon my husband used against me when he talked me into watching/reading GoT in the first place. :D

Greetings,

Steph

The father of the Hound and Mountain once saved Tytos? Lannister from a lion attack, not a pet lion but there are lions at casterly rock

[Sordelor]

It was their grandfather.

[AC Angel]

i would´ve done the same thing as Ned. 5 direwolves appear in your back yard, you kill them before they get big enough to kill you!

When the direwolf is the sigil of your House? It would be wrong to kill them.

[Hodoris]

The Dire Wolves belong beyond the wall and they have been rarely seen this side of the wall. That must be the reason why Ned Stark behaved like that.

[Carolinus]

You have to understand; before 'A Game Of Thrones', direwolves were considered to be savage beasts, wild, untameable. And at the time, Eddard probably considered the pups already dead--as without their mother, they would surely die without being nurtured. Essentially, he thought they were just animals; with no preluding attachment to them. I can totally see him seeing murdering them as a mercy, as it would be preferable to dying starvation, exposure or by being eaten by larger creatures such as shadowcats.

But in the end he decided to let his children adopt them; and all was right in Winterfell. For like an hour. :dunce:

[Federico]

The book series began with legendary, mythical, and forgotten creatures killing men of the Night's Watch. With the NW deserter that Ned executed, we learned that Ned doesn't believe the Others exist, and wonders if they ever did. In defeating the Others thousands of years ago, the First Men may or may not have employed legendary, mythical, and forgotten means. Ned regards the dire wolves as mere animals at the time Jon persuades him to save them. In book 1, we see indicators that they are more than just animals. So, if the Others have returned, and the Lord of Winterfell has forgotten, then defeating the Others again may depend on humanity rediscovering that some myths and legends are real, and that not knowing their details could cost them everything.

[WhitewolfStark]

I don't blame Ned one iota. The pups won't stay pups for eternity, and treating wild animals as though they're domesticated doesn't always turn out so well.