Exactly. The entire scene was written for Jon's benefit. The other pups are just window dressing.
If you are saying the sole reason the wolves were sent was to get Ghost to Jon, I may be with you. But the number of direwolves is significant and the connections with each of the Stark children are central to their stories.
I had that investigative reread of Jamie and the white cloaks came up with snow imagery over and over (and not just in Jamie's POV), so I also connect snow with the KG now.
Very interesting. Now I'm trying to find a way to connect the KG with the North or with Winter.
There is nothing particularly odd about Ned's reactions, but it's enough to make me wonder if something he knows is shaping his reaction. Is his frown saying, "This is a disturbing portent", or "Now it begins", or "But it was supposed to be a white direwolf" Does Ned ever indicate that Jon has the wolf blood?
I'd have to go with "Now it begins"! I suspect Ned has been aware of way more than we know. Maybe when he regarded Jon, just before Robb jumps in, he tought "There must be one more"? (Pun not intended, by the way!) I'll have to think on this.
Maybe he knew that a direwolf should come for Jon or at least knew a connection between Jon and direwolves. Some of his reflections later indicate that he is puzzled about the nature of the direwolves, but maybe he had reason to expect one.
This is an interesting parallel. I'm not sure where to go with it but it seems like it leads somewhere. It maybe should be re-visited later in the re-read
Thanks! I have no idea where to go with it either, just playing around with the text and letting assosiations come. Suddenly I saw babygate everywhere! One of those to have perculating in the background!
Very interesting. Now I'm trying to find a way to connect the KG with the North or with Winter.
Well, I only connect it with Jon and people around him (Mance, Tormund, Quorin mostly, mayhaps others will come up). Other than that I haven't seen anything I remember right now. Could be there, or it's just my Arthur obsession and ALJ hunt.
If you are saying the sole reason the wolves were sent was to get Ghost to Jon, I may be with you. But the number of direwolves is significant and the connections with each of the Stark children are central to their stories.
Certainly. They all matter, but this chapter is 100% about Jon Snow, imo.
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."
Just cling to that. It is the fans who are sick. The white stands for purity. GRRM will never let you down
Oh, that means that Rhegar married Lyanna, then died, before Lyanna died giving birth to Jon! He will find her weddingcloak and his silverstringed harp in the crypts, then LEAP upon the Wall and sing a sad song that makes the Others sniffle wheep!
Post by DarkSister1001 on Sept 22, 2017 15:21:36 GMT
I'm running behind so these things were probably mentioned. I'll go back through the thread when I have more time.
Bran's father sat solemnly on his horse, long brown hair stirring in the wind. His closely trimmed bears was shot with white, making him look older than his thirty-five years. He had a grim cast to his eyes this day, and seemed not at all the man who would sit before the fire in the evening and talk softly of the age of heroes and the children of the forest.
"You did well," Jon told him solemnly. Jon was fourteen, an old hand at justice.
Both Jon & Ned are described as solemn and as seeming older than they are.
Jon's eyes were a grey so dark they seemed almost black, but there was little they did not see. He was of an age with Robb, but they did not look alike. Jon was slender where Robb was muscular, dark where Robb was fair, graceful and quick where his half brother was strong and fast.
Stark (pun intended) contrast between the Tully & Stark traits.
Finally his lord father gave the command, and two of his guardsmen dragged the ragged man to the ironwood stump in the center of the square.
Bran could hear the wind in the trees, the clatter of their hooves on the ironwood planks, the whimpering of his hungry pup, but Jon was listening to something else.
I've made the argument before that in this story Ironwood is symbolic of protection. (I'll have to track down the link and add it later)
Bran could not take his eyes off the blood. The snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched.
Not only was the Ironwood the place of the execution but the Snows around the stump drank the blood eagerly. For me, this scene suggests a willingness to mix bloodlines, protection and death.
Robb cursed and followed, and they galloped off down the trail, Robb laughing and hooting, Jon silent and intent.
Again with the difference between the "brothers".
"I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp," he said. His voice broke the spell. "Maybe she didn't," Jory said. I've heard tales...maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came." "Born with the dead," another man put in. "Worse luck."
They're offering 2 options. 1) She was injured, whelped and died. 2) She succumbed to her injuries then whelped. No one brings up the possibility that she had just whelped and died protecting her newborns from the stag.
Their lord father regarded Jon thoughtfully.
No matter the truth of his parentage Jon was willing to sacrifice for his "siblings" and Ned knows that.
Bran thought it curious that this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind
I'll come back to this later after we read about the feast at Winterfell.
The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel.
Obviously this is fantasy but IRL wild wolves open their eyes 12-15 days after their born.
Wild animals are notoriously protective of their cubs. They could have already been a few days old when a stag happened upon them.
I just meant from a symbolism standpoint. Lyanna the Wolf dying but making sure her pup is safe from the Stag. I always saw the Direwolf/Stag scene as just an ill omen that the houses would clash and suffer. I never even thought about it from a mother protecting her child from the king symbolism.
This could be a big R+L point and I've never seen it mentioned before.
I just meant from a symbolism standpoint. Lyanna the Wolf dying but making sure her pup is safe from the Stag. I always saw the Direwolf/Stag scene as just an ill omen that the houses would clash and suffer. I never even thought about it from a mother protecting her child from the king symbolism.
This could be a big R+L point and I've never seen it mentioned before.
I concur. I always struggled with the foreshadowing. Were any Starks actually killed by a true Baratheon? Unless you look at Robert killing Ned just by simply offering him the position.
The blade was Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke. Nothing held an edge like Valyrian steel.