Old Nan's True Name?

[Roadside Rose]

When Arya is Roose Bolton's cupbearer she goes by the name of Nan, short for Nymeria.

“Nymeria,” she said. “Only she called me Nan for short.”

If Nan is short for Nymeria, does it mean Old Nan's true name is Nymeria?

Would that mean she has some Dornish blood in her of House Martell?

[65536ob]

you don't have to be dornish to be called nymeria, and i see no way someone of house martell would be working in winterfell

[Jaime4Brienne]

Old Nan is a Frey...or at least, Hodor is. In the books Old Nan says his real name is Walder. That is the same name 90% of Frey boys have to win favour with Old Homicidal Frey. I didn't catch it the first time I read the books, but on the second reading I noticed it. As far as her being from House Martell...interesting idea. She could have been a Martell and someone down her line married a Frey. (God knows there are enough of them!!!)

[Roadside Rose]

Well, it's just a guess that she has some Martell blood, after it's House Nymeros Martell (descended from the line of Nymeria). And the one other Nymeria we know is Nymeria Sand.

[Jaime4Brienne]

Well your speculation on it is as valid as anyone's speculation on anything....none of us really knows what's going to happen.

[Jon's Queen Consort]

I though that when Arya told that she was trying to "clinch" (sorry I don't know the right word in English).

Nymeria for the wolf she lost and Nan for her life in Winterfell.

[Roadside Rose]

Duncan the Tall was said to have saved the life of a Dornish puppeteer Tanselle in D&E, right?

And some believe that the vision Bran saw was of Old Nan and Duncan the tall.

Could Old Nan be Tanselle? (I haven't read D&E - so pardon me if I'm wrong here)

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Nymeria? Maybe. Dornish? Unlikely, far too much distance for that. Martell? No way in hell. Servants are servants and nobility is nobility, especially if it's actual royalty.

Duncan the Tall was said to have saved the life of a Dornish puppeteer Tanselle in D&E, right?

And some believe that the vision Bran saw was of Old Nan and Duncan the tall.

Could Old Nan be Tanselle? (I haven't read D&E - so pardon me if I'm wrong here)

No. Tanselle is called Tanselle Too-Tall. The girl in that vision was not noted for being exceptionally tall. Old Nan definitely isn't. And the transfer from Tanselle to Nan is far too big.

Furthermore, Dunk wasn't exactly a monk. He had sex all over the Seven Kingdoms.

[Varys BrightBlackflayrme]

Nymeria? Maybe. Dornish? Unlikely, far too much distance for that. Martell? No way in hell. Servants are servants and nobility is nobility, especially if it's actual royalty.

No. Tanselle is called Tanselle Too-Tall. The girl in that vision was not noted for being exceptionally tall. Old Nan definitely isn't. And the transfer from Tanselle to Nan is far too big.

Furthermore, Dunk wasn't exactly a monk. He had sex all over the Seven Kingdoms.

Well, Ser Dunk and egg were master and servant later switching roles with each other. And Dunk went from Dorne to Winterfell.

Wyalla was a servant from Dorne and went go live in Winterfell then back to starfall.

So it can be done depending on the current employment market of the day. Nan could be from Dorne, but more Likely she's a Frey base borne who made sexy time with dunk. Nan could just be a false name like how Arya uses it to disguise herself.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Ser Duncan was never a servant the way I meant it. Read: the social class. He was a squire and then a knight. That's nobility. Egg serving him as a squire? That's a honorable position for nobility (or royalty). Serving as household servant? Nope, that's a deadly shame for any noble.

Wylla was a servant from Dorne who got to Winterfell and back again under very specific (and rare) circumstances - because the Lord Paramount of the North needed a wetnurse while in Starfall.

And yes, it is more likely for her to be a Frey base borne than a Dornish. More likely the same way that it's more likely to win 10 millions in the lottery than 100 millions.

[ladytiger]

Old Nan's real name=Hodora :)

[Estheros]

I always assumed she was a wildling or from the clans up north.she knows too much about the others and giants..

[Mithras]

I always assumed she was a wildling or from the clans up north.she knows too much about the others and giants..

This. She is like Osha.

[Mr. Walder]

Actually I believe her to be THE Nymeria and will write a theory regarding usage of glamour and a kiss of fire (she looks like a corpse) that helped her to live forever.

[Mikkel]

I always figured "Old Nan" was just "Old Nanny" since that is her function, more or less.

[BitsOfBrains]

I doubt even Martin knows or cares.

Old Nan and Hodor are just small folk.

I think Bran might "second life" himself into Hodor after Hodor gets like a head injury or something rendering him a vegetable but they aren;t important in any way I can imagine.

And i don't think its likely Hodor is a Frey.

The freys are all weasely and Hodor has giants blood.

First names can be in any house. There was a Theon Stark, a Ned Dane, Petyr Frey. etc.

[Jaime4Brienne]

Old Nan's real name=Hodora :)

Haha!! That made me laugh!

[Luthien Targaryen]

Traditionally Nan is short for names like Anabelle, or Annette isn't it? You could probably westerosi-fy those up a bit...

[Midnight_Thunder]

I always figured "Old Nan" was just "Old Nanny" since that is her function, more or less.

This is what I thought. Also, she's not from the south or Riverlands; she knows too many spooky stories about the North.

[Dr. Pepper]

Actually I believe her to be THE Nymeria and will write a theory regarding usage of glamour and a kiss of fire (she looks like a corpse) that helped her to live forever.

I hope you include reasons why this 1000 year old fire zombie just went along with Winterfell burning or being taken to the Dreadfort. Or, at the very least, why this 1000 year old fire zombie hasn't done anything fire zombie-ish.