5 insane Game of Thrones theories that may come true in The Winds of Winter
By John Fallon
Image: Game of Thrones/HBO
Fish monsters exist and could arise from the oceans of Westeros to fight our heroes
Even the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire have theories about the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. The Deep Ones are an ancient species proposed by Maester Theron in his manuscript Strange Stone. Theron drew a connection between the black stone used to make the Seastone Chair on the Iron Islands and the black stone fortress at Battle Isle that serves as the foundation for the Hightower of Oldtown. Where did this mysterious black stone come from?
Maester Theron postulates that both locations were constructed by Deep Ones, a race of half-men sired by creatures of the sea upon human women. He thinks that these Deep Ones are the source of the legends of merlings and of the Drowned God of the Ironborn.
It’s true that the books contain scattered references to merlings, frogmen, squishers and other creatures that could be different names for the Deep Ones. Legends of Lorath claim that the Lorathi mazemakers were destroyed by creatures from the sea, whereas the folk of the Thousand Islands sacrifice sailors to fish-headed gods called squamous. When the tide is low, you can see stone idols made in their likeness.
Fans of this theory have done their own research. One claim suggests the shadowy city of Asshai, which is also made of strange black stone, is a kind of reverse Atlantis. Instead of sinking into the ocean, it was an underwater civilization brought out by receding waters.
These creatures might return, too. Not only could our heroes face the Others but the Deep Ones as well. In A Dance with Dragons, Jon Snow receives a letter from Cotter Pyke at Hardhome:
"At Hardhome, with six ships. Wild seas. Blackbird lost with all hands, two Lyseni ships driven aground on Skane, Talon taking water. Very bad here. Wildings eating their own dead. Dead things in the woods. Braavosi captains will only take women, children on their ships. Witch women call us slavers. Attempt to take Storm Crow defeated, six crew dead, many wildings. Eight ravens left. Dead things in the water. Send help by land, seas wracked by storms."
The letter might be the start of a pattern. One fan suggest Martin has already hidden the return of the Deep Ones right under our noses. Here’s an excerpt from “Arianne II” from The Winds of Winter:
"The town was large enough to support three inns, and all their common rooms were rife with rumors. Arianne sent her men into each of them, to hear what they might hear. In the Broken Shield, Daemon Sand was told that the great septry on the Holf of Men had been burned and looted by raiders from the sea, and a hundred young novices from the motherhouse on Maiden Isle carried off into slavery."
This is reminiscent of Theron’s claim that these creatures came from the sea to steal away woman. Imagine a Westeros overrun not only by ice zombies but fish monster as well!
Or the Deep Ones could be Martin having fun with the mythology created by H.P. Lovecraft. But this way is more entertaining.