Small questions v.10002

[Draxus]

I know this is a dumb question but I'm curious as to what people think: Do you think Varys looking like a fool and pricking himself with the Valyrian dagger was an accident or done on purpose?

[Lady Gwynhyfvar]

Do you have any experience at all with this kind of thing? I imagine Robb was pretty strong as well and may have been able to sling an elk over the horse's back on his own. Perhaps the elk fell off when he was fighting wildlings but in any case if it was properly secured, the horse could probably have handled a few comparatively unarmed wildlings on foot with an elk and Robb. I imagine he took a hunting horse out.

From the little I know it doesnt take much time (1 hour?) to debone and quarter an elk and once you do that you are down to 200-300 lb, even with a 200 lb Robb his horse should be able to handle it. More than a quarter of an hour, but there is no time duration in the book.

Well, no I'm not experienced personally in mounted warfare or backwoods hunting of large animals. But my father is a hunter so I am familiar with the approximate size of a deer carcass and the time it would take to butcher one. Also, I used to ride when I was younger. So, yeah I made an educated guess based on my experience that there was some small continuity issue in the writing of that scene. No shame in that, I've heard GRRM admit to worse.

And yes, the time is pretty easy to guess because most of the scene unfolds in real time (through dialogue) When the wildlings arrive, Bran states that his brother left "just a moment ago"

But hey, this is all my opinion. If you want to assume a deboned and quartered carcass, by all means do so ;)

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I know this is a dumb question but I'm curious as to what people think: Do you think Varys looking like a fool and pricking himself with the Valyrian dagger was an accident or done on purpose?

Perhaps it reflects that even Varys can be harmed by Littlefinger's meddling. I wouldn't know about his intent though. Maybe it was just an accident.

[rmholt]

Well, no I'm not experienced personally in mounted warfare or backwoods hunting of large animals. But my father is a hunter so I am familiar with the approximate size of a deer carcass and the time it would take to butcher one. Also, I used to ride when I was younger. So, yeah I made an educated guess based on my experience that there was some small continuity issue in the writing of that scene. No shame in that, I've heard GRRM admit to worse.

And yes, the time is pretty easy to guess because most of the scene unfolds in real time (through dialogue) When the wildlings arrive, Bran states that his brother left "just a moment ago"

But hey, this is all my opinion. If you want to assume a deboned and quartered carcass, by all means do so ;)

Well, yeah I learned my lesson trying to square certain high temperature events with known material science. I was also warned against trying to square travel time and distance. Note, the elk is only deboned and quartered in my example. I guess it doesnt even need to be quartered if it is slung over the horse rump. hide still on, no butchering. They werent going very far.

[Lady Gwynhyfvar]

Well, yeah I learned my lesson trying to square certain high temperature events with known material science. I was also warned against trying to square travel time and distance. Note, the elk is only deboned and quartered in my example. I guess it doesnt even need to be quartered if it is slung over the horse rump. hide still on, no butchering. They werent going very far.

Any more of this and we'll have to start a Robb's elk thread :D

[Landworth]

Is there any theories out there on why some chapters are entitled without the respective characters' names? I have been trying to find a thread, but have not had any luck? If there are no threads out there, why are there no chapters entitled 'Barristan' or 'Asha' etc.?

[gougef]

Is there any theories out there on why some chapters are entitled without the respective characters' names? I have been trying to find a thread, but have not had any luck? If there are no threads out there, why are there no chapters entitled 'Barristan' or 'Asha' etc.?

My take is when GRRM needs a viewpoint and don't have a "main" character available, he uses "guest stars" and just don't uses the character's name. Just his style choice.

[Bloodraven II]

They were kings, so it's highly likely that their sigil was always a crowned stag.

This line of reasoning is logical and I'm not disputing it. But I always assumed that the crown in their sigil related back to Orys Baratheon being a Targ bastard. I mean he was Aegon's half-brother.. So maybe the crown is simply emphasizing the family's link to the royal family. Thoughts?

[Ulrik1312]

Is there any theories out there on why some chapters are entitled without the respective characters' names? I have been trying to find a thread, but have not had any luck? If there are no threads out there, why are there no chapters entitled 'Barristan' or 'Asha' etc.?

I always supose that in tha particular moment, that title embodies the identity of that chracter (in case of Arya, Sansa and THeon they take new ones so is a different case) and their most important facet like Quentyn with his Dragontammer title or Areo being The Watcher.

Usually reserve for characters introduce later on that we don't have any invesment so I supose It is a way to introduce them and not puting them in the same sphere of relevance as the other POVs charatcters.

When we get to know them better, they become more prominent and they start using their name like Victarion and Arianne.

[The Dornishman's Wife]

This line of reasoning is logical and I'm not disputing it. But I always assumed that the crown in their sigil related back to Orys Baratheon being a Targ bastard. I mean he was Aegon's half-brother.. So maybe the crown is simply emphasizing the family's link to the royal family. Thoughts?

There are two things that go against this:

1) Orys was only rumored to be Aegon's half-brother (he probably was, but it's not as if that was officially known in Westeros). That does not sound as if he'd openly declared it (to the extent of making a point about it in his sigil).

2) According to the GoT appendix, he adopted the "banner, honors and words" of the Storm Kings when he married the last king's daughter. If he only took versions loosely based on their banners, chances are that the appendix would talk about adapting, not adopting.

Both arguments leave a little wriggle room of course, 1) Orys could have been extremely proud of the rumours and push them as much as he could without actually confirming them outright (which might have been against Aegon's wishes or whatever) and 2) the appendix might just be sloppy. Still, I find it more easy to believe that the crown came from the Storm Kings that bore the sigil before Orys.

[Dr. Pepper]

This line of reasoning is logical and I'm not disputing it. But I always assumed that the crown in their sigil related back to Orys Baratheon being a Targ bastard. I mean he was Aegon's half-brother.. So maybe the crown is simply emphasizing the family's link to the royal family. Thoughts?

There aren't any other instances where this has happened. Several families in Westeros have blood relations to the Targaryens and they didn't change their sigil to reflect it. And as The Dornishman's Wife points out, Orys adopted the Durrendon sigil, no mention of him adapting it.

[RumHam]

There aren't any other instances where this has happened. Several families in Westeros have blood relations to the Targaryens and they didn't change their sigil to reflect it. And as The Dornishman's Wife points out, Orys adopted the Durrendon sigil, no mention of him adapting it.

Even the producers of the show seems to misunderstand the crowned stag. I'm pretty sure in the first season bran says the sigil of house Baratheon is "a stag. A crowned stag now that Robert's king."

[Dr. Pepper]

Even the producers of the show seems to misunderstand the crowned stag. I'm pretty sure in the first season bran says the sigil of house Baratheon is "a stag. A crowned stag now that Robert's king."

The show isn't the books. In the books, it's a crowned stag even before Robert was king. See the D&E stories.

[The Storm Queen]

New question: We know that Tywin was in love with his wife Joanna, but are there any hints in the books how she felt about him and their marriage?

I found this pretty interesting given the broader context (Aerys and his "liberties" as well as Tywin and his issues with women) but I do not remember if there is some clarification in the books.

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

New question: We know that Tywin was in love with his wife Joanna, but are there any hints in the books how she felt about him and their marriage?

I found this pretty interesting given the broader context (Aerys and his "liberties" as well as Tywin and his issues with women) but I do not remember if there is some clarification in the books.

Well it's said that Joanna ruled Tywin, from which I infer that she loved him too. I don't think Tywin had issues with women...do you have any supporting evidence from the text?

[coil]

New question: We know that Tywin was in love with his wife Joanna, but are there any hints in the books how she felt about him and their marriage?

I found this pretty interesting given the broader context (Aerys and his "liberties" as well as Tywin and his issues with women) but I do not remember if there is some clarification in the books.

The only things we know from Joanna are the famous line about Tywin ruling the realm and be ruled by his wife, Genna Lannister tellling Jaime about how Tywin was destroyed by her loss and Jaime's dream about being under Castle Rock.

I believe that that particular dream is very telling about Jaime and the story, more than anything... still Joanna says a couple of lines that makes us understand how well she knew her husband.

Something that goes like "I wonder if you ever knew him", she says to her son and "he wanted a queen and a knight destiny for his sons".

That makes me think that she knew him well, and probably he did even confide himself to her, at least about his dream for their kids.

That alone isn't absolutely telling about her own personal feelings, but to me it's enough to assume that the couple was quite united.

About Aerys... it looks like another of his brilliant actions and about the whores they were probably a way to replace her wife. If I'm not mistaken, at Chataya's there's a very Lannister-like lady (Dancy? or Marei?).

[The Manhood-Eating Goat]

Call me naive but I always assumed Tywin's happiness at their marriage derived from a mutual love rather than just his love for her. I could be wrong but I kinda feel to make such a bugger as him smile it'd have to be something really special. Couple that with the rumours of her managing to wear the pants (as it were) she must have done a good impression of loving him at the very least.

[rmholt]

Is there any theories out there on why some chapters are entitled without the respective characters' names? I have been trying to find a thread, but have not had any luck? If there are no threads out there, why are there no chapters entitled 'Barristan' or 'Asha' etc.?

While I was browsing GRRM interview videos I saw this addressed. The answer was apparently forgettable!

[Landworth]

While I was browsing GRRM interview videos I saw this addressed. The answer was apparently forgettable!

Thanks! Kinda disappointed, thought it actually meant something...

[Black Wolf Smith]

Perhaps it reflects that even Varys can be harmed by Littlefinger's meddling. I wouldn't know about his intent though. Maybe it was just an accident.

Don't know if that right, but I like it.

Is there any theories out there on why some chapters are entitled without the respective characters' names? I have been trying to find a thread, but have not had any luck? If there are no threads out there, why are there no chapters entitled 'Barristan' or 'Asha' etc.?

I don't know, but least not forget, the Blind Girl. I think it has more to do with not wanting to give us info before we read the chapters. With most, if not all of them, you know who it is about very early in the chapter, but not why the name.