A Song of Ice and Firetells a fairly grounded story for a world with dragons, zombies, and magic. Sorcery always comes second to interpersonal drama. Most conflicts are resolved with good old-fashioned steel. Mystical elements are often mysterious tricks that make individual characters more powerful. The skinchangers of the novels or wargs of the show are intriguing examples that share a unique bond with beasts.
Any concerns about the accuracy of HBO’sGame of Throneswere widely ignoredafter the final season. As the entirety of that season was written without source material, the previous deviations seemed slight by comparison. The terminology might shift around, but the truth of the story remains in place.
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What are Wargs inGame of Thrones?
Wargs are unique humans born with the power to project their consciousness from their bodies and enter the mind of animals. This gift cannot be learned. It’s a magical ability that occurs in a smallpercentage of the population. Wargs typically experience vivid reoccurring dreams in which they see through the eyes of an animal. With training and focus, wargs can later learn to enter the mind of a beast at will. The warg’s human body remains inert while they use their power. Their eyes roll over white while they’re out of their body. Wargs find it easiest to bond with an animal that they already know. Though they could theoretically warg into any passing animal, most select a pet or companion to possess.
Wargs often use their powers to act as scouts or hunters. They can innately sense the presence of other wargs. Orell, awildling scout in Mance Rayder’s army, used an eagle to see the path ahead. It can be incredibly traumatic for a warg’s companion to die during the bond. The human will survive, but it’s comparable to a near-death experience. If the warg’s human body is killed while their mind is with the beast, they can stay in the animal to live a Second Life. A warg can briefly cheat death in the form of their chosen companion. If they manage to eject their consciousness from their doomed body and enter the animal, they earn an indeterminate period of extra life. The animal’s body isn’t meant to hold a human’s mind, eventually causing the warg’s consciousness to fade. Wargs can’t switch between animalsafter their body dies. They only get a brief stay of execution in the mind of their favorite companion.
Are Wargs different in the books?
The original novels use different terminology and add many fine details to this concept. In the books, a skinchanger is a person who can see through the eyes of an animal. The term “warg” is used to refer to those who skinchange into wolves. The show uses “warg” to refer to all skinchangers and coins the verb “warging.” Skinchangers are thought to be geneticallylinked to the First Men. This would imply that only the people of the North, the Ironborn, and wildlings would carry the gene. Almost every child of Ned Stark is thought to be an untrained warg. Arya has dreams through the eyes of her direwolf, Nymeria. Sansa loses her wolf early, but there are implications that she has similar experiences.Jon explicitly enters thebody of his direwolf, Ghost. Bran is the most skilled skinchanger in the family, demonstrating the rarified ability to control a human. Bran skinchanges into Hodor, demonstrating his advanced power despite never training.
The wildling skinchangers have developed rules around the act. Wildlings are forbidden from possessing the mind of a human being. It’s unclear whether most skinchangers could perform that feat, but wildlings are likely to shun anyone who pulls it off. Wildling skinchangers are also discouraged from entering the mind of an animal while it’s mating or consuming human flesh. These actions are seen as tantamount to bestiality and cannibalism and are widely condemned.The Northmen and thewildlings generally agree that skinchanging is a gift from the Old Gods. Both cultures inherited that outdated faith during the thousands of years their ancestors spent alongside the indigenous Children of the Forest. The text states that roughly one in every 1000 eligible babies born is a warg. That would suggest there could be countless people experiencing animal dreams without knowing what they’re capable of.
Wargs have a unique power that makes them dangerous among the traditional knights and barbarians of Westeros. Their skill remains mysterious, but the idea of fighting a man who could possess a wolf at any moment adds a lot to the fantasy setting. The show might not have done as much with skinchangers as the book, but the wargs still raise many interesting questions. Theupcoming Jon Snow spin-offseries could delve deeper into the Stark family’s connection to their wolves. Until then, skinchangers will remain a fascinating footnote in the wider world ofA Song of Ice and Fire.
