Game of Thrones: The Oldest Houses In Westeros, Explained

As a maester hailing from Oldtown’s Hightower, I’ve spent my days delving into the annals of Westeros’ rich history, and I must say, there’s something truly captivating about tracing the lineage of its noble houses.

The Dawn Age, The Age of Heroes, The Coming of the Andals, The Age of Valyria, The Seven Kingdoms, and The Targaryen Dynasty. The universe depicted in HBO’s Game of Thrones series has primarily explored four of these periods – The Age of Valyria, The Seven Kingdoms, The Targaryen Dynasty, the Fall of the Dragons, King Robert’s Reign, and events that took place after King Robert’s reign.

In the world of Westeros, as we know it from ‘Game of Thrones’, migration or colonization are key aspects that have shaped contemporary life. The authenticity of history is debatable; written accounts start after the Andal Invasion, while the First Men had a runic writing system. This ambiguity casts doubt on the earliest origins of Westeros’ most prominent Houses, questioning how far back their lineage truly stretches.

The History of Westeros At A Glance

Game of Thrones: The Oldest Houses In Westeros, Explained

The First Men left engravings and etchings on stones, objects, cave walls all over most of Westeros. The Runes are evidence of humans thriving on the Honeywine River in the Reach since the Dawn Age. In the Stormlands, the First Men carved tree trunks which haven’t lasted. The prehistoric Runes cannot be accurately deciphered, thereby challenging what the Maesters have known about the history of Westeros. The Archmaesters at the Citadel do not consider the history of Westeros as a set of true facts. Furthermore, it doesn’t help that the author of A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series, George R. R. Martin, has sometimes been deliberately imprecise with dates. Everything written about the Dawn Age, the Age of Heroes, and the Long Night originates from stories, the stuff of legend set down by Septons thousands of years later, and even the Archmaesters raise questions about them. Nonetheless, there are moments of ingenuity in these half-legendary tales, and accordingly, these Houses claim the oldest descent in HBO’s Game of Thrones Universe.

The Age of Heroes

Game of Thrones: The Oldest Houses In Westeros, Explained

In the ancient times, before my kind set foot in Westeros, this magnificent continent was home to enigmatic non-human races like the Children of the Forest, giants, and other magical beings. As a gamer, I imagine us, the First Men, as the latecomers, arriving from Essos and crossing the Arm of Dorne to establish our new homes. Our arrival sparked centuries of conflict over land ownership, with us humans wielding bronze weapons while the Children of the Forest had powerful magic at their disposal.

Houses Greyjoy, Stark, Lannister, Durrandon-Baratheon

The early settlers on the Iron Islands, located off the western shore of the mainland, cultivated a unique lifestyle centered around seafaring, plundering, and raids. These inhabitants were known as the Ironborn, who revered a deity named the Drowned God. The powerful Greyjoy lineage, based in Pyke, claim descent from the legendary ruler, the Grey King, who reigned during the Age of Heroes. As portrayed in “Game of Thrones,” Theon Greyjoy’s father, Baelon, takes great pride in adhering to the Ironborn way of life.

Houses Stark, Greyjoy, and Lannister can all be traced back to the Age of Heroes, a time when influential figures shaped history. These houses were established by these heroic, legendary individuals. For instance, Brandon the Builder is believed to have founded House Stark. His culture was influenced by the customs of the First Men immigrants or settlers. Brandon the Builder is also considered an ancestor of the Kings of Winter, possibly even the King of Winter himself. As his name suggests, he is known for constructing the Wall and Winterfell.

1. In a tale of old, Lann the Wise outsmarted Casterlys to seize Casterly Rock and establish House Lannister. It’s worth noting that the extinct House Casterly predates House Lannister, with origins reaching back to the Dawn Age. The firstborn son of the legendary High King of the First Men, Garth Greenhand, founded House Gardener. It is significant to mention that House Gardener was wiped out during Aegon’s Conquest in the Field of Fire and replaced by House Tyrell. The Tyrell family, including Olenna, Mace, Margaery, and Loras, claim descent through the female line of the legendary Garth the Gardener.

House Hightower

The Hightowers from House of the Dragon trace their descent back to the Dawn Age, and are one of the oldest Houses. They were petty-kings, generally believed to have been descended from the First Men. Maester Yandel’s writings state that the Hightowers are the descendants of the seafarers and traders who settled at the top of the Whispering Sound (a Bay Area on the southwestern coast of the Reach) before the First Men. The Hightowers lived in (not built) the large black stone square fortress at Battle Isle. The Hightowers used the stone fortress as a foundation and built the Hightower on it.

House Dayne

The Daynes are well-known for being one of the most ancient families in the Seven Kingdoms, and the series “Game of Thrones” acknowledges them significantly through the character of Ser Arthur Dayne. Ser Arthur was a knight serving under the Mad King’s Kingsguard and enjoyed a close friendship with Rhaegar Targaryen. He bore the title of Sword of the Morning and was entrusted with protecting Rhaegar’s wife, Lyanna Stark. Tragically, he met his end outside the Tower of Joy in Dorne due to the combined efforts of Ned Stark and Howland Reed.

The Daynes are the descendants of the First Men, but the House dates back ten thousand years to the Dawn of Days. They are among the prestigious Houses in ancient Dorne, backed by the legendary claim that the first Dayne followed a shooting star and raised the castle of Starfall at the mouth of Torrentine where he found a magic stone. Legend says the Daynes’ ancestral sword, Dawn, was made from the heart of this fallen star. The Daynes were the Kings of the Torrentine but submitted to House Nymeros Martell during Nymeria’s War.

The Blackwoods And The Brackens et al.,

Hailing from the Riverlands, the well-known adversaries, the Blackwoods and Brackens, trace their roots back to the First Men. Notably, the Blackwoods boast that they once ruled over much of the Wolfswood until they were forced out by the Kings of Winter. Similarly, the Redforts of the Vale can trace their ancestry to the First Men. House Royce, ruling from Runestone in the Vale, is one of the oldest houses and also lays claim to First Men heritage. A notable member of this house, Yohn Royce, wears ancient bronze plate armor adorned with runes, which is believed to be thousands of years old. Additionally, the Strongs of Harrenhal, as depicted in House of the Dragon, share a similar lineage tracing back to the First Men.

In the world of Westeros, descendants from the original human inhabitants, known as the First Men, can be found among numerous noble houses. However, over time, these families have blended considerably with the conquerors, the Andals, who were skilled in iron and steel crafting. The Andals managed to seize control of almost all Westeros, leaving only the North untouched by their rule. This allowed the North to preserve its unique cultural heritage and traditions that originated from the First Men.

2024-08-15 01:07