The show greatly simplified and, in my opinion, cheapened the Faceless Men's origins. The way the show tells it is that the Faceless Men were some sort of Slave Liberation grouo rebelling against their masters in Old Valyria. That origin doesn't really explain their religious adherence to death or the fact that they will literally kill anyone if the proper tribute is paid.
In the book, it's told that the first Faceless Man was a Valyrian noble. Day after day he'd hear slaves praying to their gods for death, so that they could be spared the terrible life they led under their Valyrian masters. The Many Faced God comes from the noble's observations. These slaves were praying to all these different gods, but they were all wishing for the same thing: death and freedom. Thus the belief that there's only one God and he wears many faces.
The noble, with his newfound religious enlightenment, began to do the Many Faced God's work by killing the slaves who prayed for it. Then, one day, he heard a slave praying for death, but not his own. This slave prayed for the death of his master. The noble approached the slave and told him that he'd kill the master if, and only if, the slave devoted his life to the Many Faces God and joined in his work.
It's probably my favorite piece of history in ASoIaF. Not sure why they even changed it, it wouldn't have taken much more dialogue, and it explains the Faceless Men's ways, it just makes sense.
Not really? The show's interpretation is basically as valid as yours.
A Feast For Crows Chapter 22
"What kind of tale?" She asked, wary.
"The tale of beginnings. If you would be one of us, you had best know who we are and how we came to be. Men may whisper of the Faceless Men of Braavos, but we are older than the Secret City. Before the Titan rose, before the Unmasking of Uthero, before the Founding, we were. We have flowered in Braavos amongst these northern fogs, but we first took root in Valyria, amongst the wretched slaves who toiled in the deep mines beneath the Fourteen Flames that lit the Freehold's nights of old. Most mines are dank and chilly places, but from cold dead stone, but the Fourteen Flames were living mountains with veins of molten rock and hearts of fire. So the miners of old Valyria were always hot, and they grew hotter as the shafts were driven deeper, ever deeper. The slaves toiled in an oven. The rocks around them were too hot to touch. The air stank of brimstone and would sear their lungs as they breathed it. The soles of their feet would burn and blister, even through the thickest sandals. Sometimes, when they broke through a wall in search of gold, they would find steam instead, or boiling water, or molten rock. Certain shafts were cut so low that the slaves could not stand upright, but had to crawl or bend. An there were wyrms in that red darkness too."
"Earthworms?" she asked, frowning.
"Firewyrms. Some say they are akin to dragons, for wyrms breathe fire too. Instead of soaring through the sky, they bore through stone and soil. If the old tales can be believed, there were wyrms amongst the Fourteen Flames even before the dragons came. The young ones are no larger than that skinny arm of yours, but they can grow to monstrous size and have no love for me."
"Did they kill the slaves?"
"Burnt and blackened corpses were oft found in shafts where the rocks were cracked or full of holes. Yet still the mines drove deeper. Slaves perished by the score, but their masters did not care. Red gold and yellow gold and silver were reckoned to be more precious than the lives of slaves, for slaves were cheap in the old Freehold. During war, the Valyrians took them by the thousands. In times of peace they bred them, though only the worst were sent down to die in the red darkness."
"Didn't the slaves rise up and fight?"
"Some did," he said, "Revolts were common in the mines, but few accomplished much. The dragonlords of the old Freehold were strong in sorcery, and lesser men defied them at their peril. The first Faceless Man was one who did."
"Who was he?" Arya blurted, before she stopped to think.
"No one," he answered. "Some say he was a slave himself. Others insist he was a freeholder's son, born of noble stock. Some will even tell you he was an overseer who took pity on his charges. The truth is, no one knows. Whoever he was, he moved amongst the slaves and would hear them at their prayers. Men of a hundred different nations labored in the mines, and each prayed to his own god in his own tongue, yet all were praying for the same thing. It was release they asked for, an end to pain. A small thing, and simple. Yet their gods made no answer, and their suffering went on. Are their gods all deaf? he wondered . . . until a realization came upon him, one night in the red darkness.
"All gods have their instruments, men and women who serve them and help to work their will on earth. The slaves were not crying out to a hundred different gods, as it seemed, but to one god with a hundred different faces . . . and he was that god's instrument. That very night he chose the most wretched of the slaves, the one who had prayed most earnestly for release, and freed him from his bondage. The first gift had been given."
"Arya drew back from him. "He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!"
"He would bring the gift to them as well . . . but that is a tale fro another day, one best shared with no one." He cocked his head. "And who are you, child?"
I might have missed it but did the show say what their price was
If I remember the books right, their price depends on the person, a begger might have a person killed for giving them the wheeled board he uses to get around on where as a nobel would have to give them all of the coin in his treasury
It was in general 2/3 of everything you have in life. For poor people that generally means their life, for rich they can usually pay and live.
That does make me wonder whether:
(book stuff)
we'll get to find out what price Euron had to pay to have his brother killed.
I was checking on this, because I didn't remember if they ever actually said he was killed by a faceless man or there were just rumors (turns out there was a vision of a "man without a face", so the implication is clear). The theory is that he paid with the dragon egg that he says he had. He claimed he tossed it into the sea, which is unusual considering how valuable dragon eggs are.
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FakefauxCóiste BodharDriving John McCain to meet some Iraqis who'd very much like to make his acquaintanceRegistered Userregular
Emo rape Viking is not more interesting than regular rape Viking.
Sure he is. He's delightfully crazy.
And stupid. He and Cersei are some of the most fun chapters for me because he really lets you experience their obliviousness and their internal rationalizations for it.
I love how everyone but him seems to realize he's a class A moron.
The show greatly simplified and, in my opinion, cheapened the Faceless Men's origins. The way the show tells it is that the Faceless Men were some sort of Slave Liberation grouo rebelling against their masters in Old Valyria. That origin doesn't really explain their religious adherence to death or the fact that they will literally kill anyone if the proper tribute is paid.
In the book, it's told that the first Faceless Man was a Valyrian noble. Day after day he'd hear slaves praying to their gods for death, so that they could be spared the terrible life they led under their Valyrian masters. The Many Faced God comes from the noble's observations. These slaves were praying to all these different gods, but they were all wishing for the same thing: death and freedom. Thus the belief that there's only one God and he wears many faces.
The noble, with his newfound religious enlightenment, began to do the Many Faced God's work by killing the slaves who prayed for it. Then, one day, he heard a slave praying for death, but not his own. This slave prayed for the death of his master. The noble approached the slave and told him that he'd kill the master if, and only if, the slave devoted his life to the Many Faces God and joined in his work.
It's probably my favorite piece of history in ASoIaF. Not sure why they even changed it, it wouldn't have taken much more dialogue, and it explains the Faceless Men's ways, it just makes sense.
Not really? The show's interpretation is basically as valid and supported by the books as yours.
A Feast For Crows Chapter 22
It is possible that the first Faceless Man took the slave's life as price for killing his master, but there's no evidence of that in the books, and there's nothing definite saying that the first Faceless man was originally a noble.
"What kind of tale?" She asked, wary.
"The tale of beginnings. If you would be one of us, you had best know who we are and how we came to be. Men may whisper of the Faceless Men of Braavos, but we are older than the Secret City. Before the Titan rose, before the Unmasking of Uthero, before the Founding, we were. We have flowered in Braavos amongst these northern fogs, but we first took root in Valyria, amongst the wretched slaves who toiled in the deep mines beneath the Fourteen Flames that lit the Freehold's nights of old. Most mines are dank and chilly places, but from cold dead stone, but the Fourteen Flames were living mountains with veins of molten rock and hearts of fire. So the miners of old Valyria were always hot, and they grew hotter as the shafts were driven deeper, ever deeper. The slaves toiled in an oven. The rocks around them were too hot to touch. The air stank of brimstone and would sear their lungs as they breathed it. The soles of their feet would burn and blister, even through the thickest sandals. Sometimes, when they broke through a wall in search of gold, they would find steam instead, or boiling water, or molten rock. Certain shafts were cut so low that the slaves could not stand upright, but had to crawl or bend. An there were wyrms in that red darkness too."
"Earthworms?" she asked, frowning.
"Firewyrms. Some say they are akin to dragons, for wyrms breathe fire too. Instead of soaring through the sky, they bore through stone and soil. If the old tales can be believed, there were wyrms amongst the Fourteen Flames even before the dragons came. The young ones are no larger than that skinny arm of yours, but they can grow to monstrous size and have no love for me."
"Did they kill the slaves?"
"Burnt and blackened corpses were oft found in shafts where the rocks were cracked or full of holes. Yet still the mines drove deeper. Slaves perished by the score, but their masters did not care. Red gold and yellow gold and silver were reckoned to be more precious than the lives of slaves, for slaves were cheap in the old Freehold. During war, the Valyrians took them by the thousands. In times of peace they bred them, though only the worst were sent down to die in the red darkness."
"Didn't the slaves rise up and fight?"
"Some did," he said, "Revolts were common in the mines, but few accomplished much. The dragonlords of the old Freehold were strong in sorcery, and lesser men defied them at their peril. The first Faceless Man was one who did."
"Who was he?" Arya blurted, before she stopped to think.
"No one," he answered. "Some say he was a slave himself. Others insist he was a freeholder's son, born of noble stock. Some will even tell you he was an overseer who took pity on his charges. The truth is, no one knows. Whoever he was, he moved amongst the slaves and would hear them at their prayers. Men of a hundred different nations labored in the mines, and each prayed to his own god in his own tongue, yet all were praying for the same thing. It was release they asked for, an end to pain. A small thing, and simple. Yet their gods made no answer, and their suffering went on. Are their gods all deaf? he wondered . . . until a realization came upon him, one night in the red darkness.
"All gods have their instruments, men and women who serve them and help to work their will on earth. The slaves were not crying out to a hundred different gods, as it seemed, but to one god with a hundred different faces . . . and he was that god's instrument. That very night he chose the most wretched of the slaves, the one who had prayed most earnestly for release, and freed him from his bondage. The first gift had been given."
"Arya drew back from him. "He killed the slave?" That did not sound right. "He should have killed the masters!"
"He would bring the gift to them as well . . . but that is a tale fro another day, one best shared with no one." He cocked his head. "And who are you, child?"
I might have missed it but did the show say what their price was
If I remember the books right, their price depends on the person, a begger might have a person killed for giving them the wheeled board he uses to get around on where as a nobel would have to give them all of the coin in his treasury
It was in general 2/3 of everything you have in life. For poor people that generally means their life, for rich they can usually pay and live.
In one of Arya and the Waif's "Am I lying?" game things, the waif tells a story about her father buying a faceless man, and says that the house of black and white took all of his wealth in exchange. Arya says that was a lie, and the house of black and white only took 2/3 of his wealth, and the waif responded with some "Just so" or something.
I'll freely admit that I wrote my post with info that I was just recalling, and rembered it as leas vague than it actually is, but my overall point still stands
The show pretty much just said "Yeah, they were slaves and they rebelled against their masters. That's where the Many Faced God and the Faceless Men come from", which doesn't explain where their religion comes from or their customs
The book says that it started with one guy (granted, I misrembered where they weren't sure if he was a slave or noble) who killed the slaves of Old Valyria because they prayed for death, not because of some freedom fighter ideal. The first Faceless Man, the one who "discovered" the Many Faced God, was doing God's work by giving the slaves the gift of death. When a slave prayed for the death of his master, he made him pay the price by joining him and devotinf his life to the Many Faced God.
The book background is superior and makes far more sense, as it explains their origins whilst also explaining their dogma and outlook on death. The show doesn't explain how they went from "slave rebellion" to "religious death cult" and, I feel, that the Faceless Men, as depicted, are cheapened by it.
And it was something they didn't need to change! They could've pulled it verbatim from the books.
The show greatly simplified and, in my opinion, cheapened the Faceless Men's origins. The way the show tells it is that the Faceless Men were some sort of Slave Liberation grouo rebelling against their masters in Old Valyria. That origin doesn't really explain their religious adherence to death or the fact that they will literally kill anyone if the proper tribute is paid.
In the book, it's told that the first Faceless Man was a Valyrian noble. Day after day he'd hear slaves praying to their gods for death, so that they could be spared the terrible life they led under their Valyrian masters. The Many Faced God comes from the noble's observations. These slaves were praying to all these different gods, but they were all wishing for the same thing: death and freedom. Thus the belief that there's only one God and he wears many faces.
The noble, with his newfound religious enlightenment, began to do the Many Faced God's work by killing the slaves who prayed for it. Then, one day, he heard a slave praying for death, but not his own. This slave prayed for the death of his master. The noble approached the slave and told him that he'd kill the master if, and only if, the slave devoted his life to the Many Faces God and joined in his work.
It's probably my favorite piece of history in ASoIaF. Not sure why they even changed it, it wouldn't have taken much more dialogue, and it explains the Faceless Men's ways, it just makes sense.
You being a terrible person makes it easier for me to be a terrible person.
am always happy help. :biggrin:
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Waffles or whateverPreviously known as, I shit you not, "Waffen"Registered Userregular
For next week's episode.
Was watching the Tower of Joy Scene from Episode 3 and we were sorta introduced to Howland Reed. I bet the horseman we see in the trailer is actually Howland Reed. I get the feeling he has greensight powers too and foresaw them being in trouble and rode north to save them. For me it makes sense because they just introduced him via vision, we know he has some sort of power or future seeing power, and its an even better way to introduce him to the show and book viewers alike. He can fill the niche left behind with Bloodraven dying.
Was watching the Tower of Joy Scene from Episode 3 and we were sorta introduced to Howland Reed. I bet the horseman we see in the trailer is actually Howland Reed. I get the feeling he has greensight powers too and foresaw them being in trouble and rode north to save them. For me it makes sense because they just introduced him via vision, we know he has some sort of power or future seeing power, and its an even better way to introduce him to the show and book viewers alike. He can fill the niche left behind with Bloodraven dying.
Hang on, I didn't see a horseman. Was that in the flash of images at the very beginning of the preview?
I was thinking of what possible chance Meera and Bran have now in the north, all on their own, and the only conclusion I can come to is the return of a nearly forgotten character that may or may not still be alive - Benjen Stark... or, if we're feeling cheeky... a late inclusion of a mysterious black-handed horseman?
Was watching the Tower of Joy Scene from Episode 3 and we were sorta introduced to Howland Reed. I bet the horseman we see in the trailer is actually Howland Reed. I get the feeling he has greensight powers too and foresaw them being in trouble and rode north to save them. For me it makes sense because they just introduced him via vision, we know he has some sort of power or future seeing power, and its an even better way to introduce him to the show and book viewers alike. He can fill the niche left behind with Bloodraven dying.
Hang on, I didn't see a horseman. Was that in the flash of images at the very beginning of the preview?
I was thinking of what possible chance Meera and Bran have now in the north, all on their own, and the only conclusion I can come to is the return of a nearly forgotten character that may or may not still be alive - Benjen Stark... or, if we're feeling cheeky... a late inclusion of a mysterious black-handed horseman?
Books
Aren't Coldhands and the elk camped outside the cave?
Hang on, I didn't see a horseman. Was that in the flash of images at the very beginning of the preview?
I was thinking of what possible chance Meera and Bran have now in the north, all on their own, and the only conclusion I can come to is the return of a nearly forgotten character that may or may not still be alive - Benjen Stark... or, if we're feeling cheeky... a late inclusion of a mysterious black-handed horseman?
More thoughts..
We were sort of just re-introduced to Benjen in the past. Him and Ned were training. Small possibility that he received some form or part of Hodor's future-vision? So he ran off to the far North following that vision... maybe.
Look for a Benjen scene from Season 1 to be in the "previously on Game of Thrones" clips...
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Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
They cut out extra Brienne + Tormund scenes!?!?!
Christie also revealed that one Brienne-Tormund scene actually cut from the show: a moment showed Sansa “going Mean Girls” on Brienne and teasing her about Tormund’s interest, “and you had the powerful warrior who’s totally flustered.” We hope that one ends up as a deleted scene on the season 6 home release.
Christie also revealed that one Brienne-Tormund scene actually cut from the show: a moment showed Sansa “going Mean Girls” on Brienne and teasing her about Tormund’s interest, “and you had the powerful warrior who’s totally flustered.” We hope that one ends up as a deleted scene on the season 6 home release.
a clear sign as any that the showrunners just don't know what to prioritise on this show.
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MalReynoldsThe Hunter S Thompson of incredibly mild medicinesRegistered Userregular
it's going to be someone. Meera isn't going to be able to drag Bran all the way to the Wall by herself.
Also they are going to head for the Wall right? I can't think of anything else for them to do at this point...
I would presume they're going to try and find another Weirwood for Bran to warg into the past or something.
"A new take on the epic fantasy genre... Darkly comic, relatable characters... twisted storyline."
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor My new novel: Maledictions: The Offering. Now in Paperback!
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LibrarianThe face of liberal fascismRegistered Userregular
it's going to be someone. Meera isn't going to be able to drag Bran all the way to the Wall by herself.
Also they are going to head for the Wall right? I can't think of anything else for them to do at this point...
I would presume they're going to try and find another Weirwood for Bran to warg into the past or something.
Upcoming Bran speculation
He could warg into a bear, or maybe his powers are now strong enough to Control multiple animals, or maybe even a giant, so he could just pull himself to the wall.
Or they meet Benjen/Coldhands/Howland Reed, but in any of these cases they did a bad Job at establishing these characters for the Viewers.
Or they look for another tree and he can use that to contact others on the tree radio, for example Howland Reed.
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Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
Current Bran is gonna warg into Future Bran so that he can warg into Past Bran and then warg into another Bran who isn't him but has the same name
BRANCEPTION
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y2jake215certified Flat Birther theoristthe Last Good Boy onlineRegistered Userregular
bran is going to admit he was just faking it this whole time and walk back
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
bran is going to admit he was just faking it this whole time and walk back
nah, he's gonna spend the entire journey back joking about how its so cold he can't feel his legs. Meera will get sick of this and just wander off and leave him.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
Yea, that feels like a huge distance from where he was when last we saw him. Not sure how to get to there from here.
Bear in mind the story of how azor ahais sword was forged.
Book:
My concerns aren't with the magical logic of it so much as the character of BookStannis as well as basic logistics.
Stannis isn't really a True Believer and is also like half a continent away from Shireen at the moment.
I'm not talking about magic I'm talking thematic foreshadowing.
stannis is still under the impression he is azor ahai, a central feature of azor ahais myth is that he had to sacrifice someone he loved to reach his potential.
It's absolutely where his arc is leading thematically. His iron will and determination to always finish what he starts is leading him to dark places.
Yea, that feels like a huge distance from where he was when last we saw him. Not sure how to get to there from here.
Bear in mind the story of how azor ahais sword was forged.
Book:
My concerns aren't with the magical logic of it so much as the character of BookStannis as well as basic logistics.
Stannis isn't really a True Believer and is also like half a continent away from Shireen at the moment.
I'm not talking about magic I'm talking thematic foreshadowing.
stannis is still under the impression he is azor ahai, a central feature of azor ahais myth is that he had to sacrifice someone he loved to reach his potential.
It's absolutely where his arc is leading thematically. His iron will and determination to always finish what he starts is leading him to dark places.
So does book Euron! Actually all the Iron Islanders are boring.
Book Euron is cool.
His Royal Mannis:
Stannis doesn’t believe he is Azor Ahai, Stannis believes he is King and Shireen is his heir.
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Podlyyou unzipped me! it's all coming back! i don't like it!Registered Userregular
I like the iron isles stuff when it doesn't deal with Ramsey torturing Theon. It keeps the idea that Westeros is not some contemporary political analogue and still has a place where overt primitivism (combined with a binary of sea vs land saltiness) is still an accepted and admired force.
HonkHonk is this poster.Registered User, __BANNED USERSregular
Kingsmoot mechanics discussion:
I'm guessing they always drown the king-elect? I'm wondering what the stats are for people coughing up the water versus just laying there drowning on land. Do the books cover that at all.
It seems wildly ineffective.
PSN: Honkalot
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Giggles_FunsworthBlight on DiscourseBay Area SprawlRegistered Userregular
I'm guessing they always drown the king-elect? I'm wondering what the stats are for people coughing up the water versus just laying there drowning on land. Do the books cover that at all.
It seems wildly ineffective.
BOOK SPOILS:
In the books, IIRC, it was more of a coming of age ceremony, whole thing is basically a Lovecraftian baptism. The Dhamphairs had a ritual that was essentially CPR. Which was pretty cool! Especially since it was a sciencey thing that the mainlanders haven't quite seemed to have gotten their heads around. Don't know why they opted for the way stupider version depicted in the show.
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jakobaggerLO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTOREDRegistered Userregular
I'm guessing they always drown the king-elect? I'm wondering what the stats are for people coughing up the water versus just laying there drowning on land. Do the books cover that at all.
It seems wildly ineffective.
BOOK SPOILS:
In the books, IIRC, it was more of a coming of age ceremony, whole thing is basically a Lovecraftian baptism. The Dhamphairs had a ritual that was essentially CPR. Which was pretty cool! Especially since it was a sciencey thing that the mainlanders haven't quite seemed to have gotten their heads around. Don't know why they opted for the way stupider version depicted in the show.
Damp-hair is just a nickname Aeron, one of the Drowned Men has (Drowned Men is the actual name of the Drowned God's priests.) Not sure whether he has been named in the show, but he's Theon and Asha(/Yara)'s uncle in the books.
Sea baptisms are a general thing, Theon gets one too in season 2, but in modern times they have mostly been symbolical. Aeron "Damp-hair" Greyjoy is just a bit more hardcore than that so he goes full drowning.
And yeah in the books, the Drowned Men know CPR which is why ritual drowning didn't already kill all the ironborn.
Posts
He's gonna make the Iron Islands great again!
Seriously his whole election campaign in the show seemed like a series of Trump references.
right down to boasting about his 'big cock'.
I love how everyone but him seems to realize he's a class A moron.
I'll freely admit that I wrote my post with info that I was just recalling, and rembered it as leas vague than it actually is, but my overall point still stands
The book says that it started with one guy (granted, I misrembered where they weren't sure if he was a slave or noble) who killed the slaves of Old Valyria because they prayed for death, not because of some freedom fighter ideal. The first Faceless Man, the one who "discovered" the Many Faced God, was doing God's work by giving the slaves the gift of death. When a slave prayed for the death of his master, he made him pay the price by joining him and devotinf his life to the Many Faced God.
The book background is superior and makes far more sense, as it explains their origins whilst also explaining their dogma and outlook on death. The show doesn't explain how they went from "slave rebellion" to "religious death cult" and, I feel, that the Faceless Men, as depicted, are cheapened by it.
And it was something they didn't need to change! They could've pulled it verbatim from the books.
holy shit that's amazing.
says the show only guy.
and now i'm laughing uncontrollably again.
You being a terrible person makes it easier for me to be a terrible person.
am always happy help. :biggrin:
Hang on, I didn't see a horseman. Was that in the flash of images at the very beginning of the preview?
Books
Also they are going to head for the Wall right? I can't think of anything else for them to do at this point...
Nintendo ID: Pastalonius
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looks like it
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
yes it is, thank god
More thoughts..
Look for a Benjen scene from Season 1 to be in the "previously on Game of Thrones" clips...
a clear sign as any that the showrunners just don't know what to prioritise on this show.
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor
My new novel: Maledictions: The Offering. Now in Paperback!
Upcoming Bran speculation
Or they meet Benjen/Coldhands/Howland Reed, but in any of these cases they did a bad Job at establishing these characters for the Viewers.
Or they look for another tree and he can use that to contact others on the tree radio, for example Howland Reed.
BRANCEPTION
maybe i'm streaming terrible dj right now if i am its here
nah, he's gonna spend the entire journey back joking about how its so cold he can't feel his legs. Meera will get sick of this and just wander off and leave him.
BRAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN
I'm not talking about magic I'm talking thematic foreshadowing.
It's absolutely where his arc is leading thematically. His iron will and determination to always finish what he starts is leading him to dark places.
Book Euron is cool.
It seems wildly ineffective.
BOOK SPOILS:
Sea baptisms are a general thing, Theon gets one too in season 2, but in modern times they have mostly been symbolical. Aeron "Damp-hair" Greyjoy is just a bit more hardcore than that so he goes full drowning.
And yeah in the books, the Drowned Men know CPR which is why ritual drowning didn't already kill all the ironborn.