The wait is excruciating. "Game of Thrones" season eight is still more than a year away. So how can we fill in the time? Read the books? The same dead end. All that's left is to speculate what the entertainment-filled future might hold. One interesting theory about the White Walkers, outlined by the team at "Nerd Soup" on their YouTube channel (see the video below), might give us a crucial insight.
According to them, it revolves around the confrontation between the living and the dead.
Since the very first scene of the show until the final scene of season 7 we have been gearing towards the ultimate, clichéd fantasy show-down, where the heroes band together to defeat the evil undead and live happily ever after.
But there's one problem. That's not the show we fell in love with, not even close. Even George R.R Martin has openly and widely expressed his own disdain for a good vs. evil fantasy trope.
So where's it all going then if not there? This is where the "Nerd Soup" theory comes into it and they ask the simple question: What do the White Walkers want?
It's such a simple question but one that could change "Game of Thrones" as we know it. And what a mouth-watering thought that is. So where does this question lead? What does this theory entail?
The theory
According to the Beau Oliver at "Nerd Soup," it begins with the first Long Night, the first war between the White Walkers and humanity, thousands of years ago.
He suggests that this conflict ended with a pact between the two races.
The pact includes a few keys points, he says. First, a designation of territory, with the northern reaches of the continent awarded to the White Walkers and the southern reaches to humanity. In this theory, The Wall was constructed by the White Walkers to act as "designation of land rather than a form of protection."
This explains a few things.
Firstly, how humanity managed to subdue an enemy who has been shown to be impervious to their weaponry. Secondly, why the White Walkers still even exist, if they were supposedly defeated? "If the last hero found a way to halt their invasion why not destroy them altogether?" Beau asks. Thirdly, how The Wall was constructed. According to Beau, "Wouldn't it make more sense if the White Walkers built the wall since they, you know, kind of control ice?"
The second part of the pact, as outlined in this theory, was a political marriage to keep the peace.
You read that right. A marriage. This where the myth of the Night's King is important (not the Night King, the current leader of the white walkers). The 13th commander of the Night's Watch, the Night's King supposedly fell in love with a female White Walker, took her as his bride and enslaved the men of the Night's Watch. "Nerd Soup" suggests that this was, in fact, a political marriage designed to keep the peace between the two races, which is, as Beau points out, "a very popular tradition in Westeros."
The conditions of this pact, though, have been broken. The Night’s King and his bride were slain, destroying the union between the two races and thousands of people are living beyond the wall, in the territory designated for the White Walkers.
This gives the White Walkers their motivation. They "feel betrayed" and, like most of the great houses in Westeros, when they feel betrayed, they like go to war and go into a murderous rage (think of the Freys as an example).
An important life lesson, and even more important when indulging in "Game of Thrones," is to never accept things at face value. This is what we seem to have done with the White Walkers. We have taken them to be apocalyptic, murderous, ice demons hell-bent on destruction and murder without reason or intelligence. This is in spite of the fact we have seen otherwise (like when they lured Dany north of the wall to take control of one of her dragons).
In the end
So how does all this peace fit into a show that’s all about the violence?
Well, throughout "Game of Thrones" there’s a constant motif of history repeating itself (through the characters of Jon and Dany especially), and perhaps fittingly, this is where it will end. There will be another peace pact between the two races, with a repetition of history. But how could this peace be secured?
Well, this is where another historical figure could fill in the final piece of the puzzle: Azor Ahai. Azor was a heroic figure of the first Long Night, who ultimately drove his sword into his wife’s heart in order to create a weapon powerful enough to fight the White Walkers. The important element of this story is the sacrifice of a loved one.
There is a prophecy that he will be reborn, and many fans believe that Jon Snow is this figure returned.
It would seem to fit with the theme of history being repeated that Jon, if he is indeed this figure reincarnate, might have to sacrifice the woman he loves (which is now Dany) for the greater good, as happened before.
Perhaps, he will sacrifice Dany but, many theorize in a different way. This would be turning her into a White Walker (a power the Night King has been shown to have), and taking her as his bride, again following the theme of repetition of history, to secure the peace between the two races.
What do you think? Share your comments.
