The hidden meaning behind the Game of Thrones White Walker spiral

Nothing too brutal happened in episode one of Game of Thrones season eight, except right at the end when a small boy was nailed to the wall in the centre of a massive spiral made out of human limbs. Lovely! The White Walker spiral was centred around Ned Umber who'd gone back home to fetch his army to help defeat the Night King. Found by Tormund and others, they set the whole White Walker spiral alight when Ned woke up as a White Walker.

The White Walker spiral has cropped up several times in Game of Thrones, but what does the White Walker spiral mean? Is it definitely them, or could it be something to do with the Targaryens – cos their emblems sure as hell look the same!!!!!

The White Walker spiral has appeared several times already in Game of Thrones

You probably didn't realise when watching the first episode of season eight that the White Walker spiral has cropped up in different series at poignant moments.

Although not a spiral, in the pilot episode the White Walkers kill a group of Wildlings and assemble them in this formation:

The White Walker spiral next appears in season three when the Night Watchmen's horses have been cut up in the spiral pattern similar to that of the one in season eight:

The spiral is shown in a flashback in season six, when the Three-Eyed Raven shows Bran Stark how the White Walkers were created:

And finally it also appears in season seven when Jon Snow is showing Daenerys Targaryen markings on the wall in the dragon-glass cave, which were made by the Creatures of the Forest:

Some fans think the White Walker spiral symbolises the cycle of life

As the spiral moves in a circular motion, one theory is that the White Walker spiral means the cycle of life to death and back round. Which does kind of make sense considering the White Walkers take the dead and resurrect them.

The White Walker spiral could be the Night King's house emblem

There are seven kingdoms in Westeros, therefore seven emblems, but what if the Night King created his own emblem making it eight? There are eight legs to the White Walker spiral, which could be because the Night King has added his emblem. Does this mean there is eight kingdoms???

It looks A LOT like the Targaryen house emblem

Apparently the Night King could be a Targaryen as he can ride dragons. The Targaryen emblem has three dragons in a spiral shape, and looks pretty similar to the White Walker spiral when you put them side by side. Coincidence????

The White Walkers leave the White Walker spiral to show they're intelligent

In a commentary after the first episode, the directors said the White Walkers leave the bodies in a formation so people know they're smart and not to be messed around with.

Can't wait for next week? The preview to episode two of Game of Thrones season eight can be found here.

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