The additional theory that Bloodraven caused the false spring to allow an opportunity for Rhaegar and Lyanna to meet during an otherwise long winter - thus setting up the conditions for the Prince Who Was Promised - makes me further buy into this. The tree man was able to have a real, though temporary, effect in the seasons.

The weirwoods are connected like the enormous fungus that is under Upper Peninsula, Michagan. It is all one living thing. The things we see above ground are called fruiting bodies.

This makes so much sense regarding the faceless men. If the slaves in the volcano mines were fire wights, then the gift of death truly was a gift.

It's not often that i come across a new main series theory for ASOIAF, especially one that makes so much sense. Congrats! This one is great and actually will be in my headcanon from now on.

"There must always be a Stark at Winterfell." There is. He is in the collapsed part of the crypts. These words won't be realized until *after* the wall is brought down, the others dealt with, and the corruption doesn't end. The north will remember that there is still a Stark at Winterfell. John, as a dead Stark, will be allowed access to the hidden areas of the crypts where he finds Bran the Builder in the roots of the tree at Winterfell. Exactly what he does there, I'm not sure. Kill the Bran the Builder, maybe. But that's more of Arya's job to make sure that "all men must die". There are probably a bunch of CotF there as well who were able to crawl up from underneath. Who knows what this encounter will entail. Probably figure it out in the last book.

The idea that the older religions are more cruel than the newer ones is a theme about which H. P. Lovecraft wrote quite a lot. There are plenty of references to HPL in Martin's works.

Company of the Cat has an interesting theory that the Weirwoods started out as Oak trees, and that the Children found a way to 'wight' the oaks, freezing them in place between being alive and going dormant in autumn, in order for the children to still access the greenseer networks during the winter. She suggests that they began doing this more as the First Men destroyed trees, owing to the dwindling number of already scarce Greenseers. Since ice freezes and preserves, and wighting the trees would take place in autumn on the cusp of winter, it makes sense that tapping into the Heart of Winter would be how the Children did this. If we consider the idea that the Long Night happened as a result of the Hammer of the Waters and the Blood Betrayal, with the Bloodstone Emperor attempting some occult ritual involving a red comet that failed, because the Children used the Hammer to manipulate the moon and cause the seas to rise and sink the arm and this caused the comet to strike the moon, it could be that in the ensuing chaos of the Long Night, a rogue faction of Children decided to unleash the Heart of Winter and try to destroy the humans once and for all. They were defeated but not vanquished, and the Wall was created using the Ice magic flowing from the Heart to keep them at bay. The Others could attack again without the Wall, but the Wall in turn messes up the seasons of the planet; this sets up for Bran to solve the problem by bringing down the Wall and making peace with the Others.

Props for a creative and well-reasoned theory. Although, in our world there is a maximum height that water can travel vertically up a tree. Its around 426 feet. Water molecules have strong cohesive forces that make them attracted to other water molecules but these forces are only stronger than the force of gravity up to around 426 ft. But i suppose if there is magic involved that could be used to explain the 700 ft thing.

So this video got me thinking. Is everyone misunderstanding which direction the wall is defending? A big ice wall being used to keep ice creatures at bay? Alysanne Targaryen tried to cross the wall on Silverwing but SW refused

I think GRRM misdirects time with Old Nan. Yes, I think she is one of the few truth-tellers but I agree with your theory that she may be a Child of the Forest. The misdirect is time. When she talks about the long winter it could in fact be anywhere from 50 to 5-10 thousand years (or more) ago because we know that Children can live extraordinarily long lives. I think this changes the whole story of what happens when. My theory is that there has been a fight between the Night King and Bran the Builder that has also lasted many millennia. Therefore, I think the seasons change in regard to "who is winning" in that timeframe. Winter is coming when the Night King starts to take offensive measures.

Hmmm. I always thought that it was because of the Wall and once it came down, things would go back to normal.

TWhy has no one equated the delay in the book releases to the Winters in Westeros? What if GRRM has all the books written but is releasing them on a timeline that makes fans bitter like a Long Winter would? Just another level of fan emerson that brings readers deeper into the story. All hope fades as the Winters get longer. people forget what Summer was like. Years padd and we worry about mortality of someone in a way we never would have otherwise. That would be some epic art and truly a crown on all of his achievements... and an epic troll.

It could be the winter comes when not enough blood is sacrificed to the Wyrwoods.

I am watching these videos and repeatedly get an add about why trees are good for us and help our environment. I am thinking that's what they want you to believe......

Kinda random thought, but isn’t the general thought that Valyrian mages kept the 14 flames banked (with spells and blood) and the FM killed the mages allowing the volcanos to erupted? This destroyed a millennia old culture and The Land of the Long Summer. This didn’t happen that long ago all told, 400-500 years. Now they need to destroy the magic holding another millennia old system in place and destroy the Land of Always Winter?

Given that the North gets "Summer snows", it looks to me more like Westeros has intermittent short ice ages in addition to entirely normal seasons, with the characters simply calling these ice ages "winter".

15:03 "stop using volcanoes to hatch napalm bats by throwing slaves into the lava"

Sooo the world tree needs a pacemaker?

This is sooooo good. You have the most unified and thematic theories. At this point, I’ll be super sad if it ends any other way. Thank you !

Not sure exactly how it would work, but the fact that the trees interrupt the ability to warg could be a product of the area being anti-magic or at least having an anti-magic shell. The dragons needed the extra magic from the comet in order to hatch. Pretty safe to say dragons are magical. They cannot cross the Wall or what magic that allows them to fly will be interrupted. Silverwing may have sensed this and had to use aerodynamics to turn around. Wasn't that they didn't want to fly over it, they literally couldn't! This would keep the white walkers out as well as they cannot be controlled when they pass into the area. There may be a bit of magic contained in the dragon glass forced into the heart of each Other in the wall to keep them alive. Getting a dead body close enough to that might allow it to be reanimated for a short time. Or maybe if the dead body had dragon glass in its pocket... Dragon glass may be erroneously associated with obsidian which is a volcanic rock. It may instead be meteoric rock. If the comet is associated with magic and dragons it would make sense to call the polished rock left at an impact site as Dragon Glass. The sword Dawn was made from this type of rock, but from a direct recent source. Valerian steel may be made from the same but from older sources left in the ground for millions of years and the battery has worn down. How would these defeat an other or white walker then? Simple. Lightning can ruin or kill electronics, right? Same with magic. Too much of it all at once overloads the circuits or body and causes it to burn out or malfunction. If stabbed with it when alive will hurt, it is still sharp, but the magic itself won't kill what is alive. If the dead is stabbed with it, it could become alive, be cut and then die for real. This instantaneous dead, alive, dead, shocks the system like electricity. "What is dead may never die" true. But if you bring it to life first then it can. The iron born taught us that.

I don't doubt that there is a connexion between the weirwoods and the COTF, that's been stated. But I can't find any reference to what the climate was like before the COTF. It might have been in balance, it might not. My personal favorite theory is that the core of the planet is not molten iron like ours, but a molten habitat for all the dragons that ever were or will be. They move around a lot, which changes the tilt of the planet's axis and therefore the seasons. Actions by the characters in ASOIAF can attract or repel this underground population - and these actions are informed by their own personal histories, cultures and preferences. Us humans are plenty evil enough without hanging it on a bunch of trees. The weirwood is an effect, not a cause imo. GRRM may be commenting (at length) on the human tendency to make changes to the planet for personal short term gain without knowing or caring about the consequences.

Probably stuck in tree time

This is a neat idea. What's more, I like this format as a direction I might go with my own budding channel. With or without future ASOIAF content.

Maybe your right and all the weirwoods on plantos are connected, that’s why they don’t rot. They always have water because their connected to the network. Same reason they petrify and not rot.

Ive always thought it strange that George has said that the planet is earth. Not sure if I made that up or I heard that from him

this was in my recommendations and you've earned an INSTANT subscription from me!

Ive always thought the length/duration of the winter is related to the blood spilled during the summer. Nothing to back that up but thats what I thought when I read the books for the first time.

Algormancy!

This is a very nice theory. Bravo.

there seems to be a long winter after each war except Robert's rebellion, The Dance, and After the Blackfyre Rebellions, perhaps sending nobles (with old magical blood) to the watch powered up the corrupted heart, but not Robert's Rebellion since they didn't send many nobles there (we really don't meet any except Thorn, and he doesn't have a faction)

Hell yeah based GRRM! I basically agree, as always love you and appreciate you!

Even if the answer is "Magic" you still have to answer what the MAgic does. there is still a interaction of physical objects (planet and sun). And it isn't just long periods of Cold or Warm. The days are long for years or short for years, So that requires changes in angles of the planet (or North Hemisphere) relative to the sun, not just changers in weather or climate. My idea is that during Northern Hemisphere Winter the planet is in a stable orbit north of the normal Ecliptic (in our solar system, the ecliptic is the plane on which all the planets lie). Then every few years, something happens to cause the planet to shift to a new stable orbit south of the Ecliptic. (so it is a bi-stable orbit). When the Planet is north of the ecliptic, the Northern Hemisphere has the sun partially blocked by the rest of the planet and the days are shorter (and when south of the Ecliptic, the days are longer). Now what causes the Planet to orbit outside of the Ecliptic and causes its orbit to occasionally shift to the opposite side of the Ecliptic? Magic.

Very interesting! Well done!!!!

Good video. Look forward to watchig watching these.

I've thought for a while that the hot springs under Winterfell could be magically transformed into a volcano, effectively turning the North into a New Valyria. If you're correct that the Heart of Winter in the far North is the source of the imbalance, then maybe an application of fire magic and blood magic (I've always thought it would be the simultaneous burning of Shireen and the Winterfell Heart Tree) would counter that imbalance.

Honestly the Faith of the Seven looks better each and every day.

Ooo, I think I have a nuance to add! 😊I had considered what stopped the weirwood spread and concluded that granite was the most probable explanation. It's just too hard. There it is, my one and only fan theory...lol

Great stuff! Subbed.

I have a Theory.... please do tell me if I sound crazy...what if the Hammer of the waters that broke the arm of Dorne by the Children of the Forrest Magic caused the First Long Night especially after they tried a second time on the Neck of Westeros, even though that attempt failed it ushered in the imbalance of Seasons? Then the birth OR creation of the Others and BOOM ...the long night...."Life Finds a Way" -Ian Malcolm lol that last part was just for fun with Malcolm quote but am i crazy or is this Possible??

a dynasty taking power from a magical world tree and then replacing it with a self serving replacement tree for generations causing a breakdown in the natural order is also the main thrust of Elden Ring which george provided the backbone for

Are there werewoods in Essos?

My only critique of your theory is that given the millennia of screwy weather who alive has any concept of a regular cyclic pattern? How does anyone know it needs to be fixed if broken is Their only frame of reference? It's been my opinion for a while now that early on GRRM thought irregular seasons would be "really cool" but then didn't actually follow thru. Unpredictable and irregular seasons that can last decades would have massive impact on morality, social modes, economics, EVERY aspect of life. But it barely has any noticeable affect on Planetos.

Dude what is your patreon?

People like you are why George will never finish the books. The fan theories are better than anything he has planned.

I been trying to figure out Planetos orbit around its star to match what’s described. It’d be like some kind of weird ellipsis or it would drift closer and further from it’s sun. Or magic…

Pretty sure they had a treaty with the first men to stop the cutting down of the wierwoods because they were too numerous. So when the andels came along and threatened their extermination they created the WW along with the king of winter

Your theory is a damn Good one Sir!!!

Interesting. I had always assumed the seasons were affected by magical forces, but this theory offers more depth than I had thought Martin might go into. Hopefully, we shall see before too much longer...

The Wall is Jojen Paste!!!!!!!!

Correct me if im wrong but, what your explaining with the magic was done to combat the Andels. Not the First men. Thats why the first men keep the old gods. The andels pushed them back to the neck thats why the NORTH still holds the ways of the old gods.

What are your thoughts on the Doom of V?

There is a certain amount of symbolism that I think supports a lot of what you're saying. I really like the direction you take the topic. There is a rather odd rhyme between the narratives Jon and Dany are in that I think escapes notice. Glaringly, the parts of the story that deal the most heavily with poison and corruption are those closest to fire. While I agree with your assessment of the Wall, I think your conclusion may be off the mark. Fear doesn't necessarily mean evil. Which is one of the reasons I think Aemon's "kill the boy" holds a relevance. I think we are too quick to demonize the Others when they may be the least corrupt.

The seasons are one of the coolest concepts to the lore yet totally worthless. Hopefully the books makes the seasons mean something to the ending of the story other than sad hardcore backstories(about the North primarily)

Thanks!

My theory is that ASOIAF takes place on earth in the far future, after a failed experiment by NASA to combat climate change by altering earth's orbit destroyed civilization and left us with irregular seasons.

Love this ‘corrupted heart beat’ thing!! It’s the only thing that makes sense

My feeling: The world of ASOIAF is inherently unbalanced , tilting heavily one way or the other. Valryia is heavily Fire-aspected and the North is heavily Ice-aspected. My headcanon is that the world leans one way then the other way regularly, quickly enough that Humans in Westeros have records of the last one. My bet is that Valryia had a similar time, a Burning Summer, if you will. The Children and Man are neutral-aspected, so they can lean either way. The DragonLords tried to fix the imbalance, but wound up wiping themselves out by underestimating the sheer power of the imbalance.

Idk he says its supposed to be a "fantasy" answer and not a natural/science fiction one....but if a planet had two moons, and then one of those moons was destroyed somehow, it would throw the orbit of the planet entirely out of whack and could very easily lead to irregular seasons.

Is the GOT world flat or round?

Have you read the Fifth Season Trilogy?

So Brandon Builder made the wall Attack on Titan style?

What irregular seasons? There is a typical Winter Spring Summer Autumn annual rhythm. Agriculture seems to happen in a yearly rhythm and not over the entire year. With over the entire year I mean that there are no planting seasons. then there would be just planting. Kind of like that different fields grow in different speeds. While one field was just planted the other is harvested. Obviously that's about plants that take a long period to grow. There is an easy prove to this Theory. When Martin describes the circumstances of scenes. speaks he of trees that loose their leaves? Speaks he about some Autumn/fall look? If he does then there is every year a winter. There is just a second rhythm with winters. Those winters are tough winters that last for multiple years. Does that have to do with magic? Doesn't really make sense as these rhythms are also there when no magic was around. And then there is the Long Night. A very cold winter that can last for a decade. Normal winters can last for years. This is...maybe best spoken about like an old curse and the magic that is related to the curse is then causing an even stronger winter. Kind of like the White Walkers spread cold themselves. You say something "stupid". You speak for nearly 5 minutes and then you say "easy explanation". That's not easy. I'm more a favorite of not telling. Don't give me a stupid explanation. Just leave it as a rule of nature. Not everything has to be explained. Some things can just be. A medieval society doesn't have to be able to explain planetary circulation around the sun and the effect of moons and other planets. Maybe the sun has just heat circles. As we know from real earth that the power of the suns can differ and can result in a little "ice age". On earth it was like a colder decade. But there is no reason why people should even be able to explain that. So there is no reason to explain that. So what is the result in a "stupid" society? What did the church say for centuries? It's the gods or it's magic. Any explanation Martin gives in the future can be at maximum a partial explanation like what I said about the Night King but no complete explanation. Saying nothing is best. 🤣funny would be when Martin says that the planet is in the eye of the giant Makumbo. And a long night happens every time when his wife throws him out of the cave.

There is a heart of darkness in stygai and it is decidedly not fixed.

I think it's because it's fiction..... Like Darthvader has holes in his socks and Indiana Jones wears M&S white Y-fronts.

Too bad Tweedledee and Tweedledum the GoT showrunners didn't deign it necessary to explain the Westeroesian climate in the last season they crapped out. Because I have absolutely no confidence any longer that Mr. George One R Martin is ever going to finish the books. I'd love to be proven wrong, but I don't think I will be.

Dehydrate!

Say decoy one more time

Who creates the moral base that says what is right or wrong or what you should or shouldn’t be doing?

They live on a different planet what do you expect lmao

Lisan al Gaib!

Pretty sure all of this is wrong, I think you’re getting bad conclusions because you have some of the history wrong. I can elaborate if you want First off, green magic is based on blood. They also created a super weapon in the others to fight a war they were losing against the humans. Or the hammer of the waters, blood magic super weapon.

its interesting, the pattern of oppressive groups who exploit weaker populations for power- but then romanticized over the course of thousand year p.r. campaigns. and dany is obviously a symbol of liberation, but are there other liberator characters? and who are they? i love this! great series!

No, none of it makes any sense. The irregular seasons come from the Whitewalkers awakening from their hibernation cycle.

Doesn't sound like ASOIAF at all. Sounds like a mad up fan fiction. Sounds like this guy saw Attack on Titan and wanted to make something similar

too bad your channel has so few viewers for such great new content/ideas! @PrestonJacobstheSweetrobin @TalkingThrones @InDeepGeek @DavidLightbringer @Rawrist @SmokeScreenVids @TheDisputedLands @GrayArea