Patchface

Patchface is the grotesque, prophetic fool of Princess Shireen Baratheon, whose cryptic, rhyming utterances—often beginning with 'I know, I know, oh, oh, oh'—and allusions to a world 'under the sea' mark him as a figure of uncanny, often ominous, insight within the grim northern setting of A Dance with Dragons.

Identity and Appearance

Patchface is instantly recognizable by his motley and the cowbells on his antlered hat, which clang with every movement. At Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, someone sewed him a motley cloak of beaver pelts, sheepskins, and rabbit fur, and his hat sported antlers hung with bells and long brown flaps of squirrel fur that hung down over his ears. His puffy cheeks are tattooed with motley, making him hard to overlook. He is a simpleton, as Cotter Pyke's letters had made mention, and his speech is a stream of disjointed, rhyming prophecies and nonsense.

Narrative Role and Ominous Utterances

Patchface serves as a constant, unsettling presence, particularly in the company of Queen Selyse and Princess Shireen. His words are often dismissed as madness, yet they carry a dark, prophetic weight. When Queen Selyse first arrives at Castle Black, Patchface shuffles his feet in a grotesque dance step and chants, "In the dark the dead are dancing. I know, I know, oh oh oh." Later, as the queen and her party make their way across the yard, he proclaims, "Under the sea the mermen feast on starfish soup, and all the serving men are crabs." When Jon Snow suggests leading the ranging to Hardhome, Patchface jumps up and declares, "I will lead it! We will march into the sea and out again. Under the waves we will ride seahorses, and mermaids will blow seashells to announce our coming, oh, oh, oh." When told of the marriages being arranged for Gerrick Kingsblood's daughters, he adds, "Under the sea, men marry fishes. They do, they do, they do."

Perceived Danger and Melisandre's Judgment

Patchface's strange utterances are not merely foolish; they are perceived as genuinely dangerous by the red priestess Melisandre. She warns Jon Snow directly, saying, "That creature is dangerous. Many a time I have glimpsed him in my flames. Sometimes there are skulls about him, and his lips are red with blood." This assessment places Patchface in a unique category of threat, one that Melisandre, who sees visions in her fires, takes seriously. The implication is that his madness is a conduit for something dark and real, a connection to the terrors of the night that the red woman's god is meant to combat.