Faith and Identity Part Two
Starks, Identity, and Death
(This is the second part of my discussion of Faith and Identity. Again, as always, spoilers)
The Starks, as the most Northern House, are our main connection to the old gods. The worship of the old gods is the most 'just so.' They are believed to be part of the elements of nature and don't require any direct worship. At one time, they seemed to have responded to blood sacrifices, but it isn't explained why. They have power and there is a great deal of evidence of them, but there doesn't seem to be any formality to it aside from possibly swearing oaths in front of trees with faces on them.
Because there is nothing written down and no real holy books, people who follow the old gods seem to do so more by securing their identity in a code of ethics. People who tie their identity to the old gods seem to accept that certain things are Truths and that consequences will be met out by the gods without any human interference. Kinslaying. Breaking the rules of hospitality. Oathbreaking. Lyanna Mormont is able to shame the other Northern lords by reminding them they broke their oaths to the Starks. The understood message is that if they don't do something to make this right, they will suffer.
This seems to be the difference between Roose and Ramsay Bolton. Roose would break oaths when he felt he had no other choice. Honestly, it could be argued that betraying Robb Stark and making his alliance with the Lannisters was the only thing that could have saved the North. Roose knew they needed to go back home and deal with the Ironborn. But for all of his faults, Roose still wrapped his identity in the faith of his land. He did not believe in killing his own son. He did not believe in attacking the Crows. He may have been a horrible person in a lot of ways, but he had principles. Ramsay did not. Had Ramsay treated his prisoners well or treated his wife well, he might have had a very different life. Ramsay had no moral compass and for that reason more than any other, he had to die.
Back in the first season, when we first see the Starks, several things connected to the old gods and to their identity happen fairly quickly. Ned Stark executes a man of the Nights Watch for desertion. They find the dire wolf mother and her pups. A pup is given to every Stark child, including Jon Snow. Then we see Ned in the godswood where his wife comes to him and the whole plot swings into motion.
Since then, the old gods have played a large part in what happens to the Stark children and are very wrapped up in how they identify themselves. Bran and Rickon have visions about their father's death before it happens. When Bran is told by Jojen Reed that he needs to travel beyond the Wall, Bran doesn't question this, even though it seems like the worst idea ever.
When I wrote about compliance and rule breaking, I considered putting Bran in there as a counterpoint. Then I realized that the issue with Bran is different. When Bran breaks the rules and causes Many Bad Things to Happen, he is never breaking laws written by people or even the codes followed by the Northerners. Bran breaks rules set down by nature and the gods. He knew his climbing was dangerous, and yet he would do it anyway, sure that his skills would always keep him safe.
He was correct on that part. It wasn't his lack of skill that got him in trouble. Bran sets the whole war into motion because he sees something he shouldn't have seen, which, admittedly, is often a problem for people with Sight. Bran uncovers a secret and it gets a lot of people killed. As a result, he loses his ability to climb. He is directly punished for breaking this rule but it doesn't stop him.
The Three-Eyed Raven warns him that Sight is dangerous and visions can cause problems if not handled correctly. Again, Bran doesn't listen and goes exploring anyway. By doing so, he uncovers a dark truth about himself, gets two of his companions killed, probably killed the last of the Children of the Forest, and made the Night King even more unstoppable.
Even by this season, Bran isn't coming to terms with how powerful he is and what level of destruction he can cause. Part of his identity isn't accepting the responsibility of his Sight. While many people's personal battles are both physical and mental in this story, I think Bran's has always been about learning to temper himself.
While we see active participation with the old gods when it comes to Bran and his group, the story has also witnessed the conversion of one of the other Starks. Five seasons ago, Sansa Stark was very much her mother's daughter. She wanted to get away from Winterfell and the North. She put her faith in Knights (who came along when the Faith of the Seven began) and wanted to live a life in the South. But as her story has continued, we've seen her moving closer and closer to the old gods. She would spend time in the godswood at Kings Landing. When she was at the Eyrie, she revitalized her spirit by building a snow castle that looked like Winterfell.
On the outside, Sansa has had to blend in with those around her. To survive, she had to look like a woman of Cersei's court, then like a woman of Margaery's. She dressed dark and sexy for Littlefinger. This season, Sansa finally regains her identity as a woman of the North. She dresses as one and acts as one. She knows Winterfell is her home and fights for it. She also accepts the harshness of their lives and the need to follow the code of the North. When she kills Ramsay, it isn't just because of what he has done to her. It is because he is a destructive force who violates everything Northerners stand for. It isn't just revenge. It is justice.
One of the more harmonic things about the story has always been the way that Sansa and Arya's story arches mirror each other. Sansa is the lady and Arya is the tomboy, and yet, to survive, both of them often had to transform themselves and disguise themselves, often walking very close to losing their own identities. Last season, when Sansa was in the clutches of Ramsay, a man known for stripping others of their identity, Arya was in the House of Black and White, a death cult of assassins who also asked their followers to step away from their identity.
In a way, I think Arya is a worshiper of the god of death. In the first season, while Sansa was being brought into the fold of the royal court, Arya was being told 'there is only one god and his name is Death.' In the second season, when Sansa was learning to survive as a prisoner of Joffrey and Cersei, Arya was taught to recite the list of the people she wanted to kill, a prayer that would keep her going. Even in her most dire moments, we see her reciting her list. Before she ever came to Braavos, Arya's religion was Death.
A lot of people have speculated why she was allowed to leave the House of Black and White. My theory is that while she wasn't fit to be an assassin in the traditional sense, her willingness to kill still made her a follower of Death. She was allowed to retain the skills she learned there because they would be used for killing. Arya could not be part of the religion in the sense that she could become No One. She would always be Arya Stark. She couldn't let go of her identity, but it didn't matter. That identity was now one who did the work of Death anyway. Arya Stark is a deathbringer, and probably for the Many Faced God, that's enough.
It's been clear since the beginning that the gods were part of what was shaping the Starks. The gods have offered gifts of various sorts, but it has been up to the children to accept or deny these gifts. As things are winding down, we're beginning to see what they need to keep with them in order to survive. Bran's identity is tied to learning to understand his power. Sansa's is tied to owning who she is. Arya's is tied to accepting her role as a killer. It's down to these three now. The rest of the Starks are dead and Jon is a Targaryen. The North is in their hands.
Starks, Identity, and Death
(This is the second part of my discussion of Faith and Identity. Again, as always, spoilers)
The Starks, as the most Northern House, are our main connection to the old gods. The worship of the old gods is the most 'just so.' They are believed to be part of the elements of nature and don't require any direct worship. At one time, they seemed to have responded to blood sacrifices, but it isn't explained why. They have power and there is a great deal of evidence of them, but there doesn't seem to be any formality to it aside from possibly swearing oaths in front of trees with faces on them.
Because there is nothing written down and no real holy books, people who follow the old gods seem to do so more by securing their identity in a code of ethics. People who tie their identity to the old gods seem to accept that certain things are Truths and that consequences will be met out by the gods without any human interference. Kinslaying. Breaking the rules of hospitality. Oathbreaking. Lyanna Mormont is able to shame the other Northern lords by reminding them they broke their oaths to the Starks. The understood message is that if they don't do something to make this right, they will suffer.
This seems to be the difference between Roose and Ramsay Bolton. Roose would break oaths when he felt he had no other choice. Honestly, it could be argued that betraying Robb Stark and making his alliance with the Lannisters was the only thing that could have saved the North. Roose knew they needed to go back home and deal with the Ironborn. But for all of his faults, Roose still wrapped his identity in the faith of his land. He did not believe in killing his own son. He did not believe in attacking the Crows. He may have been a horrible person in a lot of ways, but he had principles. Ramsay did not. Had Ramsay treated his prisoners well or treated his wife well, he might have had a very different life. Ramsay had no moral compass and for that reason more than any other, he had to die.
Back in the first season, when we first see the Starks, several things connected to the old gods and to their identity happen fairly quickly. Ned Stark executes a man of the Nights Watch for desertion. They find the dire wolf mother and her pups. A pup is given to every Stark child, including Jon Snow. Then we see Ned in the godswood where his wife comes to him and the whole plot swings into motion.
Since then, the old gods have played a large part in what happens to the Stark children and are very wrapped up in how they identify themselves. Bran and Rickon have visions about their father's death before it happens. When Bran is told by Jojen Reed that he needs to travel beyond the Wall, Bran doesn't question this, even though it seems like the worst idea ever.
When I wrote about compliance and rule breaking, I considered putting Bran in there as a counterpoint. Then I realized that the issue with Bran is different. When Bran breaks the rules and causes Many Bad Things to Happen, he is never breaking laws written by people or even the codes followed by the Northerners. Bran breaks rules set down by nature and the gods. He knew his climbing was dangerous, and yet he would do it anyway, sure that his skills would always keep him safe.
He was correct on that part. It wasn't his lack of skill that got him in trouble. Bran sets the whole war into motion because he sees something he shouldn't have seen, which, admittedly, is often a problem for people with Sight. Bran uncovers a secret and it gets a lot of people killed. As a result, he loses his ability to climb. He is directly punished for breaking this rule but it doesn't stop him.
The Three-Eyed Raven warns him that Sight is dangerous and visions can cause problems if not handled correctly. Again, Bran doesn't listen and goes exploring anyway. By doing so, he uncovers a dark truth about himself, gets two of his companions killed, probably killed the last of the Children of the Forest, and made the Night King even more unstoppable.
Even by this season, Bran isn't coming to terms with how powerful he is and what level of destruction he can cause. Part of his identity isn't accepting the responsibility of his Sight. While many people's personal battles are both physical and mental in this story, I think Bran's has always been about learning to temper himself.
While we see active participation with the old gods when it comes to Bran and his group, the story has also witnessed the conversion of one of the other Starks. Five seasons ago, Sansa Stark was very much her mother's daughter. She wanted to get away from Winterfell and the North. She put her faith in Knights (who came along when the Faith of the Seven began) and wanted to live a life in the South. But as her story has continued, we've seen her moving closer and closer to the old gods. She would spend time in the godswood at Kings Landing. When she was at the Eyrie, she revitalized her spirit by building a snow castle that looked like Winterfell.
On the outside, Sansa has had to blend in with those around her. To survive, she had to look like a woman of Cersei's court, then like a woman of Margaery's. She dressed dark and sexy for Littlefinger. This season, Sansa finally regains her identity as a woman of the North. She dresses as one and acts as one. She knows Winterfell is her home and fights for it. She also accepts the harshness of their lives and the need to follow the code of the North. When she kills Ramsay, it isn't just because of what he has done to her. It is because he is a destructive force who violates everything Northerners stand for. It isn't just revenge. It is justice.
One of the more harmonic things about the story has always been the way that Sansa and Arya's story arches mirror each other. Sansa is the lady and Arya is the tomboy, and yet, to survive, both of them often had to transform themselves and disguise themselves, often walking very close to losing their own identities. Last season, when Sansa was in the clutches of Ramsay, a man known for stripping others of their identity, Arya was in the House of Black and White, a death cult of assassins who also asked their followers to step away from their identity.
In a way, I think Arya is a worshiper of the god of death. In the first season, while Sansa was being brought into the fold of the royal court, Arya was being told 'there is only one god and his name is Death.' In the second season, when Sansa was learning to survive as a prisoner of Joffrey and Cersei, Arya was taught to recite the list of the people she wanted to kill, a prayer that would keep her going. Even in her most dire moments, we see her reciting her list. Before she ever came to Braavos, Arya's religion was Death.
A lot of people have speculated why she was allowed to leave the House of Black and White. My theory is that while she wasn't fit to be an assassin in the traditional sense, her willingness to kill still made her a follower of Death. She was allowed to retain the skills she learned there because they would be used for killing. Arya could not be part of the religion in the sense that she could become No One. She would always be Arya Stark. She couldn't let go of her identity, but it didn't matter. That identity was now one who did the work of Death anyway. Arya Stark is a deathbringer, and probably for the Many Faced God, that's enough.
It's been clear since the beginning that the gods were part of what was shaping the Starks. The gods have offered gifts of various sorts, but it has been up to the children to accept or deny these gifts. As things are winding down, we're beginning to see what they need to keep with them in order to survive. Bran's identity is tied to learning to understand his power. Sansa's is tied to owning who she is. Arya's is tied to accepting her role as a killer. It's down to these three now. The rest of the Starks are dead and Jon is a Targaryen. The North is in their hands.
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