Game of Thrones/ASOIAF Theories | Why is Craster Alive? | Podcast

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Part 8 in our Podcast Series. Why is Craster Alive?
Theories and analysis of A Song of Ice and Fire using text evidence and quotes from George RR Martin.
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[@nicholasseitz4728]

Keep in mind that up until recently, even the night's watch men didn't believe in the existence of the others. So if craster helped them in some earlier battle or saved a lord commander in the past, that could be reason to title him friend of the watch. so in prior years, you know he kills is babies, but to you (who doesn't believe in others) giving him to the cold just means freezing him to death. Which is just a dead wildling to the watch.

[@originalsamshu1]

Couldn't agree more. That's why this has been a dead issue for years. They really should have looked into it more.

[@Phantisma09]

That was my thought but also the points beyond he feeds an army to the Others... Like he's still an awful person

[@wagrhodes13]

I don't know, the rangers seem to believe in the Others. Its the stewards and the builders that don't. We don't actually get to know many rangers, because Jon and Sam don't. But the few experienced rangers we do hear about seem to take the others seriously.

[@sergerold3238]

@@Phantisma09 oj

[@stevengarman4848]

How long has Craster been around? Could he possibly been much over 50 years old?

[@trebleclef293]

I could listen to these two destroy a fictional characters whole non existence for hours..I’m subscribing

[@kinghoenn3478]

This would have been funny if you released this on Father's Day

[@TheOrderoftheGreenhand]

LOL

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

And the m'lady could have made a graphic like a "Happy father's day!" with white walkers and "Monster" signed :D

[@privateinformation9384]

😂

[@1FATBOY114]

24:18, "He has no defenses." I think he does have a defense, Blood Raven.😮

[@deserttortoise2227]

This might be an instance of the show distorting our reasoning. We saw in the show that the baby turned into an other, but not in the books and there's no reason to think the characters would put this together at that point. In terms of Craster just being an evil dude, he's probably not alone among wildlings. We saw in Bran's vision a human sacrifice to a weirwood so it's plausible that this ritual is still performed north of the wall and incest is surprisingly common in the GOT universe.

[@striker8961]

That kinda true. At best they’d think it’s more souls for the army of the dead or blood magic that makes them stronger somehow.

[@williamhermann6635]

And the way its written is he gives them to "the wood" which could mean he gives them to the children of the forest

[@ronaldmccomb8301]

Maybe they accepted the sheep, dog, etc. as an acknowledgement that Cranster was willing to give up something valuable to the others when he had no sons in exchange for his life?

[@michelmorio8026]

Maybe „blood sacrifice“? If we go to ancient cultures, they did that also to keep their bonds to their gods and show proof of their faith...

[@rebornstillborn]

It could be a symbolic gift and also a punishment - less food for next winter if he doesn't try harder next time to get more kids ready. And yeah, I like the idea of blood magic more than the Others being "made of kids". GRRM based the Others and the Children of the Forest on the Seelie and Unseelie - Summer and winter elves basically. That doesn't mean that the Others can't be humans originally, but it doesn't sit right with me for some reason.

[@GiordanoBruno42]

Well my take is this: For the years before we see craster in the story he's been providing limited food and shelter to the night's watch. If it suits him he'll give true information sometimes too. His group has the skills to keep themselves relatively well fed beyond the wall. At this time the night's watch do not believe in the others. They think of them as an ancient night's watch legend (at least most of them). Everybody throughout the first book refers to the wildlings as the night's watch's enemy. As far as the night's watch is concerned he's the closest thing to an ally they could get out there. The night's watch is in large part made up of rapists and murderers. If they took it upon themselves to kill every rapist or murderer they would have to lose half of their men too. Also, to kill Craster, a known "friend" of the watch, would make it impossible to find aid beyond the wall for a very long time. There's no way the free folk wouldn't find out, gossip spreads like plague, it would mark them as exactly the kind of scum that most free folk already think the night's watch are. Clearly most of the men are deeply unhappy with having no choice but to stay with Craster. It's a case of naiveté towards the others and having dire need. Also a feeling that the laws of westeros don't apply beyond the wall, their job is to protect the wall, not serve justice to a people beyond control.

[@rebornstillborn]

Yeah that all makes sense to me, but if Mormont and Maester Aemon knew the Others were a threat would they be so keen on keeping Craster around? It seems that several people in the Watch - Benjen, Half-hand, Mormont etc suspect that both the Others and the Children of the Forest are on the move again. That's the one thing that makes it seem strange to me that Craster was left to his own devices.

[@pushista9322]

​@@rebornstillborn Craster is known to be sensitive to bastard subject. They said he hated bastards in general, he hated Jon Snow specifically, and he exploded after being called a bastard himself, which led to him attacking the brothers of the Night's Watch and being killed. However, people are called bastards when their parent was highborn. Mormont seems to have more reasons to let him live, beyond those reasons that he repeats to the brothers of the Watch. Might be Craster is some Mormont bastard and that would make it impossible for the Old Bear to kill him, being his own blood.

[@chyawanprash]

I think a child sacrifice was always a part of the Night's Watch, as is evident by the Nightfort, Black Gate, Night's King, Snowgate (or Bastard Gate). When Alysanne shut all that down, they had to move the operation north. I think child sacrifice is part of the agreement with the Others that ended the first war.

[@lostcinema5189]

The Nights Watch don't randomly kill wildlings! They not even kill a wildling when its the first time he try to cross the wall. They cut the ears of as punishment only by the second attempt they kill. The Rangers only hunt wildlings that have attacked nights watch members. They even trade goods with "friendly" wildlings. And other wildlings help the watch. Exemple given, they helped Mance when he was injured.

[@Loric1347]

JRRM likes his names to have double meanings. I always took Crassters keep as both a castle, and the place where the peace /pact with the others is kept. The fact that it's such a poor castle, makes me think the name has to have a bigger meaning, it doesn't need walls if it offers a different kind of protection.

[@Loric1347]

Why wasn't Craster killed? The same reason Dany never was: powerful allies. If the Nights Watch killed him, they loose one of their precious few allies north of the wall and Mormont seems to know it would provoke the Others. If the Wildlings killed him, the Nights Watch or worse the Others would retaliate. The Wildlings have never stopped fearing the Others, and Craster has done everything possible to be associated with them. The six Others who killed the Wildlings and then the Rangers in the prologue, were an elite level fighting team. They eliminated two parties of experienced fighters apparently without injury. They toyed with Ser Waymar Royce who was young but had all the training a lord could provide for his children. This was clearly not their first fight, not by a long shot, and I'm assuming that the Wildlings had taken notice of the aftermath of whatever they did to become such an efficient, disciplined, and well organized fighting team. If we assume the Others really are the sons of Craster who appears to be at least 60, his sons could have been of fighting age for the last 30 years. Possibly for all of Crasters life if the Others are not literally his boys. Whatever the actuality, the Others have clearly been in the area of Crasters Keep for several generations. Mance spent the last 10 to 12 years uniting the Wildlings in response to the Others, he very well may have first seen evidence of them while ranging in the area. I'm getting into the weeds here with assumptions, so suffice it to say that, north of the wall a man keeps what he can take, and continues to hold what he can defend. Craster's defenses is his reputation of being a godly man, who seems to have the Others living in his back yard.

[@anthonylaviale3021]

In that line of thinking, it's quite possible the keep is magically protected in a similar way to Bloodraven's cave. The guy has given massive sacrifices, not only his sons but also his livestock, all of it. It might be religious fervor, but it seems to me like Craster would want something in return, but he isn't rich, immortal, a great chief. It could be bribes to keep the others away, but he has been doing it for decades, far before the wildlings started to seriously worry about it. The last thing I can figure is buying protection, magical protection, to live his monstrous lifestyle in peace. The main issue with this idea is he was killed in a very mundane way. Maybe he was late on his bills.

[@Loric1347]

@@anthonylaviale3021 If he was "playing all 3 sides" then the death is perfectly fitting. The new kids didn't know the game and acted unpredictably, and in response to some of his dark duplicates actions appeasing one of the other factions. Reputation only goes so far with new people.

[@PuddingAtheist]

@@Loric1347 love your use of double spaces

[@rebornstillborn]

But it doesn't seem to be Crasters death that provokes the Others, they are already gathering their strength and pushing into the lands of the wildlings for whatever reason. And Waymar Royce was mysteriously sent to the wall and given a leader position as a ranger to go investigate north of the wall. That makes me think that the Others were already on the move for a long time before Crasters death and other parties besides the wildlings themselves were aware of this fact.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

The sheep and dogs are definitely for sacrifice. I don't know if it's for blood sacrifice to a weirwood, or if it is as some sort of food for the children they're taking though. Just because the show showed us a way that the babies were transformed doesn't mean the books follow that in any capacity.

[@troperhghar9898]

When I first read this part of the book I took it as more "the nights watch isnt what it used to be" Why do the rangers let craster make his inbred babies? Because they dont care

[@MrIcingdeath22]

It sounds like a conspiracy between Craster and the Night’s Watch. Do they know the others will descend on the watch if anything happens to him?

[@dim391]

I think remember hearing that whether human or animal, that bodies are turned into paste. Perhaps it’s fed to the Weirwood itself, fed to Bloodraven or Bran or the other Children connected to the Weirwood roots (if the theory that the White Walkers are in alliance with the Children). Unlike in the show where the Night King simply touched babies and they immediately turned to White Walkers, I think it’s more horrific in the books and they too turn to paste. And so maybe it’s the same for animals that Craster offers.

[@iceandfyre]

Craster, Northumberland says the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon Crawe Caestre which means “crow camp”. Craster is famous for making cold-smoked fish which is prepared by a group of Scottish fishwives who live in very modest accommodations. Found that fitting. Is it possible Craster had a dad who did the same thing…and kept one boy to keep it going? 🤷‍♀️

[@queenjayneapproximately]

The only thing I can think of, that the Others do with the sheep and dogs is that they use them for recon. They wight them, then send them into a village to get a general idea of numbers and layout.

[@redjirachi1]

I'm not one to believe people can be born evil, but in the case of Craster, Euron and any Bolton not named Domeric, I'm willing to make an exception

[@nonyabizznu5087]

Ygritte says he's cursed, and folklore is full of monsters that demand children in payment for a deal. I think Gilly's son would have been Craster's last son even if he hadn't been killed in the mutiny. Craster was old, his fertility may have finally been declining. If whatever pact or curse he was under hinged on his ability to father sons, then it would stand to reason that not being able to have children would count as breaking the deal. He died immediately after Gilly's son was born, it might have been the same day, and I don't think that's a coincidence. The curse might be something like, "When your final son draws his first breath, you shall draw your last". With that in mind, Craster sacrifices the boys to free up the mothers for another round and keeps the daughters as replacements. His life hinges on putting off his final son for as long as he can. He knows he has nothing to worry about until then, so he acts like an asshole to everyone he meets and lives like a king. People might be compelled not to try to kill him, or someone tried and found out they couldn't. It's also interesting to note that the men who killed Craster were then killed by Coldhands and the ravens not long after.

[@jhherkert]

Ding Ding Ding!!! This is exactly what I thought while reading the books, and I still think it’s the most "George" explanation

[@rickmaurer8726]

Personally when I first heard his name, I thought spellcaster. He lives alone in a dangerous location surrounded by enemies, yet somehow he manages to survive and live well for himself. Despite Jon and Sam with strong moral codes know the type of man he is, the same phrase pops up their heads and cancels out all doubts. Either they are enchanted or he whispers to them in their dreams while sleeping in his house. Hence why he allows the Night's Watch to stay his place on long rangings. Plus the part you mentioned where he suddenly moves faster than what he appeared for his age stands out as well. I suspect Craster is a mage either worshipping the cold gods or hoping to gain knowledge from these old ones by offering his kids as sacrifices in exchange for dark knowledge or power. The blood of a wizard would be a valuable commodity to these old gods.

[@michelmorio8026]

I expect the „moving unexpectedly fast“ is just figurative speech that they just underestimate him because of his age and physical appearance! That hasn’t to mean something supernatural/magical... read such phrases a hell of a lot in other fantasy and it always meant the same... the guy/girl got just underestimated by the POV character! There isn‘t some hidden message beneath every second phrase in these books 😉 Besides, in the end, it didn‘t really help him, did it? No supernatural abilities when he gets killed... just an old man getting his throat slit open

[@crazyscotsman9327]

@@michelmorio8026 To add to your point, it's Sam who is the POV. Sam is not a warrior, and is not used to the speed of a well trained and honed warrior. Sure he's seen Jon fight but Jon is still a child, who hadn't gotten his full strength and power yet. And Jon still kicks most people in the Watch's ass. So ya it's easy for Sam to underestimate just how fast Craster is. If it was Jon's pov or Mormont's then it'd be impressive. But it's Sam...

[@ivanbluecool]

My best guesses before the video are craster being a good way point for the nights watch regardless of his actions. Craster giving ihcest babies to the white walkers so they have weaker bodies and in turn destory them genetically. The deal is known about the babies so until the mutiny he was basically the only reason why the widlings and nights watch were not just killed randomly in his area aside when they come for the babies. Or joke answer craster is a godly man. Honestly it's an interesting part of the story that is overshadowed by Jon dying as after his death the whole place was destoryed.

[@birgaripadam7112]

I remember hearing this theory I think it makes sense

[@ivanbluecool]

@@birgaripadam7112 well yeah it's hard to find any other thing to answer this mystery as crasters keep is all but done already with the place being destoryed. Craster made a deal with them so that's the real question i wanna know. Why and how did he do it

[@in_vas_por8810]

Craster is a Godly man!!!!! 😂🤣 In all seriousness though, I tend to believe that Craster has a very notable lineage that led him to this point. Like how do you just figure out that you can sacrifice your own offspring to the others and end up creating that kind of relationship with them? He doesn't strike me as a guy who studied dark arts, ancient history, or learned that knowledge from books. He had to have learned it from whoever came before him, or it was embedded in his dna.

[@Niall001]

I'm sceptical. Incest is bad and all but it's not as though it makes that much of a difference. Is neonatal diabetes going to make that much of a difference to a magical creature whose only weakness is dragonsteel? Have we seen any malformed Others? Hasn't George described them as beautiful? And even if they were somewhat weaker, it is still adding to enemy numbers.

[@ivanbluecool]

@@in_vas_por8810 they theorized in the books that the nights king(not night king) was a stark or Bolton or high class person and I heard craster was simialr to having high blood in him and using his daughters to keep the bloodline pure to give more sons to the what walkers.

[@carlitoking8473]

He has been around since Bloodraven was Lord Commander

[@astrinymris9953]

14:09 Here's the thing: The rangers know that Craster is sacrificing baby boys to the Others... *but do they know that the Others are turning these babies into new Others?* That's the missing piece. As far as they know these baby boys are just dying, not swelling the Others ranks for an eventual conquest of the human world. Not knowing that, the only reasons to stop Craster would be humanitarian concerns, and the Watch for whatever reason has decided that tolerating Craster's vileness is preferable to manning and stocking a permanent ranger station beyond the Wall. For that matter, the whole "White Walkers turn human babies into White Walkers" is show canon. Yes, Craster's daughter-wives believe this to be the case, but apparently most men of the Night Watch don't spend enough time talking to them to know that. Even if they did, how much weight would they place on the theories of generations of uneducated incest victims? Also, I think you're underestimating the value of a warm place to sleep north of the wall. Remember the prologue of AGOT, when Gared spoke of killing cold? That implies that at least some rangers have died from hypothermia or frostbite, meaning that in some cases Craster's meager hospitality has made the difference between life and death. Also, GRRM has stated that the Others are alive, or at least "not dead", so maybe they do eat the sheep. There's so much we don't yet know about them. Just sayin', not hatin'.

[@INeverPullOutofCrazy]

They are afraid of retaliation from the white walkers if they kill craster. Maybe his sons were sufficient at first to keep the walkers at bay, but his ‘offerings had slowed in his latter years sparking the others to attack more elsewhere. Also, weren’t the watch unaware the others still existed? Maybe they just thought he left his kids to die in the cold...

[@DafyddBrooks]

The actor Robert Pugh is Welsh and is from a place called Pontypridd, just wanted to say that that's all :) . great video guys

[@DafyddBrooks]

@Alias Fakename haha unfortunately not Princess Mononoke, but good guess. she did how ever starr opposite maise williams in the falling :)

[@zacrusk5274]

He is a godly man…

[@qrancesco9981]

The only thing I can think of (kind of absurd, I know), is that Craster was somehow "infiltrating" the Others....maybe he might have had some control over the Others that are/were his sons...or maybe he was just providing the Others with "defective" or somehow treasonous new "members". If this were happening and Mormont, Mance/Arthur 😉, and other important figures were aware of this, it could explain why he was still alive and (erroneously 😂) felt untouchable. Ps: I love your channel! Just finished another re-watch of your Machiavelli of Westeros series...I might never forgive George for never giving us a Tywin chapter!

[@mattkyokowilliams9841]

A thought concerning why Craster gave the Walkers sheep. On p.370 it discusses this topic which is interesting. Gilly tells us that Craster offers sacrifices when the white cold comes, which is now more often. This is her reasoning of why Craster has given his sheep and will next give the dogs, until it’s time she delivers her baby boy. So it sounds like the sheep are only symbolic gifts that demonstrate the true gift of a human male. Sounds a lot like a pact to me.

[@hereforthecommentsection_11]

First counterpoint would be that they didn’t know he was helping them build an army, just that he was sacrificing his his boys to be spared. You wouldn’t stop him when he’s been the only thing that’s saved your rangers from dying in the cold.

[@hereforthecommentsection_11]

And a warm place to sleep is incredibly Important!! Especially in the land of always winter. I feel like you’re just blowing off how essential that is to ken who are freezing.

[@woolyhoggett]

Weren't the Others in hibernation until recently? Craster must have been at this for more than 40 years. There are no reports of Other activity that is more than just a few years old. Does anyone have any insight from the books I missed? I am legally blind and don't read well, and perhaps I missed something...

[@braylonshook1893]

Bro was a godly man

[@Richard_Nickerson]

I've always thought that that cold smell line was just the 1st clue that he deals with the Others and that the Night's Watch already knows that.

[@johansmallberries9874]

The nightswatch priorities are always out of whack, so that doesn’t surprise me. But it DOES surprise me that the wildlings don’t kill him or constantly harass and raid him. He has southern steel, steady provisions, and is just one guy with a haram constantly waiting to turn on him. You’d think they’d kill him just for being a half-crow.

[@striker8961]

It wouldn’t be the first time the wildlings and the watch / northmen teamed up to take down someone who worships the others. The first nights king

[@sameraiza5767]

Preston had the theory that Craster was poisoning The Others by giving them progressively more inbred babies

[@carlitoking8473]

Nobody fucks with Craster because everyone knows the Whte Walkers have his back, and nobody wants smoke with White Walkers.

[@djokealtena2538]

The questions I have is what they want with living beings? Kill them? So they eat then? But we don't hear or see about that... And babies? What use is a baby? I mean if they are meant to be used for an army they'd have to grow up first....assuming the dead don't grow how does that happen then.... So are the Children of the forest then involved in this?

[@Deadxman616]

What if Caster family line was required to sacrifice all but one of their males to the whites/ children of the forest as the pac that was made.

[@theoctagonjones]

Don’t have any extra dragons lying around for PayPal, but I sit through the entirety of your advertisements because I love u.

[@reconstructo]

I suspect that Craster feeding the army of Others, and no one stopping him, was a necessary illogical element to make the story happen. Would love to learn more though.

[@woolyhoggett]

A "wooly hoggett" is a sheep who is young and never been shorn. Their wool is considered very soft and premium.Hope you got my baby gift.

[@TheOrderoftheGreenhand]

we did !!! thank you so much !!!

[@Tyler_W]

I could see why the Wildlings wouldn't mess with Craster. They might know that he's interacting with the Others, and they might just not want to go within a hundred miles of whatever he's up to over there, regardless of how easy it would be to kill him. As far as the book goes, how much do the Watch actually know about what hrs doing? Sure, they know he's a bad dude, but do they actually know that he's goving his boys to the Others? A lot of the Watch probably don't even believe in such things anymore. Perhaps they tolerate him because he's the only source of information they have beyond the wall. It may not always be reliable, bht it's all they have. I would like to think that there's more going on there because somebody absolutely shoupd have put this guy down a long time ago regardless of whether or not they knew or believed that he was handing his children over to the Others.

[@ashleyofnaath]

Another thought occurred to me...if there was some sort of preexisting pact involving Craster and the Others, and the Night's Watch turned a blind eye and deaf ear...I would think that the rank and file members may not know specifics but surely the Lord Commander would so they could keep subordinates like Jon from interfering w/Craster's actions. Like maybe there's a letter or something that would pass from LC to LC explaining the pact, and they have to shoulder the burden of knowledge alone. Nothing ever passes to Jon when he becomes LC so maybe I'm off base; but it just seems that the LC should have knowledge of everything somehow. Jeor definitely seems to know more than he's saying.

[@jonbuuck7687]

The position Craster is set up in makes it far more likely seeming to me that instead of him and his shitheap being allowed to exist as an oversight, he's actually being kept there as a sustainable resource (if not the most productive of such anymore). It just seems like rather a lot of implication for very likely nothing at all by way of story-development provided by the author if in the end Craster is just there to provide a pit-stop for sorefoot crows. Hell, half or more of the wildlings seem QUITE ready to consider merking his whole place on the way to the wall, so I cannot imagine that what John heard from the crustiest of the other crows present at the time was the most technically accurate of descriptions. He is known to be worse than his reputation, after all. To me it just seems like a supply chain that only runs one way. The Others either are or at least seem to be quite literally running a train of newborns up into and through the most northernly areas of the Frostfangs, one by one, all the way from Craster's Keep and are (regularly enough for WW proliferation) arriving with living infants - so they can otherify them, or w/e. The fact that there are quite a few individual WWalkers shown in the television series alone makes me think that this specific arrangement hasn't been going on for too terribly long though, probably being limited to the end of the previous generation (Craster's parents, a Watcheman and his abductee Free Folk woman out of Whitetree) on into the generation that's coming to adulthood at the beginning of the series. Craster seems to be more or less just a sociopath/incel half-wildling pervert with no manners, not some messianic creature of the Others with fertility powers... So... given that there are MANY more WW implied than needed for the story directly (so far only one of them has any kind of character distinct title or nom-de-guerre) I suspect that our smelly, overly hairy buddy Craster is just the last/latest in a line of available individual men and/or women specifically capable of producing children who could survive the ride up over the mountains and into the Deeper North, the Lands of Allways Winter. I'm betting on ole' cranky-Crasty himself being (genetically speaking) spawned from some waterheaded strung out branch of wildings whom also owe some liniage to the Night's King and his White Scorceress Queen. I'd also bet on The Others being present in far greater numbers in and around the nearby countryside at Craster's. Baby taxi duty armed escort.

[@wagrhodes13]

We just don't know enough about the Others to know why they would accept animal sacrifices. As you said we don't even know whether they eat or not. Maybe the blood magic necessitates a fresh victim. Maybe they do eat, or have people that do. Honestly maybe they don't have a use for the animals, but value the gesture, maybe the Others understand humans enough to know that giving up livestock is a meaningful sacrifice for humans to make and accept them to maintain the relationship it entails. Maybe they use the sheep to feed their giant frost-spider steeds.

[@ms.tequilera5661]

I can't remember if this applies or not, but could it be because of Guest Right?

[@eiriklarsen4614]

Preston Jacobs has a video series that might give an answer to this topic.

[@bradwolf07]

Ok, so my personal theory is that Crastor is the son of Bloodraven and a Wildling Woman. He put this creep in his position and given him a task. Given what Crastor does, he may spy for his father, but likely he provides defective children to the Others. The Lord Commanders after Bloodraven know that he has a task given to him from a previous Lord Commander that is worth sacrificing some Brothers of the Night's Watch (occasionally) and baby boys. As for the Wildlings, Bloodraven probably uses his magic to dissuade them from harming Crastor. And of course the Others protect their source of babies since the Queen that visited the North put an end to the Lord's right of the first night (thus creating less b*stards). Sorry, not a clue what the Others would need of goats other than. As pets; but I don't see the Others being sentimental over animals.

[@morganlafay9104]

The livestock and dogs could be fead to the "ice spiders big as hounds"?!

[@lenski8306]

My only guess with sheep or goat offering to the other is that maybe like in the show the Others need to take the babies to a certain place to turn them into new Others but for the dog.... And by the way, why do Craster live here ? Like why here ? Was there an old village ? Did Craster dady did this with other women and Craster took the succession ?

[@countbalerionofhousetatter2624]

good question. why the blue bleeding blazes is the NW in bed w/ arguably the most evil person in westeros who's in cahoots w/ the Others? (just started watching now.)

[@kec7761]

Guest Right. A main religious point of the First Men. Craster never leaves his place

[@carmensavu5122]

So? Night's Watch is full of criminals.

[@redbayly]

I recently had a thought about what the Others could be doing with the sheep. They are using the animals for their lifeforce to create something. I mean, the Others take Craster's sons to make into Others not just normal undead wights; once they take those babies, some sort of magical process is used to make them something non-human, as there is no way they could raise dead babies into adulthood. Seeing as the Others are basically just ice in a living form, I think they take the lifeforce out of the babies and create adult Others. Therefore, with the sheep, they are taking the lifeforce out of the animals and creating...well, I'm not sure exactly, but maybe some kind of ice horse or, heck, maybe they need a bunch of lifeforces to create things like ice spiders or ice dragons. Just my thoughts on a possible explanation.

[@countbalerionofhousetatter2624]

mormont even *knows* that war on Others is the real war.

[@sergoldenhandthejust1495]

And didn't the Mance send a messenger and Craster said he cut the guys hands off and nailed them over his fire??? Why would mance let him get away with that nonsense???

[@edinsonrodriguez7486]

If a pact was signed and North of the wall is forbidden to men, it stands to reason that all caught beyond the wall could be put to death. Given that Craster gives offerings to the Others than there must be an understanding that his Keep is safe zone.

[@mellowmax]

how many white walkers are there?

[@sleekoduck]

I've been waiting for this video! And this is why I am not a fan of Jeor. ☝️

[@jessenicholas1909]

I'm sure you've already resolve these questions but did not the night's King and Queen also give their children to the others? Wasn't there some agreement truce a treaty where the others had to be maintained by men or they rise up and come again!? The cheaper the dogs part is easy because of course they're taking children who need to be fed until they raised up into ice warriors you can't make a baby into an undead because it will never grow

[@ddfelix4829]

Thanks for sharing your views. Great work, but I think your premise is flawed on this one. I believe Mormont, Benjen, Smallwood, et al. have convinced themselves (as the Watch has done for a thousand years) that the Others are legends or long gone. They think that rangers are missing from Mance's budding power. They rationalize that Craster abandons his sons to death by exposure in order to keep himself safe from patricide. In AGOT's prologue, Will and Gared are frightened by the entirely new experience of the unnaturally still forest and cannot explain it to Waymar the noob. Everyone arrives at the Wall thinking of Wildlings and laughing at grumpkins... and find it terrifying when the legends have come to life. Even though Mormont and the officers may suspect Mance of magic or somehow entertain the possibility of Others, we all saw how woefully the Night's Watch is prepared to deal with them. Mormont saw Othor and Jafer Flowers and still rode beyond the Wall... he had no true concept of the Others. If he had, he'd have invited Mance to join him. Keep up the fantastic work!

[@qujmilton]

I believe that Craster definetly set up Waymar Royce , Will and Gared Craster mentioned that Waymar slept outside when he stayed at Craster's Keep Craster claimed that this was because Waymar was too proud to stay under his roof but i believe that Waymar was disgusted by Craster and offended him(called him a bastard or something) so Craster kicked him out the same way he tried to kick out the mutineers and then he sent the others after the three rangers when they left to get revenge.

[@aprilmae274]

I could't add this sorry-Craster has pure First Men blood AND something more. For some reason, as RARE as pure blood First Men is, Craster's blood is singular among something almost extinct all together, if that makes sense. THAT died with Craster-The Others DEF want Craster's last living son back.

[@charlieteneyck6797]

They know they are sacrificing but they don’t know that the boys become others

[@KK-dw1wq]

His offerings keep the WW placated.

[@thereal_rebel1493]

Well, the Others have only become very active again for the Wildings in one or 2 years at the start of the GoT. Most of NW’s ranging has been against the Wildings. Hence a Craster is useful. It is said or implied he may have Targaryen blood that the Others prize. Once the NW become fully aware of the Others, they are all ready f-d & Craster is dead.

[@saminator3563]

Think Mormont is getting warged or dreams sent to him?? Because come on, Craster as a ally and the great ranging, thats just thinning the watch. Loosing rangers aka spies/scouts, range north blind, wights ran past the wildling army to go take out the 300 brothers up a hill. That shits beeen happening on purpose

[@IkBerend]

The babies don't have to turn into Others. If I remembered right that is just something from the show. Maybe they try to turn them into Others but to work the babies need some ability. The ability that is central in ASOIAF is greenseeing. Craster is inbreeding. So genes will in time form couples. Also specials genes like the greenseeer genes. So if the Others are searching for a special baby and they suspect Craster has special genes they will allow him to breed. Then there is the right of the first night (by some other name). And it is implied that babies where dumped in a well. The Blackfort has a well with a passage to beyond the Wall. So it is implied that babies where given to the north. And what better babies than those born as bastards from the right of the first night? So it looks like giving babies to the Others was a long tradition. Probably there was an understanding between men and the others. But only the North remembers. And then an Targaryen queen ended the right of the first night. And Craster is keeping the Others happy with his inbred babies. He is probably one of the only ones that is willing to give his sons away to keep the peace with the Others. If it comes to war with the Others it will be after Sam 'steals' one of the babies. That probably pissed the Others of. Maybe the others already knew a baby would be stolen because they saw the future. Therefor they are more active now. And therefor they killed Waymar Royce. Waymar Royce is a lookalike of Jon Snow. The Others seem disappointing in the skill of Waymar when they kill him. Almost as they know that he can't be the one that might undo them, that he isn't the savior of humankind that Jon Snow will be. And also the wildlings may be aware of the role that Craster plays in keeping the Others happy. Also he isn't bothering any of them. Thx to a lot of other KZbinrs. And no I didn't remember all this stuff right. So feel free to correct.

[@safespacebear]

With the "known" information about Craster, yes, it's hard to justify suffering his existence. But I get a feelings that those in more respected positions or just the older folks are all in on an open secret or maybe just a shared assumption about why this happens and why it is necessary to tolerate it. I don't agree with the mutiny . Regardless of what Craster's guests thought of their host, they accepted food and drink from him (regardless of how poor the quality of those offerings were) and then they murdered their host. Seems like a horrible thing for the Night's Watch to do when the folks in the Seven Kingdoms pretend to respect the Night's Watch as a noble institution. I didn't like Craster but I trust Lord Mormont's judgement and I assume he had damn good reasons to do and say what he did.

[@rebornstillborn]

I trust Mormonts good intentions, but his judgement isn't always sound. The Great Ranging lead to the disaster at the Fist of The First Men after all.

[@1FATBOY114]

The guy sacrifices his kids it sucks but he is beyond the wall what he does is his business. They don't know where the others come from most of them don't believe in the others. As a matter of fact most of them think the free folks are the problem.

[@machib77]

If they'd kill Kraster there would not be sacrifices. If they are no sacrifices, the others would kill whomever lives there.

[@ronaldmccomb8301]

Maybe everyone knows the Others protect him. Meaning, if the Watch moved in force against him, the Others would wipe them out. Better to fight the Others closer to the Wall. Or, to show what horrible people you have to deal with in war. Great video, though.

[@rayyanadeem2354]

Is it mentioned in the books that the Others are using babies to make more of them?? I dont remember. Is it just a Show storyline?

[@TheOrderoftheGreenhand]

Craster is giving his baby boys to them and his wives refer to the Others who come as the boys so I think that pretty much sums it up

[@christophertracy4377]

Thanks 4 the upload. I think Craster was murdered but by who?,

[@danielsoult2230]

Because he has dragon blood lmao another secret dragon y’all. And if they killed him it’s a powerful blood magic or something idk I never thought about it. Because the author needed him alive until he didn’t

[@Kallynthehuntress]

There is nothing coincidental about the nights watch being attacked by Others so close to Craster's. They were there for Gilly's baby.

[@andrewniehoff8612]

Here are some potential answers to your questions Why did he sacrifice animals: Perhaps the Others have no value for them, but by making Craster give them things he may value they demonstrate dominance Why doesn't the Watch/ Wildlings kill him: They seem to know something of his dealings, perhaps they feared that if they did the Others would retaliate for losing a source of "recruits". That may also be the cause for his acting untouchable, he thinks he has big friends to protect him.

[@multimindgamer7821]

Could the others be feeding the sheep and dogs to their ice spiders?

[@kylelouer4323]

Is he left alive bc he could be blood ravens son?

[@AwakeAtTheWheel]

I’m hoping forthcoming books will give some answers.

[@shayannn6385]

But Seriously maybe not all others all bad actually i only read 2 story from george beside asoiaf " in the house of the worms" and "ice dragon" in both of them main character told there are monster race in deeps of earth but when he meet them they weren't evil at all also in "ice dragon" our hero name is "othera" or something and she had a ice dragon

[@DafyddBrooks]

BRIIILLLIANT. i know thats what the truth will turn out to be that the others are not what they seem to be. but the question is why??

[@shayannn6385]

@@DafyddBrooks multiple faction or clans or something like that?? although ones with craster seems evil maybe not killing the rangers but turn them into whites is "evil" Also in show all of the others are connected like a magical hive mind So i dont know🤔

[@DafyddBrooks]

@@shayannn6385 well the borg from star trek next gen is what i always thought of them. ha and that even relates to grrm sci fi mind huh :) . we'll did one of the others do a little laugh or something in the prolouge to indicate that they have intelligence??? either way i'm sure its gona turn out that the others aren't as bad or evil and that they them selves are just trying to survive and everyone in 7 kingdoms is evil because.....well mankind is i guess ,

[@Drew_Thompson]

could it possible be that craster is like familiar in Blade? Is he providing them sacrifices in the hopes of one day becoming a Other?

[@stupidminotaur9735]

1. NW are using craster to poison the others. 2. The women and the girls are force keeping him there. 3. Craster has some way to talk to the others. 4. The munity at craster keep was magical influenced he was giving them alot of food. A full horse

[@magermanken]

Craster and Mance are kin

[@AcEyDeViLLe]

The others have ice spiders ect they must need dogs n sheep for that

[@maxschreck9988]

Crastor was never killed by the women because he kept them "safe". Abuse victims, which his wives were, often have difficulty breaking free. They killed mutineers because, tropey as it is, killing Crastor freed them. Wildlings probably used Crastor the same as the Watch. Those that hated him probably feared the Others more. Crows that were hostile were probably discreetly killed. As for wight animals, there are plenty of uses. For dogs, combat has frequently been used as a way of taking advantage of a canine's speed and natural bites. Along with that, they could theoretically be used as good scouts. Sheep are decoys. You wight a sheep, slap a bell on it, and set it loose near a wildling camp. I'd imagine you could easily get two or three wights out of those hunters who would go after the free mutton.

[@woolyhoggett]

Not all abuse victims. My abuser paid a large price.

[@pushista9322]

That's if you suggest the white walkers are capable of planning

[@n.y.174]

I never looked at the mutiny as a good thing because of the rape that followed. But I think just from a Night's Watch perspective, we run into the same problems here as Jon pointed out to Sam. The Night's Watch does not rescue wildlings. If we take these women back to the Wall, then what? Part of the discontent with Jon's leadership is because he was allowing wildlings to come to the Wall. The Night's Watch has become a ignorant, misogynistic boy's club. Jon puts the spears wives in a keep and the men of the Watch start calling it "whore's tower" or whatever. I think we've seen that Bowen Marsh was not alone in his thinking that wildlings were savage enemies. A lot of the men probably didn't care that Crastor was killing his sons because it meant less wildlings. And we have to remember that while the wildlings seem to have known about the Others for a while, the Watch is still just figuring it out. They all knew Crastor was "giving his sons to the cold gods" but I doubt they were like "oh so he's helping these evil ice elves". They probably thought the babies were just dying of exposure in some barbaric ritualistic sacrifice. And now that they know that the cold gods are real they still haven't even realized the possibility that the babies are being turned not just killed. Only Crastor's wives seem to know the truth and they only told Sam and Jon. The rangers don't or aren't supposed to just kill whoever they want. They'd need the Lord Commander's permission to kill Crastor and I think Lord Mormont made an uneasy choice to leave Crastor alone. I don't think we know enough about wildling culture to say for sure that they would have been cool with the Watch murdering Crastor. It's probably why they never bothered with him even though they all seem to hate him. Crastor is on his land and these are his children. A man gets what he can take and keeps what he can defend. They all hate the Thenns but they don't gang up and stop them from eating people. Are the free folk really free once they start policing each other like that? Idk this one is a good one. It's complicated.

[@Gotten1888]

I think it was about giving the others spoiled gifts, those kids are inbreed who chances are they are not healthy, rather then taking good kids the others will only take those from Craster.

[@lwandilemsiza8027]

I think you're explanation is probably the best. I don't think Mormont and the rangers know the true extent of what Craster is doing because if they did it would be irrational for them to allow to continue. But even before that Craster has no reason to be left alive. Its weird

[@sleekoduck]

In the books, the Thenns were more civilized than most of the other wildlings and had a military bronze trade culture set up. Jon Snow and Stannis Baratheon arranged a marriage between their Magyar and one of the Northern noble houses. The show portrayed them as savage cannibals.

[@sleekoduck]

As for the mutiny, I think we are being trolled by GRRM with the see with our eyes trope. Why is the mutiny bad? Because Jeor Mormont is good and the legend of gin alley is a bad guy? Is it inconceivable that saintly Jeor Mormont was protecting a monster who married a close relative and raped his own daughters and sacrificed his sons, and Switchblade Carl did a good thing by killing him? And the truth is that those guys were already rapists, have we forgotten about the guy sent to the Wall with the star tattoos? They didn't turn nice when they took the black. The mutiny was a good deed, the rape that ensued after was not. Think of it as a mini sack of Kings Landing.

[@Genarii]

How do *we* know the babies are being turned out there? I seem to remember something like that happening in a TV show that ended up being crap, but I can't recall that specifically happening in the great book series ASOIAF. Mind you, I think it might well be what is happening -- the babies being turned. But maybe not... and what happens then with the babies? Are they nursed back in some icy city... by whom?

[@Gotten1888]

Preston J had a video about the matter, in short Craster is giving the others cursed gifts, those kids are from repeated incest so they will not turn out OK, the others don;t take children from the wildling only from Craster which sounds like a good deal for the tribes. I think there was a pact with the NW and Craster who has special blood, the others only want children with certain bloodlines, Craster is the only one who provides it.

[@rebornstillborn]

Yeah, I seem to remember that video as well. Genetic warfare basically. The Others who are made from Craster are weaker because of both incest and Craster having a faulty version of the desirable gene. That would probably mean that unless he is descended from the Thenns god-king or the Kingsblood wildlings he is probably a descendent of the Starks.

[@pushista9322]

​​@@rebornstillborn That's what I was thinking. Either a Mormont or a Stark bastard. The Old Bear might have known about it and felt it impossible to raise a hand to him.

[@lucasluu1919]

I think the sacrifices he made kept the others satisfied for many years, so there were probably a lot of wildlings making that kind of sacrifice, but something happened, maybe the comet, maybe the birth of Jon... and now the others don't. feel satisfied only with the sacrifices of any human and are heading south in search of king's blood

[@pushista9322]

Oh my God, now that I think of it, it totally makes sense for many other wildlings out there to sacrifice babies to the cold gods. And if that's so, maybe Mance knew that, too. And his plan to take all people south of the Wall is not only about saving them, not only about denying the ice army more soldiers, but also denying them more officers, which takes it to yet another level of urgency.

[@Theodosius_fan]

If they need a warm place to stay they should build an outpost

[@michelmorio8026]

Which would get sacked and burned by some Wildling bands in an instant... you know, they hate the Crows, see them as invaders & occupants to their lands anyways... they cannot be stopped by a frickin ice wall to climb south and pillage for a few goods... a wooden outpost would be a just a present of goods do them to steal! The Watch hadn‘t enough men to actually man more then 3 castles and patrol the wall and cut the wood in front of the wall... how would they man and hold an outpost 9 days away from reinforcements? That’s strategically and logistically impossible, even madness

[@AlexisMitchell87]

I’m convinced Craster’s family is perceived as the sacrificial lambs. Those babies (and animals) are what keeps the Others away from everyone else. The Night’s Watch and Wildlings don’t have to worry about the Others coming for them.

[@KingSlayer_.]

Actually that makes alot of sense, what's strange is how an entire species (thousands or hundreds of thousands of white walkers) could survive with only one source of reproduction. The human race certainly could live on like that.

[@olenickel6013]

Remember that there's actually allusions to the Watch and the North themselves having sacrificed people to the Others. It's a nice "clean hands" situation for them to have someone like Craster doing that for them.

[@michelmorio8026]

@@KingSlayer_. if the others are anything like elves... or really „slept“ for generations (ordered in stasis), that can also explain a lot and how they survived that long!

[@EverteFarnell]

My thoughts exactly

[@williamhermann6635]

If that were the case, Waymar Royce would still be alive

[@Theodosius_fan]

Preston jacobs has aninteresting theory on this topic: The others need babies with specific genes which craster has, but the nights watch knows that his genes are actually somehow producing inferior others (I watched his videos on this a long time ago sorry). It is the best theory on this that I have heard, but I doubt that it is true just because it is to complicated

[@Jord73]

The Others are a different species of people who lost the ability to reproduce. So they are dependent on children who are given to them. GRR Martin wrote about these subjects before. Not too complicated at all I would think.

[@Theodosius_fan]

@@Jord73 complicated to explain to the readership of the book

[@Jord73]

@@Theodosius_fan Or you underestimate the readers or GRRM’s capacities.

[@rebornstillborn]

Prestons ideas are fascinating and often filled with details, so I get that it's hard to explain fully. I think genetics play a bigger part than the story has shown us but it might be something that is left unsaid and never confirmed. Don't think GRRM would come out and have a character say "oh, and the Others need kids to reproduce so we fed them defective DNA".

[@KingMonkeyII]

Craster = Night’s King. Confirmed. Jokes aside, speculating without settling on an actual theory has become far more enjoyable than trying to pin something down and waiting for confirmation at this point. These conversations on these videos are great!

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

I laughed so hard

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

to be clear, at your joke, not your whole comment

[@wagrhodes13]

The only thing that makes sense to me is Craster has such confidence in his relationship with the Others that he isn't even afraid of present threats. He must be absolutely confident that the Others have his back as to take no other precautions. He seems convinced the others will intervene even if he is surrounded in his own hall. Do we really know what the Others do with the children for sure?

[@rebornstillborn]

Yeah, he is a bit like a Littlefinger in that sense. He figures he has got it all planned out, and knows that if anybody makes a move against him they will lose too much for it to be worth it. What he didn't count on was a lunatic criminal forced in the Nights Watch who knew nothing of the deals Craster had made to go apeshit on him. Preston Jacob also has a video where he indicates that somebody with greensight or other magical abilities pushed the Nights Watchmen into killing him.

[@PhilHibbs]

Wasn’t Gillyl’s baby supposed to be Craster’s 100th son?

[@MacNif]

Craster was smashing for centuries

[@Scarletthania]

Maybe Craster is a “friend” of the Night Watch because his house is on top of the entrance of the tunnel system underneath Westeros. The Kings-Beyond-the-Wall Gendel and Gorne used the labyrinth to go underneath the Wall to attack the North.

[@Theodosius_fan]

Why would the knights watch not just kill him and occupy the place

[@michelmorio8026]

@@Theodosius_fan cause it’s logistically and strategically not possible to supply the place this far away! They cannot even man more then 3 castles by patrol the wall in an efficient way

[@rebornstillborn]

Is it just me or are there fucking caves and tunnels and crypts and labyrinths all over Westeros? Makes you wonder what's down there in the deepest caverns.

[@TossMySalad69]

@@rebornstillborn yeah, i personally believe that they were made by man during the first long night, which would explain how some humans and even azor ahai survived the cold that old nan said that men even froze within their castles. Maybe all the caverns below westeros are all connected, it would explain how azor ahai ended the long night by possibly using these caverns to get past the hundreds of thousands of undead to end the long night. If you dig a deep enough cavern, doesnt matter how cold it gets above ground, the temperature wont drop. Wether or not these caverns are connected is true or not, hopefully we'll see.

[@thisguy8106]

I've been excited all day since getting the notification. Love these podcasts!!

[@arborgold14]

Everything you're saying is correct! But Remember 1 thing!! Up until the prologue of AGOT no one has seen an Other in 3,000 years. So there is no reason to flip out on Craster because he essentially isn't doing "anything wrong". Now why Mance and the wildlings don't execute him for being a safe harbor for the watch? I couldn't tell you. Remember Ned executes Gareded and essentially doesn't believe him. When Ned gets coerced into sending Jon to the wall, he never has any remorse about it because Ned Stark a pragmatic man doesn't believe in Grumpkins and Snarks.

[@thisguy8106]

Calling the Ax "Answered Prayer" has me laughing like a maniac..😆

[@TheOrderoftheGreenhand]

yay !!

[@pelouch8474]

The night's watch upper brass is definitely into the whole child sacrifice including Benjen, it might be a mutually beneficial arrangements, ofc Craster's children get a really bad deal out of it especially his daughter-wives. We get a parallel to the story of the night king who got a strange pale wife in the wall and he was the king of the wall while breaking his vows for a long time until he started sacrificing his children, who might have been his incest children... I think the others are looking for incest children so they can manifest some atavistic traits for the sacrifices common ancestry and the night's watch couldn't tolerate the night king because his ancestry was good for the others while Craster's is not so they allow it. Kinda like making a deal but supplying a poison pill instead. Although I really don't think the others really feel any effect from inbreeding, also iirc there's a few lines I think from Ygritte where she talks about how Craster ancestry is from south of the wall or something like that. So I took it to mean Craster ancestry is no good while Jon is... It might be the reason why they made it a point to kill Ygritte later since there was a fairly decent chance she was pregnant with Jon's child. Lastly something I saw in the Preston Jacobs KZbin about Dany Flint who maybe had super special genes like the northern equivalent of a dragon hatcher and that's why they killed her and made her an example bc her progeny was guaranteed to bring disaster if it felt into the hands of the others... Not sure why to make of it but it's interesting. The other Dany we know is certainly very special.

[@michelmorio8026]

I believe I somewhere read Craster might be the son of Bloodraven & a wildling girl...

[@AdamGentry211]

Maybe the Others were protecting him, or people assumed the Others would retaliate if they did

[@chuckstein4455]

Craster’s mother started this ritual sacrificing of babies, she bred with her own son to make more. Craster killed his mother after a time, and took over the place- keeping the traditions. I think they are allowed to do this because Queen Alysanne forbade the Lord’s first night’s right, which meant the number of babies given to the Others through the Night Fort decreased, and this must have been an essential part of the Pact that finished the War for the Dawn. The only person maintaining this ancient Night’s Watch tradition is Craster. A tradition that once used to give noble blood (bastard babies) of the first men to the Others, for centuries on end. All the Night’s King legends also feed this idea. There’s also an interesting parallel to pig meat and human flesh taste/smell in his chapters. Then again, there are no pigs left at Craster’s, but he does have sausages made out of pig. This cannibalism-sacrificing if babies stuff is all connected in the legends if the North.

[@rebornstillborn]

Yeah, that might very well be the thing that is starting the Long Night again. I've heard of that theory and it is a good one, especially with the strange door under the Night Fort. Not sure why the Others decided to start moving in before Craster died though, the pact was still being upheld then? One thing that not many consider is that the Others are the ones breaking the pact, which ends up killing Craster which means no more babies for them. It seems like the human thing to do, and GRRMs monsters are often very human.