"An albino, Brynden had milk white skin, long white hair, and red eyes. He had a red birthmark that extended from his throat up to his right cheek. Some thought that it resembled a bird. Brynden was not as tall or muscular as his half-brothers. He typically wore the colors of "blood and smoke", with smoke being a dark grey that was mottled and streaked with black. Because his skin was sensitive to light, he usually went about cloaked and hooded. He lost an eye during the Blackfyre Rebellion and rarely covered the empty socket with a patch. He wore his white hair straight and to his shoulders, with the front brushed forward to cover his missing eye.[6]"
Brynden Rivers, the very mysterious albino Targeryen. Having lived a hundred years ago, we meet him during a Dunk and Egg novella. Bran encounters him as the three-eyed raven. And having Targ and strong northern bloodlines, he is a powerful warg. Supposedly he is warging Mormont's raven (a popular fan theory).
How many eyes does Lord Bloodraven have? the riddle ran. A thousand eyes, and one. Some claimed the King's Hand was a student of the dark arts who could change his face, put on the likeness of a one-eyed dog, even turn into a mist. Packs of gaunt gray wolves hunted down his foes, men said, and carrion crows spied for him and whispered secrets in his ear. Most of the tales were only tales, Dunk did not doubt, but no one could doubt that Bloodraven had informers everywhere.[6]
And then there are some interesting parallels between Jon Snow and Brynden Rivers:
- Both have distinguishing features of sorts. Jon has a scar over his his eye and Brynden lost his eye. Jon has a burned hand and Brynden a red birth mark in his neck.
- Both are bastards but with strong North-South (or Ice-Fire) bloodlines. Brynden is the son of Aegon IV Targaryen and Melissa Blackwood (descendents of the First Men). Jon is supposedly the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark (if you adhere to this theory to make the parallel work out.)
- Both end up at the Wall where they become Lord Commanders.
- If we assume that a Targ/First Men bloodline connection is capable of producing powerful warging capabilities, Jon and Brynden's capabilities make sense (remember Varamyr's prologue. Either that or this post belongs in the Crackpot theory thread)
- Both seem to be contested characters through the eyes of others. Others seem often to be suspicious of them (their bastardry or supposed powers), or feel intimidated by them.
- Brynden becomes the three-eyed raven. Jon Snow, well. My point is if we follow the parallel, I wonder if we can assess where Jon's story will be going to in tWoW... (I'm not implying Jon is the three-eyed raven though, just that we are not done with him yet.)
I find the parallels I suggest here interesting (I'll think of more) because GRRM seems to like drawing what appears to be sometimes loose parallels between characters and events from different time frames in order to accentuate something important, or hint where a current story line might be going.
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“You take a mortal man, put him in control. Watch him become a god, see heads roll."
I like Old Nan's theory of "never trust a crow". The 3-eyed crow is not to be trusted, IMHO. I'm afraid for Bran, not so much Jon Snow. I don't like him in Bran's dreams and I am concerned he'll teach Bran "black magic" as opposed to simply enhancing the abilities he already has. After all, Rivers is not a Stark, what allegiance does he have to Bran? Jon I get, Bran I don't. Learn all you can from him, Bran, then kill him or have your sister kill him (Rivers), he's not to be trusted.
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Rhaegar, despite wounding Robert, was struck down with a massive blow from Robert's warhammer, which scattered the rubies encrusted in Rhaegar's armor under the water. Rhaegar died with Lyanna Stark's name on his lips.
You know who Bloodraven makes me think of? Merlin. "There, Viviane learns her magic from Merlin, who becomes enamored of her. She refuses to give him her love until he has taught her all his secrets, after which she uses her power to trap him either in the trunk of a tree or beneath a stone, depending on the story and author. " (wiki)
Well there are a few indications, but it's up to interpretation. Jojen (who knows the way he's gonna die) is getting more and more depressed, then he goes missing, then Bran is suddenly offered a dubious red paste that tastes like blood, in a chapter where Gurm abuses the phrase "the moon was crescent, thin and sharp like the blade of a knife" - seriously, he uses this about 5 times. Incidentally, a crescent moon precedes or follows the new moon, which if I'm not mistaken is described as a time for sacrifices and offerings in the Old Testament. Maybe Cary remembers better.
So dunno, but Jojenpaste sounds pretty cool to me.
It's because the new moon marked the beginning of the month, and I'm sure I read somewhere that that had a ritual significance BUT maybe I'm thinking way ahead of Gurm here.
I was asking Cary if it had a Bible significance. I read the chapter again and I think its a bit far fetched. JoJen states that he wants to go back to Grey watch. If he knows he is going to die i dont think he would be so sad. He always seems so content.
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However I just realized what the pork is in Manderlys pies at Ramsay's wedding. Lol
OFF TOPIC
I still don't believe that!!! I've read the books several times. I know the stories, they do correlate. But that Macha's Merlin.. he ate himself from those pies! Seriously have a problem imagining Lord Manderly eating human meat.
Though obviously in Davos' chapters there's specific indication where one old soldier says there's a lot Stannis's Hand doesn't know about the North and the sacrifices they make (I think there's also a direct clue regarding blood sacrifice and cannibalism there too, but I'd have to look for that particular quote)
-- Edited by TormundsWoman on Sunday 2nd of February 2014 09:56:57 AM