Others
The Others, known as the "White Walkers" among the wildlings, exist north of the Wall. Before the events in the Novel, the Others had supposedly not been seen for many thousand years. So far the Others have appeared in the flesh only twice in the whole saga and their purpose remains unknown at this time.
History
According to legend, the Others first appeared during a winter that lasted a generation and a period of darkness known as the Long Night. Eventually they were defeated, supposedly by the Night's Watch and The Wall may have been raised as a defence against them. In apparent contradiction the Night's King appears to have married a White Walker, but after he was defeated the Others are not heard of again and became regarded south of the Wall as nothing more than fairy tales to frighten the little children.
The Others' first appearance in the saga is in the Prologue of the first book, killing two rangers of the Night's Watch. Craster sacrifices his infant sons to the Others, and at least one of his wives believes those sons have become White Walkers.
Characteristics
The Others appear in the prologue to AGoT as tall and gaunt with flesh pale as milk and blue eyes, deeper and bluer than human eyes, burning like ice, while the White Walker who married the Night's King is similarly described as having skin as pale as the moon and eyes like blue stars. They wear reflective armor that shifts in color with every step rather like the stealth armor once said to have been worn by the Children of the Forest. They appear to be superior swordsmen, wielding thin crystal swords said to be so cold as to shatter any object they touch, including the steel blades favoured by the Night's Watch.[1] Their language is unknown, although it may be the Old Tongue, when one spoke in the prologue his voice was said to sound like the cracking of ice, but this was probably a figure of speech. The Free Folk believe the Others and their Wights can smell life, or rather its warmth.
The old stories reveal uncertainty whether the Others come when it is cold or that it becomes cold when they appear, during snowstorms or mist and melt away when the skies clear. They hide from the light of the sun and emerge at night; although once again some stories claim that their coming brings the night. There are tales of their riding the corpses of dead animals such as bears, direwolves, mammoths, and horses, and can be accompanied by "ice spiders" as big as hounds.[2]
Melisandre thinks that Others are servants of the Great Other, allegedly an evil god of darkness, cold, and death who wages eternal war against R'hllor.
Weakness
The Others have a few known weaknesses that are recorded in ancient texts. One is obsidian, otherwise called dragonglass or "frozen fire". When Samwell Tarly accidentally stabbed a White Walker with an obsidian dagger, its flesh and bones melted away leaving only an icy puddle, which would indicate that they are sustained by a magical glamour. Ancient texts also record a weakness to "dragonsteel", which several Night's Watchmen have speculated to be Valyrian steel. Mance Rayder expressed belief that magic wards in the Wall prevent the Others from crossing into the Seven Kingdoms.
Wights
Wights are dead men or creatures raised up by the Others, seemingly when touched by the cold that accompanies them.[3]
Appearance and Weakness
The appearance of Wights depends entirely on the condition of the corpse when it is raised. Some are lifelike, while others are badly rotted although the process of decay is halted. All are easily identified by their eyes having turned bright blue[1][4] and their hands and feet black and swollen with pooled and congealed blood.[5] Wights are supposedly attracted to warm blood and will attack with surprising strength. It has been suggested by Jon Snow that the attempted assassination of Lord Commander Mormont by Othor indicates that wights retain at least some of their former memories, as Snow believes Othor remembered who Mormont was and where he slept.
Being dead, Wights feel no pain and will continue to fight regardless of injury. Though they can be stopped by total dismemberment, their limbs will continue to move if detached from their bodies. When a wight is destroyed, the blue disappears from its eyes. [3] They are highly flammable and will be quickly consumed if set aflame. It is unknown at this time whether wights can cross the Wall on their own, although corpses brought through the Wall can still reanimate as wights and even enter castles of the Wall.
Known Wights
A list of individual characters that have been turned into wights over the course of the series.
- Ser Waymar Royce
- Jafer Flowers, slain by Castle Black garrison.
- Othor, slain by Jon Snow.
- Chett
- Small Paul, slain by Samwell Tarly.
- Hake
- Lark
- Softfoot
- Ryles
- Thistle
TV series
The Others, as they are often known in the novels and were still known by this name in the first draft of the pilot script of the TV series. were later renamed to 'White Walkers' instead. Whilst the producers have not commented directly on the reasons for the name change, fans speculate that this was done to avoid similarities to an identically-named faction in the television series Lost.[6] Additionally in the series the Others/White Walkers have a very different appearance to that described in the books, appearing instead as dark shadows with brutal facial features.
References and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Game of Thrones, Prologue.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, p80
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 4, Bran I.
- ↑ GOT Wikia - White Walkers
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