Ice Spiders! (White Walker Teleportation Theory) 

Samwise: Hey Jon I was looking at the ancient achieves I found in Oldtown and it turns out the information we had was misremembered legends. They aren't Ice Spiders they're Nice Spiders! This is something we can use!

"oh boy, David Lightbringer just posted, I hope this video won't trigger my arachnophobia." *clicks notification*

nobody: absolutely noone at all: LML: IS THIS .. LIKE.. A SYMBOLISM THING??? IS THIS SOME KIND OF METAPHOR???

Worldbook mentions an ancient city in Essos called Lyber, where a cult devoted to a spider godess was in eternal war with the cult of the serpent god. And among the Rhoynar, Crab King was in eternal war with the giant turtle Old Man of the River. So the ice arthropods are at war with the fire reptiles. The Long Night was ended when CK and OMR made peace and taught the people a secret song to bring about the day; that was the actual Pact, metaphorically speaking.

I really hope the new ASOIAF tv show is successful, simply because it might result in more traffic to your RU-vid channel! You make such great quality stuff at a consistent and frequent rate, you deserve more views :)

I don't know which art is the most horrifying: spider corpse or baby ice spiders! Really, the video was great and the symbolism, as always, helps with the greatest theories!

When Varamyr Six-skins died, he for a brief moment seemed to be a part of every tree, every breeze on the wind, if I remember the chapter right. That's when his tie with his body was completely severed. What if it's the reverse for the Others? What if their default is disembodied spirits existing in the trees and the breeze, but no longer the Weirwoods? Maybe for them, they actually have to focus like a skinchanger in order to produce a physical form. And they seem to form it out of ice. Maybe that's why the cold always comes with them. The blizzard isn't conjured by the Others, the blizzard *is* the Others.

This was so perfect, I mean we really have to just point it out. You quite literally keep improving, it’s WILD. Ice spiders have been here all along, weaving this web, and waiting to snag their prey. It’s hiding in plain sight. 👵🏻 old nan is never wrong!

Anansi brought back old buried memories. Surprised Mr. Lightbringer knows about african folklore.

Honestly when you think about how the Others were created you can call it a "natural disaster" caused by humans when they started to mess with these trees.. and now its coming back for revenge, riding ICE SPIDERS! Thank you, that was amazing \m/

I almost feel grrm won't finish because David has everything figured out

1:10:29 This could be echoed in Danny’s ant encounter. It could foreshadow how the others will use the network of Weirwoods scattered across Westeros to quickly travel and invade. Westeros in covered in Weirwoods, and although it’s mainly the north, there are a few scattered among the south in a few key locations. The passage describes the ants (the others) descending from the north, climbing the wall (pretty self explanatory) and biting her all across her body (Westeros), leaving little red marks (Weirwoods). It’s also clear the ants are concentrated around her head (representing the north) and travelling down her neck (there’s a place literally called The Neck), potentially symbolising the others path from the wall, through the north, down the neck to the gods wood.

Interesting thoughts, and the Others using the Weirwoods as portals is something I'm down with. Interesting point to ponder: why can Bran (and Bloodraven) use the Weirwoods south of the wall, but the Others can't use them to materialize there? Likely the magic in the Wall, somehow. Also, it would be wild if Bran would also eventually be able to materialize anywhere in front of a Weirwood like this. Who needs legs when you can do that? By the way, there are many spiders that actually hunt (though not in packs, granted). Some of them may even be in your house. Look up crab spiders for instance.

I can't imagine the amount of work these long videos must take but do know LmL they are much appreciated. Love the new wave of long videos and series like the Melisandre videos.

A dragon is no slave.

Totally improbable theory, but similar to the idea of ice spiders being made of bodies, maybe the giant ice spiders could be tree size ice krakens and dog size ice octopuses that’ve crawled up onto the land…

I can totally see why you're so proud of this video. You aced every single aspect, Dave -- story-telling, symbolism, psychology, visuals and lots of lovely jokes. Bravo!

"Ice spiders! Ice Spiders! Giving you Nightmares! Ice Spiders!" My new favorite intro.

Absolutely love the theory! When Morgoth returned to destroy the 2 Trees, he had just escaped from imprisonment by the Valar. He met Ungoliant and promised to let her devour whatever she wanted, and that's what she went and did. Because of her gorging on the power in Valinor, Ungoliant grew to an even more monstrous size. While the Elves and the Valar tried to see if the could fix what happened to the 2 Trees Ungoliant and Morgoth fled. Somewhere in the southern wastes of Arda they paused and Ungoliant demanded the gems he'd stolen as payment. He gave them to her, but then she demanded the Silmarils, the greatest gems to ever exist and holding the last light from the 2 Trees. He refused and she attacked him, and when she webbed him he cried out in pain. His Balrogs, which had been hibernating in his fortress Angband at the northern point of Middle-Earth, came to his aid and under their combined strength they drove her away and then escorted Morgoth to Angband. Ungoliant ran off into the south even further where she had many children and then ended up eating herself to sate her unlimited hunger. No one knows what Ungoliant really is because she isn't one of the Valar and they thought that she came from the Void that surrounds Eä, which reminds me of Lovecraft a lot, and that's also where Morgoth was thrown after his final defeat in the First Age.

I really like the teleportation idea and think that a really solid theory. While not proof of anything (and as many have pointed out before me) Robin Hobb and GRRM are good friends, share an editor, often run ideas by each other and there are many parallels and similarities in ASOIF and The Farseer Trilogy, and in Hobb's trilogy there's a teleportation method for magic users in her story that in my opinion maps on to what you're suggesting with the Walkers and the Weirwoods acting as a doors quite well Keep up the great work LML, You've been smashing it recently and each new video seems to be better than the last

It's early in the morning where I live, I am going to have to save this for midnight to truly spook myself out.

Late comment. Thank you for the mention❤️. I’m gonna be watching this video a few more times before weighing in intelligently. Lots to unpack:)

Still the best literary criticism on asoiaf out there. Some university should bestow a lit crit pHD on your work. Don’t be like Blarl.

Damn I missed it live!!!! So sorry !! Sharing like mad!! Thankyoy!

I always imagined the ice spiders to be a sort of Frankenstein like amalgam of Corpses frozen together into multi limbed abomanations that the others ride into battle. Like the body of a giant withe the frozen legs of horses cwarling along the ground. black brothers twisted and frozen together, blue eyes staring as eight black arms claw and scrape up the wall to atack the defenders in the black cold of night... there tattered black cloaks wraped around there limbs covered in white hore frost .😮

Awesome video ! Great way to unwind...I mean unweb lol rewatch imminent

You would’ve had me at “Ice Spiders” but you had me even more at “White Walker Teleportation”. Always look forward to these videos.

D'Enlightment is off the freakin charts. Who works harder than LML??!?!

Love ice spiders! Maybe HBO will show them to us in the future

Awesome analysis!

Some of the coolest White Walker content -snort- love this shit they're still so mysterious, I'm dying over here waiting on the next book argh

The Ice Spiders was worth the wait. Fantastic job as all ways. Keep up the great work.

Excellent

I knew my spidey-sense was tingling for a reason 😂

So happy I could finally catch z livestream! Your ability to expound in things in these novels I've sometimes not even given a second glance, really astounds me. Deff soooooooo ready for WoW!

This is such a great crazy corner of RU-vid

This video is seriously fantastic, tons of great thoughts and ideas! Love the symbolism, the real world parallels, and of course the ice dragon talk. Five fuckin stars bro.

Your analysis is always so engaging. Keep up the fantastic work LML. Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos.

Years of research pact into one video here, awesome

Also- could you put up your background music on spotify? Its so delightfully creepy, would make great asoiaf reread background music

Thank you for all your hard work making these videos, David/LML. I've been relying hard upon your backlog lately, and I'm very grateful for them.

Loved that you combined a relatively creepy topic with a few moments of absurdity and silliness (the recurring bird "feeding the babies" gag made me chuckle)

Also, fyi: the Svartalves, the Dark Elves of Norse Mytholgy, can "teleport."

Was napping through the stream but catching this now

So many tongue twisters. No wonder this took so long. Great job.

Old Nan is the Night's Queen/Night Queen

Gotta say, I'm so fond of your use of speech bubbles, it ruins my work flow cuz I have to keep looking at the screen instead of just listening - but it's worth it 😂

Ice spiders climbing the Wall as the Watch look on has to be a thing!

"Spiderman, Spiderman. Shrooming at Tool shows....." lmfao that was great. I had to pause it and laugh for a moment.

I took a chance and watched this right before I went to bed. Luckily no nightmares of spiders and other creepy crawlies. But you gave us a lot to think about. I'll need to watch again to get all of it.

You continue to up your game. Exceptional stuff, man. This one is red meat for the regulars (proper mythical symbolism-heavy content) and genuinely new and unique theories about the others. I continue to be impressed and enjoy what you do.

i was very much anticipating a radiohead shoutout when you said ‘climbing up the wall’ 😊

LIKE BUTTON FOLKS!

This rules. Excellent work. I hope you’re right, Dave!

Scary stuff. Well done!

Roy Dotrice is amazing man! It’s gonna be so weird not hearing his voice when TWOW comes out 😢

22:17 - _So close_ to mentioning the story of Arachne and Athena! 😢 They weaved stories on the loom

Great video! I really enjoyed it 🥰 Thank you 💜

So I got to thinking, post-praise mind you, how much damage the green seers(and those chasing the dragon of their power) have done to Planetos in their quest for knowledge...

Great stuff, thank you 💚

Once again you've blown my mind dude.🤯

Ice symbolism. Wonderful and intrging.

"The others crawling through om a godswood near you" is too scary!

16:16 holyshit those things are terrifying, whoever draw it is insane, nothing's worse than a mix of a spider and an octapus.

glad someone around here is asking the real questions

i always wondered and assumed in my own head cannon that the shows ice dragon shouldve breathed ice not fire, considering there would have to be fire coming in contact with an other in the mouth of the dragon.

Excellent work as always

Hats off and applauds. Another video dense with interconnecting symbolism. Every time I think my mind cannot possibly be blown any more, LML drops myth bombs on me from his flying spiders.

Such an awesome video! Gotta rewatch now for anything i missed! :)🕷❄🕸

I hope there are actual Ice Spiders in the future of the story big Insects and scary looking things can make the White Walkers scarier and more menacing, making them stand out. it would be like Nerubian Spiders in Warcraft, how there were these intelligent race of spider-like creatures that had their cities carved out underground with their strange architecture and abilities that only they were capable of and they made the Undead Army stronger and more menacing.

Great work!! Loved the stream! Looking forward to the next :)

I like the idea that the real meaning behind a song of ice and fire is the George build a firewall out of ice

Still think to this day this is your best analysis yet! Love coming back to it

Oop sorry I’m late

I’ve seen this video before. Came back for a rewatch. The clicking needles was something I never noticed and oh my god I got chills at Dave’s reading and analysis. “Click click click” *chills*

I knew this was going to be a great video just from the title

Great vid, the amount of new n fresh content ur still posting is insane, keep it up, much love👍❤

Ice dragons helping to build the wall doesn't sound so far fetched when you consider that the 5 forts of yi ti were most likely formed out of dragon flame

LmL is knocking the symbols out of the park! Old Nan keeps it 💯

The Ice Dragon IS out there, and I'm surprised you missed it..... it's name is "Winter"... and you see it through Bran's eyes in his coma dream when he looked into the depths of the north and saw something so terrible it filled him with fear and dread... "Now you know why you must live..... because Winter is coming".... Bran woke up and immediately named his dire wolf "Summer". Did you miss it?

🐺🕷️

Bird eating spiders?

Since I know you’re also a big basketball nerd I hope you will like this analogy David. Whenever I talk about less famous basketball stars today (Dr J etc) and someone isn’t as familiar or hasn’t seen all their highlights I say “he’s your favorite players’ favorite player”. That’s the ice spiders video, our favorite RU-vidrs favorite video!!

Nice job on the visuals, taking advantage of the new computer! Excellent.

Two & a half minutes in and your juxtaposition of horror & pure adorableness was a little disorienting- lol- but I love it. "Gonna feed the babies..."

A bit about mycology that you were so close to and it seems connected to the weirwood and teleportation: a mycorrhizal network is an underground mycelium mat or highway that can transfer water, nutrients including very specific micronutrients, and we're even thinking information to facilitate all this. The largest living thing is one of these mats. They can make larger trees banks of water and nutrients to others trees or plants. It's the basis of one of the Star Trek shows mycelial FTL travel, shouts out to the real life wizard Paul Stamets. Another small thing to maybe have floating in your mind about these networks is they have been shown to use "husbandry" for bacteria, growing very specific ones that help themselves while killing the ones they don't like.

That was amazing. Each new video you make seems to be better than the one before, thank you for all your hard work, David, keep it up!

REALLY fabulous video! I enjoyed every moment. Your content just keeps getting better.

Great video

Bro, ok, I just started watching your videos and I gotta say a few things: 1) YOU BLOW MY MIND!!!! You have so much knowledge and information, like you have laid your preverbal loooooooaaaaad !!!! 🤯😵‍💫 2) Your banter, timing, and cadence are perfectly n’synch. Your humor is so great because you are of your generation. Your lewks and voices are Perfection! 🤌🏽 3) You get me thinking about stuff that I would never put together. I 🖤🖤🖤 that! You just make me go, “Ohhh yeah!!!” I can’t wait to listen to you when HOTD comes out. I hope to catch you live. Thank you for being so articulate, informative, fun, and not afraid to deep dive with abandon! You just slap us in the face with GRRM Greatness. I can’t covey how enthralled I am to have found you! Bravo! Valor Magoulas! THANK YOU 🤴🏼

I think the ice and magics inside the wall are preventing the others from reaching through the net past it, like a cold firewall on your internet. and when it falls, there's no VPN in westeros haha

Roy! I love his vocal quality and mega granddad energy! You were too good to us!

So good! 🖤🖤🖤

Excellent work. You've been talking about ice spiders for years so I was pretty excited about this video. It was all I could hope for and more. Top notch in depth analysis, meaningful costume changes, and the levity that only you could bring. *Chef's kiss*

Hello from Brazil! Hard times here, your channel cheers me up. You blow my mind everytime, it's awesome. Thank you so much!

dude this is some of your best work. keep it coming!!

Great stuff David 👍

Some really great transitions in the art and great use of audio. Your work is getting better and better every video and then you hit us with a new theory 👏👏👏 well done sir well done 👍

I love how much you put out content and it is well researched and informative. Thx.

I’m liking this theory a lot. While fans of the books are probably familiar with the parallels between the weirnet, internet and spiderweb, you take the interpretation to a new level. Great novel ideas of the Others as exiled Green Men riding the weirnet and using frozen weirwood trees as portals to move around. Now, I haven’t gotten round to viewing all your videos surrounding the subject so perhaps you’ve already examined the Ravenhall Weirwood and drawn some conclusions there. So, in line with your theory, it just popped into mind that besides the tree being poisoned and dead for thousands of years, it may also represent your idea of a cordoned off section of the network where Other-spirits are being contained. The multitude of ravens that return to the tree every night could be alarm guards of sorts, keeping watch to make sure nothing escapes the tree -Bloodraven currently monitoring through their eyes of course. ADWD Jamie 1 also offers a ton of supporting symbolism from the very first line. Raventree Hall is described as having “moss spiderwebbing up its walls like the veins in a crone’s legs.” (Veins of older folks usually standing out blue). Inside we find a lot of netty, weaving symbolism: there are woven tapestries and doors of wooden latticework that open into the godswood. Tytos Blackwood and his son Hoster (!) are both gaunt, thin and tall, Tytos rides a gaunt horse. After the Red Wedding Tytos remained loyal to Rob Stark (named King of the North and King of Winter) and is currently besieged by the Brackens, trapped inside the keep and running out of food - possibly the clue to the portioned-off area of the weirnet. Anyway, there’s loads of symbolism in that chapter. Jamie as LC of the KG negotiates peace between the two factions, the sort of diplomacy I would expect from Jon Snow. Also, coming from the North, Raventree is the last standing weirwood before the God’s Eye further south (I think), so gaining control there might be essential to protecting the God’s Eye itself. Makes me wonder what role the very angry faced Harrenhall weirwood and indeed Harrenhall itself might play. That said, how does this theory gel with NK and NQ bringing forth white shadows into the world? Or Craster’s sons for that matter? Presumably the younger Others are the key to releasing the ancient spirits?