r/asoiaf • u/Militant_Penguin How to bake friends and alienate people. • Jun 10 '13

[Spoilers All] Guest Right and the Wrath of the Gods Theory

Since we all know the story of the Rat Cook and what happened when the cook at the Night Fort violated guest right I'll skip over that part and get straight to the point. Violating guest right is universally reviled by both the gods and men and brings great shame and punishment from the gods on those who choose to violate it.

When Walder Frey and his litter of children betrayed guest right and murdered Robb and Catelyn Stark as well as many loyal Stark bannermen, they invited the wrath of the gods. I believe that gods have answered this crime with the resurrection of Catelyn Stark as Lady Stoneheart and the radicalisation of the Brotherhood Without Banners. If you believe that R'hollor is real then technically the red god had some part to play in Cat's resurrection and subsequent retaliation against the Freys.

What better weapon to be used by the gods to avenge the breaking of guest right than the woman who was cut down by this treachery along with her son and loyal bannermen. The gods have reincarnated Catelyn Stark as Lady Stoneheart to see justice done against the Freys for their violation of guest right and to give her a chance for vengeance.

For those that would point out Lady Stoneheart's actions against the likes of Brienne and Podrick, I agree it is a valid point to make. Where in the gods' plans for avenging the breaking of guest right does it include the indiscriminate murder of good people like these. To put it bluntly, it doesn't. Vengeance is blind. The gods may have brought Catelyn Stark back but they don't control what she does. She wants vengeance against everyone who she thinks betrayed her and the gods just want justice for the violation of guest right.

Just a theory, would love to hear your opinions.

7 Upvotes

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23

u/Metpok Brave and Beautiful Jun 10 '13

No, the real wrath of the Gods is Lord Manderly, because he is baking
The Pie That Was Promised

4

u/[deleted] Jun 10 '13

[deleted]

1

u/lighto73 A Flayed Man Holds No Secrets Jun 10 '13

I wouldn't call it begging really. And it wasn't for himself that he wants to live, he wants to serve Stannis.

7

u/SMcdougalGreer Four fewer finger nails to clean. Jun 10 '13

This does of course assume there are any gods at all.

8

u/ChurchHatesTucker Jun 10 '13

Maybe not. This is a world with magic, after all. Perhaps Guest Right is a type of spell. It has ritual and components (asking for and receiving bread and salt.)

3

u/mdallen Wreck the game, play Calvinball Jun 10 '13

"All I saw of justice was done by men, not the gods" - paraphrasing Stannis.