Bran Chapter AGOT with the three-eyed crow

[Koopa]

I just reread the Bran Chapter with the three-eyed crow, where he learnds how to fly. After rereading i could not help but found it a very intersting and ofcourse important chapter. Therefore i'd like to discuss it. Besides the fact that Bran finds it in him to live he also learns lots of things.

One of those are:
- He sees dragons in Asshai.
- The crow makes him forget (for now at least) Jaime.
- He sees the three shadows (one still unknown who it belongs to possible Gregor Clegane)
-He sees the wall as something blue.
- The eyes of the weirwood move, they look upwards, and it is said that it knows.
- ...

 

[Tansy]

The wall is made of Ice so wouldn't it be blue from a distance

And the Weirwoods are supposed to be sentient, the children of the first men used them to communicate with the gods (or they were their gods)

I'm thinking I may do a reread - unheard of for me

 

[Koopa]

Yeah, i know, but the way it reads, it seems like there is an extra meaning to the blueishness, or maybe i am overthinking it.

 

[Tansy]

Didn't someone also see blue flowers at the wall too?

 

[Koopa]

Yeah, that was dany, probably reffering to Jon Snow
I was thinking more of the lines, that certain magic was imbedded in the Wall.

 

[scalem X]

Spoilers
Basically threads like these are one big spoiler anyone stupid to read asoiaf forums without having read enough must expect it.


The third eye seems to be something neutral to me.

It does seem to be that we have red (fire) vs blue (ice). The title seems to give it away.
fire:
dragons, good wildfire, comet, Melisandre
ice:
some necromancer, some disturbing behind the wall ghosts, winter, dire wolves

Red seems to be winning, but what if the comet changes colour?
(knowing Martin it might as well be a spaceship, now that would be disturbing)

 

[Koopa]

What a strange post Scalem, i mean i mention in the title that is about that chapter, so ofcourse we gonna discuss what is being said in it. Why u need to go put up a huge spoiler sign. Also u dont seem to really discuss the chapter seriously at all, so why bother posting at all?

As for the three-eyed crow being neutral, it does not really seem to be the case, since he shows what is stirring beyond the wall, and seems to view it as a threat.

Also, and this might seem strange, i have been wondering wether or not there is a connection with LC Mormont raven. Wanting corn all the time.

 

[pan naranus]

I'm trying to remember earlier thoughts about this chapter, but it seems a good discussion calls for the exact quotes. Can you please post them?

 

[Koopa]

yes sure, but later this day, cause not at home at the moment.

 

[Bazza]

Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live.
"Why?" he said not understanding, falling, falling.
Because winter is coming.

"Now Bran, the crow urged. Choose. Fly or die."

There is so much to this chapter it's staggering. I myself think Bran is going to be one of the most important characters in the future. He is one of the few who knows global scope of what is happening. He's seen the dragons to the east, the corruption and depravity to the south, and the deadly threat of winter to the north. He was picked by the old gods of the north to answer this threat.

The crow in Bran's dream is a manifestation of the gods of the First Men/children of the forest. The crow was a messenger sent to guide Bran back towards life and to awaken his inner ethereal knowledge (the third eye). After the crow pecks his head, he feels a burning sensation when he wakes up on his forehead. Ever after, he feels drawn to the godswood, begins to warg with Summer, and feels more in tune with nature. In ACOK Jojen mentions to Bran that the crow gave him the third eye. With that he could "gaze south to the Summer isles and North beyond the wall". Which he does in this chapter.

The crow is also what members of the Night's Watch are called, the defenders of the Wall.

I also agree with Kiwi that LC Mormont's bird is linked with this crow. Both are guides/messengers from the old gods to guide against the coming winter. When the walking corpse attack Mormont in his tower, the crow screams "Fire. Fire. Fire" giving Jon Snow the idea to burn the creature.

 

[scalem X]

Now that I read your reply, Bazza. I feel like Bran is just going to be able to shapechange into a crow as well (so we have a wolf, his own eyes and a crow) that makes three.

I know it's less spectacular than all of your theories, but it would explain him being able to fly and being able to check out things far away.

 

[Boaz]

Bazza, I feel that this chapter of Bran's is of the utmost importance to the conflict of R'hllor and the Other. But I am at a loss as to how to relate this in intimate detail to the rest of the story.

Wow! I'm surprised this post is fairly legible. I've had a ton to drink tonight... just got back from Rush at Red Rocks.

You don't wanna know how much editing went into this post already.... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

[Bazza]

Just don't go boar hunting Boaz. It's exactly what they want!

 

[Koopa]

when the crow makes him forget (momentarily) about jaime:
The crow took to the air, cawing. Not that, it shrieked at him. Forget that, you do not need it now, put it aside, put it away. It landed on Bran's shoulder, and pecked at him, and the shining golden face was gone.

when he looks at the world like the eagles:
1) At the heart of the godswood, the great white weirwood brooded over its reflection in the black pool, its leaves rustling in the chill wind. When it felt Bran watching, it lifted its eyes from the still waters and stared back at him knowingly.
2) (when he looks in at what is happening on the trident, sees his father, Arya and Sansa) There were shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood.
3) To Asshai by the Shadow, where dragons stirred beneath the sunrise.
4) He saw the Wall shing like blue crystal.

Strange passage with other possible clues:
There was nothing below him now but snow and cold and death, a frozen wasteland where jagged blue-white spires of ice waited to embrace him. They flew up at him like spears. He saw the bones of a thousand other dreamers impaled upon their points. He was despertaley afraid.

 

[Bazza]

Now that I read your reply, Bazza. I feel like Bran is just going to be able to shapechange into a crow as well (so we have a wolf, his own eyes and a crow) that makes three.

I know it's less spectacular than all of your theories, but it would explain him being able to fly and being able to check out things far away.

Don't forget Hodor, he sorta warged into him too. It sounds like once he has the knowledge he'll be able to shapechange into anything. Like Mance's shapechanging henchman in the north, Varamyr. But I think you're right that's how he was able to fly. He shapechanged into the crow and escaped the "dream".

Strange passage with other possible clues:
There was nothing below him now but snow and cold and death, a frozen wasteland where jagged blue-white spires of ice waited to embrace him. They flew up at him like spears. He saw the bones of a thousand other dreamers impaled upon their points. He was desperately afraid.

Is this whole dream a special sort of purgatory? It seems like this experience happens only to those who are on the brink of death. In ACOK Jojen tells Bran that, "When I was little I almost died of the greywater fever. That was when the crow came to me." And if it's only a thousand, then it happens only to the ones the god/gods handpick?

2) (when he looks in at what is happening on the trident, sees his father, Arya and Sansa) There were shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood.

I know a lot of people think the giant is the Gregor, the Mountain that Rides. But he wasn't with the wheelhouse troupe. It's said Gregor doesn't leave his holdfast except wars and tourneys. Every other description that Bran sees is of the here and now: His mother on the ship to White Harbor, Dany's dragons stirring in the east, and the death of Lady on the road south. All happening at the same moment.

 

[Koopa]

Lately, i was thinking that shadow meant Robert Baratheon.
Like he was a walking dead, who would bring disaster to those around him.

 

[scalem X]

Yeah it gives me the Robert Baratheon feeling too.

 

[Bazza]

I thought that may be at first too but....

"He looked south, and saw the great blue-green rush of the Trident. He saw is his father pleading with the king, his face etched with grief. He saw Sansa crying herself to sleep at night, and he saw Arya watching in silence and holding her secrets hard in her heart. There was shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness, and thick black blood.

It already described Robert as "the King" . Then he describes the shadows around them, one which is a giant whose armor was made of stone. He recognizes the king already but not as a shadow.

 

[scalem X]

well if we have a hound: the hound
a golden dude: Jaime
all that's left is a giant: the mountain

If I reread the whole thing now it sounds like a description that states normal stuff and not really internet discussion things.

 

[Bazza]

But my problem with the Mountain being the giant stone-armored shadow is that he was not there. Jaime was there yes, so was the Hound, the Starks and the King. All when Lady died. But not the Mountain. He was down south at his holdfast torturing random underlings and dead wives. I've been going over and over in my head who this person must be, and think I have an answer. Bear with me.

He looms over the Lannisters, Starks, and Baratheons, making me think he is more dangerous than any of them. The fact that this giant opens his visor, means that he sees and reacts to Bran watching him. He's the only one besides the weirwood that reacts to Bran's scrying. This thing obviously has some otherworldly power behind it. When he opens his visor, there is no face, only thick black blood which likely pertains to death.

"A giant in armor made of stone."

Or perhaps a stone giant? What other icon might a stone giant represent? What guards the way into Braavos, the home of the Faceless Men, a guild of assassins, bringers of death?

"The Titan of Braavos. Old Nan had told them stories of the Titan back in Winterfell. He was a giant, as tall as any mountain".

I believe this shadow to be a faceless man among the party, sowing death and deceit unseen by even the likes of Varys and Littlefinger. Or perhaps he was caught, and shipped off with the likes of Yoren to the wall...