Wild but grounded Hound theories

I created this blog to post my own theories of the Hound, Sandor Clegane, based only on the books.

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Hi there!

This is the tumblr of an ASoIaF theoriser. English is not my first language, so grammar mistakes, phrase or word misuses may occur.

I saw the series first. I found the first couple of seasons fascinating, and finished GoT as my greatest disappointment in cinema. I suppose, I'm not alone. I decided not to read the books, unless GRRM finishes them, but later, I bumped into some very-very interesting details from the books, so after all I've read them all. And they did not disappoint. It challanged my morals, delighted my senses, fueled my fantasy, but most of all, the mysteries in it made me think and think, and I loved it so much, I still love it.

I see the asoiaf series as partly crime novels: there are hidden sicrets (obviously), and they're waiting for George to be revealed by him. I think GRRM primarily writes stories and mysteries. He's good in writing atmosphere and psichology too, but most of the details are for storytelling, in my opinion. That's an important point to my theories. For example, on the Hand's tourney, when the Hound unhorses Lord Renly so violently that he flies off his horse upside down, well it seems to be only something to emphasize the characters: Renly's not so good at tourneys, and the Hound is extraordinarily strong and skilled. But I think - and I will post about that later as well - there's a story behind it.

And why the Hound? Well first, I find the character fascinating, but most importantly, as someone, whose point of view we can never see, he's full of mysteries - I think, on purpose. Tiny details, which, I am strongly convinced have stories behind it. These stories will be revealed once The Winds of Winter is out (if it ever will be), but until that day, I amuse myself by building theories. :)

I cannot write frequently, since I have kids - small ones - but hopefully I will be able to post all of my theories in time.

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Last - at least for a while - post

Hi everyone!

When I started my blog a year ago, my goal was to write down all my thoughts and ideas on the character of the Hound. And to have discussions on it, if I can. As time passes and I look back on what I wrote, some theories seem to be even stronger with nuances I found way after posting, and some seem to be… just nonsense. :) I wish I could have argue with you, people of Tumblr a little bit more on what I wrote, but overall I’ve done why I came. This was a big work for me. I wanted to draw an arch with my posts. I’d like to give an overview on it and my writings on Sandor Clegane.  

1. Cersei’s Dog

In my first topic: Cersei’s dog I argued that the Hound wanted to kill Renly on the Hand’s tourney.

In the second part of it, I argued that he did it on Cersei’s command and that she used the same tactic for it as with almost everyone else she uses for her own purposes: sex.

2. The unkiss – A kiss that actually happened

My second topic was on unkiss. In A kiss that actually happened I argued that the unkiss is not a made up fantasy but a memory of a kiss that really happened in a hidden scene.

In the second part of it I analysed Sansa’s memories which – I believe – back up my theory.

In the third and fourth part of the topic I tried to reconstruct the hidden scene based on Sansa’s memories.

3. The Blackwater battle

Then I moved on to the topic of the Blackwater battle scene, which I broke in two parts (part one and two). I took the lines of this very ambiguous scene and gave parallels from the books, to try to give a better understanding on the Hound’s and Sansa’s feelings toward each other. The parallels are very telling: Pate and Rosie, Jaime and Cersei, Ygrette and Jon, Tyrion and Tysha… romantic couples, almost all of them.

4. The Hound and the Mountain

Talking about the Blackwater battle… I wanted to counter argue those, who insist that Sandor wanted to rape Sansa during the Blackwater battle. For this, the best argument was his own brother. I talked about it in the first part of the topic.

In the second part, I argued that the Hound behaved as a competent and rational leader during the battle, who cares about his men. Again, I compared him to Gregor, who proved to be a very different leader.

Finally in the third part I was talking about the similarities of the two brothers, pointing out that they both show the traits of skinchangers….

5. Is there wolf blood in the Dog?

This is the least strong of all my theories, and I feel quite insecure looking back on it. Nevertheless, I assumed a possible connection between Sandor and the Starks…

In the first part I pointed out that the Hound shows strong similarities with the Starks in physical appearance and in personality.

In the second, I attempted to draw the line which links the Cleganes to the Starks through the Vale and the Royces.

And in the third part I examined if the Hound is aware of such connection.

6. The Hound and the Mockingbird

Talking about the Vale, I made a topic on the Hound and Littlefinger: two complete opposites: cleanness and dirt, lies and truths, words and sword. But they have a major common link: Sansa.

In the second part of the topic I examined the possibility of a hidden connection between the two men.  

7. The Hound and the Little Lion

Other than Sansa the other major link between Littlefinger and the Hound is Tyrion

Along with others in the first part I argued that Sandor is involved in the Tysha incident, and that Tysha might be his sister… but later it turned out Martin confirmed she’s not.

Anyway, in the second part I concluded that Tysha might be a silent sister now. That part at least is worth reading. :)

8. Wolves, Dragons and the Usurper’s Dog

Just like many of you I also came to the conclusion that Sandor is likely will end up as a Stark ally (Part 1).

And I draw a possible future conflict with Daenerys, which might end up fighting a dragon. (Part 2) Yes, I said it.  

9. Links and Parallels between Sandor and Sansa

The amount of links and parallels between them is huge. So it became two parts again (Part 1 and Part 2). And after posting I realised I even forgot to mention some.

10. Musings on the Quiet Isle

I had some thoughts on the chapter which I haven’t seen discussed anywhere. Hence the post.

11. A man of mysteries

My final post was a number of questions regarding the Hound, I simply cannot answer. If you know the answers, please let me know. :)

Well, that’s it. I wrote down everything I wanted. Thank you for everyone, who followed, liked, commented my posts. It’s been fun.

What’s next? I don’t know. Maybe I’ll correct my posts, or complete them with some nuances. Maybe not. Maybe I’ll find some new topics. I’ll see.

Until that, patiently waiting for TWoW.

Goodbye for a while, People of Tumblr!

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

A man of mysteries

Hi there!

This is my last topic on the Hound. One of the reasons why I found the character of the Hound so fascinating when I read the books, is that I think there are a lot of mysteries surrounding him. I believe his character has not been fully unfolded yet, and that we’ll see more of him - his motivations and his previous life overall. I think there are many things about him that still need to be explained: more important ones (his motivations and true emotions toward Sansa) and smaller ones as well. In this post I’m gonna focus on the latter.

1: Hound-head helmet

Who made that helmet? In A song of Ice and Fire the weapons and armours can be very memorable and important to the story. And we know the creators of many of them. Mikken made Needle, Donal Noye forged Robert’s warhammer, Gendry’s helmet is also notable. But what about the Hound’s helmet? It seems to be a masterpiece. I’d be curious to know who made it.

2: Pain

“His eye was still good, but all around it was a twisted mass of scar, slick black flesh hard as leather, pocked with craters and fissured by deep cracks that gleamed red and wet when he moved. Down by his jaw, you could see a hint of bone where the flesh had been seared away.” (AGoT, Sansa II.)

As someone before me has already pointed out, this sounds like a fresh wound - an injury that cannot heal. Does that mean he lives in constant pain?

3: Oinments and maesters

"My father told everyone my bedding had caught fire, and our maester gave me ointments. Ointments! Gregor got his ointments too. Four years later, they anointed him with the seven oils and he recited his knightly vows and Rhaegar Targaryen tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'Arise, Ser Gregor.'" (AGoT, Sansa II.)

Every injury characters have in the books seems to heal over time (except for truly terminal ones), but not the Hound’s. A burn should heal eventually, new skin should form. But why doesn’t it? Could the Hound’s never-healing scars be a maester’s work? Well, there are some examples of this in the books. For example Urri’s hand or Willas’ leg:

“Her grandmother frowned. "Tell the girl the truth. The poor lad is crippled, and that's the way of it."

"He was hurt as a squire, riding in his first tourney," Margaery confided. "His horse fell and crushed his leg."

"That snake of a Dornishman was to blame, that Oberyn Martell. And his maester as well."

(ASoS, Sansa I.)

I’d be curious about this. Also, could the Elder Brother heal Sandor’s scars, considering, that:

„The Seven have blessed our Elder Brother with healing hands. He has restored many a man to health that even the maesters could not cure, and many a woman too." (AFfC, Brienne VI.)

4: Jeweled brooch

“In the back of the royal box, Sandor Clegane stood at guard, his hands resting on his swordbelt. The white cloak of the Kingsguard was draped over his broad shoulders and fastened with a jeweled brooch, the snowy cloth looking somehow unnatural against his brown roughspun tunic and studded leather jerkin. " (ACoK, Sansa I.)

Sandor never wears jewels or decorations. He’s very puritan in the way he dresses. Is that brooch really his, or does it belong to someone else? If it’s not his, than whose is it?

5: Should have killed him

"Bloody dwarf. Should have killed him. Years ago." (ACoK, Sansa VII.)

Why? What happened years ago?

6: 30.000 golden dragons

„Ned read the answer off the letter. "Forty thousand golden dragons to the champion. Twenty thousand to the man who comes second, another twenty to the winner of the melee, and ten thousand to the victor of the archery competition." (AGoT, Eddard IV.)

„"Ten?" The ferryman was confused. "What's this, now?"

"A dead man's note, good for nine thousand dragons or nearabouts." (ASoS, Arya IX.)

Anguy spent his 10.000 golden dragons on Jade, Alayaya and Arbor wine. But what about the Hound? How could he spend more than 30.000 golden dragons? We know from Varys that he did spend his money:

"The dog is never far from his master's heels," he'd observed to Varys, "but all men sleep. And some gamble and whore and visit winesinks as well."

"The Hound does all these things, if that is your question."

"No," said Tyrion. "My question is when." (ACoK, Tyrion VIII.)

Still, he also had a job, and he is all in all a simple man, who doesn’t care much for expensive ornaments or luxuries. Could he have spent his money on something else? Also, who owes him the 9000 dragons now? Lady Stoneheart??

7: Play a little game

"How come he didn't know you, then?" Arya asked.

"Because knights are fools, and it would have been beneath him to look twice at some poxy peasant." He gave the horses a lick with the whip. "Keep your eyes down and your tone respectful and say ser a lot, and most knights will never see you. They pay more mind to horses than to smallfolk." (ASoS, Arya X.)

When and why did the Hound learn how to disguise himself as a peasant? He seems to have a lot of experience in this. But why? What’s the story behind it?

8: The taste of mud

„Find me a stick, about so long and not too big around. And wash the mud off it. I hate the taste of mud." (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

“She brought him water instead. He drank a little of it, complained that it tasted of mud, and slid into a noisy fevered sleep.” (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

Why does he hate the taste of mud? I mean when did he have to taste mud against his will? What happened, that made him remember the taste of mud so vividly? I guess it had something to do with Gregor, but I’d love to know the details.  

9: Michael

"Do you mean to make me beg, bitch? Do it! The gift of mercy . . . avenge your little Michael . . ." (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

Arya brings up the Mycah incident so many times that he threatened her to beat her badly. He must remember by now that the butcher’s boy’s name is Mycah. Still, he gets the name wrong here. Who is Michael than??

10. What dogs do to wolves?

„Then tuck your tail between your legs and run. Do you know what dogs do to wolves?” (ASoS, Arya VII.)

No, we don’t! What do they do to wolves??

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Musings on the Quiet Isle

Hi there!

It’s been a long, long time, since I last posted, but here I am again. I’m quite close to the end of my theories and musings on the Hound, and this topic is one of the last ones. This post will analyse a number of small details from the Quiet Isle chapter, presented through Brienne’s POV in AFfC, Brienne VI.

Art credits are in the ALT texts.

Everyone knows the gravedigger theory, and almost everyone agrees with it. Me too. The most common arguments are well known: the Elder Brother’s double-meaning language about the Hound and Sandor Clegane, the gravedigger’s leg injury, Dog, who goes to sniffs the gravedigger, Stranger in the stables – but beyond these I find a lot of interesting nuances in the chapter to muse on and play with. I will focus on these, in (more or less) chronological order. 

Healing hands

„The Seven have blessed our Elder Brother with healing hands. He has restored many a man to health that even the maesters could not cure, and many a woman too." (Brother Narbert)

We don’t see what happens to the Hound after Arya leaves him to die. Instead, we can only guess. We do, however, see how the Elder Brother could have treated Sandor’s injuries from another POV:

“Maester Aemon sniffed Jon's wound again. (…) "Donal, the hot knife, if you please. I shall need you to hold him still."

I will not scream, Jon told himself when he saw the blade glowing red hot. But he broke that vow as well. Donal Noye held him down, while Clydas helped guide the maester's hand. Jon did not move, except to pound his fist against the table, again and again and again. The pain was so huge he felt small and weak and helpless inside it, a child whimpering in the dark. Ygritte, he thought, when the stench of burning flesh was in his nose and his own shriek echoing in her ears. Ygritte, I had to. For half a heartbeat the agony started to ebb. But then the iron touched him once again, and he fainted. (ASoS, Jon VI.)

Jon needs time to heal after his injury. I suppose the Hound is on his way to recovery as well - or at least I hope…

You are brawny for a woman, but…

„Lady Brienne is a warrior maid,” confided septon Meribald, „hunting for the Hound.”

„Aye?”Narbert seemed taken aback. „To what end?”

Brienne touched Oathkeeper’s hilt. „His,” she said.

The proctor studied her. „You are… brawny for a woman, it is true, but… mayhaps I should take you up to Elder Brother. He will have seen you crossing the mud. Come.”

“But…” What “but”? Narbert sounds as if he were comparing Brienne to the Hound - as if he knew the Hound in person, not just from stories. He clearly stops himself, but why? If he had only heard about Sandor Clegane’s height and strength, he could easily have said it outright. Instead, he diverts the conversation to the Elder Brother. I think this is another, less emphasized nuance, less emphasized, that backs up the gravedigger theory.

Fatherly feelings and fatherly lies

“Unlike Septon Narbert, the Elder Brother did not seem dismayed by Brienne's sex, but his smile did flicker and fade when the septon told him why she and Ser Hyle had come. "I see," was all he said, before he turned away with, "You must be thirsty. Please, have some of our sweet cider to wash the dust of travel from your throats."

This part strongly reminds me of one particular moment in the Dunk and Egg stories, when Ser Eustace gives one of his sons’ cloak to Dunk:

“It was white wool, bordered with squares of green satin and cloth of gold. A woolen cloak was the last thing he needed in such heat, but when Ser Eustace draped it about his shoulders, Dunk saw the pride on his face, and found himself unable to refuse. "Thank you, m'lord."

"It suits you well. Would that I could give you more." The old man's mustache twitched.”

(The Sworn Sword)

I believe Ser Eustace developed fatherly feelings toward Dunk, and I sense something similar in the case of the Elder Brother. This may be the greatest gift Martin could give the Hound. Because if you think about it, his Sandor’s own father lied to protect his abuser, not him - the victim:

"My father told everyone my bedding had caught fire, and our maester gave me ointments. Ointments! Gregor got his ointments too. Four years later, they anointed him with the seven oils and he recited his knightly vows and Rhaegar Targaryen tapped him on the shoulder and said, 'Arise, Ser Gregor.'" (AGoT, Sansa II.)

But the Elder Brother acts very differently: he lies in order to protect HIM.

“He turned to Septon Meribald. "I hope that you have time to absolve us of our sins. Since the raiders slew old Septon Bennet, we have had no one to hear confession."

"I shall make time," said Meribald, "though I hope you have some better sins than the last time I came through." Dog barked. "You see? Even Dog was bored."

Well, he definitely won’t be bored this time! Imagine this confession: “I lied about the Hound’s death and I’m actually hiding him here in secret!” That’s pretty exciting! This also means there are probably three men who know that the Hound is alive, and he’s on the Quiet Isle: the Elder Brother, Brother Narbert and Septon Meribald.

I find this beautiful. What Sandor really needed was another father - a better father figure - and I think, he finally found one in the Elder Brother.

“The man who raped and killed at Saltpans was not Sandor Clegane, though he may be as dangerous. The riverlands are full of such scavengers. I will not call them wolves. Wolves are nobler than that . . . and so are dogs, I think.” (Elder Brother)

This part underlines the Elder Brother’s empathy for Sandor. And is very much in contrast with Brother Narbert’s attitude toward the Hound.

Driftwood is a beast of burden

“He died of wounds he got at Saltpans. He had taken some of our mead to the market there, on the day the outlaws descended on the town."

"The Hound?" said Brienne.

"Another, just as brutal.”

“The Seven send us blessings, and the Seven send us trials. Handsome he may be, but Driftwood was surely whelped in hell. (…) Driftwood is a beast of burden."

“ (…) a brother bigger than Brienne was struggling to dig a grave. From the way he moved, it was plain to see that he was lame. As he flung a spadeful of the stony soil over one shoulder, some chanced to spatter against their feet. "Be more watchful there," chided Brother Narbert. "Septon Meribald might have gotten a mouthful of dirt."

From the way Narbert speaks, I get the feeling he dislikes Sandor’s presence. He may consider him a possible danger to the Isle. It seems possible he promised the Elder Brother to keep the matter a secret - but will he continue to obey? Or will he tell it to someone, who could help him get rid of Sandor? Sandor is an outlaw now, any allies of the Iron Throne would be happy to hunt down the famous Hound. It would be a similar situation as in Jon and Bowen Marsh’s case: when do you have to disobey in order to save your community? And if Narbert does tell someone, whom will he chose? It must be someone who has the interest, power or strength to capture or defeat the Hound - without punishing the Quiet Isle which hided him. But who could that be?

That was the fuel that kept his fires burning

„Where other men dream of love, or wealth, or glory, this man Sandor Clegane dreamed of slaying his own brother, a sin so terrible it makes me shudder just to speak of it. Yet that was the bread that nourished him, the fuel that kept his fires burning. Ignoble as it was, the hope of seeing his brother's blood upon his blade was all this sad and angry creature lived for . . . and even that was taken from him, when Prince Oberyn of Dorne stabbed Ser Gregor with a poisoned spear." (The Elder Brother)

First of all, Gregor died AFTER the Hound “died”, so the Elder Brother’s story is wrong here. Brienne doesn’t know this, but we, readers do. What interests me most, however, is that anger seems to define Sandor as climbing defines Bran, or Jaime’s sword hand defines him: it is central to his identity, and also a boundary to his character. Bran starts an inner journey since he cannot walk or climb anymore. Jaime grows into leadership, develops in diplomacy and responsibility partly because he lost his right hand. But what is the Hound without his anger? From an outside perspective, it is his anger that defines him the most, beyond his scars:

“Strongboar filled his cup again. "Lady Mariya, Lady Amerei, your distress has moved me. You have my word, once Riverrun has fallen I shall return to hunt down the Hound and kill him for you. Dogs do not frighten me."

This one should. Both men were large and powerful, but Sandor Clegane was much quicker, and fought with a savagery that Lyle Crakehall could not hope to match.” (AffC, Jaime IV.)

Could you imagine that loud, fierce man - who despised everyone in King’s Landing and in Dondarrion’s cave - to lower his head when chided, to humbly clean the tables after others like he does on the Quiet Isle? How will he fight without his anger? How will he act without his arrogance?

My biggest unanswered question is: who is Sandor Clegane now?

“He is no true knight but he saved me all the same, she told the Mother. Save him if you can, and gentle the rage inside him.” (ACoK, Sansa V.)

But I have several other questions, which I will ask in my next post. See you again (I hope) soon!

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Links and parallels between Sandor and Sansa – Part 2.

Here’s Part 2. Enjoy! :)

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

4. They both know that they have to play the game. Though the Hound hates lies, and Sansa only learns to lie in order to survive. But they survive. Because despite both being initially honest people, they understand that they must hide their true selves when they are surrounded by people playing the game of thrones.

The Hound teaches Sansa to lie, to play roles in order to survive:

"He wants you to smile and smell sweet and be his lady love," the Hound rasped. "He wants to hear you recite all your pretty little words the way the septa taught you. He wants you to love him … and fear him." (AGoT, Sansa VI.)

And she learns:

„I have to look pretty, Joff likes me to look pretty, he's always liked me in this gown, this color.” (ACoK, Sansa III.)

They both know how to hide their feelings:

The Hound has practiced this for a long time. The only sign of his inner emotions is the twitching of his mouth. But Sansa becomes very skilled at this too:

 “He had expected anguish and anger when he told her of her brother's death, but Sansa's face had remained so still that for a moment he feared she had not understood. It was only later, with a heavy oaken door between them, that he heard her sobbing.” (Tyrion on Sansa in ASoS, Tyrion VII.)

They also both know how to hide their thoughts:

“I know all about your little treasons in the godswood."

"The godswood?" Don't look at Ser Dontos, don't, don't, Sansa told herself. She doesn't know, no one knows.” (Cersei and Sansa in ACoK, Sansa VI.)

“Sandor Clegane laughed aloud.

"What's so bloody funny?" asked Polliver.

The Hound never flicked an eye at Arya. "If I'd wanted you to know, I'd have told you.” (Sandor and Polliver in ASoS, Arya, XIII.)

5. There are some things they both like, for example:

Wine:

„Do you like wine, little bird? True wine? A flagon of sour red, dark as blood, all a man needs. Or a woman." (The Hound to Sansa in ACoK, Sansa II.)

„Her father sometimes let them have a cup of beer, she remembered. Sansa used to make a face at the taste and say that wine was ever so much finer…” (Arya on Sansa in ACoK, Arya II.)

Dogs:

“I like dogs better than knights.” (Sandor to Sansa in ACoK, Sansa II.)

 “… the old blind dog (…) was too sick and toothless to walk guard with Bryen anymore, and mostly all he did was sleep, but when she patted him he whined and licked her hand, and after that they were fast friends. (ASoS, Sansa VI.)

And possibly songs or singing. ;)

6. The most common comparison between them is that deep down they have the same ideas about true knighthood:

"He was no true knight," she whispered to him. (…)

"No," he growled at her, "no, little bird, he was no true knight." (The Hound and Sansa in AGoT, Sansa II.)

But after disappointment they both develop disgust for false knighthood:

„I am no knight. I spit on them and their vows.” (The Hound in AGoT, Sansa II.)

„The Hound hated knights . . . I hate them too, Sansa thought.” (ACoK, Sansa III.)

Though the major difference, as we know, is that Sansa still believes true knighthood is possible, while he does not.

7: And finally, they get into similar situations.

It is commonly pointed out that they were both victims of abusers. Sansa’s abuser was primarily Joffrey, and Sandor’s was Gregor. But I believe there are more examples for similar situations.

For instance, when they take on new identities out of necessity, they approach it very similarly:

"I'm not going to be dragged before your brother in chains," the Hound had told her, "and I'd just as soon not have to cut through his men to get to him. So we play a little game." (ASos, Arya, X.)

“In any case, at your flowering you decided you did not wish to be a septa and wrote to me. That was the first I knew of your existence." He fingered his beard. "Do you think you can remember all that?"

"I hope. It will be like playing a game, won't it?" (Littlefinger and Sansa in ASoS, Sansa VI.)

They or their temporary identities become novices of the Seven. The gravedigger is a novice on the Quite Isle, while Alayne was meant to be a septa - until she changed her mind.

They are in a very similar situation when they have to manipulate children from a weaker social position. I won’t quote full chapters - this post is already long enough. But take a look at ACoK Sansa I., where the Hound manipulates Joffrey with ease, or at AFfC Alayne II., Where Alayne does the same with Robert Arryn.

And this is the final parallel. I won’t comment further - interpret it as you will. :)

“Joffrey called out, "Dog!" Sandor Clegane seemed to take form out of the night, so quickly did he appear.  "Yes, Your Grace?" he said.” (AGoT, Sansa II.)

"Sansa!" The boyish shout rang across the yard; Joffrey had seen her. "Sansa, here!"

He calls me as if he were calling a dog, she thought.” (ACoK, Sansa V.)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Links and parallels between Sandor and Sansa – Part 1.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

Like many of you, I also believe that the main character in Sansa’s future romantic plot will be the Hound. Not Jon Snow (sorry Jonsa fans), not Tyrion, not Littlefinger (God no!), not Loras or Willas, fAegon or Podric Payne. :) But the Hound.

I wanted to write a post solely about Jonsa, but I decided to just summarize my thoughts. I’m not tagging this post as anti-Jonsa, because I’m truly not against either them, or the idea of Jon and Sansa ending up together. I understand Jonsa fans - I think they’re basically Sansa fans, who want the best for their sweetheart. And I can relate to that. I was a Jonsa fan once myself, back when I had only watched the show and hadn’t read the books yet. But after reading the books, I came to the conclusion, that a possible future romantic relationship between the Hound and Sansa is overwhelmingly more foreshadowed.

I still find some of the Jonsa arguments interesting. For example, Jon’s and Sansa’s parallel longing for recreating the Stark family through their children, or the Ned/Catelyn parallel. But their desire for children could simply be because they’re in similar situations - the topics of marriage and having children appears in both their plotlines due to their age and political status. Surely Robb had similar thoughts as well, but that doesn’t mean, we would ship him with Sansa, right? And I have problems with the Ned/Cat parallel as well, because I don’t find it convincing enough. I’ve always thought that although Sansa has the Tully looks, she’s more like her father in character, than her mother. Still, it will be interesting to see how Jon and Sansa interact when they reunite.

But the rest of Jonsa arguments – the parallel upbringing, the snow imagery – don’t seem strong enough for me. Anyway, I don’t want to offend anyone, I feel for you Jonsa fans, believe me… I just don’t agree with you. I think, if anyone, Sandor will be the man, despite all his issues and difficulties. Why? Well…

Sandor and Sansa are different in many ways: he’s physically strong - she’s physically weak. She’s beautiful - he’s ugly and scary (though mostly because of his facial scars). He’s all about harsh reality - she’s all about sweet dreams. He’s rough and often rude - she’s kind and gentle.

But despite these differences, there are so many things that LINK them together, as many people in the fandom have pointed out. I’d like to summarize those observations, including some I agree with, and some I haven’t seen mentioned before.

Since I love to focus on the text itself, and I love to give book parallels, I’ll give actual citations when I can.

0. Let’s begin with their names: Sandor and Sansa… Sansa and Sandor… it reminds me of….:

„I love to say your name. Tyrion Lannister. It goes with mine. Not the Lannister, t'other part. Tyrion and Tysha. Tysha and Tyrion. Tyrion. My lord Tyrion…" (ACoK, Tyrion XV.)

„His sister Alys wed Ser Elys Waynwood, uncle to the present Lady Waynwood." He made a wry face. "Elys and Alys, isn't that precious?” (AFfC, Alayne II.)

1. The theme of independence is heavily present in both their plotlines: independent thought and/or independent action.

Sansa starts out as the ultimate good girl. That. I think, is without question.

“She was the good girl, the obedient girl…” (AGoT, Sansa IV.)

And although it’s clear, that the Hound is a very independent thinker who pushes Sansa toward independent thinking a well, we do see him obeying in highly questionable situations. It would be interesting to know what he was thinking in those moments…

For example, when Joffrey publicly humiliates him by sending him away:

“The Hound, ever faithful, bowed and slid away quietly through the press.” (AGoT, Sansa I.)

Or when his obedience contributes to the bread riot:

“Obedient, Sandor Clegane swung down from his saddle…” (ACoK, Tyrion IX.)

Not to mention the Mycah incident, and Joffrey constantly bragging about what he can make his Dog to do.

All in all, he’s a good dog, or has to act like one:

“Tyrion Lannister replied. "If he forgets, be a good dog and remind him." (AGoT, Tyrion I.)

2. They both struggle with people who only see their bodies. Sansa is often praised for her beauty, which is flattering at first, but sometimes overshadows her inner qualities. The same happens with the Hound, who is often seen only as a big, scary man, with THAT burned face.

"You're lying," said Gendry.

"The boy has a mouth on him, I see. Why believe them and not me? Couldn't be my face, could it?" (ASoS, Arya VII.)

"Ser Ossifer speaks truly, you are the most beautiful maid in all the Seven Kingdoms." It might have been a sweeter courtesy had he not addressed it to her chest. (TWoW, Alayne I.)

What’s beautiful is that they both see past each other’s physical appearance. Though Sansa is initially afraid of Sandor because of his face, she begins to place more and more emphasis on his personality rather than his scars. Sansa knows what it’s like to be seen only for her appearance - when men stare only at her breasts, or she feels naked under their gaze. This happens not just with Marillon, but with Littlefinger as well. But with the Hound, apart from that one (drunken) time on the serpentine steps, and Sandor’s way of calling her “pretty”, she never notices him staring at her body, or feeling naked while watched by him. Though it is clear – I think – that he gets more and more attracted to her.  

3. They seem to share a similar view about crying, or about expressing emotions:

This is Sansa’s opinion on the matter:

Prince Tommen sobbed. "You mew like a suckling babe," his brother hissed at him. "Princes aren't supposed to cry."

"Prince Aemon the Dragonknight cried the day Princess Naerys wed his brother Aegon," Sansa Stark said, "and the twins Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk died with tears on their cheeks after each had given the other a mortal wound." (Sansa to Joffrey in ACoK, Tyrion IX.)

And Sandor…well:

„Some instinct made her lift her hand and cup his cheek with her fingers. The room was too dark for her to see him, but she could feel the stickiness of the blood, and a wetness that was not blood. "Little bird," he said once more…” (Sansa and Sandor in ACoK Sansa VII.)

"Please," Sandor Clegane rasped, cradling his arm. "I'm burned. Help me. Someone. Help me." He was crying. "Please." (ASoS, Arya VI.)

“He made a queer sound, and it took her a moment to realize he was sobbing. "And the little bird, your pretty sister, I stood there in my white cloak and let them beat her.” (Sandor to Arya in ASoS, Arya, XIII.)

I’m writing a lot again, so I have to break my list in two parts. Stay tuned for part 2. :)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Wolves, Dragons and the Usurper’s Dog - Part 2.

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Hi there!

I ended my previous post with the idea of a possible future conflict between Dany and Sandor. At first it may sound a bit wild, but seriously, If Martin would make it happen, it would not come out of nowhere. Let me explain.

The Usurper’s Dog – “Is being born a Clegane a crime?”

First, there’s the recurring theme of the Usurper’s dogs in Dany’s thoughts:

“The sack of King's Landing by the ones Viserys called the Usurper's dogs, the lords Lannister and Stark. Princess Elia of Dorne pleading for mercy as Rhaegar's heir was ripped from her breast and murdered before her eyes.” (AGoT, Daenerys I.)

“Dany remembered the story Viserys had told her, of what the Usurper's dogs had done to Rhaegar's children. His son had been a babe as well, yet they had ripped him from his mother's breast and dashed his head against a wall.” (AGoT, Daenerys VIII.)

“Five Aegons had ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. There would have been a sixth, but the Usurper's dogs had murdered her brother's son when he was still a babe at the breast.” (ADwD, Daenerys I.)

And this part stands out even more:

"Lannister or Stark, what difference? Viserys used to call them the Usurper's dogs. If a child is set upon by a pack of hounds, does it matter which one tears out his throat? All the dogs are just as guilty.” (ADwD, Daenerys II.)

The question of the Hound’s guilt shows up in his own plot:

"Do you deny that House Clegane was built upon dead children? I saw them lay Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys before the Iron Throne. By rights your arms should bear two bloody infants in place of those ugly dogs."

The Hound's mouth twitched. "Do you take me for my brother? Is being born Clegane a crime?"

And:

"You serve the Lannisters of Casterly Rock," said Thoros.

"Once. Me and thousands more. Is each of us guilty of the crimes of the others?" (ASoS, Arya VI.)

Sandor and the Fire Made Flesh

I believe Dany will have good reason to dislike Sandor - and he, in turn, will have every reason to hate her:

“Now Clegane did laugh. "Death don't scare me. Only fire.” (ASoS, Arya XII.)

“The wood they gathered proved too wet, though. Nothing he tried was enough to make the spark catch. Finally he kicked it all apart in disgust. "Seven bloody hells," he swore. "I hate fires." (ASoS, Arya IX.)

“Clegane's eyes turned toward the distant fires. "All this burning." He sheathed his sword. "Only cowards fight with fire." (ACoK, Sansa IV)

He hates fire; he fears fire; he despise those, who use fire as a weapon.

But dragons are fire made flesh, as stated several times in Dany’s chapters:

“The dragon gave one last hiss and stretched out flat upon his belly. Black blood was flowing from the wound where the spear had pierced him, smoking where it dripped onto the scorched sands. He is fire made flesh, she thought, and so am I.” (ADwD, Daenerys IX.)

How to Feed a Dragon

I take his scarred face as another hint.

You all know well Sansa’s description of him:

“The left side of his face was a ruin. His ear had been burned away; there was nothing left but a hole. His eye was still good, but all around it was a twisted mass of scar, slick black flesh hard as leather, pocked with craters and fissured by deep cracks that gleamed red and wet when he moved. Down by his jaw, you could see a hint of bone where the flesh had been seared away.” (AGoT, Sansa, II.)

Compare this with how Daenerys feeds her dragons:

“…Dany recalled something Viserys had told her when they were children. Only dragons and men eat cooked meat, he had said. When she had her handmaids char the horsemeat black, the dragons ripped at it eagerly, their heads striking like snakes. So long as the meat was seared, they gulped down several times their own weight every day, and at last began to grow larger and stronger.” (ACoK, Daenerys I.)

The guy literally looks like dragon food – seared black flesh, just the way dragons prefer their meat.

Why is it interesting? Tyrion muses over how to kill a dragon (yes, yes, I’m going there):

“The eyes were where a dragon was most vulnerable. The eyes, and the brain behind them.” (ADwD, Tyrion XI.) One must get close to a dragon’s muzzle in order to kill it through its eyes. And I think, the surest way for it, if it wants to eat you…. so if you want to kill a dragon, it’s very convenient if you look just like a dragon snack.

The Path to the Conflict

But what would lead to a conflict between Dany and the Hound? Well, I think Dany may want Cersei alive. But for that, Ser Robert Strong would need to be killed. But who could defeat that monster? You know, there’s one man in Westeros, who can actually withstand that brute strength - and that’s Sandor Clegane. There’s one witness of the brothers duel during the Hand’s tourney. That witness has actually became Daenerys’ ally: Ser Barristan Selmy:

“The Hound went to one knee. Ser Gregor's blow cut air, and at last he came to his senses. He dropped his sword and glared at Robert, surrounded by his Kingsguard and a dozen other knights and guardsmen. Wordlessly, he turned and strode off, shoving past Barristan Selmy.” (AGoT, Eddard VII.)

If such a situation I presented will ever happen in the books, Barristan will surely remember and recommend the Hound.

This could be Sandor’s chance to revenge. But as InDeepGeek Robert has pointed out, it would not be character development. But we can be quite sure, Martin plans to make him grow in character. His retreat to the Quite Isle is proof enough. Robert (InDeepGeek) suggests that the Hound might eventually kill Ser Robert out of mercy rather than revenge. Well, as much as I love the idea, I think Sandor will do neither - he will refuse to kill him instead. That would reflect the Quite Isle’s morality, and it would also show his growth. And that refusal could be what sparks his conflict with Dany. It would again, emerge the question of his guilt and loyalty.

Fools and Knights

Well, in the end I might be mistaken. But as someone else has already pointed it out, it would be a fascinating twist, to see the man who refuse so many times being called a knight, to do the knightliest thing of all: fighting a dragon.

You know, Sandor calls people fools again and again. But I think, it’ll be an important question in his plot, who’s the fool in the end:

“Most of them, they think it was some battle. A siege, a burning tower, an enemy with a torch. One fool asked if it was dragonsbreath." His laugh was softer this time, but just as bitter.”

(AGoT, Sansa, II.)

"Sweet lady," said Florian, "all men are fools, and all men are knights, where women are concerned."

(The Hedge Knight)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

Wolves, Dragons and the Usurper’s Dog - Part 1.

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Hi there!

I’m slowly reaching the end of my topics, but I still have some thoughts I feel I must write down and share here on Tumblr. Up until this point I was talking about what has happened, at least in my opinion. From this point on I’m gonna talk about what might happen in the upcoming books. I’d love to know your thoughts too, so feel free to comment and correct me. :)

Dogs and Wolves

Get a Dog

I agree with those, who say that, in the end, the Hound will join the Starks. I also think this is foreshadowed in the famous line: “Get her (Sansa) a dog, she'll be happier for it.” (AGoT, Eddard III.).

But this topic shows up in Arya’s POV as well:

"Aye." Harwin grinned. "One of our lads keeps the meanest dogs you'd ever want to see."

"I wish I had a good mean dog," said Arya wistfully. "A lion-killing dog." (ASoS Arya III.).

Sandor links the two Stark girls together, both in these lines and in the larger plot.

The “Cold” Dog

I think another hint is his victory over Berric Dondarrion. Thoros later interprets it as the will of R’hollor:

"Brothers, a trial by battle is a holy thing. You heard me ask R'hllor to take a hand, and you saw his fiery finger snap Lord Beric's sword, just as he was about to make an end of it. The Lord of Light is not yet done with Joffrey's Hound, it would seem." (ASoS, Arya VII.)

But Arya sees it very differently:

“. . . but the burning sword snapped in two, and the Hound's cold steel plowed into Lord Beric's flesh where his shoulder joined his neck and clove him clean down to the breastbone.” (ASoS Arya VI.).

She calls it: „cold steel”. In fact there are two more instances where Arya describes the Hound with the word „cold” in one way or another:

„Whenever he took his axe to chop some wood for a fire, he would slide into a cold rage, hacking savagely at the tree or the deadfall or the broken limb, until they had twenty times as much kindling and firewood as they'd needed.” (ASoS, Arya XII.)

„He laughed then, a laugh as cold and hollow as if it had come from the bottom of a deep well.” (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

This imagery - along with his appearance, behaviour and temper - can be interpreted as something linking him to the North.

Weirwood Tree

In my opinion it is also not an accident, that a weirwood tree is present at his trial by combat: "When we left King's Landing we were men of Winterfell and men of Darry and men of Blackhaven, Mallery men and Wylde men. We were knights and squires and men-at-arms, lords and commoners, bound together only by our purpose." The voice came from the man seated amongst the weirwood roots halfway up the wall.” (ASoS, Arya VI.)

We can see a weirwood tree at Brienne’s battle, and at Jaime’s curious dream as well.

This might suggest that, one way or another, all of them will end up as Stark allies in the end.

I don’t think, Sandor is Azor Ahai reborn. Rather, I believe he will become a champion of the cold North, and not of fire. And speaking of fire… After joining the Starks, I think there miiiiight be a conflict between him and Daenerys. Seriously, it is not as impossible, as it would seem at first glance. Why? Well, check out Part 2. :)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE LITTLE LION PART 2.

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I argued in part 1., that Tysha is the mysterious Clegane sister, and that she is the reason why the Hound hated Tyrion long before the Blackwater battle. I ended my post with Tyrion’s question about Tysha: “Where do whores go?” And my answer is: I think, they become silent sisters.

Just think about it: they have no land, no property, no real family. If they don’t end up running the brothel they once worked in, they literally have nowhere to go. They become the outsiders of society. But the silent sisters are always there: hiding their identity, keeping them safe, providing them purpose and living for the rest of their life.  

And I think Tysha became one of them. Such a decision would protect her completely - from Gregor, from Tywin, from everyone. But my main argument lies in the matter of Tywin’s rotting and stinking corpse…:

"Do not presume to speak to me of fitness. Not after the stinking mockery you made of my lord father's corpse."

"Your Grace cannot think . . ." He raised a spotted hand, as if to ward off a blow. "The silent sisters removed Lord Tywin's bowels and organs, drained his blood . . . every care was taken . . . his body was stuffed with salts and fragrant herbs . . ."

"Oh, spare me the disgusting details. I smelled the results of your care.” (Cersei to Pycelle in AFfC, Cersei IV.)

So it was either Pycelle’s fault… or one of the silent sisters’… Pycelle would never make such a fault intentionally, and I doubt that he made such a mistake at all – he seems competent enough in every other regard, despite his age. Then, it must have been a silent sister, who “made a mistake”… if Tysha had become a silent sister, well, that could have been her way to avenge what was done to her. If she couldn’t take revenge in Tywin’s life, than perhaps she could in his death…  

And if my theory’s correct, it fits pretty well the way the Hound threatens Arya with the silent sisters:

"I hit you with the flat of the axe, you stupid little bitch. If I'd hit you with the blade there'd still be chunks of your head floating down the Green Fork. Now shut your bloody mouth. If I had any sense I'd give you to the silent sisters. They cut the tongues out of girls who talk too much." (ASoS, Arya XII.)

And again:

"You're just afraid to die!" she said scornfully.

Now Clegane did laugh. "Death don't scare me. Only fire. Now be quiet, or I'll cut your tongue out myself and save the silent sisters the bother. It's the Vale for us."

Arya didn't think he'd really cut her tongue out; he was just saying that the way Pinkeye used to say he'd beat her bloody. All the same, she wasn't going to try him.” (Arya and the Hound in ASoS, Arya XII.)

This would also fit the Clegane brothers quite well symbolically: I thing Gregor is Destruction. Sandor is Death itself, as many has argued before me (consider his half-human face resembling the Stranger, the name of his horse, the way he kills - it’s always about killing, never torture). And thus, Tysha would embody Grief. Not to mention, that this way Tysha would always recognize, if a man was killed by Sandor: that terrible blow, cutting a man almost in half from shoulder to chest, is the Hound’s unmistakeable mark.  

If we accept the gravedigger-theory, the identities of all three Clegane siblings are hidden at the point where GRRM left off. (Well, in Gregor’s case, ser Robert strong is not really him, but still…) Plus, all three of them are silenced in one way or another.

And maybe we can link Tyrion’s dream here too, in ACoK, Tyrion XV., where he dreams of the battlefield, and silent sisters appear.

In any ways, whether or not my musings are correct, silent sisters are perfect secrets, and perfect tools for sudden plot twists: they cannot speak, their faces are hidden, only their eyes are visible. You never know whom you might be facing when you meet one. And I cannot wait for Martin to use one of them as major twists. :)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE LITTLE LION - PART 1.

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In my previous post I discussed a possible connection between Petyr and Sandor. And the final link between the two is: Tyrion.

They both want to kill him, to get revenge on him. In Littlefinger’s case it’s quite clear: he took Tyrion’s offer of Harrenhal, only to realize he’d been played. In the Hound’s case we cannot be certain, but it seems obvious, that he hates Tyrion more than anyone else. Why? We know, Sandor hates torture and prefers clean death. He despises those who use fire as a weapon. The only man he wants to see tortured is Tyrion:

"Bloody dwarf. Should have killed him. Years ago."

"He's dead, they say."

"Dead? No. Bugger that. I don't want him dead." He cast the empty flagon aside. "I want him burned. If the gods are good, they'll burn him, but I won't be here to see. I'm going."

(ACoK, Sansa VII.)

“The northern girl. Winterfell's daughter. We heard she killed the king with a spell, and afterward changed into a wolf with big leather wings like a bat, and flew out a tower window. But she left the dwarf behind and Cersei means to have his head."

That's stupid, Arya thought. Sansa only knows songs, not spells, and she'd never marry the Imp.

The Hound sat on the bench closest to the door. His mouth twitched, but only the burned side. "She ought to dip him in wildfire and cook him. Or tickle him till the moon turns black." He raised his wine cup and drained it straightaway.” (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

Sandor wishes Tyrion the worst possible death he can imagine. And this line: "Bloody dwarf. Should have killed him. Years ago." implies that he HAD a reason to kill him. Those, who follow my blog know by now, that I think GRRM always leaves a hint. Nothing in his books comes out of nowhere: it is always foreshadowed. But what could Tyrion possibly have done to make someone (aside from his nephew, sister and father :D ) wanting to kill him? Well, the only dubious incident in Tyrion’s past life, which happened years ago and where his guilt is questionable from an outsider’s perspective, is the Tysha incident. And yes, I think Sandor was involved in it somehow. (I know, I’m not the only one. J ) LF frames the whole story to Sansa/Alayne in a way that places all the blame on Tyrion, painting him as some kind of monster:

"He did not kill Joffrey, true, but the dwarf's hands are far from clean. He had a wife before you, did you know that?"

"He told me."

"And did he tell you that when he grew bored with her, he made a gift of her to his father's guardsmen? He might have done the same to you, in time. Shed no tears for the Imp, my lady." (ASoS, Sansa VI.)

My theory is that Tysha could have been important to Sandor. There are two possibilities in my opinion: she may have been some kind of childhood love… or she could have been the secret sister. And I’m leaning towards the latter. Why?

1) Her age fits: 14 years old, when Tyrion was 13, and Sandor – if my calculation is right – was about 16.

2) She has dark hair just like Sandor  

3) Tyrion met her near Casterly Rock, and we know Clegane Keep is quite close…

4) By the third book we learn that he wasn’t a whore after all, as we thought she was in AGoT. I find it plausible that she wasn’t a peasant either. Consider how easily Sandor plays the peasant, and how familiar he seems to be with hiding his identity….

“By then the outriders were riding off. Clegane gave them one last look and snorted.

"Ser Donnel Haigh," he said. "I've taken more horses off him than I can count. Armor as well. Once I near killed him in a mêlée."

"How come he didn't know you, then?" Arya asked.

"Because knights are fools, and it would have been beneath him to look twice at some poxy peasant (…) Keep your eyes down and your tone respectful and say ser a lot, and most knights will never see you. They pay more mind to horses than to smallfolk." (ASoS, Arya X.)

So why couldn’t Tysha fake her identity too?

Tyrion says, the song she sang him was in Myrish. What kind of peasant girl knows foreign songs, with proper pronunciation?

"Myrish. 'The Seasons of My Love.' Sweet and sad, if you understand the words. The first girl I ever bedded used to sing it, and I've never been able to put it out of my head." (AGoT, Tyrion VI.)

If you compare the way Sandor talks to how Tysha spoke… it’s not worlds apart. And this part stands out:

(…) he had always been warm there, even when they let the fire go out. She used to tease me about that, he remembered. I never thought to feed the fire, that had always been a servant's task. "We have no servants," she would remind me, and I would say, "You have me, I'm your servant," and she would say, "A lazy servant. What do they do with lazy servants in Casterly Rock, my lord?"  (Tyrion, XV, ACoK)

Why is that interesting? Well, if you take this part from Theon’s chapter in ADwD:

“Lord Bolton fell in beside him as they rode out the gate. (…) "What would you have me call you?" the lord asked, as they trotted down the broad straight streets of Barrowton.

Reek, I'm Reek, it rhymes with wreak. "Reek," he said, "if it please my lord."

"M'lord." Bolton's lips parted just enough to show a quarter inch of teeth. It might have been a smile.

He did not understand. "My lord? I said—"

"—my lord, when you should have said m'lord. Your tongue betrays your birth with every word you say. If you want to sound a proper peasant, say it as if you had mud in your mouth, or were too stupid to realize it was two words, not just one." (ADwD, Reek III.)

We also need to talk about Tysha’s backstory:

“I'd gotten a name out of her, and a story. She was a crofter's child, orphaned when her father died of fever, on her way to … well, nowhere, really.” (AGoT, Tyrion VI.)

If my theory’s correct and Tysha’s lying about her identity, that would align with Hound’s story quite well:

“And there had been a sister who had died young under queer circumstances, and the fire that had disfigured his brother, and the hunting accident that had killed their father. Gregor had inherited the keep, the gold, and the family estates. His younger brother Sandor had left the same day to take service with the Lannisters as a sworn sword, and it was said that he had never returned, not even to visit.” (AGoT, Eddard VII.)

Well, imagine a household like this. My idea is that the sister faked his death, in order to escape from Gregor. The line: “om her way to… well, nowhere, really.” sounds like a runaway to me… And while on the road, yes, her father could have died. The timing, again fits quite well: Sandor is approximately 16 - a grown man in Westerosi terms, old enough to leave if he wants to, to take service if he wants to. Cersei was already in King’s Landing by that time, married to Robert, and Joffrey was about two years old. In a few years he’ll need an own guard.

But if my theory’s right, one question remains: how on earth could Tyrion or Jaime not recognize her? Well, if we consider poor Jeyne Poole’s case, it is not so unrealistic. And let’s not forget, Tywin was not like Ned, who took his sons with himself, when frequently visiting the lords of the North. House Clegane is a minor house, descended from a kennelmaster. Apart from using Gregor as their own monster, not worthy to be visited by House Lannister. And it’s only later on, when the Hound rises to prominence, as an experienced, skilled and feared warrior.

The next question in my thread of musings is: “Where do whores go?”

And my answer is: they become silent sisters…

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE MOCKINGBIRD – PART 2.

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In my previous post I was talking about the similarities and differences between the Hound and Littlefinger, and their different influence on Sansa. I love to muse on this topic even more because I think, there are hints of a possible, hidden connection between them. I think the Hound was LF’s hidden dagger, just like the Kettleblacks. Why do I think this?

A POSSIBLE CONNECTION

Well, first of all, Petyr seems to be pretty much an insider when it comes to the Hound. He is the one who gives insights to Ned about Sandor:

"Even a blind man could see the Hound loathed his brother."

"Ah, but Gregor was his to loathe, not yours to kill. Once Dondarrion lops the summit off our Mountain, the Clegane lands and incomes will pass to Sandor, but I wouldn't hold my water waiting for his thanks, not that one.” (Ned and Petyr in  AGoT, Eddard XII.)

Amidst the disturbance after Barristan’s leaving. Petyr is the one, who makes sure that they don’t forget to name Sandor as Kingsguard in front of the court, and he frames it as an open question though he must have known of the decision of the small council.

"Your Grace," Littlefinger reminded the king. "If we might resume, the seven are now six. We find ourselves in need of a new sword for your Kingsguard."

Joffrey smiled. "Tell them, Mother."

"The king and council have determined that no man in the Seven Kingdoms is more fit to guard and protect His Grace than his sworn shield, Sandor Clegane." (AGoT, Sansa V.)

When LF talks about the Kettleblacks, his hidden daggers, who are both serving Cersei and Tyrion, he notes about Osmund: “Osmund has become especially unreliable since he joined the Kingsguard. That white cloak does things to a man, I find. Even a man like him." (ASoS, Sansa, VI.) I find this very interesting, because he sounds like he noticed this change before… but whom could he be speaking of? The only Kingsguard in the books, whose behaviour has changed seemingly because of the white cloak is… the Hound.

Beside these small hints, there are events where they both seem to be involved somehow. LF, the Hound and… Joffrey.

Take for example the murder attempt on Bran.

The dagger belonged to Petyr, Robert won it at Joffrey’s twelfth Name Day Tourney, and it seems that Joffrey stole it from him. But who gave him the intention to use it against Bran? Yes, it is possible, that Joffrey tried to impress Robert, who had said to Cersei in front of the children: „We kill our horses when they break a leg, and our dogs when they go blind, but we are too weak to give the same mercy to crippled children.” (ASoS, Jaime IX.)

But did he really want to impress the father, who took his ways very badly? As Stannis recalls it: “Joffrey . . . I remember once, this kitchen cat . . . the cooks were wont to feed her scraps and fish heads. One told the boy that she had kittens in her belly, thinking he might want one. Joffrey opened up the poor thing with a dagger to see if it were true. When he found the kittens, he brought them to show to his father. Robert hit the boy so hard I thought he'd killed him." (ASoS, Davos VI.)

But the Hound on the contrary… he reacted very differently to Joffrey’s cruelty:

"My dog has a fierce bark. Perhaps I should command him to fight the day's champion. To the death." Joffrey was fond of making men fight to the death.

"You'd be one knight the poorer." (ACoK, Sansa I.)

And:

"It's the wolf that makes the noise. I could scarce sleep last night." Clegane cast a long shadow across the hard-packed earth as his squire lowered the black helm over his head. "I could silence the creature, if it please you." (AGoT, Tyrion I.)

I find it possible, that it was not Robert, whom he tried to impress, but his beloved Dog.

We see the Hound manipulate Joffrey quite successfully during his thirteenth Name Day Tourney, and he did it in a way which seemingly did not contradict Joffrey’s cruel nature. The way Sandor backs him up at Winterfell when they’re practicing with swords is very interesting: "This is your prince. Who are you to tell him he may not have an edge on his sword, ser? (…) I killed a man at twelve. You can be sure it was not with a blunt sword." (AGoT, Arya I.)

I think it’s important to note that Joffrey’s twelve years old at the beginning of the books. Plus Joffrey could easily misunderstand the Hound’s principals about the gift of mercy, and the quick and clean death, when he talks about Bran:

„Sandor Clegane's rasping voice drifted up to him.  "The boy is a long time dying. I wish he would be quicker about it." (AGoT, Tyrion I.)

The other case, where both men’s influence is present, is Ned’s beheading.

“So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished. Ser Ilyn, bring me his head!"

(…) The High Septon clutched at the king's cape, and Varys came rushing over waving his arms, and even the queen was saying something to him, but Joffrey shook his head. Lords and knights moved aside as he stepped through, tall and fleshless, a skeleton in iron mail, the King's Justice.” (AGoT, Arya V.)

Almost everyone tried to stop Joffrey, except for LF… and since the dwarves on Joffrey’s wedding, we know, that he had influence on him… And again we must take into consideration the Hound’s influence on Joffrey. If you take this part from AGoT:

"I don't want to marry you," Sansa wailed. "You chopped off my father's head!"

"He was a traitor. I never promised to spare him, only that I'd be merciful, and I was. If he hadn't been your father, I would have had him torn or flayed, but I gave him a clean death." (AGoT, Sansa VI.)

“Clean death” is the very term so important to Sandor. We see him again and again killing quickly, causing the least pain or suffering. As he himself says: "You want me dead that bad? Then do it, wolf girl. Shove it in. It's cleaner than fire." (ASoS, Arya VI.)

I don’t know how exactly Joffrey came to the decision to behead Ned, but Petyr’s and Sandor’s influence seems to be behind it: Petyr had the motive to make Joffrey behead Ned, and it was taken with Sandor’s views.

I’m not saying that Petyr and Sandor deliberately connivanced to manipulate Joffrey, but both their influence seems to be present. Plus, these very different yet very similar characters are closely attached to Sansa in the plot. I think these facts could mean, that the Hound’s character is not done with Petyr. I think they’ll meet again, most likely in the Vale. Sandor will get in interaction with Sansa again, and the two men’s roles regarding Joffrey and the above mentioned tragedies of the Starks will be played out.

Maybe the three knights hired by LF in AFfC Alayne II. is the setup for that reunion with the Hound. Because why would someone hire three swords? He wants to protect himself for sure… but not from some kind of army… for that he’d need an own army. It must be a single threat, one man, or just a few… A lot of people, Brienne too, whom Ser Shadrich met is searching for Sansa, of course… but that’s nothing new. LF says about the three swords: "Hungry knights. I thought it best that we have a few more swords about us. The times grow ever more interesting, my sweet, and when the times are interesting you can never have too many swords. The Merling King's returned to Gulltown, and old Oswell had some tales to tell." He heard some particular news about one man or some men, that made him think that someone is a threat to him… that someone is about to show up in the Vale… Someone, who has a reputation, and it is a glory to defeat him… I say he/him because I don’t think, it is Brienne. She’s not that famous as a warrior yet. But the Hound… with all the tales from Saltpans…. He can be the one, LF is afraid of.

A lot of people LF is using is directly connected to the Vale… I’m convinced that he used Ser Hugh and Ser Mandon Moore… and the fact that the Mountain killed Ser Hugh, makes it possible, that the murder was ordered by Cersei… or maybe by LF, because he was the one, who knew exactly how important it was in the end not to let him talk to Ned. It’s pure speculation, but maybe he could have used Gregor… similarly to Sandor, I think. And if my theory’s right, and the Cleganes’ ancestry goes back to the Vale through their mother… well, that’s another reason why he could use them for his purposes.

And there’s one more thing, that links the Hound and the Mockingbird together, and what seems to be unsealed: their connection to Tyrion…  

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE MOCKINGBIRD – PART 1.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

It's been a long time since my previous post. Many things have happened in my life, but here I am again, ready to continue the musings on my beloved character. :) So let's begin! :)

While reading the books, I found some parts where Sandor and Littlefinger were strikingly different… and strikingly similar. And parts, where Petyr proved to be interestingly well-informed about the Hound. So in this analysis I’d like to compare them and examine the possibility of a hidden connection between them.

SIMILARITIES

Both men are third generation nobles, who were brought up in a single tower. They both left their homes, and they’re not likely to return. LF simply, because he distastes the place he calls home. The Hound apart from his brother very likely has another reason too. They’re both seem to be infatuated by Sansa, and they both seem to hate Tyrion… though, in the Hound’s case it is not clear, why he hates him. But I’ll get to that later…

DIFFERENCES

But in every other regard, the two men are complete opposites of each other.

- They were born on the opposite sides of Westeros.

- While Petyr dislikes the blazon of his grandfather, Sandor is proud of it, holding on to it despite the doings of his monstrous brother, who’s officially lord Clegane (until his beheading).

- The Hound is a tall, muscled, strong warrior, with excellent fighting skills. LF is short, with the physicality of an intellectual, who gave up to be a man of sword very early in his life.

- Petyr pays much attention to his clothes, his appearance, while Sandor always dresses simply, with the least decoration.

- But the biggest difference for me lies in these quotes:

"Your mother was my queen of beauty once," the man said quietly. His breath smelled of mint. "You have her hair." (LF to Sansa, in AGoT, Sansa II.)

And:

“He tilted his chin back and squeezed the blood orange, so the juice ran down into his mouth. "I love the juice but I loathe the sticky fingers," he complained, wiping his hands. "Clean hands, Sansa. Whatever you do, make certain your hands are clean." (LF to Sansa, in ASoS, Sansa, VI.)

These quotes are absolutely in contrast with the Hound:

"I'll tell you what it was, girl," he said, a voice from the night, a shadow leaning so close now that she could smell the sour stench of wine on his breath.” (The Hound tells the secret of his face to Sansa, in AGoT, Sansa II.)

 And:

“Then something stirred behind her, and a hand reached out of the dark and grabbed her wrist.

Sansa opened her mouth to scream, but another hand clamped down over her face, smothering her. His fingers were rough and callused, and sticky with blood. "Little bird. I knew you'd come." (…)

Sansa could smell him; a stink of sweat and sour wine and stale vomit, and over it all the reek of blood, blood, blood.” (ACoK, Sansa VII.)

Cleanness is something very important for Sansa, especially in the beginning of the books, in the beginning of her character development. It seems to me that it is one of her faults as well: paying too much attention to appearances. It is something Littlefinger encourages in her: to LOOK clean, to LOOK brave to LOOK innocent. He is a false father to her, both literally and morally. Sansa recalls one of his thoughts in AFfC:

“Her father said there was no shame in being afraid, only in showing your fear. "All men live with fear," he said. „ (AFfC, Alayne II.)

This is a deformation of Ned’s teachings:

„"Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?" he heard his own voice saying, small and far away.

And his father's voice replied to him. "That is the only time a man can be brave." (Bran and Ned in AGoT, Bran III.)

Ned doesn’t put emphasise on whether it’s important to LOOK brave or not. It has an interesting effect on how we see the Hound’s role in the Blackwater battle. LF would consider it a failure that he showed his fear...while Ned would think, he was there, fighting in the wildfire for hours, despite his fear: that is ultimate bravery, something to be respected.

“Clean hands” is another thing, which is absolutely differs from Ned’s teaching, which first occurs in Bran’s chapter again: 

“The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.„ (Ned in AGoT, Bran I.)

This again, is something that shows how different is LF from the Hound: they’re complete opposites. Yes, the Hound is a warrior, a soldier, it is his profession to kill…. but all in all though unwillingly, he lives up to Ned’s teachings: he puts himself in danger, he gets his hands dirty, and when someone has to die, he does it himself, he doesn’t let his men do it, just like in the case of Mycah. I’m not saying it is something he can be proud of, but at least, he did it himself. (And I’m sure, it was an order from Cersei.)

Sandor enjoys killing, very much unlike Ned… but he doesn’t phrase it as something glorious or knightly… just like Ned. And he doesn’t want to hide it, or let others do it… just like Ned.

All in all, Sandor is much closer to Ned’s morals, than LF could ever be…. and I would love to see him reminding Sansa of her real father…

And regarding Sansa… it is extraordinary, that they both tried to run away with her from King’s Landing. LF successfully, the Hound on the contrary. But the way of trying to run away with her is again absolutely in contrast with each other. Petyr planned it carefully, did it through Dontos, and clearly had his own motivation, to use Sansa for his own purposes. While Sandor did it spontaneously, he went there himself, and his only motive was his affection towards Sansa, and the desire to protect her from everyone, who would hurt her…

In the next part I'm going to examine a possible hidden connection between the two men... so stay tuned! :)

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

IS THERE WOLF-BLOOD IN THE DOG? - PART 3.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

In the first part I was talking about the similarities between the Starks and the Hound. In the second I drew roughly a possible Stark line through the Vale. In this last part, I’ll examine if the Hound is aware of his wolf blood.

All in all, these clues can be interpreted as nothing suspicious. But if I want to answer the previous question, I must list them up.

1. The strongest clue for me is Sandor’s question to Arya: „Do you know what dogs do to wolves?" (ASoS, Arya VII.) It seems clear, that he has an answer for this, and I think he’s not talking about the encounters between real dogs and real wolves, but between men: Cleganes and Starks, or Stark descendants. The question is repeated three times: once Sandor asks it, and two times Arya thinks of it, but we get no answer to that… well, not yet.

2. Another part I find interesting, is when Arya mentions her dream to Sandor: „They broke their fast in silence, until Sandor said, "This thing about your mother . . ." "It doesn't matter," Arya said in a dull voice. "I know she's dead. I saw her in a dream." The Hound looked at her a long time, then nodded. No more was said of it.  (ASoS, Arya XII.) I pointed out, how the Clegnes’ horses take up their masters personality, and the only characters with whom the same happens are all skinchangers. I find it possible, that the Hound has his own wolf-dreams, or rather Stranger-dreams. And if that’s true, it gives a different tone to this scene.

3. My third clue is that he actually had the possibility to spend more time with the Royces. LF informs Ned about this: “Prince Joffrey returned this morning, with the Royces, Ser Balon Swann, and some twenty others of the party. The rest are still with the king." "The Hound?" Ned asked, frowning. (…) "Oh, returned with Joffrey, and went straight to the queen." (AGoT, Eddard XII.) It is actually Robar Royce whom Ned sends to Robert to tell the news about Gregor. I cannot decide if the Hound went to Cersei because he’s mainly her servant at this point in the story, or because he had just got to know about the death sentence of his brother and wanted to know more about it the instant he returned. What we know for sure, is that Robert did not mention it to him, as he himself says: “Can't leave a man to hunt in peace. Ser Robar found me. Gregor's head. Ugly thought. Never told the Hound. Let Cersei surprise him.” (AGoT, Eddard XIII.) But if it wasn’t Cersei who told him, than it had to be the Royces. And they could have had another reason to tell him about it… a possible relation between them and the Hound.

4. Those, who follow my blog might know my theory on unkiss. That the kiss actually happened, and it possibly happened in the godswood of King’s Landing on the eve of the Blackwater battle. When explaining my theory, I hinted, that maybe Sandor had another motivation to go to the godswood other than to find Sansa. And that is, his possible northern ancestry, his possible Stark blood. In that state of mind, on the eve of the battle, when – he must have known – they were about to use wildfire: fire that he feared only… he could have turned to the old gods despite his doubts in the goodness or existence of gods.  

5. Another interesting thing is the way he turns away from the Lannisters, and takes the first possibility to try to join the Starks. “I'm done with their city, done with their Kingsguard, done with Lannisters. What's a dog to do with lions, I ask you?" (ASoS, Arya IX.) I know, some interpret it that he’s lying to himself here, for he fled the battlefield because of his fear. But I think it is not the main reason he left. He was afraid way earlier. And he fought, while being afraid. A man can only be brave when he’s afraid. He showed true bravery despite fighting in the midst of fire, the only thing he fears. No, he left the battlefield, because Tyrion took his men. Because he did not listen to him, to him, who had already been there, fighting for hours, him, who was a trained and experienced warrior, a leader. He shamed him. He shamed him, by treating him only like a dog. That’s what he is to the lions. To all of them, maybe except for Jaime… and he realized that there. And when the opportunity comes, to kidnap Arya… yes, he immediately goes with it, for he decides to try to join the Starks instead. Because a dog has more to do with the wolves… especially a half-wild dog, with maybe a little wolf-blood in himself too. 

6. And my last clue is his connection with Littlefinger… which is actually a completely different theory of mine, and I’m gonna talk about it in my next post. :)

My previous topics:

Cersei's dog

Unkiss - The kiss that actually happened

Blackwater battle - Sansa's and Sandor's feelings for each other

The Hound and the Mountain - Comparison

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

IS THERE WOLF-BLOOD IN THE DOG? - PART 2.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

I finished part 1. with the possibility of a Vale-thread, when talking about the Cleganes’ wolf-blood. I think, that Martin left some hints, that point to the Vale, and the presence of Stark descendants there. And these hints might be in relation with the Cleganes.

The first hint I based this part of my theory on, is Catelyn explaining the closest Stark relations to Robb in ASoS:

„Your father's father had no siblings, but his father had a sister who married a younger son of Lord Raymar Royce, of the junior branch. They had three daughters, all of whom wed Vale lordlings. A Waynwood and a Corbray, for certain. The youngest . . . it might have been a Templeton, but . . ." (ASoS, Catelyn V.)

I cannot imagine, that Martin will not unfold this thread of the story, especially considering Sansa’s currently in the Vale…

And my other hint is Bronze Yohn Royce. I find Sansa’s description of him very striking:

“The Lord of Runestone stood as tall as the Hound. Though his hair was grey and his face lined, Lord Yohn still looked as though he could break most younger men like twigs in those huge gnarled hands. (…) She heard his voice booming off the walls when he rode back from a hunt with a buck behind his saddle. She could see him in the yard, a practice sword in hand, hammering her father to the ground and turning to defeat Ser Rodrik as well. (…) Bronze Yohn had slate-grey eyes, half-hidden beneath the bushiest eyebrows she had ever seen.“ (AFfC, Alayne I.)

I know, that some people like to compare the Hound to the Kettleblacks, because of their dark hair and hooked nose. But with Bronze Yohn, there are much more similarities: the height, the strength, the fighting abilities, the huge hands, deep voice, bushy eyebrows, and most of all the grey eyes…. No, I don’t think, that Sandor is Lord Yohn’s son. But let me further explain my theory.

The third clue, I’d like to talk about is Bran’s vision in ADwD. He sees people through the eyes of the weirwood tree of Winterfell. First, he sees Ned, who’s most certainly praying for Robb and Jon would grow up as brothers. Then, he sees a young girl, who looks like Arya, fighting with sticks with a young boy. But he recognises, that that boy is not him, and he and Arya have never fought like this.

„After that the glimpses came faster and faster, till Bran was feeling lost and dizzy. He saw no more of his father, nor the girl who looked like Arya, but a woman heavy with child emerged naked and dripping from the black pool, knelt before the tree, and begged the old gods for a son who would avenge her. Then there came a brown-haired girl slender as a spear who stood on the tips of her toes to kiss the lips of a young knight as tall as Hodor. A dark-eyed youth, pale and fierce, sliced three branches off the weirwood and shaped them into arrows.” (ADwD, Bran III.)

I know, there’s a theory, that the knight, who’s as tall as Hodor might be Dunk, and the brown-haired, slender girl is Old Nan. But I’d like to offer another explanation.

First, Bran sees his father, who already fathered Robb. The next glimpse is I think Lyanna and Benjen, fighting in their childhood. And from this scene we’re jumping half a generation each time: I think the mother could be Lyarra Stark, pregnant with Brandon. What could be the story behind it, I don’t know. But in this generation we find Rickard Stark, and his only sister Jocelyn, who married Benedict Royce from the Vale, that younger son of Raymar Royce. So. My suggestion is, that the slender girl is the young Jocelyn Stark (whose slender figure Sansa could inherit), and the tall knight she kisses is Benedict Royce. And what if, their third daughter did not marry a Templeton, but a Royce, from the  bigger branch? If Lord Yohn would be their son, that would explain his height, eyes, and his sons' names as well: Andar, Robar, Waymar could come from their ancestor’s, Raymar’s name.

I know, that Martin can change the already released TWoW chapters, but I think it’s no coincidence, how Sansa in the first Winds of Winter chapter describes the Waynwoods: „Ser Roland was the oldest of the three, though no more than five-and-twenty. He was taller and more muscular than Ser Wallace, but both were long-faced and lantern-jawed, with stringy brown hair and pinched noses. Horsefaced and homely, Alayne thought.” (TWoW, Alayne I.)

The ground is very shaky at this point, and I’m always aware that I could be wrong. But my suggestion is, that Bronze Yohn might have had a sister… who ran away with a young knight, whose father was only a kennelmaster. It could have not been otherwise, for the Royce family is a high-born, prominent family. She could have disappeared this way, and give birth, to tall, strong sons, and Sandor could have inherited the long face, gaunt features, grey eyes, bushy eyebrows, all that… and his attempt to run away with Sansa from King’s Landing could have had one other motive.

But if I’m right and the Dog really has wolf blood in him, does he know? Well, I’ll check it out in the next part. :)

Part 1.:

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💬 0  🔁 1  ❤️ 5 · IS THERE WOLF-BLOOD IN THE DOG? PART 1. Hi there! In my previous post, I was talking about the similarities between the

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

IS THERE WOLF-BLOOD IN THE DOG? PART 1.

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Hi there!

In my previous post, I was talking about the similarities between the Clegane brothers, and in the end, I mentioned, that a curious similarity is, that their horses seem to take up their personalities… and the only characters with whom the same happens are all skinchangers… a trait seems to be common among the Starks.

So let me throw down my bomb: I think, THE CLEGANES ARE STARK DESCENDANTS. 

Many have pointed out Sandor’s striking similarity to the Starks, but as far as I know, most of the people think, that this is only because Martin would like us to link him with the Starks… for he is going to be a Stark ally in the end. I agree, with the latter part, but I strongly disagree with the first part. In Martin’s case, there’s always a story behind such striking details.

And now, I will reason, that the Dog has wolf-blood in his veins.  I’ll start with the physical appearance. Though this is only one of the pillars of my theory, this is the most conspicuous.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

This is Sansa’s description of his face:

“The right side of his face was gaunt, with sharp cheekbones and a grey eye beneath a heavy brow. His nose was large and hooked, his hair thin, dark. He wore it long and brushed it sideways, because no hair grew on the other side of that face.” (AGoT, Sansa II.)

His similarity with Arya is the most commonly mentioned by fans. It is very interesting, that no one, who actually knows them, compares them to each other. They know, that he is a Clegane, and she is a Stark, there’s no connection between them. But those, who do not know either of them, the common people, strangers… well, they see the striking similarity so much, that they assume, she is his own child:  

“There's a brazier in the cabin if you and your son want to get warm."

"I'm not his stupid son!" said Arya furiously. (ASoS, Arya IX.)

„Might be you'd take a few with you, but in the end they'd kill you and make off with your daughter." I'm not his daughter, Arya might have shouted, if she hadn't felt so tired.”  (ASoS, Arya XII.)

“Wrenched around, she found herself nose to nose with the squire. (…) "Are you the puppy's puppy?" (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

And not just Arya. Someone has pointed out on a forum (and I’m sad, that actually cannot remember where I read it), that the Hound, according to Sansa’s description is very alike to Benjen. Here’s how Jon describes him:

 “His uncle was sharp-featured and gaunt as a mountain crag, but there was always a hint of laughter in his blue-grey eyes.” (AGoT, Jon I.)

The grey eyes, long face, gaunt features, dark hair make him very northern-like… or rather Stark-like.

TEMPER

But it’s not just his face that links him to the Starks: it’s his temper as well. His wildness that shows not only while he’s fighting, but also when he laughs, is a very curious thing as well. Sansa thinks this about him:

“He is a dog, just as he says. A half-wild, mean-tempered dog that bites any hand that tries to pet him, and yet will savage any man who tries to hurt his masters.” (ACoK, Sansa IV.)

I think we can link Ned’s note about wolf blood to Arya here:

“Ah, Arya. You have a wildness in you, child. 'The wolf blood,' my father used to call it. Lyanna had a touch of it, and my brother Brandon more than a touch. It brought them both to an early grave." (AGoT, Arya II.)

And talking about Brandon… All of you, Sandor fans must remember this part from the books:

"Does it give you joy to scare people?"

"No, it gives me joy to kill people." (…) “Killing is the sweetest thing there is.” (ACoK, Sansa IV.)

And then follows one of his most disturbing speeches which no Sansan fan likes to remember, I think. But do you know, whom this attitude reminds me? Well:

"Brandon loved his sword. He loved to hone it. 'I want it sharp enough to shave the hair from a woman's cunt,' he used to say. And how he loved to use it. 'A bloody sword is a beautiful thing,' he told me once." (Barbrey Dustin on Brandon in ADwD, The Turncloack)

And it’s not just taking joy in killing that makes them alike… But here’s Catelyn’s memory of Brandon:

“She remembered her own childish disappointment, the first time she had laid eyes on Eddard Stark. (…) He spoke courteously enough, but beneath the words she sensed a coolness that was all at odds with Brandon, whose mirths had been as wild as his rages.” (ASoS, Catelyn V.)

I think this temper is very similar to the Hound’s. After I’ve read the books, I was quite disappointed, that his habit to laugh a lot was cut from his character in the show.

Hardness can be mentioned as another northernish trait, and this fits my train of thoughts as well:

“...her lord's dark grey eyes, eyes that could be soft as a fog or hard as stone.” (ACoK, Catelyn V.)

„"I never beat your sister," the Hound said. "But I'll beat you if you make me. Stop trying to think up ways to kill me. None of it will do you a bit of good." She had nothing to say to that. She gnawed on the sausage and stared at him coldly. Hard as stone, she thought.” (ASoS, Arya IX.)

THE BOND BETWEEN MEN AND ANIMALS

So I was talking about his appearance, his temper, and in my previous blog post, I talked about how interesting it is, that only the Clegane’s and the Starks show similar, shared personalities with their animals. Gregor doesn’t seem to connect that much with his horses. But Sandor on the contrary:

“The Hound glanced around the yard, scowling. "Where's my horse? If anything's happened to that horse, someone's going to pay." (ACoK, Tyrion IX.)

Jaime talks about how it is the good riding that makes someone good at tourneys. I think we can safely say, that the Hound’s very much on the same wave as his beloved Stranger. Just like Brandon and Lyanna could be, as Barbrey Dustin says:

“He loved to ride. His little sister took after him in that. A pair of centaurs, those two.” (ADwD, The Turncloack)

Well, that’s just a small hint, but it adds to my theory.

So, let’s assume, just for fun, that I’m right, and the Cleganes are Stark descendants. Than how could it be? We know, that their grandfather was a kennelmaster at Casterly Rock, that his son was a squire, and possibly knighted. That’s not much, but at least it seems, that the male branch of the family is clear. But what about their mother? Could she be a Stark descendant? We know nothing of her. One thing seems to be sure. That the Hound cannot be Brandon’s bastard, as someone jokingly assumed on a forum, for the age difference between them is too short. :)

I think, GRRM always leaves a hint. Part of his genius is that he never comes out with his secrets out of nowhere. If you look close, they’re always hinted at some points of the books. And I think, our hint here, will lead us to the Vale…

For Part 2. click here

My previous topics:

Cersei's dog

Unkiss - The kiss that actually happened

Blackwater battle - Sansa's and Sandor's feelings for each other

The Hound and the Mountain - Comparison

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE MOUNTAIN - PART 3.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

Hi there!

Here’s the third part of my Mountain-Hound comparison. I’m gonna talk about the similarities now. For there are some, very interesting ones. I’m sorry Sandor fans, for comparing him to that monster Gregor, but don’t worry. I won’t hurt you with this post. :)

PHYSICAL SIMILARITIES

Let’s start with the physical similarities. There’s no need to give citation for these, cause we all know that they’re both big, muscled and strong. Though Gregor is no doubt the highest and strongest man in Westeros, his brother is also probably in the top 10, for there’s only a few, who reaches him in height and strength.

They’re not just strong, but they both seem to bear pain extremely well:

“If Ser Gregor was suffering from wounds, Tyrion could see no sign of it from across the yard. He looks as though he was chiseled out of rock, standing there.” (ASoS, Tyrion X.)

“His arms encircled her; on the left, the burned arm, he'd donned a steel vambrace for protection, but she'd seen him change the dressings, and the flesh beneath was still raw and seeping. If the burns pained him, though, Sandor Clegane gave no hint of it.” (ASoS, Arya IX.)

As for their face, I think only Tyrion gives a description of the Mountain’s face and all he says is: it “might have been hewn from rock”. No one seem to pay attention to Gregor’s face, everyone’s talking about his height and strength. This is interesting, because in the case of his brother, apart from Sansa, who gives a detailed description of the Hound’s face, everyone else seem to focus only on his scars. Their features are simply not emphasised. Only Sandor’s, but in a very indirect way, which I’m gonna talk about later.  

PERSONALITY

Well that’s enough of their physical similarities, but what about their personality?

They’re both warrior type of people, for sure, that’s out of question.

They both seem to prefer purity, over the shiny decorations of some knights:

“Sandor Clegane was the first rider to appear. He wore an olive-green cloak over his soot-grey armor. That, and his hound's-head helm, were his only concession to ornament.” (AGoT, Eddard VII.)

„Beneath a long yellow surcoat bearing the three black dogs of Clegane, he wore heavy plate over chainmail, dull grey steel dinted and scarred in battle.” (ASoS, Tyrion X.)

They both seem to bear too much talk or noise badly, though the Hound can handle that, unlike his brother.

"You talk too much," he grumbled. "You make my head hurt." (Gregor to Oberyn in ASoS, Tyrion X.)

"Enough." The Hound's face was tight with anger. "You're making noise.” (Sandor in ASoS, Arya VI.)

Even their way of talking, their style seem to be similar in some cases:

“When the two men were ten yards apart, the Red Viper stopped and called out, "Have they told you who I am?"

Ser Gregor grunted through his breaths. "Some dead man." (ASoS, Tyrion X.)

„If you want me, come get me." (…)

"You think we won't?" said Polliver. "You're drunk."

"Might be," said the Hound, "but you're dead." (ASoS, Arya XIII.)

They’re both bad-tempered, and anger seems to be a major theme for them. But again, as I have pointed out in the previous parts, the Hound handles his emotions way better, than his brother. He may be angry, but he doesn’t lose his mind, he doesn’t turn it into physical violence. Apart from that only one example we see in the books.

And you know what else is similar in them? Well:

"Tyrell had to know the mare was in heat," Littlefinger was saying. "I swear the boy planned the whole thing. Gregor has always favored huge, ill-tempered stallions with more spirit than sense." (AGoT, Eddard VII.)

„Last of all came Ser Gregor Clegane in his grey plate steel, astride a stallion as bad-tempered as his rider.” (ACoK, Arya VIII.)

 “The horse was a heavy courser, almost as big as a destrier but much faster. Stranger, the Hound called him. Arya had tried to steal him once, when Clegane was taking a piss against a tree, thinking she could ride off before he could catch her. Stranger had almost bitten her face off. He was gentle as an old gelding with his master, but otherwise he had a temper as black as he was. She had never known a horse so quick to bite or kick.” (ASoS, Arya IX.)

„You may have seen a big black stallion in our stables. That was his warhorse, Stranger. A blasphemous name. We prefer to call him Driftwood, as he was found beside the river. I fear he has his former master's nature." (AFfC, Brienne VI.)

Do you know, what I’m going to say? Well, if you don’t, let me ask you a question: list up those characters in your mind, whose animals behave like them, taking up their master’s personality. What links them together? Yes. All of them are skinchangers. A common trait amongst… Starks.

Stay tuned for my next topic, my next theory. :)

Previous parts:

Part 1.

Part 2.

[thehiddendooronserpentinesteps]

THE HOUND AND THE MOUNTAIN - PART 2.

(Art credits are in the ALT texts.)

Here’s the second part of the Mountain-Hound comparison! Enjoy! :)

TWO TYPES OF LEADERS

I’d like to highlight the differences between Gregor and Sandor from another aspect as well. And that is leadership. There’s a very interesting part about the Mountain:

“(…) the fiercest battle had been fought at Stone Mill, where Ser Gregor Clegane had led the assault. So many of his men had fallen that their dead horses threatened to dam the flow. In the end the Mountain and a handful of his best had gained the west bank, but Edmure had thrown his reserve at them, and they had shattered and reeled away bloody and beaten. Ser Gregor himself had lost his horse and staggered back across the Red Fork bleeding from a dozen wounds while a rain of arrows and stones fell all around him.” (ACoK, Catelyn VI.)

The most important part for me is: “So many of his men had fallen that their dead horses threatened to dam the flow.” It shows exactly what kind of leader Gregor is: someone, who does not care about his own men’s life. But Sandor shows very different kind of values during the Blackwater battle:

“Open the gates. When they rush inside, surround them and kill them." The Hound thrust the point of his longsword into the ground and leaned upon the pommel, swaying. "I've lost half my men. Horse as well. I'm not taking more into that fire." (ACoK, Tyrion XIII.)

We see the whole incident from Tyrion’s POV. He assumes, that the only reason of the Hound’s disobedience is fear. And being in his POV, we automatically assume, that he’s right. But as some old fellow Sandor fans on Westeros.org, I think too, that Tyrion’s mistaken here. Yes, the Hound is afraid. Yes, he’s exhausted, wounded and drunk. But he’s still ready to fight. He’s still able to fight. And his suggestion about changing the tactic seems absolutely logical to me. There are no thousands of men outside the walls, which would lead to defeat the moment they would open the gates. Plus it would have been the same tactic that Tyrion himself used, when he let Stannis’s fleet enter the river, and then he used the chain and defeated them inside. Sandor doesn’t want to go out in that fire, that’s true. Partly because he had enough of it, he’s been outside three times, leading his men and returning with them in the right time. But he also shows the values of a capable and good leader, who will not cause more loss than needed. And Tyrion shows lack of experience, when he leads the men out, forces the same, wrong tactic, and fails to return in the right time. Just as he himself says it. Yes, he was brave. But Gregor’s been brave too, and for what good?

Here’s another parallel that shows their similarities and differences at the same time.

It’s pretty clear, that Gregor likes to torture… to play with his victims. Sandor’s burned face, Vargo Hoat, and the following example shows it well: In AGoT, Robert goes hunting and let Ned, with his broken leg to do the audience. People come to the court to complain about the destruction the Mountain does in the Riverlands. One smith says: "They rode down my 'prentice boy, (…) Chased him back and forth across the fields on their horses, poking at him with their lances like it was a game, them laughing and the boy stumbling and screaming till the big one pierced him clean through." (AGoT, Eddard XI.)

This part can easily remind us of the Mycah incident. Here’s the part, where the Hound returns with his men:

“It was the butcher's boy, Mycah, his body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above.

"You rode him down," Ned said.

The Hound's eyes seemed to glitter through the steel of that hideous dog's-head helm. "He ran." He looked at Ned's face and laughed. "But not very fast." (AGoT, Eddard III.)

Both of the incidents are monstrous, and the difference is very slight. Though there is one: the Hound’s case seems to lack playing with the victim. It is made evident more than one time, that he prefers clean death.

SANITY

All of us could bring up plenty of examples for this difference, but I think the perfect example is the Hand’s tourney. Loras unhorses Gregor, but he needs a trick for that because the Mountain is simply too strong: he chooses a mare on heat, to get the Mountain’s horse unstable. Gregor absolutely loses his temper, his sanity, kills his horse, and tries to kill Loras as well, when his brother stops him. “The Mountain pivoted in wordless fury, swinging his longsword in a killing arc with all his massive strength behind it, but the Hound caught the blow and turned it, and for what seemed an eternity the two brothers stood hammering at each other as a dazed Loras Tyrell was helped to safety. Thrice Ned saw Ser Gregor aim savage blows at the hound's-head helmet, yet not once did Sandor send a cut at his brother's unprotected face.” (AGoT, Eddard VII.)

I know, that some people think that the Hound actually doesn’t want to kill his brother… But I think, this is not about that. If he would let Gregor to kill Loras in front of the King, well, that would have led to a very tough situation for Gregor… The Hound’s motivation to protect Loras could have been a sympathy with Gregor’s victim, or some knightly values awakened by Sansa… But him not aiming at Gregor’s face means to me that he was completely sane during their fight: he must have known, that killing his brother would turn Tywin Lannister against him… That his terrible brother is a very useful dog to the Lannisters, the very family he himself serves too… so he withstood him. But did not try to kill him.

So yes, both of the brothers are bad-tempered men, but Gregor is much more likely to lose his sanity, than Sandor. We only see the Hound to lose his temper once: during the Blackwater battle, with Sansa, when he’s drunk, traumatized, loses everything he had: reputation, job, salary, social status… and the girl, he seems to be in love with, rejects him in his interpretation. And he regrets what he does, very-very shortly after.  

KNIGHTHOOD

And the last difference I’d like to write about shortly, is what most commonly talked about: knighthood. Well, I think I have nothing new to say here. But if I’m making a comparison, this topic is a must-be-included. :)

Both of the brothers seem to reject the values of the knights, though Gregor has been knighted, and wears the prefix ”ser” proudly. Even his men call him by only this prefix: “the Ser”. He is a false knight, just as Marq Piper said to Ned: claiming to be a knight, yet sticking to none of the values a knight should follow.

His brother is somehow the antithesis to that. Rejecting over and over again to be called ser, to take the vows, when he’s offered to join the Kingsguard. Though deep down he seems to believe in the values of the knights, he does not believe, that any man could be a real, a true knight. He is not a true knight either, doesn’t want to be, and he will never lie about that.  

Well, these were the differences I wanted to highlight, and I’ll continue with the similarities… because there are more than strength, height and dark hair to that…

So if you're interested, here's Part 3.

If you did not read Part 1., here it is.