Definitely spoiler-laden.
I was already familiar with the “big two” theories—both of which I suspect will turn out to be true.
The other ones are crazy but fun.
How the British view America. Take a look at Alaska:
Book-related discussion:
[spoiler]R+L=J I think can basically be accepted as established fact at this point. It would take one hell of a twist to get around it.
Tyrion being a Targaryen makes a lot of sense if we assume that one of the major plotlines will be ending up with three dragon riders of Dany, Jon and Tyrion. It seems too perfect though, especially for a series like ASOIAF. I also don’t buy it (at least in the books) because there doesn’t really seem to be time for Aerys to have met up with Joanna and fathered a child on her, especially without Tywin’s knowledge. Of course, the TV show doesn’t have this detail, so they might go this route… though they have removed some of the ‘clues’ (such as his appearance).[/spoiler]
Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (the most recent actor to portray The Mountain) will be competing at the the New Hampshire Highland Games at Lincoln, New Hampshire this coming weekend.
Some good GOT-themed T-shirts here: http://www.redbubble.com/shop/geek+t-shirts
Iain Glen (Ser Jorah Mormont) plays the Biblical patriarch Jacob in a new TV movie: Sneak Peek: Lifetime's 'The Red Tent' shows sacrifice and passion
A thread in appreciation of Cersei: Game of Thrones n3wb: Cersei is so funny - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board
Wow - thanks! Looks cool.
The Mountain is, like, *really *strong: The Mountain from 'Game of Thrones' Breaks 1,000-Year-Old Weightlifting Record | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors | Bleacher Report
That link is now dead; try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wViILXQfX7Y
What’s the other “big” one? Not number 2? Seems crackpot to me…
My favourites not mentioned are:
Mance is Rhaegar. I know GRIM has said something which supposedly shoots this down. There is too many coincidences for a GRIM novel.
Littlefinger is a Rayne, seeking revenge for the death of his family.
[quote=“Smid, post:292, topic:624208”]
What’s the other “big” one? Not number 2? Seems crackpot to me…
Yes, Nos. 1 and 2.
I don’t think No. 2 is crackpot. There would be plenty of support in the text for it.
Dany is the “villain”, and by that I mean she will seem like one whether she really is or not.
I’m not saying she is going to go murderous axe crazy, I’m saying the ONLY reason we the audience like her is because we have an omnipotent camera view of her.
If and when she arrives in Westeros she is going to be a barbarian queen riding dragons with a slave army of foreigners, or at least that is how she is going to seem to people without our camera benefit.
Not sure if this is crackpot but I am convinced this an odd twist where characters won’t have info the audience does, but it will seem wrong to the audience.
On the other hand, it’s not like Westeros has been ruled by some kind of wise, stable, capable government for the last few years. The succession is more or less fucked in any of the kingdoms in the northern half of the continent (the Reach and Dorne seem stable still, the Stormlands less so). Dorne is already allied (secretly) with Dany. The North is in chaos, the Riverlands are shaky, the Vale’s ruler is a psychotic 8-year-old, the Iron Islands’ leadership is looking to ally with Dany, the Westerlands just had their ruler assassinated on the dunny, and the crownlands are ruled by another 8-year-old with complete chaos behind the throne.
Dany’s going to look like a godsend by the time she gets there.
GRRM plays coy about The Winds of Winter coming out in 2015: http://www.idigitaltimes.com/winds-winter-release-date-grrm-puts-2015-release-back-table-412961
I wouldn’t call #2 crackpot, but I don’t think there’s really all that much to go on. There’s like one line about Aerys and Joanna and Tyrion has one dream that’s iffy? #1 had like 30 clue over multiple books.
Smid, I don’t see how either of those could be even remotely possible.
[spoiler]Rhaegar would’ve been the most recognizable person in the Seven Kingdoms and was killed at a battle where thousands of other people were present. How do you fake that? Plus Mance was brought to the Night’s Watch as a child. Completely impossible.
Littlefinger was born 7 years after the Reynes were wiped out. Petyr’s father knew Hoster Tully, so his lineage is known before the event too. Also impossible.[/spoiler]
Like another one about the identity of the High Septon, based on a haircut description and the fact that someone hasn’t turned up yet. That one gets held with high credibility as well. Based on a couple of references.
Of course with number one, the only twist would be if it wasn’t true. It’s what’s not said on a number of occasions.
Number 2 though.
So the mad king was a bit rapey. Tywin hated Tyrion because he was a dwarf (disability and deformity being a cause of massive shame in Westeros, look at the attitude to Jamie when he loses a hand), and wanted to disown him. Two disconnected things connected into Tyrion being a targ. I think more because Tyrion is a favourite character. But credible? Nah.
Will deal with the spoilers inside the spoiler. If you will.
The back story says he a number of things about Mance. However, lets address this.
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The wall isn’t the seven kingdoms. It’s the far end of the world, populated by people out of the loop. How would most of those recognise a king? It’s the place where, we are continually told “death or the wall and be a different person”. And yet, nobody important has ended there. Ned got the chop. Tyrion escaped. It’s the dangling clue. In GRIMMs way.
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He shares a number of similarities to Rhaegar. A bard. Legendary fighter (defeated hundred of wildling lords. As rattleshirt was beating Jon Snow). Wears targ colours as a cloak. Origin of leaving the watch, could be tied to a faked death in battle. Age group would match.
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The rubies and the death in battle. Rubies mentioned with glamours in the books. His death in battle was faked. He was wounded and escaped. Someone else died in his place. And was burned quick and dirty to get rid of evidence.
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Kingswatch. Assumption is that Quorin Halfhand and Old Bear were two of the kingsgard left from tower of joy, where they compromised and took Rhaegar to the wall. Ned knows this. Howland Reed knows this. Longclaw is the Sword of the Morning.
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Endgame. Rhaegars endgame was stopping the white walkers in the end. He went where he needed to go, and disappeared to solve that problem. Who says he even served on the wall. He refused the cloak.
Bit more indicators left there than High septon or Tyrion is a targ.
Details: http://manceisrhaegar.blogspot.de/
Ok, I like this one, I have no idea of the ages involved. It got brought up after the details from World of Ice and Fire came in, where the Reynes got locked into their tunnels and drowned. And then someone connected it with “Well, why the hell is Littlefinger doing what he’s doing. Must be more than just rejection of Cat.”
First theory:
[spoiler]
Well, that basically assumes a ton of radical departures. Rhaegar being glamored when we’re told there was no magic until Dany was reborn? Longclaw actually being Dawn when the former is a Valyrian bastard sword and the latter is a white meteorite based greatsword? Both of which were known to different people at the same time? Jeor Mormont is actually the former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard? How could any of this be remotely possible? Complete and utter crackpot!
It’s basically “they both played a harp” for evidence and then a bunch of pretty bizarre assertions as far as I can see.[/spoiler]
Second theory: His true motives are that he’s the king of the mermaids, duh!
Ok, well, depends on how you look at it. There certainly was magic before Dany in the years before. It has waned in recent years, but wasn’t Bloodraven supposed to be a sorceror? Not sure of the dates, but 50 years before Rhaegar?
Just a little quote about the tournament. Does this sound like someone has cheated and used a glamour:
“Yet when the jousting began, the day belonged to Rhaegar Targaryen. The crown prince wore the armor he would die in: gleaming black plate with the three-headed dragon of his House wrought in rubies on the breast. A plume of scarlet silk streamed behind him when he rode, and it seemed no lance could touch him. Brandon fell to him, and Bronze Yohn Royce, and even the splendid Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.”
Actually that’s an offshoot theory, I don’t really care about. Not really part of it. I didn’t look into the details, and kept track of which sword was where and what they looked for.
Well, him being Lord Commander of the Nightwatch actually. But the timings are out for him being a member of the Kingsguard. However, I’ve not kept track of the details of the theory. Only Arthur Dayne was supposed to be Quorin, Mormont certainly has the ties to know who Rhaegar could be sympathetic to his cause.
And was a legendary fighter. Perchance of not immediately killing Jon Snow, when encountering him, more than once. And Quorin knowing this?
Other slight coincidences:
“Recall the story of Bael the Bard, a wildling King-Beyond-the-Wall who stole away the only daughter of Lord Stark and fathered a son with her. Recall Rhaegar, a famous singer, stealing away Lyanna Stark and fathering a son on her. Recall finally Mance Rayder, disguised as Abel the bard, infiltrating Winterfell under control of Roose Bolton to save the fake Arya Stark.”
To me, there’s far more circumstancial evidence.
But f**k it, you think Tyrion has to be a targ, he’s MY favourite, as a viable alternative.