Who is knight of the laughing tree

When those knights attempted to ransom their armor and horses back, the mystery knight announced that teaching their squires some respect would be payment enough, and then promptly disappeared, never to be seen again. Upon hearing the story, Bran Stark instantly declares the crannogman in the story, Howland Reed, must be the mystery knight. Furthermore, there are strong hints the tale has significance to the Starks.

This shows that, in the opinion of the Reeds, the story is important enough to the Starks that everyone in the family should know it. But why? Lyanna certainly had the motivation. She was the one who originally rescued Howland, and the one who showed the most indignation at her fellow Northerner being abused. She just didn't have the freedom to express it publicly. The involvement of Rhaegar Targaryen, who crowned Lyanna as the Queen of Love and Beauty at the end of the tournament and "kidnapped" her less than a year later, lends further evidence to deduce the identity of the Knight of the Laughing Tree.

But Lyanna…. What do we know about Lyanna? Having grown up in surf life saving and been around young women who trained for ironwoman events though being far from able to match them myself! Everything we are told about Lyanna from Ned and other sources makes is plausible that Lyanna could pull off a brief stint as a mystery knight. She is the mystery knight.

Bran and his siblings grew up aware that Ned had a younger sister, and her name was Lyanna, and she died after the Rebellion. They know the official Robert Baratheon-approved version of her dalliance with Rhaegar Targaryen, as it would have been taught to them as part of their history lessons with Maester Luwin. They hear little bits and pieces from Winterfell staff and liege lords, like Lyanna was a tomboy like Arya, and Lyanna had the Stark look like Jon and Arya.

But they know absolutely nothing about their aunt from their father. Did Rhaegar go looking earlier, and find Lyanna still in her armour? Was Rhaegar impressed by the spunk shown by this wild she-wolf of the North? What happens when you have lots of sex in a world without birth control, people?

Or more specifically, one baby in particular. Everyone assumes Ned had a fling with some Dornish woman because Jon only enters the picture when Ned went to Dorne to find Lyanna. The tale of the Knight of the Laughing Tree both gives Ned some insurance for the bastard story, and some headaches.

When exactly was he rendezvousing with Ashara to make Jon after his marriage to Catelyn? Therefore if the tale of this mystery knight is the first time Rhaegar got to know Lyanna, then this is a very dangerous tale to tell around Winterfell or beyond. Ned cannot risk people putting together that Rhaegar and Lyanna might have had a child. The best way to ensure that on the home front?

Never talk about Lyanna. Not even her finest moment as a cheeky mystery knight. But maybe this tale would have helped at least one of his children avoid making a mistake that cost them dearly during the events of ASOIAF.

We are constantly told of the similarities between Arya and Lyanna — not just in looks, but also in temperament. She wants to play with the boys and learn to use a sword! But with my dominant right hand, I think my sewing would keep the stern Septa happy. If Arya had been told more about what happens to tomboy ladies of high birth in the real world, would she have been so pushy with Joffrey in the Riverlands? Throwing his sword in the river though, awesome stuff.

Maybe Sansa and Arya would still have Lady and Nymeria by their sides if the girls had understood the unfair lack of consequences for shitty behaviour by the Crown Prince, and modified their actions on that fateful afternoon?

But the more striking example is Robb and his poorly thought out marriage, which I analysed in more depth yesterday. Something I forgot to put in detail, despite alluding to it, is that Robb never learned that Ned had to turn his back on Ashara Dayne to marry Catelyn Tully. Now, those two ended up having a wonderful, beautiful, loving relationship which is AWESOME… but is by far and away the rarity for arranged marriages in Westeros.

How did the rest of the marriages of that time period stack up? Does Howland owe Lyanna something for her protection of his honour as the Knight of the Laughing Tree back in the day? So many questions arise from this story, that are crucial to the overall plot.

Like Like. Aerys decides to crash the party, a mystery knight appears, Tywin Lannister pitches a fit when his heir is appointed to the Kingsguard, and the planned Great […]. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account.

You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content Skip to menu. He only loved their mother, Catelyn Tully Stark; and Their aunt Lyanna was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen, according to the official Robert Baratheon version of history. He grew up hunting and fishing and climbing trees, and learned all the magics of my people… The lad knew the magics of the crannogs… but he wanted more.

Our people seldom travel far from home, you know… this lad was bolder than most, and one day when he had grown to manhood he decided he would leave the crannogs and visit the Isle of Faces… He passed beneath the Twins by night so that the Freys would not attack him, and when he reached the Trident he climbed from the river and put his boat on his head and began to walk. The towers reached ever higher as he neared shore, until he realised that this must be the greatest castle in the world… Beneath its walls he saw tents of many colours, bright banners cracking in the wind, and knights in mail and plate on barded horses.

They snatched away his spear and knocked him to the ground, cursing him for a frogeater… None offered a name, but he marked their faces well so he could revenge himself upon them later. One served a pitchfork knight , one a porcupine , while the last attended a knight with two towers on his surcoat, a sigil all crannogmen know well… The wolf maid saw them too, and pointed them out to her brothers.

The quiet wolf had offered the little crannogman a place in his tent that night, but before he slept he knelt on the lakeshore, looking across the water to where the Isle of Faces would be, and said a prayer to the old gods of north and Neck… So our nasty squires work for House Haigh, House Blount and House Frey.

But late on the afternoon of the second day, as the shadows grew long, a mystery knight appeared in the lists… No one knew [who the mystery knight was]… but [he] was short of stature, and clad in ill-fitting armour made up of bits and pieces. She was not easy to refuse, this wolf maid, so he let the young pup find him garb suitable to a king's feast, and went up to the great castle. Under Harren 's roof he ate and drank with the wolves, and many of their sworn swords besides, barrowdown men and moose and bears and mermen.

The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head. A black brother spoke, asking the knights to join the Night's Watch. The storm lord drank down the knight of skulls and kisses in a wine-cup war. The crannogman saw a maid with laughing purple eyes dance with a white sword , a red snake , and the lord of griffins , and lastly with the quiet wolf Amidst all this merriment, the little crannogman spied the three squires who'd attacked him.

One served a pitchfork knight , one a porcupine , while the last attended a knight with two towers on his surcoat, a sigil all crannogmen know well.

The wolf maid saw them too, and pointed them out to her brothers. The little crannogman thanked him, but gave no answer. His heart was torn. Crannogmen are smaller than most, but just as proud. The lad was no knight, no more than any of his people.

We sit a boat more often then a horse, and our hands are made for oars, not lances. Much as he wished to have his vengeance, he feared he would only make a fool of himself and shame his people. The quiet wolf had offered the little crannogman a place in his tent that night, but before he slept he knelt on the lakeshore, looking across the water to where the Isle of Faces would be. Five days of jousting were planned. There was a great seven-sided melee as well, and archery and axe-throwing, a horse race, and tourney of singers The daughter of the castle was queen of love and beauty, with four brothers and an uncle to defend her, but all four sons of Harrenhal were defeated on the first day.

Their conquerors reigned briefly as champions, until they were vanquished in turn. As it happened the end of the first day saw the porcupine knight win a place among the champions, and on the morning of the second day the pitchfork knight and the knight of the two towers were victorious as well. But late on the afternoon of that second day, as the shadows grew long, a mystery knight appeared in the lists. The mystery knight was short of stature, and clad in ill-fitting armor made up of bits and pieces.

The device upon his shield was a heart tree of the old gods, a white weirwood with a laughing red face. The mystery knight dipped his lance before the king and rode to the end of the lists, where the five champions had their pavilions. He challenged the porcupine knight, the pitchfork knight, and the knight of the twin towers.

Whoever he was, the old gods gave strength to his arm. The porcupine knight fell first, then the pitchfork knight, and lastly the knight of the two towers. None were well loved, so the common folk cheered lustily for the Knight of the Laughing Tree, as the new champion soon was called. When his fallen foes sought to ransom horse and armor, the Knight of the Laughing Tree spoke in a booming voice through his helm, saying, 'Teach your squires honor, that shall be ransom enough. And so the little crannogman's prayer was answered That night at the great castle, the storm lord and the knight of skulls and kisses each swore they would unmask him, and the king himself urged men to challenge him,, declaring that the face behind that helm was no friend of his.

But the next morning, when the heralds blew their trumpets and the king took his seat, only two champions appeared. The Knight of the Laughing Tree had vanished. The king was wroth, and even sent his son the dragon prince to seek the man, but all they ever found was his painted shield, hanging abandoned in a tree. It was the dragon prince who won that tourney in the end.