Bran

[toydle]

So is Bran gonna take control of hodor and start kicking butt or whay? And who is the guy helping him? Any theories?

[Young Wolf]

Bran wouldn't just take over Hodor for good like that. My theory on what's going on up north is a little strange but here goes: I think that Coldhands isn't Ben Stark, like most people believe, but he is a minion of the children of the forest. Their leader is the three eyed Crow (which probably isn't his true form) who needs Bran Stark to help them get back into power over Westeros. The fact that they left the land in the first place is the reason for the extremely long winters and summers and their return will bring back balance to the seasons. I'm not sure how the Others fit into everything but it's possible that they were once COTF and turned to the dark side, so to speak.

[Direwolf]

Those are good thoughts, Young Wolf. I think Bran cares too much about Hodor to take control of him, except in the case of necessity. Which I think will happen many times throughout the novels.

I don't think Coldhands is Ben either... I think Ben will probably be encountered later as an other. Unless he was fortunate enough to find the COTF first, in which case I think he'd still be Ben. I think there is definitely some dichotomy between the COTF and the Others; perhaps they were the same once, and diverged when people from the east started slaughtering them--the others fought while the children fled. It's a pretty common theme in fantasy novels. And the others seem to bring winter with them wherever they go, so perhaps the COTF balance that out by bringing summer.

[AryaUnderfoot]

Originally Posted by Young Wolf

Bran wouldn't just take over Hodor for good like that. My theory on what's going on up north is a little strange but here goes: I think that Coldhands isn't Ben Stark, like most people believe, but he is a minion of the children of the forest. Their leader is the three eyed Crow (which probably isn't his true form) who needs Bran Stark to help them get back into power over Westeros. The fact that they left the land in the first place is the reason for the extremely long winters and summers and their return will bring back balance to the seasons. I'm not sure how the Others fit into everything but it's possible that they were once COTF and turned to the dark side, so to speak.

Hmmm... well, I'll have to agree with you on some of those points, Young Wolf. Bran doesn't seem to like taking over Hodor very much- I think his morals (young though they are) oppose taking over another human being like that.

I also do not think Ben Stark is Coldhands. That sort of thing would be a little too direct for GRRM, not to mention that Sam would have noticed that Coldhands looked rather Starkish.

As for the Children of the Forest being led by the three-eyed crow, I'm not going to disagree. Somehow I think the three-eyed crow is more of a priest-type than a leader, though.

Question: is there anything in the books that points towards the seasons becoming longer? I mean, were they ever the normal length? I'm not sure about that part of your theory, but I do think that the CoF and the Others are instrumental in balancing out the world's dark and light sides. I've often wondered if they aren't simply showing the two faces of one god (Rh'lorr).

[Young Wolf]

Originally Posted by AryaUnderfoot

As for the Children of the Forest being led by the three-eyed crow, I'm not going to disagree. Somehow I think the three-eyed crow is more of a priest-type than a leader, though.

Question: is there anything in the books that points towards the seasons becoming longer? I mean, were they ever the normal length? I'm not sure about that part of your theory, but I do think that the CoF and the Others are instrumental in balancing out the world's dark and light sides. I've often wondered if they aren't simply showing the two faces of one god (Rh'lorr).

That's true about the three eyed crow, whenever Bran talked to him he did seem like a wiser older person. In terms of the seasons, the summary on the back cover of AGOT tells of some huge event that happened long ago, which threw the seasons out of balance. What this event was and how this all ties in with the others and COTF is a mystery, which I hope George touches on in the upcoming book or the one after it. What do you think about the new format of AFFC? I was so dissapointed when I heard there'd be no Jon, Arya, Tyrion etc in this book. Why in the world is this Arys Chokeheart getting his own chapters?

[Jinglehopper]

Hmm, interesting. I never thought that there used to be normal seasons in Westeros. I always assumed it was just a part of the setting. It will cool to see if something of that magnitude can be changed.

I love how Martin is gradually making the series more magical. TO start from a simple medieval setting and introduce magic over time to coincide with the maturation of Dany's dragons is great stuff.

[gigi]

I think that Bran will take over Hodor from time to time. Hodor won't mind. Bran will able to be a knight through Hodor. And will kick some arse. Oh yeah.

[Jeroam]

I'm not sure if Bran is going to be possessing Hodor any more. Bran seemed to have been just as freaked out by it as Hodor was. I don't believe Ben Stark is Coldhands. I was going to say that Coldhands is a COTF, but then wouldn't Sam have recognized a COTF? I think sooner or later we will meet the COTF, and it'll be awesome. After reading all the Old Nan stories, the Nightfort tales, and all of the weird guest rights rules, I think the COTF aren't going to be a noble beautiful virtuous Tolkien quasi-elf at all. They're going to be much more Celtic pixie faerie mischievous tricksters who will be holding a grudge about their trees being cut down and won't care if winter comes or not. The Others being a splinter group of COTF sounds too Tad Williams to me, so I don't buy it.