Old Nan's True Name?

[WeaselPie]

Is it generally accepted Nan is Hodor's great-grandmother? Hodor supposedly has Frey blood, and is possibly descended from Duncan the Tall. I always figured Old Nan was a wood's witch, and possibly descended somehow from Children of the Forest. So, her real name, I dunno, hmm. I'm suspecting a connection with Tarth somehow.

"According to Qyburn most woods witches are harmless creatures; they know a little herb-craft and some midwifery and not much else." - awoiaf

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Hodor supposedly has Frey blood based only on his first name. Guess how many Walders are alive in Westeros not related to Lord Frey? 100,000? More? Though it may drop after the Red Wedding...

[Jaime4Brienne]

I hadn't realized so many different families use the same first names...although maybe I should have....so Hodor happening to have the same name as many, many Frey's maybe isn't as set in stone that he's one too as I thought it was.

[Mikkel]

I hadn't realized so many different families use the same first names...although maybe I should have....so Hodor happening to have the same name as many, many Frey's maybe isn't as set in stone that he's one too as I thought it was.

Considering "Old" Walder Frey is unlikely to be the first Walder in Westeros, then no I don't see Hodor's first name being Walder as being very strong evidence he has Frey in him. It's still possible, naturally.

[Varys BrightBlackflayrme]

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.

I'm possibly sure, there is at least two tall Freys. They do have a large gene pool after all. Walder has had 8 wives. One tall fellow is Merrett and I seem to recall one of Walders Sons or Grandsons being very tall. And yet I couldnt find him on wiki. I initially thought it was Jinglebell, but I couldnt see his wiki height. Or it could be just false memories.

Also, Hodor dosent need any more brain damage!

If Martin didnt want us to think Hodor is decended from the Freys, why didn't he just call him Kevin or Brian instead or Walder.

They are many Walders, but there can be only one Hodor!

[falcotron]

They are many Walders, but there can be only one Hodor!

According to a news story earlier this year about the fandom of the HBO series, there are at least two Hodors in our world.

I refuse to go look it up, because the number of baby girls named (various misspellings of) Khaleesi is too depressing to read twice.

[Arya kiddin']

ignore

[Roadside Rose]

I just realized the girl in Bran's vision is called as 'slender as a spear'.

House Martell of Sunspear?

I still think Old Nan has some links to House Martell.

[Mithras]

Edric Storm is from Stowmlands.

Edric Dayne is from Dorne.

Same name, far places.

Walder (Hodor) does not necessarily be a Frey. All the large Freys are Crakehall Freys and none of them are as large as Hodor.

Osha says Hodor has giants blood, Umbers have giants blood, some wildlings have giants blood,

Old Nan knows a lot of wildling lore, she is most probably a wildling woman who is bound to House Stark just like Osha. She may even be from the people Raymun Redbeard brought.

[Varys BrightBlackflayrme]

Edric Storm is from Stowmlands.

Edric Dayne is from Dorne.

Same name, far places.

Walder (Hodor) does not necessarily be a Frey. All the large Freys are Crakehall Freys and none of them are as large as Hodor.

Osha says Hodor has giants blood, Umbers have giants blood, some wildlings have giants blood,

Old Nan knows a lot of wildling lore, she is most probably a wildling woman who is bound to House Stark just like Osha. She may even be from the people Raymun Redbeard brought.

The 2 two Edrics are named after the Ned though. Ned's bestie and that Dayne tarts family that Ned loved so much.

Hodor had dunk blood. It is known!

No wildlings have actual giant blood other than Tormunds member of course. No more than Targs have real dragon blood.

Anyway how does one have sex with a giant. It surely would be messy and end in death for the Human.

The Starks of old also used to be tall until they bred with the Reeds.

Old nan has a lot of knowledge because she is really fucking old.

[The Crow's Third Eye]

I like to think that Hodor is a descendant of Dunk and Old Nan, with Old Nan being from Skagos.

For all we know though, she could actually be Rickard Stark's mother/grandmother. We just dont know. I would like her to be called Yrgritte though ;) Jon and Old Nan forlife!

[Mithras]

1. The 2 two Edrics are named after the Ned though. Ned's bestie and that Dayne tarts family that Ned loved so much.

2. Hodor had dunk blood. It is known!

3. No wildlings have actual giant blood other than Tormunds member of course. No more than Targs have real dragon blood.

4. Anyway how does one have sex with a giant. It surely would be messy and end in death for the Human.

5. The Starks of old also used to be tall until they bred with the Reeds.

6. Old nan has a lot of knowledge because she is really fucking old.

1. Edric Dayne claims so, it may even be true, but why they are named Edric instead of Eddard?

2. The only reasonable descendant of Dunk that GRRM talked about is Brienne. Unless the Shewolves of Winterfell is released, we cannot be sure of Hodor's Dunk blood. Dunk was large and strong but he is never desribed as superhumanly strong. Hodor carrying the anvil of Mikken is a superhuman description if you ask me. And Jon compares Hodor with Wun Wun.

3. Ygritte had a long monologue about giants kidnapping humans and trying to mate with them. Giant male vs human females are always mortal however giants females vs human males have a chance of producing cross-breeds. I bet Tormund has giants blood. Also those hornfoot people have something to do with the giants.

4. Look at 3 :)

5. The Starks are not from the "tall Houses" (such as Baratheon, Clegane, Tully, Lannister etc.) and they are never mentioned to breed with Crannogmen.

6. Being old does not necessarily means knowing much. Ygritte knows all sorts of crazy things which Jon Snow has no clue. And she learned all of them from her mother. Old Nan's lore can be of similar origin.

[MotherMerciless]

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

:agree:

[Varys BrightBlackflayrme]

1. Edric Dayne claims so, it may even be true, but why they are named Edric instead of Eddard?

2. The only reasonable descendant of Dunk that GRRM talked about is Brienne. Unless the Shewolves of Winterfell is released, we cannot be sure of Hodor's Dunk blood. Dunk was large and strong but he is never desribed as superhumanly strong. Hodor carrying the anvil of Mikken is a superhuman description if you ask me. And Jon compares Hodor with Wun Wun.

3. Ygritte had a long monologue about giants kidnapping humans and trying to mate with them. Giant male vs human females are always mortal however giants females vs human males have a chance of producing cross-breeds. I bet Tormund has giants blood. Also those hornfoot people have something to do with the giants.

4. Look at 3 :)

5. The Starks are not from the "tall Houses" (such as Baratheon, Clegane, Tully, Lannister etc.) and they are never mentioned to breed with Crannogmen.

6. Being old does not necessarily means knowing much. Ygritte knows all sorts of crazy things which Jon Snow has no clue. And she learned all of them from her mother. Old Nan's lore can be of similar origin.

1. Same as Robb and Robert and Robin. Same!

2.1. In ADWD a 16/17 year old Jon put his dragon on and pulled out a spiked head from frozen ground one handed while several grown NWmen struggled with the other spiked heads. Does Jon have Giants blood?

2.2 Dunk was 6'10" when he was about 16ish. Hodor is just over 7'. Sandor almost 7'?, Brienne 6'3", Robert 6'5", Gregor easily over 8'. Gregor should have the giants blood.

2.3 Brans dream/vision. Dunk and Nan kissing. Highly likely it wont be anyone else. Nan was always telling stories of Ser Duncan the Tall.

3. I don't remember that one. I got nothing.

4. If Tormund has giants blood, Why is his last name, Giantsbane? Sounds like he either dosent respect Giants or they don't respect him. He could have issues if his mother is a Giant, or half Giant.

5.1 Might be said somewhere by Meera, or in Concordance(known facts) that a Stark King conquered the Marsh King and married his daughter. The Reeds became the wardens or whatnot and have been fiercely loyal for thousands of years since.

5.2 Brans tree dream/vision shows him the early Starks, the Kings of Winter who were Taller than they are now.

6. Maybe, but Ygritte knew a lot about cold weather and North of the Wall, probably couldn't do or know many things that Jon would know, like reading and writing. How to make a paper planes etc.

Nans story is not finished. She will be in the Shewolves novella and hopefully survive the Dreadfort and then do something. Even it is just to knit and tell a story. Maybe she might fit in the story of Rickon coming back to town. She could finish the fucking the Last Hero story she never finished to telling Bran!

Sorry, forgot what the OP was. I'm going to say Judy. Nan is an alias.

[Knights of Ni]

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.

You are assuming that the girl in the vision is Nan.

I am going to vote for Nan being Tanselle. Its not too far a switch in names as stated before Arya is a called all sorts of things besides Arry none are "close" to Arya. Tanselle is dornish so she would be familiar with Nymerias story especially since she was a Puppeteer (a more active storyteller). As to the distance the Manderlys made it to the North no problem. Nan if she is Tanselle would be traveling during the Pax Targaryan.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

1. Edric Dayne claims so, it may even be true, but why they are named Edric instead of Eddard?

5. The Starks are not from the "tall Houses" (such as Baratheon, Clegane, Tully, Lannister etc.) and they are never mentioned to breed with Crannogmen.

1. Local differences in pronounciation and spelling. Lots of examples in the books for that: Brandon-Brynden, Robert-Robb-Robin, Arya-Arianne, Devan-Daven, Stefford-Stafford-Stavron, Asha-Osha, Alys-Alysanne.

Real world as well. My own first name can be spelled three ways I know of. Given that it has only three letters, that's quite a feat.

5. So what? It's been a while. Height changes over the generations just like any other trait. I'm 30 cm taller than my grandfather. That's two generations only. Granted, my father came after his mother/maternal grandfather and my maternal grandfather was at least of average height as well.

2.2 Dunk was 6'10" when he was about 16ish. Hodor is just over 7'. Sandor almost 7'?, Brienne 6'3", Robert 6'5", Gregor easily over 8'. Gregor should have the giants blood.

4. If Tormund has giants blood, Why is his last name, Giantsbane? Sounds like he either dosent respect Giants or they don't respect him. He could have issues if his mother is a Giant, or half Giant.

2.2 Gregor suffers from gigantism. His size and the headaches are sufficient hints for that. No giant genes, only an illness.

4. It's far more likely that this nickname refers to the Umber sigil. They had a daughter stolen when Tormund was a young guy (bachelor?). He is a famous raider and was close to becoming King in the North. And his children are way taller than him.

You are assuming that the girl in the vision is Nan.

I am going to vote for Nan being Tanselle. Its not too far a switch in names as stated before Arya is a called all sorts of things besides Arry none are "close" to Arya. Tanselle is dornish so she would be familiar with Nymerias story especially since she was a Puppeteer (a more active storyteller). As to the distance the Manderlys made it to the North no problem. Nan if she is Tanselle would be traveling during the Pax Targaryan.

You're welcome. Lost contact with probalities and sprinted right into wishful thinking, but not 100 % impossible, only 99.999%.

[Jon_Snow1966]

Old Nan And Maester Aemon should have been King And Queen

[Jon_Snow1966]

Tormunds Name Is Giantsbane Because He He got lost in the Lands Beyond The Wall , found a sleeping giant and cut her open to crawl inside her ... People assume after that he killed her, but in truth she woke up and treated him like her own son .... well thats what he tells Jon Snow

[Jon's Queen Consort]

First things first: Welcome to the forums :cheers:

Tormunds Name Is Giantsbane Because He He got lost in the Lands Beyond The Wall , found a sleeping giant and cut her open to crawl inside her ... People assume after that he killed her, but in truth she woke up and treated him like her own son .... well thats what he tells Jon Snow

True and he says that he said that because Giantsbane is better than Giantsbabe. But what it has to do with the OP?

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

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!!!)

:rolleyes: Just because he's called Walder it doesn't mean that he's a Frey.