welcome on foreverygritte (previously ygritteweek), a blog
dedicated to the character of ygritte in george rr martin's
a song of ice and fire and in its televisual adaptation, hbo's
game of thrones, in which she is portrayed by talented
scottish actress rose leslie. to ygritte, kissed be fire !
a game of ladies: ygritte
↳"The gods made the earth for all men t’ share. Only when the kings come with their crowns and steel swords, they claimed it was all theirs. ‘My trees,’ they said, ‘you can’t eat them apples. My stream, you can’t fish here. My wood, you’re not t’ hunt. My earth, my water, my castle, my daughter, keep your hands away or I’ll chop ‘em off, but maybe if you kneel t’ me I’ll let you have a sniff.’ You call us thieves, but at least a thief has t’ be brave and clever and quick. A kneeler only has t’ kneel."
Ygritte was a wildling girl north of the Wall. We only got to know Ygritte through Jon Snow's eyes (i.e. his POV chapters). She was physically described as "maybe as old as twenty, but short for her age, bandy-legged, with a round face, small hands, and a pug nose" and her most defining feature was her fiery red hair. Because of her red hair, the free folk considered her "kissed by fire" and lucky.
The first time we met Ygritte, it was assumed that she was a man, keeping watch with two others wildlings in the Skirling Pass. Jon and Stonesnake had descended on the trio of wildlings with every intention of killing them all, until Jon had his dirk at her throat and realized Ygritte was a girl. Ygritte took the opportunity to yield and so began the miseducation of Jon Snow.
Ygritte's existence was characterized by her fiery personality and her luck. Her first stroke of luck was that Jon was the man to discover she was a woman; her next bit of luck was that he was too soft/weak/compassionate to kill her. Twice. Ygritte repaid Jon for sparing her by convincing Rattleshirt to let him live after he (and Ghost) killed Qhorin Halfhand and again by convincing Mance Rayder that she and Jon were involved, which won them both a spot on the raid south of the Wall.
It goes without saying that Jon Snow had not met many women outside of formalities with lords and their ladies at Winterfell. But Ygritte was unlike any woman that Jon could ever have imagined. She was brave, independent and bold; a "tough little thing." In addition to Ygritte being one of the wildling watchers on the Skirling Pass, she had a voice among the clan leaders when defending Jon, proudly joined the raiders heading south over the Wall, and managed to lead Jon astray of all the vows he had ever sworn.
The shock that Jon experienced at their meeting quickly turned into flustered annoyance as he wrestled with unexpected attraction to Ygritte. Ygritte took advantage of Jon's uncertainty of his own feelings and found opportunities to get close to him, as much for warmth as for companionship, and she seemed to enjoy seeing Jon squirm under her attention. Not until after Ygritte told Mance that she and Jon had been "dancing beneath his cloak" did Jon finally give in to Ygritte's advances.
It is clear that Ygritte was her own woman, truly wild and free. She spoke her mind and stood up for herself. She did not need a man to defend or protect her. She had been with other men somewhat casually, which was perfectly acceptable and even encouraged among the free folk. But her fierce independence belied a fairytale romanticism that she held close. Her attraction to Jon grew out of her respect for him sparing her life, a most chivalrous act. She was enamored of castles and lords and ladies and intrigued that Jon had lived in such an environment. As much as Ygritte didn't need, or will ever admit that she wanted one, Jon was her knight in shining armor.
Conversely, Ygritte was just what Jon needed to truly become a man. Because he took his vows at such a young age, without ever knowing a woman or traveling too far beyond Winterfell, there was a knowledge of the world that Jon simply did not have. Ygritte obviously taught Jon everything he needed to know about being with a woman, and she also taught him about living and loving. Ygritte recognized Jon's naiveté and she constantly chided him, "You know nothing, Jon Snow." Jon was intrigued with Ygritte's brazen confidence and without wanting to, or even knowing it, he fell in love with her.
How could he explain Ygritte to them? She's warm and smart and funny and she can kiss a man or slit his throat. ASOS 49: Jon VI
One of the most important things that Ygritte did was to provide Jon with the storied history of the free folk from the view north of the Wall, and often reminded Jon that different perspectives were "all in where you're standing." She sang him "The Last of the Giants" and told the story of Gorne's Way, a series of caves that connect below ground and which are fabled to still be home to lost folk, trying to find their way out of the caves. Ygritte's most significant story, though, was that of Bael the Bard, King-beyond-the-Wall a long time gone. The story of Bael: disguising himself as a singer to gain entrance to Winterfell, his request of a winter rose as reward, the abduction of Lord Stark's maiden daughter-- and her subsequent return with a new babe-- and the tale of Bael and the maid hiding in Winterfell's tombs for the better part of a year; rings significantly throughout the many threads of the story, both current and historical.
Ygritte was possibly the most modern woman in ASOIAF, which is ironic considering she was essentially a barbarian in Westeros. She was wise beyond her years and confident in herself and her sexuality. Ygritte expected to be an equal in all things, from one-on-one relationships to the centuries-long history between the wildlings and the Night's Watch. She told the truth as she knew it and expected the truth in return. She was a realist and knew life is short and did not take anything for granted. But despite her liberated sense of self, part of Ygritte still yearned to be part of something more-- to be dependent and needed and loved-- which she found in Jon Snow.
"You're mine," she whispered. "Mine, as I'm yours. And if we die, we die. All men must die, Jon Snow. But first we'll live."
— Swimming? In the storm? She laughed at the notion. Is this a trick t’ get the clothes off me, Jon Snow?”
— Do I need a trick for that now? he teased. Or is that you can’t swim a stroke? Ygritte punched his arm.
—You know nothing, Jon Snow. I’m half a fish, I’ll have you know.
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