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In "Home", episode 2 of season 6,

Hodor is shown as a village boy named Wyllis who can speak.

Some of my friends online have been toying with the idea that:

Hodor was actually a Warg. And based on Wyllis's affectionate look at young Lyanna it may be possible that he was in love with her.

So possibly he would have been warging into her horse so that he can be with her. And he stayed there too long and began to forget his human self.

So when Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna; Hodor warged into that horse and was subsequently killed. As a result he is that way and can speak only "Hodor", his fear of lightining, carrying bran on his back saddle and other horse like qualities.

Now we know GRRMs style of leaving subtle hints in place.

  • Has there been any hints dropped about this in the books? Is this possible?
  • What other stories are there where a warg goes into an animal and that animal has been killed?
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  • 2
    You should probably remove the second bullet point, since requests for lists of works or recommendations are off-topic here. The first bullet point seems fine, but bear in mind that the books and the show have diverged so much at this point that it may be a bad idea to have the first part of your question based on the show and the question itself asking about the books. I also edited your title to make it clearer that the question isn't opinion-based.
    – Rand al'Thor
    May 5, 2016 at 12:53
  • or he got hit in the head real hard
    – Himarm
    May 5, 2016 at 15:37
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    I've seen a lot of tinfoil about GoT, but this is unusually foily :)
    – TLP
    May 5, 2016 at 23:36

3 Answers 3

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Update from Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 5, The Door, we see

How Hodor came to only say "Hodor"... he was holding the door while Bran was escaping, having a green vision, and warging into "Hodor". Myra was screaming "hold the door" which Wyllis heard and went mad due to the warging.

Hold the door. Hol th door. Ho th dor. Hodor.


The main question here is pure speculation, so I am going to answer the secondary question about what else we see the books and show.

The story of Orell

Orell was the wildling who could control an eagle. He helped Tormund track Jon down when Jon ditched the wildlings south of the wall. This lead to the showdown near the windmill. Orell is killed, but before he dies, he is able to transfer his consciousness into the eagle.

The story of Varamyr Sixskins

Varamyr was able to take control of the eagle that Orell was now occupying. He could hear Orell's thoughts from within the eagle. Melisandre killed this eagle with fire magic and it drove Varamyr insane. After the defeat at Castle Black, Varamyr loses control of his most of his animals and retreats north of the wall. When Varamyr was dying he was able to transfers his consciousness into his wolf One-Eye.

We have not seen the exact scenario you present (the animal being killed will a still alive human occupies it, but as you say GRRM does like to leave hints. Currently, anything regarding Hodor is going to be pure speculation.

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  • Thanks, the varamyr story did point out some of the things i was looking for. Also thanks for the edit :)
    – mattyman
    May 6, 2016 at 6:56
  • Actually, we have seen that in the books: Melissandre burned the eagle Varamyr took from Orell while he was still in there. Varamyr felt it die and it was called small death by him, as compared to true one. There's also Varamyrs father killing dogs with an axe while boy Var is in their head.
    – jo1storm
    Oct 19, 2017 at 9:46
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There appears to be no evidence that Hodor is a Warg. However, as we learn in Season 6 Episode 5, "The Door", Hodor's state wasn't caused by him being a warg.

It was caused by Bran warging into child Hodor and controlling present day Hodor. He then forces Hodor to hold onto a door to stop the wights coming through even as they tear at his flesh and kill him. So his state of mind is essentially caused by seeing his own death. The scene can be viewed here:


Note that in the books it is also stated that when a warg's animal dies as they are controlling it it effects them deeply. This has been shown with Varamyr Sixskins when an eagle he was controlling was burnt:

"Your Lord Mormont trusted too easily. Else he would not have died as he did. But we were speaking of you. I have not forgotten that it was you who brought us this magic horn, and captured Mance Rayder's wife and son."
"Dalla died." Jon was saddened by that still. "Val is her sister. She and the babe did not require much capturing, Your Grace. You had put the wildlings to flight, and the skinchanger Mance had left to guard his queen went mad when the eagle burned." Jon looked at Melisandre. "Some say that was your doing."
She smiled, her long copper hair tumbling across her face. "The Lord of Light has fiery talons, Jon Snow."
A Storm of Swords, Jon XI

So seeing as Hodor was essentially controlling his future self, though via Bran, this is another reason it could have effected him.

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