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Originally Posted by YOSSARIAN Not everyone takes the black due to dishonor. Benjen Stark, Alliser Thorne, and Denys Mallister chose to join, as did the (late?) Ser Waymar Royce. |
Indeed the Watch is considered honourable, all the more so for old northern families like the Mormonts.
However, Ben Stark and Waymar Royce, although they came of great Houses, and while they joined the Watch for honour's sake, were nevertheless younger sons. Jeor Mormont, on the other hand, was already an incumbent Lord.
So Jeor's taking the Black raises the possibility that he had some motive additional to the honour of serving the Watch.
The desire to leave the way clear for his son (and expected grandsons) is one possible additional motive.
Perhaps the desire to escape Maege's sharp tongue was another additional motive :-)
But the thinking that Jeor was feeling ready for pasture doesn't make sense, because joining the Watch (and later letting himself be named Commander) was probably more arduous than ruling Bear Island. Besides we know the Old Bear was hale, and that he lost his temper when Smallwood so much as suggested that he was too old to march.
Is that the profile of a man seeking
retirement for no reason other than making things easier for his successor?