Secret of WhiteTree: Craster's Sons & the White Walkers - A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones

[@halrager]

"It's a horrible, disgusting theory and that's why it's probably true." Well said. That sums up what lies beneath the surface of George's tale. The farther beneath the surface you look, the graph of the likelihood of finding deep, ancient horrors goes vertical.

[@conniesuper9892]

Bran keeps saying at like 7 yrs old that he's nearly a man grown...and Ned tells Cat that at age 3 Rickon cannot be afraid forever because Winter is coming...so how old do you have to be to graduate from Walker daycare?

[@maxvickrey4357]

Age 7 apparently

[@b0baf00t8]

This is the motivation I needed to make it through work today. Praise Garth. 🌲🦌

[@j84martinez44]

Praise Garth

[@TheOnlyElle.]

​@@j84martinez44Praise be..TTFriday!!! ♻️ 🌱☘️

[@MissyJ]

"Are the trees okay? They dont look okay." 😂

[@ThommyofThenn]

The Others are NOT evil spirits! They are the "gods of stream and tree," who have been cast out of homes, throwing nature out of balance. I don't know the exact timeline well enough (does anyone really?) to say their ejection coincides with the wacky seasons but it's an interesting idea

[@Jacob-fz5ho]

The long night did coincide with Azor Ahai doing his thang, which created the others and the demons in the east of essos. Was the long night the first wacky season?

[@ThommyofThenn]

@@Jacob-fz5ho So many questions that stoke my sense of wonder. I really do wonder when the season wackiness started

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Weird definition of evil you've got there, just letting baby-eating go as a "nevermind" :)

[@ThommyofThenn]

@@williamchamberlain2263 Not my definition but in this series I find I've been able to see perspectives way outside anything I would normally consider. By our western morality today it would generally be considered a bad thing I agree

[@PapaEmeritus_4evr]

I don't know if I can go along with that. Everything I've researched, read, watched etc., they are evil. Definitely evil

[@MantisToboggan2291]

I was never a fan of the idea that the Others were Craster's Children-I always thought that was way too simple. So yea, I totally agree, I love your theory.

[@subutaynoyan5372]

This also explains why there are so many wildlings north of the wall, they were basically left for the Others to be fed upon It's almost completely clear to me that what ended the Long Night was a pact, not simply a battle

[@AWW8472]

That phrase, "gods of the greenwood," really sticks out to me. If the greenseers or greenmen are shamanic avatar/priests of the greenwood, the Others must be the same for the Whitewood, right?

[@christianlaw1992]

I agree it has to be them sapping the life force from the babies. The undying attempt to do something similar to dany.

[@DavidLightbringer]

I think that's a huge parallel. They do it in front of a blue shadow heart too

[@AskMia411]

I’m months late to this, but going off the Others being vampiric: in Dracula, before Dracula leaves Transylvania he and his brides seem to only hunt *young children*. When (spoilers for a hundred year old book) Lucy becomes a vampire, she doesn’t go after adults, she steals and feeds off of very young children (these kids do survive though). So there is vampiric precedence for the baby to White Walker pipeline. Add that to the many sentences I never thought I’d write.

[@simonholmes841]

Sam: Hey old gods, we're cold and hungry and alone out here, and Gilly has that baby with her, please help! Also Sam: Who are all these dead people and why are they coming after us?

[@DavidLightbringer]

the "Gilly has a son" part sounds like he's offering the babe in return for help. yikes. it works the same in the prologue with Will praying and the Others showing up

[@jazwhoaskedforthis]

​@@DavidLightbringer ooo yall are on to something

[@victoriadiesattheend.8478]

Something is hearing those prayers, all right...just not a benevolent god.

[@j.kyronhanson5644]

While I think this is only part of how GRRM thinks of it (and I don't think he has really thought this, or any of the magic system, through sufficiently)... I DO think this is the BEST collection of ideas I've ever seen about this topic. Impressive!

[@autumnsierra2401]

I think he's using natural magic as a system meaning very physical ritual magic, stuff like cannibalism and human sacrifice. It's thorough because it's based off normal humans idea of magic

[@Khoditsky]

Children 100% have a role in ritual sacrifice in history. Blood magic demands sacrifice... the greater the sacrifice, such as your own innocent children, the stronger the magic.

[@lancefullmer9384]

Time to wake and bake and enjoy some ice and fire i swear man you like single handedly resparked my love of this series after the disappointment that was seasons 7 and 8. Thanks for consistently reminding us that the books are soo much better

[@myujmes]

Yooo me too 🤝

[@RondaGregoire]

Same here! Praise Garth

[@cherylbaxter8986]

Very well said

[@cherylbaxter8986]

[@VelverosaVelaryon]

The art transitions looks striking in this video, well done😊

[@jlworrad]

Yes, I was really enjoying that. It's really making the best out of the community's art with regards to the medium of video. Who the heck needs AI?

[@Li_Tobler]

@@jlworrad I also love that he's crediting all of the artists _properly._ Now that's how it's done! Perfection 👌🏻

[@brandonblackfyre5783]

*Keep up the great work brother! Love seeing how much you have grown... especially after some events where the community tried to ostracize you and cancel you for basically a misunderstandings/misconceptions with someone. I am glad to see that you survived the war of cancel! 😂* *Seriously though, love seeing how you are almost at 100,000 subscribers! I remember being here at 7,000-10,000 subscribers so its amazing to see in real time how the subs went up too over 95,000 subs! We definitely should have a 24 hour stream when you reach 100,000 subscribers!* 😅😂

[@DavidLightbringer]

I'm gonna do something crazy for it and yeah those folks couldn't hold me down. I love the material too much

[@shortbuspimp]

Whatd he say that was triggering?

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@DavidLightbringer Really hope that Reading Rhaegar shows up for the big event!

[@davidryan7386]

​@@shortbuspimpI don't know and I think it smart to let it die. ;-)

[@ThommyofThenn]

I'm busting chunks of ice off my deck rn and this freeze dried ice spider stuff has me looking into deep forest that surrounds my house every few moments. Also That baby cracks me up whenever I see it. One of those babies that kinda reminds you of a 45 year old man. The Fremen eyes also make it nice touch

[@ZomgyLand]

"It's a horrible and disgusting theory, which is why it's probably true" is quintessential ASOIAF theorizing.

[@HaldirMark]

Secret sneaky drop, tf! But we give thanks for new videos... Really helping me appreciate this masterwork of literature. Give thanks LML!

[@ahmadbanihani2473]

@davidlightbringer i just realized that Varys the person in charge of getting information for kingslanding. just like the trees are used to get information. also he had a spy network “ spider net”. i don’t think that’s a coincidence. also the name Varys means “bow legged” just like spiders legs.

[@melissamoore5223]

Not going to lie, I loved the visual of the white Walker day care kiddy camp

[@siddhantrasaily4836]

ive always thought of the others of as hive minds its obvious in the first chapter itself also, looking at martin’s other works, he seems to have a thing for hive minds praise garth love from himalayas❤

[@MrFredstt]

Would make sense for them to be a hive mind if they're connected to the weirwoods which themselves seem to be a hive mind

[@WaywardWhiteWalker]

A human sacrifice to or on (or however the verbiage) a weirwood isn't necessarily bad. If you look to "A Song for Lya", sacrifice is wanted and if the sacrifice wasn't made and someone died before they got to the cave, where it happens, it was a great loss. The children were collectively using the weirs that way, but, as you say, it's been infested with, not just one, many invasive spirits. coma Side note. I don't think the weirs are all connected. And I don't think these evasive spirits like one another.

[@resathe6760]

Little correction from a Tolkien nerd, three of the Nazgul were in all likelihood Númnenoreans, yes but not Númenorean kings. Those are all accounted for. Loved the video. Keep up the good work :)

[@downtown_clownybrown]

love the vibe of this one

[@ThommyofThenn]

Vibes do be going ham in this vid. Ejected spirits wanting to return ever since Azor Ahai basically hacked them and took over their home network. The trees had some kind of symbiosis with these spirits, I think they're in anguish because the spirits were PART of them. They WANT their nature spirits to return to restore "balance" to nature. I have an odd thought but maybe the seasons would return to "normal" if they are able to return into their trees. Do we really know the timeline of the really long seasons? I personally think Planetos is either a rogue planet or a planet struck by a HUGE celestial body and sent careening through the Night on what is I believe known as an erratic orbit.

[@TheCbot88]

“A babe fresh burn stinks of life. He’s come for the life.” Gilly

[@michaelcnapier]

Yet another high quality video! I am in awe of how good you are at this. Every video is intriguing and pulls me right in even after all these years. You’re amazing David. Please don’t stop!!!!!!

[@ScarlitWidow]

Yes! So excited for this one Your video drops are the Craster's sons for your fans... Who do have white walker parallels 😜

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Dude, as a pasty Canadian who lives for the winter, this hits a bit too close to home! 😂

[@isabell746]

White walker day care cracks me up every time 🤣🤣🤣 as an attentive listener to nearly all ur content this theory was familiar already, but it's nice to have it condensed into 1 video all the same! Looove ur content!!!

[@Mmu12059]

Just to comment on one of the points you briefly touched on, but it’s interesting how many magical objects in the story serve as both thrones and sacrificial altars (the seastone chair, the weirwoods, and possibly even the iron throne), and to think about the potential themes George is trying to convey with this phenomenon. Might make for an interesting video or even series on it’s own 🤔

[@Inqu33rsition]

Not me waking up from a nap to a David Lightbringer video ❤ Gonna praise Garth while watching, bless you David 😂 seriously appreciate the work you put behind these videos and lives !!

[@jay-1800]

If we think about the weirwoods as like a fungi what if the ability to use them like we see the first men doing came from extended exposure to something like spores. Things like old viruses can be detected in our modern genome so what if that’s where that ability comes from

[@cityslacker6221]

geotd, vedic danny, ice spiders, fire wights… no one, other than grrm, has brought more to these books than LmL, and I’m grateful! 🙏 🔥 🌳 ❄️

[@DavidLightbringer]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Li_Tobler]

Superb editing on this one! Thoroughly enjoyed it 🔥👌🏻 Also love love love musical accompaniment in your videos! I just rewatched the Glass seeress as well as She who'll blow the horn vids, because that music where you read out the book fragments is just SUPERB. Shivers every time! You're very talented. If there's a way to listen to those separately, I'd love to!

[@SpiritStoneWarrior94-yx3gs]

Youre my favourite ASOIAF tuber mate! I had a break from the lore whild delving in to the Malazan Book of the Fallen lore/series, but i came back to continue learning more about my favourite lore of all fantasy 🙏🏼❤️ Hope you've been doing well and im so glad you're getting more and more subscribers 😊

[@sleeplessbard2519]

Could you imagine if David covered malazan

[@tommachin8705]

The Others are all walking around like "We are borg" haha

[@Henbot]

Elden Ring has a beast from Space that lives within a tree that secretly runs all the enemies from behind the curtain

[@Stevandoren1003]

Wow! This make too much sense for it not to be true. I love this theory. Great work and awesome video! The breakdown was top notch! Thanks for sharing.

[@swayback7375]

I’m just starting this vid… But I’d warn against putting too much faith into that logic.

[@lotsofspots]

The smaller skull can't be a newborn - skull wouldn't be in one piece as the sutures would not have closed yet.

[@GeeNoniGee]

Maybe the freeze-drying process has something to do with it?

[@informedconsumer5293]

Maybe the smaller skull meant it was a mother and child or some pair that was related

[@_doncheykong1593]

I have to say I think you completely sold me on the theory that the walkers come from the trees and are pissed off for being evicted. That explains their animosity toward the greenseers. It might also be that the wall is not intended to keep the white walkers out, but rather it’s the boundary of their “lands”. Humans aren’t supposed to be north of the wall at all, which is why the nights watch hunts wildlings, as opposed to letting them be.

[@farahgiovanna]

Oh what a nice surprise! How fun, thanks for your theories David…. Love it

[@Sol-0T-hn5ro]

This is a good take, especially when keeping in mind all the subtle and not so subtle anti-war and anti-colonialist messages which is right there, in plain sight. Plus old George is an old hippie, would make sense that none of the conflicts and wars occuring in the books are romanticizing violence/war. Between the magic, houses, dragons and regular fantasy stuff, we see what happens afterwards, the consequences that regular people go through in life during wartime. So, if there is a subtle "another man made invasion is the root of this shit" message in there, I believe you found it. And it was awesome, well done David:) Kind regards, Solo-sweden

[@jennifertomaiolo]

Second the comment about the great use of art! Winter is coming here in NY and this video gave me a chill up my neck!!!

[@almab6875]

Can't tell you enough how much I adore your videos LML!

[@jorahtheexplorer3262]

Kraken Throne ... well where else does one put one's crack then in a throne ...

[@ethanbarnacles]

really creative theory!!! i love your take on wierwood magic being so eldritch and archaic, its such a flavorful interpretation

[@yeahnaaa292]

Love your humor, narrative approach/voice. Killin it.

[@bronhaller]

And you burn the husk so there's one less wight, regardless of the age of the sacrifice

[@lina_ru4368]

Oof. Amazing. Your theories fascinate me. This channel is bringing back my intrest in ASOIAF in full force! Is there a playlist for all your videos that explain the Weirwoodnet theories?!🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@zegreeno]

Great Halloween stream with all the eerie music. Love it! Thanks Dave.

[@bradbarker4041]

The smaller skull could be from a Child of the Forest

[@namonibblonian]

"Sokath, his eyes uncovered!"

[@angela777K]

Well Good Morning to me! Thanks for the early surprise drop! Love this.❤

[@nathancarlson4118]

Thanks for sharing this video. Always good to see you post content.

[@jsull81]

I really like this idea but one question, if the people of White tree were sacrificing to the Others, then why would they need to flee with Mance?

[@alexmoes3225]

Maybe the bones at white tree are old and current residents don't know the ritual. , only Craster remembers?

[@Rosie-yt8nd]

if the walkers are a hive *mind* where did they get their bodies after being pushed out? what created the ice bodies? did azor ahai have to do it before pushing them out, like providing an alternate vessel? did the children do it as consolidation? did they manifest as the opposite of azor ahai, who basically represents the champion of fire? from the perspective of a hivemind who were unnaturally forced into bodies, of course life and death mean something different. yes you need life force to sustain themselves but it is not the "end" the same way it is for humans. it would also solve the theories of how they can control so many wights at once, lots of combined power

[@newportspapi7174]

Always great to wake up to a new vid thanks Dave

[@harlequinne.]

It could also make sense why the others explode when they die as the magic holding this ice body together is suddenly interrupted and the body just can't hold together with the energy escaping. Dragon glass or valerian steel are magic disrupting.

[@smecclesshwifty8548]

Absolutely smashed that like button

[@therunningman_]

Gonna give into this! Thanks so much, Dave!

[@devikaram2312]

This was so dark, and I loved it! 👊💯

[@AlexGordonMusic]

Lol the intro to this video is perfect “…probably not…” Lmao

[@mehgancorker7242]

The pic of the white walker sheep really sent me 😂

[@colleens1107]

Leaving the baby in the weirwood is weirdly reminiscent of leaving sickly babies on the fairy hills because the parents believe the baby isn’t theirs but a changeling. I wonder if that’s where Martin got the idea

[@DavidLightbringer]

100% yes

[@davidryan7386]

Your production is so top notch gievn your frequency. All other shows (should) stand in awe. It is all the caffiene+grrm+garths finest Much ❤ from nor cal!

[@cherylbaxter8986]

They are all under the one mind ❄❄

[@V-is4Val]

Love the evicted hive mind theory, it makes sense with the whole Weirwood/mushroom/fungi biology, trees and fungi have a symbiotic relationship and are able to communicate over hundreds of miles in real life, etc. The only issue I have with the theory is if white walkers are evicted tree spirits, why would a weirwood act as a "straw" for a baby blood sacrifice since they are effectively evicted aka not connected to the weirwood net anymore? To me the whole issue is they are disconnected and want to be reconnected to what is "rightfully theirs" to keep that whole theme going, which is a very pervasive theme through many characters in the story. I am leaning more towards they are trying to perform a reverse form of the magic that evicted them in the first place, which apparently requires blood sacrifice. I am think they haven't figured out the right spell yet which explains the need for the steady need for blood, human or animal, they are trying to figure the magic out. And in an effort to rebond themselves to the tree, they put the baby in the mouth and perform whatever spells. So bottom line, I agree with you in that I think they are doing everything you say they are, minus they are TRYING to get the tree to "absorb" the sacrifice, but thus far unsuccessfully.

[@Cyr-Freekraken]

The Others a) absorbing the life force; and b) using the weirwoods, makes all the sense! The white walkers come out rarely enough I don't think they like to unless they have too, and they must still be using the trees. We also know the first men used to sacrifice to the trees, even until recently in The North. If the trees are fungi, or analogous to it, having the ability to feed from living matter makes sense and mystically translating that to feeding on lifeforce energy itself even more so!

[@DavidLightbringer]

🤌

[@apacalypsagon3758]

Yeah i don't take any of craster's talk of being right with the "gods" seriously because i don't think he would ever come to any codefied agreement wirh them. It's more like he gives them free stuff and they just don't happen to run amock in his keep or any contractual obligation on their Part.

[@hubbax69]

please explain how coldhands fits into this theory. partial extraction? just wondering out loud...

[@catyatzee4143]

Loving these shorter yet info dense vids!! Don’t totally leave long form tho ❤

[@nightcitypunk8517]

Yeah. I think you've hit the nail on the head.

[@andrzejkopalnia]

This is a killer theory my man

[@jeffreybennett177]

Love this theory! Intro music made Paxter my cat jump and run😮 I like most of your theories and the evidence you supply but this is the best🎉

[@stefanbabel6401]

LML keeps this fandom alive 🎉

[@willforan9670]

David!!! Who gave you permission to exponentiate the quality of my day?? 😁 thanks for the upload, my liege. Praise Garth 🤙

[@briennesfatsister4788]

Great theory. Have you read GRRM story Fever Dreams? It's about vampires and it has a very disturbing scene involving a baby.

[@DavidLightbringer]

no I have heard about it but not read it. yikes Im afraid to ask

[@cherylbaxter8986]

Is that tree Jon see's is it near the tree Brann goes to or the same

[@hinakhodiyara7883]

It doesn't get any darker than this. Great, but gruesome theory. Thank you.

[@sarahevans-politte4756]

Praise Garth for another amazing essay!❤

[@samanthasound7676]

Well said 👏

[@xavier84623]

I don’t think bran could download the invasive greenseers because he doesn’t have enough hardware, he only has one meat brain, he would need a giant network like the weir woods to hold them all. He will have to find a way to delete them from it, probably by letting the others back in, take down the fire walls, tell the others the password, and then bam, they go back in and kill the invasive greenseers in a giant mental battle in the network itself, and also they are gone from the physical world solving the others problem.

[@DavidLightbringer]

i think that's why Bran is special; he somehow is capable of the download act. That's why the children had to wait for him. That's my thinking anyway. I mean that would be super gnarly right

[@xavier84623]

@@DavidLightbringer hell yah that would be awesome, bran would become a god essentially

[@DavidLightbringer]

hed be a history book, I think. after the download I don't think he will have tree magic anymore

[@xavier84623]

@@DavidLightbringer knowledge is power, and with all that knowing I bet he could find other sources of magic. Also, with all those souls in him, or whatever happens to him, he would almost be like his own mini weir net. That might have interesting magical implications.

[@nobodyexceptme7794]

Interesting, can't wait for season 2, hope u and Quinn team up for more vids in the future. Salute!

[@armagankorkusuz]

Great video as ever! Only the back music is a bit too intense and loud.

[@genlob]

So the Others are baby eating, vampiric ice Borg? Now, that's my kind of undead. Think you've hit on it with this theory, though. Sucking the psychic marrow from the bones. Makes a lot of sense; much more that a frozen creche for KinderOthers. I have this vision of Mormont with the skull in his hand. "Gottle o' geer!"

[@Righerd]

The Ice Spider video is epic!

[@mauldania8947]

If Greenseers like Bran and Blood Raven are using the trees and the Others are using the trees, do you think it's possible that there is some sort of espionage going on? Others looking at the Children/BR and their plans, or BR/Children spying on the Others plans? Or do you think this is part of the partition, where both can use the tree but apart from each other?

[@Righerd]

Weirwood net is Yggdrasil Azor Ahai is Surtr.

[@Timbo__Slice]

I wonder if the oily black stone is like dragon slime, similar to how oysters produce slime that becomes pearl and over time it lost colour , it would make sense with asshai being influenced by Eastern mythology and in that mythology dragons are associated with pearls

[@manofhealing]

Interesting. What if they do it like Bloodraven? Let's say the Others are the Weirwood collective, would most of what we see around Weirwood culture just rituals from long ago that have lost their original meaning? There is a connection for sure with the House of the Undying, that GRRM maybe used to give us clues to the Others, the House of the Undying has black trees with blue leaves, the exact opposite of the Weirwoods, the blue leaves contain some sort of magical property since it gives us shade of the evening, which can be drank to "hear and see truths" hidden to everyone else. The true Undying Ones, reside in a small gloomy room with a magical heart in the middle and are ancient and withered, and are said not to move or breathe until they attack Dany. Kind of sounds like they live in a cave with a heart(tree) in the middle, right? So anyway, this all seems centered around this tree with magical properties that is the exact opposite of the Weirwoods in terms of color. We know they grow in Essos cuz that's where we see them, maybe Garth the Green who is said to have planted the first weirwoods, actually planted this tree, and was using it for it's magical properties (leave it to the Dionysus like character, god of fertility, vegetation, and wine making, to plant vegetation that is used to make Wine of the Warlocks, as shade of the evening is sometimes called), or the collective of people known as Garth the Green, or someone who's name is forgotten and whose legend turned into Garth the Green. Then when Azor Ahai or the last hero or whoever the first true greenseer was, saw that his powers were greater than normal wargs, he got the idea to warg into the magical trees hoping to gain deeper magic, and corrupted the trees. Now, if they're all connected underground, warging into one and corrupting it, would corrupt all of them, their color drained, they turned white and red instead, and the weirwood collective was kicked out, the Others could be what happens when you take someone's consciousness and force warg it into an inanimate object, in this case ice. The motivation for the others now would be to force their way back into the weirwoods (and i haven't figured out how it fits into this but i suspect it has something to do with the crypts of winterfell). By the way, this would only affect the trees in Westeros, because it'd be pretty hard for them to be connected globally, so it's probably limited to continent, that's why there's no weirwoods in essos and no shade of the evening trees in westeros. So the current Weirwood net, full of greenseers and children of the forest and wargs and stuff, none of that is original, those are all invaders that came after Azor Ahai, just how the faces carved into the weirwoods are also something that someone had to do, the weirwoods do not naturally have faces. This could be to facilitate greenseer magic, and it seems to be that way, by giving the tree "eyes", which means greenseer magic wasn't the Weirwoods original magic, not in this current form at least. The cave with Bloodraven becoming ancient and withered and the other children that are dead but not dead, tangled in the roots, I think that's the clue to the Other's and the babies (and the Undying Ones that are also probably connected to the roots of their trees somehow even though we don't explicitly see that, but the symbolism is very much the same), the Others could have a frozen weirwood, and maybe freezing it does something special to the magic, maybe it blocks access to the invading greenseers? So if they have their own weirwood that is independent from the rest somehow, they could be taking the babies and connecting them to the roots of that tree, where it will slowly age and grow and be kept alive by the tree like it does to Bloodraven and the other children, where they can potentially live for centuries, their lives being lengthened by the tree while at the same time feeding the tree their life energy that whole time. It's possible the Others have attached themselves to this frozen tree (or maybe even a whole forest of frozen trees) to make their magic stronger and need the regular blood sacrifice the same way the "normal" weirwoods seem to need regular blood sacrifice.

[@ACPritchard]

Hail! From beyond the wall! (MN)

[@rexpontiff1001]

It's probably ironic that this channel helps me in being a Faith of the Seven apologist.

[@bub7358]

Great video and analysis like always

[@Brellowcrop]

I love part of a theory, as i love this channel. Its the only asoiaf shit i listen to now. Thank god for History of Westeros' intro to LmL

[@nickim6571]

I like this idea of them sapping the life force, because why would they need to make more White Walkers, unless one is destroyed?

[@levismom100]

Love you David. You are the Best

[@TheOnlyElle.]

Great video as always :)

[@bryanmurphy4816]

Yesssssss! White walker dare care time lol😂

[@pablopicaddo]

DBringer is on fire lately

[@ShelbyOfOldStones]

Perfect ASOIAF accompaniment to cooking brunch ❤