The Song of the Wind

The Song of the Wind is a piece of music referenced within the narrative of A Dance with Dragons, performed by the singer Abel during the tense wedding celebrations at Winterfell. Its appearance is brief but contextually significant, occurring amidst the forced merriment of the feast held to celebrate the union of Ramsay Bolton and the woman he presents as Arya Stark. The song is one of several that Abel, a bard who has insinuated himself into the castle with a group of women posing as washerwomen, plays to entertain the gathered northern lords and Bolton men. The specific performance of "The Song of the Wind" is noted as a soft and sad tune, a marked contrast to the more raucous songs that precede it, such as "The Dornishman's Wife" and "The Bear and the Maiden Fair." This shift in mood occurs just as Theon Greyjoy, tormented and broken, leaves the hall, and the song's melancholy quality underscores the pervasive dread and falsehood of the occasion. The song's title also echoes the thematic presence of wind throughout the novel, often used to describe the harsh, cold, and unforgiving environment of the North, as well as the fleeting and untrustworthy nature of words and promises, a recurring motif in the series. The performance of this particular song, with its gentle and sorrowful tone, serves as a momentary counterpoint to the brutality and political machinations unfolding within Winterfell's walls, highlighting the fragile and deceptive atmosphere of the wedding feast.