May I please ask if you think it more accurate to describe Professor X as a Philanthropist rather than an Activist? (I was looking over some of your thoughts on good old Charles Francis and his X-Men when this question struck me, most particularly your opinion that these Children of the Atom tend to engage in a fairly rarified form of political discourse).

Yeah, that sounds fair. Maybe a cross between a philanthropist and an academic, since Xavier focuses on debate and private education.

I will say that the new mini-series X-Men Grand Design does a somewhat better job of giving the early X-Men a political context.

Apologies if you’ve gotten this question before, but today’s CBC analysis made me wonder: is GRRM overegging the pudding a bit on the destruction of the riverlands? Taking this (“A half mile on, green began to creep back into the world once more.”) literally, whole square miles of land have been burned completely. That sounds more like the Western Front in WW1, way beyond the capacity of medieval warfare.

Read the accounts of the

chevauchées of the Hundred Years War, and you’ll change your mind on that.

Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis: Jaime III, ASOS

“This was what he was meant for; he never felt so alive as when he was fighting, with death balanced on every stroke. And with my wrists chained together, the wench may even give me a contest for a time.” Synopsis: you’ve got to hand it to Jaime Lannister, he knows when to pick a fight at the worst time. SPOILER WARNING: This chapter analysis, and all following, will contain spoilers for all Song…

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How the hell does Dontos Hollard end up like that? Since he was taken as a squire in KL after Barristan asked to spare his life, one would assume he became Barristan’s squire. How do you squire for Barristan Goddamn Selmy and wind up a useless drunk? Also weird that, as for as I know, Barristan never thinks about him in his POVs. You’d think a failure like that would stick out.

I wouldn’t assume that, necessarily.

And I would imagine Dontos Hollard ended up an alcoholic probably because his entire family was brutally executed when he was a child and he was probably a witness to it.

you said kevan doesnt have lands…. so how those he lives? how does he maintain his family, keep food has a bed? this of course before he became regent… did tywin just gave him a sack of gold each month?

“I hold no lands, that is true. But I have certain incomes, and chests of coin set aside. My own father forgot none of his children when he died, and Tywin knew how to reward good service. I feed two hundred knights and can double that number if need be. There are freeriders who will follow my banner, and I have the gold to hire sellswords. You would be wise not to take me lightly, Your Grace … and wiser still not to make of me a foe.“ (AFFC)

Why were shields normally made of wood studded with iron rather than solid iron or steel?

Solid iron and steel is very heavy. Wooden shields were much lighter. However, I do want to note that the metalwork in question tended to emphasize a band around the edge and then a boss in the center, as opposed to a pattern of metal studs.

Does Ned’s stated motivation for not participating in tournaments make sense? Unless he’s covering massive incompetence (duel with Jaime suggests not), would letting enemies not see his fighting style be worth forgoing the social & financial benefits of participation & success? Jaime, Loras & Gregor all do tournaments, and the latter 2 take their success or failure VERY seriously, but no one ever used a weakness spotted in a tourney to beat them (magic poison & hot oil work on everyone).

That’s a show-only detail, but according to WOIAF, the North doesn’t really go into jousting tourneys, which are part and parcel of the Andal culture of chivalry. So for a Northman, there’s not much of a social benefit.

What were medieval interest rates like? Would interest rates differ between the free cities and westeros?

Quite high, on average around 12%.

And yes, I would expect interest rates to be lower in the Free Cities, where there is greater “depth” of liquid capital.

Hey, I’m an anon that has given you waaaay too many asks in the last since I discovered your blog a few months ago, and especially in the last couple weeks, and double especially in the last few days (wage labor, Lady SH, Anya Waynwood, and Robin’s death were all from me). I just wanted to express my appreciation for this blog and what u do here, its become a core factor in keeping my asoiaf obsession alive

Well, thanks!

Hi I have a question about maesters. Robert was said to have sent “his own maester to treat Barristan Selmy” after he was injured at the trident. Do maesters typically accompany men to battles? And even so if maesters are bound by to serve specific castles rather than people how did Robert have his own maester? Wouldn’t his maester have been Cressen who was in Storm’s End during the Siege?

Since maesters are pretty much the only ones with formal medical training in Westeros, it makes sense to me that highborn folks would want some of them on hand to keep people from dying.
Maesters aren’t physically bound to a castle – we have lots of cases of maesters who travel. Maester Kennet, serving at Winterfell, did archaelogical digs at Long Lake; Maester Wyllis traveled to Hardhome to research the wildlings; Maester Pol traveled to Qohor to research the secrets of Qohoric steel; and so on.
It’s not impossible that a great lord might have more than one maester (Stannis has two at Dragonstone, for example).