‘Game of Thrones’: Who Are the Children of the Forest?

Ryan James
TV Game of Thrones
TV Game of Thrones

SPOILER ALERT: Warning, this article contains spoilers from the Season 7, Episode 4 of Game of Thrones, entitled The Spoils of War. Proceed at your own risk.

Have you caught your breath yet? Picked your jaw up off the floor? Have you recovered from the incredibly intense “loot train battle” that ended the episode?  Because oh my god that was amazing, right?

Overall, this was an intense episode, packed to the gills with reunions, revelations, and insane action. Or, in the words of Missandei; “many things…”

But something you may have missed amongst all the dragon fire and Bran Stark creepiness, was the significance of Daenerys and Jon‘s conversation in the cave of dragonglass, specifically with regard to the Children of the Forest and the First Men.

Who Are the Children of the Forest?

The Children of the Forest are the original inhabitants of Westeros. They were humanoid creatures that worshipped nature and the spirits of trees, rocks and streams and also practiced magic. The religion of the Old Gods of the Forest, to which Jon Snow and other Starks subscribe is based on the Children’s beliefs. Wise men of the Children’s tribes were known as “Greenseers“, which is essentially what Bran has become.

The First Men hail from Essos and were the first human inhabitants of Westeros. The two groups came into conflict when the Men began cutting down the forests in which the Children lived. To combat the Men, the Children created what would eventually become the most fearsome creature ever to inhabit Westeros…the Night King.

Wait, The Children of the Forest Created The Night King?!?

The Children of the Forest indeed created the terrifying leader of the White Walkers and are responsible for the horrors coming for the inhabitants of Westeros. But, as shown in the drawings Jon discovers in the cave, the Children needed to fight alongside their enemies, the First Men, in order to defeat this threat.

What Does This Mean?

Clearly, Jon hopes that this will serve as proof of the existence of the Night King and convince Dany that it doesn’t matter who has control of the Iron Throne. The threat facing them is far greater than any other House. For the greater good and survival of the human inhabitants of Westeros, it’s essential that all those vying for the throne put aside their petty squabbles and band together to fight the Night King. Whether Dany is sold on this remains to be seen, but given their body language in the cave, she certainly does seem to be warming up to Jon Snow’s charms…

What do you think? Is Dany convinced? Join the discussion on Game of Thrones Fan Community!

Ryan James
Film geek with (often) questionable taste, recovering (but not really) goth, gamer, horror movie fan, podcast enthusiast, alarmingly clumsy