Most characters inGame of Thronesare in various permanent states of culture clash. The most notable groups in and around Westeros operate on a sliding scale of civilization, technology, and natural hardship, setting them apart. Citizens of King’s Landing struggle in the North and vice versa. Only the gruffest and most desperate in Westeros venture beyond the Wall. The Free Folk who live in the Frostfang mountains call themselves the Thenns and boast more ingenuity than their widling neighbors.
Game of Thronesis a moderately faithful adaptation ofA Song of Ice and Fire. Some elements are cut for time or combined for simplicity. Fansmiss a few characterswho didn’t make the cut. The minor changes tend to disappear when examining the series' last few seasons, produced before George R. R. Martin finished the source material. The first seven seasons seem ripped from the page in the face of the finale.
Who are the Thenns?
The Thenns are the most advanced and well-armed clan of Free Folk living beyond the Wall. They reside in and take their name from a valley in the Frostfang mountains called Thenn. Their home is many miles north of the Wall, separated fromthe Seven Kingdomsby seemingly endless ice and snow. Though the area is generally brutal, the valley of Thenn is one of the most pleasant areas beyond the Wall. The surrounding mountain peaks protect the Thenns from most hostile incursions and the chilling wind, making it relatively warm. Some theorize that the valley sits on a volcanic vent, providing fertile land in a mostly dead region, but there’s no supporting evidence. The valley of Thenn is rich with game animals, copper, and tin. The Thenns seldom suffer hunger. Their superior conditions allowed them to adapt and innovate.
The Thenns have an easier time surviving, allowing them to thrive in their region. While most Free Folk clans wielded wood and stone in conflicts, the Thenns have mastered bronze weaponry. Metal swords and axes arelimited beyond the Wall. Wildlings can only earn them through trading and raiding the men of the Night’s Watch. Most steel swords are old and rusted. While bronze weapons regularly erode, the Thenns can consistently replenish their supplies while the other Free Folk clans struggle to stay armed. Though the Thenns are more advanced than their neighbors in some ways, they’re more primitive in others. Many don’t speak the Common Tongue, relying only on ancient language. They live under the reign of a Magnar, closer to agod than a king. They also ritually scar themselves and eat their enemies. The juxtaposition between their advanced lifestyle and ancient morality is bizarre for a good reason. Tormund Giantsbane described them like this:
With such advantages, they could be a generous, friendly race. They are not.
How are the Thenns different in the books?
The Thenns appear inA Song of Ice and Fireas the most technologically advanced clan of Free Folk beyond the Wall. They use bronze weapons andworship their leader as a god, as they do in the show. They do not engage in scarification or cannibalism. The books depict a group of self-sufficient craftspeople who reside in one of the last suitable pieces of land beyond the Wall. Since they obey laws and follow their lord, the Night’s Watch views them as themost agreeable Free Folk. They’re said to deal with giants more often than other humans. Their ostensible cannibalism and scarification come from the show combining their culture with another group.
Who are the Ice-River Clans?
The Ice-River Clans live north of the Frozen Shores and eat human flesh for sustenance. They have little food, forcing them to rely on nightmarish methods to survive. Almost nothing is known about the Ice-River Clans aside from their cannibalism. Theshow combined the twointo a bizarrely conflicted Free Folk clan. Their Thenn enjoyed the advanced metallurgy of the books and the primitive violence of the Ice-River Clan. The show mentions the Ice-River clan twice but never depicts them on-screen.
The Thenns are a fascinating group that never earns enough focus in the books or the show. HBO’sGame of Thronescombined the Thenns with the Ice-River Clan to save time and create terror. The Thenns are a relatively positive group in the books. Jon Snow arranges a marriage between a daughter of House Karstark and a Thenn Magnar, elevating the Free Folk toa Noble House. This never occurs in the show. The Thenns are treated as pariahs among the other Wildlings and broadly despised by the Men of the Night’s Watch. Though neither version of the Thenns is particularly critical to the narrative, the show shoved the group to a far lower social standing. It’s a sad fate, but the Thenns seem happy either way.
