Ciao vi posto (in inglese); tre articoli scritti da un'esperto delle cronache americano che ho trovato. Uno è su Tansy e le ultime parole di Hoster Tully, l'altro su Chi potrebbe essere Jaquen'H'ghar? e l'ultimo su Chi è le FreddiMani?

Non sono molto lunghi quindi chi li vuole tradurre non dovrà  fare una fatica eccessiva.

Se vi interessa questo tipo, che da quanto ho capito è spesso in contatto con lo Zio, ne ha scritti anche altri.

Ciao

What Do Hoster Tully's Last Words Mean?

"Tansy...Forgive me...the blood...oh, please...Tansy...Dead...You'll have others...sweet babes and trueborn...be a good wife and the gods will bless you...sons...trueborn sons...aaahhh.â€

--SoS, pg. 29

Those are some of the last words that the reader gets from Hoster until he dies several hundred pages later. But what do these enigmatic final utterings mean? Catelyn thought that her father might have been calling out to some old mistress, but, compared with other quotes, we can surmise a different story. Let's look at a quote from CoK, pg. 571

"It was best,†her father whispered. "Jon's a good man, good...strong, kind...take care of you...he will...and well born, listen to me, you must, I'm your father...your father...you'll wed when Cat does, yes, you will...That stripling...wretched boy...not speak that name to me, your duty...your mother, she would...Oh, gods, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me...â€

It seems that Hoster was talking to Lysa in both of the above quotes. But what is he talking about? We can figure out by simple observation. We learn at the end of A Storm of Swords, that Littlefinger impregnated Lysa, but Hoster secretly gave Lysa a draught that led to an abortion. It seems that he was asking Lysa's forgiveness for this. The ‘wretched boy' is Littlefinger. The tansy is explained by a quote of Lysa's from SoS, pg. 913

"I gave you my maiden's gift. I would have given you a son too, but they murdered him with moon tea, with tansy and mint and wormwood, a spoon of honey and a drop of pennyroyal. It wasn't me. I never knew. I only drank what father gave me...â€

The ‘tansy' that Hoster is muttering is most likely the tansy that Lysa lists in the ingredients of the abortion drink.

There could possibly be another explanation for the mysterious last words, however. On SoS, pg. 331, Arya and the Brotherhood Without Banners come to the brothel in Stoney Sept. There, they are introduced to a whore named Tansy. Coincidence?

It has been suggested that Hoster had a love affair with this Tansy, possibly during his campaigns in Robert's Rebellion, and he did something that led to him begging her forgiveness. While this theory has a certain romantic merit, it fails to stand up to the other explanation. The mutterings about trueborn babes, the blood, the wretched boy, they all point to Lysa's abortion as opposed to an affair with a whore in the riverlands.

So it appears most likely that Hoster was referring to Lysa's unknowing abortion on his deathbed. It could be possible that he was in fact referring to a whore named Tansy, but all evidence points in a different direction.

Who is Jaqen H'ghar? Is he Syrio Forel?

In A Clash of Kings, Arya meets up with Jaqen H'ghar, a mysterious assassin with the added skill of changing his physical appearance. Since Jaqen seems skilled at keeping secret identities, it has been suggested that he is none other than Syrio Forel, Arya's sword teacher and ‘water dancer.' But is there proof to back up this claim?

The biggest piece of proof pointing toward the fact that Syrio is still alive is the simple fact that we didn't see him die, nor have had any proof that he is dead. When we last left him on GoT, page 534, Syrio was preparing to face down Meryn Trant after his wooden sword was broken. Since we see Meryn appear after the encounter but not Syrio, we assume that Syrio was killed. Meryn doesn't seem like the type to mess around, and he odid order his men to kill Syrio.

But one can doubt this. We never hear any report that he is dead. The closest confirmation that we have is something Cersei tells Tyrion on CoK, pg. 58:

"I sent Meryn Trant to take her {Arya} in hand when Robert died, but her wretched dancing master interfered and the girl fled.â€

Note that Cersei says nothing to imply that Syrio was killed in the encounter. Syrio ‘interfered,' not ‘sacrificed himself.' Some readers have taken this to mean that Syrio did not die at Meryn's hands, and, in fact, was placed in the black cells.

Cut to A Clash of Kings. Yoren is taking Arya to the Wall, along with some criminals, including three men from the black cells. One of these men can easily change his physical appearance, and shows an inclination to pay special attention to Arya. Could he be Syrio in a different disguise?

There are some basic similarities. Syrio claimed to be from Braavos. Jaqen claimed to come from Lorath, but later contradicts this and tells Arya to seek him out in Braavos. Both men seem to be good at killing. Both seem to respect Arya a lot. Both men use the phrase "Just so†quite often. And Jaqen was able to figure out that "Arry†was really Arya Stark. Could it be that Syrio Forel was really a Faceless Man the whole time, masquerading as a swordmaster for some unknown purpose?

But there are holes in the theory straight off. Yes, Syrio and Jaqen both say "Just so†a lot. But this is a trademark phrase of the Free Cities. Thoros, Salladhor Saan, Captain Groleo, Illyrio and Dany have all used the phrase at times; there is nothing that remarkable about it.

Then there is the fact that both men come from Braavos. However, Syrio seems to be a well-known personality, not an identity that Jaqen picked as a simple cover. He claims to have been first sword to the Sealord of Braavos for nine years. (GoT, pg. 224). Either Jaqen had maintained his disguise for a long time, or he was stupidly telling lies that any fool could see through. Also, Eddard thinks that Syrio has an ‘excellent reputation.' (GoT, pg. 317) This implies that Syrio is a well-known, long-standing personality at King's Landing; not some false identity conjured out of nowhere.

It has been suggested that perhaps Jaqen killed the real Syrio and is simply masquerading as him. If that is the case, why does he spend so much time teaching Arya in King's Landing, and later submit to imprisonment and transportation all the way to Harrenhal? What is his mission or objective that he is doing these strage things under various guises, each time going out of the way to help Arya? Jaqen does not seem like a man who can waste time training girls at swords. His conversations with Arya at Harrenhal imply that he is working on some mission that needs to be fulfilled. ("I have promises to keep.â€--CoK, pg. 691}. So if Jaqen is Syrio, what is his objective?

Finally, there is the question of when Jaqen had time to change out of his Syrio-persona into the man with the physical characteristics we attribute to Jaqen. Surely someone wmust have noticed this stark change in appearance, even if he did it in his cell.

So, in conclusion, it is possible, even feasible, that Jaqen H'ghar is Syrio Forel. However, some common sense assumptions seem to rule out the fact.

Who Is Coldhands?

Midway through A Storm of Swords, Sam and Gilly are saved by a strange wandering man with black, cold hands and a mysterious power over birds. Later in the book, Bran and company go underneath the Wall to join up with this enigmatic figure. Sam and Gilly nickname him "Coldhands.â€

But who is Coldhands, really? Could he possibly be a character we have met before? Or is he someone else entirely?

First, let's look at what description we have of him. From page 536:

"Brother!†The shout cut through the night, though the shrieks of a thousand ravens. Beneath the trees, a man muggled head to heels in mottled blacks and grays sat astride an elk. "Here,†the rider called. A hood shadowed his face.

...The rider wore no glove. His hand was black and cold, with fingers as hard as stone.

The fact that Coldhands refers to Sam as ‘brother' and wears black seems to suggest that he is a member of Night's Watch. Beyond that, we can infer nothing mroe from this chapter besides the fact that Coldhand rides an elk and has some control over ravens.

From page 635, we learn a little more. Coldhands says that he was sent to find someone, who turns out to be Bran. He also knows about the existence of the Black Gate underneath the Nightfort. A quote:

"He wore blacks, like a brother of the Watch, but he was pale as a wight, with hands so cold that at first I was afraid. The wights have blue eyes, though, and they don't have tongues, or they've forgetten how to use them.â€

...â€Why didn't you bring him through this Black Gate too?â€

"He...he can't.â€

"Why not?â€

"The Wall. The Wall is more than just ice and stone, he said. There are spells woven into it...old ones, and strong. He cannot pass beyond the Wall.â€

Here, Sam implies that Coldhands does not have blue eyes. Therefore, we can pretty much rule out the possibility of him being a run-of-the-mill wight. Also, even though he dresses in black and calls Sam ‘brother,' he cannot pass beneath the Wall. Why? Let's review the candidates that have been put forth as possibilities for Coldhands.

1) Benjen Stark

The most obvious possibility, and probably the one that immediately leapt to every reader's head. Benjen has been missing for three books, but no body has been found. For all we know, Ben is still out there with his four surviving rangers. And someone buried the cache of dragonglass that Ghost found on the Fist of First Men. Sam would not recognize Benjen; Ben had gone missing before Sam arrived at Castle Black. Finally, this may be the reason why the chapter is cut off before Bran meets Coldhands; Bran would recognize Benjen and thus spoil the mystery.

However, Benjen has ‘blue-gray eyes' (GoT, pg. 53); which may or may not be what Sam meant when he said Coldhands did not have blue eyes.

It seems likely that Benjen is going to make a reappearance sometime in the series, or, at the very least, we will discover what happened to him. He has been referred to too many times for this not to happen.

The question is, of course, how Benjen developed his seemingly-magical control over animals, and why he cannot go underneath the Wall. There are hundreds of possibilities concerning this, but none have any evidence to back them up. So, while Benjen is a likley candidate based on the circumstances, there is still some confusion regarding him.

2) Stonesnake

A grizzled ranger from Shadow Tower who accompanies Jon and Qhorin to scout the Skirling Pass, Stonesnake disappeared near the end of A Clash of Kings when Qhorin sent up over a high mountain pass on foot as a last ditch effort to reach the Fist and warn Mormont of what was happening with the wildings. He has not been seen or heard from since, though he is listed as still being alive in the appendix to A Storm of Swords. And in all likelihood, Sam would probably not recognize Stonesnake; they were only on the Fist together for a short time.

Beyond that, Stonesnake has the exact same advantages and drawbacks going for him as Benjen does. He has a reason to wear black and call Sam ‘brother.' But it is still a mystery how he coudl control the animals and not go under the Wall. So, if Coldhands is one of these two candidates, is is most likely Benjen, simply because Benjen's character is still being referred to and in the reader's mind, while Stonesnake is pretty much forgotten.

3) Craster's Son

For a long time, Craster has been leaving his sons out as a sacrifice to the Others. But what if one happened to escape? There is no age given to Coldhands, but if he is in his twenties to thirties, it is not that much of a stretch for him to be one of Craster's sons from long ago.

However, Craster's daughters Gilly and Nella both seem to speak of the sons as if they have witnessed their fate firsthand. (SoS, pg. 380). Nella, in particular, calls wights ‘Craster's sons.' Could one small boy really have escaped this sacrificial ritual? It seems unlikely, and he would have no reason to call Sam ‘brother.' So one of Craster's sons seems an unlikely candidate, albeit it still could be possible.

4) Ser Waymar Royce

It has been suggested that Coldhands might really be Waymar, the young ranger who was killed in the prologue by Others, only to come back as a wight to strangle Will. However, this is not even a remote possibility. There is no conceivable reason why Waymar would kill his comrade Will, and then later be helping Sam and Gilly. Also, Waymar's eyes were blue after he was resurrected. (GoT, pg. 11). Unless his experienced both a change in temperment and eye color, Waymar is not Coldhands.

5) Will

Another slim possibility for Coldhands is Will, the young poacher-turned-ranger who watches as the Others slaughter Waymar, only to be strangled by Waymar's wight. When we last left him in the prologue of A Game of Thrones, Waymar's cold hands were clutching his neck.

But this is quite a strectch to assume that Will somehow survived this encounter to become Coldhands, and quite contradictory to GRRM's style to bring back a character so clearly and obviously dead. If Coldhands is a black brother that we have met, Benjen and Stonesnake are both much more likely possibilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, every possible candidate for Coldhands put forth has some sort of contradiction that defies explanation. While Benjen seems the most likely candidate as of present, there are still several things that have to be resolved before this makes sense. The reason for this, and the flaws in Stonesnake's story, is because of an apparanent contradiction that Coldhands is a brother of Night's Watch but cannot go underneath the Wall.

From the information we know, it seems more likely, as of present, that Coldhands is a newly introduced character that we never met before his appearance in Storm of Swords. Truly, this is a much more likely possibility then sitting around trying to come up with implausible stories as to how Benjen could possibly be Coldhands.

Mae carnen, Gil-Galad, mellon nà®n

è possibile tradurli?

Intanto ti faccio i complimenti per il materiale che riesci sempre a procurarti. Passando all'intervista, direi che questi sono tre bei quesiti la cui risposta la potrà  dare solo Martin, noi possiamo fare solo congetture.

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All'inizio, quando lessi il nome della locandiera, mi vennero subito in mente le parole di Hoster Tully, ma la cosa mi sembrava troppo facile.Poi quando è venuta fuori la storia dell'aborto già  ero più propenso ad avvalorare quella tesi. Jaquen potrebbe essere effettivamente Forel, visto che il cadavere non si è visto. Ritengo che il maestro di Arya sia ancora vivo, anche se sinceramente non lo identificherei con l'assassino braavosiano:secondo me è solo un personaggio che incontreremo in seguito. Su Manifredde posso dire che mi piacerebbe essere lui, ma le probabilità  sono ben poche:mi avete già  visto effettivamente con gli occhi azzurri e l'istinto omicida. Se non è successo qualcosa di miracoloso, l'unica speranza che avrete di rivedermi sarà  quando cercherò di uccidere qualcuno di voi

Direi che l'ipotesi più probabile è che sia effettivamente Benjen Stark: non è possibile che un personaggio di quel rilievo sparisca nel nulla (anche qui il cadavere non si è visto, quindi...).Se non può più attaversare la Barriera sarà  perchè nel frattempo avrà  avuto qualche trasformazione. La Barriera è magica è protegge i sette regni dalle mostruosità  che vi sono oltre, quindi se è lui non deve essere successo certo qualcosa di piacevole. Ma si sa: nella Foresta Stregata non si fanno certo begli incontri. Alla prossima!

Waymar Royce

Leggendo il pezzo su Tansy, mi è venuta una piccola paura...

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è possibile tradurli?

NOn sarebbe male

è possibile tradurli?

Volevate la traduzione: eccovela, ma solo del primo articolo, datemi tempo...

Sperando di fare cosa gradita a tutti, specialmente a Gil Galad che risparmierà  tempo, ve la riporto qui sotto. Per gli altri due articoli, datemi ancora qualche giorno, se qualcun'altro non si vuole sobbarcare questo impegno. Perdonatemi le citazioni da Martin, ma ho tradotto senza avere i libri sotto mano. Alla prossima! Waymar Royce

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Cosa vogliono dire le ultime parole di Hoster Tully

"Tansy… perdonami…il sangue… oh!, per favore…Tansy…morta… ne avrai degli altri… dei bambini dolci e legittimi… sii una buona moglie gli dei ti benediranno… figli …. Figli legittimi… AAAHHHâ€.

Queste sono alcune delle ultime parole che il lettore ha raccolto da Hoster prima che lui morisse diverse centinaia di pagine dopo. Ma cosa vogliono dire queste enigmatiche parole? Catelyn pensava che suo padre stesse chiamando a voce alta qualche vecchia gentildonna ma confrontata ad altre citazioni noi possiamo supporre una storia diversa. Diamo un'occhiata ad una citazione da CoK, pag. 571 :

" è stata la cosa migliore†sussurrò suo padre " Jon è un brav'uomo, buono, forte, gentile, si prenderà  cura di te… e di nobili natali, ascoltami, tu devi, io sono tuo padre…tuo padre… tu ti sposerai quando Cat lo farà , si lo farai… Quel ragazzo… sfortunato … non dirmi il suo nome, è tuo dovere…tua madre, lei avrebbe… o dei perdonatemi, perdonatemi, perdonatemi â€.

Sembra che Hoster stesse parlando a Lysa in entrambe queste citazioni. Ma di cosa stava parlando? Lo possiamo immaginare con la semplice osservazione. Alla fine di â€Tempesta di Spade†abbiamo appreso che Ditocorto aveva messo in cinta Lysa ma Hoster di nascosto diede a Lysa una bevanda che la fece abortire. Sembra che stesse chiedendo il perdono di Lysa per tutto ciò. Il "ragazzo sfortunato†è Ditocorto. La parola tansy è spiegata da una citazione di Lysa da SoS, pag. 913.

"Ti ho dato la mia verginità . Ti avrei dato anche un figlio, ma lo hanno ucciso con il tè della luna, tansy e menta e assenzio, un cucchiaio di miele e un pizzico di pennyroyal.

Io non c'entravo. Non l'ho mai saputo. Ho solo bevuto quello che mi diede mio padre.â€.

Il "tansy†di cui Hoster sta borbottando è molto probabilmente lo stesso tansy che Lysa annovera tra gli ingredienti della pozione abortiva.

Tuttavia ci potrbbe essere un'altra spiegazione per queste ultime misteriose parole. In SoS, pag.331, Arya e la Confraternita Senza Vessilli arriva ad un bordello a Stoney Sept. Là  conoscono una prostituta di nome Tansy. Una coincidenza?

E' stato suggerito che Hoster abbia avuto una relazione con questa Tansy, probabilmente durante le sue campagne nella ribellione di Robert e che abbia commesso qualcosa che lo ha condotto a chiedere il suo perdono. Se questa teoria ha un certa valenza romantica, perde però valore rispetto all'altra spiegazione. I mormorii riguardo a figli legittimi, il sangue, lo sfortunato ragazzo, puntano tutti verso l'aborto di Lysa contro una relazione con una prostituta nelle terre dei fiumi.

Molto probabilmente sembra che Hoster nel suo letto di morte si stesse riferendo all'aborto inconsapevole di Lysa. Potrebbe essere possibile che in realtà  si stesse riferendo ad una prostituta chiamata Tamsy, ma tutte le prove guidano in un'altra direzione.

c'era il bisogno di un "esperto" per giungere a questa conclusione?

c'era il bisogno di un "esperto" per giungere a questa conclusione?

Aspetta a leggere gli altri due e potrai dire lo stesso, anche se forse sono un po' più interessanti. Domani vi mando il secondo che ho già  tradotto, ma devo ricopiare. Saluti!

Waymar Royce

un ringraziamento è doveroso per il tuo sforzo .

Ecco a voi un'altro articolo riguardante le possibili origini di Jon Snow. Penso che sia molto esauriente e ricco

di molte ipotesi ragionate da quello che ho potuto leggiucchiare.

PS. Howland non so' cosa tu intendi per esperto (che ne so'? Einstain Stark ) comunque questo ragazzo americano è veramente forte, nel forum USA dove partecipa è considerato il principale corrispondente dello ZIO. Certo, non è che Martin gli passa sottobanco delle informazioni "esclusive" ma di sicuro sulle Cronache é un Super AXL.

Who Are Jon Snow's Parents?

The debate about the parentage of the bastard Jon Snow has been one of the biggest concerning the series. In SSM, #159, George R.R. Martin admitted that Jon's parents will eventually be revealed in later volumes of the series. Thus, the reader can assume that the secret of his parentage will play some important point in the plot, and that there has been some sort of foreshadowing leading up to this.

Currently, there are three pairs of parents that seem likely. One pair we know of because of rumors that circulate throughout the Seven Kingdoms. One pair we know of from the mouths of Eddard Stark and Edric Dayne. And one pair we know of simply through the power of observation and deduction. These three possibilities will tackled in the order listed above.

I. EDDARD STARK AND ASHARA DAYNE

Ashara Dayne, the lady of Starfall, was apparently a love interest of Eddard before Robert's Rebellion. After the war's end, we know that Ashara committed suicide by throwing herself out of a tower into the sea. (GoT, pg. 487). Anything else in between is pure speculation.

From the moment Eddard brought Jon home from the south, rumors have circulated that Ashara was Jon's true mother. Catelyn heard the story from the servants at Winterfell (GoT, pg. 65); and Eddard has an interesting answer when she asks him about it:

"Never ask me about Jon,†he said, cold as ice. "He is my blood, and that is all you need to know.And now I will learn where you heard that name, my lady.â€She had pledged to obey; she told him; and from that day on, the whispering had stopped, and Ashara Dayne's name was never heard in Winterfell again.

Note that Eddard does not deny the rumors, and he wants to put an end to them. As Tyrion Lannister says, "When you tear out a man's tongue, you're not proving him a liar, you're only telling the world what you fear he might say.†(CoK, pg. 229)

Yet the rumors leaked out and got around. Cersei heard them (GoT, pg. 487). So did Edric Dayne (SoS, pg. 495) and Harwin (SoS, pg. 496). But is there any truth to these rumors?

Certainly, Eddard and Ashara seemed to at least have a crush on each other. Edric Dayne tells Arya that Eddard and Ashara fell in love at Harrenhal. (SoS, pg. 495). This certainly rings true. We know from Meera's story about the Knight of the Laughing Tree that Eddard and Ashara danced together at the tourney at Harrenhal in the year of the false spring.

"The crannogman saw a maid with laughing purple eyes dance...with the quiet wolf...but only after the wild wolf spoke to her on behalf on his brother too shy to leave his bench.†(SoS, pg. 281)

The quiet wolf was Eddard, and we know that Ashara has violet eyes from (GoT, pg. 65).

However, the tourney at Harrenhal occurred one or two years before Robert's Rebellion--if Jon were conceived during this period, he should be much older than he is. Therefore, we have to assume that Jon was conceived sometime during the war. But how? At this point, Eddard is already wed to Catelyn, and we have so many references to his famous honor that it seems unlikely he would father a bastard with an old love interest. We do know that Eddard traveled to Starfall after Lyanna's death to return Arthur Dayne's sword Dawn to its home. But Eddard would have had to stay at Starfall for NINE MONTHS while Jon was conceived and born in order for Eddard to bring him home. We have no record of such a lengthy stay in Dorne, but this does not mean it could not have happened.

Whether or not Ashara is Jon's mother, she killed herself after the war was done. Why? There could be several reasons.

1) Grief at her brother Arthur Dayne's death at Eddard's hands.

2) Grief that Eddard fathered Jon off someone else. (Perhaps Wylla? See below)

3) Grief that Eddard fathered Jon off her, but still wants to return to Catelyn, his true wife

4) A combination of 1) and 2)

5) A combination of 1) and 3)

In conclusion, we know that Eddard and Ashara were a love interest, but the rumors concerning that fact that she is Jon's mother may or may not have any merit. Her suicide was most likely a combination of several factors. While some evidence points toward the fact that Ashara is Jon's mother, we have more tempting prospects with more evidence, as discussed below.

II. EDDARD STARK AND WYLLA

Wylla is a wet nurse in service to House Dayne. She is a particularly strong suspect for Jon's mother, because Eddard himself told Robert that Wylla mothered Jon. She is first mentioned at Game of Thrones, pg. 110:

"You told me once. Was it Merryl? You know the one I mean, your bastard's mother?â€

"Her name was Wylla,†Ned replied with cool courtesy, "and I would sooner not speak of her.â€

"Wylla, yes.†The king grinned. "She must have been a rare wench if she could make Lord Eddard Stark forget his honor, even for an hour. You never told me what she looked like...â€

Ned's mouth tightened in anger. "Nor will I. Leave it be, Robert, for the love you say you bear me. I dishonored myself and I dishonored Catelyn, in the sight of gods and men.â€

Interesting. Eddard only has one reason as to why he might lie to Robert about Jon's mother, and that is discussed in point number III (see below). But the fact is, he claims Wylla is Jon's mother, and this can later be backed up. On Storm of Swords, pg. 494, Arya has a conversation with Edric Dayne, who was born and raised at Starfall.

"How do you know about Jon?â€

"He is my milk brother.â€

"Brother?†Arya did not understand. But you're from Dorne. How could you and Jon be blood?â€

"Milk brothers. Not blood. My lady mother had no milk when I was little, so Wylla had to nurse me.â€

Arya was lost. "Who's Wylla?â€

"Jon Snow's mother. He never told you? She's served us for years and years. Since before I was born.â€

"Jon never knew his mother. Not even her name.†Arya gave Ned a wary look. "You know her? Truly?†Is he making a mock of me? "If you lie, I'll punch your face.â€

"Wylla was my wetnurse,†he repeated solemnly. "I swear it on the honor of my House.â€

"You have a House?†That was stupid; he was a squire, of course he had a house. "Who are you?â€

"My lady?†Ned looked embaressed. "I'm Edric Dayne, the...the Lord of Starfall.â€

So...we have it from two sources that Wylla is Jon's mother. It almost all fits together, except for a few facts. As with Ashara (see above); Eddard would have had to spend an awfully long time at Starfall with Wylla in order for Jon to be conceived and born before he was taken back north. Still, that's not impossible that Eddard had a prolonged vacation in Dorne.

So why is it not commonly accepted that Wylla is Jon's mother? For one, there are far more clues that point to Number III (see below) being correct. Yet whoever Jon's mother is, it seems that Wylla at least knew Eddard and was part of the plot, because she and Eddard, hundreds of miles apart, both maintain the same story.

It's possible that the whole Wylla thing is just a red herring that was thrown out to confuse us. But whoever she is, there's no doubt that she holds an important piece of information. With the exception of Howland Reed, Wylla may be the only living person who knows the truth about Jon's parentage, whether or not she is truly Jon's mother.

III. RHAEGAR TARGARYEN AND LYANNA STARK

At first glance, this suggestion seems ludicrous. Rhaegar and Lyanna? There's no direct evidence or personal claims to support this, as opposed to both Ashara Dayne and Wylla. Yet there are subtle, benign clues. Lots of them, in fact. And the more one looks at them, the more one is convinced that this could be the answer. The theory is a complicated one. First, the entire possible story will be given, in order for the reader to gain full understanding of the theory, and then I'll provide various pieces of evidence for each portion of this hypothosis, complete with quotes and page numbers (and lots of ‘em!). Finally, I'll ponder on why this could have happened.

1) The Story

Rhaegar Targaryen married Elia Martell, and fathered two children off her, Rhaenys and Aegon. Yet the marriage was political, and at the Harrenhal tourney in the year of the false spring, Rhaegar met his true love--Lyanna Stark. Together, the pair fell in love, and ran off together some time after, to the Tower of Joy in the Red Mountains of Dorne.

There, Rhaegar impregnated Lyanna. However, Rhaegar had to go leave to fight Robert, and three of the Kingsguard were sent to the Tower of Joy to protect Lyanna and her unborn child. Somehow, Eddard and his battle companions discovered Lyanna's location. They assumed that Lyanna was abducted by Rhaegar, and did not join him by her own free will.

Eddard and the northmen reach the Tower of Joy, and battle ensues with the Kingsguard. At the end, only Eddard and the crannogman Howland Reed are left alive. Eddard enters the tower to find Lyanna. She has given birth to the baby, but, due to complications of childbirth, she is dying. She makes Eddard promise not to reveal the child's true parentage to anyone, lest Robert's hatred of Targaryens lead him to kill the child. Then she dies.

Eddard names the child Jon. He, Jon and possibly Howland all ride to Starfall, to return the greatsword Dawn which used to belong to Arthur Dayne until he was killed in the fighting. There, perhaps Eddard and Wylla conspire to pretend Wylla is Jon's mother, to protect Jon. Also, Ashara kills herself (for the possible reasons, see above).

Eddard then rides north with Jon, claiming the son is his and Wylla's to protect Jon from Robert's Targaryen hatred.

2) The Evidence

a) Rhaegar's Personality--True Love With Lyanna?

At the beginning of the series, the reader comes off with a general disliking of Rhaegar Targaryen. However, most opinions about Rhaegar comes from Robert. While Robert makes Rhaegar out to be an evil man and a rapist, this could be because Rhaegar stole away Lyanna, Robert's true love. Clearly, no other character has this dislike for Rhaegar, and most other characters seems to repsect and adore him. Just a brief selection:

He {Ned} wondered if Rhaegar had frequented brothels. Somehow he thought not. --GoT, pg. 381.

The knight {Jorah} gave her a curious look. "You are your brother's sister, in truth.â€

"Viserys?†She {Dany} did not understand.

"No,†he answered. "Rhaegar.â€--GoT, pg.668

{Dany said,} "There is some good to be said of my father, surely?â€

"There is, Your Grace. Of him, and those who came before him. Your grandfather Jaehaerys and his brother, their father Aegon, you mother...and Rhaegar. Him most of all.†--SoS, pg. 815

So it appears that Eddard, Jorah and Barristan all disagree with Robert and think that Rhaegar was a fine, upstanding citizen...hardly the sort of man who would abduct a young girl against her will. Perhaps even Robert realizes this:

Confused, the king shook his head. "Rhaegar...Rhaegar won, damn him. I killed him, Ned, I drove that spike right through his black armor into his black heart and he died at my feet...Yet somehow he still won. He has Lyanna now, and I have her.â€--GoT, pg. 430

The quote might possibly be interpreted as Robert admitting that Lyanna went willingly with Rhaegar. For this seems like a likely possibility--Lyanna fell in love with Rhaegar, and went off with him. We know she had no great love for Robert:

"Robert will never keep to one bed,†Lyanna had told him at Winterfell, on the night long ago when their father had promised her hand to the young Lord of Storm's End. "I hear he has gotten a child on some young girl in the Vale.†Ned had held the babe in his arms; he could scarcely deny her, nor would he lie to his sister, but he assured her that what Robert did before their betrothal was of no matter, that he was a good man and true who would love her with all his heart. Lyanna had only smiled. "Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man's nature.â€--GoT, pg. 379

So clearly Lyanna did not truly love Robert, and Rhaegar was not the evil man who Robert made him out to be. So it seems likely that the pair fell in love, and we have some proof to support this. For example, at the tourney at Harrenhal in the year of the false spring, Rhaegar won the jousting contest. But instead of crowning his own wife Elia the queen of love and beauty, he crowned Lyanna (SoS, pg. 486). Ned reflects on this while hallucinating:

Ned remembered the moment when all the smiles died, when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen urged his horse past his own wife, the Dornish princess Elia Martell, to lay the queen of beauty's laurel in Lyanna's lap. He could see it still: a crown of winter roses, as blue as frost.

Ned Stark reached out his hand to grasp the flowery crown, but beneath the pale blue petals, the thorns lay hidden...

--GoT, pg. 631

This is obviously a significant moment, for Eddard to remember it while locked in a cell. And we have another reference to Lyanna falling for Rhaegar at the Harrenhal tourney, from Meera's story about the Knight of the Laughing Tree:

"The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head.â€

--SoS, pg. 281

The dragon prince is Rhaegar; the wolf maid is Lyanna. It certainly seems implied that she is falling in love with him. And another hint from Meera:

"And the mystery knight should defeat all challengers and name the wolf maid the queen of love and beauty.â€

"She was,†said Meera. "But that's a sadder story.â€

--SoS, pg. 283

And then we have several other references which are ambiguous, almost deliberately so:

Yet sometimes Dany would picture it the way it had been...Her brother Rhaegar battling the Usurper in the bloody waters of the Trident and dying for the woman he loved...

---GoT, pg. 30

And when Dany sees visions in the House of the Undying:

Rubies flew like drops of blood from the chest of a dying prince, and he sank to his knees in the water and with his last breath murmured a woman's name...

---CoK, pg. 706

In both these quotes, GRRM avoids using the word ‘Elia' and instead uses ‘the woman' or ‘the woman he loved' suggesting that it could be someone besides Elia...Lyanna, perhaps?

b) The Kingsguard, the Tower of Joy and Lyanna's Death.

On page 424 of Game of Thrones, Eddard is dreaming while under the influence of the milk of the poppy for his injured leg. During this time, he has a dream about his fight with the Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy. GRRM has stated that this dream is not completely literal (Ned was dreaming, after all) but some basic facts can be gleaned from it.

One is that three men of the Kingsguard, Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Gerold Hightower, and Ser Oswell Whent, were present at the Tower of Joy. This is curious since, as far as the reader knows, there is no royal blood present at the Tower of Joy--just Lyanna. Then why are they there, instead of with Viserys or Daenerys? (Rhaegar and Aerys are dead by this time.)

The obvious reason is, of course, that Lyanna is carrying Rhaegar's baby, and the Kingsguard are there to protect that portion of the royal blood. But would Rhaegar trust these men with such a secret? Probably. Barristan told Dany that Rhaegar's oldest and truest friend was Arthur Dayne (SoS, pg. 90); so he was probably just the man to trust with such a secret.

The Kingsguard evidentally had an effect on Eddard. On GoT, pg. 502, just the sight of three men in white cloaks sends a chill through him.

Then there comes the curious matter of Lyanna's death. From Eddard's thoughts on GoT, pg. 43, we learn that she died of a fever, in a room that smelled of ‘blood and roses.' Since the fighting took place outside the tower,. we can theorize that the blood came from Lyanna's childbirth. We know the blood came from Lyanna, because on GoT, pg. 424, Eddard remembers ‘Lyanna in her bed of blood.' Her bed of blood--the blood came from her, and blood is not usually the effect of a fever. And GRRM has been known to liken this term to birthing--on GoT, pg. 674, Mirri Maz Duur says she knows the secrets of the ‘bloody bed,' meaning birthing.

c) "Promise Me, Nedâ€

"I was with her when she died,†Ned reminded the king. "She wanted to come home, to rest beside Brandon and Father.†He could still hear her at times. Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses. Promise me, Ned. The fever had taken her strength and her voice had been faint as a whisper, but when he gave his word, the fear had gone out of his sister's eyes.

---GoT, pg. 43

From the quote above, Eddard implies that his promise to Lyanna was to bury her at Winterfell. However, he recalls the quote throughout the book at the strangest times and places, suggesting that the promise meant something more. From above, the simple phrase ‘the fear had gone out of his sister's eyes' suggests that the promise is something deeper--why should she be so scared about where she is buried? It has been suggested that what Eddard was really promising was to keep Jon's identity a secret, and this can be supported by the manner in which he recalls Lyanna's words.

"You avenged Lyanna at the Trident,†Ned said, halting beside the king. Promise me, Ned, she had whispered.

--GoT, pg. 116

This quote could be explained away by the fact that Eddard referred to Lyanna. But Robert killing Rhaegar doesn't have much to do with anything if Ned promised to bury Lyanna at Winterfell. The quote fits better if Ned's promise was concerning Jon, because it would fit with Robert's hatred of Targaryens.

He remembered Rhaegar's infant son, the red ruin of his skull, and the way the king had turned away, as he had turned away in Darry's audience hall not so long ago. He could still hear Sansa pleading, as Lyanna had pleaded once.

---GoT, pg. 199

Now this is interesting. Why in the world would Eddard compare Sansa pleading for Lady's life to Lyanna pleading to be buried in Winterfell--especially in the context of Robert's hatred of Targaryens? This references makes absolutely no sense unless one accepts that Lyanna was pleading to keep Jon's identity secret from Robert.

"I will,†Ned promised her. That was his curse. Robert would swear undying love and forget them before evenfall, but Ned Stark kept his vows. He thought of the promises he made to Lyanna as she lay dying, and the price he'd paid to keep them.

--GoT, pg. 380

Again, this doesn't make much sense in the context of Ned promising Lyanna to bury her at Winterfell. What price would he had to have paid to do this? If the promise concerned Jon, on the other hand, the quote makes sense. Ned has certainly paid a price by claiming Jon is his own son, especially with Catelyn.

The next quote comes from Eddard's dream:

"Promise me, Ned,†Lyanna's statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood.

--GoT, pg. 501

Eddard seems to have a lot of violent and troubled dreams concerning his promise to Lyanna. Why? It seems unnatural for him to place that much importance on simply burying her at Winterfell.

"Eat the bastard. Don't care if you choke on him. Promise me, Ned.†{said Robert.}

"I promise.†"Promise me, Ned,†Lyanna's voice echoed.

--GoT, pg. 505

This quote can simply be attributed to Eddard likening his promises to Robert on his deathbed to his promises to Lyanna on hers.

So with so many references to these promises, if seems like they were very important in Eddard's mind; certainly more important than ensuring Lyanna was buried at Winterfell. They could very well be about Jon; if not, then of something of equal importance.

d) Blue Winter Roses

Along with ‘Promise me, Ned,' Eddard also remembers blue roses at the strangest times. This can also be attribuited to Lyanna. She loved the smell of blue winter roses. (GoT, pg. 631) And the crown for the queen of love and beauty that Rhaegar tossed her was made of the flower. (GoT, pg. 631). Of course, Ned's references to blue roses could just be due to his grief over how Lyanna died, but they could mean something more...

Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses. Promise me, Ned...Ned remembered the way she had smiled then, how tightly her fingers had clutched his as she gave up her hold on life, the rose petals spilling from her palm, dead and black...â€I bring her flowers when I can,â€{Ned} said. "Lyanna was...fond of flowers.â€

--GoT, pg. 43

The room in which Lyanna died smelled of roses, and she held some in her hand. Interesting. If Rhaegar knew that they were her favorite flower, he could have been trying to make her happy.

As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. "Eddard!†she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death.

--GoT, pg. 425

Her {Cersei's} eyes burned, green fire in the dusk, like the lioness that was her sigil. "The night of our wedding feast, the first time we shared a bed, he called me by your sister's name. He was on top of me, in me, stinking of wine, and he whispered Lyanna.â€

Ned thought of pale blue roses, and for a moment he wanted to weep.

--GoT, pg. 480

"Promise me, Ned,†Lyanna's statue whispered. She wore a garland of pale blue roses, and her eyes wept blood.

--GoT, pg. 501

The slim, sad girl who wore a crown of pale blue roses and a white gown spattered with gore could only be Lyanna.

--CoK, pg. 809

The real clincher comes with a vision Dany has in the House of the Undying.

A blue flower grew from a chink in a wall of ice, and filled the air with sweetness.

--CoK, pg. 707

This quote strongly implies that Lyanna's blue roses have something to do with the Wall (the ‘wall of ice') This makes perfect sense because Jon, the product of Lyanna and her blue roses, is on the Wall.

One more final clue comes on CoK, pg. 746. Ygritte tells Jon a story about Bael the Bard. Bael picked a blue winter rose from Winterfell's greenhouse unasked; a year later, he returned the son he fathered off Lord Stark's daughter in payment for that rose. Since Rhaegar is known to be a great fan of music and songs, it is likely that he heard this story, and was fulfilling his romantic outlook on life by imitating Bael in the blue roses.

e) Lies, Broken Promises and Troubled Dreams

Since Eddard is described as an honorable man, one would think that he would feel guilty over the fact that he is lying to the world about Jon's parentage. Well, he certainly feels guilty over something. Throughout the book, there are numerous references to the fact that he feels guilty for telling lies. These lies most likely have to do with Jon or something as equally serious.

Troubled sleep was no stranger to him {Ned}. He had lived lies for fourteen years, yet they still haunted him at night.

--GoT, pg. 115

Since Jon is fourteen years old at this time, this strongly implies that Eddard's fourteen years of lies are about Jon. The fact that they still haunt him at night fits in with Eddard's dreams about blue roses and the Tower of Joy.

"She whined and looked at me and a felt so ‘shamed, but it was right, wasn't it? The queen would have killed her.â€

"It was right,†her father said. "And even the lie was...not without honor.â€

--GoT, pg. 222

Eddard could easily be comparing Arya's honorable lies to his own.

Some secrets are safer kept hidden. So secrets are too dangerous to share, even with those you love and trust. {Ned thought}

--GoT, pg. 357

This seems to imply that Ned has secrets of his own.

The rain had driven everyone under their roofs. It beat down on Ned's head, warm and relentless as old guilts.

--GoT, pg. 379

The deceit made him {Ned} feel soiled. The lies we tell for love, he thought. May the gods forgive me.

--GoT, pg. 504

All these above quotes seen to suggest that Eddard has been lying about something for fourteen years. If not Jon, then what? There are probably other options, but Jon seems the most likely at this point.

f) Thoughts Concerning Jon

Most of the above quotes had to do with pointing evidence at Lyanna or Rhaegar. However, a sizeable number of quotes do suggest that Jon is mroe than just a normal bastard boy. For one, Eddard never seems to refer to Jon as his son, which is interesting.

"Never ask me about Jon,†he said, cold as ice. "He is my blood, and that is all you need to know.â€

--GoT, pg. 65

Note that Eddard calls Jon ‘my blood,' not ‘my son.' This could be a hint that Eddard is still trying to tell as much truth as possible, because Jon is still his nephew if he is Lyanna's son. And then, on GoT, pg. 486:

Ned thought, If it came to that, the life of some child I did not know, against Robb and Sansa and Arya and Bran and Rickon, what would I do? Even more so, what would Catelyn do, if it were Jon's life, against the children of her body. He did not know. He prayed he never would.

Eddard lists off all his children in his mind, but conviently does not include Jon on the list. Interesting.

Eddard then has some more thoughts about Jon while locked in a cell underneath the Red Keep, waiting to die.

The thought of Jon filled Ned with a sense of shame, a sorrow too deep for words. If only he could see the boy again, sit and talk with him...

--GoT, pg. 635

Why, out of all his children, does Eddard want to talk with Jon before he dies? Could he finally want to reveal to him the secret of his parentage? Of course, Ned could be wanting to do this even if Jon's mother was someone else, so this quote does not just apply to the Lyanna-Rhaegar scenario. Two pages earlier, Eddard asks Varys if he would deliver a letter. Perhaps Eddard wanted to put the secret of Jon's mother in that letter for Varys to deliver.

Bran has an interesting dream which may add to the evidence.

"I dreamed about the crow last night. The one with three eyes. He flew into my bedchamber and told me to come with him, so I did. We went down to the crypts. Father was there, and we talked. He was sad.â€

"And why was that?†Luwin peered through his tube.

"It was something to do about Jon, I think.†The dream had been deeply disturbing, more so that any of the other crow dreams.

--GoT, pg. 730

In the series thus far, most characters' dreams have hinted at being prophetic or somewhat magical. The fact that Eddard was trying to tell Bran that there was something about Jon in the crypts may suggest that a secret about Jon is down there--near Lyanna's statue, maybe?

Jon has a similar dream:

"I'm walking down this long empty hall...opening doors, shouting names...the castle is always empty...the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run, then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. It's black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don't want to. I'm afraid of what might be waiting for me...I scream that I'm not a Stark, that this isn't my place, but it's no good, I have to go down anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream...that's when I always wake.â€

--GoT, pg. 267

This also seems to hint that Jon also has some sort of destiny in the crypts--again, perhaps his heritage? One more thing seems to hint at Jon's parents:

"King,†croaked the raven. The bird flapped across the air to land on Mormont's shoulder. "King,†it said again, strutting back and forth.

"He likes that word,†Jon said, smiling.

"An easy word to say. An easy word to like.â€

"King,†the bird said again.

"I think he means for you to have a crown, my lord.â€

"The realm has three kings already, and that's two too many for my liking.†Mormont striked the raven under the beak with his finger, but all the while his eyes never left Jon Snow.

--CoK, pg. 105

This could be the random spoutings of a raven. Or it could be a subtle clue that Jon, as the only surviving son of Rhaegar, would be the king of Westeros if the Targaryens still reigned.

As one last tidbit of evidence, it can be said that if Jon is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, it fits with the series name ‘A Song of Ice and Fire.' Jon seems to be shaping as the main character, and it woudl fit the series title if his parents were Rhaegar (fire) and Lyanna (ice).

3) But Why?

The way most characters describe it, Rhaegar seems to be a completely honest and honorable man. So why would he betray his wife and run off with Lyanna to father a legitmate child?

This is a question that cannot fully be answered, except for one vision that Dany has in the House of the Undying on CoK, pg. 527. In this scene, Dany sees Rhaegar and Elia standing over their newborn son Aegon. Rhaegar says that Aegon is the ‘prince that was promised,' and his is the ‘song of ice and fire.' Then, he enigmatically adds, ‘There must be one more...the dragon has three heads.' The first two heads are evidently Rhaenys and Aegon. It's possible that in whatever prophecy Rhaegar read, he thought that he needed to father a child off a Stark to produce the third head and the ‘song of ice and fire.' Without further information we cannot speculate more, though. For a more indepth discussion of the topic, see the ‘Who is Azor Ahai reborn? Is he the same person as the Prince Who Was Promised?' topic.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we have several tempting possibilities for Jon's parents. It seems that the Ashara-Eddard rumor was just that, a rumor. The Eddard-Wylla scenario seems a likely possibility until one looks at the massive amount of evidence for the Rhaegar-Lyanna theory. If Jon's mother is Lyanna, it seems likely that Wylla was in on the secret. If Jon's mother was Wylla, then Eddard evidentally had some other secret lie in his past that he was hiding. As GRRM has promised that Jon's parents will be revealed in a later volume, we will just have to patiently wait for the answer.

Come promesso ecco il secondo articolo tradotto, quello sulla vera identità  di Jaquen H'ghar. Il terzo è un po' più lungo, ma vedrò di tradurlo il più velocemente possibile. Quello nuovo su Jon dovrà  aspettare ancora, a meno che qualcuno non abbia fretta e mi anticipi.

Waymar Royce

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Chi è Jaquen H'ghar?Forse Syrio Forel?

In "A Clash of Kings†Arya incontra Jaquen H'ghar, un misterioso assassino con la capacità  di cambiare il proprio aspetto fisico. Siccome Jaquen sembra specializzato nel mantenere le identità  segrete, si è supposto che altri non sia se non Syrio Forel, il maestro d'armi di Arya e "danzatore dell'acquaâ€. Ma ci sono prove per confermare questa affermazione?

La prova più evidente che mette in rilievo il fatto che Syrio sia ancora vivo è semplicemente che non lo abbiamo visto morire, né abbiamo alcuna evidenza che sia morto.

Quando lo abbiamo lasciato su GoT, pag. 534, Syrio si stava preparando ad affrontare Meryn Trant dopo che la sua spada di legno si era spezzata. Siccome abbiamo visto Meryn riapparire dopo l'incontro, ma non Syrio, abbiamo concluso che Syrio fosse stato ucciso.

Meryn non sembra il tipo che perde tempo inutilmente, e diede l'ordine ai suoi uomini di uccidere Syrio. Ma qualcuno potrebbe dubitarne. Non abbiamo mai sentito alcun resoconto che lui sia morto.

La conferma che più vi si avvicina è una cosa che Cersei dice a Tyrion su CoK, pag.58:

"Ho mandato Meryn Trant a prenderla (Arya-NdR) quando Robert è morto, ma il suo dannato maestro di danza si è intromesso e la ragazzina è scappata.â€

Notate che Cersei non dice nulla che implichi che Syrio sia stato ucciso nello scontro. Syrio "siè intromessoâ€, non "ha sacrificato se stessoâ€. Alcuni lettori lo hanno interpretato dicendo che Syrio non è morto per mano di Meryn ed in realtà  fu gettato nelle segrete oscure.

Saltiamo in "A Clash of Kingsâ€. Yoren sta portando Arya verso la Barriera, insieme ad altri criminali, compresi tre uomini delle segrete oscure. Uno di loro può cambiare il suo aspetto fisico con facilità  e mostra una certa propensione a dedicare particolari attenzioni ad Arya. Che sia Syrio sotto un'altra maschera? Ci sono alcune importanti somiglianze. Syrio aveva affermato di essere di Braavos, Jaquen invece di Lorath, ma in seguito si contraddice e racconta ad Arya di cercarlo a Braavos. Entrambi sembrano abili ad uccidere. Entrambi sembrano rispettare molto Arya. Entrambi usano l'intercalare "tutto qui†abbastanza di frequente. E Jaquen è stato in grado di capire che "Arry†era in realtà  Arya Stark. Non potrebbe essere che Syrio Forel fosse un Uomo senza Faccia per tutto il tempo, travestitosi da maestro d'armi per qualche scopo imprecisato?

Ma ci sono delle falle in questa teoria subito oltre. Sì, Syrio e Joren dicono entrambi "tutto qui†un sacco di volte. Ma questa è una interiezione proverbiale delle Città  Libere. Thoros, Sallador Saan, il capitano Groleo, Illyrio e Dany hanno tutti usato questa frase e volte; non c'è niente di così strano in questo.

Poi c'è il fatto che entrambi provengono da Braavos. Tuttavia Syrio sembra essere una personalità  nota, non certo una qualche identità  che Jaquen poteva assumere come semplice copertura. Lui dichiara di essere stato la prima spada dei Signori del Mare di Braavos per nove anni (GoT, pag.224). Jaquen altresì ha mantenuto questo travestimento per un bel po' di tempo, oppure stava mantenendo spudoratamente tanto che qualunque stupido lo avrebbe scoperto.

In più, Eddard ritiene che Syrio abbia una "eccellente reputazione†(GoT, pag.317). Questo significa che Syrio era una personalità  ben nota, trattenutasi a lungo ad Approdo del Re, non una identità  fasulla tirata fuori dal nulla.

E' stato suggerito che forse Jaquen abbia ucciso il vero Syrio Forel e che sia semplicemente sostituito a lui. Se questo è vero, perché spendere un sacco di tempo ad istruire Arya ad Approdo del Re e dopo farsi imprigionare e trasportare fino ad Harrenhal?

Qual è la sua missione o il suo obiettivo per cui si sta comportando in modo così strano sotto varie forme, uscendo tutte le volte allo scoperto per aiutare Arya? Jaquen non sembra il tipo d'uomo che spreca il suo tempo ad allenare ragazze con la spada. Il suo dialogo con Arya ad Harrenhal suggerisce che lui stia attendendo ad un qualche tipo di missione da compiere ("Io ho promesse da mantenereâ€-CoK, pag.691). Cosicché,se Jaquen è Syrio, quale sarebbe il suo scopo?

Per concludere, c'è la domanda su quando Jaquen avrebbe avuto l'occasione per passare dalla sua identità -Syrio a quella con le fattezze fisiche che noi attribuiamo a Jaquen .

Di sicuro qualcuno deve essersi accorto di questa drastica trasformazione esteriore, anche se l'avesse eseguita nella sua cella. Quindi, concludendo, è possibile, anzi verosimile, che Jaquen H'ghar sia Syrio Forel. Tuttavia alcune osservazioni sensate sembrano scartarlo.

...io continuerò comunque a sperare nella teoria S=J...sperando che, tra non molto, Syrio H'ghar si prenda cura dell'istruzione di Arya...

as strong as stone

Waymar R.

sarebbe positivo per arya se il suo mentore fosse ancora vivo.

Eccovi finalmente l'ultimo articolo della serie. Domani mi metterò a tradurre quello sui genitori di Jon Snow. E' più lungo e dovrò dedicargli più tempo, poi ci sono ancora le anticipazioni che mi ha fatto avere GIL GALAD. Spero di riuscire a fare tutto entro il fine settimana, se no dovrete portare pazienza...

Waymar Royce

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Chi è Manifredde?

Circa a metà  di "A Storm of Swords†Sam e Gilly vengono salvati da un misterioso vagabondo in nero, dalle mani fredde e con uno strano potere sugli uccelli. Più avanti nel libro, Bran e la sua compagnia si addentrano sotto la Barriera per unirsi a questo enigmatico personaggio. Sam e Gilly lo chiamano "Manifreddeâ€.

Ma chi è in realtà  Manifredde? Potrebbe per caso essere un personaggio che abbiamo già  incontrato? O è qualcuno completamente nuovo?

Per prima cosa, diamo un'occhiata alla dscrizione che abbiamo di lui da pag. 536:

"Fratello!†Il gridò lacerò la notte, attraverso il grachiare di centinaia di corvi. Sotto gli alberi, un uomo normale dalla testa ai piedi in abiti di color misto grigio e nero, cavalcava un alce. "Quaggiù†chiamò il cavaliere. Un cappuccio gli copriva la faccia…Il cavaliere non portava guanti. Le sue mani erano fredde e nere, con le dita dure come pietre.â€

Il fatto che Manifredde si rivolga a Sam chiamandolo "fratello†e vesta il nero sembra suggerire che sia un membro dei guardiani della Notte. Oltre a ciò, non possiamo dedurre altro da questo capitolo, se non che Manifredde cavalca un alce ed ha un qualche controllo sui corvi.

A pag.635 apprendiamo qualcosa di più.

Manifredde dice che è stato inviato a cercare qualcuno che si rivela essere Bran. Inoltre conosce l'esistenza del Portale delle Tenebre sotto il Forte della Notte. Citiamo:

"Vestiva di nero, come un fratello dei Guardiani, ma era bianco come un non-morto, con le mani così fredde che all'inizio ne fui spaventato. I non-morti hanno gli occhi azzurri però e non parlano, o si sono dimenticati come si fa…Perché non l'hai portato attraverso il Portale delle Tenebre? Lui non può. Perché? Per la Barriera. La Barriera è molto più di ghaiccio e pietre, ha detto. Sono stati lanciati incantesimi su di essa,…molto antichi e potenti. Non può attraversare la Barrieraâ€.

Qui Sam indica che Manifredde non ha gli occhi azzurri. Dunque possiamo escludere per lo più che sia un non-morto messo a dura prova. Ancora, nonostante vesta di nero, chiami Sam "fratelloâ€, non può attraversare la Barriera. Perché? Diamo una scorsa ai candidati ritenuti probabili a essere Manifredde:

1) Benjen Stark

La possibilità  più ovvia e probabilmente la prima ad essere venuta in mente subito ad ogni lettore. Benjen è dato per disperso da tre libri, ma il suo corpo non è stato ancora ritrovato. In base a quello che sappiamo Ben è ancora là  fuori con i suoi quattro rangers sopravvissuti. E qualcuno ha seppellito la scorta di vetro di drago che Spettro ha trovato sul Pugno dei Primi Uomini. Sam non potrebbe riconoscere Ben; Ben è scomparso prima che Sam arrivasse al Castello Nero. Alla fine, questa potrebbe essere la ragione per cui il capitolo si conclude prima che Bran incontri Manifredde, Bran infatti riconoscerebbe Benjen e quindi rovinerebbe la sorpresa.

Sembra probabile che Benjen stia per riapparire in un qualche punto della serie o, almeno, dovremmo scoprire che ne è stato di lui.

E' stato annunciato troppe volte perché ciò non avvenga. La domanda è, quindi, come ha fatto Benjen a sviluppare il suo controllo, apparentemente magico, sugli animali e perché non può attraversare la Barriera. Ci sono centinaia di possibilità  a tal proposito, ma nessuna ha delle prove per avvalorarla. Perciò, se Benjen è un probabile candidato in base alle circostanze, c'è ancora un po' di confusione su di lui.

2) Stonesnake

Un ranger brizzolato della Torre delle Ombre che accompagnava Jon e Qhorin ad esplorare il Passo Skirling, Stonesnake sparì alla fine di "A Clash of Kings†quando Qhorin lo ha inviato a piedi su un alto passo montano in un ultimo tentativo di raggiungere il Pugno ed avvertire Mormont di quello che stava succedendo con i Bruti. Da allora non si è più visto o sentito, anche se è stato ritenuto essere ancora vivo nell'appendice di "Storm of Swordsâ€. E, con tutta probabilità , Sam non avrebbe riconosciuto Stonesnake; sono stati insieme sul Pugno solo per poco tempo.Oltre a ciò Stonesnake ha gli stessi vantaggi e svantaggi che ha Benjen. Ha una ragione per vestire il nero e chiamare Sam "fratelloâ€. Ma rimane un mistero come possa controllare gli animali e non possa passare la Barriera.

Quindi se Manifredde è uno di questi due candidati, probailmente sarà  Benjen, semplicemente perché il suo personaggio viene ancora menzionato e rimane nella testa del lettore, mentre di Stonesnake ci si è pressochè dimenticati.

3) Un figlio di Craster

Per molto tempo Craster ha esposto i suoi figli come sacrificio agli Estranei. Ma se uno di loro fosse scampato? Non è stata indicata l'età  di Manifredde, ma se è tra i venti e i trentanni, non sarebbe esagerato che lui possa essere uno dei figli di Craster di tanto tempo addietro.

Tuttavia, le due figlie di Craster, Gilly e Nella, senbranoi entrambe parlare dei figli di Craster come se avessero avuto esperienza diretta del loro destino. (SoS, pag.380).Nella, in particolare, definisce non-morti i "figli di Crasterâ€. Non potrebbe essere che un bambino sia in realtà  sfuggito al sacrificio rituale? Non sembra probabile, non avrebbe motivo per chiamare Sam "fratelloâ€. Quindi uno dei figli di Craster non sembra essere un candidato valido, anche se potrebbe restare possibile.

4) Ser Waymar Royce

Si è suggerito che Manifredde in realtà  possa essere Waymar, il giovane ranger che è stato ucciso dagli Estranei nel prologo, solo per ritornare come non-morto e strangolare Will. Tuttavia, questa non è una possibilità  neanche remota. Non c'è una ragione comprensibile per cui Waymar ucciderebbe il suo compagno Will e dopo aiuterebbe Sam e Gilly. Ancora, gli occhi di Waymar erano azzurri dopo la resurrezione (GoT pag.11). a meno che non abbia subito un cambiamento sia di indole che di colore degli occhi, Waymar non può essere Manifredde.

5) Will

Un'altra debole possibilità  è che Manifredde sia Will, il giovane bracconiere diventato ranger che vede gli Estranei massacrare Waymar per poi essere strangolato dal cadavere di Waymar. L'ultima volta che lo abbiamo visto durante il prologo di "A Game of Thrones†le gelide mani di Waymar stavano stringendo il suo collo.

Ma è quasi una illazione dedurre che Will in qualche modo sia sopravvissuto a questo incontro per diventare Manifredde, ed è abbastanza inusuale per lo stile di GRRM riportare indietro un personaggio chiaramente ed evidentemente morto. Se Manifredde è un Fratello in nero che abbiamo già  incontrato, benjen e Stonesnake sono le possibilità  più valide.

Conclusione

In conclusione, ogni possibile candidato proposto per essere Manifredde ha qualche tipo di controindicazione che non si riesce a spiegare. Se Benjen sembra essere il candidato più forte al momento, ci sono ancora diverse punti che devono essere svelati prima che tutto questo quadri: le ragioni di ciò e le falle nella vicenda di Stonesnake nascono dalla apparente contraddizione che Manifredde è un Guardiano della Notte, ma non può oltrepassare la Barriera.

Da quello che sappiamo, è molto probabile, in questo momento, che Manifredde sia un personaggio appena introdotto, che non abbiamo mai incontrato prima della sua apparizione in "Storm of Swordsâ€. Alla fine, questa è una possibilità  più veritiera che arrovellarsi per tirare fuori improbabili storie su come Benjen sia diventato Manifredde.