The others are always to blame

"I am the fire that burns against the cold, the light that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guards the realm of men." There is no lack of pathos amongst the recruits of the Night’s Watch– the troops that for centuries have guarded the northernmost borders of the Seven Kingdoms. But if you look a little closer, public image and reality diverge– are these men in black really the arctic special forces? Here are five things you must know:

1. Built on ice

Even if these days the institution of the Night’s Watch has largely lost its former glory, its post continues to remain one of the most impressive works that has ever been created in Westeros. A 200-meter high wall made from white ice that stretches for more than 300 miles from Westwatch-by-the-Bridge to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. It is truly an insurmountable barrier. The technology that allowed for such an impressive feat of construction seems nonexistent anywhere else in the Seven Kingdoms. Furthermore, it also seems dubious that this technology actually existed 8,000 years ago, when the most-likely mythical figure “Bran the builder” is supposed to have constructed the wall. Although its exact origins may have been lost in the darkness of the past, the wall continues to serve its purpose today – protecting the people of the south against the unspeakable threat from the north. There are, however, several conflicting opinions as to the extent and nature of this threat.

2. The others are always to blame

The nameless enemy, which is supposedly lurking beyond the wall of eternal ice, is indeed the stuff of legends. The so-called “others”, allegedly invulnerable undead, are only heard of in horror stories and dark fairy tales. Even more astounding is that this “threat” is still the official reason for the military presence on the wall of ice. A few confusing reports from the headquarters of the Night’s Watch in the Castle Black during the past few months have referred to costly encounters with these “others”. However, according to the unanimous opinion of experts in the royal council, these encounters have to do with another danger altogether. They consider the “Wildlings”, who describe themselves as the “Free Folk”, as being the only real threat coming from the north. These largely nomadic, anarchistic communities continually conduct individual raids on reconnaissance teams from the Night’s Watch. They have also succeeded multiple times in overcoming the wall’s defenses and conducting raids on villages in the border region. It is widely circulated on the raven networks that the Wildlings are now organized in a powerful army led by a former member of the Night’s Watch named Mance Rayder– although this fact is largely ignored south of Winterfell.

3. A brotherhood of thieves

The reputation of the Night’s Watch as elite and undefeatable, much like their undead enemies “the others”, is also the stuff of legend– at least when you ask the ordinary citizens of Westeros. Highly-qualified officers, motivated recruits, and chivalric ideals are most certainly missing in the Night’s Watch of the present day. Historical records show that in earlier centuries, many noble families required their sons to serve in the forces of the Night’s Watch and they often brought with them an entourage of well-trained soldiers. Today, serving on the wall is no longer a noble occupation, but all too often a prison sentence handed down by a court, as forced service in the Night’s Watch is prevalent in criminal law as punishment for all kinds of offenses. Instead of brave knights, there are thieves, murderers and rapists all wearing the classic black cape. The reasoning is easy to understand, as serving the Night’s Watch will seldom involve heroic deeds but rather grueling patrols on a wall of ice – and often with inadequate equipment. Even less appealing is that all recruits have to take a vow of celibacy, renounce land ownership and must cut off all ties to their previous lives. It is a situation that is already very similar to a prison sentence. It is therefore no surprise that the Night’s Watch struggles with recruitment problems and only three of the 19 former sentry posts have a garrison.

4. A teenager as leader

Whoever is in command of the Night’s Watch and its three sections– rangers, builders and stewards, is not well known in the south, or even of great interest. After the assassination of the Lord Commander, Jeor Mormont, by mutineers, Master-at-Arms, Alliser Thorne, took command of the troops on the eternal ice. But the young Jon Snow, the bastard son of Eddard Stark of Winterfell, is gaining more influence. This teenager, who had to watch the fall of his privileged family from his exile on the wall, has earned the loyalty of many of the men, despite having limited combat experience. It wouldn’t be surprising if he turns out to be a serious candidate for the next election of Lord Commander. That Jon Snow is also one of the most prominent voices warning of a possible return of the “others”, should be cause for concern for all those responsible for making a decision.

5. Black is the new white

“To take the black” is the common expression for entering into the Night’s Watch. The brotherhood’s completely black clothing has earned its members the nickname “crows”. Apart from the undeniably impressive appearance of an entire company of black-clad mercenaries, their choice of color raises other questions. With a force of only 1,000 men and only a third amongst them being fighters, the Night’s Watch no longer appears in large numbers or even at all on the open battlefield. Their small reconnaissance teams, the rangers, are rather dependent on secrecy. And their traditional black attire in the snowy white landscape of eternal ice is a certain disadvantage. The press office has no comment on whether or not in the future reason will trump tradition and the Night’s Watch will receive snow camouflage.