Kickin' the Can: ASOIAF: What are some crazy theories about A Song of Ice and Fire?

There are so many crazy theories that a book could be written. In fact, that’s a good idea. For somebody else, not me.

Every once in a while a totally crazy theory comes true: Hodor=Hold the Doortheory is something that cropped up a few years ago and was something almost eveyrone discounted.

And at one point, the idea that the Three Eyed Crow was the legendary Bloodraven had next to no evidence in the books, yet, it turned out to be true.

Theories about A Song of Ice and Fire are almost a unique brand of literary criticism in my opinion. Ive come to think of them as the work highly creative minds. I do hope that when these theories are disproved, that the makers of these theories write their own fantasy books. Because some of them are pretty cool even if they are wrong.

Like I said about Preston Jacobs, the popular Youtube theorizer, he’s totally nuts but he should write his own books.

Here are a few of the ‘craziest’ that I can think of offhand. Some very popular or controversial ones(like R+L=J, or even A+Jo=T or A+Jo=C+J, or (f)Aegon) I won’t talk about. Because right or wrong, they are not crazy: there is some textual evidence and you can argue that they ‘fit’.

So off hand….

Roose Bolton theories

There are many of these, all of them centering around the idea that Roose Bolton is somehow supernatural or yearns to become supernatural.

Roose is a vampire
Roose is a skinchanger who wargs into his own sons when he reaches old age
the Bolton penchant for flaying and wearing the skins of their enemies like a cloak is their attempt at becoming Stark-like skinchangers
The Bolton’s are the result of a union between a Stark(the Night’s King) and a female Other.
The Bolton’s are weird because they are practicing some form of blood magic to become Others

I wrote a litlte about Roose theories here:

Lance LaSalle's answer to What is the origin of the "Immortal Roose Bolton vampire" theory?

San-san

Sandor Clegane, the Hound and Sansa Stark are destined to fall in love in a ASOIAF retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

There is some obvious grist in this mill: I think that GRRM is playing with the motif somehow. There is a connection between Sansa and Sandor; it is sexual on both sides, we know from their words or thoughts. But, yes. Sansa is (still) 13 in the books, whereas the Hound would be 28 or so. Not that that matters in Westeros.

My private theory is darker though: I think maybe Sansa, who misremembers things and disassociates from reality, will accuse Clegane of rape when he comes to rescue her. I’m not saying that this is what I think is going to happen: I try to never confuse my theories for what’s in the story. I’m just saying the thoughts occurred to me. Put that in your tinfoil pipe and smoke it. I guess, it’s my theory that is the crazy one, here.

Hardhome:

The Faceless Men destroyed Hardhome in a trial run for causing the Doom of Valyria. (The show episode “The Door” kind of confirmed that the Faceless Men had a part in Valyria’s downfall: everyone was so caught up in ‘Hold the Door’that it’s ahrdly been mentioned. But I think the jury is still out on this part of the theory. But I’ve also seen theories that that it was destroyed by a volcano.

Ser Robert Strong is headless.

I won’t say this one has no evidence(and man is it popular) but I don’t believe it. I believe Ser Robert STrong has his head and it’s Gregor Clegane’s head attached to Gregor Clegane’s body: the head that Cersei sent to Doran Martell was actually the skull of the large headed dwarf septon that was presented to Cersei. Maybe I’m the crazy one, though.

Heresy theories

This is a rabbit hole that, if you go down it far enough, you will probably never see the light of day again. I haven’t read a tenth of it, but it’s usually interesting. There is a lot of discussion of mythology of various cultures on it.

The Heretic's Guide to Heresy

Howland Reed is the High Sparrow

As nutty as you get.Howland Reed = High Septon?