Mithras Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 There was an old thread about this but I want to raise some new questions. First let us recall the full quote where Maester Aemon tells Jon about how he was tempted to break his vows. “Three times the gods saw fit to test my vows. Once when I was a boy, once in the fullness of my manhood, and once when I had grown old. By then my strength was fled, my eyes grown dim, yet that last choice was as cruel as the first. My ravens would bring the news from the south, words darker than their wings, the ruin of my House, the death of my kin, disgrace and desolation. What could I have done, old, blind, frail? I was helpless as a suckling babe, yet still it grieved me to sit forgotten as they cut down my brother's poor grandson, and his son, and even the little children." Let us begin from the last one. It was obviously the Sack of KL he was talking about. Not that he could do anything but he felt tempted to break his vow of the NW although he was a blind old man at the time of RR. The second one is less obvious. It was after his father Maekar's death when the Great Council decided to give him the crown. He was 35 (fullness of his manhood) by this time. He kept his vow as a maester and advised them to take Egg to the throne. The last one is driving me crazy. What vow he could swear as a boy and how did he keep it although he was tempted to break it severely? Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knight of the Amused Tree Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I always thought it was the temptation of power; when his father offered him a seat on the small council but he refused because he felt he would have then usurped the Grand Maester's place. That might be totally wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 I always thought it was the temptation of power; when his father offered him a seat on the small council but he refused because he felt he would have then usurped the Grand Maester's place. That might be totally wrong though. He was 23 when Maekar's reign began. That makes it unlikely to call himself boy at that time. The test should have happened during Maekar's predecessor Aerys I's reign which began at 209 while Aemon was 11. And also note that Blooadraven was the hand of Aerys I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Second Blackfyre Rebellion happened in 212 when Aemon was 14. Could the first test be something about the Blackfyres? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Second Blackfyre Rebellion happened in 212 when Aemon was 14. Could the first test be something about the Blackfyres? Was this the one at Whitewalls? If so, I doubt it. That rebellion didn't really get off the ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Or maybe it was simply a love affair. He fell in love with someone but kept forging his chains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northbound Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 My guess would be during the Blackfrye Rebellion. But here is an interesting thought. Aemon had three, what if Jon has three times/trials to turn is back on the NW. 1) Ned's arrest/Robb riding off to war.2) In aDwD; The Pink Letter and trying to save "Arya"3) The Battle for the Dawn: What if the only way for him to save the people, is to turn his back once again and take up a crown. Aemon, was offered a crown once too. I dunno.....im just rambling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 My guess would be during the Blackfrye Rebellion. But here is an interesting thought. Aemon had three, what if Jon has three times/trials to turn is back on the NW. 1) Ned's arrest/Robb riding off to war. 2) In aDwD; The Pink Letter and trying to save "Arya" 3) The Battle for the Dawn: What if the only way for him to save the people, is to turn his back once again and take up a crown. Aemon, was offered a crown once too. I dunno.....im just rambling Hmmm..... AA needed three attempts to forge LB. Could Jon's attempts to leave the NW but instead remain true to his vows and thus reminding the NW of their true purpose lend credence to the theory of the NW being Lightbringer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
65536ob Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 it could be when he joined the maester order, he took a vow to be loyal to his king but when he was ordered to become a maester that would put him out of the line of succession and that might have been what had tested his vows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithras Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 it could be when he joined the maester order, he took a vow to be loyal to his king but when he was ordered to become a maester that would put him out of the line of succession and that might have been what had tested his vows If the Wiki is true, Aemon's grandfather Daeron II sent him to the Citadel himself, fearing of too many heirs around being dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Or maybe it was simply a love affair. He fell in love with someone but kept forging his chains. I think that this is the most plausible theory based on what we know. The event would have to be something that took place between Aerys and Maekar's reign. I find it very plausible that Aemon forsook his love for a woman in order to remain true to his vows as a maester. This would also draw a parallel to Jon when he abandoned Ygritte in order to fulfill his duties to the NW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complexphoenix Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Not the Blackfyre Rebellion - that was over before Aemon was ever born. I once thought that the three tests were the Great Council where he was offered the crown, the Tragedy at Summerhall which killed his beloved brother Aegon, and Robert's Rebellion. But now I'm looking at the timeline I know that can't be right. The Great Council happened when Aemon was in his thirties, so that can't be the "when I was a boy". The "when I was a man grown" could have been either the Great Council or Summerhall, and we know that the "when I was old" one was Robert's Rebellion. But the "when I was a boy" one is mysterious. The theory that it was a woman he loved seems likely but it is not the only possibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Not the Blackfyre Rebellion - that was over before Aemon was ever born. I once thought that the three tests were the Great Council where he was offered the crown, the Tragedy at Summerhall which killed his beloved brother Aegon, and Robert's Rebellion. But now I'm looking at the timeline I know that can't be right. The Great Council happened when Aemon was in his thirties, so that can't be the "when I was a boy". The "when I was a man grown" could have been either the Great Council or Summerhall, and we know that the "when I was old" one was Robert's Rebellion. But the "when I was a boy" one is mysterious. The theory that it was a woman he loved seems likely but it is not the only possibility. Yes, I agree that from what we know at present, love seems to be the most plausible. Once when I was a boy - Love? Once in the fullness of my manhood - Great Council Once when I had grown old - Sack of KL I would discount Summerhall for "once in the fullness of my manhood" because Summerhall took place in 259AL. Aemon died at the age of 102 in 300/301AL, so he would have been 60 or 61 during Summerhall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northbound Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Hmmm..... AA needed three attempts to forge LB. Could Jon's attempts to leave the NW but instead remain true to his vows and thus reminding the NW of their true purpose lend credence to the theory of the NW being Lightbringer?Three's its always in threeeeeessss!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koekfabriek Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I thought it was when he heard vague rumours about Dany and the rebird of Dragons. Or is my timeline mixed up? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Consigliere Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Three's its always in threeeeeessss!! Dude, you called it rambling but I say that some of the greatest discoveries in human history have happened by accident. I am a fervent supporter of the NW=LB theory and your post, whether intentional or not, lends credence to the theory. For me at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bael's Bastard Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 If the three test were of his vows, what vow could he have had as a boy to be tested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koekfabriek Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 If the three test were of his vows, what vow could he have had as a boy to be tested? he did not, he was tested when he was older. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complexphoenix Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Things always seem to come in threes for Targs, and seven is the magic number for everyone else. If everything comes in threes for Jon, that could be taken as evidence that R+L=J. :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayura Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 I think the vows he is referring to are simply the ones he "took" when he was training to be a maester. He didn't abandon his training although he was tempted. Was it by power or by love, who knows Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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