[li]My dad, when he read the books for the first time, said that his kneejerk-reaction to the resurgence of the Sparrows and the Faith Militant was to compare it to the resurgence of hardline conservatism in the U.S. Republican Party, starting sometime around Barry Goldwater's 1964 Presidential campaign.
[/li][li]The Dothraki, of course, are a clear parallel for the nomadic mounted warriors of the Russian steppe. However, the oft-cited claim that roughly a quarter of today's world population can trace their ancestry to Genghis Khan, makes me think more of Garth Greenhand than any other Planetosi historical figure. (I actually think the early First Men invaders are closely related to today's Dothraki, genetically speaking, lol)[/li][/quote] The faith militant place so many times and in so many eras and in so many parts of the world from today to ancient times it boggles the mind. I think the Dothraki were put in as the so easily recognized widest hook of all.
If anything they might just be a hodge podge of everything found in that general area of Essos.
certainly a few of these early people who lived near the Silver Sea of the Fisher Queens found their way to westeros. Just watch this space. Well not this particular thread because we are one continent off topic.
"Arya did not dare take a bath, even though she smelled as bad as Yoren by now, all sour and stinky. Some of the creatures living in her clothes had come all the way from Flea Bottom with her; it didn’t seem right to drown them."
If anything they might just be a hodge podge of everything found in that general area of Essos.
certainly a few of these early people who lived near the Silver Sea of the Fisher Queens found their way to westeros. Just watch this space. Well not this particular thread because we are one continent off topic.
I follow the rule of the Old Gods. "The land is one;" everything is on-topic!
"No true knight would condone such wanton butchery." "True knights see worse every time they ride to war, wench," said Jaime. "And do worse, yes." Brienne turned the rudder toward the shore. "I'll leave no innocents to be food for crows." "A heartless wench. Crows need to eat as well. Stay to the river and leave the dead alone, woman."
I've had reason to wonder in the past if the Dothraki might actually be descendant from the Fisher Queens and Tall Men After reading arrysfleas essay Storm's End, I wonder if there might be ties to Ib and the Woods Walkers. If anything they might just be a hodge podge of everything found in that general area of Essos.
I have finally posted my ramblings on the First Men, here.....I hope it is not too long!
Symeon does not get a mention but Serwyn does.
"Arya did not dare take a bath, even though she smelled as bad as Yoren by now, all sour and stinky. Some of the creatures living in her clothes had come all the way from Flea Bottom with her; it didn’t seem right to drown them."
Oops. I wasn't actually trying to make a pun though I do like where you went with it. I meant to say Night King. In the show didn't he have an odd double sided crystal sword, or was I dreaming of that?
No worries. This makes more sense.
On the sword: the show makes it look a bit like a katana, but it doesn't seem like Symeon's from the book:
But that doesn't mean much. If the Night's King in the book shots up with a long staff like Symeon's, I wouldn't be too surprised.
The more I think about it the more sense it makes to me. If each of these abilities adds a new power, like the ability to skinchange more animals or animal types and commanding animals that are not being currently skinchanging what do the possibilities become? Up to the possibility is it possible to turn oneself into a skinchanger? A greenseer?
And, as you said above, the abominations might add to the power--as they do with Varamyr. But also come with a cost--like blood magics?
The idea of dark greenseers sounds like something I've read in LmL. Or maybe in arrysfleas.
But "turning oneself into a skin changer" --has Martin made it clear whether or not one must be born a skin changer? If not, maybe. But if one must be born. .. I'm wondering if there is a "dark sorcery" equivalent to dragon horns when it comes to skin changing.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Oscar Wilde.
On the sword: the show makes it look a bit like a katana, but it doesn't seem like Symeon's from the book:
Ok, so it just has a really long and fancy grip on it. I knew it seemed different from the swords of the other ww. But yeah, who knows if the show did that just to make it look pretty or if it really is supposed to be like Symeon's blade or if they really have any idea at all what its supposed to look like or if that character even exists in the books...
And, as you said above, the abominations might add to the power--as they do with Varamyr. But also come with a cost--like blood magics?
Hadn't thought much about that angle to it, but I would imagine it would have to. Just thinking quickly, I'm wondering if it's more of a personal cost. Losing ones values or soul...
The idea of dark greenseers sounds like something I've read in LmL. Or maybe in arrysfleas.
Scroll up a bit, look to the left and click on the link for Fiery Greenseers under Featured Essays for LmL's take on the subject of dark horned gods and greenseers.
But "turning oneself into a skin changer" --has Martin made it clear whether or not one must be born a skin changer? If not, maybe. But if one must be born. .. I'm wondering if there is a "dark sorcery" equivalent to dragon horns when it comes to skin changing.
Hmm. Never thought of it as the equivalent of the dragon binder horn, but it does make a logical sense. If fire has that, why not ice? Something had to be done on the fire side originally to have the dragon bonding gene passed down, it would make sense if the same was true for greenseers or skinchangers as there is quite a bit of similarity to the two. What I find interesting is that we have these bizarre things that we find in text related to the abominations. We have an entire island that has supposedly been cannibalized. The blame goes to Skagos, but Skane really isn't that far from Hardhome either. What were they doing at Hardhome? Then we have the Boltons flaying and wearing the skin of their enemies. What is this if not an attempt to replicate skinchanging another human. Then we have the biggest indicator of all in Euron. We already suspect that he has some sort of equivalent to greenseeing ability with his comments about flying. Then we have Damphair being afraid of him and the squeaky hinge in the dark. So we've speculated that he raped Damphair or his little brother, then it was maybe skinchanging one of them. Then with the new sample chapter you can almost make the arguement that he skinchanged one to rape the other. That's two abominations right there. Then you have him feeding warlocks to one another. Cannibalism. Is he strengthening himself, or is he trying to make more like himself?
Why must I always be the isle of crazy alone in an ocean of sensibility? The should to everybody else’s shouldn’t? The I-will to their better-nots?
Hadn't thought much about that angle to it, but I would imagine it would have to. Just thinking quickly, I'm wondering if it's more of a personal cost. Losing ones values or soul...
Scroll up a bit, look to the left and click on the link for Fiery Greenseers under Featured Essays for LmL's take on the subject of dark horned gods and greenseers.
Hmm. Never thought of it as the equivalent of the dragon binder horn, but it does make a logical sense. If fire has that, why not ice? Something had to be done on the fire side originally to have the dragon bonding gene passed down, it would make sense if the same was true for greenseers or skinchangers as there is quite a bit of similarity to the two.
voice won't like this, but it makes me wonder if that's what happened with the Others--force-changed into powerful creatures. And the cost was. . . "soul."
What I find interesting is that we have these bizarre things that we find in text related to the abominations. We have an entire island that has supposedly been cannibalized. The blame goes to Skagos, but Skane really isn't that far from Hardhome either. What were they doing at Hardhome? Then we have the Boltons flaying and wearing the skin of their enemies. What is this if not an attempt to replicate skinchanging another human. Then we have the biggest indicator of all in Euron. We already suspect that he has some sort of equivalent to greenseeing ability with his comments about flying. Then we have Damphair being afraid of him and the squeaky hinge in the dark. So we've speculated that he raped Damphair or his little brother, then it was maybe skinchanging one of them. Then with the new sample chapter you can almost make the arguement that he skinchanged one to rape the other. That's two abominations right there. Then you have him feeding warlocks to one another. Cannibalism. Is he strengthening himself, or is he trying to make more like himself?
An excellent point. Obviously, Ygritte's point of "it's all in where you're standing" comes into play.
And obviously, Martin's playing with that by using POV chapters.
But he also seems to come back to 1. blood magics and breaking guest right and kinslaying are all abominations.
2. Everyone commits some kind of violation--oathbreaking, etc. So, the question might be, what one does afterwards.
All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril. Those who read the symbol do so at their peril. It is the spectator, and not life, that art really mirrors. Oscar Wilde.
voice won't like this, but it makes me wonder if that's what happened with the Others--force-changed into powerful creatures. And the cost was. . . "soul."
Makes sense to me.
I would only add that miasmas have been known to cause such transitions.
"I can see it. You have more of the north in you than your brothers."