Bran Stark is Bran the Blessed?

[WhiteWalder]

If any of you asoiaf nerds are like me, you research almost everything like animals or the history of names, families, mythologies, etc. I look at research, Wiki pages, and books about anything and everything. I was reading another thread about Ravens and Bran. I started researching Bran and Ravens. It led me to the Wiki page for Bran The Blessed.

This is an excerpt from Bran the Blessed Wiki:

According to the Welsh Triads, Brân's head was buried in London where the White Tower now stands. As long as it remained there, Britain would be safe from invasion. However, King Arthur dug up the head, declaring the country would be protected only by his great strength.^[1] There have been attempts in modern times to link the still-current practice of keeping ravens at the Tower of London under the care of Yeomen Warder Ravenmaster with this story of Brân, whose name means Raven.

There are several similarities between Bran Stark and Bran the Blessed:

What I picked up first, the name Bran means Raven in old Welsh.

The second thing I picked up is that as long as Bran the Blessed's head remained buried where the White Tower stands, Britain would be safe from invasion. This is eerily similar to Bran or the "Raven" having to remain under a White Tree (Tower) to keep Westeros safe from invasion from the Others. We will see if this remains true in tWow and aDoS.

The third thing I picked up is that King Arthur dug up Bran the Blessed's head declaring the country would be protected only by his great strength. I started thinking - is someone like Stannis or Jon going to find Bran and "dig him up"? Maybe someone of importance will find Bran and rescue him from taking Bloodraven's place.

Does anyone else find the similarities interesting? One step further - do you think that Bran Stark is derived from Bran the Blessed, and can we expect a similar ending?

[Gingerchu]

I do think that Bran is going to need rescuing, first it will be sit in this chair then it will be let the chair be your legs after that it will be NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE...... a bit of an escalation but my point remains, Bran will get in too deep and will be powerless to change things. It will take someone coming to get him to make him realise how deep he is

[A Man Has Said]

Nice one, OP! :thumbsup: I especially like the 'Bran means Raven' bit.

Though, it would be better if it meant crow. I think that Bran's search to find the three-eyed crow was a misdirect. Bloodraven has 'a thousand eyes and one' not three. So who is the three-eyed crow? Bran himself would be my best guess. By the way, Ravens in a lot of North American native tribes' mythologies created the world, and they are also prominent in Celtic and Norse myths.

I do think that Bran is going to need rescuing, first it will be sit in this chair then it will be let the chair be your legs after that it will be NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE...... a bit of an escalation but my point remains, Bran will get in too deep and will be powerless to change things. It will take someone coming to get him to make him realise how deep he is

Rescue? I don't think he'll want to be rescued once he realizes how VERY special he is, and the incredible opportunity he has of taking over command of the WeirNet from BloodRaven. Plus, he's going to come into his own as a skinchanger, and most likely will be the only one able to truly control Dany's dragons.

In the final book he will be the most powerful character by far, IMO.

Edit: for grammar.

[Ser Greg of House House]

Bran meaning Raven is a nice catch. The other stuff are kind of stretched, but good thread anyway.

[mindchap]

I do think that Bran is going to need rescuing, first it will be sit in this chair then it will be let the chair be your legs after that it will be NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE...... a bit of an escalation but my point remains, Bran will get in too deep and will be powerless to change things. It will take someone coming to get him to make him realise how deep he is

Bran is broken, where he is right now he looks to become one of, if not the most powerful entity we have seen in this series. He grew up believing that being a knight or a lord was all that made you important, now he knows better. Not everyone ends up with Shining Armor or a Princess, but he has the potential to have more influence in the world as Bloodraven's successor than he would have had any other way.

[Florina Laufeyson]

I read the thread title as Bran Stark is Brian Blessed?

[WhiteWalder]

Bran is broken, where he is right now he looks to become one of, if not the most powerful entity we have seen in this series. He grew up believing that being a knight or a lord was all that made you important, now he knows better. Not everyone ends up with Shining Armor or a Princess, but he has the potential to have more influence in the world as Bloodraven's successor than he would have had any other way.

I guess rescue was a bad word to use, but the whole Bran the Blessed story makes me think someone will come and take Bran out of the cave.

[Mr Smith]

All very plausible, and the links are there. However, I wouldn't be too certain that Bran "is" Bran the Blessed, as we can't really expect Martin to stick to the legend. Yes he uses this stuff as inspiration, but the storyline is his own. Not that you're by any means wrong, I just wouldn't set too much store by the legends and stories that Martin has drawn from.

[Mikkel]

I read the thread title as Bran Stark is Brian Blessed?

So did I :bang:

[WhiteWalder]

I found more evidence during a reread to support Bran as "Bran the Blessed"

In ADwD Bran III, Jojen refers to Bran as being blessed.

“No, Bran.” Now Meera sounded sad. “It is given to a few to drink of that green fountain whilst still in mortal flesh, to hear the whisperings of the leaves and see as the trees see, as the gods see,” said Jojen. “Most are not so blessed. The gods gave me only greendreams. My task was to get you here. My part in this is done.”

[nly04]

Rescue? I don't think he'll want to be rescued once he realizes how VERY special he is, and the incredible opportunity he has of taking over command of the WeirNet from BloodRaven. Plus, he's going to come into his own as a skinchanger, and most likely will be the only one able to truly control Dany's dragons.

In the final book he will be the most powerful character by far, IMO.

Awesome, this is possible. Bran Stark after learn and master the skill/magic from the BloodRaven, according to the Bloodraven "Bran will not walk but he will fly". Look how the BloodRaven dealt with the Whitewalker/the Others he use fire to burn them. Bran can learn it, he already know how to control people mind (like Professor X in X-men) as we seen he control the Jon's wolf and Hordor. If he team up with Dany or even marry her, he can control those dragon. If he can control those two most fear and scare species he will rule the Westeros. Jon Snow love Bran and he know Bran is the next in line heir lord of Winterfell, he will support Bran.

[ChildoftheTropicalForest]

I don't see BR or CotF as dark creatures, so I don't see Bran as needing to be saved. When I read Bran III of ADwD I have to admit I felt a bit despressed realizing Bran would one day become entwined in the roots of a weirwood, but after many rereads I've come to the conclusion that it's his mission and don't believe he will want to leave should someone attempt to remove him. He's there to help restore the balance and will likely last a century. Perhaps it will be his narrative that we learn what has transpired at the end of A Dream of Spring after everyone we know has died.

Thanks OP for providing the historical info. Certainly food for GRRMs inspiration.

[Luddagain]

Yes of course Bran is partly drawn from Bran the Blessed. Not only is the raven imagery powerful but also Bran the Blessed was at the end of his life just a talking head which in ancient times was pretty much a good description of a quadriplegic or paraplegic. This once again is close to Bran's story

BUT Bran also shares the story of Baldur who was killed by Hoder in Norse mythology. Baldur was the son of Odin and undoubtedly Bloodraven is a representation of Odin - Odin was connected with ravens and wolves, hangs about in trees, blind in one eye, a great warrior and wizard, major shape shifter, spent a lot of time in caves underground. Hodor is also named w(b)alder so there is a clear connection to the Norse myth of Balder and Hodr, I am just not quite sure how the connection works.