The Ghost of Winterfell is...

[CrannogXninja]

The Ghost of Winterfell is Howland Reed. Hes a friggen ninja who would hide in the shadows and kill mofo's one at a time. Think about it. Hes a godamned crannogninja. End of story

[Shadrich]

Isn't the hooded man Septon Chayle?

Septon Chayle Theory

Cool stuff, to be fair. Never read that theory,

[Usrnmhsnomning]

So why the one inconsistent chapter title?

Theon has three completely different chapter titles. First he is Reek (I, II, III), then "A Ghost in Winterfell" (I), then he is Theon (I). It's fallacious to claim it's 'one' inconsistent chapter title when it's a very VERY obvious switch from him being Reek, to him being Theon again. In "A Ghost in Winterfell", Theon has internal thoughts (as well as external provocations) that help him begin to reconnect with who he really is. He spends half of this chapter becoming more and more coherent, critically reflective, and self-aware, so why on earth would he suddenly have a schizophrenic relapse and see himself only to again immediately revert back to his path of self-discovery? You're quite blatantly trying to connect "A Ghost in Winterfell" to the hooded man, when there is absolutely no reason to do so. The entire point of "A Ghost in Winterfell" is to reflect the feeling of one guy supposedly walking around unseen killing people. The 'Ghost' chapter shows the spearwives all but admitting they did the killings (except Little Walder) meaning there was no 'ghost' or man going around killing people. From a literary perspective one can consider Theon to be the 'ghost' re his thoughts on Reek and Theon, but that still doesn't apply to the hooded man, nor is there anything in the passage in which Theon meets him that even remotely indicates anything ghostly about him, nor Durden-ish about him. People just read into stuff that isn't there.

I mean, people even think the 'hooded man' has his hood up, hence his name, but if you actually pay attention to the passage you would know his hood isn't up, it's flowing in the wind behind him, making the name "hooded man" itself a questionable attribution.

[WeaselPie]

Luwin or Walys.

[Lost Melnibonean]

Theon has three completely different chapter titles. First he is Reek (I, II, III), then "A Ghost in Winterfell" (I), then he is Theon (I). It's fallacious to claim it's 'one' inconsistent chapter title when it's a very VERY obvious switch from him being Reek, to him being Theon again. In "A Ghost in Winterfell", Theon has internal thoughts (as well as external provocations) that help him begin to reconnect with who he really is. He spends half of this chapter becoming more and more coherent, critically reflective, and self-aware, so why on earth would he suddenly have a schizophrenic relapse and see himself only to again immediately revert back to his path of self-discovery? You're quite blatantly trying to connect "A Ghost in Winterfell" to the hooded man, when there is absolutely no reason to do so. The entire point of "A Ghost in Winterfell" is to reflect the feeling of one guy supposedly walking around unseen killing people. The 'Ghost' chapter shows the spearwives all but admitting they did the killings (except Little Walder) meaning there was no 'ghost' or man going around killing people. From a literary perspective one can consider Theon to be the 'ghost' re his thoughts on Reek and Theon, but that still doesn't apply to the hooded man, nor is there anything in the passage in which Theon meets him that even remotely indicates anything ghostly about him, nor Durden-ish about him. People just read into stuff that isn't there.

I mean, people even think the 'hooded man' has his hood up, hence his name, but if you actually pay attention to the passage you would know his hood isn't up, it's flowing in the wind behind him, making the name "hooded man" itself a questionable attribution.

His cloak was flapping behind him, not the hood. I used to think he was the hooded man who wasn't wearing a hood too until a keener poster than me pointed that out. So maybe "if you actually pay attention to the passage you would know his hood" might be up or it might not. (See what I did there I quoted your condescending phrase right back atcha.)

And I'm "quite blatantly trying to connect "A Ghost in Winterfell" to" the rest of the chapters in ASOIAF, every single one of which is named for the POV character therein, except A Ghost in Winterfell, unless of course, A Ghost in Winterfell is Theon.

Here is the relevant portion of the passage about the cloak and the hood and what was flapping...

Farther on, he came upon a man striding in the opposite direction, a hooded cloak flapping behind him.

I'm sure someone such as yourself who is able to consider things "from a literary perspective," can see what's flapping.

Anyway, you might be right. The Hooded Man might be some other character. I don't think so, but I could always be wrong. I often am.

[Usrnmhsnomning]

His cloak was flapping behind him, not the hood. I used to think he was the hooded man who wasn't wearing a hood too until a keener poster than me pointed that out. So maybe "if you actually pay attention to the passage you would know his hood" might be up or it might not. (See what I did there I quoted your condescending phrase right back atcha.)

And I'm "quite blatantly trying to connect "A Ghost in Winterfell" to" the rest of the chapters in ASOIAF, every single one of which is named for the POV character therein, except A Ghost in Winterfell, unless of course, A Ghost in Winterfell is Theon.

Here is the relevant portion of the passage about the cloak and the hood and what was flapping...

Farther on, he came upon a man striding in the opposite direction, a hooded cloak flapping behind him.

I'm sure someone such as yourself who is able to consider things "from a literary perspective," can see what's flapping.

Anyway, you might be right. The Hooded Man might be some other character. I don't think so, but I could always be wrong. I often am.

A hooded cloak was flapping. Not "His cloak flapped while his hood was up". By using the phrase "a hooded cloak", the writer has identified that the cloak is hooded, and that the hood is ostensibly not up, because if it was up, it would have been identified as such. The hood, as a subject matter, was identified as part of the cloak as the cloak flapped behind him, and is not identified in any other way. If the writer wanted us to surmise that the hood is up, he would have made a point to separate the identification of the hooded cloak from it's position in the wind. If the writer wanted us to think differently, he would have written something like "a cloak flapped behind him in the wind, the hood sitting firmly around his head", especially in the case of GRRM who is very pedantic and deliberate with his descriptions. To expand further, you you wouldn't write "her fringed hair flew in the wind" if your intention was that the fringe was actually placed behind her ears. You'd write "her hair flew in the wind, her fringe pulled tightly behind each ear". GRRM didn't do this, ergo the hood is not up, it is flapping behind him with the rest of the cloak.

There was no condescension in my post, you simply read into what isn't there. Again. The italicized 'again', and this sentence, is condescension.

[GHOSTSTARK]

Was Mance the hooded man? I thought they had said the spear wives were the ghosts of Winterfell.....

[Lost Melnibonean]

A hooded cloak was flapping. Not "His cloak flapped while his hood was up". By using the phrase "a hooded cloak", the writer has identified that the cloak is hooded, and that the hood is ostensibly not up, because if it was up, it would have been identified as such. The hood, as a subject matter, was identified as part of the cloak as the cloak flapped behind him, and is not identified in any other way. If the writer wanted us to surmise that the hood is up, he would have made a point to separate the identification of the hooded cloak from it's position in the wind. If the writer wanted us to think differently, he would have written something like "a cloak flapped behind him in the wind, the hood sitting firmly around his head", especially in the case of GRRM who is very pedantic and deliberate with his descriptions. To expand further, you you wouldn't write "her fringed hair flew in the wind" if your intention was that the fringe was actually placed behind her ears. You'd write "her hair flew in the wind, her fringe pulled tightly behind each ear". GRRM didn't do this, ergo the hood is not up, it is flapping behind him with the rest of the cloak.

There was no condescension in my post, you simply read into what isn't there. Again. The italicized 'again', and this sentence, is condescension.

Thank you so much for that detailed explanation. I'm sure you're right. But you already knew that, didn't you?

[Lost Melnibonean]

Was Mance the hooded man? I thought they had said the spear wives were the ghosts of Winterfell.....

Whoever the HM is, he isn't necessarily the killer, assuming there is only one killer. As Ushamadong, or whatever that really smart poster calls himself said, it's pretty clear the spearwives killed all of the victims except LW. But that doesn't make them "ghosts." In other words, you're barking up the wrong tree if you're trying to figure out who the HM is by trying to figure out who the killer is. In fact, it seems very clear that the HM, whoever he is, is not the killer.

ETA: Besides Theon leaves the hall where Mance is singing and comes upon the HM. The passage doesn't seem to suggest enough time to have passed for the HM to be the Mance.

[MasterJack]

Nah it is Arthur Dayne,the central mastermind behind the GNC.

[Not Dead Just Broken]

The chapter title, "A Ghost in Winterfell" refers to Theon but I think a lot of people think of the Hooded Man as "The Ghost in Winterfell." I actually favour three separate killers for the five mysterious deaths. So here are the five deaths:

1. A man sworn to House Ryswell, "fallen" from the walls.

2. Aenys Frey's squire, found naked, dead from exposure

3. A crossbowmen from House Flint (not clear which one), found dead from blunt force trauma attributed to being kicked by a horse, Theon thinks it's a club

4. Yellow Dick, found dead with his penis stuffed in his mouth

5. Little Walder Frey, found bloody and frozen in a snowbank

2 and 4 have the clear markings of the work of the Spearwives. Yellow Dick's death is overtly sexual and the only reason for a man to take off his clothes in that weather is if he thinks he's getting laid. So, I like them for 2 and 4. The two men killed also have direct access to two of the big players at Winterfell, Aenys Frey and Ramsay Bolton. Mance wanting information on those two men also makes sense.

Little Walder Frey I have to believe was killed by Big Walder Frey. Big Walder is absurdly ambitious (he wants to become Lord of the Twins) and Little Walder is ahead of him in the line of succession. Also, Little Walder is a jerk and Big Walder isn't overly fond of him. The fact the Big Walder discovers the body and comes in covered in blood just seals it.

So, we're left with the Ryswell man and the Flint crossbowman. Neither of these deaths fit the Spearwives MO. They're subtle. They're killed like the Faceless Men do it: so that it looks like an accident. The Theon Durden theory (which is actually how I read it the first time through) could easily work for the first one. He was a drunk, the wall is slippery, easy enought to knock him off. The Flint crossbowman is the one that is more dubious. Theon would require a certain amount of strength that he's clearly not sure he still possesses. It's possible. If the Hooded Man is someone else, ie not just Theon having a psychotic break, that person would have to have some motivation. The most obvious answer is revenge for the Red Wedding/betrayal of House Stark but the two men killed are just soldiers and they aren't Freys or Boltons. There's no discernible reason to want these guys dead. The only thing that makes sense is that the person that killed them, didn't want people to know what he was doing. I honestly don't think we have enough info to determine what that is.

[redriver]

I still think people overlook or wrongly dismiss the most important clue in all of this-the spearwives themselves.Mance left Castle Black with "six,young and pretty" as supplied by Dolorous Ed from Mole's Town using names Mance had provided.

However Mance gains access to Winterfell posing as Abel with-

"Two sisters,two daughter,one wife,and my old mother," the singer claimed,though not one looked like him."Some dance,some sing,one plays the pipe and one drums.Good washerwomen too."

This discrepancy should raise alarm bells in itself,but together with the behaviour and description of this "old mother" I'm pretty convinced this is a man.Theon first encounters "her" in the godswood, hours after the HM meeting.She is called Myrtle.

Theon spun,terrified that Ramsay had found him,but it was just the washerwomen-Holly,Rowan,and one whose name he did not know.

That Theon doesn't know her name after several weeks testifies to her low key behaviour-she's acting as a real washerwoman not a whore or musician.Myrtle provides the servants garb prior to the Arya rescue.

"What do you want?" he asked."You," said the third washerwoman,an older woman,deep voiced,with grey streaks in her hair.

She is described in a later chapter as "gaunt,grey haired Myrtle" and she says "The yards are crawling with fools..they mean to ride out."There's something masculine about this statement to my ears anyway.

What I'm suggesting is that not only has Mance's mission changed on the journey,but the content of his entourage has changed to include a man.To me,the most likely candidate is Torrhen Liddle,and he is my favoured candidate as the Hooded Man.

Why Torrhen Liddle?

In classic whodunnit terms of means,motive and opportunity the Liddle fits the bill.We know from his encounter with Bran that he deplores the Stark absence and the Bolton presence in Winterfell,and he's not too keen on "squids in the Wolfswood" either.Mance's journey south probably takes him through Liddle territory-Mance does refer certain "hidey holes" he knows in the north to Mel,and it was in just such a hidey hole that the Liddle met Bran.If not Mance may have diverted to Liddle lands anyway.

• Mance tells Jon he is known as the Mance to some.Bran tells us that the Mountain Clan leaders style themselves as the​ as well.Perhaps an indication that they already knew each other?
  
• The Liddle demonstrated profound knowledge of current events from Deepwood Motte to beyond the Wall,so perhaps Mance learned of Arya/fArya from him,then changed the mission.
  
• They agreed to include the Liddle in the mission,possibly at his insistance,to destabilize the Bolton alliance within Winterfell?
  
• A popular and logical theory is that Abel gained access to Winterfell due to Manderly's convenient lack of singers.Would Manderly have dealt with the King-Beyond-The Wall?Perhaps he dealt with a known Northern Lord instead?
  
• A question that's not asked often enough of the other HM candidates (Durden aside),is why they don't gut Theon on the spot.If it's the Liddle,then he's part of the Able plot that needs Theon alive to rescue fArya.
  
• I totally rule out Durden.I'm a psychiatric nurse.There is no schizoid/dissociative thinking in Theon's WF POVs.Period.In fact he's quite lucid,aside from his characteristic facial recognition issues.
  
• The Liddle is not where he should be-either with Stannis,or at the Karstar/Thenn wedding.MIA,really.
  

The Liddle represents the sort of passion expressed by Big Bucket Wull in his "dying with the taste of Bolton blood on his lips" speech.He's in Winterfell with Mance to restore a Stark to Winterfell-the Hooded Man.

[kiasyd]

I still think people overlook or wrongly dismiss the most important clue in all of this-the spearwives themselves.Mance left Castle Black with "six,young and pretty" as supplied by Dolorous Ed from Mole's Town using names Mance had provided.

However Mance gains access to Winterfell posing as Abel with-

This discrepancy should raise alarm bells in itself,but together with the behaviour and description of this "old mother" I'm pretty convinced this is a man.Theon first encounters "her" in the godswood, hours after the HM meeting.She is called Myrtle.

That Theon doesn't know her name after several weeks testifies to her low key behaviour-she's acting as a real washerwoman not a whore or musician.Myrtle provides the servants garb prior to the Arya rescue.

She is described in a later chapter as "gaunt,grey haired Myrtle" and she says "The yards are crawling with fools..they mean to ride out."There's something masculine about this statement to my ears anyway.

What I'm suggesting is that not only has Mance's mission changed on the journey,but the content of his entourage has changed to include a man.To me,the most likely candidate is Torrhen Liddle,and he is my favoured candidate as the Hooded Man.

Why Torrhen Liddle?

In classic whodunnit terms of means,motive and opportunity the Liddle fits the bill.We know from his encounter with Bran that he deplores the Stark absence and the Bolton presence in Winterfell,and he's not too keen on "squids in the Wolfswood" either.Mance's journey south probably takes him through Liddle territory-Mance does refer certain "hidey holes" he knows in the north to Mel,and it was in just such a hidey hole that the Liddle met Bran.If not Mance may have diverted to Liddle lands anyway.

• Mance tells Jon he is known as the Mance to some.Bran tells us that the Mountain Clan leaders style themselves as the​ as well.Perhaps an indication that they already knew each other?

The Liddle demonstrated profound knowledge of current events from Deepwood Motte to beyond the Wall,so perhaps Mance learned of Arya/fArya from him,then changed the mission.

They agreed to include the Liddle in the mission,possibly at his insistance,to destabilize the Bolton alliance within Winterfell?

A popular and logical theory is that Abel gained access to Winterfell due to Manderly's convenient lack of singers.Would Manderly have dealt with the King-Beyond-The Wall?Perhaps he dealt with a known Northern Lord instead?

A question that's not asked often enough of the other HM candidates (Durden aside),is why they don't gut Theon on the spot.If it's the Liddle,then he's part of the Able plot that needs Theon alive to rescue fArya.

I totally rule out Durden.I'm a psychiatric nurse.There is no schizoid/dissociative thinking in Theon's WF POVs.Period.In fact he's quite lucid,aside from his characteristic facial recognition issues.

The Liddle is not where he should be-either with Stannis,or at the Karstar/Thenn wedding.MIA,really.

The Liddle represents the sort of passion expressed by Big Bucket Wull in his "dying with the taste of Bolton blood on his lips" speech.He's in Winterfell with Mance to restore a Stark to Winterfell-the Hooded Man.

Nice theory, however I think the clues for Myrtle being a man are too thin - these are wildling women, and they are more "socially masculine", like Ygritte.

To me, it sounds like the hooded man is someone that is roaming around with Roose's knowledge, someone that maybe is openly in Winterfell since he comfortably strolls to the main hall.

[Northernmonkey]

I've always thought that Harwin was the most likely person to be the hooded man. TBWB will have definitely heard about (f)Arya marrying Ramsay so it makes perfect sense that they'd send someone to Winterfell, and Harwin would be the best option because he knows it already.

[Dinosoares]

I personally think it's either Robett Glover, Benjen Stark or Theon himself. I'm more leaning towards Benjen as he's come back to winterfell before as a NWman and he would know Theon best. Although, part of me believes he's WaaaAy up there north of the wall

[Northernmonkey]

I personally think it's either Robett Glover, Benjen Stark or Theon himself. I'm more leaning towards Benjen as he's come back to winterfell before as a NWman and he would know Theon best. Although, part of me believes he's WaaaAy up there north of the wall

But Benjen is a sworn-man of the Night's Watch. There's no way that he's a deserter.

And if it was Robett Glover, wouldn't Roose Bolton or some of the other Northerner's in Winterfell recognise him?

[Tynned Lannistark]

There are 2 separate questions - one is who is hooded man, the second is who killed little Walder.

Doesn't have to be the same answer for both.

When I first read Theon is the hooded man theory it made a lot of sense to me - it fits well into the story and makes sense. Its better story telling than introducing some external irrelevant character.

Then I read the chapter again and I notice the way it is described the way it is told doesn't support this well.

I don't think the killing of LW rules out Theon as the hooded man. Could have been just as likely one of Maderly's people. and its still possible it was he who did it.

[redriver]

Nice theory, however I think the clues for Myrtle being a man are too thin - these are wildling women, and they are more "socially masculine", like Ygritte.

To me, it sounds like the hooded man is someone that is roaming around with Roose's knowledge, someone that maybe is openly in Winterfell since he comfortably strolls to the main hall.

This is the usual counter to the theory.But I can't help thinking,if it ever proves to be true,that Martin will say "Well,I told you so in the text".I feel Myrtle might make a good Epilogue focus in TWOW.....

ETA-We can call this "The Mance (husband of Dalla) is too thick to know what young and pretty might be" rebuttal.

[TheBastardofBluegrass]

I'm right in the middle of a re-read of ADWD, and just read the chapter where Theon escaped with Farya. To me, second time through, I think it's pretty obvious Abel/Mance and/or his spearwives killed everyone, except for Little Walder. I think Big Walder killed LW, in some kind of test of manhood put on by Ramsay. I don't think Theon Durden exists, I just think Theon is broken, to the extent that he only feels secure as Reek, because that's who he is now. By Theon's own admission, he's not strong enough to kill anyone, although, he admits to wanting to put a dagger between the shoulder blades of one of the spear wives.

[mushroomshirt]

And I'm "quite blatantly trying to connect "A Ghost in Winterfell" to" the rest of the chapters in ASOIAF, every single one of which is named for the POV character therein, except A Ghost in Winterfell, unless of course, A Ghost in Winterfell is Theon.

"A Ghost in Winterfell" is indeed Theon (see quote below). So the chapter is consistent (every chapter is named for the POV characters therein).

This quote occurs right after Theon hears the crying in the godswood which we as the reader know is probably Bran, but Theon thinks is Jeyne.

The sound was too painful to endure. Theon grabbed hold of a branch and pulled himself back to his feet, knocked the snow off his legs, and limped back toward the lights. There are ghosts in Winterfell, he thought, and I am one of them.

But this doesn't mean that Theon is the HM (personally I think it is Robett).