Craster's sons are the wildling-born sons of Craster and his wives.
History
If Craster has a daughter, her marries her once she grows up. If the newborn is a boy, however, Craster exposes the child to the woods of the haunted forest. According to Gilly, the white cold has been coming more often as of late, so Craster has been offering sheep when babes are unavailable.[1]
Long ago, Thoren Smallwood revealed Craster's actions to Jeor Mormont, who believes the sons are Craster's offerings to cruel gods. Jeor would be willing to have the wandering crows Yoren or Conwy collect Craster's sons, accept them into their ranks and raise them, but Craster would refuse. The Watch instead maintains a working relationship with Craster so that his home remains a refuge beyond the Wall.[1]
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
At Craster's Keep, the pregnant Gilly, one of Craster's wives, tells Jon Snow that Craster gives up his infant sons to blue-eyed cold gods she calls white shadows; Jon determines she is speaking of the Others. Gilly asks Jon to take her as far as the Wall, but he refuses. Gilly then asks Samwell Tarly for help.[1]
When Jon asks Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, about Craster's sons, Jeor says that all of the rangers know about the offerings, even Benjen Stark, Jon's uncle.[1]
A Storm of Swords
Survivors from the fight at the Fist retreat to Craster's Keep.[2] Gilly gives birth to a boy as predicted by Nella. When Craster informs Jeor that he has a son, Samwell interrupts and suggests that the Night's Watch take the child with him. Lord Commander Mormont drags Sam away from an outraged Craster.[3]
Craster and Jeor are both killed in the mutiny at Craster's Keep. Ferny and Gilly's mother tell Sam to flee, with Ferny warning that Craster's sons will soon arrive for Gilly's newborn.[3] Sam and Gilly escape with the baby[4] and eventually make it to Castle Black.[5]
Quotes
Jon: Is it Craster who frightens you, Gilly?
Gilly: For the baby, not for me. If it's a girl, that's not so bad, she'll grow a few years and he'll marry her. But Nella says it's to be a boy, and she's had six and knows these things. He gives the boys to the gods. Come the white cold, he does, and of late it comes more often. That's why he started giving them sheep, even though he has a taste for mutton. Only now the sheep's gone too. Next it will be dogs, till ...
Jon: What gods?
Gilly: The cold gods. The ones in the night. The white shadows.[1]
Were it only that he wished to rid himself of some mouths, I'd gladly send Yoren or Conwys to collect the boys. We could raise them to the black and the Watch would be that much the stronger. But the wildlings serve crueler gods than you or I. These boys are Craster's offerings. His prayers, if you will.[1]
—Jeor Mormont to Jon Snow
—Craster to Samwell Tarly
Gilly: Please, ser crow. He's a boy, just like Nella said he'd be. If you don't take him, they will.
Samwell: They?
Raven: They. They. They.
Ferny: The boy's brothers. Craster's sons. The white cold's rising out there, crow. I can feel it in my bones. These poor old bones don't lie. They'll be here soon, the sons.[3]
Game of Thrones
In the episode "Oathkeeper" of the television adaptation Game of Thrones, the fate of Craster's sons is revealed when a White Walker riding an undead horse takes the last son of Craster and carries him towards a shattered mountain in the Lands of Always Winter.
Once inside, the White Walker approaches an icy altar ringed by large icy spikes and places the baby upon the altar. In the distance, a group of thirteen black-garbed White Walkers are revealed to be viewing the proceedings from afar. One of them breaks from the middle of their number and approaches the altar, stopping to regard the human child for a moment before gently gathering him in its arms. The baby immediately calms, staring into the face of the White Walker. It places its index finger upon the baby's cheek, causing the child's eyes to slow turn to icy, depthless blue and his skin to grow pale, transforming him into another White Walker.
In the novels as of A Dance with Dragons, there has been no evidence so far on what actually happens to the babies. Craster's wives believe that the baby boys given by Craster to the Others are, in turn, transformed into new Others. Old Nan's tale's simply state that the Others feed human children to the wights.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 23, Jon III.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 18, Samwell I.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 46, Samwell III.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.