Stealing Skins: the Bolton Secret - A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones

There's a reason for all the Bolton flaying in the story: it's not only horror and cruelty, but also the key to ancient magic which enabled the Boltons to rival the Starks for thousands of years. I will explain to you here in this brand spankin new Bolton theory, and yes this has to do with the Faceless Men.

Twitter: @thedragonLML | Instagram: @davidlightbringer

title image uses "Roose Bolton" by Bella Bergolts

[postpunk]

The fact that Ramsay named his hounds after the girls he hunted gives new meaning to his eventual death by being mauled to death by his own hounds... these poor souls will receive revenge from beyond the grave.

[GabrielFerreira-spyg]

this format of making a short video about a theory you explained in one of the streams, while adding more evidence (w/ the help of the chat), might be great to bump the numbers of the channel. Hope to see more of these

[mattfoulgerBC]

You’re doing incredible service to the ASOIAF community, David. You’re going to get us through the Long Night.

[baxterosburn]

I love that we as a community have gotten to the point where "Bolt On" is a relatively well known and almost tame theory.
I think that your expansion of it here fits with the in-universe lore and magic systems much better than the original theory. This is more than plausible and I think it's likely. Great contribution to the fandom at large, Dave!

[bbaft]

After reading Skin Trade by GRRM years ago, I became convinced that the Boltons were skinning the Starks to steal their magic. You took that theory much farther with great evidence. Great video, LML!

[juanp]

The idea of the Boltons "breaking" someone in order the supplant their identity and control them is very thematically sound, as they've already done that with Theon and Jeyne. I definitely think there is something to this theory, great job as always

[jonhauge-evaldsson]

It is something about the original Reek, who was always smelling bad. Even his blood smelld bad. Roose says that Ramsey's blood is bad and tainted.

"Tainted blood is ever treacherous, and Ramsay's nature was sly, greedy, and cruel. I count myself well rid of him. The trueborn sons my young wife has promised me would never have been safe while he lived."

—Roose Bolton writing to Edmure Tully

"His blood is bad. He needs to be leeched. The leeches suck away the bad blood, all the rage and pain. No man can think so full of anger. Ramsay, though ... his tainted blood would poison even leeches, I fear."

—Roose Bolton to Theon Greyjoy

Was the original Reek also a Bolton bastard? Is there something rotten in the Bolton blood? Would Roose stink like that if he was not leached? Will Ramsey start smelling as well?

Was the original Reek wearing a dead man's skin already? Is that why he stank?

[robertphillips]

It still cracks me up that your Rhaegar has a better wig than the GOT Rhaegar.

[namonibblonian]

I absolutely love that you gave Rhagear a place to live and that you put him to work, California isn't cheap lol.

[JValerianS]

This theory also adds a new level of meaning to "a flayed man having no secrets".

[conniesuper]

Ned to jory:Take Lady to the North, to WF. I'LL NOT HAVE THE QUEEN HAVING THIS PELT.
Jory:to the north? ALL THAT WAY?
Ned:Yes, all that way.

[acorpuscle]

Love your theory, and for the first time, all your and Rhaegar’s ads. When Arya put on the girj’s face, she got her memories too, makes sense.

[Ash.Crow.Goddess]

Reminds me of the Selkie myth. Selkies are seals that have magical skin. They are fully seals (not half human/half seal), but they shed their skin on land in order to dance on the shore in full human form. So human men will happen upon a seal skin and they will steal it, because without it, the woman cannot turn back into their true form, and therefore cannot return to the sea to live. The men steal their skin to keep them human. Imagine...
The Boltons steal a Stark woman to marry, the Stark woman slips into her wolf and can bring her wolf around to help her escape. Furthermore, she could probably even bring a bunch of wolves around. After all, you don't hang a giant wolf pack on a wall only to not use it, right? Wink, wink. She's "finding her skin" when her wolf comes around. There is also a story in which her children find her magical seal skin and return it to her, so she can be free again. Her "children" could be her wolf and either their magical brethren, or even could include regular wolves. A regular wolf could easily be considered a dire wolf's child, especially if they are pack mates. So, the Boltons have to "steal the skin" (find and kill the animal) in order to keep their women from having their animals, or their "children" to come and help. For that matter, the wolves that come to rescue them could be their actual children. Their Stark children.

[derekhammond]

"A widow brought the dried corpse of her husband, covered with a crust of silvered leaves; such remnants were believed to have great power, especially if the deceased had been a sorcerer, as this one had." - A Clash of Kings

Makes me think the remains of the Kings of Winter would be very powerful indeed. Or maybe a Targaryen in a cask of backbelly rum?

[smpk]

George's previous book makes this theory much stronger, out of all the house Bolton theorys this seems most likely.
Amazing video as usual.

[squisherking]

This is one of those theories that just makes sense to me. It gives lore and a reason to something we already know happens. Well done Dave!

[RockGod]

Just looked and there are actually a few posts on Reddit from 9 or 10 years ago which come to this conclusion based on "The Skin Trade" its an awesome theory, and probably 100% correct. Before knowing that George has used this technique before I figured it was likely true, but with the knowledge of "The Skin Trade" its definitely what the Boltons are doing. George loves to recycle ideas from his old stories (usually to great effect too).

[Brellowcrop]

You've been seriously churning out videos recently. I still got that Faegon shit to listen to, and now this. Gonna be good for my 12 hour flight tomorrow. Time to download. Thanks, mate. Love this Botton shit you were talking about before, too. I like this one

[DavidSimonTetruashvili]

Translating streams to short produced videos is a great idea!

The one thing that I felt was missing was your passage readings. A reading of the Verimir passage you mentioned would have gone the extra mile.

[whoopontrose]

Mhhm, i kind of think the torture thing is trying to make the skinchanger retreat into his animal of choice, freeing that person up for "posession" if you so will.
Then its a waiting game, until the Skinchanger melts fully with his animal, loosing himself into it. Naming the animal afterwards of their human name, is just another form of torture, maybe even part of the source of their power.
Maybe what you mean with "torturing magic" is just another way of sacrificing. Just instead children of the forest, its the magically gifted Skinchangers, using their own ability through a weird link of pain.