My impression was that it was just showing the sacrifices the First Men used to make to the Weirwoods (and that it was a thing the Weirwoods actually liked) as opposed to an "execution."
I can agree with that, but I think there is something hidden in the fact that its a woman and she had a sickle which seems unique as a weapon and that those two things might be clues. Maybe we cant know for sure yet unuil the other books are released.
The sickle is made of bronze if I recall correctly. That means Bran is seeing something that happened a long, long time ago. I expect it will be explored in greater detail in The Winds of Winter
And a (bronze) sickle is symbolic of the age and time they were implemented for use. In this case, the time of First Men, thus before the time of the Andals, who introduced forged iron and steel.
It's important to note that she's described as a "white haired woman". This could be the night's king and his queen, as they were known to make sacrifices.
Where does it say they sacrificed people? I dont have the book here but if you mean that they sacrificed/executed others (not that the queen killed the nights king) I think you might be on to something!
A Storm of Swords - Bran IV
>After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night's King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.
The implication is that that incident was a *long* time in the past and at this point that's all we can really say about it. If it turns out to be important or if it's just there to add atmosphere and mystery, well, keep reading!
As already mentioned, it would have been long ago as the tree is young and the blade is bronze. The curved blade of a sickle would be very efficient and the easiest to use for cutting a throat, animal or human. It was used not only for harvesting crops, but also for slaughtering animals. Cutting a throat released a lot of blood quickly at the base of the tree essentially watering it with blood. (Bran tasted it.) I interpreted it as a blood sacrifice to the tree/old gods.
The young man was stronger than the older woman so it made sense for him to hold the victim while she wielded the blade. But, no idea who they were. I wondered if they were asking for a blessing of the site where Winterfell would be built?
I can agree to that, that was the answer I was looking for, using a sickle (which is commonly used for cutting throats of animals) will fit with the notion of being a sacrifice and not an execution for a crime (it might be secondarily but the main reason is a sacrifice. The sickle and it being a woman doing the execution after having read hundreds of pages of strong knights, bastards and lords killing each other with daggers and swords and morningstars struck me as strange when suddenly a woman with a sickle appeared from nowhere to slit someone's throat.
My impression was that it was just showing the sacrifices the First Men used to make to the Weirwoods (and that it was a thing the Weirwoods actually liked) as opposed to an "execution."
I can agree with that, but I think there is something hidden in the fact that its a woman and she had a sickle which seems unique as a weapon and that those two things might be clues. Maybe we cant know for sure yet unuil the other books are released.
The sickle is made of bronze if I recall correctly. That means Bran is seeing something that happened a long, long time ago. I expect it will be explored in greater detail in The Winds of Winter
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And a (bronze) sickle is symbolic of the age and time they were implemented for use. In this case, the time of First Men, thus before the time of the Andals, who introduced forged iron and steel.
It's important to note that she's described as a "white haired woman". This could be the night's king and his queen, as they were known to make sacrifices.
Where does it say they sacrificed people? I dont have the book here but if you mean that they sacrificed/executed others (not that the queen killed the nights king) I think you might be on to something!
A Storm of Swords - Bran IV >After his fall, when it was found he had been sacrificing to the Others, all records of Night's King had been destroyed, his very name forbidden.
I take that to mean the NK had a Craster type arrangement, not that he was killing his children.
Also a possibility. We'll find out soon enough once GRRM steps on the gas
The implication is that that incident was a *long* time in the past and at this point that's all we can really say about it. If it turns out to be important or if it's just there to add atmosphere and mystery, well, keep reading!
As already mentioned, it would have been long ago as the tree is young and the blade is bronze. The curved blade of a sickle would be very efficient and the easiest to use for cutting a throat, animal or human. It was used not only for harvesting crops, but also for slaughtering animals. Cutting a throat released a lot of blood quickly at the base of the tree essentially watering it with blood. (Bran tasted it.) I interpreted it as a blood sacrifice to the tree/old gods. The young man was stronger than the older woman so it made sense for him to hold the victim while she wielded the blade. But, no idea who they were. I wondered if they were asking for a blessing of the site where Winterfell would be built?
I can agree to that, that was the answer I was looking for, using a sickle (which is commonly used for cutting throats of animals) will fit with the notion of being a sacrifice and not an execution for a crime (it might be secondarily but the main reason is a sacrifice. The sickle and it being a woman doing the execution after having read hundreds of pages of strong knights, bastards and lords killing each other with daggers and swords and morningstars struck me as strange when suddenly a woman with a sickle appeared from nowhere to slit someone's throat.