Stuff Brandon says

[herid]

GRRM is also known for killing and or harming children. So perhaps it is something to do with Olver?

A nice idea but BS also said that the episode will have some mythological underpinnings. I don't know anything that would relate to Olver. The thirteenth depository lists only one mythological parallel to Olver as that of Oisin and nothing I could find about Oisin seems to fit.

[Linda]

In the Horn of Valere essay I wrote this:

 

In the Chanson du Roland, a legend derived from the historic King Charlemagne’s court, Charlemagne’s nephew Roland and his companion Oliver were in the rearguard of the army which had been fighting Muslims. They were attacked, but Roland refused to sound his horn Oliphant to summon reinforcements until it was too late. When he finally blew it, blood flowed from his mouth and ‘burst from his forehead’ and he died.

 

Roland’s companion Oliver may be a parallel of the boy Olver in Mat’s group. Mat has already used the horn to summon the Heroes once. Perhaps this legend is a hint that Mat may be late to Tarmon Gai’don or is delayed in regaining and blowing the Horn until late in the Last Battle.

[herid]

@Linda Thanks. That sounds quite interesting, especially in regards to Mat if not Olver. This might fit with the betrayal clues about Mat. BTW, could you add an Oliver mythological parallel link to the main Olver section? Right now there is only one there pointing to Oisin.

[Olver_is_a_Forsaken]

OK, let me propose another fringe theory (disclaimer:I have not read the full thread):

Chapter 36: "have you abandoned your oaths to the Great Lord of the Dark? They are not so easily broken as the oaths to the Light you forsook...Hall of the Servants"

 

We learned much later in the series what oaths the Black Ajah were forced to swear. Why not have the Forsaken swear oaths as well?

It has long been speculated that Lanfear might abandon the Shadow(she even hints at it several times). I may be mistaken but is this not the first time we hear of the Forsaken being "under oath"? So we might see Lanfear attempting to abandon the Shadow in an ill fated GRRM-style moment. I know this one's a stretch...

 

 

EDIT: Ok, another even more ridiculous theory:

Chapter 31: Thom says (about Aes Sedai): "Meddle with that sort, and you get more than your fingers burned." Thom hooks up with Morain in AMoL and "gets more than his fingers burned" That would definitely be GRRM-esque

[Sid]

EDIT: Ok, another even more ridiculous theory:

Chapter 31: Thom says (about Aes Sedai): "Meddle with that sort, and you get more than your fingers burned." Thom hooks up with Morain in AMoL and "gets more than his fingers burned" That would definitely be GRRM-esque

This bit of foreshadowing was almost certainly fulfilled in the ToG.

The One Left Behind[/i]']The old gleeman squeezed his eyes shut, holding Moiraine. He looked beaten, ground down to nothing. His hands were red and blistered from pulling her free, his coat sleeves burned.

[TootThatHorn]

EDIT: Ok, another even more ridiculous theory:

Chapter 31: Thom says (about Aes Sedai): "Meddle with that sort, and you get more than your fingers burned." Thom hooks up with Morain in AMoL and "gets more than his fingers burned" That would definitely be GRRM-esque

This bit of foreshadowing was almost certainly fulfilled in the ToG.

The One Left Behind[/i]']The old gleeman squeezed his eyes shut, holding Moiraine. He looked beaten, ground down to nothing. His hands were red and blistered from pulling her free, his coat sleeves burned.

 

Agreed, this is concluded foreshadowing at its best.

[Southpaw89]

so we can conclude with the best of the knowledge we have so far is that the GRRM moment has to more than likely do with;

 

violence or sex and mythological underpinnings. The violence or sex thing being based on what GRRM does to the fullest. However, due to what Brandon has said about GRRM's work in the past which is that he couldn't get past book 1 due graphic nature of it, I'm guessing it has to do with a violent death involving a major character that correlates with a mythological story.

[Southpaw89]

This isn't mythologically based but the situation that Lan is in resembles the Battle of Thermoplae in which the Spartan soldiers were vastly outnumbered and managed to hold off the Persian army for a much longer time than expected. Perhaps the same will occur with Lan

[driedraspberry]

To qualify as a GRRM it has to be one thing: shocking. Gruesome/ incest/major character death...if it's not shocking then I wouldn't think the comparison stands. Hence Lan's army dying can't be it imo.

[sfgiantsfanmike]

This isn't mythologically based but the situation that Lan is in resembles the Battle of Thermoplae in which the Spartan soldiers were vastly outnumbered and managed to hold off the Persian army for a much longer time than expected. Perhaps the same will occur with Lan

 

Just wanted to say that of the major Greek v. Persian battles I know of Lans charge most resembles the battle of Marathon. If memory serves the smaller Greek force charges the Persian force as they're landing then fall back into a pass and surround the larger force on all sides and proceed to dismantle enemy, causing a frenzied retreat to the boats that costs lifes in and of itself.

 

Anyway, either way it's not myth so much as ancient warfare.