So Long Night… Winter Is Birthing

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IceDragon by xDeathwingx

IceDragon by xDeathwingx

I am taking a break from posting theories as I go into the theory-blogging sunless sea to float serenely at peace atop black waters that knew no troll.

For how long? A night, day, a year? Time that is beyond time? Daendrew could not say.

But before I go. I bequeath my readers this IceBrandon primer and a show-nugget with a clip with the biggest clues that IceBrandon is coming after the primer below.

The IceBrandon Theory Primer

CGIceBrandon

The producers of Game of Thrones have been very subtly hinting of the ice dragon to come. They had a CGI flying dragon in the background in the Hardhome episode. That is very expensive to produce and would not be thrown out like that willy nilly.

Keep your eyes in this red region below to see the shadow dragon flying behind the clouds. It’s very subtle.

dragon cgi

https://gfycat.com/UnawareFakeAlpaca

Before I say “so Long Night…”

Here is the biggest clue and my parting gift.

The biggest hint for those with the eyes to see or the spring fevre dream to believe, is found in the opening scene of the season five finale.

This is the opening of the episode immediately following Shireen being sacrificed. This sacrifice traumatized us all and left purpose of her death fresh in our memory. The first thing Melisande looks at are icicles… and then Melisandre gives a very eerie smile and walks out.

Stannis was never her champion, it was through him, through his blood sacrifices that the champion of ice is born. In front of her is a puddle of black water. She walked into a black pool. She didn’t just casually step into the black puddle, they did a dramatic close up of it.

GRRM has mentioned many, many times that the black water is incredibly still and unmoving. So moments of unstill black waters, such as when Osha went into it are a big deal.

At the heart of the godswood, the great white weirwood brooded over its reflection in the black pool, its leaves rustling in a chill wind. When it felt Bran watching, it lifted its eyes from the still waters and stared back at him knowingly.

-A Game of Thrones – Bran III

 

The godswood was an island of peace in the sea of chaos that Winterfell had become. Hodor made his way through the dense stands of oak and ironwood and sentinels, to the still pool beside the heart tree.
-A Game of Thrones – Bran VI

 

Jon watched them leave, and Arya watched Jon. His face had grown as still as the pool at the heart of the godswood.
-A Game of Thrones – Arya I

 

With iceicles at hand, and the still black pool now unstill, her work there was done. Melisandre got the hell out of Dodge and rode to The Wall as fast as she possibly could. She went to Jon, who upon her arrival curiously died that night.

In the books Jon announced that Stannis is dead and Melisandre quickly leaves the room. I think that Shireen may have been sacrificed off-book screen and that paid for the Nightwalker’s glass candle magic.

Stannis was never her champion, it is through him and his blood and the Baratheon sacrifices and the help of Bran via Bloodraven that she could wake her dragon… the ice dragon Winter, the stone dragon made of ice.

 

vlcsnap-2015-06-15-19h15m49s68

Shireen is sacrificed. Jon is sacrificed. The still black pool is unstill.

Brace yourself… Winter is birthing.

10 thoughts on “So Long Night… Winter Is Birthing”

      • I know I’m posting this on the wrong page but I just read this new post nd I was bein lazy. I gota say I just started ADWD nd thru ALL 4 books I would’ve never put the theories together that you have. That bein said I give you a bunch of credit I never thought of any of this….but now I’m rambling. FYI I randomly came across this website because I was curious about what was goin on with the whole Pate thing frm AFFC but I’ve since latched onto the Jaqen H’gar theory…..once again rambling. Just wanted to add to your whole “Bran is dead” theory. I was re-reading Brans chapter from ASOS where him Jojen Meera nd Hodor are at the Nightfort nd they come across Sam nd Gilly with Coldhands waiting for them on the other side. The part I’m mentioning goes as follows……..( “Oh.” Sam looked down at him uncertainly. It might have been just then that he realized Bran was crippled. “I don’t … I’m not strong enough to carry you, I …” “Hodor can carry me.” Bran pointed at his basket. ” I ride in that, up on his back.” Sam was staring at him. “You’re Jon Snow’s brother. The one who fell…” “No,” said Jojen. “That boy is dead.” Now I realize he could be sayin that because it’s easier for them having everyone else in the world believe he’s dead. But I gota say you enlightened me on the GRRM ways of double meanings for mundane things that are said at times that you don’t even give a second thought nd I wasn’t even looking for that I just came across it nd figured I’d help you out seeing as you’ve done something that I didn’t even think was possible nd that’s add a whole other level of intrigue I have in the books/show. All of this just to say thank you so much for keeping a nerd like me intrested in something that was full of it already. Keep up the theories man some of them are nuts but most of them actually make sense in an eye-opening sorta way that just makes you go OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH why didn’t I think of that.

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  2. As always, interesting theory. I don’t agree with everything, but I admire your attention to details.

    The black pool is clearly something important. And I like your theory about Osha, although I would be more careful with hints from AGOT. As you said, GRRM changed his view on Osha, and he may not have had the same intention back when he was writing AGOT than now writing TWOT. One thing I would really like to know though is why would she bring Rickon to Skagos. Do you have a theory with Ice Unicorns?

    The shadow of the Ice Dragon at Hardhome is awesome. But isn’t it supposed to have translucent wings? I guess that’s the only way they found without directly showing it on screen.

    The only part I don’t buy is about Melisandre. I don’t see why a red priestress would be on the Other side. She clearly believed Stannis was Azor Ahai until she met Jon. And from that moment, she started having doubts. She questioned her deep convictions. That’s what GRRM does with all characters, and that’s why ASOIAF is so interesting. People struggle, people change, people fail, people die. Valar morghulis.

    To me, the melting icicles and the puddle aren’t clues. She smiles because she thinks the sacrifice worked. She still hopes she found the One.

    Anyway, it was good reading your work. I still have a lot of articles to catch up. I guess we’ll see you around after TWOW.

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