Perhaps the weirwoods aren't as much a natural part of the arcane-ecosystem as we've previously believed... Death is an essential part of life and the COTF believe this strongly. As Bran notes, the COTF do not rail and cry against their decline into night the way that men would; for it is men who fail to come to terms with their own mortality and thus seek ever to break the laws of nature. If we consider the weirwoods from this perspective then we can see what unnatural creations they really are. They do not die, except through external malevolence, and if and when they do "die" it is not to fertilize and nourish the soil beneath them with their "death" but to petrify and beget no new life. Their function as repositories for all the souls whom have have joined with them, in one fashion or another, make them essentially tombs. And what comes out of tombs? The undead, of course. For the weirwoods are a place of undeath as they are neither dead or alive. Animated, surely, but not alive. This is most evident in the fact that they beget no seed. You may be thinking, "what of the weirwood paste? Don't they mention weirwood seeds then?", but it seems to me that "Jojen paste" is more likely and thus the only mention we get of "weirwood seeds" is when Bran is clearly being lied to. If the "Jojen paste" theory is true then that would mean that even that which is referred to as the 'seed' of the weirwood is death itself. The weirwoods thus beget no new life even when they "die" and stand totally outside of the natural order of death, rebirth and life. They stand as an other to the natural order of life and death, where death serves life in perpetual balance. In the world of the weirwoods life serves death, "I know, I know. Oh, oh, oh." We must ask ourselves then... why would the COTF worship such "demon trees" that stand in absolute antithesis to their strongest convictions? Perhaps they didn't originally. Perhaps in teaching the First Men of their arcane knowledge, in the hopes that men would come peacefully to live within the knowledge of life and death, they gave man an opportunity he could not resist. The opportunity to cheat death. I would propose, then, that the weirwoods are a creation of men and not the original tree of life for the COTF. If we follow the successors of Garth of the Green, perhaps not as individual offspring but as dynasties, kingdoms and tribes, then we eventually see the culmination of man's relations to the COTF being the rape and slaughter at red lake. It is naive to think that the pax achieved at the Isle of Faces would last and that the First Men became faithful friends to the COTF ever after. More realistic, and more fitting to the story, is that men grew hungrier and hungrier for the children's powers as time passed and sought ever to break the cycle for their own 'ascendance'. I would go even further in suggesting that it was man's attainment of this power, and the creation of the weirwood net that ushered in, or was a product of, the Long Night. This would eventually leave the COTF, with no other place to turn in this world of death and darkness, to shelter under those corrupted powers that were once their own and that had brought down this doom upon them.
@pyropulseIXXI Lad, stick the kettle on, calm down a bit, and come back when you're ready. Ok? Hopefully you're a little calmer now, so here goes. Firstly, you don't need to insert modern politics into everything. It doesn't seem to be doing you any favours. Secondly, when you do feel the need to discuss the politics in a work of literature, you must remember you're dealing with the author's politics. So when you say "of course your position is" that isn't going to be accurate, as I'm only working from what the author's position may be. We're not analysing a real world event, but a subjective opinion. Martin clearly has included a view of the perils of human ambition in the story. You can take umbrage at that fact all you like, but it's still part of the text. Now, to your other claims. I said the COTF do not rail and cry against their decline. I didn't say they didn't "fight", which we assuredly know they did. Rather they fight in that natural, animalistic state that you observe as inherent to nature. The important distinction between the COTF and men is the that the COTF did not transgress the confines of nature to fight. They accept that the natural order of things is to live and die and fight in accordance with that. A tiger will fight to survive, but it will not bemoan the destruction of it's habitat or species. It does not despair about it's end. So too are the COTF accepting of those same laws of nature, that everything lives and dies. As I pointed out, the Weirwoods break that cycle between life and death, and that it is more likely that it was man, unable to accept to the idea that he may die, that attempted to break the laws of nature in order to cheat death rather than the COTF. Lastly, I'd like to state that you seem to have run to one end of the political spectrum as you've sensed the "elites" are shifting to the other side of the spectrum. That's probably not a good thing. I think it's a much better thing to find balance and I hope you find it. Please remember to not get so wound up and that we're discussing a piece of art here not a real world scenario.
I imagine the burning of either bran or blood ravens cave, being so big and manifest full that it becomes the sun that rises on the west in Daenerys prophecy
Bran's little face overlaid with Cernunnos leaves is the gift none of us knew we needed. 😍 Great artwork throughout! Also, after reading this a few weeks back it's been on my mind quite a lot. Excellent work ser!
Absolutely love your enthusiasm!!! The ending of the show just got me more hype for TWOW because I know George won’t allow his character development and world building to just fall through the cracks!!! Thank you for not losing hope
Totally. Not sure of you watched the God Kings and Abominations video from a few weeks ago, but I talked about that very thing with Quinn from Ideas of Ice and Fire. What will be interesting is what George has to say about the god king idea and kingship in general. George loves adding his commentary to tropes and literary echoes. :)
I honestly think GRRM regrets going that route in hindsight and its why he keeps spitting out stories about the dance instead of finishing his damn books.
What a great video. A thought, aren't all Garth children's symbols of the continuity of life? Not quite Spring and not quite Summer, but elements of the cycle of life? The polinization of the bees, the bull fertility, the golden new apples, the woman sacrificed in to a tree as a mother. I don't know, I just got that vibe...
great video! also, about the oak tree, in greek myhtology Zeus is sitting in the roοt of an oak tree in Dodona and people interpret his oracles by the moving of the leaves, the sound of wind and water etc. (and the oracle was established there when a black dove told humans to do so)
I wonder if there is a connection between Ygritte and Rose of Red Lake? I've always thought Ygritte was an adaptation of Egret, like the bird. Egrets and Cranes are from the same family. Maybe I just need some coffee this morning.
Well, I think you're on yo something actually, but think about it as an echo of an archetypal pairing. I think it's implied that Brandon of the Bloody Blade may have a strong connection to Rose, since he was probably breeding skinchangers humans in that area. So it's a Stark and bird woman, both times, with an emphasis on the Old Gods
I called you "nerd" a while back and I wanted to say I didn't mean it in a mean way. I think you understood that because you gave it heart but I wanted to make sure. I don't take it back or anything for obvious reasons lol but you're also somewhat of a literary genius. Your content is very interesting and more important you're not boring. Some people make this kind of thing sound like lectures but you really pull it off, especially in your longer videos. Keep it up my man and nerd out as hard as you feel lol
Right before the harvest feast, Bran sees warships with his “minds eye”, and wonders if a cripple ever captained a ship. Is he seeing Bran the shipwright, or is it foreshadowing how Bran might get back to winterfell?
oooh you are giving away the next episode Sarah, you smarty pants It could be a "sailing a ww boat back to WF" thing, yes, although I interpret it mainly as symbolism... think of the grey king's weirwood boat as a visual depiction of the metaphor.. Bran wants to sail the green see in his minds eye, ships of the mind, etc etc
This was brilliant dude, thanks! Has inspired some disturbingly dark musings involving Hodor, Meera and Summer on the Isle of Faces which I may have to write up on reddit :)
We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say. Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
If Kings Landing gets devastated like it did in the show, i could see Bran making Harrenhal his new capital. A way to undo the curse of the place, it's the geographical centre of westeros and it's right next to the isle of faces.
46:40 the song serves as a reminder of the use of the Horn of Winter, by the Nights Watch when they go forth to meet the Others. There is always the duality, fire and ice : for communication/information... The dragon glass candles and the Weirwood trees; And if the stories of the horn that can bind dragons (fire) is true, we could deduce that the Horn of winter is also use to bind (control) the deads (ice). Also for the weapons, valerian steel which contains dragon glass (fire) can battle the Others weapons (looks like ice) and kill the others. I think that the wildfire that the Mad King was stocking was in preparation for the Others.
Well done! I'd like to add, though, that the mythology of the Sacred King always involves a Priestess-Queen, who owns the land and the Sacred King "rules" and is sacrificed in her name. This could mean Bran will act as some sort of shadow king for Dany - wich I doubt - OR, that he will rule at Dany's behest.
Rewatching this series, it's the first series of yours I ever watched and I was immediately hooked by your symbolic and mythologic analysis and how well it aligns with the core themes of asoiaf. This video was the first I had ever heard of the summer/oak king and winter/holly king mythos and my mind was blown realizing that Bran and Jon are the ultimate figures of these legends. What do you think the nature of the conflict between these two will be when they inevitably face off? I really appreciate everything you do for this fandom, we need more myth heads analyzing asoiaf and you are the inspiration
I've watched 3 times as I was so interested in the Artwork...was amazing of course..but I need Starry Wisdom Church 😂 i miss you and my communion 💜💛 ty also for the Dark recommend.i really enjoyed it ...ty hope to See you soon
I made this separately because, LML, I really want you to see this, when you wake up... Check out Armored Skeptic's Green Man stuff, in his Tell Me More and especially History is a Lie series. They really gave me a foundation for what you're laying down, so this feels like home, sweet home. I bet Greg would love your channel too, if he's into ASoIaF. He's more of a Star Wars (Pre Disney, obviously) guy, so maybe it isn't his thing... That said, this channel might change his mind.
Whenever I, a happy Michigander, with a legal blessing to praise Garth, spend time doing so, this is always my go-to spot for brain food. My brain dancing with the flowers of the Greenhand is a potentially terrifying place without meat for it to chew on, else it just bends the wall of madness philosophizing random concepts like we do. Yes, "we" is how I refer to my inner monolog and my external; it's a whole thing, I'm weird. I quipped and mocked the shrinks when they said I "suffer from" high IQ, in that it was so high, it made understanding normal people hard for me, but when I spend time with Garth, I understand the machinery between my ears and that my consciousness can become a destructive storm in my head, chewing up whatever it finds and deconstructing it. It isn't awful, but there's definitely a feeling of loss of control over a giant that is currently rampaging through Aristotle's lost work, while I helplessly sigh and roll my eyes at the giant's delight that everything it thinks is profound, when, upon later observation, those thoughts are either lost in fog or weren't that impressive, really, just me being my overly analytical self, on mega-steroids (lol I studied chemistry for four years with a med school approved GPA, and I just unironically said "mega-steroids"; kill me). It almost feels as if I am going mad, but always temporarily. It's a bit what I imagine riding a dragon feels like, just clinging on so you don't fall, while the big nuke lizard does its thing. Anyway, yeah, I appreciate how esoteric this channel is. It's perfect for this particular problem, because "we" can gobble up the concepts you, LML, are feeding me instead. I cannot even sleep at night. Even when sober as a nun, I cannot make my inner monolog stfu. I have to drug myself silly to sleep at all, to the point where I may sleep a night and a day, but I must. I cannot give my brain a choice, as it will always choose wakefulness and look for something to calculate, imagine, deconstruct, build up, and so on. I have a random text file on my phone for a whole new system of governance. Unfortunately, my first way of doing this was almost my end: benzodiazepines. I knew the risks, and feared them, but I was desperate. It had been two months of, at best, just less than a day of sleep per month, when I got really lucky. I had to put my whole life on pause. After two instances of Grand Mal seizures, on the strongest RC benzo known to man, on a massive dose, 5x the highest "safe" dose, I've been fighting my way to lower doses in hopes that, maybe next year, two years after I started carefully lowering my dose, I will be free, and, yes, I have a replacement already in use, as I can't even tell I took the benzos anymore, a functional and much safer sedative, in the form of the many wonderful sleep terpines with which Garth has blessed us. Also, "All magic in ASoIaF is blood magic" is a theory I've been all over lately. Doesn't even really seem like a theory anymore, but simply a statement of fact. Oh man, now think of Robert, soon to be the summer king, wanting to take the daughter of the Winter king, Lyanna, who, instead, chose to wed a fire prince instead. She is especially of the North and winter, because she has what Ned calls The Wolf's Blood. The same is true of Ned and Lyanna's brother, Brandon, and with Brandon's fuccboi, I mean, "fertile" (He's definitely got bastards out there. I expect we will meet one someday, or, at least, I wouldn't be surprised... I'd put the probability at some 54%, so, slightly more likely than not.) nature, ability as a warrior, which we've all heard about. He seems much like Robert, a Summer king, while solemn, honorable Ned is all ice and winter.
So, Jon is the Holly King, Santa Clause, the Winter King a Fire Weight Night King. No wonder he didn't burn when Dany blasted him. And Bran can likely still have children. Cool. I mean he's GOT to be massively fertile, right?
LML's theories are the most solid and well developed Westerosi lore out there. But I don't see how you can talk about Garth the Green and First men in Westeros without finding a way to blend in the Great Empire of the Dawn and the existence of dragonlords in the same place and time.
Riding an Elk is not that hard IRL, getting off of them is. You gotta wait till you find one crossing a river then get on its back as it crosses, thats how Teddy Roosevelt did it. Pictures exist.
@@DavidLightbringer I just thought if jons body is empty and bran dies he could just hijack Jon or maybe they could share the same body. I imagine Jon kicking all kids of ass while bran worgs anything breathing. Talk about worg king! Im literally Jon Snow on ASOIAF cause I know nothing but how cool would that be?
In this circumstance , you would think fertility and prosperity would come with a Summer King. And if we get King Bran , king of the realm , similar to the show we would expect an indication of prosperity there but the infertility part , can actually be interpreted as a positive. This way , if there will continue to be a king or queen of the continent going forward after Bran, it would have to be chosen not by simple parentage / familial ties / relation to the monarch (assuming we get a council who chooses King Bran in the books as has happened in Westerosi history) but ideally by merit. Of course that is easily corrupted and most likely will be but as an idealistic concept to have a sovereign who has no children and can have no children in hopes of changing the monarchic succession principles , can certainly be a positive.
That's a great question, and one which is ripe for discussion, pun intended. :) I think it's simply indicates that brand has given up his own fertility and vitality for the people, or perhaps this is George's twist on the typical summer King which is supposed to be less excessive and carnal. Instead of consuming everything, like Robert (a man of huge appetites), he's going to be more of a builder and someone who brings prosperity to everyone else. Self-sacrifice, instead of self-aggrandizement. Or maybe Bran will be able to pop a little Bran boner after all, ha
@@DavidLightbringer Thanks for the Reply, seems an ill omen when the sun king can't rise, even Robert with all of his fertility, his seed fell on stony ground,(Mya Stone) thanks for the great Video as always!
Real world folklore = Instalike Lotsa channels can talk fan theories or lit structure in asoiaf. But when it comes to mythspiration, no one does it better :D
This is no crazy revalation to anyone, but I'm gonna spout my thoughts here anyway: So, people have always been talking about who Azor Ahai is and because it's George, the answer is - a lot of people are, but if I was gonna stick to only one person I'd go with Rhaegar. Rhaegar "forged" three "swords" through his children. Two of them broke, the last one is Lightbringer. Jon is Lightbringer. Listening to this video it'd be kinda cool if it is the case that Jon IS the one to bring Bran back to the world, maybe even "pass his flame" to Bran if Bran ends up giving his life to the children of the forest. I dunno. This is just jumbled thoughts but I like the idea of Jon being the one to bring summer back in the form of Bran. How that's gonna happen I have no idea. Great video btw. It's super nice to listen to while I work! Love that you and Quinn are making so many videos together these days as well!
It's great because it's a melancholic ending but it is also bittersweet for all that is lost to get to that moment. The Starks lose a lot throughout history, even to the point of feeling an emptiness, that emptiness of never having your whole family again.
I find it funny/interesting that you insist on the Bran=cereal association when the more obvious one is a direct translation from the Welsh: Bran literally means crow or raven and Bran is basically a god/king in the Mabinogion, with all-seeing powers once he dies/has his head chopped off (if I recall correctly, my memory's a bit fuzzy). Although, I'm pretty sure you're aware of this, and perhaps you delve into that aspect of his mythological etymology in parts 3 and 4, and I'm just too impatient lol. Anyway, great content! :)
So, I was thinking. see if you can follow me here..... 1) Bran is the Summer/wierwood/oak king...and he was told that he wouldn't walk again but he would fly...the show was left with Bran searching for Drogon. 2) Jon is a resurrected (immortal??) and now resides in the north beyond the wall. Is he on his way to becoming the new knight king, the holly king. 3) The story of the Oak and Holly kings ay that the 2 were brothers. 3) What caused the red waste? Meteor crash? Dragons? Or a never ending Summer? Is it possible that Bran and Jon will showdown with one another with Jon as the new knight king and Bran the wierwood king. I think that if Bran is able to keep the summer going for too long or if he warg drogon and goes insane, his Brother may have to intervene. After all it is about balance.
you made an interesting point about Brandon of the Bloody blade killing and raping the CotF. Made me think about the only CotF we see are females, do you think BB may have killed all the men, leaving only women and is why they nearly went extinct?
i think that's too long ago in the past - they would have died out much sooner, I am thinking. But ther'es no question the FM decimated the population of the children, and I noticed that it *seems like* that all the cotf we see are female. Are the males the green men?
@@DavidLightbringer Thanks for the reply. Do we know how long CotF live for? In the show (I know its a bad source to use as evidence) but didn't the CotF who were with Bran create the Night King, so in the show at least they CotF live for a long time.
I've got to say here that many of the male aspects of winter kings has been taken from the Cailleach. Oh and she has 1 eye and a connection to stags, wolves and crows/ravens. I most likely will feather connections of the myth of the Cailleach around your comments. To help fix the algorithm, not to overly bug you. And since it's Bran I am finding my connections to yours so I can "see" Bran as not a Negative Nancy.
I dont like to nitpik, but Elk dont grow too "10ft at the shoulder" its about 5ft. Elk and moose have also historically been tamed and ridden particularly in Russia.
@@DavidLightbringer thanks for taking the time to reply, you have a great channel. No doubt you’ve done your research, I did a quick search and just saw a comparable size to an Alaskan moose which is why I threw it in there. Given we have domesticated elephants throughout history I just think our imagination can be a bit limited when we think about domestication. I’ve always been fascinated by megafauna and ancient humans potential domestication of them. Seems pretty straightforward given they are just large animals. Implications are pretty epic though. Anyway, thanks for the feedback mate. Will try and make a livestream when I can.
yeah I mean check out the photos of people standing next to the skeletons of these things in museums and you start to see what a terrifying animal Martin is trying to describe
13:20 skin-change the dogs, and the bees, and then you have dogs with bees in their mouth so that when they bark they shoot bees at you 19:50 is that the dude from Portlandia??? #tooperfecttopassup
Perhaps the weirwoods aren't as much a natural part of the arcane-ecosystem as we've previously believed...
Death is an essential part of life and the COTF believe this strongly. As Bran notes, the COTF do not rail and cry against their decline into night the way that men would; for it is men who fail to come to terms with their own mortality and thus seek ever to break the laws of nature.
If we consider the weirwoods from this perspective then we can see what unnatural creations they really are. They do not die, except through external malevolence, and if and when they do "die" it is not to fertilize and nourish the soil beneath them with their "death" but to petrify and beget no new life. Their function as repositories for all the souls whom have have joined with them, in one fashion or another, make them essentially tombs. And what comes out of tombs? The undead, of course. For the weirwoods are a place of undeath as they are neither dead or alive. Animated, surely, but not alive. This is most evident in the fact that they beget no seed. You may be thinking, "what of the weirwood paste? Don't they mention weirwood seeds then?", but it seems to me that "Jojen paste" is more likely and thus the only mention we get of "weirwood seeds" is when Bran is clearly being lied to. If the "Jojen paste" theory is true then that would mean that even that which is referred to as the 'seed' of the weirwood is death itself. The weirwoods thus beget no new life even when they "die" and stand totally outside of the natural order of death, rebirth and life. They stand as an other to the natural order of life and death, where death serves life in perpetual balance. In the world of the weirwoods life serves death, "I know, I know. Oh, oh, oh."
We must ask ourselves then... why would the COTF worship such "demon trees" that stand in absolute antithesis to their strongest convictions? Perhaps they didn't originally. Perhaps in teaching the First Men of their arcane knowledge, in the hopes that men would come peacefully to live within the knowledge of life and death, they gave man an opportunity he could not resist. The opportunity to cheat death. I would propose, then, that the weirwoods are a creation of men and not the original tree of life for the COTF. If we follow the successors of Garth of the Green, perhaps not as individual offspring but as dynasties, kingdoms and tribes, then we eventually see the culmination of man's relations to the COTF being the rape and slaughter at red lake. It is naive to think that the pax achieved at the Isle of Faces would last and that the First Men became faithful friends to the COTF ever after. More realistic, and more fitting to the story, is that men grew hungrier and hungrier for the children's powers as time passed and sought ever to break the cycle for their own 'ascendance'. I would go even further in suggesting that it was man's attainment of this power, and the creation of the weirwood net that ushered in, or was a product of, the Long Night. This would eventually leave the COTF, with no other place to turn in this world of death and darkness, to shelter under those corrupted powers that were once their own and that had brought down this doom upon them.
Hey Vurtigone, awesome comment my friend! I'm gonna save this one for the live QnA tomorrow (Sunday the 6th) and discuss it... thanks man!
I wish I could give this more than one like.
HOWEVER and the history Emperor Bloodstone in the Empire of Dawn???
@pyropulseIXXI Lad, stick the kettle on, calm down a bit, and come back when you're ready. Ok?
Hopefully you're a little calmer now, so here goes. Firstly, you don't need to insert modern politics into everything. It doesn't seem to be doing you any favours. Secondly, when you do feel the need to discuss the politics in a work of literature, you must remember you're dealing with the author's politics. So when you say "of course your position is" that isn't going to be accurate, as I'm only working from what the author's position may be. We're not analysing a real world event, but a subjective opinion. Martin clearly has included a view of the perils of human ambition in the story. You can take umbrage at that fact all you like, but it's still part of the text.
Now, to your other claims. I said the COTF do not rail and cry against their decline. I didn't say they didn't "fight", which we assuredly know they did. Rather they fight in that natural, animalistic state that you observe as inherent to nature. The important distinction between the COTF and men is the that the COTF did not transgress the confines of nature to fight. They accept that the natural order of things is to live and die and fight in accordance with that. A tiger will fight to survive, but it will not bemoan the destruction of it's habitat or species. It does not despair about it's end. So too are the COTF accepting of those same laws of nature, that everything lives and dies. As I pointed out, the Weirwoods break that cycle between life and death, and that it is more likely that it was man, unable to accept to the idea that he may die, that attempted to break the laws of nature in order to cheat death rather than the COTF.
Lastly, I'd like to state that you seem to have run to one end of the political spectrum as you've sensed the "elites" are shifting to the other side of the spectrum. That's probably not a good thing. I think it's a much better thing to find balance and I hope you find it. Please remember to not get so wound up and that we're discussing a piece of art here not a real world scenario.
I agree with your comment as it makes so much sense. It fits nicely with several other things. It has me thinking of a few of my own speculations.
"You can't ride an elk without magic powers" as a Canadian, I can confirm this.
🤣🤣🤣
Have you tried confidence?
Pls film it in landscape.
I imagine the burning of either bran or blood ravens cave, being so big and manifest full that it becomes the sun that rises on the west in Daenerys prophecy
Holy shit, dude 😮
I hope George sees your channel and videos, and feel proud of your work
Thanks Alfredo that's an awesome thing to say. Cheers
Me too. An absolutely fantastic channel that I’m absolutely obsessed with and feel the need to share with all of my fellow GOT fans.
"Bottom-line is, wizards are attacking you with animals!" words to live by
Bran's little face overlaid with Cernunnos leaves is the gift none of us knew we needed. 😍 Great artwork throughout! Also, after reading this a few weeks back it's been on my mind quite a lot. Excellent work ser!
Heh heh heh
I'm around the 30 min mark right now and sometimes I feel like people could form cults based on Martin's symbolic mythology 😂
Absolutely love your enthusiasm!!! The ending of the show just got me more hype for TWOW because I know George won’t allow his character development and world building to just fall through the cracks!!! Thank you for not losing hope
never!
The best part was Old Nan’s impersonation ☺️
Great work as always!
I believe GRRM is highly influenced by Dune and also wanted to have his omniscient god emperor for Westeros.
Totally. Not sure of you watched the God Kings and Abominations video from a few weeks ago, but I talked about that very thing with Quinn from Ideas of Ice and Fire. What will be interesting is what George has to say about the god king idea and kingship in general. George loves adding his commentary to tropes and literary echoes. :)
I honestly think GRRM regrets going that route in hindsight and its why he keeps spitting out stories about the dance instead of finishing his damn books.
What a great video. A thought, aren't all Garth children's symbols of the continuity of life? Not quite Spring and not quite Summer, but elements of the cycle of life? The polinization of the bees, the bull fertility, the golden new apples, the woman sacrificed in to a tree as a mother. I don't know, I just got that vibe...
Hey, good observation! The entire Reach has that cornucopia vibe
Before Rose was of Red Lake, she would have been Rose of Blue Lake, hinting at an idea of a blue rose that has turned red.
free Night's Queen!
Listen I'm 100% a Daenerys fangirl BUT I do love these videos and this whole idea of Bran as a Greenseer King. I think it's brilliant.
great video! also, about the oak tree, in greek myhtology Zeus is sitting in the roοt of an oak tree in Dodona and people interpret his oracles by the moving of the leaves, the sound of wind and water etc. (and the oracle was established there when a black dove told humans to do so)
Great video! Enjoyed the Jethro Tull singing.
I wonder if there is a connection between Ygritte and Rose of Red Lake? I've always thought Ygritte was an adaptation of Egret, like the bird. Egrets and Cranes are from the same family. Maybe I just need some coffee this morning.
Well, I think you're on yo something actually, but think about it as an echo of an archetypal pairing. I think it's implied that Brandon of the Bloody Blade may have a strong connection to Rose, since he was probably breeding skinchangers humans in that area. So it's a Stark and bird woman, both times, with an emphasis on the Old Gods
@Festina_Lente lol what just happened 😂 you sound so serious but I laughed so hard you can’t be.
17:13 "Don't blame me, it's right in the book." Meanwhile, *image missing*
😂🤣
I've always been pretty meh on the King Bran stuff, but you've sold me on it with these videos.
Awesome as always dude!
I called you "nerd" a while back and I wanted to say I didn't mean it in a mean way. I think you understood that because you gave it heart but I wanted to make sure. I don't take it back or anything for obvious reasons lol but you're also somewhat of a literary genius. Your content is very interesting and more important you're not boring. Some people make this kind of thing sound like lectures but you really pull it off, especially in your longer videos. Keep it up my man and nerd out as hard as you feel lol
an hour of LML yeahhhhh time to bust out the good smoke
Haha love this comment
@@DavidLightbringer lmao thanks man keep up the good work I'm a huge supporter
I appreciate what you do. Thank you
Have you ever thought of writing your own fantasy series? You definitely have the type of creative mind to do your own version of something like this
I believe he is, but I can't remember where I heard him say that. Sorry:/ I suspect the Dany playlist
I was watching a video of AltShiftX the other day and geeked out when he dropped your name. May your winters be short and your summers bountiful
Right before the harvest feast, Bran sees warships with his “minds eye”, and wonders if a cripple ever captained a ship. Is he seeing Bran the shipwright, or is it foreshadowing how Bran might get back to winterfell?
oooh you are giving away the next episode Sarah, you smarty pants
It could be a "sailing a ww boat back to WF" thing, yes, although I interpret it mainly as symbolism... think of the grey king's weirwood boat as a visual depiction of the metaphor.. Bran wants to sail the green see in his minds eye, ships of the mind, etc etc
@Festina_Lente omg 😱 you’re here again. I wonder if you’ve found peace yet.
Boomshakalaka!!! Yesssss!!! Thanks LML, as always love your analysis, humor and reminder of your awesomeness. Thank you
I'm hoping this video gets around a bit, I really think this is the context in which we have to see King Bran in the books
This was brilliant dude, thanks! Has inspired some disturbingly dark musings involving Hodor, Meera and Summer on the Isle of Faces which I may have to write up on reddit :)
These videos are great! Can‘t wait for part 3!!
Just a comment to support your channel. Keep it up man, it's great content!!
King Bran 2: Skinchanger Boogaloo
We can't bust heads like we used to, but we have our ways. One trick is to tell 'em stories that don't go anywhere - like the time I caught the ferry over to Shelbyville. I needed a new heel for my shoe, so, I decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time. Now, to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on 'em. Give me five bees for a quarter, you'd say.
Now where were we? Oh yeah: the important thing was I had an onion on my belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get was those big yellow ones...
If Kings Landing gets devastated like it did in the show, i could see Bran making Harrenhal his new capital. A way to undo the curse of the place, it's the geographical centre of westeros and it's right next to the isle of faces.
The Gallah is clearly the brains of this outfit! the Mastermind of ALLLLLL!
thought provoking stuff, as always.
Great stuff
the old nan voice is hilarious
Branch Stark!! Spat my juice out when I heard that.
Great content as always
46:40 the song serves as a reminder of the use of the Horn of Winter, by the Nights Watch when they go forth to meet the Others.
There is always the duality, fire and ice : for communication/information... The dragon glass candles and the Weirwood trees;
And if the stories of the horn that can bind dragons (fire) is true, we could deduce that the Horn of winter is also use to bind (control) the deads (ice).
Also for the weapons, valerian steel which contains dragon glass (fire) can battle the Others weapons (looks like ice) and kill the others.
I think that the wildfire that the Mad King was stocking was in preparation for the Others.
Went back to watch Part One...
perfect birthday gift :D
Thanks
Well done! I'd like to add, though, that the mythology of the Sacred King always involves a Priestess-Queen, who owns the land and the Sacred King "rules" and is sacrificed in her name. This could mean Bran will act as some sort of shadow king for Dany - wich I doubt - OR, that he will rule at Dany's behest.
Great vid
Wonderful. Means that I need to read the books again. Especially "Ice and Fire" which I own but have yet yo read. Thank you🌹
Wow this is the best yet!!
Thank you!💕
Thank you, David this was so enjoyable, I listen to it all the way to work today
Have you made any more progress on your children of Garth/12 (or 13) astrological signs comparison? I found that quite an interesting catch.
Rewatching this series, it's the first series of yours I ever watched and I was immediately hooked by your symbolic and mythologic analysis and how well it aligns with the core themes of asoiaf. This video was the first I had ever heard of the summer/oak king and winter/holly king mythos and my mind was blown realizing that Bran and Jon are the ultimate figures of these legends. What do you think the nature of the conflict between these two will be when they inevitably face off?
I really appreciate everything you do for this fandom, we need more myth heads analyzing asoiaf and you are the inspiration
aww thank you so much Squidney! love that name btw!
I've watched 3 times as I was so interested in the Artwork...was amazing of course..but I need Starry Wisdom Church 😂 i miss you and my communion 💜💛 ty also for the Dark recommend.i really enjoyed it ...ty hope to See you soon
Perfect... Love this
The story continues :)
I made this separately because, LML, I really want you to see this, when you wake up... Check out Armored Skeptic's Green Man stuff, in his Tell Me More and especially History is a Lie series. They really gave me a foundation for what you're laying down, so this feels like home, sweet home.
I bet Greg would love your channel too, if he's into ASoIaF. He's more of a Star Wars (Pre Disney, obviously) guy, so maybe it isn't his thing... That said, this channel might change his mind.
Summer vs ghost! Bran vs Jon in the future
Rewatch binge 🎉🎉
Love your old nan voice ^^
Could Garth be the God on Earth from Empire of the Dawn?
One of his children (Bloodstone Emperor) brought about the long night?
i think garth are related to tom bombadil..
Whenever I, a happy Michigander, with a legal blessing to praise Garth, spend time doing so, this is always my go-to spot for brain food. My brain dancing with the flowers of the Greenhand is a potentially terrifying place without meat for it to chew on, else it just bends the wall of madness philosophizing random concepts like we do.
Yes, "we" is how I refer to my inner monolog and my external; it's a whole thing, I'm weird. I quipped and mocked the shrinks when they said I "suffer from" high IQ, in that it was so high, it made understanding normal people hard for me, but when I spend time with Garth, I understand the machinery between my ears and that my consciousness can become a destructive storm in my head, chewing up whatever it finds and deconstructing it. It isn't awful, but there's definitely a feeling of loss of control over a giant that is currently rampaging through Aristotle's lost work, while I helplessly sigh and roll my eyes at the giant's delight that everything it thinks is profound, when, upon later observation, those thoughts are either lost in fog or weren't that impressive, really, just me being my overly analytical self, on mega-steroids (lol I studied chemistry for four years with a med school approved GPA, and I just unironically said "mega-steroids"; kill me). It almost feels as if I am going mad, but always temporarily. It's a bit what I imagine riding a dragon feels like, just clinging on so you don't fall, while the big nuke lizard does its thing. Anyway, yeah, I appreciate how esoteric this channel is. It's perfect for this particular problem, because "we" can gobble up the concepts you, LML, are feeding me instead.
I cannot even sleep at night. Even when sober as a nun, I cannot make my inner monolog stfu. I have to drug myself silly to sleep at all, to the point where I may sleep a night and a day, but I must. I cannot give my brain a choice, as it will always choose wakefulness and look for something to calculate, imagine, deconstruct, build up, and so on. I have a random text file on my phone for a whole new system of governance.
Unfortunately, my first way of doing this was almost my end: benzodiazepines. I knew the risks, and feared them, but I was desperate. It had been two months of, at best, just less than a day of sleep per month, when I got really lucky. I had to put my whole life on pause.
After two instances of Grand Mal seizures, on the strongest RC benzo known to man, on a massive dose, 5x the highest "safe" dose, I've been fighting my way to lower doses in hopes that, maybe next year, two years after I started carefully lowering my dose, I will be free, and, yes, I have a replacement already in use, as I can't even tell I took the benzos anymore, a functional and much safer sedative, in the form of the many wonderful sleep terpines with which Garth has blessed us.
Also, "All magic in ASoIaF is blood magic" is a theory I've been all over lately. Doesn't even really seem like a theory anymore, but simply a statement of fact.
Oh man, now think of Robert, soon to be the summer king, wanting to take the daughter of the Winter king, Lyanna, who, instead, chose to wed a fire prince instead. She is especially of the North and winter, because she has what Ned calls The Wolf's Blood. The same is true of Ned and Lyanna's brother, Brandon, and with Brandon's fuccboi, I mean, "fertile" (He's definitely got bastards out there. I expect we will meet one someday, or, at least, I wouldn't be surprised... I'd put the probability at some 54%, so, slightly more likely than not.) nature, ability as a warrior, which we've all heard about. He seems much like Robert, a Summer king, while solemn, honorable Ned is all ice and winter.
So, Jon is the Holly King, Santa Clause, the Winter King a Fire Weight Night King. No wonder he didn't burn when Dany blasted him. And Bran can likely still have children. Cool. I mean he's GOT to be massively fertile, right?
LML's theories are the most solid and well developed Westerosi lore out there. But I don't see how you can talk about Garth the Green and First men in Westeros without finding a way to blend in the Great Empire of the Dawn and the existence of dragonlords in the same place and time.
Intro remembered me "Star Wars" ❤️
Great stuff! Amazing work
Awesome video
This is very good!
solid botany ash/ mountain ash different trees.
As I have your attention. I seen garth green had a son called bor. The father of Oden in norse myth is bor. Have fun with that
Robert is an oak king, and Bran will become the next oak king, then who is the holly king, Jon Snow?
I had to listen to Jethro Tull for the rest of the day
Old Nan is metal as fuck.
Golden apples are also evocative of Eris & the apple that started the Trojan war - which has a lot of Rheagar & Lyanna/Robert’s Rebellion parallels.
Riding an Elk is not that hard IRL, getting off of them is. You gotta wait till you find one crossing a river then get on its back as it crosses, thats how Teddy Roosevelt did it. Pictures exist.
this supports my bran in jon's body theory, i assume.
do tell...?
@@DavidLightbringer I just thought if jons body is empty and bran dies he could just hijack Jon or maybe they could share the same body. I imagine Jon kicking all kids of ass while bran worgs anything breathing. Talk about worg king!
Im literally Jon Snow on ASOIAF cause I know nothing but how cool would that be?
What does it imply that the summer king is infertile?
😬😰
In this circumstance , you would think fertility and prosperity would come with a Summer King. And if we get King Bran , king of the realm , similar to the show we would expect an indication of prosperity there but the infertility part , can actually be interpreted as a positive. This way , if there will continue to be a king or queen of the continent going forward after Bran, it would have to be chosen not by simple parentage / familial ties / relation to the monarch (assuming we get a council who chooses King Bran in the books as has happened in Westerosi history) but ideally by merit. Of course that is easily corrupted and most likely will be but as an idealistic concept to have a sovereign who has no children and can have no children in hopes of changing the monarchic succession principles , can certainly be a positive.
That's a great question, and one which is ripe for discussion, pun intended. :) I think it's simply indicates that brand has given up his own fertility and vitality for the people, or perhaps this is George's twist on the typical summer King which is supposed to be less excessive and carnal. Instead of consuming everything, like Robert (a man of huge appetites), he's going to be more of a builder and someone who brings prosperity to everyone else. Self-sacrifice, instead of self-aggrandizement.
Or maybe Bran will be able to pop a little Bran boner after all, ha
@@DavidLightbringer Thanks for the Reply, seems an ill omen when the sun king can't rise, even Robert with all of his fertility, his seed fell on stony ground,(Mya Stone) thanks for the great Video as always!
@@alexb3604 I do agree i could be the end of monarchy. Bran seems to have many Parallels with The God emperor Of Dune.
Real world folklore = Instalike
Lotsa channels can talk fan theories or lit structure in asoiaf. But when it comes to mythspiration, no one does it better :D
This is no crazy revalation to anyone, but I'm gonna spout my thoughts here anyway:
So, people have always been talking about who Azor Ahai is and because it's George, the answer is - a lot of people are, but if I was gonna stick to only one person I'd go with Rhaegar.
Rhaegar "forged" three "swords" through his children. Two of them broke, the last one is Lightbringer. Jon is Lightbringer.
Listening to this video it'd be kinda cool if it is the case that Jon IS the one to bring Bran back to the world, maybe even "pass his flame" to Bran if Bran ends up giving his life to the children of the forest.
I dunno. This is just jumbled thoughts but I like the idea of Jon being the one to bring summer back in the form of Bran. How that's gonna happen I have no idea.
Great video btw. It's super nice to listen to while I work! Love that you and Quinn are making so many videos together these days as well!
D&D: Bran will be king because... ah who cares. Just have Dinklage read the lines.
What does GRRM mean by a bittersweet ending? King Bran is the best end. 👌
It's great because it's a melancholic ending but it is also bittersweet for all that is lost to get to that moment. The Starks lose a lot throughout history, even to the point of feeling an emptiness, that emptiness of never having your whole family again.
10:31 lol
Bees thing seems like an allusion to a hive mind
🔥
👍👏
the golden apple is a refrence to the tree of hera wich grew golden apples that gave the consumer immortality
I find it funny/interesting that you insist on the Bran=cereal association when the more obvious one is a direct translation from the Welsh: Bran literally means crow or raven and Bran is basically a god/king in the Mabinogion, with all-seeing powers once he dies/has his head chopped off (if I recall correctly, my memory's a bit fuzzy). Although, I'm pretty sure you're aware of this, and perhaps you delve into that aspect of his mythological etymology in parts 3 and 4, and I'm just too impatient lol. Anyway, great content! :)
He's named Bran because it means raven, in a few Gaelic languages..... more or less
Wjat about both broken princes of Winterfell, Bran and Theon, are nearly an anagram of Baratheon?
great vid thanks bruv
So, I was thinking. see if you can follow me here..... 1) Bran is the Summer/wierwood/oak king...and he was told that he wouldn't walk again but he would fly...the show was left with Bran searching for Drogon. 2) Jon is a resurrected (immortal??) and now resides in the north beyond the wall. Is he on his way to becoming the new knight king, the holly king. 3) The story of the Oak and Holly kings ay that the 2 were brothers. 3) What caused the red waste? Meteor crash? Dragons? Or a never ending Summer? Is it possible that Bran and Jon will showdown with one another with Jon as the new knight king and Bran the wierwood king. I think that if Bran is able to keep the summer going for too long or if he warg drogon and goes insane, his Brother may have to intervene. After all it is about balance.
you made an interesting point about Brandon of the Bloody blade killing and raping the CotF. Made me think about the only CotF we see are females, do you think BB may have killed all the men, leaving only women and is why they nearly went extinct?
i think that's too long ago in the past - they would have died out much sooner, I am thinking. But ther'es no question the FM decimated the population of the children, and I noticed that it *seems like* that all the cotf we see are female. Are the males the green men?
@@DavidLightbringer Thanks for the reply. Do we know how long CotF live for? In the show (I know its a bad source to use as evidence) but didn't the CotF who were with Bran create the Night King, so in the show at least they CotF live for a long time.
I've got to say here that many of the male aspects of winter kings has been taken from the Cailleach. Oh and she has 1 eye and a connection to stags, wolves and crows/ravens. I most likely will feather connections of the myth of the Cailleach around your comments. To help fix the algorithm, not to overly bug you. And since it's Bran I am finding my connections to yours so I can "see" Bran as not a Negative Nancy.
I dont like to nitpik, but Elk dont grow too "10ft at the shoulder" its about 5ft. Elk and moose have also historically been tamed and ridden particularly in Russia.
Irish Elk do, or did - they're extinct now. Megaloceros - look it up. I did my research
@@DavidLightbringer thanks for taking the time to reply, you have a great channel. No doubt you’ve done your research, I did a quick search and just saw a comparable size to an Alaskan moose which is why I threw it in there. Given we have domesticated elephants throughout history I just think our imagination can be a bit limited when we think about domestication.
I’ve always been fascinated by megafauna and ancient humans potential domestication of them. Seems pretty straightforward given they are just large animals. Implications are pretty epic though.
Anyway, thanks for the feedback mate. Will try and make a livestream when I can.
yeah I mean check out the photos of people standing next to the skeletons of these things in museums and you start to see what a terrifying animal Martin is trying to describe
oakheart is actually just an older way to refer to an oak tree.
I think Garth the Green is the head god of the old god pantheon. the new religion of the seven must have transformed it.
George RR MARTIN is a King of symbolism??? Yes or no and why?
you are a beautiful man
Branch Stark 😂😂
Ten foot tall at the shoulder elk?
yeah, I thought that was something George made up and then I found out they are real... ye gods
@@DavidLightbringer The pleistocene is my favorite era. The mammals that lived then were all so badass.
13:24 oh oh black mirror
Your intro music finishes off so... Suddenly.
Yeah gotta keep it snappy... Used to do the 30 sec into on the podcast but YT viewers ain't got time for that
@@DavidLightbringer ohh,I get it. Anyway, keep up the good work!
Caesar was right F the druids
13:20 skin-change the dogs, and the bees, and then you have dogs with bees in their mouth so that when they bark they shoot bees at you 19:50 is that the dude from Portlandia??? #tooperfecttopassup