re: Crackpot ASOIAF Theories SPOILERS

I thought Barristan was still in King's Landing?

Yeah Mance is a bad arse, my original crack pot was that he is Rhaegar. Some things like the wildling woman patching his black cloak with scarlet red let me to be think that, I did some research and that idea doesn't hold up for a lot of different reasons. I wonder though, if he is the sword of the morning, where is his great sword Dawn? Would it be in winterfell in the crypts possibly?

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This theory is awesome, probably my favorite crack pot one. How epic would it be for Mance/Arthur Dayne to be fricking Bolton/Freys up in Winterfell? 

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200 pages

This thread just got a much needed kick in the pants.

GRRM is gonna be PISSED!! That's what he gets for making us wait 7 years per book.

Mothafrickas got ideas too George!!

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Well Barriston is still around and Mormont is older, and the ones defending Westeros now aren't exactly children. You have to remember that in the time setting most people died before they saw 40. Jon is considered a grown arse man at this point and Stannis is probably 35.

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I meant children as in they were the generation after the great knights died who grew up hearing of their valor. Selmy isn't in Westeros and I honestly don't think he'll ever see it again.

No one has ever accused Mormont of being a great Knight either. Really all you have left is Jaime Lannister who is crippled and in most peoples eyes has shite for honor.

Brienne, Gendry, Jon(not a knight-but a hero), etc.

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And that's my point as well. This is their story. Their great war. Their chance at greatness. Dayne being alive tarnishes that in my mind. Plus I like the idea of him being a true knight of the kingsguard and paying the ultimate sacrifice for his vows. Laying his life down in the defense of his king.

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To be fair, yielding to Ned and allowing him to hide Jon is the only way he could have ever truly protected him. Not doing so would have basically been a death sentence.

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Death Dayne could've accepted but handing Rhaegars son over to Rhaegars enemies wouldn't have been an option for him.

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Ned was the only person in Westeros with the desire and opportunity to protect Jon.

That's true, but I'm thinking Dayne would have placed a much higher value on Jon's survival than his own. And Ned was the only option.

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And that's my point as well. This is their story. Their great war. Their chance at greatness. Dayne being alive tarnishes that in my mind

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What about Stannis? He's certainly an "old knight" in that he was critical in the Rebellion. Davos as well.

I understand they aren't knights per se, but their roles straddle both times and draw the conflicts together.

Selmy as well obviously.

That said, I can understand and respect your feeling on this. I don't share it, but it's certainly a valid reason to root against this theory.

My biggest difference with you though, is that ultimately this war isn't going to be about the Iron Throne. It's going to be about The Others and the longest winter.

At the time Dayne would have agreed to take the black, he may have felt confident that leaving JS with Ned was actually the BEST way to protect him, since Robert trusted Ned and would believe whatever Ned told him about Jon's identity. Plus, he would live, in the event JS needed him down the road.

Which is exactly what has happened. There is a whole shitstorm coming that perhaps the Sword of the Morning was meant to help vanquish. In fact, it would seem almost trivial for the greatest knight that ever lived to serve his days protecting a horrible king and dying over some scorned rebel like Robert over a random Northern woman.

But Dayne/Mance at this point isn't as concerned about some feud for control of the Seven Kingdoms, but for the survival of the realm itself. Which is more fitting for a hero of his stature.

Dayne can leave the "new knights" to handle their war and chance at greatness. But once that's done, the REAL shite is going to hit the fan. THIS is his war, not Roberts Rebellion.

And to deal with that, the new and the old will need to come together to survive.

This does bring up a question I've wondered about though which I'm sure has an actual answer. I just don't remember the details.....

We know the Mountain was very involved in Roberts Rebellion, as he was there for "Aegon's" demise.

What about The Hound? Do we know what his role was at that time? Also, was the Mountain involved in battles before KL?

Just curious as to what the Cleganes were doing during this great rebellion.

Also, did I miss what the Greyjoys were doing? Balon, Euron, and Victarion?

If the Cleganes and Greyjoys were involved, that would make the "new knight" problem less relevant if all of these guys were also players in that rebellion.

TIA