References and Homages

[SandorLives]

LandedKnight:

Regarding the Craster comparison, that has some accuracy.

The problem arises in the difference between the nature of the sacrifices.

While I don't know if there is an exact analogue between the Others and Judeo-Christian demons, the Others clearly represent Martin's interpretation of the Uncanny Valley.

The God of the Old Testament is vengeful and proactive, but he actively wages war on behalf of his subjects against Satan, his diametric opposite. I would say that the Old Testament God could be compared to R'hllor, and the attempted sacrifice of Edric Storm and the burnings of various other individuals by Melisandre are a much closer equivalent to the sacrifice of Jacob.

Craster's offerings resemble the holocausts of the ancient Egyptians, who enslaved the Jews worshipping the Old Testament God.

Thus we have two parties in this allegory, both using human sacrifice to achieve their ends while working against each other.

The Others, comparable to the Egyptians, accept Craster's sacrifices as fuel for their endeavor to reconquer Westeros from the humans.

R'hllor's followers, comparable to the Jews, follow a mighty and unforgiving God who seeks to relieve them from their plight by casting their enemies into an eternal, fiery torment.

Anyway, this is obviously overanalysis, but that's one way of viewing Melisandre's quest from a Biblical perspective.

Edited April 22, 2012 by MVPacMan23

[flinky]

i heard this on the radio the other day and it reminded me of the chapter in the book about Pate because the last name of the child who went missing Patz is pronnounced like "pates". the main part of the report was the child was presumed missing about 2 blocks from his house but the police feel that there is no way the child left his house that day and are reopening the case and starting to look in his basement.

i drew a strong conclusion between this case and the book "Death of the Dragons" are connected. your thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etan_Patz

[Kadence]

I thought this was pretty cool - there's a minor reference to Joffrey in an espn.com article by J.A. Adande:

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/page/Adande-120504/nba-playoffs-gregg-popovich-spurs-effect

He compares the behavior of petulant NBA superstars to that of Joffrey :) Just thought it was interesting to see a completely random ASOIAF reference in an ESPN article.

[Lyeder]

The Unsullied remind me of the Janissaries of the Ottoman Empire (if this has already been said, I apologize)

[Fire Eater]

I thought the sword fight between Jaime and Brienne after Brienne (Jaime's foil) tried to stop Jaime from taking the sword off his cousin's corpse was akin to the beginning of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh's foil, Enkidu, tries to stop Gilgamesh from taking his lord's right with a newly married woman, and the fight ensues between them with the two men becoming friends.

[SerMixalot]

I havent gone through 36 pages of stuff so dont know if this has been mentioned, but Stannis taking Lightbringer from the burning statues reminded me of the Excalibur story

[CrypticWeirwood]

A Clash of Kings:

“And if I had slain her?” asked Jon.

“She would be dead, and I would know you better than I had before. But enough talk. You ought be sleeping. We have leagues to go, and dangers to face. You will need your strength.”

A Storm of Swords:

Ser Cleos was plainly tempted. “A proper bed would do us all good, my lady,” he said to Brienne. “We’d make better time on the morrow once refreshed.” He looked to his cousin for support.

“No, coz, the wench is right. We have promises to keep, and long leagues before us. We ought ride on.”

A Storm of Swords:

When she opened the door to the garden, it was so lovely that she held her breath, unwilling to disturb such perfect beauty. The snow drifted down and down, all in ghostly silence, and lay thick and unbroken on the ground. All color had fled the world outside. It was a place of whites and blacks and greys. White towers and white snow and white statues, black shadows and black trees, the dark grey sky above. A pure world, Sansa thought. I do not belong here. Yet she stepped out all the same. Her boots tore ankle-deep holes into the smooth white surface of the snow, yet made no sound. Sansa drifted past frosted shrubs and thin dark trees, and wondered if she were still dreaming. Drifting snowflakes brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks.

Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Edited May 11, 2014 by CrypticWeirwood

[ASOIAF best series ever]

I think the religion of the red priests might be a reference to Zoroastrianism

[Valkyrja]

A Clash of Kings:

“And if I had slain her?” asked Jon.

“She would be dead, and I would know you better than I had before. But enough talk. You

ought be sleeping

.

We have

leagues to go

, and dangers to face.

You will need your strength.”

A Storm of Swords:

Ser Cleos was plainly tempted. “A proper

bed

would do us all good, my lady,” he said to Brienne. “We’d make better time on the morrow once refreshed.” He looked to his cousin for support.

“No, coz, the wench is right.

We

have

promises to keep

, and long leagues before us.

We ought ride on.”

A Storm of Swords:

When she opened the door to the garden, it was so

lovely

that she held her breath, unwilling to disturb such perfect beauty. The

snow

drifted down and down, all in ghostly silence, and lay thick and unbroken on the ground. All color had fled the world outside. It was a place of whites and blacks and greys. White towers and white

snow

and white statues, black shadows and

black trees

, the

dark

grey sky above. A pure world, Sansa thought. I do not belong here. Yet she stepped out all the same. Her boots tore ankle-

deep

holes into the smooth white surface of the

snow

, yet made no sound. Sansa drifted past frosted shrubs and thin

dark

trees

, and wondered if she were still

dreaming

. Drifting

snowflakes

brushed her face as light as lover’s kisses, and melted on her cheeks.

Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Brilliant observation. Sansa's paragraph even outright states that she feels does not 'belong' in such a landscape, and yet is tempted to linger.

[LuisDantas]

Is it just me, or does the "The Ugly Girl" chapter in ADWD contain a reference to Roger Zelazny's Amber stories?

[Howling Mad]

Dark Star is also a surreal Sci-fi film from the 70s by John Carpenter.

I love this movie here's a link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Star_(film).

[Teal'c]

Due to special genetic circumstances, Jon Snow and Paul Atreides both have supernatural powers. Also both have a red-haired mistress from the wild native population (Chani/Ygritte).

Credit to Ygrain and Alia of the knife.

Edited May 19, 2012 by Teal'c

[SerMixalot]

Thoren Smallwood

Thoren Oakenshield

stretch,but maybe

[Oldcrow]

I can think of quite a few Star Wars parralells if you start to think about the main characters and who they might represent.

[CrypticWeirwood]

Thoren Smallwood Thoren Oakenshield stretch,but maybe

Well, it’s Thorin Oakenshield, but yes. And Oakenshield also occurs, although as the name of a place not of a person.

Don’t forget Beren the One-Handed, husband of Lúthien the Evenstar, who is remembered and paid homage here:

Lyanna and Brandon, Lord Rickard Stark their father, Lord Edwyle his father, Lord Willam and his brother Artos the Implacable, Lord Donnor and Lord

Beron

and Lord Rodwell, one-eyed Lord jonnel, Lord Barth and Lord Brandon and Lord Cregan who had fought the Dragonknight.

Blind

Beron

Blacktyde, Tarle the Thrice-Drowned... even the Old Grey Gull has left that rock he lives on to preach this kingsmoot all across Harlaw.

Lord

Beron

Stark, who made common cause with Casterly Rock to war against

Dagon

Greyjoy, Lord of Pyke, in the days when the Seven Kingdoms were ruled in all but name by the bastard sorcerer men called Bloodraven.

And as already been mentioned, Dagon Greyjoy is a Lovecraft reference.

Edited May 24, 2012 by CrypticWeirwood

[CrypticWeirwood]

Is it just me, or does the "The Ugly Girl" chapter in ADWD contain a reference to Roger Zelazny's Amber stories?

What are you thinking?

[LuisDantas]

Page 844.

"... and there the entrance to the Patternmaker's Maze. Only those who learn to walk it properly will ever find their way to wisdom, the priests of the Pattern say."

Sound a lot like a misunderstood or garbled description of Corwin or one of his relatives about Pattern walking. Maybe a hint that some amberite made the world of Song as a personal shadow.

[CrypticWeirwood]

Page 844.

"... and there the entrance to the Patternmaker's Maze. Only those who learn to walk it properly will ever find their way to wisdom, the priests of the Pattern say."

Sound a lot like a misunderstood or garbled description of Corwin or one of his relatives about Pattern walking. Maybe a hint that some amberite made the world of Song as a personal shadow.

Certainly seems that way.

[Jon Flowers]

I just got aSoS back from a friend and opened it to a passage where Stannis is accusing Alestor Florent of wanting to sell his birthright for a bowl of porridge, an obvious reference to Genesis and the bowl of lentils. Somebody has probably pointed this out before although a cursory search didn't turn it up. If so, I appologize for the redundency.

[Teal'c]

Genesis 19:26

But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Dance, Jon 2, p. 137, at the burning of glamoured Mance:

Val stood on the platform as still as if she had been carved of salt. She will not weep nor look away.