The Horn of Winter, also called the Horn of Joramun or Horn of Darkness, is a legendary horn in the tales of the Free Folk. According to legend, it can wake the giants from their sleep and bring down the Wall that has existed since the Age of Heroes. When Jon Snow follows Lord Commander Mormont to the Fist of the First Men, he finds an ancient-looking horn and gives it to Sam, saying it does not work.
According to many wildlings like Ygritte, the Horn of Joramun is an old warhorn that would annihilate everything the Night’s Watch protects. Though many of the Free Folk wanted the horn to get found and be used to destroy the protection over the Seven Kingdoms, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance Rayder, saw that if the Wall fell, the Others would be able to invade and destroy the realms of men.
History
The Horn of Joramun was named after a King-Beyond-the-Wall of the ancient days. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night’s Watch stated the famed Joramun, alongside his successors, the Horned Lord, Gendel, and Gorne, used all their might to try bringing down the Wall, but it stood, backed by the power of Winterfell.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Storm of Swords
After Jon Snow joins the Free Folk, Ygritte tells him that her people and Mance Rayder have been searching for the Horn of Winter along the Milkwater in the Frostfangs. The search intensifies with the wildlings digging up the graves of Kings and heroes. However, nothing turns up. Jon later escapes from the wildlings’ camp and returns to the Night’s Watch, where he warns of an imminent attack from Mance Rayder.
As the Battle Beneath the Wall commences, Mance meets with Jon and shows him a warhorn banded with old gold, eight feet long. Claiming to have removed it from a giant’s grave, Mance uses it to threaten the Watch. He tells Jon that if the Black Brothers do not surrender, he will order Tormund Giantsbane to blow the horn three days later, at dawn, and bring down the Wall. However, before the event, Stannis Baratheon arrives, led by a letter from maester Aemon. He arrests Mance and defeats the Free Folk.
A Dance with Dragons
Melisandre burns the so-called Horn of Winter when she burns Mance Rayder at the stake. As the horn burns, it glows green and yellow, and the ancient runes of the First Men around it shimmer before the queen’s men shove it in deeper. Later, Tormund tells Jon that Mance’s horn is a feint, saying:
We found it in a giant’s grave, and no man o’ us had ever seen a horn so big. That must have been why Mance got the notion to tell you it were Joramun’s. He wanted you crows to think he had it in his power to blow your bloody Wall down about your knees.
Later, Jon learns that Melisandre hid Mance’s identity with a glamor spell, and the former King-Beyond-the-Wall travels to Winterfell under the guise of Abel and saves Theon and Arya.
In-Universe Theories
There are many assumptions surrounding the Horn of Winter. Many theorists have argued over its real power as some believe it can bring down the Wall, while others think it will wake the giants. The maesters of the citadel are skeptical of the horn’s existence as nothing about it makes sense. However, the Free Folk believe it exists. Many wildlings want to find the horn and use it to destroy the Wall that has stood since the Long Night.
External Theories
Many fans of A Song of Ice and Fire have argued over the Horn of Jarumun. Some believe it was found at the Fist of First Men when Jon went with Lord Commander Mormont. He and Ghost found some dagger blades, arrowheads, and an old warhorn made from an auroch’s horn and branded in bronze beneath a cache of dragonglass. Jon gave the broken horn to Sam, stating he likes old things in the dirt. However, many fans believe it may be the Horn of Winter. Nothing is certain because George R. R. Martin never commented on the mystery of the horn.
Some people have stated that the horn may be in the Crypts of Winterfell because after Melisandre revealed she used a glamor spell to hide Mance Rayder’s identity, the King-Beyond-the-Wall was willing to travel to rescue Arya Stark of Winterfell.
Horn of Joramun: The Legendary Fictional Weapon
Though the Free Folk believed in the Horn of Winter, it is evident that the great weapon does not exist. The wildlings have always wished to have the power to destroy the Wall separating them from the Seven Kingdoms, and though they had no way of achieving such a feat, they turned to their imagination. The Free Folk invented the idea of the Horn of Joramun to give themselves some hope that they could someday bring the barrier down.
FAQS
Does the Horn of Joramun exist?
Named after King Joramun of the wildlings, the Horn of Winter is a horn of legend, claimed to be mighty enough to bring down the Wall. However, no one ever recorded anything about a horn with such sorcery. There would be stories about the horn during the time of Brandon the Breaker and the Night’s King. However, nothing in history proved the claims of the device.
What happened to the ancient horn Mance Rayder showed Jon?
Tormund stated Melisandre burned the fine big horn Mance showed Jon, saying it was a relic of a diety that was not R’hllor. Melisandre’s act greatly angered Tormund as he slapped his thigh and angrily remarked that the priestesses’s act was a bloody sin.
Did Mance ever find the Horn of Joramun?
No. Mance only found an ancient horn with gold bands and the ancient rune of the First Men. He never had the Horn of Winter and only wanted to scare the Night’s Watch into surrendering.
What other powers did the Horn of Joramun have besides bringing down the Wall?
Some people said the Horn of Winter would awaken the giants from their sleep and lead to the end of the kneelers, the people of the Seven Kingdoms.
