Game of Thrones - Night's Watch Vows (spoilers if you saw last night's episode)

[NewJeffCT]

"Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all nights to come. "

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Night%E2%80%99s_Watch

In both the book and on the TV show, it seems if you have sex, you've broken your vows. However, if you look at the wording of the vows, the key words are I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. Sure, you have the potential of fathering children if you have sex... but, having sex doesn't always translate to fathering a child.

[Hayabusa]

1. That's why there's

a brothel in Mole's Town.

[nolabear]

2. Exactly. Jon Snow was a bit of a git about his vows, but he knew nothing.

[NewJeffCT]

4. well, I can forgive him that

I mean how many 20 year old guys are going to be thinking of their vows if they have an attractive & horny nude woman in front of them?

"I suppose I could stay a bit longer..." as Sir Galahad said at the Castle Anthrax.

[Hayabusa]

5. "Can I have a bit more peril?"

[NewJeffCT]

6. "No, too perilous"

we're just four score young women between 16 and 19 1/2... bathing, dressing, undressing, knitting exciting underwear.

[NewJeffCT]

10. They aged most of the characters on the show

Jon is 15 and, I think, Ygritte is 17 or 18 in the books. However, in season 1, espisode 1, Bran was 10, Arya 12 and Sansa 14 - or, 2 years older each. Ned & Cat were both mid 40s when they were mid 30s in the book, etc, etc.

Dany was 13 at the start of Game of Thrones, but you can't have 13 year old nudity - even on HBO. So, she was late teens/early 20s on the show.

[Xithras]

14. Indeed. Dany was the reason they pushed all of the ages up.

In the book, Khal Drogo was over 30 years old when he entered into the arranged marriage with Dany and consummated the relationship. HBO was hesitant about the violence surrounding many of the young characters, and concerned about casting Rickons character (Rickon was only 3 in the book) but the sexual relationship between Drogo and Dany was something that they particularly worried about, as some nations have child pornography laws that prohibit even simulated sex acts between a character represented to be underage, and an adult. The simple fix was to simply increase everyones ages by 3-4 years. Dany is 16 in the TV show, which is the most common age of consent in the United States (in other words, a real 16 year old Dany could have sex with a real 30+ year old Khal Drogo in most American states without breaking any laws). It was a dodge to avoid controversy and legal problems.

[NewJeffCT]

3. True

but, even that is referred to as breaking your vows - the Old Bear said something about how if he hung everybody for oath-breaking who went to Molestown, there'd be nobody left to man the wall.

[siligut]

7. Casting really shines when we see Rose and Kit together

The chemistry between them is palpable. I think it was you, JeffCT, who told me that the two are dating IRL.

Didn't Jon forsake his vows when he left the Night's Watch?

[NewJeffCT]

8. True - he must have forsaken his vows

when "leaving" the Night's Watch.

and, yes, Kit Harington & Rose Leslie are dating IRL.

[Marrah_G]

13. She is one of my favorite characters on the screen

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. Ygritte/Rose Leslie. Nice. Very nice.

That is all.

Probably my favorite female on GOT from a pure looks perspective.

And I'll just go ahead and add--as a straight male who is 100% comfortable in his own sexuality--the actor who plays Jon Snow is a very good looking guy.

[Marrah_G]

12. But then again this is set in a time without birth control

So it makes more sense when thought of that way.

[Duer 157099]

15. Totally off topic, but about that scene

sheesh, I mean, there's a waterfall in the background, we *know* they haven't bathed in awhile... why the hell weren't they in the water first? That's what I want to know.

[NewJeffCT]

16. the wilding way

is very dirty.

[Duer 157099]

17. I guess.

But then I had the same problem with the Jamie scene. I just wanted him to dunk his whole head in the water, which he didn't do, well until he nearly passed out or whatever. I just wanted to scrub the dirt off his face and shoulders!

And man, I can only imagine what Jon Snow and those guys smell like under all that animal skin. Ugh!

Like one of them said about their burning compatriot: "I never imagined he could smell so good."

[Baitball Blogger]

18. I think there was an artsy reason for having Jaime in that bath scene with a dirty face.

That whole scene was about wearing a shame as King Slayer that was never his to carry. The dirty face was symbolic of that.

[NewJeffCT]

21. good point

and, kind of gives people a new perspective on the Kingslayer... though, he still pushed an 8 year old boy out a high window.

[Baitball Blogger]

22. Exactly.

He hates the Starks and that will bring him in conflict with our besties.

[harmonicon]

20. That was my thought as well.

From the look of her undershirt I can't imagine... ugh... dear god. You're a trooper, Jon Snow.

[harmonicon]

19. Plenty of crows go whoring in Molestown. (nt)