How Melisandre Got Her Powers (Game of Thrones - Song of Ice and Fire Theory)

[@kendallbabbitt1532]

Well George may never finish but you've given me a lot of closure about this series with solid theories and evidence. I'll shout your name to all my got friends

[@mana-uv7cz]

I really hope he does finish

[@DEANOpics]

Interesting. I've always felt that Mel and Stannis are a way to show the audience how the others were created. They are shadows, birthed by a "corpse bride". The very first description of them in the opening prologue to the series decribes them first as a white shadow. Keep the vids coming!

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

without spoiling too much of my take for a future video I generally agree. I wanna cover the topic somewhat soon and revisit a lot of the points David Lightbringer covered in his "Origin of the Others: Nights Queen" video with a fresh take. There are a lot of the building blocks of that basic idea laid out really well in that video and I do agree that at least some of the others are birthed by her. I think as Mel gets to the night fort and they start to restore it, she is the perfect one to understand the things that are found there and know what they mean. She is basically the fire version of what the night's queen seems to have been. Who better for GRRM to have understand it all, and she is going to the place she needs to be.

[@pol1656]

Is the same magic and also opposed (they have leader faes, in that case the others and inmortal fire beings, have the hability to resurrect people in different ways…) , the R’hllor faith is very interesting to understand the “fire” point of view of the thing, all its myths are constructed arround sacrifice to destroy the Great other (Ice), is a fight between good and evil, only that in reality fire is not so good and ice not so evil, Both are destructive powers in its own way and also have its purpouse in a corrupted World.

[@DIAT0NIX_16]

The use of "the night is dark and full of terrors" is such a dead giveaway that you're into something here.

[@11101983omega]

"Ned hid a lot of stuff in his POV by not thinking about it." Made me laugh, best comment I've heard for POV to avoid giving up the story, another is being interrupted at the most important moment in a story told by a character.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

I don’t read the books or even watch the show, but “shimmers of heat tracing patterns on her skin” might be a brand instead of a tattoo.

[@TheDrexxus]

It seems pretty common trope to me that sometimes magical lines and designs are drawn onto the flesh to enact a certain spell/ritual. The fact that it's hot could simply be the fire magic itself working through these lines.

[@warpedwhimsical]

I doubt Melisandre knows that her burnings are self-empowering sacrifices. It seems like the Red temple wouldn’t tell all the immortal priestesses that if they even know themselves. I think it fits more thematically if its similar to how First Men Westerosi culture is based around constantly recharging the wall with blood, but this has been forgotten and now people continue the traditions without even know why. Similarly the red priests of R’hllor have blood sacrifice caked into their rituals and traditions, I find it more interesting if they too have forgotten the true reason why they even do it similar to the first men

[@pyramidion5911]

Oh no, she absolutely knows. She's been doing it for a loooong time.

[@laurawilliams7782]

The idea that magic powers always/often come through drinking something has interesting implications for the priests of the drowned god and patchface.

[@notfromhere8889]

And it lends itself to magic not existing or being rare since you have to do ancient rituals correctly. Most people can't keep a story straight through a few generations

[@joedavola9467]

The pyromancers tell Tyrion that the substance runs through their veins

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Yo that is a very good catch!

[@joedavola9467]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff Check out: "DavidReadsASoIaF". blows ray dotrice out of the water with all the voices he does

[@tomasvrabec1845]

​@@michaeltalksaboutstuff Additionally, the pyromancers are all old. Quite old. Sure, so are the masters but not as old as the pyromancers. The show was different, but when Mel stopped she became very old and died. Perhaps the pyromancers are made immortal but they are never "recharged" so they simply live longerm

[@reverendsteveii]

the fact that you're still doing honest analysis and critique of GoT that consists of more than "That ending...am I right?" got you a sub today. There was gold to be had in that series, and it deserves to be talked about.

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

That ending though…am I right?

[@Henbot]

Seems you just got upset people dunking on the poor trajectory with the show back end 😂 It has correct criticism but yes it is still GRRM world and so maybe dumb version of his stuff got translated by D and D like dragon glass killing others but none of the depth or explanation

[@ktk44man]

There IS gold to be had in this series... It's still going on... I believe

[@hillbillypowpow]

Mel is a human dragon, Blood raven is a human weirwood, Leto is a human Worm, and Drogo is a human horse.

[@hillbillypowpow]

Now that I think about it, the Emerald Maiden from Dark Souls two is a human dragon made with sorcery and science in order to harvest dragon immortality to beat the undead curse.

[@SassyTheSasquatch96]

Shame it didnt work and she was a failure@@hillbillypowpow

[@fangthedergon1863]

Look at my Drogo, my Drogos amazing give it a lick....

[@resathe6760]

Tyrek Lannister is also a horse

[@MNhi808]

Christopher Walken in True Romance: "You're a cantaloupe."

[@umwha]

I wonder if George kept the idea that a glass candle can hold a flame that preserves someone’s life. Maybe part of the ritual Mel partook involved the lighting of such a flame, that Mel is bound to and that’s the reason she can’t die. It would certainly bind the loyalty of the Red Priests to the Temple if the temple holds all the soul candles. I’ll guess that the Wildfire imbibed gives their body vigor and makes them regenerate , but it’s the candle bonding that keeps them alive.

[@elkeyes]

I wonder if there's any parallels to Varys describing how people used his reproductive organs in magic, and Mel talking about having blood trickling down her leg during the ritual (menstruation? Miscarriage? Losing fertility in general?).

[@J_Mock92]

I quite like your videos! You have a mostly different perspective on a lot of big topics, that ive never seen anyone else really delve into, yet it doesnt necessarily interfere with most mainstream theories. Like, I firmly brlieve that Melissandre was a wildling from Hardhome, who was enslaved and sold to the Red Temple (like 600 years?) before the events of the main story. GreyArea's videos about it completely sold me on that, but your theory doesnt interfere with it, so i can see both. Its the same with pretty much all of your theories... instead of being contradictory, they just feel like expansions, and I LOVE it ❤

[@Armaniche]

Could Mel have been pregnant and the blood trickling down her thigh be her child being sacrificed? The price for her magic.

[@psevdhome]

That gives me Witcher vibes. I interpret it as her body cooking and her internal organs burning and as a result blood flows from her orifices. I also interpret the fire caressing her body and marking her as how she feels the heat spreading in her body, not tattoos or brands.

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

Damn fine theory sir! You keep making videos like this and you will dominate the world of KZbin! Of all the videos that are based on ASOIAF that I've seen on here none are as Exceptional as yours.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Thanks a ton for the kind words! I will absolutely try keep it up

[@jessejohnson8365]

Wow my mind is reeling from all the implications and ways that this alters so much of the story. You just dropped a rock in a lake man. How far do those ripples go and where will they end. I hope my mind doesn't wander to far that I get lost but fascinating elements now to explore with. Thanks for the great video it got my mind Kickstarted and exploreing .

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Don't worry this is basically part 1 of a mini series and the next few videos are also fallout of some things brought up here. So a few episodes of ripples already recorded and coming soon

[@storsolo]

I'm completely onboard with this theory

[@louiscassis3426]

A thousand red eyes makes me think of Bloodraven.

[@Beastlango]

This makes me think that the dragon riding and controlling might be them having wild fire in their blood. That could be why it seems to diminish when the blood lines mix and why the blood of kings can be used to cast the fire magic

[@keithbidwell7070]

Great video! Is it possible we’re seeing Mel’s transformation into a fire wight? I mean, I bet that doing the ritual right still kills you dead, it just raises you afterwards. There’s a lot of lich and phylactery vibes here.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Either a fire wight or a full on fire other. But I would say she is somewhere on that level for sure. A fire analog to whatever the nights queen was is probably the closest to what she is.

[@SpiritStoneWarrior94-yx3gs]

I can see that tbh, as a phylactery is the item that holds the soul of the lich that they need to sacrifice souls to keep it powered and not to have the Lich "lose" power and eventually life. Plus if the phylactery is shattered (fire goes out on a glass candle) their immortality ceases to exist.

[@TimboBaggins187]

Thoros of Myr could also be unknowingly bound to a glass candle. He can resurrect Beric Dondarrion over and over with the kiss of fire but Beric died when he resurrected Caitlyn.

[@danielwilliamson6180]

The Three-Eyed Raven could have been the one sending Melisandre the visions and the messages and could have been the one manipulating her.

[@psevdhome]

The idea of Mel being a firewight who dies if her body becomes too cold reminds me of a Lovecraft story: Cool Air. A man invented a way to preserve himself alive after death, but he had to remain cold at all times. So he hires the protagonist to get ice and create a chemical reaction to induce cold temperatures to keep his body alive. His cooling machine breaks, so the man dies and turns to sludge due to his body's putrefaction. The man was no longer human in a sense, he could not die if not for the temperature. Also I guess the wights break down if too much heat is introduced to them so their bodies start to rot and they die?

[@eszym33]

Perhaps all of valyria melted together into a great vlayrian glass candle and that's what caused the curse and sends dany her visions at the end of dance

[@psevdhome]

That's a cool and horrific thought, all these people dying in this conflagaration and them accidentally being bound into forced immortality that is trying to get someone to free them. That's a cool thought. It is very similar to what MTAS said about the Undying. They aren't the immortal but the undying, they cannot die, but they want to!

[@pyramidion5911]

Thats fun to think about!

[@Arygo87]

I think the blood renewal just means her burning blood on the glass candle, or having her blood around the candle so the link is not forgotten or some one else links with the candle.

[@AiltonOfClawIsland]

I speculated that the slaves in the valyrian mines literarely couldn't die. Prehaps they were bound to glass candles. And the faceless man found a way to kill them

[@pyramidion5911]

Spoiler.. The Valyrians were using CotF to mine the flames. The witches at hardhome call any men on boats slavers. The witches in the story are often CotF. The CotF have been manipulating people and events to bring about apocalypse for all men because of their cruelty.

[@ofirmichael66]

Also, the iron born drinks sea water!!

[@DIAT0NIX_16]

After listening to your videos I realized it's clear that the whole thing where the Masters make the young initiates try to use a candle, it's not just about showing them magic isn't real, it's about feeding blood to the candles

[@hwris]

17:00 that is a really good catch

[@Thurstan-du8mj]

Really good vid. Do you think the red priests have to die and be resurrected in their initiation sort of like the the drowned god?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

roughly like that yeah. The kiss of life is a ritual in both religions kinda. There is a kiss and words that bring Beric back I believe as well. I think there is probably some version of that done at the red Temple that usually doesn't work but did for Mel and does for Beric for reasons that are "the will of Rhollor"

[@kat1722]

im gonna call the 'fire whites' 'reds', could a glass candle be a ruby/red stone? the priests/priestesses wear them and there are many parts that describe the ruby as having an inner light and getting brighter and flickering like fire (and in the show when she takes it off shes old)

[@umwha]

I have a theory that Wildfire - as a magic green fire that burns on water - is a compound that derives from magic trees. The Green Sea, the Weirnet. Probably from the compressed magic forests from millenia ago - like oil - indeed wildfire has properties of oil. But the pyromancers managed to activate the magic within. That makes the fire transformed people also burned Green Magic people which makes things tie together. I mean, Mel does look like a Weirwood.

[@JJNubbins]

Michael do be talkin about stuff

[@notfromhere8889]

I wonder if Dany eating that heart (the blood included) led to her bringing dragons back

[@schmalzilla1985]

GRRM used an unreliable narrator well, he kept things secret even in the person's own POV.

[@christopheouvrard8548]

I love this !!! :) I also like your idea that the magic users in ASOIAF believe they know the rules of magic, but they all miss critical informations of how it really works. I have a feeling it is the same abouts Gods and religions : They are gods and higher powers in GRRM universes, but the human beliefs an religions are wrong about what they are, what they do and why they grant powers and visions here and there. Maybe Melisandre was not in lot seven, but lot seven was the bunch of slaves that were sacrificed to raise Melisandre ? Maybe the Mad King trying to burn King's Landing was him trying to raise an army of fire wights to fight the others ? I wonder if we will learn who benefited from Varys's sacrifice. He heard a voice. Might he, at some point, meet Melisandre and recognize her voice as the one he heard ?

[@godfreypetersson661]

This dude is obsessed with some glass candles

[@thomasryan5427]

This channel is just GRRM dropping real lore disguised as speculation to gauge audience reception

[@Aleven1917]

In the first chapter that we meet Mel, as Cressen die he says he sees "the candle flames dancing in her red red eyes." Definitely adds the glass candle theory

[@galidorn1]

her necklace holds her glass candle or a fragment of it?

[@psevdhome]

So if Melissandre is a magic person wight made by a human drinking wildfire. And Lightbringer is a flaming sword that was made by quenching a white-hot sword in a living human heart burning with love. Is lightbringer actually a sword that's fused with the spirit of a living human, which makes it ever-burning due to the life-force of the human? If that's true then it seems that dragons are very much similar to Lighbringer. They also produce fire and require human sacrifice to be born. I'm not saying lightbringer is symbolism for dragons, I'm saying they operate on the same logic.

[@psevdhome]

Oh my god I just realized that Thoros puts wildfire on his sword!!!! Maybe it's a remnant of the actual Nissa Nissa ritual. You douse the sword in wildfire and then pierce the heart, then the wildfire and the heartblood fuses the spirit of the human into the sword and you get a perpetual fire sword.

[@randominternetguyoffical]

Damn there is some interesting shit goin on here! I need to take a peek at the rest of those kushing library finds!

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

All the GSteff posts are great. Redteamreview has a big like 3 hour video of he and Preston talking all about it on their channel. Lots of interesting little things going on there.

[@Henbot]

Well Mel misunderstanding the burning and its real usage to her as a ‘battery’ would be very GRRM

[@AnarchoCatBoyEthan]

He never misses! The absolute legend!

[@SamBrickell]

I like this idea a lot, does this make her ruby her glass candle?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

It could certainly be part of the link or a different magical artifact with a similar power somehow. But it could also just be used in the glamor that makes her look as she does. She is just like duel wilding magical equips. Maybe even has more we don't know about.

[@AlbinoMutant]

This may have something to do with the Summerhall disaster too.

[@Pap602]

The craziest is how Stannis fell for her, so-called magic when he was the most stern person in the book that didn't seem to believe anything but duty. So I found it so weird that he felt for Melisandre

[@hatuletoh]

Good theory. Sure do wish we had any hope of getting the definitive answers to some of these mysteries, that is, George One R Martin would finish the story. But I don't think it's ever going to happen. Maybe it will end up being more fun that way, but I'd still like to know what the creator of the universe really intended with some of these connections.

[@DIAT0NIX_16]

I wonder if Cersi blows up the sept or when Dani accidentally burns Kings Landing, with wildfire, that could also be some kind of mass sacrifice with a candle somehow involved. Maybe through Qyburn.

[@moiz85]

Have you heard of the John Snow water pump? Sounds like it could give some hints

[@ravendelacour1917]

Melisandre is a fire vampire.

[@innavichyf5698]

Do you know anything about her childhood or why she was a slave in the 1st place ? I would also like to know how old she is, even and approximate # would be great. We don't really get a lot of information about her early life which I would really be interested in. 🤔😔 On an unrelated note do you know if Nettles & Sheep-Stealer will be featured in the dance of dragons show?

[@Henbot]

I could see D and D doing what they did with dragon glass in the show because they thought that was the most straight forward way of what GRRM had told them or a variant of his idea from old draft/or what his more likely complicated ideas with glass candle. So like dragon glass candle is actually some immortal heart/arcane gizmo and when it breaks then it translated by D and D into dragon glass kills immortals (the others).

[@pyramidion5911]

Dumb and dumber doing what they do best.

[@sleekoduck]

This might also explain what happened to Aerea Targaryen when she returned with Balareon from Valyria.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Interesting thought, how would you tie it in to Aerea? Her story is pretty interesting.

[@MorgannaElevrate]

Oh goodness! Maybe.

[@DD-ok2pt]

Great analysis I have one question. Why did she feel so powerful on the wall? She was surrounded by Ice magic not fire magic.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

I will have to do a video on it sometime but I think all magic is essentially different branches of the same source magic which is life magic/creation magic/green magic. Whatever you want to call it. All the powers seem to trace back to a single source which is on some level blood/life/life force. Ice magic feeds blood to trees. Fire magic burns blood or burns wood(aka trees/life). All of it is life energy magic in various forms.

[@persephone342]

Remember, controlling your internal circumstances is easier than trying to control the circumstances around you - magically speaking.

[@tgovani]

Who are the artist credits for the images you used in the video?

[@kiri101]

Pretty accurate, but I think there are some extra nuances. GRRM manages to allude to sexual abuse, exploitation and the mental/emotional/belief structure effects it can have on individuals, especially when those events take place during someone's formative years. It's sad that a lot of my early exposure to the books and TV series was people gushing about the nudity and violence, I nearly missed some great work by an observant and emotionally intelligent writer - nothing like the mildly pornographic sci-fi/fantasy novels of the early 70's I'd grown a little weary of (some of Piers Anthony's work, for example).

[@geoninja3631]

❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

[@WarMachine550]

So whats the deal with Thoros of Myr? How does he have the power to resurrect people and have a flaming sword?

[@donkeysaurusrex7881]

Come on, drink some wildfire. All the cool kids are doing it

[@jimjohnson6944]

You can..... Make one? Is it possible to learn this power?

[@michaelhband]

👍👍👍

[@devourlordasmodeus]

What if wildfire is the only way you can light a glass candle and the Archmaesters know this?

[@chables74]

Algormancy!

[@1volfan931]

Could explain why she’s never cold… until she becomes disillusioned

[@angelofbliss]

is it just me or does that font make asshai; look like its missing an R

[@1Maklak]

Nah, The "Pink Priest" from Brotherhood without banners doesn't do this and can still resurrect people.

[@russwilliams4464]

Cooooool

[@TheDrexxus]

I like to think George RR Martin checks the wild conspiracy theories and tin foil hat wearing shenanigans of this channel to look for ideas on how to resolve all these plot points in his books that he can't be bothered to finish himself.

[@chad63]

i bet conan also drank wildfire

[@andrewcameron4277]

Its the last kiss

[@HeyNonyNonymous]

"The wooden wall" probably means The wall, if we assume you're right and it is made of weirwood.

[@samanthasound7676]

So what makes you think she's not the transformed Aeryn? Lol it probably worked and she's probably the result, that's probably why she has Targeryn features when she takes her necklace off. She was Aeryn. Aeryn is Mel after wildfire transformation. Your theory brought me to this conclusion so credit still goes to you lol

[@umwha]

Who is aeryn?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Melisandre is Aerion Brightflame haha I'm sure the internet would love a write up of that one

[@samanthasound7676]

@@umwha 🤣was that not the guys name? My bad lol the guy who drank the wildfire 🤣

[@samanthasound7676]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff Haha feel free to try it out 🤣personally I was convinced melissandra was the Corpse queen. She makes demon babies, seduces kings for blood magic, I think she was ice girl turned fire girl trying to right her wrongs. However our new theory has me convinced she drank that wild fire 🥶🔥🤣

[@umwha]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff Wilfire makes you trans

[@pyramidion5911]

Michael, I expect more from you. Melonys memories belong to melony. Melisandre is obviously wearing a face and having flashbacks from the original skin, just like Arya. It's very easy to figure out who melisandre actually is. I will give you a hint. Her name is mentioned several times in Aryas chapters because the two characters are meant to parallel each other.

[@yetz2291]

Victarion

[@SelphieTheNutter]

I love how this world claims to love fantasy but doesn't believe magic or God's are real. Mel maybe bound to a glass candle, her powers maybe very dark. If their are no God's, where does magic come from. If mel gets her powers from the Glass candle, what gives the glass candle it's power if there are no gods. The age old excuse of humanity, if I can't have it, no one can. If I'm not blessed, no one is, if I don't believe, it's not real, and anyone who believes different is crazy or evil. You say she probably has it ingrained in her mind to not let the fird go out. Maybe she does, but to say that in so many words, she's crazy to believe this shows you don't understand the magic as much as you think you do. Every time Mel has a vision it's triggered by the Flames. To let those fiames go out will be her end. Why? She will loose control of her gifts. Anyone in the real world who has gifts of clairvoyance will know how overwhelming it can be to see the future. If you are unprepared to see it, especially dark destructive futures, it can get overwhelming and destroy your mind. If you can focus and stay caim by linking your gifts to something like oh I don't know, a fire. You can stop your gifts from being triggered when your unprepared for them. This allows you to maintain control over your mind and stops the visions from destroying your mind, because the night is dark and full of terrors. I will give you some credit though, I do think you're on the right track about how Mel was created. It just very sad that you try to use something you niether believe in or have any respect for to justify your capacity for intelligence.

[@SombraCheeks]

Wildfyre probably tastes so good mmmm