The White Walkers are mysterious mythical creatures in the world of Game of Thrones that pose a threat to the living. One of their most intriguing behaviors is their tendency to leave spirals and circular patterns out of body parts or other objects. These patterns clearly have some symbolic meaning, but what does it all represent? Here we will explore some of the key theories behind the White Walkers’ spiral symbols and what they could be trying to communicate.
Theory 1: Ritualistic Symbols
One common theory is that the spirals and circles are part of some ancient ritual or ceremony for the White Walkers. The White Walkers were originally members of a non-human civilization known as the First Men who were eventually turned into these undead ice creatures by the Children of the Forest. It is possible they are leaving symbols that harken back to their origins thousands of years ago.
The spirals may relate to astronomic conditions, the changing of the seasons, or magical practices. They serve as a way for the White Walkers to mark significant events as they prepare for their assault on the realms of men. The symbols act as part of rituals to summon their forces or bring good fortune in battle.
Theory 2: Marking Territories
Another possibility is that the White Walkers are using symbols like spirals to mark their territories as they expand their areas of control. As they move further south, they may be leaving signals to not only communicate with each other but also to warn human settlements of their advancing presence.
The symbols act as a reminder that the White Walkers lay claim to this land now and all who inhabit it will soon fall under their domain. It is a way of terrifying humans they are coming for them next. The spiral patterns are easy to spot and difficult to miss – sending a clear message to those who come across them.
Theory 3: Threatening Messages
Related to the territorial marking idea, the White Walkers may intend spirals as threatening messages and displays of their power. By leaving body parts arranged in strange circular shapes, they are signaling to their enemies that they will soon meet the same fate.
It is essentially an ominous warning of the carnage to come. They are not random acts of violence, but deliberate shows of force and intimidation. The White Walkers are letting humans know they are not safe anywhere and death is encroaching from all directions. It generates fear and keeps victims off balance before attacks.
Notable Examples of Spirals
Spiral of Body Parts
One of the first spirals encountered by humans south of the Wall is a massive pattern made of dismembered horses in the very first episode of Game of Thrones. The horse parts are arranged in a perfectly shaped spiral with the headless torso right at the center. This immediately conveys the White Walkers’ menacing abilities and introduces their habit of creating disturbing tableaus.
Spiral of Rocks
A spiral is found again later in the show when Jon Snow leads an expedition north of the Wall. As they are camped for the night, they discover a spiral shape on the ground formed out of rocks and boulders. This one appears more ritualistic, almost like a sacred site or altar. It seems to be sending a message that the White Walkers have returned and are on the move.
Spiral of Body Parts
In perhaps the most horrifying display, a young boy in the Night’s Watch comes across a spiral pattern of dismembered horse parts centered around a decapitated woman’s torso. This ominous arrangement includes severed legs and arms radiating out from the body. The macabre scene strongly suggests dark magic at work and shows the White Walkers are on the attack.
Interpretations of the Spiral Symbol
Let’s examine some theories on the specific meaning behind the repeated circular motif.
Symbol of Cyclical Time
The spiral may represent the cyclical nature of time and seasons in the world. The White Walkers were originally members of the First Men and as such had a different perspective on the passage of time than mortal men. To them, time runs in repetitive circles and loops rather than linearly. The spiral stands for temporal forces humans do not understand.
Symbol of Creation
As a circular form that grows outward from a central point, the spiral can symbolize unfolding creation. The White Walkers may associate spirals with cosmic forces involved in bringing matter into existence. In their culture, the act of creation starts with a single point and curves outwards like a spiral.
Symbol of Threefold Nature
Three is an important number within the belief system of the White Walkers. We see this in the three-armed spiral patterns they tend to leave behind. The triple spiral may reflect fundamental principles in their worldview based around magical properties of the number three. For instance, it could stand for complex concepts like life, death and rebirth.
Symbol of the Self
A spiral can represent introspection, consciousness and the self. Winding inward toward a central vanishing point, it reflects the White Walkers’ notion of selfhood. Perhaps they view humans as spiraling inward in chaotic self-absorption while their own sense of self spreads outward in an orderly pattern, controlling external realities.
Symbol of Dualism
On a related note, spirals portray the dualistic cosmology of the White Walkers. As we learn from the prequel series, these creatures harbor an innate dualism between ice and fire, darkness and light, cold and warmth. The interplay of opposing forces making up the universe is mapped onto the form of the spiral. It acts as a message that darkness and cold will soon extinguish light and warmth.
Cultural and Mythological Significance
To better understand why the White Walkers create spirals, let’s examine what circular and spiral shapes have symbolized in our own real world cultures.
Neolithic Spiral Petroglyphs
Spiral patterns carved into stone can be found in many Neolithic sites across Ireland, Scotland and Northern Europe. Dating back 5,000 – 6,000 years ago, no one knows their exact meaning, but theories include mapping astronomical alignments, representing the sun, moon or seasons, symbolizing death and rebirth, or marking territory. Like the White Walkers, maybe ancient humans used spirals to denote forces beyond their control.
Celtic and Norse Spirals
In Celtic art from the Iron Age period, spiral designs frequently represented eternal life and the endless flow of time. We see this in spiral patterns carved into stones and metals. In Norse mythology, the cycle of the seasons was embodied by a spiraling snake who curled itself around Yggdrasil, the World Tree. Across these cultures, spirals visualize recurring natural cycles and the infinite continuum of time.
Megalithic Spiral Structures
Many ancient megalithic structures feature spiraling patterns in their architecture. For instance, passage graves at Brú na Bóinne in Ireland contain carvings of triple spirals dating back 5,000 years. The Minoan palace Knossos from 1700 BC includes labyrinthine spiraling structures. This links the spiral shape to death rituals, spirituality, and cosmological understanding in ancient societies. The White Walkers inherit this archaic symbolism.
Folklore Spirits
In Scandinavian folklore dating back to the Middle Ages, spirals and labyrinths represent portals to the spirit world. Creatures like the huldra would lure men into the forest maze and make them lose their way. The White Walkers similarly lead men astray and represent an incursion from the mythic past. When seen today, spirals evoke this lore of arcane magic and forces beyond human comprehension.
Notable Spiral Examples
For further context, let’s examine a few other famous spirals that reveal how this enigmatic shape has fascinated humankind across history.
The Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical pattern where each number is the sum of the previous two. This recursive sequence tends toward the “golden ratio” represented by the Greek letter Phi. As the Fibonacci sequence progresses, dividing successive numbers approximates Phi more closely. This ratio creates a natural spiral shape found throughout nature in shells, flowers, pinecones, galaxies, DNA, and more.
The Golden Spiral
The golden spiral is a special form of logarithmic spiral where growth occurs according to the golden ratio 1.618. It is visible in various natural phenomena like nautilus shells, sunflower seed arrangements, ram’s horns, whirlpools, and vine growth that adhere to the Fibonacci sequence. The golden spiral reflects the intrinsic order and beauty of the natural world.
The Triskele
The triskele is a Celtic symbol consisting of three spirals or bent arms radiating from a central point. It appears on Neolithic carvings, Irish manuscripts, coins, and other artifacts. In various mythologies, it represents rotational motion as well as competing or complementary forces. The three-fold shape has parallels to the White Walkers’ three-armed spirals.
The Mayan Calendar
The Mayan Long Count calendar uses a series of nested cycles based on the numbers 13 and 20. When graphically envisioned, the calendar forms an intricate spiral pattern. Major events like eras and historical milestones fall at regular intervals along larger looping calendar cycles. This reflects the Mayan conception of time as cyclical rather than linear.
The Nautilus Shell
As a natural embodiment of the Fibonacci sequence and golden ratio, the nautilus shell manifests a perfect logarithmic spiral. Its chambers widen at a fixed rate as the soft-bodied nautilus mollusk grows. The shell’s beauty results from an elegant mathematical pattern observable in many domains of the natural world and reflects nature’s higher creative order.
The Meaning of the Spiral Revealed
Now that we have extensively surveyed spiral symbolism in various mythic and archaeological contexts along with key examples across history, we are ready to synthesize what the White Walkers’ spiral motif ultimately represents:
Cyclical Time
The spiral shape denotes cyclical patterns in nature, eternity, and the illusion of linear time.
Dualism
It represents metaphysical dualities and opposing forces underpinning the universe.
Power over Life and Death
The spiral signals the White Walkers’ dominion over mortal fate and the magical forces of death.
Inexorable Encroachment
Like the spiral’s inward coils, the White Walkers’ incursion is propelled by an inexorable inhuman logic.
Mystifying Otherness
The spiral epitomizes the utter alienness of the White Walkers and the unknowable mysteries of their magic.
So in summary, the spiral symbol distills key traits of the White Walkers: a view of time, force and mortality entirely distinct from human experience. Their spirals emerge from an esoteric history and culture utterly foreign to Westeros. Like many primal symbols, the spiral ultimately represents the mythic power of death itself.
Conclusion
The spiral patterns left by White Walkers draw upon ancient cultural meanings and mythic associations of the form. For premodern cultures, spirals vividly symbolized cyclical time, the mysterious workings of the cosmos, and forces governing life and death. The White Walkers inherit this archaic symbolism and imbue the spiral with their own supernatural significance. Their spirals herald the paradoxical nature of time, the metaphysical constitution of the universe, and the inevitability of death. By displaying these ominous symbols, the White Walkers signal their utter otherness to human existence and the doom they bring. So while the origins of the spiral may remain obscure, deciphering its mythic resonance helps clarify the White Walkers’ dark intentions.