History of the Wildlings, narrated by Rose Leslie
A long time ago, they say, some old Southern king enslaved our giants by magic, and forced them to build your famous Wall. Then he kicked all of my kind to the other side, and raised an army to keep us there. And we’re the uncivilised ones? Wildlings. Might be Ser King was wise. Even a giant can be made to kneel, but only if he wants a better crack at your head. The free folk don’t follow a man because his father tells us. If the king’s son was brave and strong, aye! we’d follow him as we did his father. If he wasn’t,… But it seems to me as much as the Wall keeps us out, it keeps you Southerners in. You follow laws you didn’t make, kneel to kings you didn’t choose, and pray to gods you never hear from. Our traders talk about your Seven. Beyond the wall, the stars shine bright and clear. Any gods there aren’t listening to the likes of men. Our gods are of the forest. In the trees that shelter us and the rivers that feed us. They gave the land for all of us to share. We’d fish, farm and hunt where we will, when we need. If a man wants a woman, he has to prove he’ll give her strong and cunning sons. Oh, it’s easy! When she tries to slit his throat, he don’t let her. With the free folk, you get what you can take and you keep what you can hold. No more. I wonder, even if my kind didn’t hop over your Wall, would you still set your Night’s Watch to guard it? You Southerners are rich. You always have more steel, gold and daughters. I think you’re afraid. If you’ve always knelt, you don’t know what freedom is, and if you’ve not been beyond the Wall, you don’t know what fear is. You will…