Melisandre Will Learn A Lot at The Nightfort In Winds of Winter

[@thegreatother25]

At this point I think Michael is just George softlaunching TWOW because everything you just said is 100% and I love it! Amazing vid as always

[@LocksAndChains]

George doesn't like the idea of good versus evil in a big finale, so I lean more towards the network being a formerly good magical system which ended up corrupted. It will need to be rebooted, not completely burned away.

[@yetz2291]

Watch more of this series for expansion on that idea. This creator theorizes that the trees being burned will trigger the long night, and they will need to be replanted using seeds left on the Isle of Faces, effectively ending the age of blood magic Weirwoods.

[@jasmin27]

When you described the „being colder than it should be“ it reminded me that this is something also said about the crypts of Winterfell. So maybe they also put their old kings to a giant tree under Winterfell and the graves are actually empty

[@Nico-pg7qr]

I like to think each grave have walls and cover, but no bottom, and the roots reach from underneath to the bodies

[@AlternicityBlogspot]

There is a danger that fan theories will exceed what is finally delivered.

[@Seuspesos]

Luckily the show being so bad will balance that

[@Halfsaladzw]

I like a semi-supported theory myself, to tide me over in the long night.

[@VelverosaVelaryon]

We're well beyond that point years ago

[@vanessashoesmith6364]

Looking at that point in the rear view mirror now my friend... intact that may well be why he's bottled publishing anymore

[@AlternicityBlogspot]

I found comfort in reading R Scott Bakker, myself. It's like pepsi to Martin's coke, and finished.

[@TheNMR1989]

Well, when Mel said that the wall is made of blood, it could be that she's talking about the 79 sentinels, and mayhaps some other people who have been "interred" into the wall in the same way even earlier... But I like this Attack on Titan-esque theory 😅

[@YarPirates-vy7iv]

BTW the well being a weirwood tree is the core point that really hooked me. Excellent observation and evidence you were able to find to build it, and it fits with the author. It's the heart tree of your channel!

[@eviesholette]

This series is definitely my favorite Winds of Winter theory! It makes so much sense.

[@272kolja]

The Wall-ter cycle really was one of the best wordplays I heard in a while xD

[@calebreynolds9183]

The overlap between this and Elden ring is astounding

[@l.mcmanus3983]

Okay, this has mean thinking… If Bloodraven and the Nights King and/or Queen are both hooked up to weirwood trees, can they communicate with each other? And this led me to the thought, “What exactly is the weirwood network?” I mean, the trees are obviously connected since Bran can see out of them, but does that mean all connections are open all the time? And bang, the thought hit me that the weirwood network might be like the World Wide Web. It’s an information network, where connections can be made through paths but those connections are temporary. People being hooked up to the weirwoods is like people being hooked on technology and shadow babies are the online personas of those people that can cause real world harm despite never truly existing. This also links to the sci-fi idea that in the future immortality might be obtained by a person transferring their consciousness into a computer. And further to this, the black gate at the night fort really seems like a good place to find the Nights King. Could all the dark colours words could be an allusion to the dark web? I would love to hear your thoughts. Great video, love the tangents! I think it’s impossible to make a video on this without tangents because there is simply so much material and so many little connections. Keep them coming!!!

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

In terms of the night's king and queen being able to communicate I almost wonder if they can't because of the scene in the house of the undying when Dany sees two figures who seem like an ancient king and queen stuck around the corrupt heart. The two of them are seemingly unable to move or speak as they sit there. I could see this being a hint that the two of them are stuck forever next to each other unable to communicate. But that isn't strong enough for me to say for sure, just a thought I had. I could see some way around it where through the weirwood magic on some sort they could communicate. Also possibly their shadows cast from them could be out there communicating and I even think it could be possible the Night's Queen actually escaped rather than being strapped to the tree and she might be out there in the north if that is a thing GRRM wants to do... More on that will be coming in a video soon, the other option for where she could be if it isn't strapped to that tree. I think the weirwood net does work a lot like the world wide web in ways but IMO probably not super deep more modern connections like the dark web. (or to the extent they do mirror that idk that GRRM was thinking about that in the 90s or early 2000s) But it is always possible GRRM will lean more into the modern web issues and comparisons with the final books so who knows.

[@l.mcmanus3983]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff Yeah bringing in the dark web might be a little bit much. Another fanciful idea that occurred to me was that being hooked up the the weirwood network is like gaining access to a search engine, but how well they can use the network is dependent on the skill and innate ability of the user. So Bran gets to use Google (in the good old days before sponsored results), but others might only get Yahoo or Ask Jeeves. Oh yes, and let us not forget about the Wayback Machine as a possible metaphor for time travel... okay I am done. lol

[@MrFredstt]

I think they can communicate. Remember in the show the WW are able to contact and touch Bran? Well, I think that was the show's very simplistic version of the weirdwood net and I believe it'll be like that in the book just more in depth. So, yes, I do think it's possible they can communicate however I'm not sure if they actually have communicated

[@williamhermann6635]

​@@michaeltalksaboutstuffI have a thought that goes along with this. I think Dany Flint was the Night's Queen and she was hooked up to the heart tree in the heart of winter. Then the Stark who saw her from atop the wall did so with a glass candle since she was all the way north in the heart of winter. He then went to find her and got hooked to the same tree.

[@pyropulseIXXI]

You cannot transfer consciousness into a computer. Also, comparing the weirwood net to the internet is literally the most basic thing ever. It is literally why people called it a “weireood NET” in the first place.

[@viridianveritas]

Mel walking around talking to the dead also reminds me of the sorry about the Whispers and the heads that were kept alive to act as counselors. Planting seeds for the future.

[@thisguy8106]

Amen. Her pov from the Nightfort will be incredible

[@BadPotat]

You convinced me when you brought up GRRM’s quote about Hadrian’s wall and how it created others.

[@KarlKarsnark]

"Nightfort" = "Knight (King's) Fort", is classic GRRM wordplay. This along with the fact that it's "the only (fort) whose steps up the side of the Wall were carved into the ice."(wiki), suggests it may have initially been built by the "Night's King" in some way, as only someone like the NK would have the ability to permanently alter the Wall, it seems. This then begs the question as to "Why"? What advantage is there for him? He must've felt it would be "needed" in some way, but allowing the NW to access it, seems backwards. After all, giving your "enemies" into your fort is generally a bad idea, unless it's designed to be a trap from the start. If NK/WWs hate all things South of the Wall, why build forts/gates at all? The use of wells as a liminal space that is used to transition from one world to another, is age old, especially as a means of entering the "Underworld", quite literally. Wells are also water sources, so passing through them is a form of symbolic cleansing and baptism for a character too. Bran also does lots of (world tree/tower) climbing in the beginning of the books, and the use of an Axis Mundi/Yggdrasil-type object has also been shown and alluded to several times. Although, there seem to be a few such "henges" throughout the world, rather than a single "trunk" in any one place, which could be a nod to the "fungal" aspects of the "trees". The image of a black raven(Bran) climbing a white, wighted WW tree is also a motif found throughout the books and even in some House sigils like House Blackwood (i.e. White WW tree with black ravens around it, wherein the name is derived from the image of the raves at roost, thereby converting it from a tree with "whitewood" into a tree with "Blackwood"; This is also found with the image of Bloodraven who is also "roosting raven" in a white, wight tree, "The woods began to grow dark.", etc....). (whitewood --> blackwood). One can't help but wonder if the magic and motif can go the (O)ther way and have a "blackwood", such as a Tree of the Undying, become a "whitewood" if it should have its "corruption" drained. The name "Black Gate" also touches on this idea as it is made of weirwood and is described on the wiki as "made of white weirwood with a face on it. The face is old, pale, shrunken, and wrinkled with white eyes. The door glows." Why is a literal "white gate" called the "Black Gate"? The door at the House of the Undying also uses the same notion of Black White wood imagery. Mel, the Most Magical Fire Lady, having a showdown with an Icy BBEG makes sense, but having her become a full-on "Ice Witch" seems a bit much. I suppose, the toy confirms it as well as the show's idea that the NK can transform magical, fiery beings, like Mel(presumably Moqorro) and even a literal Dragon, into Ice Wights at will. That seems a little "OP", especially when you consider there isn't a fire/heat equivalent of instantly "converting" an icy bad guy into a fiery one. For example, Berric gets rezzed many times with "Fire Priest Magic", but he doesn't literally become a Fire Priest himself, or gain any extra mojo neither does Thoros seem to be changed much by doing it. We'll need some moar lore to fill in the magical details as to how and why the NK could be so powerful against so many other seemingly "powerful" beings. If he has exponentially growing, unkillable minions, Ice-Mel and/or Ice-Moqorro, the WWs, an Ice-Dragon, literal Long Night Fimbul-Winter along with super-spooky-freezy-finger powers, plus the ability to completely transform powerful, magical people with the "snap of his fingers" against their will, then there's really no way to stop him short of "something, something mega-magic". We shall see.... The WW's "swirly symbols" in the show were just made up, apparently, but the "bodies in/as trees" motif is likely intentional. At the very least, they show the Others have "culture"/symbolic thinking/language/forms of expression/etc....and aren't just mindless snow-zombies. Cheers!

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Lots of good thoughts here. Starting with the spiral symbols being made up, that tracks well to me because they didn't seem to be anything other than a connect the dots. Just see the spiral, you know its linked. So the spiral where the others were created was mirrored with the body strapped to the wall that they have to burn. Likely just as a connection point to say these are a part of the same message we are sending. The spiral shape itself was far less important than the things it connected together. Also Mel being turned by the Night's King would also be a wild way for that toy to make sense. I kinda think that Mel will remain fire and just meet her opposite and realize they both wanted the same thing basically, to save the world. This would assume the cycle of rebirth is needed for the world on some level and the Night's King was working toward it. Which as I have mentioned makes some sense to me because the magically powerful characters like Bloodraven or Time Bran should have been able to do more to stop this had they wanted to... Also yeah the black gate being named black is very odd. I assume it comes from the black brothers and the nights watch on some level but exactly how it got that name is an interesting thing to consider...

[@russwilliams4464]

This makes a lot of sense. A few thoughts. The rat cook is fundamentally about the abomination of eating people. Constantly surrounding Bran and his thoughts, this story reflects the necessary requirement for becoming a greenseer and connecting him to the trees - ie eating Jojen. If you take this further, Time travelling Bran may well have become known as Bran the builder in legend because he thought using this tree magic and building the wall was necessary to defend the realms of men. It was likely our Bran who built this system, thousands of years ago. The question is now whether our Bran realises the horror of his actions, and necessitates the destruction of the wall to end the cycle that is spawning this threat from the north. He will need to break this system (maybe the very system he, or a past incarnation of him, built).

[@silviatanav]

I'm convinced. Also kinda proud to be among the first 4000 to hear the end ;)

[@bc269]

Look forward to seeing you on a LML live stream. 👍

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Very much looking forward to that. I just have to hit the big climax of this series which is close now. A few more videos to get done. Then I am very excited to be able to chat about all of this stuff in full detail.

[@conniesuper9892]

Melisandre:The Wall is a hinge of the world. Her power was stronger here,even more than Asshai. Feeling she may soon have no need for her potions and powders. In her flames,she sees the great Other,and the wolfboy... the realizes HE SEES ME...(well yeah...he's in a weirwood and you're in a castle right at the Wall,might as well be an extension phone on his party line,leeching the Wall's minutes from his plan. Probably sees her love of fire as a threat and had to let her know he's aware of her presence.

[@Hanklerfishies]

I've been loving this series so much, you paint a very likely picture for the end!

[@gonx9906]

Plot twist: Bran the Builder is the NightKing

[@MagicalTourtoise]

Building on what you've said before about the undying-old gods/weirdwood-shade of the evening connection. I noticed that when Dany drinks shade of the evening and when Bran eats Jojen paste, their descriptions are very similar: "The first sip tasted like ink and spoiled meat, foul, but when she swallowed it seemed to come to life within her. She could feel tendrils spreading through her chest, like fingers of fire coiling around her heart, and on her tongue was a taste like honey and anise and cream, like mother's milk and Drogo's seed" - [Dany IV, ACOK] ... "It had a bitter taste, though not so bitter as acorn paste. The first spoonful was the hardest to get down. He almost retched it right back up. The second tasted better. The third was almost sweet. The rest he spooned up eagerly. Why had he thought that it was bitter? It tasted of honey, of new-fallen snow, of pepper and cinnamon and the last kiss his mother ever gave him" [Bran III, ADWD]. It seems to go from at first a horrible taste, to a wonderful taste, and then to a taste that reminds them of love/a dead love one?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

That is a really good connection. I do think the magical drinks of the different orders are generally doing similar things so this would make a lot of sense. They are basically either connected secretly as I have talked about when considering if Qarth shadow magic is just sapping off shadows cast from the wall. Or they are full on separate magics but all mirror one another and have similar power sources.

[@ruigerd]

I've seen some theories stating that the shade of the evening trees could be inverted weirwood trees. White and red vs black and blue and both make you trip balls or feel magical when consuming their "fruit". Going on a tangent here but this inversion might have been caused by the two different trees being separated by water (hammer of the waters separating Westeros and essos). Similar to the trees, the ifequevron (might've misspelled this) seem like the estranged family of the children of the forest

[@Grace-er9ep]

I'm currently about halfway through clash of kings and I'm having the time of my young adult life, constantly thinking of your theories as I'm going through

[@bc269]

Is Azor Ahai in the wall? Could some of people stuck to the tree be de attached and set free to rome Westeros once again or will they automatically die?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

On Azor Ahai I kinda think the westeros version of him might be the last hero who would IMO be like near the top of the list of people most likely strapped to a weirwood (in the wall or elsewhere) and sustained to this day. Azor Ahai if the eastern legend is paralleled might have himself or his life force built into their five forts with their own big wall. I assume GRRM is hinting there is similar magic going on in the other places where they have stories of the long night and these big magic barriers built. So basically yes I would say Azor Ahai/Last Hero in the wall is a strong possibility. If Azor Ahai was actually a figure in westeros on his own then same would apply. I think whoever stopped the long night last time has a high chance of having done it by tapping themselves into the weirwood magic. And in terms of people being taken down from the tree connection I am unsure. It feels like if they were past their natural lifespan without the trees they would need to remain strapped in. But we see figures like Mel who isn't strapped to a tree who thinks of herself as not mortal. So immortal figures sustained by magic wandering around is also possible. The next video that should come out is actually going to talk a bit about the Night's Queen being somewhere besides stuck in the wall. If she is actually not mortal in the way Mel claims to be then maybe she escaped being trapped in the wall and is still out there in the north. Also another thought on the being detached from the tree, it will be very interesting to see how attached to the roots Bran gets before he leaves the cave. I kinda don't think bloodraven could be removed from the trees and survive but Bran isn't past his normal lifespan so maybe he will be able to do it and will have the roots detached painfully as he escapes. Would be very GRRM. Huge thanks for the support!

[@Seelenverheizer]

I Mel chapter researching magic at the Nightfort would be awesome and honestly a bit of a no brainer smash hit. Good chance Mel will do some magic ritual there siphoning magic and burning Shareen and it might very well be what brings Jon back. Also has a chance to damage the Wall potencially giving the others an opening? While i think the wall surely isnt 10.000 wirewood trees pumping water with and endless amount of people put in there as well i do think that the Nightfort as the OG Fort surely is special and yeah as described in the Bran chapter there is likely a huge tree there. I could also maybe see another 2 trees beeing at the ends of the Wall. My personal theory is that the Nightfort Tree is the nexus of the walls magic with an alright chance of people or children of the forest beeing strapped in there. In my mind there is like a command room where one could skinchange into the tree and having control of the wall raising defenses and such. Good chance that was the job of the lord commander. I like to believe that the nightsking found his other bride and actually did hella fucked up shit and even damaged this system while also maybe censoring the knowledge of its existance for honestly i find it insanely strange that the special door is not known by the current lord commanders. If it wouldnt have been "censored" the Watch would have never abandoned the Nightfort no matter how expensive the upkeep was. On a sidenote: To me it reeally seams like that beeing hooked up to the tree increases ones lifespan but the effect likely is a procentual one which allows the children with their already long lifespans to be there for a very long time. Bloodraven tho he has lived far beyond a human lifespan is fucking decrepid, the whole thing might also not work as well with humans. So i do not believe Bran the Builder to still be around in body but he could live his second life in the big tree at the nightfort, rests of his psyche still standing watch.

[@hunterfehnel2017]

I want to say that I have begun binging your videos yesterday and now I am here. I am loving this! I wanted to give you a thought I had about this. Elden Ring is, at least I’m part, written by GRRM. In that game one of the plot points, and I believe a bit of a plot twist, you need to burn the Erdtree. The Erdtree is definitely symbolic of a world tree. Now unfortunately I am not very versed in the game. I only played a little bit of it. But I also believe there is a Queen trapped inside the Erdtree. Also, there is “The Greater Will” guiding the player character to the Erdtree the entire game, which I could see as a parallel to the undying you had talked about in past videos. What I am trying to say is that all these ideas are at least on GRRM’s mind. The burning of a World Tree and a queen being trapped inside. I wish knew more of the lore of that game so I could make better comparisons but perhaps that is a good place for us to start looking at GRRM’s thoughts.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

So without spoiling too much about future videos... Yes haha I have to finish up a few points I am making but along the way a few people have pointed out Elden Ring lore to me. I have never played the game myself but recently started looking into the lore and it has blown me away and made me much more confident I am correct in where I have been going with this. Once I finish up the main points of this series we get to talk Elden Ring lore and how it pretty much backs all this stuff up.

[@SpiritStoneWarrior94-yx3gs]

Yeah 100%! And we know from the history of Georges writings, that he likes to recycle/reuse themes from other novels/stories in to his current/ongoing novels/stories! Great catch mate 👍

[@CLCHRD]

do you think its possible that coldhands once was one of the guys strapped to the trees inside the wall and escaped somehow? that would explain him being undead, working together with bloodraven and not being uncle benjen

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

That is super interesting and I hadn't thought of it but maybe... I do wonder what would happen if one of them was untied. I would assume they would die but also coldhands is dead. Not sure how exactly it would work but it is definitely worth considering

[@CLCHRD]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff imho it would really fit into the show coldhands/uncle benjen because the coldhands mystery would be impossible to solve in the show without the whole heart of winter plot and D&D would have cut him out instantly even if grrm had tell them all these things only problem, why would he fight the WW/wights then if they're shadow babies from his former "friends"? because he knows there is a way and they don't? plus leaf saying "they killed him long ago", is it just a bait to assume "they" = wights" or did they antagonize him?

[@Taykoe88]

Too bad we'll likely never know for sure. Awesome theory though. Best thing I could ever come up with. Thanks man for keeping us entertained while we wait. Hopefully it won't be all in vain lol.

[@blackartsviper77]

Yeah I like this Weirdrasill Wall theory very much: if not directly above it, I'd wager is super close to the mark. It fucks up everything for everyone* - if (when)Melisandre finds out about the Nightfort's Weirdrasill, she CAN'T not be compelled to burn it, and it gets a thousand times worse if some Joramun's Horn shenanigan shatters the rest of the Wall's ice first. Depending on how far the book gets, this might literally be TWOW's ending cliffhanger

[@kennyhudson9201]

I can't see Winds having enough pages to go into all of this. I don't think the series has enough pages for this.

[@mollofamerika]

I'm becoming more and more convinced that "giants of the earth" is weirwood roots shaking, and that joramun's horn creates a ---- giant weirwood Ent effect. I also think this ties into the Hammer of the Waters (in Fire & Blood this is described as the single most important event in the history of westoros, and i don't think it means splitting from essos). The magic is described as greenseers sacrifice *thousands* of children and humans, and I think it created a valyrian style cross-breed soul mixture which led to the shades of the others (but the main focus of the magic caused the roots of the weirwoods to shake which broke off the land bridge to dorne)

[@xXImikoXx]

I don't think that it's the wall in the weirwood trees that the house of the undying is tapping into magic from. I think that just like there are white trees in westeros, there are black trees in other parts of the world. And I believe those black trees are the source of the quote-unquote fused oily black stone that we find all over the world in a song of ice and fire.

[@connorhinsley6991]

Fire can be a symbol of rebirth, and is a natural and important part of several ecosystems. Forest fires and brush fires both pave the way for new, healthy growth. Several indigenous cultures have historically performed controlled burns to facilitate this process. Attempts to control and completely prevent fires from happening at all can prime an environment for a much more severe fire that is more destabilizing for the ecosystem and poses a greater risk to people. Forest services (green men *wink*) can regularly perform burns under controlled conditions to clear debris and enrich the soil so new growth can come up. Nukes were the first parallel I jumped to with dragons and politics, MAD and all that, but fire is like THE quintessential tool in human's stories of themselves. The ability to cook and stay warm, or to destroy. When George talks about the lust for power also being a corrupting force, the cold are going to be jealous of the safety of a campfire or later a hearth with walls and a roof.

[@thefastmagician]

I’ve binged these playlists and am 100% on board. This is a refreshing theory that ties a lot of long standing fandom theories together. ASOIAF was getting stale - just when I thought I was out…you pull be back in

[@LordJordanXVII]

Melisandre is my favorite.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

She is such an interesting character, made so much cooler by her POV after seeing her from the outside for so long.

[@LoneSilver94]

This video popped on my feed while I was freezing out. I'm glad I clicked and listened to it. Very interesting theories. You got my sub!

[@Nicola_Blackwood]

0:27 love this lol

[@ThumbBandit04]

Holy crap. I just thought of something!! In the Crypts of Winterfell, they always say the feel like they are being watched. You also posit that weirwoods are what is powering the castle. WHAT IF SOME ARE ALIVE AND CAN'T MOVE LIKE THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE WW TREES? Between that and maybe some warging into the statues somehow because "The bones remember" Like if their warg into the rtees as a second life? Not all will be greenseers or wargs so many statues will be just that. But some of them might be old greenseer starks with their feet attached to a root and their bodies just chilling and living off the blood that Eddard wipes off into the poolafter executions. Or they gave themselves that Stone disease and then did that? (That's silly) But for real... there are too many references to being watched, not being alone, hearing whispers, etc in the crypts for there not ot be some long "dead" stark or 10 under there waiting there for millenia to be called on to do finally fight The Others and banish them back into the trees. I wonder if all the humans will have to exit to heal the heart tree though.

[@eric2500]

Some SOMEWHAT parallel ideas of a system of energy powered by either life or former life is explored in NK Nemisen's Broken Earth trilogy - not a medieval or fantasy setting but a far future setting, but well worth the read.

[@hwris]

14:05 that's why Melisandre needs king's blood and can make shadow babies with Stannis, because kings, or royal families in Westeros, have greenseer blood

[@abigail6873]

THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSE. They can skinchange the shadows without practice bc of the familiarity (e.g. how the Stark kids had wolf dreams due to familiarity before realizing they could warg)

[@eric2500]

Can't be any old king, the way they think. Targ or First men blood required.

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

@Micheal I cannot remember in the books does it say anywhere in the world book or anything what they actually did with the night King when the king of winter and the King be on the wall dealt with him? Did they freeze him in the wall also or what do you think?

[@Terp4Life10]

Great theory!

[@kewl0210]

What if the person controlling the three-eyed crow is just someone frozen inside the wall, trying to manipulate Bran and various events to take down the wall so they can be free. (As in the crow isn't connected to Brandon Rivers at all)

[@dim391]

I’ve seen all your videos and I always try my best to watch new uploads to second they show up on my feed. Keep up the amazing work! I absolutely love your theories and the more you elaborate, the more it all makes sense. In terms of this video, what I’ve been wondering is why the Northerners/Night’s Watch (don’t know who exactly) would strap or allow the man who would become Night’s King to strap himself to the Weirwood under the Wall if the goal was to end the 1st Long Night? Wouldn’t he or anyone else realize that this could possibly allow more White Walkers to be created, hence the present situation the Seven Kingdoms find themselves in? Or am I misunderstanding this whole part of the theory, and the man who became the Night’s King was strapped to the Wall Weirwood in order to create White Walkers to help the Children of the Forest fight against either the First Men and/or the Andal Invasion and then they lost control of the White Walkers and had to “defeat” Night’s King, the Wall was created, etc? But then part of that would contradict the history that the Long Night was before the Andal Invasion (though some do believe it might’ve been the reverse). I guess I just feel that one of the holes in this whole theory is why would anyone allow the Night’s King/Queen to stay strapped to the Wall Weirwood tree, likely or unlikely knowing that it would allow for more White Walkers to be created in the future…

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

I think on some level there is a need for the cycle of rebirth and the Night's King may have realized that a long time ago. Bloodraven is either letting the others come back or unable to stop it. I kinda think he might be letting them because he too realizes the cycle of rebirth needs to play out. If the cycle of rebirth was the goal the Night's King could have strapped himself up for that purpose but was stopped and the cycle delayed for thousands more years. Thousands more years of feeding blood to the trees rather than building a society where that isn't needed. A lot of speculation going on there but that is a way that it kinda makes sense to me. In terms of letting them stay strapped there, I could see them knowing that if the queen was strapped to the other side of the tree and frozen there where they couldn't physically interact it might stop more of their magic from being done but keep them both trapped and punished encased in ice.

[@fibonaccino69]

This vid has me wondering if there are any passages where someone travels north from the wall and mentions how the wall is colder, or vice versa where they are traveling south to the wall and mention that its suddenly colder.

[@Rebel_Lord_Taron]

If the wall ends up being a magical Battery Pack with weirwood trees and Bodies in it and it is the others either projecting their warging willpower upon the dead or however they do it and that they have to take down the wall to defeat them that would be like the ultimate kind of "well damn, the wall has been our trouble with the whole time" type of moments and it would make total sense in a GRRM type of way. I like it Michael you got this stuff nailed down

[@Seuspesos]

Ur a beast bro i love the endgame theories that bring everything together

[@jessejohnson8365]

I wonder what your thoughts would be on the Dothraki being some of the most powerful shadow binders in the story?. The thing that made me think this has to be case are as follows. 1. They are always discribed as having masked bronze faces. 2. All the statues/gods are bound forever in The Shadow of The Mother of Mountains. 3.lots of the gods are from Asshai and beyond the shadow. 4. This is the thing that blew my mind. When viserys is telling drogo he's going to cut the baby out of Danny the handmaid begs Danny to not make her have to interpret the conversation further for fear that Drogo with take her to the top of The Mother of Mountains where he will Bind her! Wtf that's what she says she will be taken to a place forbidden for any but Men to go where he will not torture her kill her ect he will bind her. So my two points for thinking this is massive 1. It would seem is if Drogo who is Aegon the dragon reborn said to Danny from a handmaid . They also describe his house as if it were the house of the undying, thousands of rooms with doors made of silver and gold and his slaves all where gold collars like Yezzens. We know he does not have such a house. but he seems to be trying to inact prophecy him going to kill a lion is just so bizarre such a rare thing they then happen to find a God's Wife who is a moonsinger which is also said to know all the arts of the birthing by this knowledge and Dragons were said to burst fourth from a moon egg once when there were two moons. It's clear that without Mir Maz Durr there would have been no dragons hatching in that pyre. Also it seems as if Drogo was suppose play some role in hatching dragons like from Nissa Nissa prophetic like actions once he's toast Joarah is instructing Danny that Asshai is where they must go. I think that the ships Illyrio has Danny coming back on before Jorah convinces her to make for slavers Bay were also full of some ritualistic materials that Jorah understands is going to result in Danny sacrifice or enslavement because it's after he looks through everything they carry as cargo they he comes up with this notion the books in languages in eldric old one type language makes me think this along with all the tiger skins and cloth and pearls seems to be for making wedding dress tiger queen being taken for a bride like blood stone emperor I feel these things are all tied together somehow. I don't believe the children of the forest to be friends to mankind but the.originaters of the God of death. Seems like Varys and Illyrio are serving them the fact that cheese is stored in caves suggest massive cavern systems beneath pentos. When varys kills Kevin he says he does it for the children and to protect them if he means the children of mankind Kevin bring peace gives safety to the common children roberts 16 years of peace gives life and safety prosperity to children of men so destabilizing the realm for a monarch of your choice when you effectively have full control Robert not caring to rule is nonsense. I am most curious if there are a bunch of weirwood enthroned children alive beneath the red keep varys makes tyrion close his eyes through pitch black section because what he might see would destroy is sanity what else could it be that scene is right after Brans entrance to bloodravens cave. Sorry about the tangent

[@davidjuby7392]

just as a little extra when Melisandre had sex with Gendry and then leached him to get his blood to work her shadow magic that seems quite similar to someone being strapped to a tree and used as a source of life fluid for the purpose of shadow magic.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

That is a very good catch, the tied to the bed taking little bits of life force is a direct parallel. It matches even better to the next topic on my list to cover so this will likely make it into the next video haha

[@davidjuby7392]

glad I could add something@@michaeltalksaboutstuff

[@xavier84623]

The way I think George writes it, he sets up many stories, but there are so many competing factions and the suddenness of death, I think many of them won’t come to pass. He only has so much time and before some of these strings are tied up the character involved could just take a stray death. It’s like everyone has a prophecy but they are competing so only one is going to come out on top, combined with that moment when your playing dnd and you write this in depth important backstory for a character and then the pcs just vaporize them with a stray spell on accident in the first session. I feel like George manages to incorporate that feeling of chaos.

[@geoninja3631]

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙makes sense

[@conniesuper9892]

Tyrion noticed (page 213 GoT,the chapter when he goes atop wall to look off of it before leaving)dark trees looming beyond a stretch of open ground,like a second Wall,parallel to the first,a wall of night. Tyrion had heard that elsewhere along the Wall,between the three fortresses,the wildwood had come creeping back over the decadesthat there were gray green sentinals and pale white weirwoods had taken root in the shadow of the Wall itslf,but Castle Black had a prodigious appetite for FIREWOOD and the forest was still kept at bay by the axes of the black brothers. (A dark Wall of trees,parallel to the first...a white wall,probably?This always stuck out to me...like a house of black and white door,only 2 Walls,one of dark trees,and one of white)

[@waynethompson6667]

I love your theories about the Wall and its connection to Weirwoods and the Others. I’ll probably be so disappointed if George’s endgame is not as clever. Who am I kidding? I probably won’t be around to see the series finished.

[@judson8441]

This is sad, how old are you? Or are you sick or a heavy drug user?

[@jenny_of_oldstones3523]

When are you are going to visit David Lightbringer's Livestream you guys would work out something great together!!!!! You should Livestream yourself!!!!!!!

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

I hope to be finished with the main climax of this series in like mid February. Once I have that video scheduled I will reach out and try set something up with David. I am very excited to get on there but currently have my head down to try get to the finish line with where I am going so we can talk about everything freely in full detail when I am on.

[@Druzica18]

For the record, I enjoy your tangents!

[@shaftomite007]

Holy shit.. are u saying that there are eternal members of The Undying, kept alive w glass candles, in hidden chambers along the wall, casting spells to keep it frozen?

[@everettreynolds5167]

Great video!

[@itskyyuuuu]

What an absolute banger of a video 🔥

[@jswagaudio]

Bro earned my follow

[@taco4242]

Dang, now the entire world knows that I'm getting convinced.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

or going crazy, can't forget the chance that I and now by extension many others are all going insane

[@taco4242]

That can be true too. It's one of those. I feel like uour theories are some goofy cult. I started off being dismissive. Now its starting to make since. In like five more vids I'll be shaving my head and buying land in Texas for the stronghold.

[@Paul_Vidal]

Bran's chapter at the Nightfort, in addition to being a Tolkien reference [Moria], also functions as a subtle homage to "The Rats in the Walls" by HP Lovecraft. The revelation that the Night King was very likely a Stark ancestor is similar to the twist at the end of Lovecraft's story, where the protagonist goes down to this massive hidden basement chamber and realizes that his own ancestors bred half-human, cannibalistic monsters. The themes of the short story, that of oppressive, corrupting power systems, only strengthen the comparison to GRRM's series. Wonderful video by the way. While I don't necessarily agree with every one of your takes, I really love this channel and think you've provided some very deep and valuable insight.

[@j3fr0uk]

WoW will take longer now GRRM knows ya on to him, thx 😅

[@Grace-er9ep]

This is my favorite serious theory but I do kinda want everyone to go to kings landing and have the cat theory (Ser Pounce is Azor Ahai?) be true too

[@laurenanderson61]

I have to say, I've been studying this stuff for years, but when I heard your theory that the Wall is made of weir woods I thought: Of course! That's it! He's solved it!

[@viridianveritas]

The faceless men where hired to kill the undying in the wall but they had to train Arya to do it.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

TBH I don't even think they had to be hired. I think this one is a passion project for them with their whole "all men must die" thing. These people in the wall/weirwood system found their way around that and the faceless men want that system brought down.

[@Chris-do2ls]

So, Bran is an instrument of the Great Other Whose Name Will Not Be Mentioned

[@Yoroiful]

That second figurine reminded me of Lady Stoneheart.

[@kelman2009]

So...is it the Night's King who's crucified on that giant tree at the Nightfort??

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

It seems like the place he would be to me

[@kelman2009]

@@michaeltalksaboutstuff same! Thanks for the videos.

[@mhorset]

Amazing!

[@judson8441]

Bro plz make a euron video!! You are easily my fav ASOIAF channel after years in fandom.

[@BadPotat]

22:15 What if that is the secret to Valyrian steel a weapon forged in dragon fire either directly or used to light the forge.

[@got_glintsp963]

Doesn’t the Theta symbol look EXACTLY like the POWER BUTTON on … well.. anything nowadays? The classic joke about “did you check to see if the power button is lit?”

[@lancelambert1644]

A bit late to the party, but I can't help but be reminded of one of Lovecraft's works with the whole rats in the walls connection. The well lines up with the story as well, and the cannibalism that Bran probably does after seeing the well, and that Euron is tied to Bloodraven, and all the other Lovecraft hints in his direction, it's sounding more and more like the whole system is constructed by a grim eldritch intelligence, maybe "THE OTHER" that is opposite to R'hallor, or maybe something more enigmatic. Still unsure, especially since it seems kinda counterproductive for the Others to build a wall made of themselves to keep themselves out.

[@ruigerd]

Me: oh another crackpot theory, this should be fun to watch but likely not too credible *Michael slaps me across the head with some in-text and outside text evidence* You SOB, this makes too much sense

[@starfishsignal]

i think bran being afraid of the well makes sense, its completely unknown, nobody ever talks about a well, everything else he has a story for except for the well. the nitre on the well wall is interesting. it forms in arid caves or can happen from guano that is repeatedly washed with water over thousands of years.

[@starfishsignal]

also i havent seen anyone mention the visual of a tree consuming the entire party, with bran last, and then the tree drools on him like a sweetmeat, daubing on his head like some kind of divine unction or marking for special treatment.

[@ice-eyes]

Found you a week ago and have been bingeing your vidoes. Love your new perspectives, but the one thing I'm not understanding is the spin of there being people tied to weirwoods with glass candles through their chests in the wall....I guess why do you think that vs just having the wall be a bunch of weirwoods with old greenseers in the roots as we have seen in the story?

[@MrFredstt]

This would be gnarly and cool as hell. If GRRM really is stuck on his books or afraid due to the reception of the show ending then he really needs to watch videos like this and just copy the idea lmao

[@BadPotat]

Have you talked about the Horn of Winter quote in relation to Stannis being asleep during his shadow baby attacks?

[@jacobbruch7854]

Do you think that winterfell may be built the same way but using a dragon or fireworm to heat the water that is pumped throughout the walls

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

So I do think it's possible there is something like that strapped down there. I actually have a video about it called Winterfell's deepest mystery that talks about the crypts and a potential heat source. Dragon down there isn't my most likely option but I wouldn't say it's impossible.

[@livingthevoidlife9396]

Been tapped out of the whole ASoIaF universe, is there a date for the book yet?

[@nononono3421]

Oh the water at the bottom makes me think of Winterfell’s Godswood.

[@Nemenon]

Sorry if you mentioned this already, I listen to too many of these kinds of videos so I forget things. But do you think this is why Jaqen wanted to be sent to the Wall? He was on his way there originally after being captured. I spend way too much time thinking what the god damn hell that dude is doing because he is all over the place, literally and figuratively.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

Yeah on some level I think the faceless men know there are undying bodies strapped to the weirwood net and trying to get to the bottom of it and bring death to them. How much they know I have no idea. But it could be why he was on his way to the wall

[@umwha]

How is Mel going to get to the Nightfort? I imagine shell be quite preoccupied with Jon and Stannis being dead. Thatll probably take up her time for an entire book

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

It is already being restored and Queen Selyse seems intent on going there. I assume Mel will go with possibly taking Jon's body with her somehow. Maybe his loyal faction will retreat there with her instead of being locked in a small room at castle black. Obviously many ways it could play out but I don't think Jon being dead will slow her down, if anything it is her sign to GTFO of castle black because Jon was the one who was working with her and Stannis against what the watch is supposed to do.

[@Chris-do2ls]

Stannis isn't dead...

[@KennyEspling]

Damp walls? In a WELL!? MAGIC!!

[@sarah-jaynemcdonald2594]

Where are the night kings babies raised?

[@ljb8157]

If it's John's first time that deep into the ice caves, how does he know how cold it ought to be?

[@paulbaby3]

Here’s some symbolism to your theory. If burning down the heart of the wall is something that’s going to happen just look at Stannis sigil…a burning heart with a stag in the middle…also could be foreshadowing for Shireen and burning her

[@chadbentoski5778]

This whole theory is based on the ritual when the Night King was created in GOT, which wasn't explained and may be different or never explained in ASOIAF.

[@conniesmith5665]

maybe a bunch of mels are stuck to the trees in winterfell, providing the heat?

[@roba3438]

Surely Jon amd Mel will make the weird couple to act as emissaries to the others. A zombie wolf king and an old crone in disguise is real epic. Also, I just can't see GRRM capping off his books with more incest.

[@LTPottenger]

Giants strapped to trees

[@aprilmae274]

It's weird that Gerrod says they'll be a fortnight in returning and there is a castle named Night Fort. It feels like a word play between those words in text. OmG why is Bran coming out at ground level AFTER going down that well BEFORE entering that creepyazz Blackmouf Gate? Is he Underground or what? WtF is going on lol

[@truiz581]

Anyone actually think this story will be finished?

[@WaywardWhiteWalker]

Oh, very nice. Now get me outta here.

[@someinteresting]

Honey, do you believe we’d actually see that book ever?

[@stevenwetherbee7573]

But what do the Five Forts have to do with all this?

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

I kinda see the five forts as the Essos version of the wall meaning they may have had their own long night type issue where they corrupted a force of nature like a world tree and used it to make themselves powerful. The forts and all the stone that seems magical from there could be fallout of a similar corruption or some sort. Idk how much info GRRM will give us about it but that is my current best guess. They are basically a parallel. Perhaps GRRM trying to show that this is human nature to corrupt things to take power and this is what happens every time. That's why there are similar legends and similar structures everywhere, everyone keeps making the same mistakes.

[@BootsLee]

Has Milisandre set herself up as NisaNisa, sacrifice herself knowingly Jojen style. Will we see the ultimate shadow baby showdown between a fire baby vs the others?

[@SEVENNumber-my1gj]

😂😂😂😂 he said wind of winter It gonna go attack on titan with that wall

[@myrmidonrising7054]

If the Warlocks/Undying manipulated Dany into burning them, why do they repeatedly try to assassinate her/fund her enemies?

[@stench5664]

In memory sorrow and thorn their Christ analogue was crucified to a tree. Perhaps another parallel to the series

[@YarPirates-vy7iv]

First time being first

[@MrSpictastic7208xD]

Wrong- We will never get a finished winds of winter. George in all likelihood hasn't written A SINGLE page for winds in years. He just recently admitted to not writing a single page for all of 2023. My guess is with so many people online having guessed his original ending and David&Dan butchering the publicly scene end of the show- he just lost motivation. Game of thrones will be remembered as one of the greatest unfinished story. I checked out years ago, y'all have hope for no reason.

[@BloodravenRivers]

im almost certain that white figurine u say was nights queen is lady stone heart.

[@michaeltalksaboutstuff]

certainly possible but her neck doesn't appear slashed and Stoneheart has never seemed enough like Mel for the figurine to be mirrored so close IMO. If it is Stoneheart I would say it would have to be after she gained some new wintery powers we haven't yet seen. So I don't dismiss the idea completely but it just seems too much like a direct mirror to Mel and Stoneheart doesn't strike me as that.