Giant

Giants are a race of colossal, hairy humanoids native to the lands beyond the Wall, now nearly extinct. In A Dance with Dragons, they appear as remnants of a dying species, serving as both a source of brute strength and a poignant symbol of a world that is passing away. Their presence at the Wall, first as enemies and later as uneasy allies, underscores the desperate alliances forced by the coming of winter and the Others.

Nature and Appearance

Giants are massive, hairy creatures with sloped shoulders, legs as large as tree trunks, and huge splayed feet. They are not the savage monsters of Old Nan's tales, who mixed blood into their morning porridge and devoured whole bulls. The giants encountered at the Wall are a diminished people, their numbers dwindling. One giant, Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, called Wun Wun, is a willing worker of prodigious strength, though he eats no meat at all, preferring roots and vegetables. He speaks the Old Tongue after a fashion, but nothing of the Common Tongue, and can lash out violently when threatened, his huge hands strong enough to rip a man apart. The giants are described as being almost gone, their time coming to an end in the world that men have made.

Role in the War Beyond the Wall

Giants fought on the side of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, during his assault on the Wall. Among the captives taken by Stannis Baratheon after the battle were four giants. One would not leave his mammoth, and the others would not leave him, so they remained behind when the other wildlings passed through the Wall. Later, when Jon Snow negotiates with Tormund Giantsbane to allow the free folk through the Wall, Tormund's band includes almost two hundred giants and more than eighty mammoths. The giants are too large to pass through the gate at Castle Black, so they must take the long way around to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.

Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun at Castle Black

Wun Wun is the only giant to pass through the Wall at Castle Black, crawling on hands and knees through the icy tunnel. He is housed in Hardin's Tower, where he is a source of both wonder and fear. He is put to work shoveling snow and is a holy terror when served a basket of roots, crunching onions and turnips between his big square teeth. Jon Snow speaks with the giant whenever he can, learning much about his people and their history. Wun Wun's presence is a constant source of tension, especially with the queen's men, who view him as a monster. Ser Patrek of King's Mountain, a knight of Queen Selyse's retinue, draws his sword on the giant, but Jon Snow intervenes, insisting that Wun Wun is a guest. The giant's laughter is said to put a dragon's roar to shame.

The Death of Ser Patrek and Jon Snow's Assassination

The giant's presence ultimately leads to a fatal confrontation. Wun Wun is found bleeding from sword cuts on his belly and arm, dangling the bloody corpse of Ser Patrek of King's Mountain by one leg. The knight's head is a red and pulpy mess, and his white cloak is spattered with blood and bone. Jon Snow rushes to the scene to prevent further bloodshed, ordering the men to keep back and put away their steel. It is in this moment of chaos, as Jon tries to calm the giant, that Bowen Marsh and other brothers of the Night's Watch turn on him, stabbing him with daggers. The giant's rampage provides the cover for the assassination of the Lord Commander.

Thematic Significance

Giants represent a dying world, a race of beings from the Age of Heroes who are fading from the earth. The children of the forest note that the giants are almost gone, their time passing. Their presence at the Wall, alongside the free folk, the Night's Watch, and the queen's men, creates a volatile mix of cultures and species. The giants are a reminder of the ancient, wild world that exists beyond the Wall, a world that is being forced into an uneasy alliance with the civilized south to face a common, supernatural enemy. Their brute strength is a valuable asset, but their alien nature and the fear they inspire make them a destabilizing force, contributing directly to the tragic events that end the novel.