The Others, also known as White Walkers, are a species of humanoid beings that are said to exist in the North beyond the Wall.
According to legend, the Others first appeared approximately 8,000 years before the War of Conquest, during a winter that lasted a generation and a period of darkness known as the Long Night. Eventually they were defeated, supposedly by the Night's Watch in the Battle for the Dawn, and the Wall may have been raised as a defense against them.
It is said that the Others came again in the War for the Dawn, but only those in the North hold to such claims, with those of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms considering tales of the Others equivalent to superstitions and child's tales, much like grumpkins and snarks. As a result, the Others are regarded south of the Neck to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms as nothing more than fairy tales to frighten the little children. They are often mentioned in curses, such as "The Others take his eyes."