Rereading Tyrion V (ASOS-ADWD)

[Blisscraft]

Yes, Lummel, I noticed things were a bit hinkey this morning (afternoon for you, I expect).

Anyway, before I go off and reread the present chapter, I wanted to add a couple of thoughts about the last few comments. With regard to Lummel's post about game theory: very nice. You're a bright bulb and I am extremely grateful to be able to read not only your enlightening comments, but also the further illumination of the other exceptionally brilliant posters on this thread.

With regard to winning and it being a loss, (can't overemphasize how much I enjoyed this obeservation) there is a passage from Faulkner's, The Sound and the Fury, that may be of interest.

"Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools." (I would add politicians to this list). ;)

This whole notion of game playing will become more important in the rest of ADwD. Hopefully, we can include the idea as part of our observations about Tyrion as we continue.

Ragnork, very nice summary. I'm off to reread and will comment on the chapter soon.

[Fire Eater]

"Do I look like a man who frequents whores?"

Duck laughed derisively. "He don't dare. Lemore would make him pray for pardon, the lad would want to come along"

Duck states that Aegon would want to come along to a brothel. I think this might be a hint towards him marrying Arianne, not that she's a whore, but thinking in terms of what Ferris Bueller says about Cam in Ferris Bueller's Day Off: "or he's going to marry the first girl he lays".

Ducks are symbols for honesty, simplicity and resourcefulness as well as transition.

Tyrion recalls his uncle Gerion setting on tables at feasts to recite Lomas Longstrider; in a way Gerion was more of a father to Tyrion than Tywin was, Gerion gave Tyrion the encouragement and confidence he never received from Tywin.

Illyrio stated that he was going to meet them in Westeros, so we may see him there in TWoW.

[Lummel]

...Plenty of material to continue this conversation...

I was reminded, reading of Tyrion's responsibility for the drains and cisterns of Castlery Rock, of the popular British vernacular phrase "taking the piss", meaning to make fun of, to mock, to puncture the self-regard and self-importance of others. Tyrion had a formal responsibility for taking the piss and allowing it to flow freely, but this is a function he exercises in the narrative too.

Illyrio has known this boy for some time and is clearly fond of him.

The other thing that struck me here was Illyrio swearing by his Serra's hands. Now maybe it's just me but when you are swearing on or by something the value of that something has to be understood by both parties for the oath to have value. If Haldon and & co don't know who Serra was and why she is important to Illyrio then the oath is meaningless and has no power. So if Illyrio expects that Haldon and Co will understand the oath there must be a shared history.

There seems to be potential in Duck's life story on many levels. It is a case of the Smith defeating the Warrior or becoming the Warrior. There is the blacksmith father and the lord father as comparison's to Tyrion's father. The lord's son taking the sword is reminiscent of Tyrion's Lannister attitude toward the bearskin back in GoT.

What stood out to me and that I hadn't notice or forgotten from the first time round was that Duck came from the Golden Company courtesy of homeless Harry Strickland.

Is this good advice or more in the spirit of a "sharp lesson?" I suppose it could be both.

I thought this was fascinating and very Tyrion. The importance of young Griff has been flagged up to Tyrion by Illyrio - so what is the first thing he does? He puts him in his place 'they will laugh at you in Westeros'. It reminded me of his 'educating' his nephew in AGOT Tyrion I. No surprise that Griff senior, who Tyrion knows dotes on young Griff, is immediately cold to him.

Haldon's questions about dragons also seem to indicate that Illyrio was praising his knowledge. It could be that Illyrio was conveying positive attributes that a maester would value to the maester and had a similarly specifically crafted sales pitch the Griff the lord in his letter we see at the end of the chapter. The dragon knowledge itself is worth pondering.

I wondered about this first time through. Tyrion is going under an assumed named of Hugor Hill. A bastard and a king. But immediately he shows to Haldane, a man he doesn't know and has no reason to trust, that he is superbly educated. How many superbly well educated westerosi dwarves are there? Tyrion by his answer might as well hang a sign round his neck saying "I am Tyrion Lannister".

The road and the wonders and Tyrion's desire to travel to Essos that Tywin funneled down the drain probably deserves some attention too-- especially given that piss and shit goes down those drains...

I was thinking of his uncle Gerion and the element of performance - reciting the wonders of the world. Tyrion's life seems to have been a performance at times. Just thinking of those moments in ACOK when he relished the performance, playing the Hand to the armourers and blacksmiths, channelling Tywin when he stared down Cersei over Tommen.

...With regard to winning and it being a loss, (can't overemphasize how much I enjoyed this obeservation) there is a passage from Faulkner's, The Sound and the Fury, that may be of interest.

"Because no battle is ever won he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools."...

It was something I stole from the one introductory book on game theory I read, in the spirit of which I find your Faulkner quote very apt particularly since I believe GRRM is a fan of Faulkner.

If you are going to play the game of thrones as a zero-sum game then once you reach the high point of Fortune's

, the only way is down. Tyrion's intimation about Connington at the end of Tyrion III is that he is out for revenge. Hate has kept him warm at night.

This is real problem for everybody who want to play the game in a collaborative manner, since Connington seems perfectly prepared to upset the board so long as he can achieve his objective. Of which more anon.

...Ducks are symbols for honesty, simplicity and resourcefulness as well as transition...

I had a slightly different thought about this. I remembered the Hans Christian Anderson story of the ugly duckling that turned out to be a swan, except here it claims to be a swan but walks like a duck and sounds like a duck

ETA spelling and Monsters! Tyrion describes himself and Daenerys as monsters at the end of the chapters. He is in tune with his monster side at the moment.

[Woman of War]

Great post Lummel

What is this with Serra's hands?

He cut off the hands of his beloved in order to preserve them and the memory of their touch...!?!

The most twisted idea to see them shrivel in some liquid as reminder, it strikes me more as perverse memory of a cruel punishment, Ramsay Bolton like. What, for god's sake happened to Serra?? Killed because she did not want to give up her child?

Concerning Tyrion as mummer:

Has the boy Tyrion not been forced to play the mummer from day one?

Presenting himself as the witty child or already as funny toddler to get any kind of friendlyness, if it's only for having been entertaining. Playing the good natured or wiseass fellow who hides perfectly well being hurt by rude jokes and disgusted looks, making all that his weapon, crack the first joke yourself, neverever letting see them that it hurts. He was so good at that mummer's farce that he could even fool himself, being his own playwright and actor for emotional and physical survival. What is worse than being bullied? To show that you know that you are are being bullied. There is a reason that at today's schoolyards "victim" is the worst insult. And Tyrion is a great mummer, see the slave auction to come (I am soooo much looking forward to Dinklage's acting here)

[Lummel]

...What, for god's sake happened to Serra?? Killed because she did not want to give up her child?...

That is a really dark and horrible suggestion that makes better sense than the story Illyrio tells Tyrion! I can see that happening, it makes sense of his oath too, 'remember what I did for the cause, I killed the woman I loved'.

Agree entirely on Tyrion as a mummer which is there from the very first chapter, jokes that slide into dangerous territory.

[the Scorpion Knight]

I think I llyrio keeping serra hand's is just a reminder of illyrio 's fault in her death. maybe(highly likly) he send her to the ship but another thing i find intresting:

he NEVER ASKS what the other half of Haldon is ( we later learn that he was a member of the golden Company). the thought that brawn and Brain might come in personal union seems to be unnatural for tyrion.

I mean look at his idea of "knights" doing things and selmy keeping mereen toghether. Or i.e. mance, His brother jaime and the notion that the Fact that oberyn poisoned mountain must have come tyrion but he NEVER mention's the fact

[Blisscraft]

About those ducks and swans - The first thing that I thought of about The Duck was he has a bastard blade, like Jon Snow. Duck had longsword, made by his father the armorer, but it was taken away and created the situation that made Duck fly away from home to the shelter of the Golden Company. The Duck needs "more than one name" because "a knight needs more than one name," so the ducks in the field (like a field of battle) give him his name.

This is just silly, but I can't help but think about Tony Soprano and his ducks. Tony's ducks and their migration away from his swimming pool set up the situation for his panic attacks and give rise to his need for therapy.

The Swann is a part of the one upsmanship (another form of game playing) in the Dance of Dragons story exchange with Haldon. It's interesting that the argued fact in the story has to do with which dragon was slain by Bryon Swann. Tyrion makes his point when he corrects Haldon with the fact that Swann was on the side of Aegon's brother, not the sister, Rhaenyra. Perhaps an oblique reference to what will happen between Aegon and Dany. They will fight each other rather than unite?

Haldon is a half master, not whole, the self proclaimed "healer in our little band of brothers" ( reference to Henry V?) is definitely lacking not only in knowlege, as Tyrion corrects him more than once, but also in humor.

Griff is a daddy substitute. No body's daddy in fact, but daddy to Aegon and now a father representitve to Tyrion. Pale eyes clench it. Eyes are the window to the soul. Griff's eyes are pale blue, cold like Death itself. Certainly, he is a bringer of death in more ways than one.

Finally, is it just me, or is there something about this little river journey on a pole boat that vaguely resembles Huckleberry Finn. Tyrion's memory of his father's remark about travelling to the Free Cities seems to evoke one of the major themes from HF: "No man is free. Only children and fools think elsewise. . . " Tyrion choses to stay at Casterly Rock and gets his "man's job" cleaning out the drains and cisterns (dull and dreary and distasteful work). Also, for those interested in elimination, like his bladder, Tryion was most accomplished at his work at CR. "The drains never drained half so well. . ."

[Lyanna Stark]

Regarding Tyrion's mental state, it's a big step up from his time in Illyrio's manse and has far less of a claustrophobic feel. How long was it since he was last out in the open? Even if he thinks to himself he'll get saddle sores, he does not seem bothered. His mind seems to expand just like his horizon, and he thinks of Lomas Longstrider and the adventures he never got to experience as a boy.

In fact, we are seeing the old analytic/intellectual Tyrion again, he makes quite accurate judgments on what sort of people Haldon, Duck, Griff and Connington are. He's also able to stop wallowing almost completely, which is when I think Tyrion is at his best. Sure, he still should learn to shut that mouth every now and then, but that is also part of who he is. What is clear is that he's at least feeling temporarily somewhat better.

In fact, I loved his little last needling of "all sorts of creatures" which he ends with winged lion and how he notes Jon Con's red roots and red eyebrows (seriously? the man is a n00b at hair dye).

Sure, we have the "where do whores go?" and him quipping to Jon Con that as Jon Con is not kin, he is safe from Tyrion, so the damage is certainly not healed, but it seems to at least temporarily have been overridden by other things, like the fact that there is a big wide world out there. The worst suicidal depressive feelings seem to be going away, at the least.

Also, Halfmaester, I can't recall, do we learn why he us half a maester later? Drop out from the Citadel?

That is a really dark and horrible suggestion that makes better sense than the story Illyrio tells Tyrion! I can see that happening, it makes sense of his oath too, 'remember what I did for the cause, I killed the woman I loved'.

Agree entirely on Tyrion as a mummer which is there from the very first chapter, jokes that slide into dangerous territory.

Didn't Serra die of a disease?

I like the Tyrion as mummer. Does it tie into the trickster/Lann the Clever imagery as well?

[Uncat]

The most twisted idea to see them shrivel in some liquid as reminder, it strikes me more as perverse memory of a cruel punishment, Ramsay Bolton like. What, for god's sake happened to Serra?? Killed because she did not want to give up her child?

Woahh, Woman of War... What a thought: A mothers loving hands, adored for the love they symbolise and cut off for acting on that love against a higher cause. This would really be the stuff this books are made of :)

[Lykos]

Great post Lummel

What is this with Serra's hands?

He cut off the hands of his beloved in order to preserve them and the memory of their touch...!?!

The most twisted idea to see them shrivel in some liquid as reminder, it strikes me more as perverse memory of a cruel punishment, Ramsay Bolton like. What, for god's sake happened to Serra?? Killed because she did not want to give up her child?

I´m sure that the hands are made of stone as the Scorpion Knight and LyannaStark said.

“How did she die?” Tyrion knew that she was dead; no man spoke so fondly of a woman who had abandoned him.

“A Braavosi trading galley called at Pentos on her way back from the Jade Sea. The Treasure carried cloves and saffron, jet and jade, scarlet samite, green silk … and the grey death. We slew her oarsmen as they came ashore and burned the ship at anchor, but the rats crept down the oars and paddled to the quay on cold stone feet. The plague took two thousand before it ran its course.” Magister Illyrio closed the locket. “I keep her hands in my bedchamber. Her hands that were so soft …”

But I still like the idea, since it reminds me of Quentin and his mother Mellario.

"Coin?" her mother had screamed. "He is your son. What sort of father uses his own flesh and blood to pay his debts?"

Feast, The Queenmaker.

Also Lummel´s afterthought about the price that results in a binding commitment or enslavement has been a theme. I wonder if Tywin making Tyrion choose his family over Tysha is aresult of a similar experience Tywin made himself.

Maybe it wasn´t Tyrion who "killed" his mother, but some of Tywin´s actions are responsible. Other than the gods´ wrath at his hubris.

"...The palace gates were closed to me thereafter, but I did not care. The price was small enough, for Serra.”

Was Serra´s death a small enough price for putting a son in power?

Does anyone else have the feeling that Illyrio´s ability for scheming falls w a y short of Varys´ or do you think that all his divulging secrets and stupidly choosing Yollo as a cover name for Tyrion are an act?

Finally, is it just me, or is there something about this little river journey on a pole boat that vaguely resembles Huckleberry Finn.

Excellent, I haven´t made this connection yet, but it´s really more than vague. I think of the Con Artists the "Duke of Bridgewater" and the "Dauphin of France" who try to get the wealth Peter Wilks left his three nieces by posing as their english uncles.

Regarding Tyrion's mental state, it's a big step up from his time in Illyrio's manse and has far less of a claustrophobic feel. ... . What is clear is that he's at least feeling temporarily somewhat better.

:agree:

In fact, I loved his little last needling of "all sorts of creatures" which he ends with winged lion and how he notes Jon Con's red roots and red eyebrows (seriously? the man is a n00b at hair dye).

Well the blue hair is not the cover, but the story of the Tyroshi mother, so it´s not so important, that Jon dyes it a bit sloppy, I think.

There´s also a winged horse amongst the creatures, sigil of the founder of the Golden Company. How much of the plot does Tyrion allready guess?

Duck and "Aegon" reminds me of Dunk and Egg, but I´m sure noone wanted to state the obvious, so I do it. Go ahead you can yawn now.

[Fire Eater]

Excellent, I haven´t made this connection yet, but it´s really more than vague. I think of the Con Artists the "Duke of Bridgewater" and the "Dauphin of France" who try to get the wealth Peter Wilks left his three nieces by posing as their english uncles.

Nice catch, the con artists, one claiming he's the dauphin, or crown prince/uncrowned king and the other a lord, pose as uncles to steal a girl's inheritance in Huckleberry Finn. Aegon is unknowingly falsely posing as the crown prince and rightful King, as well as Dany's nephew, with the Lord of Griffin's Roost, to steal a girl's inheritance to the throne. The straw hat worn by Aegon also brings to mind Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Both con artists are what people in ASOIAF would call mummers, hinting Aegon is "the mummer's dragon".

Huck comes upon an escaping slave, Jim, a big strong man. Tyrion comes upon Jorah, a strong man who becomes enslaved. Both Tyrion's story and Huck's story touch the issue of slavery. Jim is running away from his mistress while Jorah is running towards his.

Tyrion, like Huck, also suffered an abusive father and a mother who died when he was very young. Huck is described as "idle, and lawless, and vulgar, and bad," something Tyrion is probably described as.

[Lummel]

...Finally, is it just me, or is there something about this little river journey on a pole boat that vaguely resembles Huckleberry Finn. Tyrion's memory of his father's remark about travelling to the Free Cities seems to evoke one of the major themes from HF: "No man is free. Only children and fools think elsewise. . . " Tyrion choses to stay at Casterly Rock and gets his "man's job" cleaning out the drains and cisterns (dull and dreary and distasteful work). Also, for those interested in elimination, like his bladder, Tryion was most accomplished at his work at CR. "The drains never drained half so well. . ."

Ragnorak was telling me about another GRRM work that involved slavery and sailing down a river too, so probably an association that was on his mind. Also here they are sailing south as well into the heart of darkness as Volantis seems to be a slaving centre in this world too.

I like the Henry V reference. The play sets up quite nicely what we are meant to expect of the Aegon story line, the transition from feckless youth to warrior king, the army uniting men of different nations, the horrors of war, peace and unity through the marriage of the royal relatives.

...Didn't Serra die of a disease?

Yeah, sure, that's what Illyrio tells us, but have any of us seen the body? :ninja: ;)

I like the Tyrion as mummer. Does it tie into the trickster/Lann the Clever imagery as well?

I think it does. Somebody tied that in to his dwarf status too, I think in a previous thread. I feel there is a definite thread or continuum from dwarf to trickster to mummer in the Tyrion character.

I´m sure that the hands are made of stone as the Scorpion Knight and LyannaStark said...But I still like the idea, since it reminds me of Quentin and his mother Mellario...

it an interesting notion because it suggest there is a price to be paid to even play the game of thrones, like some fancy gambling club where you have to pay to become a member before you can sit down and put your bag of stags on red or black at the roulette table.

Does anyone else have the feeling that Illyrio´s ability for scheming falls w a y short of Varys´ or do you think that all his divulging secrets and stupidly choosing Yollo as a cover name for Tyrion are an act?...

Yes. I don't know what to make of it. Illyrio gives away too much information I feel, even on the first read through. Sentences are full of information. Look at that line that Malys the monsterous was the last of the male line of the blackfyres - what is with that twist of a detail? Generally we have to pull details together from different chapters but here Illyrio is just throwing information at Tyrion.

On the whole my suspicion is that Illyrio doesn't care if Tyrion guesses the truth or not, it's amusing for him to play with Tyrion rather as with the mushrooms. Obviously from the set up Old Griff can be no simple sellsword nor his son just some random blue haired boy. On the other hand, think about Varys, if you don't want something to be noticed, don't try to hide it. When Varys tells the small council about Daenerys' doings in ASOS they are not interested and dismiss his reports. Illyrio's technique is somewhat similar, he is just flooding Tyrion with information, we get virtually two chapters of info dump given to an occasionally sober, revenge obsessed Tyrion.

Is Illyrio trying to whet Tyrion's taste for life with a bundle of mysteries? Or just playing with him because he's a bit lonely?

Nice catch, the con artists, one claiming he's the dauphin, or crown prince and uncrowned king, pose as uncles to steal a girl's inheritance in Huckleberry Finn. Aegon is unknowingly falsely posing as the crown prince and rightful King, or what in France was know as a dauphin, with the Lord of Griffin's Roost, to steal a girl's inheritance to the throne. The straw hat worn by Aegon also brings to mind Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn...

ok, so quite a few parallels then.

[the Scorpion Knight]

I think illyrio is honest about serra. but I think he bought her to pose as Aegons Mother

I don't think the yolo was a slip or brainfart of illyrio but a test: let's see how fast he can think

[Blisscraft]

Nice catch, the con artists, one claiming he's the dauphin, or crown prince and uncrowned king, pose as uncles to steal a girl's inheritance in Huckleberry Finn. Aegon is unknowingly falsely posing as the crown prince and rightful King, or what in France was know as a dauphin, with the Lord of Griffin's Roost, to steal a girl's inheritance to the throne. The straw hat worn by Aegon also brings to mind Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

Both con artists are what people in ASOIAF would call mummers, so Aegon is "the mummer's dragon".

Huck comes upon an escaping slave, Jim, a big strong man. Tyrion comes upon Jorah, a strong man who becomes enslaved. Both Tyrion's story and Huck's story come touch the issue of slavery. Jim is running away from his mistress while Jorah is running towards his.

Tyrion, like Huck, also suffered an abusive father and a mother who died when he was very young. Huck is described as "idle, and lawless, and vulgar, and bad," something Tyrion is probably described as.

Love this! It's been about thirty years since I read Huck Finn. Thank you for adding definition to my thinking. Also, I agree, excellent Lykos.

Lummel - Correct about Matin's river boat book. It's Fevre Dream. A very different telling of life on the Mississippi.

[butterbumps!]

Yes. I don't know what to make of it. Illyrio gives away too much information I feel, even on the first read through. Sentences are full of information. Look at that line that Malys the monsterous was the last of the male line of the blackfyres - what is with that twist of a detail? Generally we have to pull details together from different chapters but here Illyrio is just throwing information at Tyrion.

Since DwD came out, I've strongly suspected that Varys is playing Illyrio. While I trust that through Illyrio we have considerable evidence pointing to his desire for Blackfyre restoration, I'm less certain this may truly be Varys' endgame. The reasons you noted-- giving away too much, etc-- are partially why I think this is the case, as well as the fact that Illyrio clearly has genuine emotional investment in this plan. Varys precisely appeals to people's emotion and values when he makes them his (from Tyrion, to Jacelyn Bywater, to Jon Connington). I think the emotional display and info-dump by Illyrio is a bit too similar to the way Jon Con is being played. In my opinion, Illyrio definitely seeks Blackfyre restoration, but I think he's actually a pawn.

Also, regarding Serra's hands-- I'm really suspicious of this as well. If she did die of greyscale, then her hands would be affected first (i.e. completely ossified), and not the "soft" reminder Illyrio claims. Not to mention, they'd be a vector for the disease. I think there's something missing here-- her COD was either not greyscale, she didn't actually die, or she died by some other way.

To go one step back to Rag's post explaining how Viserys almost destroyed years of planning, I agree with this having been the plan, but Illyrio may have even been referring to something earlier. Before coming to Illyrio's manse, Viserys feasted the Golden Company, asking them to take back the throne for him. I think it's possible that Illyrio might have also been referring to this and some of Viserys' other risky behavior before coming to Pentos as part of what Viserys nearly destroyed.

[The Drunkard]

The Drunkard ( and I don't mean the twisted tree near Molestown)

The "drunkard" is a manifestation of the "Trickster" archetype. Radin describes this type as from the earliest and least developed period of life wherein his physical appetites dominate his behavior and his mentality is that of an infant. The Trickster constantly seeks gratification and although can be seen as a comic figure, like Falstaff, he just as easily can turn cruel, cynical and unfeeling. The Trickster struggles with will over self control and like Tantalus can make a fool of himself and wind up cast out of Olympus and forever trying to slake an unquentiable thirst because of his misdeeds.

:crying:

[Blisscraft]

:crying:

Sorry, dear. I wasn't refering to you. :laugh:

[butterbumps!]

Tyrion IV DwD

(aka “a newly sober dwarf still wonders where whores go”)

overview

Tyrion awakes on the roof of the Shy Maid, suffering from alcohol withdrawal. Griff has placed a moratorium on Tyrion’s alcohol consumption, and he’s not taking it terribly well. One by one the other travel companions awake to the smell of breakfast. Tyrion longingly watches Lemore perform her daily nude bathing in the river, and the small party eats together on the deck.

After breakfast, we get a glimpse of Young Griff’s extensive daily training. First, Duck teaches him swordplay; Youg Griff has better endurance than the bigger man, and bests him. Following this, Young Griff goes off with Septa Lemore for religious instruction. While Young Griff and Lemore are engaged, Tyrion spends his time writing out all he can remember regarding dragons, a task Griff has given him as a means of contributing to Young Griff’s education. Finally, Tyrion joins Haldon Half-maester’s instruction in languages, geometry and history.

After the lesson, Tyrion remains below with Haldon, and they play cyvasse. Tyrion challenges Haldon to put stakes on the game, and they agree to proffer secrets should the other win. Tyrion beats Haldon, so we know that Tyrion is now in possession of some critical information. As the Shy Maid makes its way to the convergence of rivers, we get a hint of what Tyrion has learned: that there is to be a “birth of kings.”

observations

• Griff and the Nights Watch: I’m not sure whether this could count as foreshadowing, but I find Tyrion’s description of Griff fairly loaded. Giff sits on the deck wearing a “wolf-skin cloak beside an iron brazier.” His wolf pelt is red, but nonetheless, it conjures images of the North and the Watch. Further, “[Griff] kept the night watch by himself, rising as the rest of his band sought their beds and retiring when the sun came up.”
  
• Ysilla and Yandry are actually Westerosi; they are orphans from the Greenblood of Dorne.
  
• Young Griff description: In the previous chapter, Tyrion guessed that he was about 15 or 16 years old. Here, he reflects that “This beardless boy could have any maiden in the Seven kingdoms, blue hair or no. Those eyes of his would melt them.” The eyes in question are dark blue, though Tyrion says that the shade varies in the light, and that by the dusk sun they look purple.
  
• Foreshadowing: “ ‘Slave catchers would be a welcome change from turtles.’ Not being an escaped slave, Tyrion need not fear being caught.”
  

analysis

delirium tremens

Griff has forced Tyrion to “dry out,” and given his heavy prior consumption, Tyrion’s been suffering from insomnia, sweats and shakes. He’s taken to sleeping on the roof of the cabin, citing fresher air and more pleasing sounds. I suspect that between the lines, it’s really solitude and feeling unbound that compels Tyrion to sleep thusly, despite it’s physical discomfort.

It turns out that Tyrion hasn’t bathed since joining this party, and he observes how badly he smells. His refusal to bathe stems from his fear of the “bonesnapper” turtles in the river, as well as the fact that he doesn’t want Lemore to see him naked. It’s an interesting contradiction to his newfound tee-totaling; he’s purging his addiction, but accumulating physical filth (though this will be remedied later in the chapter when Duck jokingly tosses him in the river).

Tyrion observes that Griff is “no-nonsense,” and singularly focused on arriving in Volantis as rapidly as possible. Tyrion wonders what Griff is so cautious about, as it would not appear that the party is in any real danger. In fact, Tyrion thinks Griff himself is more dangerous than anything they might encounter. Though he reminds Tyrion of Bronn, he has nothing of Bronn’s “black humor,” and I get the sense that Tyrion has little affection for this man.

They watch the dawn, and Tyrion sees shapes in the clouds: a dragon. He recalls a passage he’d read about the wonders of dragons: “Once a man has seen a dragon in flight, let him stay home and tend his garden in content, for this wide world has no greater wonder.” By the end of the chapter, Tyrion will realize that he has seen “a dragon in flight;” in the aftermath of learning, however, he does not seem to wish to content himself with gardens.

Septa Lemore

Lemore greets Tyrion, and he confesses to having dreamed of her again. In reality, he had masturbated to her, which she seems to pick up on, and she playfully jokes about it. She has an extremely liberal view of shame and nudity, as she bathes completely naked in the river each morning, a ritual Tyrion looks forward to each day. She tells Tyrion that there should be no shame in nakedness, as “The Mother and Father made us in their image. We should glory in our bodies, for they are the work of the gods,” which is ironic given that Tyrion is so ashamed of letting this woman see him naked that he refuses to even bathe. It seems it’s a combination of his feeling unsatisfactory due to his bodily deformation, as well as his shame at being lustful, which has caused him so much trouble.

He reflects on Lemore, attracted to the combination of innocence and wickedness that seem so much a part of her. He thinks about how bedding her would be “innocence despoiled,” though he acknowledges that she’s clearly not a virgin, as she shows signs of having had a pregnancy. He accepts the fact that she turns him on, deciding that feeling sexual stirring lets him know he’s still alive. The numbness he’s felt these past chapters is starting to wane. Lemore seems affable and unoffended about Tyrion’s desire for her; they both know he wants her, and she plays along. He thinks, “I do not want to know her, I only want to fuck her,” though, I actually believe this is untrue. I think he genuinely enjoys her company and the sexual tension, and the dynamic is less focused on literal sex than he implies.

“I’ll caper as I please”

During Duck and Young Griff’s swords lesson, Young Griff bests Duck, sending him into the river. Tyrion throws Duck a line, and makes a wisecrack, to which Duck lifts him and throws him in the water too. When he comes back on the boat, he indulges in some fabricated backstory, in which he takes a “mordant pleasure:” “My father threw me down a well the day I was born, but I was so ugly that the water witch who lived down there spat me back.” He even does a little cartwheel to spray them all with water.

When asked to elaborate, Tyrion tells them he was part of a mummers’ troupe and how he got there: “My mother loved me best of all her children because I was so small. She nursed me at her breast till I was 7. That made my brothers jealous, so they stuffed me in a sack and sold me to a mummers’ troupe. When I tried to run off the master mummer cut off half my nose, so I had no choice but to go with them and learn to be amusing.” This story is both heart-breaking (the line about how he was his mother’s favorite), as well as oddly truthful in some ways. For one, Tywin is a “master mummer” of sorts, and it’s his doing—or at least, Lannister doing—that resulted in Tyrion’s lost nose on the Blackwater, where he was “spat back up” from the water. It also curiously parallels the story Varys tells Tyrion about his cutting, and given that we know Tyrion has fabricated this tale, perhaps we should likewise question all that Varys tells us of that as well.

Tyrion then gives us the truth: his uncle taught him how to tumble, and Tyrion enjoyed making everyone at the Rock laugh, from septons to his sister on occasion. That is, until his father had returned from KL: “The gods made you a dwarf. Must you be a fool as well? You were born a lion, not a monkey.” Tyrion had very much lost this desire to make people laugh sometime between aCoK and DwD, one other facet that rendered him Tywin-like. Now that his father “is a corpse,” Tyrion decides that he will “caper as I please.” This passage makes it appear that inducing laughter was something Tyrion genuinely wanted, and that Tywin’s presence was the factor that ended it. I am a bit cautious of this reading; I’m not so certain that Tyrion does enjoy being laughed at, and think his desire to bring laughter now may have more to do with extending out a rebellion against his father than genuine desire.

When Lemore tells him he has a gift for making men smile, Tyrion does not take it well: “And when I die, please let them bury me with a crossbow, so I can thank the Father Above for his gifts the same way I thanked the father below.” Tyrion’s been having something of an existential crisis during these chapters, often citing from the Seven’s theology. Even though the Seven is on his mind, he fantasizes about deicide.

Griff had Tyrion help Septa Lemore reconstruct his wardrobe to produce motley attire for the purpose of “casting” Tyrion as a fool. As with the monster identity imposed on Tyrion previously, he likewise takes up the fool identity, relishing the fact that it’s one more way to annoy Tywin from the grave. That he cites rebellion against Tywin as motivation here, I question how genuine his desire to make men laugh is just before.

dragon info-dump

Griff has put Tyrion to work writing down all that he knows of dragons. He finds the books Illyrio provided lacking, and wishes instead for:

Fires of the Freehold by Galendro: a history of Valyria; he thinks Volantis might have a copy.

Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns: Their Unnatural History by Septon Barth: he doubts this will be available in Essos.

Blood and Fire/ The Death of Dragons by anonymous: he says the only known copy is in a vault at the Citadel.

He is currently writing down the mating habits of dragons, which is a contested subject. Barth, Munkun and Thomax all disagreed, though he doesn’t elaborate as to how. Munkun is likely unreliable, though, as Tyrion pointed out his mistake with regard to Vhager and Syrax last chapter.

history info-dump

While Haldon invites Tyrion to join in Young Griff’s lesson, he asks a few pointed questions about Tyrion’s past. It seems Haldon has some suspicions about Tyrion’s identity, and Tyrion will play into this curiosity later when he challenges the maester to Cyvasse to trade secrets. Young Griff has been taught to speak Common Tongue, Pentoshi, Tyroshi, Myrish and Lyseni fluently, and is currently learning Volantene and Meereense, lessons which Tyrion benefit from as well. Young Griff is less gifted with geometry, so Tyrion augments his instruction.

The most valuable information relates to the history of the Free Cities. Haldon has Young Griff recite the history of “tigers and elephants,” which seem to serve as a political parable.

We learn that Volantis is the oldest of Valyria’s outposts, and the closest to its former culture. After the Doom, it attempted to become an empire like Valyria, but was divided in terms of the means to dominate. The “tigers” wished to dominate through force, while the “elephants” saw domination through money. At first, force won out, and Volantis annexed Lys and Myr. When Volantis tried to take Tyrosh, multiple parties intervened: Pentos, the Westerosi Storm King, and Aegon declared against Volantis, while Myr and Lys rose in rebellion. More ill-fortune fell on Volantis, as they lost a fleet in the Smoking Sea, lost more seapower fighting Qohor and Norvos, and dealt with chaos from the Dothraki, which emerged as a nomadic culture after the Doom.

In this power vacuum, the elephants asserted their dominance, and have had lasting influence for 300 years. When asked what one can learn from Volantene history, Young Griff answers, “If you want to conquer the world, you best have dragons.” Though Young Griff is referring to literal dragons, it should be noted that “dragon” is also a form of currency, which is highly apropos given that the money-men have successfully been ruling in the Free Cities. In fact, that line could easily be LF’s motto when taken from this angle.

cyvasse

Tyrion puts together that Young Griff seems far too well taken care of to be simply some sellsword’s son, and seeks a way to wheedle out the truth. Haldon takes up his challenge to exchange secrets as a wager, in part, because Tyrion has never won against him. However, Tyrion sandbags him this time. He changes his strategy; previously, he brought out his dragons too quickly, losing them to ill fortune. I think the “dragon” may work on a few levels. First, perhaps it’s a mistake to have brought dragons out too quickly with regard to Dany’s dracarys in Slaver’s Bay. On a second register, Tyrion always brought out his monetary dragons very hastily, which served him poorly in the long term. At any rate, holding his dragon works, and he wins the wager.

convergence

When Tyrion emerges from the game, he feels particularly light-headed, suggesting Haldon’s confessions have a significant impact on him. Lemore asks Tyrion if he can feel the storms ahead, citing pirates and the Sorrows. He thinks, “Not mine. I carry mine own sorrows with me, everywhere I go.” He thinks of Tysha and wonders if whores go to Volantis: “Perhaps I’ll find her there. A man should cling to hope.” Yet he realizes that even if he should find her, she might not want anything to do with him.

They pass Nymeria’s palace ruins, just as two rivers converge. Yandry lets Tyrion know that it’s only when the Rhoyne converges with her other “daughters” that it will reach maximum width such that one cannot see land on either side. Suddenly, a giant horned turtle larger than the boat surfaced and roared, for which Ysilla proclaims they are blessed. The orphans believe it is the “Old Man of the River,” to which Tyrion muses, “Gods and wonders always appear, to attend the birth of kings.” The secret Tyrion extracted is obviously Young Griff’s identity as Aegon, and their mission one of claiming his crown.

[Lummel]

...In this power vacuum, the elephants asserted their dominance, and have had lasting influence for 300 years. When asked what one can learn from Volantene history, Young Griff answers, “If you want to conquer the world, you best have dragons.” Though Young Griff is referring to literal dragons, it should be noted that “dragon” is also a form of currency, which is highly apropos given that the money-men have successfully been ruling in the Free Cities. In fact, that line could easily be LF’s motto when taken from this angle...

ok, taking that double meaning, dragons as currency and dragons as big, hungry, fire brething beasts and then noting:

"Illyrio does not play cyvasse."

No, thought the dwarf, he plays the game of thrones, and you and Griff and Duck are only pieces, to be moved where he will and sacrificed at need, just as he sacrificed Viserys.

page 188

Illyrio is playing the game of thrones with golden dragons. Daenerys however has actual dragons. With his golden dragons llyrio can buy up, seduce or win over over pieces but Daenerys actual dragons can upset the entire game. Illyrio is working within a system, that web of connections that he mentioned in the earlier chapters. Daenerys however is turning the world and the established game upside down.

Going back to the idea of Tyrion being played by Varys in ACOK we can see that this is still the case, except that he is being used in Essos rather than in Kings Landing.

Some irony here about Tyrion confedience about being safe from capture by men looking for escaped slaves as we learn later how easily free men are enslaved here, but also he is an escaped slave, slave to his father's influence over his thoughts and slave to those sorrows that he carrys everywhere he goes. Is there an inner journey of renewal or a new direction that parallels the physical journey or will we have much the same old Tyrion when he reaches his destination?

[butterbumps!]

ok, taking that double meaning, dragons as currency and dragons as big, hungry, fire brething beasts and then noting:

page 188

Illyrio is playing the game of thrones with golden dragons. Daenerys however has actual dragons. With his golden dragons llyrio can buy up, seduce or win over over pieces but Daenerys actual dragons can upset the entire game. Illyrio is working within a system, that web of connections that he mentioned in the earlier chapters. Daenerys however is turning the world and the established game upside down.

Is she turning it upside down simply having dragons? Literal dragons are a form of force, the very sort of power that the Volantene history lesson suggests is unsustainable. I know that dragons are more of a trump card than other forms of force, and she's overturned systems of power with them, but her results have not been wholly successful. I agree that the dragons change things immensely, but it seems that the dragons are not nearly enough to effectively (or at least, sustainably) overturn established power structures, given what we know of Dany's time in Slaver's Bay, as well as the various games of cyvasse we will witness in the series. It seems as though dragons have vulnerabilities as well, and that bringing them out too quickly is the best way to lose them; I see something of a parable there wrt to Dany, who arguably did just that.