HBO has just released a graphic tease for its third season of Game of Thrones, which will be returning slightly earlier than prior seasons: March 31st, 2013 (It is known).  Based on roughly the first half of George R. R. Martin's third A Song of Ice and Fire series novel A Storm of Swords, the only hint of new material for the upcoming season is a cryptic riddle said by a strange woman.  Hit the jump for some possible ideas as to whom, and what it all could mean (Warning: potential book spoilers!)

Check out the teaser trailer below, followed by some explanation:

There's really not much to read into with the graphic itself, but the words: "The great war is between death and life, ice and fire.  If we lose, the night will never end" seem to put a particular focus not on the messy politics of the prior season (that are such a driving force of the book series) but on the likely inevitable horror of the White Walkers / Others as they descend from beyond the Wall.

The TV series has always played up the Whites more than the books as far as inserting extra scenes and keeping them relevant in the current zombie-obsessed culture, but who is speaking the words and warning us of the darkness and the long winter?

Personally, my first guess was Selyse (Florent) Baratheon (Tara Fitzgerald) because who else could it be?  It's not Melisandre (not her accent), but it does sound prophetic.  Quaithe from the Shadow Lands maybe?  You know, the priestess of Asshai?  Still nothing?  Right, the lady with iron mask.

However, Selyse (married to Stannis) is a devoted worshipper of R'hllor, the Lord of Light, and the teaser statement sounds like something from that bit of the mythology.  Selyse also holds court in A Storm of Swords while Stannis reels from the defeat at Blackwater, and they do travel to the Wall later on.  For now though, nothing is certain.  Let the theories fly!