The Valonqar: Hands of Gold (Spoilers Extended)
There are numerous theories regarding the identity of the the Valonqar and even though its been discussed a ton over the years, I wanted to point out a detail (or maybe coincidence) that I find interesting.
The old woman was not done with her, however. "Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds," she said. "And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you." -AFFC, Cersei VIII
Cersei is utterly paranoid about Tyrion due to this prophecy, but lets look at a certain song that is made about Tyrion:
He rode through the streets of the city,
down from his hill on high,
O'er the wynds and the steps and the cobbles,
he rode to a woman's sigh.
For she was his secret treasure,
she was his shame and his bliss.
And a chain and a keep are nothing,
compared to a woman's kiss
Refrain:
For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm
Tyrion repeats the refrain as he uses gold hands to kill Shae
Tyrion slid a hand under his father's chain, and twisted. The links tightened, digging into her neck. "For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm," he said. He gave cold hands another twist as the warm ones beat away his tears. -ASOS, Tyrion XI
But look also how well it matches up to Jaime/Cersei
He rode through the streets of the city,
down from his hill on high,
O'er the wynds and the steps and the cobbles,
he rode to a woman's sigh.
as compared to:
He remembered that night as if it were yesterday.They spent it in an old inn on Eel Alley, well away from watchful eyes. Cersei had come to him dressed as a simple serving wench, which somehow excited him all the more. Jaime had never seen her more passionate. Every time he went to sleep, she woke him again. By morning Casterly Rock seemed a small price to pay to be near her always. He gave his consent, and Cersei promised to do the rest. -ASOS, Jaime II
Then:
For she was his secret treasure,
she was his shame and his bliss.
and:
But no sooner were they done than the queen said, "Let me up. If we are discovered like this . . ." -ASOS, Jaime VII
"If I'd let kingslaying become a habit, as he liked to say, I could have taken you as my wife for all the world to see. I'm not ashamed of loving you, only of the things I've done to hide it. That boy at Winterfell . . ." -ASOS, Jaime IX
And:
And a chain and a keep are nothing,
compared to a woman's kiss
as compared to:
"But," Jaime said, "there's Casterly Rock . . ."
"Is it a rock you want? Or me?" -ASOS, Jaime II
"You need a Hand," he said, "and Jaime has refused you." -AFFC, Jaime III
Lastly:
For hands of gold are always cold, but a woman's hands are warm
If Jaime is the valonqar and kills Cersei then hands of gold are always cold makes sense, but then what would the "woman's hands are warm" part mean?
- Cersei poisons Jaime
Poison is described as feeling like fingers around the throat at points:
Cressen tried to reply, but his words caught in his throat. His cough became a terrible thin whistle as he strained to suck in air. Iron fingers tightened round his neck. As he sank to his knees, still he shook his head, denying her, denying her power, denying her magic, denying her god. And the cowbells peeled in his antlers, singing fool, fool, fool while the red woman looked down on him in pity, the candle flames dancing in her red red eyes. -ACOK, Prologue
Which would mirror the quotes by Cersei/Jaime:
We will leave this world together, as we once came into it. "He will not lose. Not Jaime. Not with my life at stake." -AFFC, Cersei X
and:
"If he were dead, I would know it. We came into this world together, Uncle. He would not go without me" She took a drink of wine. "Tyrion can leave whenever he wishes. You have had no word of him either, I suppose." -ADWD, Epilogue
and:
I cannot die while Cersei lives, he told himself. We will die together as we were born together. -ASOS, Jaime IV
Jaime has had a ton of growth as a character and burns her letter, but these are his last thoughts about Cersei that we know of:
Past time this was ended, thought Jaime Lannister. With Riverrun now safely in Lannister hands, Raventree was the remnant of the Young Wolf's short-lived kingdom. Once it yielded, his work along the Trident would be done, and he would be free to return to King's Landing. To the king, he told himself, but another part of him whispered, to Cersei.
He would have to face her, he supposed. Assuming the High Septon had not put her to death by the time he got back to the city. "Come at once," she had written, in the letter he'd had Peck burn at Riverrun. "Help me. Save me. I need you now as I have never needed you before. I love you. I love you. I love you. Come at once." Her need was real enough, Jaime did not doubt. As for the rest … she's been fucking Lancel and Osmund Kettleblack and Moon Boy for all I know … Even if he had gone back, he could not hope to save her. She was guilty of every treason laid against her, and he was short a sword hand. -ADWD, Jaime I
- Jaime starts out on this path but heads down another (Brienne)
If I had my hand, you'd learn that soon enough, Jaime thought. His arms ached and his legs were numb from the ropes, but after a while none of that mattered. His world shrunk to the throb of agony that was his phantom hand, and Brienne pressed against him. She's warm, at least, he consoled himself, though the wench's breath was as foul as his own. -ASOS, Jaime IV
and:
"Listen." She put a hand on his shoulder, and he trembled at the sudden touch. She's warm. "Something comes." Brienne lifted her sword to point off to his left. "There." -ASOS, Jaime VI
- Plenty of other possibilities that I don't want to get into too much as the post was meant to be more about hands of gold and Jaime's relationship with Cersei
Obviously there are some flaws to Jaime being the valonqar (hand/hands), etc. but I still think he is the most likely character, although I am not super confident about it.
TLDR: Some possible connections between Hands of Gold and the Valonqar
Posted Jul 7, 2020, 12:36 PM UTC · edited