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Hodor, a slow-witted stableboy over seven feet tall serving at Winterfell, is the great-grandson of Old Nan. There is a great deal of speculation as to who his male ancestors were. Possibilities include:
Duncan the Tall
Supporting Evidence
- Bran Stark estimates Hodor's height to be nearly seven feet tall,[1] and likewise, Ser Duncan the Tall was an inch shy of seven feet tall.[2][3]
- George R. R. Martin stated that the readers have met a descendant of Dunk in A Song of Ice and Fire.[4]
- Bran Stark has a vision in the cave of the three-eyed crow of a knight as tall as Hodor kissing a young woman at Winterfell.[5] The woman is thought to be Nan or Nan's daughter, and the knight to be Ser Duncan the Tall, when he and Egg visited Winterfell in The She-Wolves of Winterfell.[6]
Evidence Against
- Martin has confirmed that Brienne of Tarth is descended from Duncan.[7]
A member of House Frey
- Hodor's real name is Walder,[1] which is a very common name in House Frey
- Hodor is slow-witted,[8] which is a common trait in House Frey, i.e.Jinglebell.
Origins of Hodor
According to Nan, no one knows where the word "Hodor" came from,[1] so there is a great deal of speculation about the origins of Hodor.
Great Other
The Great Other is the god of the cold and dark,[9] and in Norse Mythology (which GRRM may have been influenced by), there is a god named Hod/Hodur/Hoder who is the god of all things cold and dark, so Hodor may in fact be the name of the Great Other, whose true name must not be spoken,[10] so few people, if anyone, would recognize the name if they heard it.
Hold the Door
The death of Hodor and the revelation of his nickname's meaning ("Hold the door") were first depicted by the show Game of Thrones in the episode titled The Door. It was disclosed after the episode aired that this plotline came from George R. R. Martin himself. Martin later explained how Hodor's death will be different in his books compared to the show, though the nickname's meaning will be basically the same.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 24, Bran IV.
- ↑ The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ The Mystery Knight.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Mysterious Galaxy Signing (San Diego, CA) (November 8, 2000).
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 34, Bran III.
- ↑ Not a Blog: Dunk and Egg (April 15, 2014)
- ↑ The Wertzone: George R.R. Martin confirms GAME OF THRONES/SONG OF ICE AND FIRE fan theory (May 29, 2016)
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 9, Bran I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 31, Melisandre I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 36, Davos IV.
- ↑ Business Insider: GRRM finally reveals details about how Hodor's death will be different in the books (October 6, 2020)