Summer
Summer is the grey-and-silver direwolf of Bran Stark, named by Bran upon waking from his coma. As the most wary and intelligent of the litter, Summer becomes Bran's constant companion and protector, saving his life during an assassination attempt and later serving as his legs and eyes after Bran's fall leaves him crippled.
Identity and Bond with Bran
Summer was one of the six direwolf pups found by Robb Stark and Jon Snow in the late summer snows, the litter of a dead direwolf that had been killed by a stag's antler. Bran was given a grey-black pup, but when he woke from his long coma after being pushed from a tower, he found a different wolf beside him—a silver-and-smoke direwolf with yellow-gold eyes. Bran named him Summer, a name that reflected the season of his awakening and the hope of recovery. From that moment, Summer became inseparable from Bran, sleeping on his bed and licking his face as he regained consciousness. The wolf's warmth and presence seemed to sustain Bran during his darkest hours; Maester Luwin noted that when the window was closed to shut out Summer's howling, Bran weakened, and when it was opened again, his heart beat stronger.
Protector and Guardian
Summer's protective instincts proved vital when an assassin attempted to kill Bran in his sickbed. The assassin, a small dirty man, had set the library tower on fire as a diversion, expecting Catelyn Stark to rush to put it out. When Catelyn remained with Bran, the man attacked her, but Summer appeared silently and leaped at him, taking out half his throat with a single bite. Afterward, the wolf cleaned the blood from Catelyn's hand and lay down beside Bran, guarding him. Robb later ordered that Summer be allowed to stay in the room with Bran at all times, recognizing the wolf's role in keeping his brother safe.
Role in Bran's New Life
After Bran's fall left him unable to walk, Summer became his constant companion, following him everywhere—to the godswood, to Maester Luwin's turret, and through the castle. When Bran rode for the first time after his injury, Summer and Grey Wind ran beside him, sniffing the wind. Summer was described as the smartest of the litter, more wary than Grey Wind, and his yellow-gold eyes saw all there was to see. When Bran was carried by Hodor, Summer padded beside them, a silent guardian. The wolf's presence gave Bran comfort and a sense of safety, especially after the traumatic encounter with wildling deserters in the wolfswood, where Summer helped fight off the attackers alongside Grey Wind.
Relationship with Other Direwolves
Summer maintained a complex relationship with his siblings. He was smaller than Grey Wind and more cautious, but he was also the most intelligent. When Shaggydog attacked Maester Luwin in the crypts, Summer intervened, slamming into the black wolf and fighting him until they were separated. This incident highlighted the wildness of Shaggydog and the loyalty of Summer to his human pack. Summer also showed a particular wariness of strangers, growling at Tyrion Lannister when the dwarf visited Winterfell, and he would not allow anyone to approach Bran without his approval.
Thematic Significance
Summer embodies the Stark words "Winter is Coming" in reverse—he represents the hope and warmth of summer that Bran clings to after his fall. His name is a direct contrast to the cold and darkness that threaten the north, and his presence symbolizes Bran's survival and the resilience of the Stark blood. As Bran's physical abilities diminished, Summer became an extension of his will, a fierce protector in a world that had become dangerous. The bond between them transcends ordinary animal companionship; it is a mystical connection that reflects the ancient magic of the direwolves and the old gods of the north.
The direwolf pups that appear in the novel's opening chapter originated from Martin's initial creative spark for the entire series. In the summer of 1991, while working on a science fiction novel titled Avalon, Martin conceived the first chapter—a young boy witnessing a beheading and discovering direwolf pups in "summer snows"—and wrote it in just a few days. This scene, which introduces Summer and his littermates, became the foundation of A Game of Thrones. Martin had long wanted to write an epic fantasy after reading J. R. R. Tolkien, and he built the world as he wrote, initially planning a trilogy. The novel was published in August 1996 by Bantam Books in the US and HarperCollins Voyager in the UK, with modest print runs of several thousand and 1500 copies respectively. The US edition was released early for the June 1996 American Booksellers Association convention, and additional copies were distributed at the July Westercon.
