Game of Thrones: What does that death swirl symbol left by the White Walkers mean?

At the end of the Game of Thrones season 8 premiere, the Night King left a mural of body parts to create a symbol on a wall as a message. What does it mean?

Game of Thrones season 8 premiere did not disappoint. Right from the start, there were anticipated reunions, reveals, and of course, some drama.

No one seems to want to put aside their political issues to cope with the impending war that is knocking at their door. Winterfell, in particular, is bustling with the energy of a town that had regained their king after Ramsey’s charades and looks quite similar to the way it did when the show began.

But not too far from Winterfell, Tormund, Baric, and their men come across an attack on the Laat Hearth, a house currently overseen by Ned Umber. When Tormund and co. enter the castle, they find it littered with dead frozen bodies and lots of blood.

After painfully checking the corridors for White Walkers, Tormund and Baric bump into the Night’s Watch who also were alarmed by bumping into them (Tormund has blue eyes also, so he could be quickly mistaken for a White Walker).

The group band together to check the castle for any undead, and for the most part, it seems they’re safe in this abandoned castle.

Photo: Courtesy of HBO

The Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch signals that there was one thing that the White Walkers left behind. The group discovers a Ned Umber hung against the wall, surrounded by curved limbs, creating one terrifying symbol.

Earlier in the episode, Ned Umber had met with Sansa and Jon and agreed to collect his people and bring them to Winterfell to fight the undead. Unfortunately, the Umbers are closer to the Wall than anyone else, and they felt the blow of the Night King first.

Baric remarks that the elaborate symbol was a message from the Night King. None of the men who witnessed the body part display seem to know what the message could mean other than the Night King is bringing death, and he has a head start to Winterfell. But since everything in Game of Thrones has significance, we have to analyze what this symbol could possibly mean.

First and foremost, we’ve seen this symbol before. The White Walkers have left body parts neatly displayed on the snow-covered ground up north beyond the Wall. However, a more important occurrence of the symbol was featured during Bran’s green dream. He saw a symbol created by jagged stones on the Isle of Faces and at its center is a weirwood tree. It is the location where the Children of the Forest made their pact with the First men for peace.  Unsurprisingly, this is the tree that the Night King was tied to when he was created.

The Isle of Faces is located in the middle of a lake called the God’s Eye. The island is incredibly hard to find, and is shrouded in mystery and secrets. Priests of the Old Gods, also known as Green Men, are said to live on the island, and there are weirwood trees everywhere.

Does the recurrence of this symbol signify that the Night King is headed to the tree’s location on the Isle of Faces? It’s possible, considering its accessible position in the South and its significance.

But what would the Night King want with the Isle of Faces?

Here are three theories, based on what Westerosi lore has to say about the Isle:

The Night King is referencing the pact that was made between men and the Children by recreating the symbol.

After all, the Night King was created to kill off the humans and stop them from migrating. What if this message is an accusation that says that humans must pay for breaking the pact that the First men made?

The Night King is headed to the Isle because he wants something. 

Legend says that the Children may have gathered at the Isle and performed dark magic to sever Westeros from Essos. The level of power that is needed to break two separate continents is beyond what the Night King is capable of. The Night King could be looking to upgrade his powers or obtain another weapon. Plus, the Isle of Faces is covered in weirdwoods so the Old God’s magic should resonate here.

The Night King wants to go to where he was created. 

Could it be that he wants to be turned back to a human? If he sees the Night King life as a curse, he may want to change back. This is one of the more positive (ish) options, and admittedly, with all the destruction he’s caused so far, this would be the lowest on our theory list.

While it’s still a bit hazy as to why the Night King wants to use his time to piece together designs that take hours, its clear that the Isle of Faces is going to be important in season 8. Whether it is a warning or a heads up in the right direction, we’ll have to keep watching to find out.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. 

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