ASOIAF Theories: The Witch Queen of Harrenhal
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- In this series, we will discuss the various witches of Asoiaf and fire. Throughout our own history the word Witch has been used against many women which defied the status quo, in olden times educated or wise women were feared because they threatened to undermine the existing social structures of their societies. These women were often outcast from society and viewed as strange even though many of them were of use to their communities providing medicines and other herbs and remedies for ailments. Thousands of this accused witches were killed and the suggestion of witchcraft was used to demonize many women who spoke out.
There are several accused witches in Martins series, some perhaps are..and other more likely gained the disfavor of those writing history in some way.
The first witch we will discuss is Alys Rivers.
Alys Rivers is a very mysterious figure. Not much is known of who she truly was. Its seems to be conclusive that she at least dabbled somewhat in the arcane.
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Sometimes you don't sleep for 26 hours in a row and then you pronounce "enchantress" with a silent 'H'. Shit happens.
Indeed, when you reach the 36 hours mark things get weird.
@@ki-td5yb
When you begin to see angels, like the soldiers did at Mons, it's definitely time to get some sleep.
I can remember going to anime conventions and staying up for 60+ hours on ramen, hot dogs and booze on Saturday night. Now I can barely go 18 hours before I start hearing whispers in the background and needing to sleep.
also: "sallied", not "sailed"
@@lincolnnoronha4128 hahaha you beat me to it!! Stellar content as always Quinn!
First Elissa Farman and now Alys Rivers. Fire and Blood is starting to show a lot of interesting women. That can't wait for part 2 when we know more about Shiera Seastar
Hasan Wilson dude your everywhere
Don't forget about Visenya. She may be witch as well.
Alys Rivers, not to be confused with Alys Westhill, would go on to become the legendary Witch Queen of Harrenhal.
Love this theory!! Makes so much sense, esp when you put it like that lol
I'm liking the vocal narration delivery change, I haven't been around much lately because I'm not into Dune, but I've been subbed for some years now and I'm glad you've dialed back the "creepy" vocal delivery. Great video man.
Speaking of Alice Westhill there's no way she could have sailed to Asshai unless she turned around like the other ships but missed Sothoroys and continued on to Asshai. The Targaryen, the name slips my mind, that flew her dragon south was gone 3+ years. That means for at least 18 months due south, without any change in climate or scenery. On the low side a dragon must travel twice as fast as any ship. Without storms or land that has to be sailed around its prob closer to 5X the distance a boat could achieve. On a globe that size the entire known world be roughly the size of Greenland. Sun Chaser would have had to sail decades to wrap around to the other side of Asshai, and even then Asshai would be a target so small that after sailing uncharted waters for that long the chances of pinpoint accuracy are laughable. So no, Alys Westhill did not circumnavigate Planetos.
@@bryantaylor9874 To be honest that story never made sense. Why would she not find the end? Where did she stay? Did it really take three years? Who disappears three years? If it is a planet the size of earth her story makes little sense.
@@izzieandavadanuggets9325 agree to disagree
Alys used her powers to move the air around Ser Regis's head in such a way that it created a vacuum, causing his head to explosively decompress.🤯
That head exploding scene had me thinking of Georges Nightflyers novella, where a male telepath has his head blown up by a more powerful female telepath because she feels he is trying to enter the mind of her son.
Seeing how Skinchangers seem to work with similar rules as the telepaths of Georges earlier works; they can enter minds of animals and people, they can sense each other's powers and maybe even control dead bodies (if that's how the Others do it, which I think makes sense given how the bodies still need their muscles to move), perhaps Alys was a very powerful skinchanger, maybe even on the level of Bran + years of experience.
She could enter the mind of Ser Regis and blow it up, and later she could probably lurk inside the mind of the man who delivered the warning and once someone laughed she took control of the muscles in his throat and strangled him.
im reading nightfliers. thanks for spoiling it...
@@kuroshthegreat8073 Yeah...thanks for spoiling a story that came out in 1981!
I don't think she is Melissandra. If you believe the theory that Mel is like the fire version of the night's queen then that establishes Mel's powers as not unique to herself, but that these powers can be acquired by any woman with enough study, practice and dedication. Mel is devoted to R'hllor and believes that is where her powers come from, which doesn't makes sense if she could use magic before. Alys Rivers is another which of this type. And maybe she is the water version of this type, operating in Harrenhall, near a lake and being called rivers.
People are always theorizing that Mel is secretly this or that historical person, but we have pov chapters where she remembers being sold into slavery as a child named Melony.
I dont think that Mel is Alys Rivers either. But Mel definitely did use magic before becoming a devout worshiper of the red God. She's a shadowbinder which is a powerful sorcer/sorceress skill only taught in ashai.
This would make sense, especially since the first two things that Aemond mentions that she saw Daemon through were a stormcloud and a mountain pool.
Maybe mellisandre is her and aemonds daughter
Witch please
I just learnt the word sublime and I think it is the most suitable adjective to describe your work.
I think this clear evidence that magic was a real thing when dragons lived. I wonder what will happen when Daenerys arrives on the continent, will there be a similar surge of power that will have warlocks and witches rise again?
please don't stop making these asoiaf theory vids... always love your take on them!
But which Witch is which?
Make your friends rich and enemies rich until you find out which is which
Still my favourite GOT channel on UA-cam! Great work as usual. GRRM utilized so many other authors work, mostly Lovecraft, but there are many others as well.
Nine for mortal men doomed to die.
I’m glad you mentioned Mel possibly being Ms Rivers because I swear I thought the same thing on my first read of Fire and blood
This video is awesome. I was literally working on a similar theory where Alys was Mel. But the guy in my head wouldn’t let me rule out the possibility of her being the woods witch of high heart. While I love the evidence linking her to Mel it would make sense that she would wait in the shadows then when enough time has gone by that people forget come back with her granddaughter/great granddaughter and convince a young prince to marry her and try to claim the crown that way. But I have to say after this video I’m def leaning towards Mel more than ever. Thanks for the great content!
Whatever the HBO is gonna do with Martin's Fake History it's worth turning all of these prequels of GOT into s high budget films trilogy or a big show, these characters of witchcraft tropes it never creases to amuse the audience.
I hope alys and Aemonds sons story’s are wrapped up in fire and blood 2
He’s a bastard, history doesn’t care for them
Haven’t watched yet, but I already hit the like. We miss you Quinn, We love you and everything you do for us !
Alys Rivers is probably one of my favorite parts of Fire and Blood, along with Sun Chaser obviously. I hope we get a satisfying conclusion to her story in the next volume. Could Alys actually have a dragon? I think so, who is to say that Prince Aemond didn't give her a dragon's egg like Prince Daemon tried to give to Mysaria and his bastard child? The dragon would have hatched along with Aemond's bastard and would have been around the same age as Princess Rhaena's Morning. Morning has to die somehow, let it be fighting another dragon.
alchemistxp2 Excellent points!! God, why don’t I think of this stuff?! Aemon giving her an an egg, the egg hatching in their son’s cradle, and the death of Morning. Aemon LOOOVED her- I can totally see him picking out the finest dragon egg for her the moment she told him she was pregnant. Probably spent a week at Dragonstone trying to decide which one would please her most. Morning was pink and healthy. The last Targaryen dragon was green & didn’t live long, so there’s (obviously) more coming.
We also don’t know what happened to silverwing post dance. Could certainly be him
I have lab tests that have been driving me crazy scheduled for next week and I've been so nervous. Your videos help me calm and think of something else. Thank you!
Seriously so excited that you’re doing this. People don’t talk enough about the witches.
Omg thank you so much for this vidoe !! You should remind people of this amazing video since she was just shown!! You da best!!!
I haven't watched the video, but I just wanted to comment how the image you used for the preview made me laugh. Here I am, browsing on UA-cam, where I see this one in the list of videos suggested by the algorithm because I recently watched a random video about ASOIAF, and BAM! Kickass old portrait of my own character (who has nothing to do with ASOIAF) catching my eye.
(And no, don't worry, I am not angry about it. It amused me and made my day. xD)
I like the idea but I feel like the part from Mel's POV where she remembers 'Melony' and 'lot seven' which I believe was her original name when she was sold into slavery to the Red Temple kind of gives this theory a little less credit. Not completely discredits it but definitely something to take a look at.
You have the best video about Alys Quinn.
This is why everyone is excited for this one... She's a lot of great stuff.
Excellent series, looking forward to more.
The general introduction about witches in our history - very insightful, it would be nice if you repeat that in the whole series, because it is so important for people to realize it
Yet another amazing video! 🙌🙌
I am definitely getting Melisandre vibes here. She definitely had a minimum of magical abilities and she definitely used trickery to seem more powerful.
Thank you for an excellent goodnight story!!
Excellent video, Quinn!
Did anyone notice that Ser Regis' death and Alys' powers are similar to some events in Nightflyers?
I loved your GoT vids, but you're at your best when you dive into ASOIAF lore! Thanks for making another great video
I lean toward Mushroom’s theory that it was a sling. Westerosi are bow users (trees being generally plentiful) and so a sling culture has never had to develop and few have seen slings in action. Someone with an Essos background up on the battlements might have been an absolute master with a sling. The rest of the skull explosion event was just misremembering and the atmosphere of trepidation.
Also, if witches could blow skulls apart with a wave of their hand why aren’t they ruling the planet?
the thing about slings is that they are obsolete in a civilization with bows, it's like using a musket if you have machine guns.
@@manuelaparcedo417 Maybe not as obsolete as muskets to machine guns. During the same era the Roman republic was hiring Balearic Island slingers as well as Cretan archers, so there's a definite era of crossover where both were effective.
And, as F&B (possibly) shows, a guy with a sling is still very effective against some guy with no long range weapon and whose not expecting to be hit at all.
@@jlworrad yeah but that's because they were hiring or rising as tributaries less civilized nations as their work mules to save themselves some manpower, romans were more into pilums as their mid-range weapon of choice and bows for longer range.
Still we are talking about the roman empire, the books are based on the middle ages and by then Archers and Crossbowmen were the standard.
@@jlworrad on your second point, yeah they are still effective (probably if you throw a rock at someone and you hit them in heavy armor you will just piss them off), but in the right situation you can easily use it to kill, it's still an effective weapon and I do believe it's the best bet.
The same reason Melisandre didn't launch and army of shadow babies out her hatchet wound , power comes with limitations
cant wait for the next one!
Excellent as always.
I hope Danelle Lothston make the list
that's honestly who i thought was the one the video was about
Hell yes
I really hope we get more of her in Fire and Blood vol. 2
Begs the question how she gained all of this knowledge, whether magic or showmanship. Mel, Miri Maz Dur, Quaithe, Shiera Seastar, all were known to have spent significant time in Asshai, or at least on the opposite side of Essos from Westeros. Alys most likely never set foot across the Narrow Sea, if she ever left the Riverlands at all. The other women above used the mystery of their time abroad to enhance how they were perceived, to use the fear words such as the shadow instilled in both common and noble alike. I've had a theory about House Strong that I've yet to offer up on the forums. Something that connects the current story to the Dance, and may just be the magic bullet that connects Alys to several of the most important characters in the current timeline.1
Sounds interesting, if you post it somewhere could you edit yıur comment and add the link. I'd like to read it
I love your thumbnails 💖
Just wanted to let you know at 9:13 you say Alys Westhill, love the video
I was trying so hard not to do that. And somehow I still missed this!!!
IdeasOfIceAndFire hey it’s all good! I only heard that one time
Lalvon Zelpharr - He does that on purpose though. I have seen him talk about it in several videos. He says that the first thing they teach you on creative writing courses is don’t give you characters similar names, but when you read real history, the same names come up again and again. So it is more realistic that way.
Lalvon Zelpharr - Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course
Excited she has been cast in House of the Dragon
it suggest that Lady Rivers have the dragon Cannibal under her spell. I always wonder what happen to woman who riding with Aemon (one eye) when he met his Uncle?. I heard that council rule after the Dance of Dragons that no bastards of Alicent Hightower's children Aegon II, Aemond or Daeron can't sit on throne because of the damages on war is blame on them Rhaenyra and Alicent). It also rule No Women Queen can't sit throne alone because of Rhaenyra.
I think Alys Rivers was a witch. I also thought she was a Blackwood. Not sure where I got that 🤷🏻♀️
cool video. as much as I agree with your show rantings, these are way better and I look forward to more of them.
Love it!
Ty for a good bedtime story!
Amazing!
A new asoiaf vid!! Yay!! Xoxo
It is said that she was a greenseer as well as a shadow binder so there are some more Melisandre comparisons for you.
Very interesting!
So yeah it's it's quite sad that an intelligent woman is seem as a freak of nature.
Common curse for the intelligent of any persuasion.
But she is a freak of nature
Operative word being: seen
Or they can be both, like a female Hannibal Lecter
We need more of these videos
I thought the same thing! I've been listening to fire and blood on audible. There was something about here seeing visions in flames
Do you think the nightqueen falls in the category of witches or sorceress.Binding there soul to her sounds like some of the same spells.
Edward Martin
There's a fan theory (which Quinn will know) that she's the ice equivalent of Mel.
Great as always man I personally feel she is to show us magic not revolved around the fire god
We will see her in the new show ! The house of dragon 🎉
Great video and a very interesting thought if they were the same person the time line would line up and the language is a obvious parallel
can you please tell me what the beginning sound effect to your video is from? Thank you.
You finally got your computer up!
Dope video 👍
Wow very interesting
Tnx
Alys Rivers is Melissandre and also Elisa Farman. Quaithe is Shiera Seastar
I was just thinking yesterday; "Damn, I wonder when IOIAF will upload a new ASOIAF theory video..."
nice job my dude
Quinn brings the thunder! 🌩 Best theory I've heard yet as to who, if anyone, Melisandre was.
Damn I miss your ASOIAF videos!!
A strange and deadly device commissioned by the clever and survivalist Witch Queen of Harrenhal most certainly would not be too much of a surprise in the Lands of Ice and Fire...
Alys Rivers, mistress of Prince Aemond.
Maybe she is the mysterious figure that controls Euron. Mellisandre is not power thirsty according to her POV chapter, just a fanatic.
I think she is a brand new character that manipulates Euron for her own egotistical plans and maybe she wants revenge against Westeros, because they stopped her somehow.
Mellisandre on the other hand wants to save Westeros.She burns some unfaithfull people but does not mistreat anyone who offends her.She looked the Meister with a sad look and said that Davos is going to be usefull.
i don't have the book to read the story myself but I don't think Melissandre is Alys Rivers.Alys Rivers would have tortured Davos even if he though of betraying her.She would do him things like.....hm.....like Euron did to his ship maybe?
Keep the videos coming my friend though.I've learned a lot from your ASOIAF videos. :)
I missed your ASOIAF videos
Mate, I love you and I love your videos.
But would you mind to pump up the audio volume please?
Do you know the name of the background music
Actually less than 80 people were accused of being a witch not thousands, 20 of whom died, 5 in a jail.
Way more than 80 people have been accused of witchcraft throughout human history.
Only in Salem 200 trials of accusation were run 19 people were found guilty and 14 people were executed. Those trials were run between 1692 and 1693. Now a year in a town disproves your comment. Witchcraft accusations were a serious deal and a horrible thing. Specially in Europe, where they would run those accusations to the people that was found not to be catholic. Also dont even mention the spanish colonies...
Ooooo... Do a series for male sorcerers after this.
@TookALevelInBadass They did include men. Actually (in europe) the trails were not meant just for women, but mostly for rich or influential people so that greedy nobles could acquire their land/wealth (including the payment for the priest). The salem witches were different because it all stemmed from the lies of some little girls that, to avoid punishment from their stern father) said they had been possessed by a local "witch". When the trials begun and things had escalated too far they kept lying to avoid taking responsibility for their lies.
@TookALevelInBadass Mostly yes, for example a baron accusing a mayor of a prospering town. But there were other cases of nobles trying to acquire more land from other nobles.
The most famous example of this would be the trial of Gil de Rais, that was accused by naighboring nobles who wanted some of his castles. It was expected that he would be freed (given his status) but they wanted to extort him into paying with some land to ensure "everything would go smoothly" as was customary. What was not expected was for him to actually confess his crimes (which were terrible btw).
This was one of the very few trials that sentenced someone truly guilty for their crimes.
@@marianobarbieri8283 so he really was a sorceror? What we're his crimes?. I've heard parts of the malleus malificarum and they had some crazy ideas back then
@@reignorshine. 1) He wasn't a sorcerer, he was more of a demon/satan worshiper. He was being judge for the crimes of kidnapping, torturing, raping, and butchering children (crimes which he had been accused of by the kids parents, though dismissed due to his position as a noble). And the only reason he was caught was due to his accomplices being tricked and admitting to the crimes. He later had some kind of vision of hell and confessed to all his crimes hoping for the absolution the priests had promised him.
2) The Malleus Maleficarum was like a manual for "identifying witches", though really it was a torturing textbook. The idea was that IF you could survive the process while claiming your innocence you were not a witch, but if you confessed or died during the process, then you were. In reality, the methods where so painful and vicious that it was practically impossible to survive it. Most people admitted their crimes simply to put an end to their suffering. (this was not the case with the Salem witch trials, in this particular case it was the mob mentality of the towns people that ultimately killed the accused)
Man...do more chapter reads. Youre good
It’ll be interesting to see if her story is covered in House of the Dragon.
Based on how s1 was done and how popular Aemond is (and how little he has to do between rhaenyra ascending/fighting daemon, they practically have to. Ryan Condal’s also a huge book nerd and read fire and blood 7 times. There’s no way he’s not curious himself lol
@@seancarterx I've seen some speculation that aemond will take daeron's storyline and that she will be cut and instead helaena will be aemond's love interest in a aegon/naerys/aemon style story. A lot of this speculation comes from how they never mentioned daeron in s1 even when they obviously should and could have and that grrm intervened to get them to, at the very least, out daeron into the story.
Who else is here because Alys Rivers was just cast for HotD S2?
Yes! A video with normal voice!!!!
Don't forget those annoying "witches" who inherited property from their late husbands and just wouldn't die conveniently :|
What is the background music's name ?
If she was a follower of the Lord of Light, the death of two of the royal blood in a flash of dragons might provide her with a great deal of power.
WOW
Where do the quotes come from? Which book?
Bro you were on to something, it appears she will be a major player in HOTD.
Suffer not a witch 2 live. It's been awhile, can't wait for April.
I really miss that BUM BADA DA-DA-DA, BUM DADA DADA DUM Intro music from the other recent ASOIAF theories
Where is the thumbnail picture from?
And this video was just recommended! Wonder why 😂😂😂😂😂
"Odd device like Mushroom suggests" how is a sling an odd device? It is pretty much a bit of leather used to throw small objects, like stones or soft lead balls at a high speed. It is like a slingshot, but instead of pulling back on elastic the force comes from swinging it, and they were used on battlefields in for a very long time, possibly even up to the invention of guns.
Scary...😨😨
I should not watch this thing at night.
Gods this is good stuff. Keep it up. Love your channel.
3:18 Aemond and Daemon died via dragon battle, 'tis true. However you confused me by using the picture of Aemond killing *Lucerys* as the image to demonstrate the aforementioned. Also you called her Alys Westhill at one point although I can see you acknowledged that mistake elsewhere in the comments. Otherwise, this was a great video!
More podcasts with LML!
Nice video and all but not Melisandra. Melisandra sings with the accent of the Jade sea, Alys Rivers is not IDed as having an accent and so is likely one of Westeros' own. Melisandra is convinced she on a mission from God, Alys is just straight evil with selfish motivations. Then there is no R'hillor "the night is dark and full of shadowbabies" rhetoric.
The upcoming of Volume 2 of the Fire and Blood, or Targaryen History better include a new interesting witch females like lady Seastar.
I hope we see her character in the House of the Dragon -show.
I don't think she is Melissandre, but she does seem to be possibly a red priestess.
Should be fun when she shows up on HoTD. Man I'm gonna be ultra pissed if they ruin this one...
Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest servant the one who will lead his armies in war. The one they say no living man can kill. The Witch Queen of Harrenhal.
If Mel is Alys where is the child she allegedly had by Aemond?
Hasan Wilson so mel is a targeryan? Seems fat fetched
I feel sorry for all the women who were burned at the stake for being a so-called witch.
I agree, so many falsely accused. Very sad 😢
Alys seem to be more powerful than Melisandre tho, I don't think she was Melisandre but she has the same vibes.
Magic was still alive back then but judging on how much Mel can do with the magic she has now she must have been a lot more powerful in the time of the dragons
@@Coven_of_Hags mel was also performing in the time of the dragons though
Sıla Gülcemal Ik but magic is mostly gone from the world in the current timeline. Besides Danny’s three curiosities dragons are gone. In the past in the time of the dragons magic was a more powerful force and I have no doubt that Mel was even more powerful back then. Mel does powerful acts of magic without as much magic in the world as there was in the past.
Past life I had a dream of being burnt at the steak. And she looks like a friend of mine love her.
Idk mushroom really needs his tabloid or reality TV show in the world of ice and fire.prequel?