Hello seekers,
As you may or may not know, Wars and Politics of Ice and Fire has its own Tumblr page (as well as its own Twitter and Facebook pages). Even more excitingly, we here at the blog have partnered with ASOIAF University to answer questions about A Song of Ice and Fire. We – that is, NFriel and I – take the text-based questions submitted to us, write up thoughtful text-based answers, and publish these answers on the Tumblr.
So every Monday we present to you The Ravenry. We collect the questions we’ve answered during the previous week over on the Tumblr in post form, with a brief description of each, and publish it here, and link that post on Twitter and Facebook as well. The Queen Regent wrote a very good post on the gulf between the legal technicalities and political realities of women and marriage and goes into some leadership and commandership questions of some of Westeros’s most notable figures.
So, without further ado, here’s The Ravenry for the week of October 26:
- NFriel speculates that the Rainbow Guard might not have had the same vows as the Kingsguard.
- NFriel pontificates on the nature of prophecy in Westeros.
- SomethingLikeALawyer suggests that Edmure, rather than Robb, deserves the blame for the Fords.
- SomethingLikeALawyer hypothesizes how Stannis winning Robert’s Rebellion would go down, with suggestions for Tywin and Stannis both.
- SomethingLikeALawyer notes that Robb only has to survive a little longer for the War of the Five Kings to swing his way.
- NFriel points out that Robert never had an official mistress the way Aegon IV did.
- NFriel demonstrates that Dornish naming customs follow their gender-blind primogeniture rules.
- SomethingLikeALawyer shows what casus belli means for wars and unity within kingdoms in civil war.
- SomethingLikeALawyer concludes that Rhaegar would not have been a good king.
- NFriel explains bastard names following the family, and what a bastard can do about it.
- NFriel speaks about the possibility of a Stark-Targaryen union between besties Daeron I Targaryen and Rickon Stark.
- NFriel paints the narrative picture of the immortal Beric Dondarrion.
- NFriel doubts that Rhaella would elope with Ser Bonifer Hasty.
- NFriel theorizes what Hoster would do if Lysa gave birth to Petyr’s child.
- SomethingLikeALawyer clarifies that different victors in war exact different tolls from the losers.
- SomethingLikeALawyer doubts that Jaime told anyone about the Wildfire Plot.
- SomethingLikeALawyer outlines what could happen if Daeron II had only daughters, and follows with what might happen if Daeron II names Daemon Blackfyre as his heir.
- SomethingLikeALawyer thinks that Mace Tyrell won’t be able to jump ship if the Tommen camp goes belly-up.
- SomethingLikeALawyer goes into the weaknesses of other claimants to the Iron Throne during the Rebellion, explaining why Robert ended up in charge.
- NFriel illustrates the realities for Westerosi women when it comes to marriage.
- SomethingLikeALawyer wonders if the wildlings have the technology for spinning wheels.
- NFriel shoots down the notion that marrying outside the family is bad for Targaryens.
- NFriel predicts a bad future if Aerion the Monstrous ascends the Throne.
- NFriel extols the glory of the Crowned Catfish.
- NFriel details the Tyrell’s position when it comes to other houses with stronger Gardener blood ties.
- SomethingLikeALawyer doesn’t think Daenerys will convert to R’hllor.
- NFriel denies that Rhaena Targaryen would push for a child of Maegor to the Throne over Jaehaerys I.
- SomethingLikeALawyer discusses the Bracken-Blackwood feud and what that might mean for a Lannister-Stark feud.
- SomethingLikeALawyer confirms that Eddard would have gone north had be not been distracted.
- NFriel sees why Baela and Rhaena weren’t options as Aegon III’s bride.
- NFriel doubts Margaery Tyrell is a maid, but doesn’t think she’d commit an affair.
- SomethingLikeALawyer says that if Rhaegar wanted a coup, the Tourney of Harrenhal could have given him everything he needed.
- NFriel points out that a Myrcella-Robb union won’t put Stark blood in the royal line, and the importance of symbolism in a Joffrey-Sansa heir.
- NFriel clarifies the relative positions of Robb and Renly in having Hands.
- SomethingLikeALawyer doesn’t think Robb would have followed Renly, but he may have followed Stannis.
- SomethingLikeALawyer notes that you have to actually kill your kin to be considered a kinslayer.
- SomethingLikeALawyer highlights Daenerys’s isolation from Westeros makes sense both in and out of universe.
- NFriel discusses the possibility of Sybelle throwing Jeyne at Robb.
- NFriel doesn’t believe a Stannis-Lyanna match would change Rhaegar and Lyanna.
- NFriel shares her own view of Rhaegar.
- NFriel acknowledges the British Isles’s look on the shape of Westeros, but doubts it means anything.
- NFriel showcases the possibility of Blackwoods ruling the Wolfswood, which the Starks renamed after kicking them out.
- NFriel goes into the ironborn culture’s effect on Victarion shaping why he murdered his salt wife.
- NFriel thinks it would be difficult for the Baratheons to adopt the old Durrendon name.
- SomethingLikeALawyer discusses the leadership and commandership abilities of Eddard Stark, Stannis Baratheon, and Tywin Lannister, and points out each man’s big flaw.
- SomethingLikeALawyer thinks that the topography of the Vale accounts for Wickenden.
- SomethingLikeALawyer gives historical analogues for Robb Stark, Daeron I, and Stannis Baratheon.
- NFriel theorizes a Euron-Cersei marriage, with horrific consequences.
- SomethingLikeALawyer doesn’t believe Davos will be intercepted by the Boltons before he reaches Skagos.
- NFriel predicts an Arryn-Baratheon marriage if Sweetrobin was born Roberta Arryn.
- SomethingLikeALawyer notes that Cersei is very different if she doesn’t marry a king, thus invalidating Maggy’s prophecy.
- SomethingLikeALawyer predicts that the new conflicts won’t be lumped in with the War of the Five Kings.
- SomethingLikeALawyer illustrates why the North couldn’t conquer and incorporate the Iron Islands.
- SomethingLikeALawyer wonders what terms the Dornish use to describe the peoples north of the Prince’s Pass and Boneway.
- NFriel details the unique set of circumstances that would give Edric Storm a chance at the Throne.
- NFriel posits that the current generation of Stark sons were named after important men in Eddard’s life, and believes this is common practice among many Westerosi families to take names from both sides.
As always, we love to hear your text-based questions, so if you have a burning question about ASOIAF, click this link to send us a raven. The more specific the question, the better text-based answer we can write, although we do our best to answer them all.
