The Weeper

The Weeper, also known as the Weeping Man is a character of A Song of Ice and Fire. He is a notorious wildling raider and leader of a war band of the lands beyond the Wall.

He is a thick, blond-haired man, nicknamed for his watery eyes. He carries a large curved scythe.

A Clash of Kings
When Qhorin Halfhand arrives at the Night's Watch's campo at the Fist of the First Men, he tells them that the Weeper as allied himself with Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall.

A Storm of Swords
Mance Rayder's army marches south to the Wall. Many wildling parties are sent scouting forward to climb the Wall, among them parties led by Styr, the Weeper, Rattleshirt, and Harma Dogshead. The Weeper is spotted near the abandoned castle of Icemark. Mance sends raiding parties to attack several areas of the Wall to draw attention away from the main host.

While Mance is marching with the wildling host and the giants to Castle Black, the Weeper heads to the Shadow Tower, to draw away the garrison of Castle Black as a bait. First Steward Bowen Marsh, the castellan of Castle Black, takes the bait and, with the majority of the men at Castle Black, sets off after the raiding party that is attacking the Shadow Tower.

While the main strength is away from Castle Black, the gate beneath the Wall is lightly defended which would allow Mance to assault the gate and try to break through the Wall.

During the Battle of Castle Black, Bowen Marsh corners the Weeper and 300 wildlings on the Bridge of Skulls, at the Gorge, near the Shadow Tower. Black Brothers from Castle Black and the Shadow Tower take part in the battle, among them Bowen Marsh, Ser Denys Mallister, Ser Endrew Tarth, Jarman Buckwell, Ser Aladale Wynch, Maester Mullin, Wallace Massey, Eddison Tollett, Dywen, Bedwyck, Watt of Long Lake, and many others in a force of about 400 men.

The battle is bloody and 100 brothers are slain, including Endrew, Aladale, Jarman, and Watt. The wildling casualties are significant, but the Weeper survives and flees with the rest of his warrior band.

After the Fight at the Bridge of Skulls, Bowen Marsh is seriously wounded in the battle and has to be carried to the Shadow Tower in a litter. This delays the return of the garrison to Castle Black, which is under assault from the main wildling force commanded by Mance.

The Weeper and his warband remain at the river Milkwater, while Mance Rayder's army is defeated by King Stannis Baratheon, causing the wildlings to flee and disperse in the wilds beyond the Wall, while the rest of them are captured by Stannis.

A Dance with Dragons
The Others are attacking the lands beyond the Wall with their wights, and many wildlings are being killed. While Jon Snow is elected Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and King Stannis is marching to Winterfell to free the North from the Boltons and prevent attacks from the south, the Weeper gathers warriors at the Milkwater, planning to cross the Bridge of Skulls, and take the Shadow Tower.

Jon sends ranging parties led by the First Ranger Jack Bulwer, Ser Alliser Thorne, and Dywen to rescue any wildling they can find north of the Wall. Meanwhile the wildling princess Val is sent to find Tormund Giantsbane and his host of thousands of wildlings. Mother Mole instead gathered thousands of wildlings at Hardhome, waiting for ships to come to rescue them.

The Weeper and his men capture Black Jack Bulwer, Garth Greyfeather, and Hairy Hal and kill them. The Weeper has their head removed, and their eyes plucked out, then leaves their heads on spears near the Wall for the men of the Night's Watch to find. Jon Snow has their bodies burned and Melisandre warns him that she saw another one of the two rangers groups being killed, either Ser Alliser's or Dywen's group.

Many wildling groups and families are found beyond the Wall, including the giant Wun Wun. Tormund brings 4,000 wildlings to the Wall, the giant and their mammoths cross the Wall at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea, but Hardhome is under attack by wights and Cotter Pyke and his Black Brothers needs reinforcements to bring them away with their ships. Ser Denys Mallister reports to Jon that the Weeper and his warriors are preparing to attack the Shadow Tower again.