Who Was Craster?

[@MesaperProductions]

Craster. The *only* character who makes Walder Frey look like a happily married family man.

[@Shelly-mz9yf]

How interesting i love bringing this back up. 😮

[@laurencote5949]

Lol😂

[@eric2500]

But he is - one wife at a time. Okay, okay, he both likes and hates the kids. All those darn kids.

[@eric2500]

BTW even though I posted a quibbling comment, that's a great crack! *Oh, Snap!*

[@lakehayden]

Woah 😮😂

[@holliegould3463]

i love that even the wildling folks (cannibal thenns included) find craster to be repulsive and ostracize him. like the rest of the clans don't get along either but they all can agree that craster is NASTY xD

[@MesaperProductions]

Craster. The only character who makes Walder Frey look like a happily married family man.

[@dfailsthemost]

Yeah, that is great. "That guy is gross" - man eating a roasted man-leg.

[@Levacque]

​@@MesaperProductionsI'm baffled at my own ignorance! Craster and Walder are definitely supposed to be parallel characters in different settings, great comparison!

[@georgechristensen8920]

But the thenns aren’t man-eaters, they are the last real first men (the GOT show changed them into cannibal among the many other changes) Still using the old language (giants use simplified version) and living in a verdant valley deep in the north. They have the best spot in the north, farmland and not so fucking cold, and they also can forge their own arms and armor (they are a Bronze Age civ) with their weapons and armor being the best the wildlings could produce themselves.

[@holliegould3463]

@georgechristensen8920 oh!! i didn't know any of that thank you for educating!

[@notreallymyname3736]

Craster: "I make sacrifices to keep the whitewalkers away." Whitewalkers: "This weirdo that lives in our yard keeps giving us random kids and animals. Not sure what his deal is, but it's pretty fucked up. We just take them, send them to a good home, and do what we can to stay the hell away from that dude."

[@khazza930]

Donate today to help foster an abandoned baby!

[@nikifisher76]

😂😂😂

[@martystrasinger3801]

@@khazza930I have an old freezer I can donate, makes a great crib!

[@khazza930]

@@martystrasinger3801 ❤️❤️😂

[@Daughterchasya]

Thank you for the giggle 😝

[@ConradsStudio]

"I am a godly man," is one of my favorite lines. He was, just not to the gods of anyone else.

[@TurinTurumba]

"You are a Godly man" ?!!!

[@The_realJesus]

Stingy bastard

[@jackcoogan310]

Craster: the most minor character with the most major impact. He’s literally the butterfly in the butterfly effect

[@joanmasdeu4600]

Why?

[@PrinceTrish]

Nah that's KING BREAD

[@spinozatheobvious626]

Yeah how so? And compare his impact to, for example, Mirri Mazdur...? She really changed everything, more than even she realised.

[@skyleranderson5757]

@@spinozatheobvious626if his kids are the others then that’s pretty impactful

[@robdean6893]

The storm starts when he stops flapping his wings

[@samclontsii3548]

“His death was mourned by no one…” woooooo, chills…

[@husseinmasri901]

*Jaqen H'ghar crying in the corner*

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

A suitably cold final line.

[@gandalfthemorallygrey323]

@husseinmasri901 Your comment deserves infinitely more likes

[@sophiawilson8696]

The Cold Ones!

[@RoyontheHill]

I'm sure his wives were thoroughly bummed out about the events that transpired immediately after and then after then for the rest of their short lives

[@kugelblitzen]

There's a small village near where I live in the North of England called Craster. The name is from the Anglo Saxon Craw Caestre, meaning 'Crow's Camp'. Interesting trivia. :)

[@GGMCUKAGAIN]

Interesting! lived in newcastle all my life and wasnt aware of that. Craster is a nice village, used to go to the smoke house with my my dad when i was young

[@ShadeoftheEvening]

Cool

[@FortuitusVideo]

GRRM has so co-opted british history that EVERY book about the anglo-saxons begins with a reference to this series.

[@Transilvanian90]

that etymology is extremely fascinating and I believe may have inspired him indeed

[@morrigansraven]

Northumberland, isn't it? Same with Kinvara, the Red Priestess in the show. There's a small village in Co. Galway, Ireland called Kinvara - means head of the sea. 😂😂 Sometimes I wonder if GRRM or showrunners like D&D just look at a map of Europe and pick out the names of tiny little villages and towns that would not be commonly known, and think to themselves: ''Sounds like a great name for a fantasy character.''

[@izzyalistair]

We can't disregard the wildlings intuition when it comes to the supernatural. Osha got the nail right on the head when she saw the red comet, for example.

[@skristianf]

A nail on the head doesn't sound occupationally safe. Seems downright hazardous, to be honest.

[@meesert]

I really like the whole Others are creatures of the Old Gods idea. Which makes Craster the most godly man in the series and makes it so all the Northman are basicly praying to their own enemy. This also connects to why Mel thinks Bran and the 3eyed raven are soldiers of darkness.

[@tomjones6347]

There is a good theory out there that the others were actually inhabitants of the weirwood network, then the greenseers kicked them out of the weirwoods somehow.

[@eric2500]

Of course Mel is a priestess of a fanatic religion that much like the early monotheist religions -most of them_ AUTOMATICALLY casts the pantheons of ALL other religions as demons - or at the MOST tolerant, a misunderstanding or misnaming of their one true real diety....

[@eric2500]

I should say monotheistic but flavored with DUALISM, really.

[@rishitchithirala2977]

Hasn't it been confirmed that the others were created by cotf.

[@noneofyourbusiness7010]

@@rishitchithirala2977 That's in the show, which is info you should probably not use for lore debates

[@Tuberiascaesar]

I wanna know how craster figured out that leaving a baby and such would actually work with them? I also think that this arrangment helped him maintain control of his wives. Fear of the others, the shunning of the wildlings and such is a great way to keep his ladies in line.

[@sophiawilson8696]

For 4000 years or more babies have left babies for Colds ones for them leave alone.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

​@@sophiawilson8696 Babies have left babies?

[@coldhands2802]

It also gave him a reason to eliminate any threats (the men).

[@alexmartin3143]

@@Richard_NickersonBabies leavin babies… Smh…

[@Richard_Nickerson]

@@alexmartin3143 What's a baby to do?

[@LH74]

He was the last person still sacrificing to the Others. Keeping them at bay for the most part.

[@Ar1AnX1x]

I love how GRRM's characters are all so different from each other, there's such a wide range

[@Yamaazaka]

Except for every other character liking incest 😂

[@skyleranderson5757]

@@Yamaazakathat’s just the way things used to be no tinder back then

[@JamesMorgan-ne8qu]

He reads a lot of history, there are so many past characters to take inspiration from.

[@Richard_Nickerson]

​@@Yamaazaka With the exception of the direct sibling incest, it's all pretty normal for our own history...

[@peterg9729]

It really isn't. What source do you claim to back up that insane statement? @@Richard_Nickerson

[@royceflores23]

His death is mourned by no one? So… Arya? Jaquen H’ghar? The kindly man?!! This is some big time next level theory going on here!! Thanks for the content Robert, I really appreciate every single update.

[@charei]

Lol. I didn't grasp the joke immediately. Arya=no one.

[@SunnyIntervalsORG]

Ygritte and the wildlings have a solid understanding of genetics and the problems of inbreeding!

[@bollockjohnson6156]

no you fool, they have observations on past incest babies

[@JohnDoe-rj9ql]

And yet they're the savages...

[@eymoose]

They should tell the Hapsburgs

[@user-en2tk2tw4v]

@@eymoosewhat? Hapsburgs? Game of thrones?

[@kula7465]

I think Craster is the son of Aemon Targaryen, that’s why the others specifically take his children. Power in kings blood and all that. It would also explain how messed up and crazy he is, he got the Targaryen madness. Also why the nights watch don’t kill him, but also why they drove him and his mother away instead of taking him in as a boy. The realm wanted no more Targaryen heirs causing trouble. That’s why it’s named Crasters Keep and not Crasters cabin or longhall, a Keep is a part of a castle meant to protect the king. Why would a wildling know about castles ? Even the wildling raiders Jon went with didn’t know stuff like that, they thought a watchtower was a castle and they had been over the wall multiple times. EDIT-Let me add a direct quote from Maester Aemon “ What is honor compared to a woman’s love? And what is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms? “

[@holysecret2]

It would also explain his affinity for... family.

[@jeronimosandovalardila5289]

I guess it's not imposible, but very unlikely, aemon is not a ranger and has no reason to be north of the wall, again, its not unthinkable, as jon or sam are not rangers eather, bit still it doesnt seems like in aemon character, also if he were there would surely be more clues around, at least some of his descendants would have common targaryen traits, like white hair or purple eyes. Again, its not imposibble, but I still think he is just probably from a random ranger. And the thing with the kingsblood is... just unreliable, many houses have been kings before and with the intermarrying of noble families for centuries there should be kingsblood laying around everywhere in westeros, that is probably just one of melissandres arbitrary judgements, but that is another thing entirely... and I dont think incest is genetic, literally can happen anywhere, like the lannisters or the starks marry their cousins, its just that targaryens are raised thinking its ok

[@Ronfost89]

I agree, it is just way too unlikely for Aemon to have ever gone beyond the wall. Like you said both Jon and Sam went but that was for a *all hands on deck the dead are rising* scenario, not a very typical thing. Plus Aemon was the Maester for Castle Black so that means he would have even less of a reason to venture beyond the wall.@@jeronimosandovalardila5289

[@justinabernathy6901]

Maybe blood raven

[@da_ghoul9432]

I think this is true, but I also believe Craster is working with Bloodraven, either intentionally or through mind control, and providing the Others with inferior specimens of inbred males.

[@totrigo6834]

11:19 🤣🤣🤣 my new ringtone

[@unvergebeneid]

Troubled bloke, that's who he was. You know you have a problem when you stand out for being messed up in the world of ASoIAF.

[@LuciferChapel1987]

I love the theory that Craster is Maegor Targaryen, the missing infant son of Prince Aerion Targareyen and Daenora Targaryen. Maegor was born in around 232 AC; looking at Craster's portrayal in the TV show, this would make him around the same age. Craster's official back story states: "Craster is the bastard son of a man of the Night's Watch and a wildling woman from the village of Whitetree. His father abandoned his mother after Craster was conceived, and when his mother tried to bring him to Castle Black, she was chased off by members of the Watch. His father's name is never mentioned." It's interesting that the time frame when Craster would have been born the maester at the Wall would have been a young Aemon Targaryen (baby Maegor's uncle) and the Lord Commander was Brynden Rivers (baby Maegor's great great uncle). I'm proposing that one of them, if not both of them somehow smuggled their nephew beyond the wall and left him to be raised by the wildlings. I don't know how/ why they'd have felt the need to do this, as this time period isn't something George RR Martin has written about yet; I'm hoping we get to find out in one of the future Dunc & Egg novels what happened when Aemon and Brynden went to the Wall. Seems odd the Craster was born around the same time this Targaryen baby who was heir to the throne went missing. Also, this *could* shed light on why Craster keeps his bloodline pure by marrying his daughters and why Craster needs to do this in order for The Night King to turn the babies into White Walkers, because his babies have Valyrian blood and part wildling (thus first men, warg and potential green-seer) blood. In short, his babies are A Song Of Ice And Fire, the perfect recipe to make white walkers, or a new leader of the white walkers; their "Prince Who Was Promised" if you will....

[@mbryson2899]

That is a logical and compelling theory, in my opinion. Thank you for sharing it.

[@Alitacyan]

Well thought out theory, nice one.

[@LuciferChapel1987]

Thanks both! 😊

[@Hoeech]

Interesting. Definitely something that GRRM *would* put in his history. If he really is Maegor, then he really is trying his level best to live up to his namesake

[@sophiawilson8696]

Close but no Maegor is near but not Craster.

[@CJusticeHappen21]

I've heard it that the irl practice of leaving malformed or otherwise damaged newborns in the forest as a means of disposing of them, and the belief that the "spirits of the forest" or whatever took thosr children, is what has inspired this dynamic.

[@AccountHolder007]

Poor children

[@eric2500]

@@AccountHolder007 and deformed rich ones...

[@liambowbrick3917]

Those panning fire shots are awesome. Well done editor ❤

[@katiebethcollins]

I like Craster’s keep as a horrifying mirror to the House of Black and White. He kills in service of his gods, the white walkers, and he trades information and goods with the black brothers.

[@LachNetSoDumm]

the stills of the fire in craster's with the animated effects are just a sprinkle of gold on an already great video. love the love and attention to detail you put into your craft. thanks, Robert!

[@romanyukhaev4549]

The Others turning crasters babies into new Others is probably only relevant to the show. Since GRRM describes the Others as as a diffrent species, diffrent form of life. More likely they use the babes (as well as sheep that craster gives them) as sacrifice. Similar to how the red pristes of the red god burn their sacrifices (fire and ice)

[@jessjess23brooks89]

Yeah I always figured they just like... ate the babies. Or used them for blood sacrifice. Maybe to a corrupted World Tree? *Readjusts tinfoil hat*

[@hypello9534]

Most likley they turn the babies into white walkers(others). Why would his daughters otherwise say crasters son are coming.. i dont think its that complicated as ppl make it to be.

[@kolbywilliams7234]

@@hypello9534 Because none of them have confirmed sightings. They believe the sons come back, but they aren’t saying they’ve seen them come back.

[@Epicentr]

So far, turning children into Wights is show-only. If there's been confirmation of that by GRRM I haven't seen it.

[@Fojenstein3D]

Robert, I don't know how you keep coming up with video ideas but keep them coming. Those of us holding out hope for WoW need them!

[@fordhouse8b]

I wonder how Ygritte would have felt about Jon’s grandparents being siblings, as well as his great-grandparents having the same familial relationship? Not to mention all his Targeryan ancestors having practiced incest for countless generations, going back centuries or even millennia.

[@greyfells2829]

Valerians are built different man. Even a single generation of incest is significantly risky in real life. Targs do it for generations and still produce baddies like Dany.

[@pathutchison7688]

Good thing none of this ended up mattering at all in the show. Still painful to think about season8. 😢

[@Moeller750]

Reading the Craster chapters is almost 1:1 like hearing my brother talking about his time as a soldier in Northern Afghanistan. His unit made pragmatic deals with local wealthy families, that would provide shelter and food in return for the protection that came from being seen housing NATO soldiers. My brother told us about one particular house, where he almost threw up, because the patriarch had several child brides, many of whom were clearly no more than 14 years old and pregnant

[@swagtheyolo7061]

thats almost 1% as disgusting as what the americans and nato troops did to the afghan people

[@ToxicThug11]

and now america lost

[@tedwojtasik8781]

Oh, so in other words, the Afghani version of Colorado City and LDS in general. Got it.

[@nakatomitower5869]

Oh no, child brides and pregnant young girls? Was this Afghanistan or Epstein Island? Maybe it was Vietnam where American troops often had their way with young underage girls?

[@WorldGoods]

How many children did he kill?

[@MeeraReads]

I really appreciate you pointing out that it was not an agreement per se with the others. Humans have never needed an agreement to leave offerings and it’s well known that fairies particularly like to take children. Edit: in Fevre Dream (spoilers) we learn that vampires are a separate species and humans cannot become vampires. I think the same is true of the Others

[@edocsil123]

i love the fact you added fire animtions to the stills

[@JimRFF]

I think Craster represents an amalgamation/generalized "Old Testament religious figure" for GRRM, symbolically... Craster is equal parts Abraham, who was called by God to sacrifice his son, and Lot, who had sex with his daughters... and I think, due to his personal life experience, GRRM has a very low opinion of *that* sort of religious faith -- unquestioning loyalty to arbitrary moral codes... in that respect, I think it is *highly* likely that Craster will ultimately meet his end at the hands of the Cold Gods he worships so devoutly, perhaps as the prologue POV in Winds of Winter, whenever that eventually comes out haha

[@reecerobin8413]

Lot did not have sex with his daughters in the bible. He did offer them up to a mob to be raped though.

[@sophiawilson8696]

I hate spoil for you Craster is Dead already.

[@JimRFF]

@@sophiawilson8696 death isn't exactly the end of characters in ASoIaF...

[@SenorGrandePP]

I like how the Fooking Legend from Gin Alley ended him 🔪

[@fratguide]

Weird thing to comment on, but your reading voice is very good. Loved the Raven’s voice

[@memcgohan6801]

According to Corin Half-Hand... He's a tough old goat.

[@aegorbittersteel2154]

Love the videos IDG I wonder how many Others Daemon Blackfyre could destroy with Blackfyre🗡

[@valerialamberti9037]

I really love your videos, your voice and the way yo tell stories! Regards from Argentina

[@Bargadiel]

What is wild to me is that Crastor is perhaps the only character who was ever able to get the whitewalkers to compromise.

[@meesert]

There's a theory that the Night Watch used to have a compromise with the white walkers where they offered things (maybe children) via the secret door that Bran uses to cross the Wall. There's even mention of a Night Watch commander who had a White Walker wife at some point if I remember correctly. (they are called Others in the books btw not White Walkers)

[@Nga_Babaye]

The theory the person is eluding to before me is called the "Bastard's Gate" theory. At Castle Black, there is a gate through the wall that is different from all the others along the Wall and that looks like an inhuman mouth, perhaps like an Other with a big mouth, and it is called Bastard's Gate. The theory posits that a long time ago, possibly for even thousands of years and up until Queen Allisayne stopped the Lord's First Right/ Right of the First Night (Tagalog translation is Lord's First Right but English is different) bastard children were sent through the wall and given to The Others, the Children, or the Green Men as a sacrifice. That all Wildlings are possibly descendants of bastards without whatever is in Kings' Blood that makes it magical. There are some good theories that keep branching on to the base of it, but no definitive narrative evidence other than it fits into possibly what happened that broke the original pact. David Lightbringer and Robert Geek probably have the best theories on it, though Gray Area may have been the first one to speak about it in video format. Just think about the symbolism of walking into the mouth of summer and exiting into the stomach of winter.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@Nga_Babaye Great summary, but one small correction: the door is at the Nightfort, which is said to be older than Castle Black, and possibly even older than the wall itself. I think this makes it even spookier!

[@Nga_Babaye]

@@thing_under_the_stairs Yes, Night Fort. I was just watching Battle of Castle Black :/

[@Nga_Babaye]

@@thing_under_the_stairs Craster the Procrastinator?

[@niyanlan8928]

Great video as ever - thanks so much

[@CatsinanOvercoat]

I've always been curious about Craster's mindset about his position. By the time we're introduced to him he is nearing the end of his life so i wonder what his plan or thoughts were about who would take over/live there when he died. Was he paranoid about being murdered by his daughter wives? Was he even thinking about these things?

[@eric2500]

Right? And did he ever think beyond himself? Seemingly no.

[@soxpeewee]

I don't think he cares much about more than day to day survival

[@danieldeclue1466]

I think that if what the old lady said about craster's Sons returning is indeed true, it would hold true to the trait that all ice beings seem to have which is that they have some semblance of who they were and where they are from but no more, and they will return to a place that they once called home to spread their coldness

[@LusiaEyre]

I don't think Craster had a Targaryen father. Even at the hight of their blood purity obsession they never crossed the parent-child line, so Craster keeping a harem of his own daughters/granddaughters means little in this regard. I would be more interested in finding out how he worked out the sacrifice bit and if him not marrying outside his blood makes any difference to this arrangement. Or is that just his delusion? It worked once, so lets stick with the pattern. I recently saw a video about how Craster's practices may relate to the original deal with the Others and that MAYBE the ritual of the "first night" started as means to produce spare children for sacrifices. This or trying to create more greenseers/wargs since those births were really rare. That practise was rightfully abolished (after centuries of its original purpose possibly forgotten if they indeed had any in the Age of Heroes). Wouldn't it be a cruel and bitter irony, that out of all the Northmen, repulsive Craster and his downtrodden daughters got that bit of old northern history right? On the other hand, "keeping it in the family" is frowned upon by the Free Folk and Scagosi and the more northern North. Starks married cousins and nieces which wouldn't fly beyond the wall. So is there something in the stagnant bloodline that's particularly appealing to the Others? One would think so, if Wildings avoid it as a precaution. It's like, there's something ringing there but cannot pinpoint the church.

[@pieceofgosa]

This might be a decent place to drop an observation I made about Bran's final chapter that everybody else seems to miss, I'll try & keep this as brief as I can :D Ok so there is a paradox, or a contradiction at least in Bran's final chapter in ADWD. Through conversations with Leaf, Bloodraven & Jojen it becomes apparent that the First Men & the CotF have a different understanding of who, or what constitutes "the Old Gods". Jojen seems to believe that the OGs are the spirits of the dead greenseers that have "gone into the trees" but Bloodraven states that "the gods" created the CotF & gave them their psychic gifts, a belief echoed later by Leaf when she talks about "the gods" giving the CotF long lives but keeping their numbers small. If Leaf & Bloodraven are right then Jojen must be mistaken, as the greenseers could not create themselves or give themselves psychic gifts. So it seems clear to me that there must have been a time in CotF society BEFORE greenseers were wed to trees, or should I say, before skinchangers were wed to trees and BECAME greenseers. The CotF have either broken into heaven, like the Tevinter mages in the Dragon Age games, defiling an existing godhead. Or they've actually become their own gods and subsequently, the gods of the First Men. I like to call this "The First Heresy".

[@janakipejov3667]

Bro thought hes onto something 😂

[@pieceofgosa]

@@janakipejov3667 explain why I'm not onto something then genius, I'll wait...

[@purplefood1]

Differing views from different characters isn't really proof of anything it's just differing views from different characters it's easily possible no one knows the truth and it's all supposition based on what they do know or they're just guessing entirely, there's also the fact that the same thing can be interpreted differently by different people.

[@pieceofgosa]

@@purplefood1 Irrelevant. The very existence of a differing interpretation leads one to certain conclusions (as I detailed above). It makes no difference who is right, it only matters what they believe.

[@eric2500]

They join the original energy that was the Gods, expanding that perspective, which before that had no understanding of what life meant to a creature that can move about or be an individual... In contrast the Humans and before them the COTF did not have direct perspective on living as long as a tree or a whole network of them and considered it godlike, heck maybe they put actual mushrooms in the red and white paste so that greenseers would go trippin with the trees!

[@newelljoseph5060]

Wildlings would sooner fight each other than eat, but the fact that they all have an agreed hate for Craster speaks volumes

[@tk423b]

Love your content. Can you imagine the race to read and get out videos when the WoW comes out.

[@ThePhosophorus]

the quote about being a godly man has more meaning than you give it credit imo, it goes back to the old gods and the religion of the first men. Blood sacrifice to the trees. It is very peculiar that the white walkers seem to adhere to these old traditions, almost as if there was some truth to them.

[@alexanderscott2456]

Craster is basically the lost kid in Froopyland.

[@FrithonaHrududu02127]

Craster is a Targaryen. I'm not totally certain who he's descended from but there's a reason Grrm stressed over and over that Craster wedded his daughters instead of just bedding them. it goes to legitimacy.

[@Beyondtopsecret1]

Always excellent work!

[@pieceofgosa]

I think it's more likely Craster's first wife was his mother, which puts a slightly different spin on it. In that situation Craster is actually the one being used. His wives outnumbered him by quite a decent amount, they could easily have taken him out anytime they wanted but they needed him to make babies. Ask yourself, what were his wives planning on doing when he died ? Would they keep a boy baby ? Or maybe even steal a wildling boy in a nice inversion of the wildling marriage custom ? Another big question to ask yourself is what is more likely, that Craster or his mother made a deal with The Others, or that they inherited somebody else's deal ?

[@stevepirie8130]

Good point on how did he know to leave sacrifices. Easiest way was he was told to.

[@Rye_Toast]

Oh so this was the women's fault? Got it.

[@TitusAnjohnicus]

Your hustlers university subscription is really paying dividends. I look forward to your essay 'Why lesbians just need a good seeing to sort them out'.

[@TitusAnjohnicus]

I left out a too, soz

[@AleksandarIvanov69]

​@@Rye_Toast😂😂😂 you are silly

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

He was a godly man!

[@lexj.2162]

I enjoy GRRM's crafting of these sorts of characters in his stories, those that will sell out humankind. Just as he did in Fevre Dream with Sour Billy Tipton.

[@forx28]

I would love an audiobook with your voice

[@ThommyofThenn]

Craster would do so well living in Alaska

[@LoiterKing]

Crster's son is "Some monster" like Cersei asked Maggy the Frog. He is the Volanquar and the Prince who was Promised.

[@Grancigul]

Its a good day when Robert uploads ❤

[@samuelleask1132]

Great breakdown!

[@moochomatt7301]

I love your vids! They are geeky but that’s the point

[@ThommyofThenn]

You're in deep now, ser geek

[@Mooljim]

Another great video

[@Grenadier311]

The Others were described as ethereal and graceful, unlike their monsterous depiction in the show; just another of countless examples of how faithfully adapting the books would have made a better show.

[@anortalot]

Excellent raven impression I have to say

[@sethdaniel1115]

Crastor was a good dude. He loved his daughters more than any of us could

[@WillGodaskyouifHecansavemetoo]

Holy crap! I read your comment and it was so funny I spit out my coffee laughing so hard! Pure comedic genius! Rotflmfao

[@TransKidRevolution]

He was a family man

[@nolandmotes8046]

FBI is requesting your location

[@Angel9932]

@@TransKidRevolutionCraster certainly did love his family, at least some of them.

[@rjjacob101]

I can believe Craster being a Targaryen of some sort, you know how Craster likes to keep things in the family...

[@timmerk7363]

What always bothered m, is how this guy stayed alive that long. The Nights Watch visits only occasionally, so what stopped any group of 2-3 Wildlings from going in and killing him?

[@bmetalfish3928]

Thought the same myself, he's one old guy, surrounded by just women, not even not even warrior women if Gilly's the norm, he has southern goods, sheep, supplies aplenty, talks to the nights watch and mutilates messengers. Clearly he must be part of a religous practice of sorts, "The old guy's dead, who wants to be the sacrificial degenerate?" must ring out in the lands beyond the wall every 50 or so years.

[@squidmanfedsfeds5301]

I’m thinking the same, he apparently cuts out an envoy from Mance rader the wildling king, someone man e probably trusted, why wouldn’t the wildlings just come back and mess him up, or the nights watch come in or even the others since they said multiple times they were nearby So many things have reason to get crastor but he remained alive for a long time Maybe the sacrifices really did work and protected him

[@goabparty9574]

It’s one dude. I was always thinking this. He’s got tons of women, weird incest born women, but women none the less. Why wouldn’t the wildlings just mop him up really quick and take his home and babes. Even wild animals could just take him out since he gets rid of all his sons.

[@hypello9534]

I guess the others were protecting him. And as we know the wildlings are afraid of the them asf, thats the reason they want to go behind the wall.

[@soxpeewee]

He must have been in a wilding tribe long long ago and killed off his male competition

[@kingtarly499]

Every ASOIAF KZbinr: 🏜️🦂😶 InDeepGeek:who is the incest devil dad

[@NakedGeep]

If Crastor was Bloodraven’s son, would that mean Gilly’s baby has King’s blood?

[@RapaxGuardian]

Now THAT would be a twist worthy of Gartin Rartin Rartin Martin

[@Hoeech]

Let's burn him and find out

[@2516김한성]

@@Hoeech most logical ASOIAF fan lol

[@RapaxGuardian]

@@Hoeech Mel: "I will burn this baby with king's blood as sacrifice to my god!" Jon: "but wait! I switched the babies! This is Gilly's baby with no King's Blood!" Mel: "I call your bluff and burn the baby anyways!" And it works 😳

[@BalrogsHaveWings]

I somehow feel Crastor like an "anti-Beorn" haha

[@marcusmobley5411]

The sons go off to train up north for when the Hound comes down on the north like a Mountain!

[@fighterofthenightman1057]

I always thought it was obvious that there are multiple White Walkers on the show that were NOT Craster’s sons … I mean, it would be goofy AF for the Night King to not even have ONE companion for THOUSANDS of years until Craster had a son! 😂

[@SciFiCatGuy]

I've always thought "Sons Of Craster" would be a cool name for a metal band. Open every show with a metal version of the theme.

[@AndrewK23777]

For me Craster much more repulsive than intriguing. Certainly one of if not by far the worst father in ASoIaF. But i'd say the most intriguing elements are more the unknowns and some of the goings on around & connected to the character. His possible bloodline / parentage which may or may not be significant ; could go either way with that. And of course his practice of sacrificing to the Others and what exactly becomes of these sacrifices (especially his sons). Quite interesting as it could be indicative that this practice was likely more common and widespread at one point. As the vid mentioned , the legend of books' NK for example hinting at such and areas like the Frozen Shore where it seems the Others are worshipped as gods quite likely the sacrifices were if not still going on there. Those sacrifices could have been part of the formula placating the Others / keeping them at bay. Perhaps was quite common and en masse in earlier times and that process being obstructed could be at least partly why the Others have reactivated. With Craster's sons , I personally believe the Others are sustained or energized by the sacrifices' life forces somehow. Anything is possible but just seems lets say many generations of sacrifices from a great many people resulting in creating more Others their numbers would be enormous to the point perhaps would not even need wighting. I personally don't believe the actual Others are that numerous and not sure would work as well or be as ominous if that were the case. But hopefully we get some form of clarity with all this sooner rather than later.

[@redjirachi1]

It's interesting that despite being one of the most evil characters he hints at a small shade of grey to the Others. It proves that, even now, they are willing to make deals with humans

[@eric2500]

Sooner rather than later, yes. Words are wind. George should write some down.

[@nickslade7635]

Crastor is a lowkey targ. Aemonds kid probably which is why his sons have power for the walkers

[@tonysled6796]

Sam has likely made himself primary target No 1 of the White Walkers. he slayed one and prevented them from having Gilly's child. and he is researching how to destroy them. I feel like he's going to be the top General in the fight against them while everyone else gets picked off.....he'll be the last to go much to the chagrin of the Cold Ones

[@sea5058]

I think that craster is bloodravens son, the timeline matches and it would also explain why the others want crasters sons because they are the descendants of a powerful greenseer, wether they want them to create more others or just for sacrifices is not clear, could be either way, though I do not think that it is likely that the others are just crasters son because I am convinced the others are a unique people with their own culture, identity, history etc. so it is most likely that they are using his sons for some sort of sacrifice imo. And the nightswatch is probably working together with craster to appease the others for now, we know that jeor is aware of what is happening and I don’t think he would let that slide in exchange for some food and shelter, so there seems to be a plan behind this, probably made by bloodraven

[@kmook76]

Yep or Aemon.

[@sea5058]

@@kmook76 yeah but in all likelihood it’s gonna be bloodraven

[@SkepticalChris]

Craster was killed by a fooking legend from gin alley

[@whaddup691]

Preston Jacobs has a good argument about how genetically it might matter who his father was and how it might be bloodraven

[@velcro8223]

There's a dude on youtube theorizing that Craster is GMs way of showing the reader that the others are subject to guest right, and that it may be foreshadowing how the books will end. That's up there with Green Zombies and Maester conspiracy as tinfoil that may turn out true.

[@alexneumann3092]

I think the bloodline of Craster is important and I believe that Crasters father was Aemon. That's why the Others like his offspring so much. It's all about the drop of Targaryen blood that is in there, because Targaryen blood, Dragonblood, is magical. Just like with the children of Robert Baratheon. The Baratheons also have a small amount of Dragonblood in them. Always when it comes to performing magic acts it seems like Dragon blood plays a vital role, because Dragons themselves are magic. It's not only a blood sacrifice. It's a Dragonblood sacrifice.

[@markrogers7802]

I agree and little Sam, crasters last son is the prince who was promised

[@MaryCeleste86]

Who's the only one old enough to be Craster's father? Aemon.

[@eric2500]

or someone who did not live as long!!

[@Antisocial_Metalhead]

Craster's babies being turned into white walkers kind of gives me an idea that they've got something like a fantasy version of a borg maturation chamber. Thinking of how GRRM borrows from sci fi stuff. From the main point though, as lots of people have said, Craster is definitely one of the most disturbing characters and I'm interested to see how it eventually pans out for the history with the Others in books, I have faith!

[@official-gangganggaming347]

Reminds me of DAVID STARKY talking.

[@voidghost84]

There is this god motive in the books. We have the god of light/fire/shadow that Melisandre worships. He has a positive side, giving visions and power to even resurrect, but demands human sacrifices and sends shadows to kill. Then there is the sea god that .. touched? has chosen? Patches (the clown/bard) and is the god of the Ironborn. He gives visions (at least to Patches) and demands human sacrifices - the people that get drowned but then come back via resuscitation. Euron's brother also makes a sacrifice of 6 beautiful women to him. So there might be other gods. Bran has a vision of a man being killed in a sacred grove. Was this a sacrifice to the Seven, or just an execution? Or both? The cold north might have the same gods that Westeros has, but remembers things you actually have to do to get their favor or this could be another, ice god that brings his worshipers back just as the others do .. just changed. Maybe the ones brought back by the other gods are changed to, just in a less visible way?

[@Apemopo]

craster was the guy who lived in a hovel north of the wall and was an ally to the nightwatch despite the fact that he married his daughters and gave his sons to the others

[@MCR-M8]

Jon being disgusted.when his Dad's family tree is basically a reef.

[@sophiawilson8696]

The close that Starks had with inbreeding it cousins and half Uncle with Niece.

[@MDCxThePG]

Then later sleeps with his own aunt

[@elainemarie8725]

Man I have been waiting on somebody to make a video on Craster… I always thought we would get some interesting information or pay off on craster some important significance as to why he is like he is and why the others wanted his sons so bad…. Like he was a bastard of a Targaryen or had kings blood. Unfortunately like the end of the show D&D left me confused and disappointed… Edit: also why he was never attacked by wildling clans?

[@thisperson3240]

I thought the point of the Craster is he is the monster created by rejection from both its creators. A double Frankenstein's monster. His sin was to have survived and he did that by the only means available like Varys. He didn't ask for or care about your approval and mourning. In a world of ice and fire he is one of the morally neutral characters. Repugnant monster but really no where near as evil as little finger who just smells better.

[@Ims51]

In hindsight, GOT did a great job visually with the S4 finale where the night king ceremoniously turns a baby boy.however, As far as making any sense, it really doesn't improve. What stands out the most is how easy it was for the NK to ressurect the dead(adults btw), soldiers too.) to add to his infinite army. So, why would he wait around for months or years just to turn a baby or two? Then Wait for the baby to grow while they march south? Do they head back north every now and then for more babies? Is that why it took so long to reach the wall? Someone please make sense of this to me. I'd really appreciate a reasonable theory.

[@berzerker4026]

when he resurrects people they become wights (zombies), but from what I understood even though the series does not go anywhere with this idea is that the babies turn into white walkers( ice people).

[@Ims51]

@@berzerker4026 thank you.that would have been satisfying if the show at least attempted to address previous setups such as this.

[@sophiawilson8696]

We would found out with Blood Moon but that was cancel.

[@soxpeewee]

Why can't there be multiple uses for the babies? The Dothraki ride horses, eat them, use their milk, etc. I imagine in a frozen wasteland that any living thing is useful.

[@MiguelRodriguez-ef5wd]

Lord Mormont knew what Craster did with the babies, even though The Others were suppoused to be thousands of years never been seen.

[@kmook76]

Yeah the ignorance was weaponized I guess. But that was a tradition in the north, to give the babes away especially in winter because hungry mouths. Part of the pact perhaps also as speculated as part of first night, warg/greenseer kings blood for the children and others.

[@edman1357]

Weird that a group who put up with cannibals had more of a problem with incest. To be fair, Craster's incest was very foul, but willingly killing other people to eat is, in my opinion, just as foul.

[@droomonsta]

My headcanon is that the random Nights Watchman that fathered Crastor was a random Stark, so the NightKing can turn Crastors sons, since he is was a Stark too before the Child of the forest turned him. You know how obsessed they are with Blood Magic and hereditarty things in the show.

[@eric2500]

But the books show again and again how heredity gets hidden in plain sight and that the female side gives characteristics to children as well, also the books keep mocking how little 'bastard blood" means - esp with Jon, who is secretly trueborn! But he thinks he's a bastard, just like the Baratheon kids think they are Robert's.

[@Eamonntargaryen]

I think it has to be about life force bc other wildlings besides craster give children to the others. So it’s not about crasters blood. Plus the others seem to be somewhat placated by animal sacrifice, which makes me think the babies aren’t being directly turned to others like the show

[@EvilArtifact]

I think Craster’s function in the story is to teach us a bit about the system of magic that sustains the Others. Since all magic appears to ultimately be some form of blood magic, it makes sense that sacrificed children might be used to sustain the magic that sustains the Others. I think the livestock is a red herring, but the Others know that Craster will reliably produce babies when he has them. But why babies and not just anybody? I think it has to do with Craster’s lineage, which might be from one of the major noble houses since his father was a man of the Night’s Watch. These noble houses seem to be magically significant and possess “king’s blood”. The practice of the first night seems to be intended to produce bastards of noble bloodlines, which clues point to having been taken to the Wall and sacrificed to the Others. If Craster’s children possess king’s blood, then this theory seems solid enough. When Craster describes himself as a “godly man”, he may not realize how right he is. I do not believe that Craster’s children are being converted into Others as the show suggests, because I do not believe the body of an Other is their actual physical form, but rather some kind of magical icy construct that they pilot with their consciousness.

[@whaddup691]

Seemingly this was a part of the agreement that ended the long night. Then queen Alysanne ended the lords right to the first night so they needed a new sacrificer

[@chrisc767]

Would be a good story if Gille and Sam's son is the next plot in the story to revive the white walkers and carry on his true father's legacy

[@juanig4198]

Question:why don't they replaced craster with a night's watch brother or let the women run the place

[@Tyanus2]

1:35 So what you are saying is that he is a secret Targaryen?

[@Kujakuseki01]

I remember thinking that Craster was the first casting choice in the tv series that was a mistake. The first time the actor didn’t work for me as an adaptation of the book character. He’s too clean cut and not nasty and gangly enough.

[@Nga_Babaye]

He wasn't that bad. I think the actor did good, but show Craster isn't necessarily painted as vile as book Craster. Book Craster is certainly way more nasty. He's not the type of man I'd bring home to papa.

[@joshm3484]

What do they do with the sheep and dogs?

[@BubblegumCrash332]

Its interesting the Others can be kept at bay by giving a sacrifice. If they travel south of the wall what sacrifice would they require

[@hezekiaB]

Describing the brothers who revolt, kill Mormont and Craster and rape his daughters before eventually being killed by cold hands as “pragmatists” is interesting to me. There was another video recently that you also described someone as a pragmatist that also drew my notice. It makes me wonder if Britons use that term differently than Americans. While the definition is someone who takes a practical approach to a problem in the US it also implies someone willing to settle a situation in a manner that leaves both parties involved satisfied.

[@littletrebleclef]

I'm British and I would say pragmatism is a matter of perspective. I wouldn't call any of that pragmatic but sick, but from their perspective, I can see how this would be pragmatic. I think a lot of people who do evil do so from the perspective of pragmatism.

[@Taykoe88]

Well Craster created Guilie and Guilie inspired Sam to do things he otherwise wouldn't have like learning about dragon glass and white walkers. Not to mention, without he and his home, crows would've had to figure things out differently in terms of having a waypoint for rest along the way out north of the wall. Plus without Craster, theres likely very little, if any, white walkers alive other than the night king. Its too bad nobody figured this out like years before and killed him. 100 sons or how ever many he bragged about before he got killed is quite a few actual white walkers. Hes a disgusting POS that never deserved to breathe.

[@herbthompson8937]

There is no Night King

[@joshuaforman3354]

How many wildlings are left living in the north after the long night?