‘Game Of Thrones’ Season 7’s Giant Ice Spiders: Because Westeros Wasn’t Dangerous Or Scary Enough Already

The world of Game of Thrones can be a pretty scary place. Besides the obviously scary Cersei Lannister and her deadly hold on King’s Landing now, there are a bunch of white walkers just waiting to bust through the Wall out at Castle Black. However, things look set to turn Westeros into an arachnophobic nightmare if the latest theory is correct. According to this theory, Season 7 of Game of Thrones is set to release the giant ice spiders.

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Season 7 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Many years ago, back when Game of Thrones was relatively new to HBO, Old Nan (Margaret John) told young Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead Wright) a bedtime story. At Bran’s request, it had been a scary one. Old Nan told him that he really didn’t know what fear truly was. A “sweet summer child” she had called him, and went on to explain just how horrific winter in Westeros can be. Just when you get a feel for how cold and dismal the upcoming arctic season would be, Old Nan introduces a terrifying image.

“In that darkness the white walkers came for the first time. They swept through cities and kingdoms, riding their dead horses, hunting with their packs of pale spiders, big as hounds.”

You can view the full clip from Season 1, Episode 3 of HBO’s Game of Thrones below.

So, after six seasons of the Starks muttering, “Winter is coming,” winter officially arrived at the end of Season 6 of Game of Thrones. Which means, for the North and Winterfell, not a lot will really change. However, for everywhere else in Westeros, things are about to get extremely chilly. As Old Nan warned Bran, snow will fall “a hundred feet deep” and the white walkers will “move through the woods.”

The mighty Wall at Castle Black is supposed to prevent the white walkers from doing this. Magic has been worked into the wall which prevents the Night’s King (Vladimir Furdik) and his band of white walkers from crossing into Westeros. However, according to an old prophecy about Azor Ahai, it is possible fans will get to see these white walkers breakthrough in Season 7 or 8 of Game of Thrones. Author and creator George R.R. Martin described it in the novel, Clash of Kings.

“There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him.”

While the prophecy regarding Azor Ahai doesn’t specifically state the returning “prince that was promised” will fight the white walkers and their fearsome leader, many fans are predicting this, especially if Bran crosses back into Westeros.

Recently, HBO released new images from Season 7 of Game of Thrones, and one of the images might actually support this theory as well. As stated in this Inquisitr article, Gilly (Hannah Murray) is seen reading about the Azor Ahai prophecy, indicating this event could unfold in Season 7 of Game of Thrones.

However, as the Huffington Post points out, if you have a copy of George R. R. Martin’s The World of Ice and Fire, the text Gilly is reading corresponds to a passage within it. This likely confirms the theory that the prince that was promised, also known as Azor Ahai, is going to get some airtime in Season 7 of Game of Thrones. Huffington Post also points out something else interesting: on the same page in The World of Ice and Fire, there are direct references to the giant ice spiders mentioned earlier by Old Nan.

So, fans are now wondering if Season 7 of Game of Thrones will contain a night that is dark and full of terrors — and also filled with hideously large ice spiders.

Do you think Season 7 of Game of Thrones will contain giant ice spiders? Let us know your thoughts and theories (and terrors about spiders) by commenting below.

Season 7 of HBO’s Game of Thrones will premiere on July 16, 2017, with a shortened season.

[Featured Image by HBO]