ASOIAF Theories: The Beautiful and Horrible Truth of the Weirwoods

I think the weirwoods are connected. Each one a fragment of a greater whole. We know that they can communicate with each other, transfer information from one place to another instantly. How would they do this if they were not all connected? In South Central Utah, USA exists a wonder of nature. Pando, also known as the trembling giant. Pando is Latin for “I Spread Out” What is Pando you ask? Well, Pando was once thought to be a normal forest until we discovered through genetic testing that every tree in the colony was actually a part of a single organism, each so-called individual genetically identical to the next, connected by a vast underground network of roots. I’ve said before that I believe the weirwoods are the same, each one connected to the next by a root system deep beneath the earth stretched throughout the entirety of the continent of Westeros.
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[@MitchellD249]

*hits blunt* "The weirwood could be... aware, wood".

[@melanie-rosannastevens7861]

Not bad... Not bad at all 😂

[@factotums]

Slight alteration: *A weirwood* could be *aware wood*

[@isarmawinter1816]

How Fabulous! I love it!

[@samuelschonenberger]

Blunt with weirwood instead of weed

[@wizzledumb]

huh

[@inthedriversseat928]

ASOIAF is basically a retelling of the Norse myth of Ragnarok. I've always thought of Yggdrasil as the weirwood beyond the wall that Bloodraven ( a dragon) lives beneath.

[@anarchist_parable]

inthedriversseat YES! Among other clues, the Bran/Fenrir link is VERY strong. I always break hearts when I tell people that Jon probably won't make it to the end and that the Starks in general are highly manipulated and probably evil.

[@wowjack8944]

Pando is dying because of an explosion of deer in the area, new sprouts from Pando are eaten before they have a chance to mature, and that is why the venerable organism is at risk of dying out altogether. "The system is not replacing itself; it's highly out of balance," said Paul Rogers, an ecologist at Utah State University and the director of the Western Aspen Alliance

[@alanpennie8013]

Brave Soldi3r That's depressing to read. Another victim of the sixth extinction.

[@wowjack8944]

Alan Pennie true, and it probably won't be long until we also become a victim of our own extinction event...

[@alanpennie8013]

@@wowjack8944 I don't think it is correct to call ASOIAF a parable about climate change even if some people have called it that. I would say that recognition of the Anthropocene is becoming a central element of our understanding of the world and our works of imagination will tend to respond to this in some way

[@wowjack8944]

I agree, but it wasn't my intention to call ASOIAF a parable about climate change it was just a general statement :P

[@alanpennie8013]

@@wowjack8944 Oh I know. I was really arguing with myself there.

[@telamere2043]

I thought raventree died because the Blackwoods chopped down the forests for miles around. As the weirwoods are parasitic (which is why one could never grew in the eyrie) it was unable to feed and died.

[@oddish2253]

The White Tree is dying because King Elessar haven't arived yet.

[@allmight9840]

Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king

[@post-leftluddite]

Actually, the Weirwood in the Godswood at Raventree hall was not (allegedly) poisoned recently, according to the Blackwoods, it was poisoned over a thousand years ago and this is confirmed in A Dance of Dragons in Jamie's first POV chapter: Through their thick, diamond-shaped panes of yellow glass Jaime glimpsed the gnarled limbs of the tree from which the castle took its name. It was a weirwood ancient and colossal, ten times the size of the one in the Stone Garden at Casterly Rock. This tree was bare and dead, though. "The Brackens poisoned it," said his host. "For a thousand years it has not shown a leaf. In another thousand it will have turned to stone, the maesters say. Weirwoods never rot." "And the ravens?" asked Jaime. "Where are they?" "They come at dusk and roost all night. Hundreds of them. They cover the tree like black leaves, every limb and every branch. They have been coming for thousands of years. How or why, no man can say, yet the tree draws them every night." Blackwood settled in a high-backed chair.

[@QuinnsIdeas]

Thank you for this find. This doesn't actually change my theory but it's quite interesting nonetheless.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@QuinnsIdeas In this context a thousand years just means a long time. You should not take the number literally. Same is true for any supposed date before the Targaryen conquest.

[@post-leftluddite]

I think it's safe to assume, if not precisely accurate, a "thousand years", at the very least, means prior to this generation (living at "present" in Westeros) and probably a few generations preceeding.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@post-leftluddite Time out of mind. Yep agreed. Though the other poster is right that if it was a long time ago they can't truthfully claim to know what the cause was.

[@andrewk9267]

Can you not? I'm trying to go to bed

[@catfoy8888]

Same

[@MadeUpLikeADoll]

I woke up to get a glass of water... saw this, now I'm up like it's 6:00 est.

[@henriquebaratheon3259]

This background music is so awesome.

[@emiliocamachoerice6380]

Are you henrique Herz from dutyposting I left Facebook

[@henriquebaratheon3259]

@@emiliocamachoerice6380 Yes i am, why did you left, man?

[@emiliocamachoerice6380]

@@henriquebaratheon3259 someone was trying to blackmail me with publishing sexting we did I went to the police and reported her to Facebook

[@emiliocamachoerice6380]

my new video a parody of the show tywin and arya scenes kzbin.info/www/bejne/gl7Te5aLYtqWkLc

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

@@henriquebaratheon3259 be careful with what ya say man. I'd hate to see you booted out cuz some twit is heckling you into rightful anger. I'd rather jave you here than Joao Dowsley.

[@TheMimiSard]

What if, however, the death of magic and the weirwoods will be what changes the years-long seasonal cycle into a yearly cycle? Magic disappears, the seasons settle into a four seasons in a single year instead of having seasons that run for multiple years each? Though as I listen, the idea also that reviving the weirwoods and saving them from death, will save Planetos from an eternal winter is another thing that seems fitting, but it makes me ask, did the creation of the White Walkers (running on the idea that GOT's depiction is a truncated version of GRRM's intent and they were originally created by the Children of the Forest) trigger an imbalance that led to the slow decline of the weirwoods, only pushed by the Faith of the Seven destroying weirwoods. In the end, I like your theory. Though it's sad to hear Pando is dying. I thought up at one point in the last few months an idea of a dryad that is not a single tree but is a network of linked tree-trunks that are spread out throughout as forest, with Pando as a loose inspiration (though my dryad idea did not have the dryad being the whole forest, only one in ten tree were the dryad, living in symbiosis with all the other plants as well as animals).

[@tammesikkema5322]

I literally just thougt about there going to be a yearly cycle of seasons or an ethernal winter, could be interesting.

[@julians7268]

Deep dive! Loved it. Not many videos out there actually dig below the superficial surface of the various stories we enjoy. So many videos just restate the obvious, but this was truly unique and enjoyable.

[@jakel7213]

Check out the channel Bridge4 if you haven't already. Kev goes deep on some really interesting theories as well. He's the only other channel I would put on IdeasofIceandFire's level.

[@Waifuforlifu]

Also The Order of The Greenhand...they have to be my all time favorite for deep diving Got/ASoIaF!

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

Preston Jacobs dives deeper than most. Also LML dives even deeper than all of these. All are in my favs for ASOIAF theory crafting. They all have their own process, which keeps it interesting. I also love bridge4. Kev is excellent and in my top 5 ASOIAF channels, though that's not all he does.

[@MHWdJ]

hypothesis: bloodstone entered the weirwoodnet at the black weirwood tree, becoming a god known as the great other and causing the unending night.

[@wolfsbanealphas617]

good theory I feel like this story is simialr to nctius from final fantasy a sacrufuce us needed to end this

[@alanpennie8013]

MHWdJ Amend to: causing irregularity of the seasons. Apart from that I'll buy it.

[@Bluemilk92]

Black Weirwood? Are you talking about the tree that the Undying use for Shade-of-the-Evening? Hmm... Considering Euron is the only other major character that's addicted to the stuff, it does fit. If you consider Euron an agent of the Great Other, that is.

[@stevenirizarry1304]

Or maybe the mother goddess is causing it

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

@@Bluemilk92 in the East there are many many people addicted to shade of the evening. But he's not talking about those trees, he's talking about the possibly dying weirwood at Raventree Hall.

[@corous7880]

My theory: The bloodstone emperor tried to regain divine powers, which his bloodline has lost over the millenias of human contact and breading. Maybe the black stone that fell from the sky could give him an opportunity to achieve his goal. He tried to exterminate humanity because he saw them and their flaws as the main problem for the decay of divinity. So he studied the dark arts of magic first and foremost necromancy. He tried to create an army of unbeatable power and cause the long night as the ultimate apocalypse for humanity. When he was beaten by Azor and his flaming sword, which I think might be created threw the willing sacrefice of the maiden of light, he found a way to preserve his mind within the network of the weirwood, which seems to be able to conserve informations, maybe even souls. He stayed in coma within the network for thousands of years. However, the valyrians fucked up. It is known, that they searched out for more power and magical knowledge than any other culture and that they had their own magical way of transferring information over thousands of miles. One day, some mage, maybe a researcher or a cultist accidentally stumbled on this mysterious sleeping entity. Maybe because he planted and grew a heart tree himself in valyria out of curiosity or because he thought it looked nice. The valyrians where known for having liking towards accessories and spend a good amount of their money on lifestyle stuff. Maybe, he bought it with the gold of the lannisters. One day, he connected with the tree and accidentally awake the mind of the emperor who tried to claw his way back into the physical world by overtaking the persons body. However the person was to weak and couldn't handle the divine power of the emperor. In a panic and disorientation the emperor tried to overtake every body that had somewhat of a connection to the magical energy, first and foremost mages who we know often performed rituals to bend the enormous pressure and heat of the 14 volcanos. And one by one would die under the emperors attempt to use them as a vessel. Withing moments the majority of firemages fell. And without the the catastrophe would happen. However the emperor was awake again and his legions would restart to rise again. This is why they are appearing know, after thousands of years. The Emperor however couldn't escape his prison and with time and time passing the network and the trees would start to decay under his pressure. That's why he layed his eyes on greenseers who had a strong connection with the network and he hoped one of them could be his ticket back to the physical realm. He didn't kill so many of them just for fun but because he tried to use them as a medium. That's why he is out for bran, maybe he is the only person strong enough.

[@brightglory5734]

Literally right when I was looking for something to watch. Tyvm sir.

[@arimac2009]

With regards to Raventree Hall, what about the fact that the latest 'snack' the network consumed is half dragon/ half Blackwood?

[@blackflagsnroses6013]

Theories and analysis on this channel are the most thought provoking. Thanks for sharing. Reminds me of the Banyan Grove Tree from Avatar the Last Airbender.

[@haroldtheherald1428]

The tree is the vale was moved there, its high in the mountains. Its roots don’t connect to the others

[@armyofninjas9055]

Pando is just a clonal plant. They are common. And no, it wasn't thought to be a normal forest. Native Utahn here. Also, Pando is dying due to invasive Japanese beetles and the Orange moss they allow into the bark.

[@jaspershepherdsmith9047]

Army of Ninjas I don't think he's saying clonal plants are rare, I think he's saying a clonal plant like Pando is rare.

[@QuinnsIdeas]

I've seen at least five different comments on this video giving me different reasons why Pando is dying. From what I gathered through research, it has been very difficult for scientist to pinpoint the exact reason. Also from what I read it was relatively recent test that proved Pando was a single organism. Sure this type of organism may be common. But a super colony of this scale is not. Thanks for the comment.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@QuinnsIdeas It's a bit like the mystery of what is afflicting the bees. Maybe this is how mass extinctions operate. Multiple points of stress interacting to produce the collapse.

[@Jebbis]

You forgot the best animal of all, Ratatoskr the squirrel who carries messages (insults) between Veðrfölnir the eagle and Níðhöggr The dragon. Also I just realized where the game Nidhogg gets it name from.

[@shaydshani]

Do you sleep? I need some of that energy cause toddlers are little thieves. I just watched this though I got the notification hours ago. Awesome connections that you make man. Your research and dedication is true.

[@imafrog4]

I like that play on words but I think that rather than "aware wood" it's more likely "were wood" (man-wood) like werewolf

[@gcs7817]

imafrog4 If the Weirwood is a man-wood and men are sentient creatures, then who’s to say that the Weirwood trees don’t have some sort of intelligence about them? Or are they called Weirwood because of the faces carved in them? If Bloodraven’s human body is so intertwined with that tree in the cave, who’s to say this hasn’t happened before?

[@yaraa9951]

Weirwoods ... Aware woods... this is brilliant!

[@reignorshine.]

Yara Farzat how about, where woods? Or were woods with werewolves? Whery wood woodpecker? No too much

[@TheLastSoundNL]

Hmmm if Igg is dead and is an allegory for Yggdrasil, does that mean they might have had a connection to other worlds, but are now cut off? This could tie in very well with Lovecraft considering all the beings from space and other dimensions. The worship of The Old Ones through the tree(s), like Yggdrasil supposedly connect the realm of gods with the realm of humans. It's a space tree. This is not the first time the books hints to a connection with the stars. ...fucking hell I sound like those history channel nutters. 🙌 ALIENS!!

[@Tatanyablue]

I pushed the notification so fast! Love you IdeasofIceandFire!

[@captainanopheles4307]

Weirwood is a giant mushroom that has evolved tree like appearances?

[@whitleypurnell5613]

Euron did say that Westeros was dying when he was convincing the Ironborn to raid the Reach.

[@wolfsbanealphas617]

whitley purnell OMG your right euron is hip the world is ending so he and Doran are trying to prepare for that day the same with little finger

[@victorjames8955]

He had visions aswell, right? Did he grow up on the Iron Isle, or somewhere else? Damn more research.

[@whitleypurnell5613]

Yes, he grew up there. He's the brother of Theon's dad. He said he had visions that he could fly as a child (which reminds me of Bran's), but now he drinks shade of the evening that he stole from the Warlocks of Qarth. So, i'm not sure if he has visions by himself anymore or if he just uses that to induce visions now.

[@victorjames8955]

@@whitleypurnell5613 To induce, or supress them? What Bran experienced could be - devestating for ones mind, I'd say. What if Euron was - just another attempt, to get - whatever the CotF need Bran for, kill the Night King I'd say. They want the Night's King down - desperate. I'd say "The Night comes, after sun set."

[@gavomorg762]

Victor James yes mate he grew up to n Pyle on the Islands he was a utter prick who abused his younger brothers and other crazy things but his older brother Balon greyjoy banished him into exile after killing his brother victarions wife,now years later after sailing the seas with his toungeless mutes as his crew aboard"silence"he's come "home " and had balon murderer by a faceless man!hope this helps 👍

[@ferodrigues1211]

3:49 House Blackwood is from the Riverlands not from the Vale

[@madambutterfly1997]

It means the children can be nosey anymore. Which also means no more looking into the past for Bran. Which also means no way of truly knowing what happened way back when

[@williamrobinson4265]

you nailed a lot of stuff here Quinn! I could talk about the old gods for ages... I hope after dune and whatever after you come back to making more asoiaf content as the winds of winter are released. you do such a good job

[@CaptCKernel]

I think they're more like Fungi than trees, from our world. The weirwoods seem at least semi sentient. They feed, and the red leaves would be horrible for photosynthesis. Aren't they also found underground? I think they're made to resemble fungus and if im correct, then I think it opens up new questions into the weirwood network

[@juliebethstiles7779]

Red-leaved plants can photosynthesize just fine - plenty of plants have red, orange, yellow leaves all year round. The clonal means of reproduction does sound a lot like the way many fungi, say yeast, reproduce.

[@CaptCKernel]

So then what's the purpose of having non-green leaves? It's not like the color of tree leaves are for camo or other things coloration differences mean in the animal kingdom.

[@vorthora]

Wow, you're the first youtuber that I know of who connected these trees to Yggdrasil! Ygg= other name for Odin. Drasil: steed of. And ravens and wolves were Odin's assistants or companions. And Weird comes from Wyr, meaning "date."

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

This is one if my favorite channels, and I love Quinn dearly, but he is not the first to make all these links. Sorry🤷

[@markenfinger]

I’ve been binging your videos and I love your content!

[@peterbuckley1310]

Awesome theory dude. Love how you tied it back into our world, it's absolutely in vein with GRRM's line of thought. I'd be surprised if your theory isn't proved correct in the book canon.

[@creggriley7247]

ahhh today is a good day indeed. I liked this one a lot too. And the artwork you showcase in your videos are outstanding. Bravo

[@otilaangel1076]

Great video! Thanks for the (spooky) bed time story...😳😴

[@albdamned577]

I have a feeling the tree at Blackwood will bloom anew at some point in the series

[@alanpennie8013]

I agree. Someone upthread remarked on the similarity with the White Tree of Gondor.

[@albdamned577]

I mean it would symbolize rebirth in both stories but LoTRs is about the Kings of Gondor (really the rightous kings of man) and aSoIaF would be about the resurgence of magic in the world. I kind of think that magic would pump through the roots of the world and bring life back through it,

[@KBlanca513]

Yup, I’m on board with the weirwood Pando idea. This is why a weirwood won’t grow in the Eyrie - it’s not hooked to the pan-Westeros root network.

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

He sounds like the Dune Guy

[@MHWdJ]

the dune guy sounds like him

[@landry6788]

@wood1155 Can we say "It sounds like him" then?

[@taz5371]

He makes Dune videos too

[@gavomorg762]

It is the dune guy

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

Quinn is the dune guy. That's why he sounds like him lol. On his channel Ideas of Ice and Fire he also talks a great deal about Dune. Among other literature in this genre that he is a megafan of.

[@rica314]

Well, if I remember correctly, germanic tribes didn't divide the year into four seasons but only into summer/winter or summer/winter/spring. The four stags might represent the seasons/passing of time nonetheless but that's only one interpretation

[@lsporter88]

Fascinating theory. Great commentary and presentation.

[@SomethingImpromptu]

I mean, how do the flames or glass candles communicate across space when they aren’t physically connected? It’s magic. Not to say that the Weirwoods aren’t connected- maybe they are, and that’d be cool if so... But it doesn’t seem necessary. All of this stuff involving collective consciousnesses and telepathic communication, sending visions through dreams, etc. seems like it could easily transcend 3D space or the need for physical connections though. I strooongly recommend anyone who is interested in the role of the Weirwoods watch The Disputed Lands’ video: “ASOIAF THEORY- The Oily Black Stone & Shade of the Evening.” It’s EXTREMELY good and connects a lot of things I’d found interesting but never drawn together, in a very coherent & citation-heavy way. Even connecting the legends of the Ironborne and imagery from the Foresaken chapter with the Weirwoods & Shade trees. Spoiler warning: all books, and preview chapters (at least The Foresaken). kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZqrdaCgZ8-lqqs

[@danieln1150]

What if the Azor Ahai or other savior prophecies are about saving Nature just as much as saving Humanity. I wonder what sacrifices would have to be made and if Bloodraven to this point has been keeping it alive / holding it together and they need Bran to give up everything and do the same - something he might be hesitant to hence the deception on the part of the Children of the Forrest.

[@TheBrett1890]

Great vid as ever :)

[@itzfifson6140]

Great video love the trippy stuff

[@arbiterskiss6692]

On the back cover of book one, the first line talks about an event that throws off the balance of the seasons. I have been wondering what that could have been and few others have mentioned it, it's probably the most important question in the series. Do you think the weirwood network can live without the Children? I suspect it lived without them, but they grew dependent on it long ago. Keep in mind, the souls of the children go into wood and stone. Preston Jacobs goes into a bit of detail in his Prepping for Winter series when discussing Arrianna's chapters, you and him should do a few co-op videos and discuss this.

[@aryasghost7843]

You should check out Lucifermeanslightbringer's youtube channel. He has well flushed out theory about what that 'event' could have been. Start w/ video 'How mythical astromony explains asoiaf' and 'What caused the Long NIght?'

[@arbiterskiss6692]

@@aryasghost7843I did see that, but it seems off to me. The timeline is out of order, it's been a while since I saw it so I'm fuzzy on the details of why I know that. Also, the seasons were regular once, but you don't get that on a planet with two moons, or no moon, and I know GRRM knows that, so why would there be only one moon during the time of irregular seasons.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@arbiterskiss6692 Maybe we can combine the meteor theory and the "comet - is -a - volcryn" theory and make the Long Night result from the impact of a magically charged comet, the twin of the one that appears in the first two books.

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

@@alanpennie8013 and GRRM has said many times that the climate irregularities are magical, not scientific. He has written many sci-fi books and has stated ASOIAF is not scientific. The explainations are of a magical nature. He has stated many times that ASOIAF is his attempt at a purley fantasy endeavor, not sci-fi.

[@alanpennie8013]

@@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589 I hope GRRM'S "explanation" is not going to be that A Wizard Did It . I would regard that as worse than no explanation at all.

[@patera83]

thanks for bringing me to Pando forest. There's always something interesting in this channel!

[@marvinnunes4374]

New bed time story is here. I usually listen to your pocasts and videos while in bed

[@DafyddBrooks]

wooooow!!! you did it again man! keep up the great work :)

[@heathgray2480]

Maybe the secret to Valyrian steel is different types of stones (meteors) as in when the moon went to close to the sun and a thousand thousand dragons (meteor shower) maybe this was initiated by a blood sacrifice by the children of forest... anyways different types of stones were used by the different heroes to make a special sword to save the world and this is why we have different color Valyrian swords.. maybe the enchanted fires could be fire from the earth or dragon fire, that is needed to melt and fuse these stones with steel... and has to be hardened with a blood sacrifice. Look at the different stone emperors... pearl... amethyst... BLOODSTONE.. maybe even obsidian can make different kinds of Valyrian steel. But a blood sacrifice is needed the Valyrians figured out what Azor Ahai did with Nissa Nissa.. house Dayn did the same to create Dawn.. these special stone fused and blood sacrifice swords are what’s needed to hold back the forces in the forgotten parts of the world.. lands of always winter, lands of always summer, shadow by Ashai, Gray waste.. and so on.

[@masterneo96]

great video! :)

[@hunniescravemeh]

Okay He Included Norse Mythology 👀 I Officially Lovee You xoxoxo ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@NoneofyourBusiness-iv6pi]

simple =" ...During the Andal Invasion six thousand years ago, the Andals cut down most of the weirwood trees in southern Westeros..." is what hurt and corrupted (rot) the net. Just start planting weirwoods everywhere

[@tykeisha620]

I was going to go to sleep but I got this notification so sleep can wait.

[@josephdario7250]

How have I never seen this video before? Mind blowing theory!

[@ShadeoftheEvening]

WOW!! Great job Quinn👏Giving me the willies😰Loved it though💙🐺🐲🌹🌞❄🔥📚

[@trewq398]

man i love your videos

[@MrThickD]

Great video

[@BiteThis]

Every time I think of weirwoods, i think of the Black Gate. The more I thought about the Black Gate, I began realizing that there's nothing really useful about it, its just a glorified door. Ya, it talks, and it looks cool, but it serves the exact some purpose as any other gate so what's the point...unless it doesn't. Now we all know the nights king ruled from the Nightfort and performed sacrifices, it's likely he was using the Black Gate for this. But any gate could take him north of the wall, so what makes this Black Gate special? I believe the Black Gate has a second exit somewhere else, and can be used like a portal of some sorts. When you recite the nights watch vows, it allows you to pass through the wall, but what if there is another phrase you can say, possibly in a different language even; maybe the true tongue or the old tongue, that will take you somewhere else entirely. Now I have no ideas where this could be, but points of interest would be; the land of always winter, isle of faces, or even the shadow lands. There is one story that could hint to somewhere, and that is Old Nan's story of Symeon Star-eyes. It is said when he visited the Nightfort he saw 2 hellhounds fighting, throwing the logistics of how a blind man could see anything aside, hellhounds don't sound like something that would be north of the wall, they sound like something you would find in the shadow lands. Now this could just be a metaphor for 2 Starks fighting, or not true at all, but I do think the Black Gate being some kind of portal adds importance to it that was lacking.

[@Foudedanse]

Outstanding, thank you!

[@cullysloy2705]

Thanks for making GOT content finally!

[@burnsboysaresoldiers]

So are the weirwoods/old gods/Ice at opposition to the dragons/red god/Fire?

[@slayersboxer915]

You're the man, I love your content.

[@laordendelamanoverde1295]

The starks use to do blood sacrifice in these trees And that is dark magic... what if that kind of magic is the cause of their slowly death?

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

The Starks did this by request of the COTF. So I dont think the children are trying to kill there own network of "God's".

[@TheAllGreatMonoblos]

hmm, you raise a very interesting point in that there is a serious eco system in planetos, although we're unsure how far it goes - we also know the eco system has been tampered with with in the past but not to what the full extent is. Weirwoods presumably are connected to this eco system so as the system gets out of kilter it becomes more apparent in the weirwoods (this works both ways, and it could be that to remove power from the weirwoods is what has put the world out of kilter). My belief on this, concerning the others, is that if the others are the embodiment of winter, that must have come from somewhere (the trees), so I agree that the creation of the others may well be what put the world out of kilter. Is it then not unreasonable then to suggest that since this point in time the eco system has favored summer over winter. Could it be that the long summer may refer to the entire time since this point (even though there have been minor winters) and that with the return of the others - to put it in the stark words "winter is coming" (true winter). Weirwoods have been subjected to burning over the centuries, some people also theorize poisoning of their roots, etc etc. The power of the weirwoods has waned and it may be that the eco system in planetos is too far out of kilter, and with true winter returning (and a lack of the children) ... well, the story could well represent a force of nature. Of course this is also confirmation that global warming is real, so take that haters!

[@NoneMcNobody]

The Weirwood net is infected with death from the Others skinchanging the Dead maybe? In the show the night king seems to be a greenseer. Since Benjen was turned into a free willed 'ice zombie' with a dragonglass dagger in the heart maybe the dude we saw being turned in the show by the children was as well? Maybe shit went sideways when they resurrected a greenseer who was warging the dead with a dragon glass Pace maker...

[@ADragonAmongRoses]

I would love to read a fanfic based on someone living in Raventree using this concept.

[@MolotDET]

nice job bravo

[@haroldgodwinsonshouldhavew3875]

this is my fav a song of ice and fire youtube chanel.the lord of book bullies :D

[@heavynov]

Love this theory!

[@corastanescu8541]

Excellent!

[@hiteshchalise3988]

Very interesting theory.

[@Tsuferman]

Aware-wood. This is great, you're a genius.

[@majesticstardust1414]

You were right about the weirwood trees. If the trees die so does Westros at least in the show. Bran said the Night King was coming for him and his purpose was to wipe out history. I still think there could be more to Bran than the innocent Bran.

[@trfaison]

Maybe, Westeros will become an Arrakis like region (sans the sandworms) if the Weirwoods die.

[@dickrobot]

All Apsen trees in a forest are connected. But, aren't we all in a way?

[@oasiv4647]

And I was just kidding about the staying up for this thing, yet here I am.

[@samuelbedsole5089]

If the werewoods are indeed Yggdrasil, and if they are dying, then perhaps something is coming to Westeros: Ragnarok, or as they will know it the Battle for the Dawn. In the Norse myth of Ragnarok Yggdrasil will shake as the battle between the gods and giants of ice and fire begins. It was also during this time that a long winter, three times longer than normal, amd an age of battle and strife would come. At the end of the battle all the gods will be dead, along with a ll humanity, save for two-a man and a woman, and the gods Vali, Baldr, Hodr, Modi, amd Magni, who shall ruke over the reborn world at the end of the battle. Perhaps with the passing of the werewoods and the coming of the Others and Winter, the balance of the world changes. When the Others and the Long Night first came much death followed them butvafter it was over a new wirld was born. Perhaps we will see the same in the Battle for the Dawn. While many of the old powers will dien namely many of the old houses of Westeros, in the end two may emerge from the ashes of the old world to rule over the new- possibly Jon Snow and Danaerys Targaryen. Maybe the end of the Song of Ice and Fire can be found in the tale of Ragnarok. And looking at the signs that come before it (the crowing of the crimson rooster Fjalar, possibly the red comet) this could be very likely.

[@OwenTheLegend]

Fucking hell your videos are awesome. You remind me why I love ASOIAF and why Game of Thrones pales in comparison. When we watch the show my wife lists all the things which Martin copied from Tolkien, but she has no idea that although Martin was influenced by Tolkien (among many other things) these things are all homages, not rip offs. She hasn't read the books so she has NO IDEA how amazing they are

[@Ar1AnX1x]

I wouldn't have start reading A song of Ice and Fire if it wasn't for your channel

[@Poisonedblade]

Just turn it off, wait 20 seconds, and turn it on again. They're just routers.

[@MHWdJ]

where do I find the background music you always use? I see no link or reference in the discription.

[@QuinnsIdeas]

Always stay til the end of the video for credits

[@logansmith2703]

Isn't there also a theory that dead Weirwoods become the Ironwoods?

[@whatever6223]

Make another ASOIAF podcast!

[@Blackeye808]

the four stags are dead. Robert, Stannis, Renly, Shireen. Gendry may restore the stag blood.

[@brianmead7556]

My theory is that the weirwoods, with the ascension of the Andal religion, are starving to death from lack of sacrifices.

[@burnsboysaresoldiers]

So do you think the blood stone emperor or the church of starrie wisdom will make an appearance in twow or asos

[@madambutterfly1997]

Considering summer and winter last for decades and spring and Autumn only last a single year tells how fucked Westeros is

[@vinnieharper]

Back with the heat.

[@yousurf374]

No shit.... just a few days ago, on a diff. video producer for GoT, I posited the question of the interconnection all across Westeros, save the Vale/Eyrie... I mentioned (Quaking) Aspen and as how they grow by Rhyzome, throught he root system for propagation and form clusters... like blackberries and raspberries also do. I had wondered if that person, who is a book commentator for GRRM books, knew of any other facts that would lend credence to connection by roots and caves. He never answered. I asked it basically. He should have understood. Now you stating same way as my thoughts. With Isle of Faces being the defacto "brain".

[@TheMeiravital]

This actually ties in to what Jojen says to bran in the 3rd book: "The truth that lies beneath" It probably means that deep beneath the surface lies the heart of the organism that is the known as the "old gods". Similar to how the Rhoynar river powered the people living near it and protecting it, or Rhllor powering the bloodmages, and creating the wyrms and dragons. I think in the world of asoiaf there are many supernatural entities, believed to be gods by the people. Some of them have several aliases: the great other, aka god of death, and the stranger, possibly more - then there's the god of fire and blood, known these days as Rhllor, and there's the thing in the heart of asshai which could also be Rhllor. The beauty of it is that the gods depend on those above: the old gods couldn't stop the cutting of their weirwood, rhllor couldnt stop the doom of valyria, and so they are more like providers of power, and can be abused by warlocks, wizards of the wildfire, and so on

[@covenawhite4855]

I wonder if the Old Gods are Supernatural Beings of Nature OR if they are dead Children of the Forest whose souls have joined the Weir Wood. Though the Weir Wood Root Network

[@covenawhite4855]

I wonder if the Space Movie Avatar copied JRR Martin's idea from the books long before the show. Or is it a common trope magical trees talking to each other through supernatural roots connecting under ground

[@brightglory5734]

That would make sense as they have none in the vale you'd think they could create a suitable garden rocky soil or not.

[@aysseralwan]

They have none in the Eyrie but I dont think that it was ever stated that there are none in the vale as a whole

[@captainanopheles4307]

Bonsai weirwood?

[@monsouranda2822]

for apparent reason my notification is atleast 15 mins late.

[@brendeadd]

Blood Raven is basically Odin

[@alanpennie8013]

What does that make Bran? Baldur?

[@niallotoole9720]

Hel I would say, half dead body, lives underground, connected to the world tree... I'm sure there's more

[@kefkapalazzo1]

Holy shit he lost his eye

[@brendeadd]

kefkapalazzo1 also shapeshifter, connected with wolves and ravens, connected to the world tree, magic user, poet, god of war, god of wisdom, sacrificed himself... should I go on idiot?

[@ismata3274]

i still think fungus theory is more fitting. but this works too.

[@AlPHArius-fs9gu]

Could the doom of Valeria have something to do with the dying of the Weirwoods? Something happens to stifle magic, takes out the major magic users of mankind and the weirwoods start to die...

[@AmethystEmpressDivineTarot6589]

Nope. That was The many faced God, now the house of black and white. They started in the mines of Valyria, began giving gift to slaves who prayed for death, then later turned their assasinations to the "Masters" aka the fire maeges keeping the 14 flames held at bay. They caused the doom. My theory.

[@Omer698]

You should do a Mortal Engines series

[@bigboy4067]

I watch all your ads cause I'm too poor to hop on Patreon

[@laioren]

At 2:58, you mention a conflict between the Sidhe and the... maleesians (sp?)? Can you comment with the correct spelling of that for me? I’d like to look into that more.

[@Dothreban]

Deep!

[@julioacceus253]

I wait a week for the new episode of American Horror story, I go on KZbin and you're there.... Are you coming on to me?

[@gnomeyg959]

i truly hope that the books will end up being waaay weirder and more fantastical than the show. im really not comfortable with my weird ass nerd shit getting so mainstream that Cosmo is talking about it