Bran Stark and Bran the Builder

I liked this meta very much, and I do believe Bran is the most important Stark in the whole narrative. He's the lynchpin--the story begins with him and I can't help but think everything is revolving around his mystical journey. Bran as the Fisher King makes so much sense not the least reason being that in many versions of the myth, there are two Fisher Kings, the Father who is usually locked in the castle, not seen, but still a presence, connected with the land and often given as a sacrifice to the land, and the Son, who may be the actual fisher, who may recover his own personal fertility at the same time as the land. Don't quote me because there are so many variations, and despite my dabbling and personal reading, I'm in no way an expert or a scholar.

Keep in mind, Ned's bones are lost right now. Barbrey Dunstan wants to steal his bones out of revenge. The Fisher King's body should be given to the land to bring back renewal and fertility. The Fisher King's son can then rule. The notion that Bran will live his life, rule Winterfell, and then in his turn be given to the land, become the tree makes sense to me. We'll see what GRRM does with it.

And yes, bring it round to Sansan! Sandor has the wounded leg, that's the Fisher King's injury. Depending on the version of the myth, the wound can be healed, fertility restored. He has a stallion who refuses to be gelded on an isle of monks. And I think whenever Sansa and Sandor do get together, it needs to be on the Quiet Isle or under a weirwood, or somewhere sacred. The gods are involved in this relationship, I think.

I chatted about this with eyesofmist before, but I was thinking that Sansa singing the hymn to Sandor INSTEAD of the love song he asked for is key to their happy ending (or at least fertile ending, whether it's happy or not, they have to end up making babies. They have to ;P). If she had song Florian and Jonquil or Naerys and her Dragonknight or any of those other songs of romance that all have tragic endings, that would have sealed their fate. It would have ended in tragedy. But she prays and sings to the gods, the Mother's hymn of all things, which creates a relationship even deeper and more compelling. It sanctifies the union in a way. Am I crazy? Maybe, but it feels as if there is more than just a love story here. It's tying into the big theme of return life to the land. Sansa doesn't have magical warg powers. She doesn't play politics. She's not a fighter, but she prays. A lot. Sansa has the power of the gods, both the Seven and the Old Gods.

Here's one more tidbit I found that I thought was interesting:

www.celtnet.org.uk/gods_m/matres.html

So these Celtic mother goddesses generally come in threes, are generally represented by Maiden, Mother and Crone. They are usually fertility goddesses, and what I found most interesting of all:





Makes Sansa's dream about puppies in her lap pretty significant to me!  One more association with a fertility figure.

NOO! Don't let the evil of D & D dissuade you! Puppies in the lap!! PUPPIES IN HER LAP!! The truth is out there! Put on a tin foil hat and join me!

Yes,I agree that both Sansa and Sandor will bring back fertility tho the land. He may be like that sentinel tree in the prologue which was sticky with sap and that Will climbed for protection. While Will used the tall sentinel's protection he was safe,whe he descended he was killed by the Others.

It was the same for Sansa,Sandor saved her from death several times,and he saved her from falling,descending. During the riot they wanted to make fall off her horse,she also wanted to push Joff and probably fall with him to her death,she nearly feel down the Serpentine and she nearly fell from Maeghor's roof. Who prevented her fall so many times? Sandor did,every time.

The sentinel tree was grey and green and there are sentinels in the weirwood too,described as armoured in grey. Tall trees wearing armor even though in a figurative sense? Strange metaphore,very unusual.

Will descended form the tree and like the king in the Baccae you told us about,sillier-things,he fell to his death. The tall tree full of sap is life as opposed to death,just like Sandor steals Sansa from death so many times.

What you say about Ned's bones is fascinating,they must return to Winterfell,but, do you think Bran will heal and be able to have children or do you think the one who will give his sap,his blood and his fertility to restore the Starks' bloodline will be Sandor,by fathering Sansa's child? Remember that the heart tree's sap is dry in Winterfell's godswood,that Ned's blood is dry too because he was killed and in the prologue a very tall sentinel is said to be sticky with sap.

The Hound bled to death next to a tree by the Trident. Rivers represent life and death too and there was also a tree,probably sacred near him. There were also stones,so that was a perfect place for a human/blood sacrifice,like the ones the celts,amongst others made. The Hound bled to death in a sort of ritual sacrifice and he also paid for his sins,I think,and the gods accepted his sacrifice because they spared him through the EB's healing hands. The EB has healing powers that surpass human abilities,there must be something holy or magycal in Sandor's survival. He won a trial by combat,deemed not guilty by Rh'llor and later he was saved on the QI.

That wound he has in medieval tradition is often used to symbolize infertility,but Stranger is an indication that Sandor keeps his virility intact or is on his path to recovering it.

I think he will get over his wounds and father Sansa's child. If he is realted to the Fisher King,then BRan will not have children.