Azor - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azor#Etymology
Azor (also Azur) is a small town (local council) in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, on the old Jaffa-Jerusalem road southeast of Tel Aviv.
Azor was named for the ancient city of Azur meaning mighty or heroic. Azor is preserved in the name of the Arab village of Yazur. The council of the new village named it Mishmar HaShiv'a meaning 'Guardian of the Seven' (nice coincidence)in honour of seven Jewish soldiers killed near there in 1948, but the government committee in charge of assigning names forced them to change it back to Azor on the grounds that preserving Biblical names was more important.
Meron Benvenisti (2002). Sacred Landscape. University of California Press. pp. 32–33.
Azor- http://carta-jerusalem.com/biblical-sites/azor/
Azor
The ancient site bears evidence of almost continuous occupation from prehistoric times. Its name was mentioned in the Annals of Sennacherib as one of cities conquered in 701 BCE.
Remains of a synagogue bears witness to a Jewish presence during the Byzantine Period. In the Crusader Period, Richard the Lion-Heart built a small fort which was later given to the Templar Knights. The Arab name, Yazur, was first mentioned in 13th century CE sources.
Azur - "defence belt" - https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/il-lcazr.htmlLocal Council Azur is situated on the Jaffa-Jerusalem old main road (now Road 44), SE of Tel-Aviv. It was established in 1948 and named after the ancient city of Azur whose name - meaning defence belt - was kept in the name of the previous Arabic village of Yazur, a battlefield in the 1948 war. Pop. 10,000.
Ahai-
I couldnt find a real world meaning of this word but it did lead me to the Hebrew word Chai that led to some more coincidences.
...In medieval Kabbalah, Chai is the lowest (closest to the physical plane) emanation of God....
The most common spelling in Latin script is "Chai", but the word is occasionally also spelled "Hai". The usual modern pronunciation of this word is ai , while a transcription of the Biblical and Mishnaic pronunciation would have likely been hai (with a pharyngeal consonant). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_(symbol)
The word "chai' translated from Hebrew to English means 'life'. Within the Jewish faith, the word "chai" possesses both numerical and symbolic meaning. The Hebrew word consists of two letters in the alphabet: Chet and Yud
Together these letters form "chai" which signifies life and represents being alive.
The Numerical Significance of Chai In Judaism,
Numerically, the words consists of the eighth and tenth letters of the Hebrew alphabet Chet and Yud, adding up to the number 18. The word "chai" is numerically significant and the number 18 is universally synonymous with this word.
There is a deep connection drawn upon the word 'chai', its meaning 'life' and the numerical value of the letters that comprise this word.
The Symbolic Meaning of Chai ,
Traditionally, the Jewish religion, similar to many other religions and cultures, place an emphasis on the significance of life. As such, the literal translation of the word "chai' to 'life is meaningful on its face. In addition, individuals who observe Judaism or identify with the religion are generally guided by basic principles which include characteristics such as kindness, thoughtfulness, selflessness and remaining good natured, both morally and ethically during life on Earth. In addition to the number 18, the "Chai" is a recognizable symbol commonly worn on necklaces and engraved on rings.
www.shiva.com/learning-center/commemorate/chai/
So together Azor (A)Hai could translate to Mighty or Heroic Life.
"Yes. Cold and hard and mean, that's the Wall, and the men who walk it. Not like the stories your wet nurse told you. Well, piss on the stories and piss on your wet nurse. This is the way it is, and you're here for life, same as the rest of us."
"Life," Jon repeated bitterly. AGOT Jon III
The two hebrew letters "Chet" and "Yod" that make up the word Chai or Hai, meaning "life", have their own meaning,=======================================================================
The ancient pictograph of the Hebrew letter Chet is a picture of a tent wall. The meanings of this letter are "outside," as the function of the wall is to protect the occupants from the elements, as the wall in the middle of the tent divides the tent into the male and female sections, and secular, as something that is outside. The Modern Hebrew name for this letter is hhet meaning a string. A very similar Hebrew word is hhets, which means a wall and is most likely the original name for this letter.
https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Chet/chet.html
Chet/Hhet
Yod/Yud
The Early Semitic pictograph of the letter Yod is an arm and hand. The meaning of this letter is work, make and throw; the functions of the hand. The Modern Hebrew name yud is a derivative of the two letter word pronounced yad, a Hebrew word meaning "hand," the original name for the letter. http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/alphabet_letters_yud.html
...The first dot with which the scribes start writing a letter, or the last dot that gives a letter its final form--is a Yod. Likutei Maharan
Yod is the most frequently occurring letter in the scriptures as well as the smallest of the letters.
The letter Yod, being the smallest of letters, is also a picture of humility. Even though it is small, Yod is vital, since without the "kotz of Yod" the entire Torah is to be considered invalid. God delights in using the small, the weak and the insignificant to demonstrate His glory and power. If you are brought low or are of little stature in this world, you can trust that your life is important to God since every letter of the Torah is important and no two letters are the same.
In the Jewish mystical tradition, Yod represents a mere dot, a devine point of energy. Since Yod is used to form all the other letters, and since God uses the letters as the building blocks of creation, Yod indicates God's omnipresence. https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Yod/yod.html
=======================================================================
So the literal meaning of Azur/Azor is Mighty or Heroic and the literal meaning of Hai/Chai is Life
The ancient meaning of the letters Chet and Yod or Hhets and Yad which make up the the word Hai/Chai are,
Hhets- Wall
Yad- Hand
Azor Ahai then, can/could be translated to" Mighty/Heroic Life".
It could also be translated to Mighty/Heroic Eighteen".
It could also be translated to "Mighty/Heroic Wall and Hand"
So, is there anyone living a mighty or heroic life in the story? Is there any mighty or heroic links to the number 18? Is there a mighty or heroic hand or wall?
A Mighty Heroic Life
"There is great honor in service on the Wall, my lord." AGOT Catelyn II
Ned Stark has a healthy respect for the order and tries to draw the King's attention to it
"And there is the Wall. You need to see it, Your Grace, to walk along its battlements and talk to those who man it. The Night's Watch is a shadow of what it once was. Benjen says—" AGOT Eddard I
Swearing to live and die in service to the Night's Watch is swearing to live a Mighty or Heroic Life, like that of a Knight
Knighthood seems to be an Andal tradition,
........Knighthood likely has its roots in Andal culture, due to its association to the Faith of the Seven which the Andals brought to Westeros during the Andal invasion, although legends of the Reach claim chivalry was brought by the First Knight, John the Oak. The military success of the Andals' mounted knights and their steel armament proved vital to the Andals' conquest of most of Westeros. Knighthood holds less cultural significance in areas of Westeros that are less assimilated to Andal culture, such as the north and the Iron Islands. awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Knight#Knighthood_ceremony
But some of the books and scrolls at the Wall seem to disagree...
.........."The oldest histories we have were written after the Andals came to Westeros. The First Men only left us runes on rocks, so everything we think we know about the Age of Heroes and the Dawn Age and the Long Night comes from accounts set down by septons thousands of years later. There are archmaesters at the Citadel who question all of it. Those old histories are full of kings who reigned for hundreds of years, and
knights riding around a thousand years before there were knights." A Feast for Crows -Samwell I
The Nights Watch could be described as the Knights Watch. When a man says his vows and his watch begins,it is the same as the Vigil a southern squire will stand to earn his spurs except the Black brothers vigil never ends. The men of the Nights Watch will always be squires.
The word Squire comes from the french word Esquire , meaning shield bearer.
"The shield that guards the realms of men"
Mighty/Heroic Wall and Hand
A hand holding the shield that guards the realms of men -
There is a feast hall at Castle Black called the ShieldHall. A knight who took the Black would hang his shield on the wall and take up a plain black shield for his watch.
To me this is symbolic of a Knight giving up his Knighthood to begin his watch/vigil at the Wall. When he died in service to the Nights Watch,becoming a true Knight,the shield would be taken down and intombed with him or burned with him on his pyre.
......"We can only die. Why else do we don these black cloaks, but to die in defense of the realm?
ACOK Jon V
The Mighty Eighteen
Nineteen castles span the Wall in different states of repair,
Westwatch-by-the-Bridge
The Shadow Tower, commanded by Ser Denys Mallister
Sentinel Stand
Greyguard
Stonedoor
Hoarfrost Hill
Icemark
The Nightfort abandoned by the Night's Watch
Deep Lake
Queensgate
Castle Black, commanded by the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch
Oakenshield
Woodswatch-by-the-Pool
Sable Hall
Rimegate
Long Barrow
The Torches
Greenguard
Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, commanded by Cotter Pyke
When the Nightfort was still occupied, there were eighteen castles at the Wall. When Deep Lake was built the Nightfort was abandoned but there are still nineteen castles. Wrinkle in the theory? Maybe, but...
There may be 19 castles but Jon sees it as his duty to garrison 18 of them after he cedes the Nightfort to Stannis.
When the Wall was built, eighteen castles spanned its length. The Watch has never occupied all eighteen at once,which means the Night's Watch has never been at its full strength. As Lord Commander, Jon means to man all eighteen castles for the first time.
........"The Night's Watch built those castles …"
"And the Night's Watch abandoned them."
"… to defend the Wall," Jon finished stubbornly, "not as seats for southron lords. The stones of those forts are mortared with the blood and bones of my brothers, long dead. I cannot give them to you."
"Cannot or will not?" The cords in the king's neck stood out sharp as swords. "I offered you a name."
"I have a name, Your Grace."
"Snow. Was ever a name more ill-omened?" Stannis touched his sword hilt. "Just who do you imagine that you are?"
"The watcher on the walls. The sword in the darkness."
"Don't prate your words at me." Stannis drew the blade he called Lightbringer. "Here is your sword in the darkness." Light rippled up and down the blade, now red, now yellow, now orange, painting the king's face in harsh, bright hues. "Even a green boy should be able to see that. Are you blind?"
"No, Sire. I agree these castles must be garrisoned—"
"The boy commander agrees. How fortunate."
"—by the Night's Watch."
A Dance with Dragons - Jon I
The Heroic Eighteen
According to Jewish traditions and scriptures there are prayers, including the Amidah, commonly referred to as “Shmoneh Esrei” (which translates to “the 18”) and refers to the eighteen individual prayers. www.shiva.com/learning-center/commemorate/chai/
18 individual prayers of a Heroic life.....
1. Night gathers and now my watch begins.
2. It shall not end until my death
3. I shall take no wife
4. Hold no lands
5. Father no children
6. i shall wear no crowns
7. win no glory
8. I shall live
9. and die at my post
10. I am the sword in the darkness
11. I am the watcher on the walls
12. I am the fire that burns against the cold
13. the light that brings the dawn
14. the horn that wakes the sleepers
15. the shield that guards the realms of men
16. I pledge my life
17. and honour to the nights Watch
18. for this night and all the nights to come.- This vow could be interpreted as 2 vows but "this night" has already been sworn in the first vow....Night gathers and now my watch begins.
Looking at the Shemoneh Esrei (meaning the eighteen) prayers www.hebrew4christians.com/Prayers/Daily_Prayers/Shemoneh_Esrei/shemoneh_esrei.html
i found they are broken into three parts.
1.Praise- the first three blessings
2.Petitions- thirteen blessings
3.Thanks- the last three blessings
This adds up to nineteen not eighteen. The reason for this was that an additional "blessing was added later but the name Shemoneh Esrei was retained.
Similarly at the Wall, a castle - Deep Lake- was built "added" when the Nightfort was abandoned.
The men of the Night's Watch could be said to be living a "Heroic Life" manning the "Mighty Eighteen" Castles on the Wall. All swearing an oath made up of "Eighteen Heroic" vows. The heroic men of the Night's Watch are the Sword in the darkness. Is this the sword Lightbringer that Azor Ahai forged to fight against the darkness?
The Sword of Heroes
...Do you know the tale of the forging of Lightbringer? I shall tell it to you. It was a time when darkness lay heavy on the world. To oppose it, the hero must have a hero’s blade, oh, like none that had ever been. And so for thirty days and thirty nights Azor Ahai labored sleepless in the temple, forging a blade in the sacred fires. Heat and hammer and fold, heat and hammer and fold, oh, yes, until the sword was done. Yet when he plunged it into water to temper the steel it burst asunder. A Clash of Kings- Davos I
The number of days and nights Azor Ahai labours over the sword could refer to summers and winters.
The first attempt- "thirty days and thirty nights" could mean that for thirty summers and thirty winters, the Wall / realm was guarded by men of noble birth
Water- Birth.
Water has long been associated with birth.
John 3:3, Bible, KJV
I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of god unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
The Dothraki believe that the first man came from water-
They rode to the lake the Dothraki called the Womb of the World, surrounded by a fringe of reeds, its water still and calm. A thousand thousand years ago, Jhiqui told her, the first man had emerged from its depths, riding upon the back of the first horse. A Game of Thrones - Daenerys V
The highborn of the north have traditionally considered it an honor to serve on the Wall. Many younger sons of northern houses, low in the line of succession, gladly took the black. Shields of nobles from the Hundred Kingdoms of Westeros were proudly displayed in the Shieldhall at Castle Black. Little by little, the Night's Watch forgot that its main mission was not the fight against the wildlings, but against the Others. (twoiaf)
In the Watch's history, Noble birth was not a guarantee of honour...
Rodrik Flint, thought to make himself King-beyond-the-Wall.
Tristan Mudd, Mad Marq Rankenfell, and Robin Hill; Three Lords Commander who nearly destroyed the Watch when they forgot their vows in favor of their pride and ambition.
Runcel Hightower, tried to make the position of Lord Commander hereditary and pass the position to his son.
Nor does it guarentee competance...
Sleepy Jack Musgood, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch when Raymun Redbeard crossed the Wall and was late for the Battle at Long Lake.
...“Being a hero, it was not for him to shrug and go in search of excellent grapes such as these, so again he began. The second time it took him fifty days and fifty nights, and this sword seemed even finer than the first. Azor Ahai captured a lion, to temper the blade by plunging it through the beast’s red heart, but once more the steel shattered and split... A Clash of Kings- Davos I
The Heart of a Lion- Bravery.
Bravery is obviously needed at the Wall, but can someone be too brave?
.........The gathering gloom put Bran in mind of another of Old Nan's stories, the tale of Night's King. He had been the thirteenth man to lead the Night's Watch, she said; a warrior who knew no fear. "And that was the fault in him," she would add, "for all men must know fear." A Storm of Swords - Bran IV
When Sam was lobbying for Jon to become Lord Commander The two candidates described what they think it takes to lead the Night's Watch and the issue of Birth and Bravery comes up...
Bravery- Cotter Pyke and Sam discuss Ser Denys Mallister
A Storm of Swords- Samwell V
"He's old," Sam agreed, "but he's well ex-experienced."
"At sitting in his tower and fussing over maps, maybe. What does he plan to do, write letters to the wights?
He's a knight, well and good, but he's not a fighter, and I don't give a kettle of piss who he unhorsed in some fool tourney fifty years ago. The Halfhand fought all his battles, even an old blind man should see that. And we need a fighter more than ever with this bloody king on top of us. Today it's ruins and empty fields,well and good, but what will His Grace want come the morrow? You think Mallister has the belly to stand up to Stannis Baratheon and that red bitch?" He laughed. "I don't."
"You won't support him, then?" said Sam, dismayed.
Birth- Ser Denys Mallister and Sam discuss Cotter Pyke
A Storm of Swords - Samwell V
"You are," Sam agreed, "but Cotter Pyke might serve. It's said he has oft proved himself in battle." He did not mean to offend Ser Denys by praising his rival, but how else could he convince him to withdraw?
"Many of my brothers have proved themselves in battle. It is not enough. Some matters cannot be settled with a battleaxe. Maester Aemon will understand that, though Cotter Pyke does not. The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch is a lord, first and foremost. He must be able to treat with other lords . . . and with kings as well. He must be a man worthy of respect." Ser Denys leaned forward. "We are the sons of great lords, you and I. We know the importance of birth, blood, and that early training that can ne'er be replaced. I was a squire at twelve, a knight at eighteen, a champion at two-and-twenty. I have been the commander at the Shadow Tower for thirty-three years. Blood, birth, and training have fitted me to deal with kings. Pyke . . . well, did you hear him this morning, asking if His Grace would wipe his bottom? Samwell, it is not my habit to speak unkindly of my brothers, but let us be frank . . . the ironborn are a race of pirates and thieves,and Cotter Pyke was raping and murdering when he was still half a boy. Maester Harmune reads and writes his letters, and has for years. No, loath as I am to disappoint Maester Aemon, I could not in honor stand aside for Pyke of Eastwatch."
This time Sam was ready. "Might you for someone else? If it was someone more suitable?"
So for fifty summers and fifty winters the realm was guarded by men of noble birth(tempered in water) and the bravest fighters in the realm(tempered with the heart of a lion) but even this will not be enough to end the Long Night. For that....a different type of warrior is needed....
...Great was his woe and great was his sorrow then, for he knew what he must do.
“A hundred days and a hundred nights he labored on the third blade, and as it glowed white-hot
in the sacred fires, he summoned his wife. ‘Nissa Nissa’ he said to her, for that was her name, bare your breast, and know that I love you best of all that is in this world.’ She did this thing, why I
cannot say, and Azor Ahai thrust the smoking sword through her living heart. It is said that her cry
of anguish and ecstasy left a crack across the face of the moon, but her blood and her soul and her strength and her courage all went into the steel. Such is the tale of the forging of Lightbringer,the Red Sword of Heroes. A Clash of Kings- Davos I
Nissa Nissa- Sacrifice
www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Nissa
The Hebrew meaning of the name Nissa is- To test. The heart of Nissa Nissa tempers Lightbringer.
It's Sacrifice that tempers the sword....
The Nights Watch is a sacrifice. The vow means giving up everything. No wife, no children, no titles and no glory. You serve for life. Your life and your honour belong to the Watch.
Jon pledged his life and his honour to the Night's watch for all the night's to come. When Qhorin ordered Jon to go over to the Wildlings, he knew it would mean his death. Qhorin gave up his life in defence of the realm just as he swore to do. That is as mighty and heroic as it gets.
When Jon killed Qhorin and went over to the Wildlings, he knew he would be known as an oathbreaker.
.....He did not understand. "What do you mean?"
"If we are taken, you must yield."
"Yield?" He blinked in disbelief. The wildlings did not make captives of the men they called the crows.They killed them, except for . . . "They only spare oathbreakers. Those who join them, like Mance Rayder."
"And you."
"No." He shook his head. "Never. I won't."
"You will. I command it of you."
"Command it? But . . ."
"Our honor means no more than our lives, so long as the realm is safe. Are you a man of the Night's Watch?"
Jon sat up straight. "I am."
"Then hear me. If we are taken, you will go over to them, as the wildling girl you captured once urged you. They may demand that you cut your cloak to ribbons, that you swear them an oath on your father's grave,that you curse your brothers and your Lord Commander. You must not balk, whatever is asked of you. Do as they bid you . . . but in your heart, remember who and what you are. Ride with them, eat with them, fight with them, for as long as it takes. And watch."
A Clash of Kings - Jon VIII
Jon sacrificed his Honour in defence of the realm, just as he swore to. When he let the Wildlings through the Wall he was including them in the realms of men that he swore to shield. When he was murdered for this, he sacrificed himself, just as he swore to. If Jon is resurrected he will be the only "living" person to do this.His watch/vigil will have ended.
Im not saying Jon will level up into some sort of superhero, but i do think people will see him as something special. People will be inspired by him and people will follow him just like the Dothraki followed Daenerys when she walked out of Khal Drogo's funeral pyre.
He will command the men defending the wall, brothers and Free Folk alike,and wield them like a sword, maybe even a Sword of Heroes.
I see Azor Ahai as an Order similar to(if not the the true) Knighthood. All men, highborn or lowborn, bastard or Lord can be forged into Lightbringer. All they have to do is be willing to sacrifice everything they have, including their honour and their life in defence of the Realms of Men, and seek no glory for it.
....He offered the raven a handful of corn from his pocket. "They will garb your brother Robb in silks, satins, and velvets of a hundred different colors, while you live and die in black ringmail. He will wed some beautiful princess and father sons on her. You'll have no wife, nor will you ever hold a child of your own blood in your arms. Robb will rule, you will serve. Men will call you a crow. Him they'll call Your Grace. Singers will praise every little thing he does, while your greatest deeds all go unsung. Tell me that none of this troubles you, Jon . . . and I'll name you a liar, and know I have the truth of it."
Jon drew himself up, taut as a bowstring. "And if it did trouble me, what might I do, bastard as I am?"
"What will you do?" Mormont asked. "Bastard as you are?"
"Be troubled," said Jon, "and keep my vows." A Clash of Kings - Jon I
This is what it takes to temper Lightbringer. But the Night's Watch is not the Red Sword of Heroes. The vows they take state that they will win no glory.
And There is no red in the Night's Watch...
....My brothers feared I might die before they got me back to Maester Mullin at the Shadow Tower, so they carried me to a wildling village where we knew an old wisewoman did some healing. She was dead, as it happened, but her daughter saw to me. Cleaned my wounds, sewed me up, and fed me porridge and potions until I was strong enough to ride again. And she sewed up the rents in my cloak as well, with some scarlet silk from Asshai that her grandmother had pulled from the wreck of a cog washed up on the Frozen Shore. It was the greatest treasure she had, and her gift to me." He swept the cloak back over his shoulders. "But at the Shadow Tower, I was given a new wool cloak from stores, black and black, and trimmed with black, to go with my black breeches and black boots, my black doublet and black mail. The new cloak had no frays nor rips nor tears . . . and most of all, no red. The men of the Night's Watch dressed in black, Ser Denys Mallister reminded me sternly, as if I had forgotten. My old cloak was fit for burning now, he said. A Storm of Swords - Jon I
Mighty Walls
The forging of Lightbringer is a prophecy written in the old books in Asshai. Azor Ahai is a warrior from eastern legend who is supposed to to be reborn. If my interpretation is even close to being right then this must have happened before.
But where?
The Five Forts
The vow in the Night's Watch oath
...."I am the watcher on the walls" always makes me think of the Five Forts in Essos. The reason for building it and the description of the lands beyond it are very similar to the Wall in Westeros.
We dont know much about the Five Forts. Supposedly they where built to defend against the demons of the Lion of Night in some sort of event similar to what we know as the Long Night. They now stand guard against wild men and other things to the North in the Grey Waste. With legends similar to those of the wildlings beyond the Wall. The "Snarks and Grumpkins" of Essos.
......No discussion of Yi Ti would be complete without a mention of the Five Forts, a line of hulking ancient citadels that stand along the far northeastern frontiers of the Golden Empire, between the Bleeding Sea (named for the characteristic hue of its deep waters, supposedly a result of a plant that grows only there) and the Mountains of the Morn. The Five Forts are very old, older than the Golden Empire itself; some claim they were raised by the Pearl Emperor during the morning of the Great Empire to keep the Lion of Night and his demons from the realms of men...and indeed, there is something godlike, or demonic, about the monstrous size of the forts, for each of the five is large enough to house ten thousand men, and their massive walls stand almost a thousand feet high.
Of the lands that lie beyond the Five Forts, we know even less. Legends and lies and traveler's tales are all that ever reach us of these far places. We hear of cities where the men soar like eagles on leathern wings, of towns made of bones, of a race of bloodless men who dwell between the deep valley called the Dry Deep and the mountains. Whispers reach us of the Grey Waste and its cannibal sands, and of the Shrykes who live there, half-human creatures with greenscaled skin and venomous bites. Are these truly lizard-men, or (more likely) men clad in the skins of lizards? Or are they no more than fables, the grumkins and snarks of the eastern deserts? And even the Shrykes supposedly live in terror of K'dath in the Grey Waste, a city said to be older than time, where unspeakable rites are performed to slake the hunger of mad gods. Does such a city truly exist? If so, what is its nature? The World of Ice and Fire - The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti
What we do know is they are a line of five giants citadels that guard the northeastern boundaries of Yi Ti.
They almost seem to be like the Wall..... with no wall. Just the castles. Was there a wall between these forts?
Im tempted to say yes....... At one time. Even with 10,000 men in each fort, i cant see them all standing in a line between the forts every night to stop raiders or Other things passing through when the Lion of Night unleashed his demons.
There had to have been something else to stop them.
The Bleeding Sea
If there was a wall of ice along the boundary between the forts similar to the Wall in Westeros, there is a good chance the ice the wall was made of came from the Bleeding Sea.
.....The Bleeding Sea is a large inland sea in eastern Essos. It is named for its blood-red waters, which are caused by a blooming plant.
The Bleeding Sea lies along the southeastern border of the plains of the Jogos Nhai and south of N'Ghai. There is a small island in the northern part of the sea. Roughly five rivers connect to the Bleeding Sea; one runs south through to Jinqi and the Jade Sea. Just south of the Bleeding Sea is a marshy region.
To the east of the Bleeding Sea is the Shrinking Sea, and beyond that the Land of the Shrykes and the city of K'Dath. The Five Forts stretch along the southeastern tip of the sea, while the the Cannibal Sands lie at the northwestern edge of the sea.- . Wiki of Ice and Fire Bleeding Sea
I haven't done enough research on what would happen if seawater like the waters of the Bleeding Sea freezes, to state with confidence that the ice from it would be Red but its nice to think there might have been a wall of red ice in Essos.
Personally, I like to think that the Wall in Westeros is made of Ice and the hypothetical wall between the Five Forts was made of Fire.
The Lord of Light
Every night the worshiper's Of R'hllor light their nightfires to guard them through the night "For the night is dark and full of terrors." and every morning they give thanks for the dawn. This may have been what the men who guarded the Five Forts did to keep out the demons of the Lion of Night. This fire could be the "waking dragons from stone" Melisandre talks about..
"When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone." A Dance with Dragons Jon X
This may be the reason the walls are made from fused black stone.
.....Certain scholars from the west have suggested Valyrian involvement in the construction of the Five Forts, for the great walls are single slabs of fused black stone that resemble certain Valyrian citadels in the west...but this seems unlikely, for the Forts predate the Freehold's rise, and there is no record of any dragonlords ever coming so far east. The World of Ice and Fire - The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti
Heroic Hand
The slave soldiers that guard the Red Temple and its Priests in Volantis are called the The Fiery Hand .There they are slaves marked by the flames tattooed on their faces but we dont know if they are slaves in the other cities where there are Red Temples. Moqorro and Benerro in Volantis have Tattoos like the slave soldiers but Thoros of Myr and Melisandre of Asshai do not.
Is it possible that the men (or women) who once garrisoned the Five Forts are the basis for this order? The Kingsguard of Westeros swear a vow which is based on the Night's Watch oath. They swear to guard the King from harm and give their life for his. The Night's Watch swear to do the same but to guard the realms of men.
The Fiery Hand (that we know of) are slaves. They belong to the Red Temple. The Brothers of the Night's Watch are slaves of a sort too. Once they say the words they cannot leave and they must obey every order. If they do not, the penalty is death.
....The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile or cruel. A Game of Thrones - Bran V
An order of soldiers(slave or otherwise) who worship the Lord of Light, commanded by Red Priests like Moqorro, Bennero and Melisandre in each of the five Forts. That would be a Fiery Hand.
If there was a wall of fire between the forts, they would look like they were grasping a flaming sword.
The Legend of Azor Ahai is replicated in different cultures with different names.
......How long the darkness endured no man can say, but all agree that it was only when a great warrior—known variously as Hyrkoon the Hero, Azor Ahai, Yin Tar, Neferion, and Eldric Shadowchaser—arose to give courage to the race of men and lead the virtuous into battle with his blazing sword Lightbringer that the darkness was put to rout, and light and love returned once more to the world. The World of Ice and Fire - The Bones and Beyond: Yi Ti
Thats five different names for what seems to be the same person, all said to have done the same thing wielding the sword Lightbringer.
Is it possible that the five are the leaders of each Fort? Like the Five Families with Azor Ahai as 'Il Capo de tutti Capi' pulling the strings.....maybe. GRRM is from Jersey.
The Hebrew Alphabet - The Letter Hei (ה)
http://www.hebrewtoday.com/content/hebrew-alphabet-letter-hei-%D7%94
The letter Hei is the fifth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, as well as a number of other Semitic language’s alphabets. Through the ancient Phoenician language, the letter Hei actually became the modern letter “E” in the English and Latin alphabets.....
....Spiritually, the letter Hei has many different aspects. It has a numerical value of five and thus represents the five fingers, the five senses and the five dimensions, in addition to the five levels of the soul which are detailed in Kabbalistic teachings.
Significance of Hei
.The wearer of the hamsa hand can wear it facing up or down and it is believed to give the owner success, harmony, and protection from the “Ayin Ha’ra,” also known as The Evil Eye. The hamsa hand meaning has a variety of interpretations, depending on the culture. The word, “hamsa,” derives its name from the five fingers on the hand. In Hebrew, the number five is “hamesh” and the fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is “Hey,” one of God’s holy names. “Hamesh” is representative of the five books of the Torah. In Judaism, it is also interpreted to be the Hand of Miriam, and symbolic of the owner’s five senses in an effort to praise Godhttps://jewelryinfoplace.com/symbolism-in-jewelry/
The Hamsa hand is often depicted with the chai symbol ....
Ice and Lightbringer
The Last Hero who sought out the Children of the Forest to help end the Long Night. We dont know much about the story but we know from The World of Ice and Fire....
......How the Long Night came to an end is a matter of legend, as all such matters of the distant past have become. In the North, they tell of a last hero who sought out the intercession of the children of the forest, his companions abandoning him or dying one by one as they faced ravenous giants, cold servants, and the Others themselves. Alone he finally reached the children, despite the efforts of the white walkers, and all the tales agree this was a turning point. Thanks to the children, the first men of the Night's Watch banded together and were able to fight—and win—the Battle for the Dawn: the last battle that broke the endless winter and sent the Others fleeing to the icy north. Now, six thousand years later (or eight thousand as True History puts forward), the Wall made to defend the realms of men is still manned by the sworn brothers of the Night's Watch, and neither the Others nor the children have been seen in many centuries. TWoIaF Ancient History: The Long Night
This type of sacrifice would definitely temper the Sword in the Darkness and it may be what the Night's Watch oath was built on
If the order of events is correct then the Night's Watch was founded after the Last Hero sacrificed everything to make it to the Children.
Legends of the north state the last hero and his companions went in search of the children of the forest during the Long Night, thousands of years ago. The only survivor of the company after attacks from giants, wights, and Others, the Last Hero eventually reached the children and gained their assistance. The Night's Watch then formed and won the Battle for the Dawn. This ended the generation-long winter and sent the Others into retreat, possibly to the Lands of Always Winter.
The fate of the last hero is unknown. A Wiki of Ice and Fire
I think Stannis' sword Lightbringer is named after the metaphorical flaming sword that guards the realms of men from the Lion of Night in Essos.
So, does Westeros have one that represents the sword in the darkness that shields the realms of men ?
.......Catelyn had no love for swords, but she could not deny that Ice had its own beauty. It had been forged in Valyria, before the Doom had come to the old Freehold, when the ironsmiths had worked their metal with spells as well as hammers.
Four hundred years old it was, and as sharp as the day it was forged. The name it bore was older still, a legacy from the age of heroes, when the Starks were Kings in the North. A Game of Thrones - Catelyn I
A sword of ICE and a sword of FIRE to fight the War for the Dawn,
....According to these tales, the return of the sun came only when a hero convinced Mother Rhoyne's many children—lesser gods such as the Crab King and the Old Man of the River—to put aside their bickering and join together to sing a secret song that brought back the day. The World of Ice and Fire - Ancient History: The Long Night
.....The king laid his bright blade down on the map, along the Wall, its steel shimmering like sunlight on water. "You are only lord commander by my sufferance. You would do well to remember that."
"I am lord commander because my brothers chose me." A Dance with Dragons - Jon I
Dawn had broken when Jon stepped from the tent beside Qhorin Halfhand. The wind swirled around them, stirring their black cloaks and sending a scatter of red cinders flying from the fire.
"We ride at noon," the ranger told him. "Best find that wolf of yours." A Clash of Kings - Jon V
A Song of Ice and Fire.
"There's a sweet sound," he said, slashing at the air. A Dance with Dragons - Jon VI
Who's Looking Through The Black Gate
Male And Female In The Vale Of Arryn
The Trident Has Three Heads
Aerys,Tywin And A Bride For Rhaegar
Davos's Thumb
Coin Well Spent
Valonqar - High Valyrian Or Bastard Valyrian?
Brandon's Bastards
