Difference between revisions of "Balon Greyjoy/Theories"

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{{Theory_Policy}}
 
{{Theory_Policy}}
Given Euron's timely entrance soon after Balon's fatal accident, and Euron's lack of morals, it could be that Euron somehow had his brother Balon murdered.
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[[Balon Greyjoy]] died while crossing a bridge at [[Pyke]] during a storm. The rope bridge had been swaying and twisting in the wind, and as Balon crossed, the storm ripped it in pieces and Balon fell to his death. Balon washed up ashore two days later, bloated and broken, with his eyes having been eaten by crabs.{{Ref|aSoS|45}}{{Ref|aSoS|54}}{{Ref|affc|1}}{{ref|affc|11}}{{Ref|affc|11}}
  
One might argue King [[Stannis Baratheon]] murdered Balon Greyjoy along with [[Robb Stark]] and [[Joffrey Baratheon]] when he burned leeches filled with king's blood in an attempt to magically ensure their deaths. Robb was soon murdered by the Freys and Joffrey by [[Littlefinger]].  Assuming this ritual had its intended effect, it obviously doesn't directly or inexplicably kill its victims but perhaps provides a twist of fate that will ensure their death by some other means. It would then seem out of place for Balon to suddenly die by a fluke accident. It is more likely that he was murdered, just like the other two targets of the spell.
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Balon's exiled brother [[Euron Greyjoy|Euron]] returned to the Iron Islands the day after Balon's death.{{Ref|Affc|1}} Balon's daughter [[Asha Greyjoy|Asha]] is convinced that Balon had been murdered by Euron,{{Ref|Affc|18}} and quite a number of readers has speculated that this was done using a Faceless Man.<ref group="N">6907 out of 9070 votes (76.2%) during a poll held in 2015 across five platforms (Results: [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1faJx4pvYnKHZu8Wdw9LKEHSuuf4IVnOrVRukWwv1sA4/viewanalytics# Reddit], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1wwDjAvyKgrOW6PIuFDMHrhaMnNjWbMeyj3fYUoj1E5A/viewanalytics#start=publishanalytics Westeros.org], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1A77zgkXxVeeU7J7CA1e5h0aF5sJw7UmYa1z2kG13Bpo/viewanalytics#start=publishanalytics Tower of the Hand], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PgwBVijTxdyXbQ2z1e4fjI8gchEUI2sVEBol__csumc/viewanalytics#start=publishanalytics Watchers on the Wall], [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1omstJHPpewu-jp6bIeuU5UikzWxWppkU3hqWc1UPiDo/viewanalytics#start=publishanalytics Facebook]).</ref>
  
==Supporting Evidence==
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==Supporting evidence==
* Euron Greyjoy has knowledge of the eastern cities and it's possible he hired a Faceless Man to kill his brother for him. The Faceless Man specialize in murders that look like accidents.
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The following arguments are frequently used in favor of this theory:
* Euron should've been months away from Pyke, but shows up very shortly after Balon's death, the very brother and king who exiled him.  This suggests he was expecting his brother would die.
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* [[Stannis Baratheon]] and [[Melisandre]] burn three leeches filled with king's blood during a ritual in an attempt to [[magic|magically]]ensure the deaths of the three kings he is fighting against: [[Robb Stark]], [[Joffrey Baratheon]], and Balon Greyjoy. Both Robb and Joffrey are later murdered, making it more likely that all three targets of the spell were murdered.
*The [[Ghost of High Heart]] stated in a vision...
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* Euron Greyjoy had been exiled by Balon, never to return to the Iron Island for as long as Balon lived.{{Ref|Affc|18}} Euron returned to the [[Iron Islands]] a day after Balon's death to claim the [[Seastone Chair]],{{Ref|asos|45}}{{ref|affc|11}} which could suggest he was expecting Balon to die.
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*The [[Ghost of High Heart]] stated in a vision that she "''dreamt of a man without a face, waiting on a bridge that swayed and swung. On his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings.''"{{Ref|asos|22}} Readers have interpreted this to refer a [[Faceless Man]] ("a man without a face"), who specialize in murders that look like an accident,{{ref|adwd|64}} and who was hired by Euron, who is nicknamed the Crow's Eye ("drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings").
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**It is expensive to hire a Faceless Man. The higher the social standard of the target, the more expensive it becomes.{{ref|agot|33}} It has been suggested that Euron paid for this service using the [[dragon egg]] that he claimed to have received from a [[Myr]]ish wizard and to have thrown into the sea during one of his foul moods.{{Ref|affc|29}}
  
{{Quote|''"I dreamt of a man without a face, waiting on a bridge that swayed and swung. On his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings."''}}
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==Notes==
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{{Notes}}
  
==Questions==
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==References==
* If Euron hired a Faceless Man, how did he pay for it?  The cost is commensurate with the target, and Balon Greyjoy is a king, more or less, so this would be very expensive, possibly costing years of plunder.  However, at the Kingsmoot, Euron shows up with huge amounts of treasure and a magical Hellhorn to boot.  It doesn't seem to add up. One theory suggests that Euron may have paid the Faceless Man with his [http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/62445-euron-paid-the-faceless-men-with-his-dragon-egg/ dragon egg] and not tossed the egg into the sea as he claimed.
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{{References|2}}
  
 
[[Category:Theories]]
 
[[Category:Theories]]

Latest revision as of 21:15, 29 September 2020

 Theories may be removed if ... 
  1. Stated as questions or possibilities.
  2. More appropriate for another article.
  3. Illogical or previously disproven.
  4. Proven by canon source, and moved to main page.
  5. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments.
  6. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead).
  • This does not include responses that are also standalone theories.
  • Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response.

Balon Greyjoy died while crossing a bridge at Pyke during a storm. The rope bridge had been swaying and twisting in the wind, and as Balon crossed, the storm ripped it in pieces and Balon fell to his death. Balon washed up ashore two days later, bloated and broken, with his eyes having been eaten by crabs.[1][2][3][4][4]

Balon's exiled brother Euron returned to the Iron Islands the day after Balon's death.[3] Balon's daughter Asha is convinced that Balon had been murdered by Euron,[5] and quite a number of readers has speculated that this was done using a Faceless Man.[N 1]

Supporting evidence

The following arguments are frequently used in favor of this theory:

  • Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre burn three leeches filled with king's blood during a ritual in an attempt to magicallyensure the deaths of the three kings he is fighting against: Robb Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, and Balon Greyjoy. Both Robb and Joffrey are later murdered, making it more likely that all three targets of the spell were murdered.
  • Euron Greyjoy had been exiled by Balon, never to return to the Iron Island for as long as Balon lived.[5] Euron returned to the Iron Islands a day after Balon's death to claim the Seastone Chair,[1][4] which could suggest he was expecting Balon to die.
  • The Ghost of High Heart stated in a vision that she "dreamt of a man without a face, waiting on a bridge that swayed and swung. On his shoulder perched a drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings."[6] Readers have interpreted this to refer a Faceless Man ("a man without a face"), who specialize in murders that look like an accident,[7] and who was hired by Euron, who is nicknamed the Crow's Eye ("drowned crow with seaweed hanging from his wings").
    • It is expensive to hire a Faceless Man. The higher the social standard of the target, the more expensive it becomes.[8] It has been suggested that Euron paid for this service using the dragon egg that he claimed to have received from a Myrish wizard and to have thrown into the sea during one of his foul moods.[9]

Notes

  1. 6907 out of 9070 votes (76.2%) during a poll held in 2015 across five platforms (Results: Reddit, Westeros.org, Tower of the Hand, Watchers on the Wall, Facebook).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
  2. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
  3. 3.0 3.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 1, The Prophet.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter.
  5. 5.0 5.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 18, The Iron Captain.
  6. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 22, Arya IV.
  7. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 64, The Ugly Little Girl.
  8. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 33, Eddard VIII.
  9. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 29, The Reaver.