Dunk's Father

[tze]

Throughout the prequel novellas it's made clear how much Dunk hates the heat, which could be a hint tying him to the North. (His lack of skill in the joust also echoes the Northmen, whose culture disdains tourneys, not to mention the fact that he's not "technically" a knight, and the Northmen are not primarily knights, given the religious aspects involved). In TSS, when Dunk is thinking about what little he's heard about his father, he says he "had this notion that if I could only reach the Wall, might be I’d come on some old man, a real tall man who looked like me." And if you head north toward the Wall, well, you will come on some really tall men---the Umbers of Last Hearth. It's not unprecedented for an Umber to head south (Whoresbane Umber, for example), so maybe an Umber was in King's Landing for a bit of time and fathered Dunk? Dunk comes across as stupid to those around him, but readers know he's smarter than he lets on, which echoes the way Whoresbane and Crowfood Umber are portrayed. (Not to mention, there's the possible juxtaposition of a cook telling Dunk his father might have been "some thief or cutpurse" and Catelyn describing the Umber uncles as "two hoary old brigands".) Dunk is constantly referred to as a "giant", and the Umbers are the one Northern family that I think we can guarantee do descend from giants.

[Brienne Tarly]

I was just reminded by another post that Lord Bolton claims the Umbers still practice the "right to first night". Somehow, an Umber a hundred years earlier might have produced a bastard that way (though we would probably never know how the kid ended up in Flea Bottom)

Throughout the prequel novellas it's made clear how much Dunk hates the heat, which could be a hint tying him to the North. (His lack of skill in the joust also echoes the Northmen, whose culture disdains tourneys, not to mention the fact that he's not "technically" a knight, and the Northmen are not primarily knights, given the religious aspects involved). In TSS, when Dunk is thinking about what little he's heard about his father, he says he "had this notion that if I could only reach the Wall, might be I’d come on some old man, a real tall man who looked like me." And if you head north toward the Wall, well, you will come on some really tall men---the Umbers of Last Hearth. It's not unprecedented for an Umber to head south (Whoresbane Umber, for example), so maybe an Umber was in King's Landing for a bit of time and fathered Dunk? Dunk comes across as stupid to those around him, but readers know he's smarter than he lets on, which echoes the way Whoresbane and Crowfood Umber are portrayed. (Not to mention, there's the possible juxtaposition of a cook telling Dunk his father might have been "some thief or cutpurse" and Catelyn describing the Umber uncles as "two hoary old brigands".) Dunk is constantly referred to as a "giant", and the Umbers are the one Northern family that I think we can guarantee do descend from giants.

[timenyart]

We have one particular Umber mentioned who lived around this time, the Lord of Last Hearth was Harmond Umber "the Drunken Giant" why give him a nickname if not to tie that in with the Dunk and Egg stories, and we know that it is not unheard of Northmen enjoying Southron court life, all of the Stark siblings were at the Tourney of Harrenhal, and Aemon the Dragonknight said that Cregan Stark was one of the best swordsmen he ever fought, which he would have only ever fought a Stark if he came South

[Lucamore the Lusty]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that either Dunk, Hodor or Tormund Giantsbane had Umber blood in them. In Tormund's particular case, who knows what happened to Crowsfood's daughter when she was carried off by the Wildlings.

[Brienne the Beauty]

The real giants in the book seem too non-human to be "compatible" with humans genetically. They seem more like an alien race than magical humans. But I guess fantasy means anything goes. This logically means that Children of the Forest and Others should be able to interbreed with humans if giants can.

[Lion of Judah]

Yeah I thought Brienne was descendent from the lady he slept with in the second story. That he got her pregnant and the child was raised as son/daughter of that noble woman she married. I've heard Grenn is a descendant as well.

Dunk slept with Lady Rohanne of Coldmoat?

[Giantofstark]

Dunk slept with Lady Rohanne of Coldmoat?

At first it seemed so, but then he just cut off her braid.

[TheMtThatRides...Your Mom]

The real giants in the book seem too non-human to be "compatible" with humans genetically. They seem more like an alien race than magical humans. But I guess fantasy means anything goes. This logically means that Children of the Forest and Others should be able to interbreed with humans if giants can.

I pretty much agree. I always pictured them as yetis. Or the snowman from looney toons. Still waiting for wun wun to grab Jon snow and pet him saying "I will love you, andhug you...and name you george."

[TheCube]

At first it seemed so, but then he just cut off her braid.

I never got the impression he actually did (or Ser Eustace would be mighty annoyed when "their" first child towers over him before they're 8), however I don't recall him brooding over his virginity in TMK.

[Giantofstark]

I never got the impression he actually did (or Ser Eustace would be mighty annoyed when "their" first child towers over him before they're 8), however I don't recall him brooding over his virginity in TMK.

"Dunk was crimson too, and not from exertion". This was from when he was carrying the new Lady Butterwell to her bedding. I think he is still a virgin even if he doesn't mention it (are there any women in the story to fall for?). When he is carrying Lady Butterwell he recalls Tanselle Too-Tall and if he would ever find her again, I think his heart, and innocence, is connected to her for now.

[SerDuck]

Throughout the prequel novellas it's made clear how much Dunk hates the heat, ....

I think it was more of a contrast between Dunk (a normal person) and Egg (a Targ with Dragon's Blood). Everytime they mention heat or sweating, it also makes a point to say Dunk could not see the boy sweating at all. I always attributed that to the Dragon Blood like Dany has which makes them almost immune or at least very comfortable in heat.

Ser Useless was also bitching and moaning about the heat, it wasn't just Dunk.

[Connartist92]

Well there is also the theory that Brienne is somehow descended from Dunk due to her massive size for a woman and the shield that she remembers from her armory on Tarth. I would think that one of the theories may be true, but both? Not sure about that, as Dunk isn't really the type to sleep around and father children all over the realm.

Just because there is more than one decendent now some 80 years later doesn't mean Dunk was sleeping around. Say he had 1 son, hypothetically. That 1 son could've had 3 or 4 sons and daughters of his own, and they all went on to have their own children, so on and so forth until we arrive at Brienne, Grenn, and Hodor.

[Bastard of Nightsong]

Osha tells us, that male humans can get a halfbreed by a female giant.

So here´s the solution: We know, that Aegon the Unworthy put his ... in every female beeing, that he could lay hands on. So he impregnated a female giantress.

Dunc originates from that child (either he is the child himself or one generation remote) and ends up in the gutters of Kingslanding.

So not only Dunc is a secret Targ (and probably (half)brother to Bloodraven *g*) but Brienne and Hodor are secret Targs too.

Whoever Dunk's father was, it wasn't Aegon IV. He died in 184AC, whereas Dunk was born, at the earliest, in 191AC. It just doesn't work. The speculation of Blackwood, Bracken, or Umber heritage is certainly interesting. I can't help but feel we'll never learn who his father was, however. Most likely, he was just some man...most fathers are after all.

[Valyrian Blade]

Well, the next book will be set in Winterfell so it might be possible.

[Whitering]

Yeah I thought Brienne was descendent from the lady he slept with in the second story. That he got her pregnant and the child was raised as son/daughter of that noble woman she married.

I've heard Grenn is a descendant as well.

I might be mightily mis remembering something. I think he only gets a kiss and crop of hair in the second story.

[Connartist92]

I don't think Dunk and Old Nan hooked up, but I do think Hodor descends from his lineage.

If Hodor is Old Nan's great-grandson (which I think he is) then that gives us two generations in between for Old Nan's grand/child to have had a child with Dunk's grand/child.

But how did Dunk's gran/child get to Winterfell? He got a Stark girl pregnant when he traveled there with Egg. Maybe he left before he even knew she was with child and no one else ever knew who the child's true father was.

Maybe it's a stretch and over-complicated the situation.. But it's possible. I never liked the theory that Dunk and Old Nan were the ones who hooked up.

Edit: Hodor is definitely Old Nan's great-grandson. In the appendix for AGOT under the House Stark it says so.

[Valyrian Blade]

Also i'm sorry if this was mentioned already but wasn't a shield with Dunk's arms found at Evenfall hall the seat of house Tarth? I think Brienne mentions this on one of her chapters in AFFC

[Amoracchius]

Also i'm sorry if this was mentioned already but wasn't a shield with Dunk's arms found at Evenfall hall the seat of house Tarth? I think Brienne mentions this on one of her chapters in AFFC

Yes, the imagery she asks to have painted on her shield in AFFC matches Dunk's and she claims that the design came from a shield she had seen back home on Tarth. To me, at least, that's about as close to confirmation as you can get in a literary setting without being smacked over the head.