Always the Artists [book spoilers]

[Lord Flashheart]

As a crazy zombie fan I hate it when anybody calls the wights zombies. Zombies eat people. That's what's awesome about them. Wights don't eat people. It's pretty simple.

Wights also seem to be carrying weapons. I have seen many types of Zombies but other than in the Resident Evil series I have never seen one carry a weapon.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

Complete speculation incoming:

I seem to remember seeing/reading somewhere a discussion about the various religions once (and I vaguely remember GRRM being involved or possibly quoted) - and the discussion got around to R'hllor and his opposite force that was the real power behind the Others. It could be that the artwork is being used as some kind of a set up for this 'Other God' perhaps?

[Leo de Salto]

Personally, I think this is one of those things GRRM said to the writers in case he die :P

People think the Withe Walkers are just some kind of zombies, when GRRM said they are not. He said they are some kind of ice elves. Obviously a non human being(but that does not mean they are aliens), just like the children of the forest. Even it is said that the children of the forest and the Withe Walkers fougth each other in the past.

And in DWD when Bran and co reach the last greenseer cave they seem to have some kind of magic to repel the wigths.

Complete speculation incoming:

I seem to remember seeing/reading somewhere a discussion about the various religions once (and I vaguely remember GRRM being involved or possibly quoted) - and the discussion got around to R'hllor and his opposite force that was the real power behind the Others. It could be that the artwork is being used as some kind of a set up for this 'Other God' perhaps?

Since the opposite of R'hllor is The Great Other and that The Withe Walkers are their servants, or at least they worship him, is possible that it was som kind of ritual.

The Red Priest throw people to the flames.

[Mediumjon Umber]

I enjoyed it. I always love learning new stuff about the Others.

[lostinwesteros]

Another scene where I thought D and D were brilliant!

But I couldn't quite make out what they were calling the White Walkers/Others - was it Cold ones? Sounded like Cold cones to me (ice cream, anyone?)

[LordStoneheart]

Maybe the writers used that symbol they made to represent something. I'm not sure what, but D&D are supposed to have important plot point knowledge for later. One thing that came up when I searched spiral symbolism was the changing of the seasons. Could be coincidence, but that's pretty telling.

Also, I don't consider wights to be 'zombies' at all. They're not infected as we know it. They're more like puppets of the Others. If you've ever watched Stardust think of them more as the voodoo body towards the end.

[Sharpes]

Maybe they're markers so they know how to get home :P

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

They were attacking the fist, and let Night's Watch members escape while they made horse art in the snow. Which is why I said "These white walker overlords are stopping their attack to dismount and carefully place horse parts in a pattern for no apparent reason?" I don't know that it really makes white walkers more distinct from wights for non-readers since we don't see them do it. If the viewer thought they were the same before this scene he probably still does.

It's not art. It's done for a reason. You can't possibly be stupid enough to think that something that happens off-screen has no impact because you didn't see it happen.

[Our Blades Are Sharp]

flame much? Mance calls it art in the episode.

You can't possibly be stupid enough...

Tadco26 says they doesn't understand the Other's motivation.

Where does he say its unimportant.........?

:dunce:

[DrRobotnik]

It looks like a Zerg symbol.

D&D must be roach-spamming, A-moving Zerg players.

[Clariana]

They were arranged in the form of a spiral.

Their message to humanity: You are going down the plughole.

[Joyful Union]

Do D&D know something we dont about the Others?

Do they have a highly sophisticated and advanced society?

Is the invasion of Westeros some sorta fucked up artistic statement??

[Clariana]

Do D&D know something we dont about the Others?

Do they have a highly sophisticated and advanced society?

Is the invasion of Westeros some sorta fucked up artistic statement??

As Leo mentions above GRR has described them as "ice fae", traditionally fae are not stupid or limited like some supernatural beings (trolls, ogres) but are highly intelligent and sophisticated, usually more so than humans.

[Our Blades Are Sharp]

I like the "changing of the seasons" symbolism.

[Drogo_1]

Complete speculation incoming:

R'hllor and his opposite force that was the real power behind the Others. It could be that the artwork is being used as some kind of a set up for this 'Other God' perhaps?

I agree with you. This was clearly meant to be pleasing to the "Other" whose name may not be spoken. I say this because the only way you could even tell that it was meant to be a design is by looking from above. As most people associate gods as being up above or in the sky, so too do the others.

[sennahoj]

The spiral pattern is reminiscent of the swastika and similar ancient symbols found in cultures across the globe throughout history. Meanings differ, of course, and I'm intrigued as to what magic or religious meaning that pattern has for the White Walkers. And why the horse parts?

On an utterly silly side note, imagine a picture of the horse head pattern in a newspaper next to headlines such as

"Horse meat scandal hits Westeros - Rayder: It's Spiralling out of control" :cool4:

[Reposado]

Do D&D know something we dont about the Others?

i think this is something that they would have additional information on

Do they have a highly sophisticated and advanced society?

this seems likely just from the books.

Is the invasion of Westeros some sorta fucked up artistic statement??

probably not

[Tadco26]

It's not art. It's done for a reason. You can't possibly be stupid enough to think that something that happens off-screen has no impact because you didn't see it happen.

Well genius, what was the impact? What was the reason? It wasn't something that happened in the books, so it seems to me that the impact and reason is something the TV writers made up, if there is one at all beyond doing something "creepy".

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I liked that scene: showed that the only ones who know about the Others, even if is a little, are the wildings and people beyond the Wall. They're capable of creating symbols and the Southern people still believes they're a myth.

[Independent George]

I love that scene; it really hammers home the idea of the White Walkers as another intelligent species, and not just mindless monsters.

I also love the mental image I have now of the White Walkers reading the equivalent of Martha Stewart Living, with various articles on how to create tasteful arrangements of severed heads for special occasions. Or White Walker Pinterest.