In last Sunday’s episode of ‘Game of Thrones‘ titled “Book of the Stranger,” we saw a letter from Ramsay Bolton to Jon Snow which proves to be a pivotal point in the events on the show. A similar letter was sent in the novel ‘A Dance with Dragons’ though the timeline and phrasing were slightly different there. While the phrasing of the letter itself isn’t too full of spoilers, some of the details around it are. For those who are not caught up with the show or the books and want to experience them firsthand, I suggest turning back now!
The Bastard Letter, or to some the Pink Letter, is the note that Ramsay Bolton pens to Jon Snow which gets him set on a course for a confrontation between these two bastards. In it, Bolton is willing to let Snow carry on with his meaningless life if he gives into his demands. Clearly the taunting is made in a way to lure Snow into battle and a trap against a force he cannot overcome.
I suspect with already seeing Snow return from the dead that a war between these two will show us a death that is as satisfying as when King Joffrey was poisoned. Honestly, it’ll probably be even more so.
Here’s the letter:
If you are having problems reading it we have it transcribed below:
To the Traitor and Bastard Jon Snow You allowed thousands of wildlings
past the wallYou have betrayed your own kind
you have betrayed the NorthWinterfell is mine Bastard
Come and seeYour brother Rickon is in my dungeon
His direwolf’s skin is on my floor
Come and seeI want my bride back. Send her to me
And I will not trouble you or your wildling lovers
Keep her from me
And I will ride north and slaughter
Every Wildling man woman and babe
living under your protectionYou will watch
as I skin them living
You will watch
as my soldiers take turns
raping your sister
You will watch
as my dogs devour
your wild little brotherThen
I will spoon your eyes from their sockets
and let my dogs do the rest
Come and seeRamsay Bolton
Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North
This letter has already clearly stirred Snow to battle as he is preparing to meet Ramsay with the Wildlings at his back. Only we can all suspect that The Knight’s Watch, various families in the North, and sorcery will also be joining the cause.
In the novels, a similar letter spurred Jon into action but it happened in a slightly different order than what we’ve seen play out on screen. It wasn’t letting the Wildlings through the wall, instead it was this letter which moved him to action which was the final straw that had his brothers turn against him. Other differences also occurred in the books. Ramsay didn’t have Rickon at all and did not marry Sansa Stark but her handmaiden who was masquerading as Arya Stark. Also at this point, we don’t know Stannis Baratheon’s fate in the books. Finally, Mance Rayder was also alive and had been sent to rescue the fake Arya from Winterfell.
Here is how the letter looked in the books:
Your false king is dead, bastard. He and all his host were smashed in seven days of battle. I have his magic sword. Tell his red whore.
Your false king’s friends are dead. Their heads upon the walls of Winterfell. Come see them, bastard. Your false king lied, and so did you. You told the world you burned the King-Beyond-the-Wall. Instead you sent him to Winterfell to steal my bride from me.
I will have my bride back. If you want Mance Rayder back, come and get him. I have him in a cage for all the north to see, proof of your lies. The cage is cold, but I have made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell.
I want my bride back. I want the false king’s queen. I want his daughter and his red witch. I want this wildling princess. I want his little prince, the wildling babe. And I want my Reek. Send them to me, bastard, and I will not trouble you or your black crows. Keep them from me, and I will cut out your bastard’s heart and eat it.
Ramsay Bolton, Trueborn Lord of Winterfell.
Are you excited to see that it will most likely be Jon Snow that takes down Ramsay Bolton? Do you think this is a confrontation that will happen soon or will it be closer to the end of the season? Share your thoughts below!
Source: Comic Book
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
