Changes: Battle at the Mummer's Ford

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""Lions", you call yourselves. At the Mummer's Ford girls of seven years were raped. And babes, still on their mother's breast were cut in two while their mothers watched!"

―Anguy^[src]

The Battle at the Mummer's Ford was a military engagement in the first days of the War of the Five Kings. It takes place when the forces of House Lannister led by Ser Gregor Clegane come into conflict with the Iron Throne detachment sent by Hand of the King Eddard Stark, under the leadership of Lord Beric Dondarrion along with Thoros of Myr, to execute Ser Gregor.^[1]

The battle is off-screen in the TV series. It results in the victory of Ser Gregor Clegane and the reported death of Beric Dondarrion.^[2]

History

Prelude

Lord Tywin Lannister sends Ser Gregor Clegane to ravage the countryside in the Riverlands in response to Catelyn Stark taking Tyrion Lannister prisoner. Some of the refugees of these attacks go to King's Landing to plead their case for justice. There, in the Great Hall of the Red Keep, Lord Eddard Stark, as Hand of the King, sits on the Iron Throne, flanked by Petyr Baelish and Grand Maester Pycelle, dispensing justice while King Robert Baratheon is away from King's Landing on a hunt.

When asked by Ned Stark who committed the massacre, the spokesman for the refugees replies that the attackers carried no banners but that their leader was a foot taller than any man he had ever seen and was capable of cutting-off the head of a horse with a single blow of a sword. Petyr Baelish whispers to Ned that they have seen this feat themselves - Ser Gregor did this at the Hand's Tournament. Ned tells the spokesman that the man he is describing is Ser Gregor Clegane.

Even though King Robert had left Ned with explicit instructions to make peace with the Lannisters, he cannot let these acts go unpunished. He tells the assembled refugees that though he cannot bring back what is lost, he can mete out justice for those who committed these crimes. Ned calls forth Lord Beric Dondarrion and charges him to take a force of 100 men and travel to the lands of House Clegane. With great difficulty, Ned rises to his feet and with all ceremony and titles, he proclaims in the name of King Robert Baratheon that Ser Gregor Clegane is hereby stripped of all lands and titles and sentenced to death. He charges Ser Beric with carrying out the sentence.

Lord Eddard also orders Pycelle to send a raven to Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock, instructing him to come to King's Landing, within a fortnight, to answer for the crimes of his bannerman. Otherwise, he will be branded a traitor and an enemy to the throne.

The Battle

The battle happens off-screen but is reported that the Iron Throne detachment takes heavy loses from a force led Ser Gregor Clegane. Lord Beric Dondarrion is killed, which is reported, but not that Thoros unwittingly brings him back from the dead when Thoros prays over his corpse.

Aftermath

The survivors are trapped behind enemy lines with the start of the War of the Five Kings. Instead of fleeing, they form the Brotherhood Without Banners to protect the smallfolk by harassing Lannister soldiers. This group eventually attacks anyone attacking the smallfolk, including Stark soldiers. Hence, their name "Brotherhood Without Banners".

Thoros brings Beric back from the dead multiple times - at last count, six times - with a prayer to the Lord of Light but does not know why his pray only works on Beric.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Tywin hopes Ned Stark will lead the force and plans an ambush so he can obtain a hostage to trade for Tyrion. However, Ned's leg was broken in the skirmish led by Ser Jaime Lannister so he cannot lead the detachment himself. Ned passes over the impetuous Ser Loras Tyrell for command, naming Beric to lead the force. With Beric, Ned sends Thoros of Myr, Ser Gladden Wylde and Lord Lothar Mallery, each of whom are to raise 20 men-at-arms, along with 20 Winterfell men (including Alyn and Harwin) to fight alongside them.

The Iron Throne detachment is intercepted at the Mummer's Ford and makes a fighting retreat only to be taken in the rear by Ser Gregor Clegane and his men. Lord Lothar, Ser Raymun and Ser Gladden are all killed, as are most of Lord Eddard's men. Alyn of Winterfell manages to rally the survivors into a retreat. Young Lord Edric Dayne participates as Lord Beric's squire and survives the battle.

Many characters who later formed the Brotherhood were introduced at the Tourney of the Hand in the first novel. This tourney did occur in Season 1 of the TV series, but the characters were not introduced, because they would not really make a significant appearance until Season 3 - they are given cameos in the first novel but only reappear as "the Brotherhood" in the third novel (though as in Season 2 of the TV series, in the second novel characters do mention that something called "the Brotherhood" is harassing Lannister supply lines).

At the Tourney of the Hand, Anguy won the archery contest and Thoros of Myr won the melee contest. This is why they arrived in King's Landing and were available when Ned Stark ordered Beric Dondarrion to lead out a group of able knights to bring Gregor Clegane to justice - the soldiers who formed the original core of the Brotherhood Without Banners. Thus the connection might be lost on the TV audience that one of the reasons the Brotherhood is such a disproportionately capable fighting force is because so many of its initial members were elite fighters who came to the capital city to participate in the Tourney of the Hand. For example it might a bit contrived in the TV series that, as if by pure chance, the Brotherood's lead archer Anguy just happens to be preternaturally skilled with a bow. The books actually do explain that he is a professional archer so skilled that he actively competes in tournaments, and indeed recently won first place at a royal-level archery tournament. Moreover, he doesn't just happen to be wandering in the Riverlands, but the rational reason was given that he was in the capital for a major tournament, before being sent out with Dondarrion.

References

↑ A Golden Crown
↑ Season 2 Bluray: War of the Five Kings feature

Template:WarOfTheFiveKings

[1] A Golden Crown

[2] Season 2 Bluray: War of the Five Kings feature

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |name='''Battle at the Mummer's Ford'''
 |width=
-|prev= [[Battle of Golden Tooth]]
+|prev= [[Battle of the Golden Tooth]]
-|conc=
+|conc= [[Siege of Riverrun]]
 |next= [[Battle of the Green Fork]]
 |image=
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 |place=[[Mummer's Ford]], the Trident
 |result=*Lannister victory
-*Formation of the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]
+*Survivors of the battle from the Iron Throne detachment form the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]]
+*[[Thoros]] discovers he can bring [[Beric Dondarrion]] back from the dead with a prayer to the <br>[[Lord of Light]].
 |BG2=
-|side1=[[House Lannister]]
+|side1=[[File:House-Lannister-Main-Shield.PNG|30px|center|link=House Lannister]]
+[[House Lannister]]<br>raiding party but <br>without banners sent on secret orders by <br>Lord [[Tywin Lannister]].<br><br>
-*[[House Clegane]]
+[[File:House-Clegane-Main-Shield.PNG|30px|center|link=House Clegane]] [[House Clegane|House Celgane]] <br>Ser [[Gregor Clegane]], a Lannister bannerman, was identified in King's Landing as leading the raiding party after descriptions by [[Riverlands]] <br>[[smallfolk]] refugees of the raids.
-|side2=[[Iron Throne]]
+|side2=[[File:House-Tully-Main-Shield.PNG|30px|center|link=House Tully]]
+[[House Tully]]<br><i><b>Preceding the battle,</b></i> [[Riverlands]] [[smallfolk]] in and around <br>[[Mummer's Ford]].<br><br>
+[[File:House-Baratheon-Main-Shield.PNG|30px|center|link=House Baratheon]] [[Iron Throne]]<br>detachment sent on orders of Lord [[Eddard Stark]] as [[Hand of the King]] to arrest and <br>execute Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] for the crimes committed against the [[Riverlands]] [[smallfolk]].
 |side3=
 |side4=
-|commanders1=Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]
+|commanders1=Lord [[Tywin Lannister]]<br><i>(in secret)</i><br><br>
+Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]
-|commanders2=Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]]<br>[[Thoros of Myr]]
+|commanders2=Lord [[Eddard Stark]], Hand of the King<br><i>(in absentia)</i>
-|forces1=
+Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]]
-|forces2=
+|forces1=Unknown<br> <i>A raiding party was reported by the <br>Riverlands smallfolk refugees but the Iron Throne detachment was met by a considerably larger force.</i>
+|forces2=Detachment of <br>approximately 100 man-at-arms mostly made up of [[House Stark]] guardsmen but also including [[Thoros of Myr]] and [[Anguy]].
 |casual1=Unknown
 |casual2=Heavy
-*Beric Dondarrion reported killed
+*Beric Dondarrion <br>reported killed
 |civilian=Massive}}
 {{Quote|"Lions", [[House Lannister|you]] call yourselves. At the Mummer's Ford girls of seven years were raped. And babes, still on their mother's breast were cut in two while their mothers watched!|[[Anguy]]|And Now His Watch is Ended}}
-The '''Battle at the Mummer's Ford''' was a military engagement in the first days of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. It takes place when the forces of [[House Lannister]] led by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] come into conflict with the [[Iron Throne]] detachment sent by [[Hand of the King]] [[Eddard Stark]], under the leadership of Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]] along with [[Thoros]] of [[Myr]], to execute Ser Gregor.
+The '''Battle at the Mummer's Ford''' was a military engagement in the first days of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. It takes place when the forces of [[House Lannister]] led by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] come into conflict with the [[Iron Throne]] detachment sent by [[Hand of the King]] [[Eddard Stark]], under the leadership of Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]] along with [[Thoros]] of [[Myr]], to execute Ser Gregor.<ref>[[A Golden Crown]]</ref>
-The battle results in the victory of Ser Gregor Clegane and the reported death of Beric Dondarrion.<ref>Season 2 Bluray: War of the Five Kings feature</ref>
+The battle is off-screen in the TV series. It results in the victory of Ser Gregor Clegane and the reported death of Beric Dondarrion.<ref>Season 2 Bluray: War of the Five Kings feature</ref>
+== History ==
+=== Prelude ===
+Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] sends Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] to ravage the countryside in the [[Riverlands]] in response to [[Catelyn Stark]] taking [[Tyrion Lannister]] prisoner. Some of the refugees of these attacks go to [[King's Landing]] to plead their case for justice. There, in the [[Great Hall]] of the [[Red Keep]], Lord [[Eddard Stark]], as [[Hand of the King]], sits on the [[Iron Throne]], flanked by [[Petyr Baelish]] and Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], dispensing justice while King [[Robert Baratheon]] is away from King's Landing on a hunt.
+When asked by Ned Stark who committed the massacre, the spokesman for the refugees replies that the attackers carried no banners but that their leader was a foot taller than any man he had ever seen and was capable of cutting-off the head of a horse with a single blow of a sword. [[Petyr Baelish]] whispers to Ned that they have seen this feat themselves - Ser Gregor did this at the [[Tournament#Tourney of the Hand|Hand's Tournamen]]t. Ned tells the spokesman that the man he is describing is Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].
+Even though King Robert had left Ned with explicit instructions to make peace with the Lannisters, he cannot let these acts go unpunished. He tells the assembled refugees that though he cannot bring back what is lost, he can mete out justice for those who committed these crimes. Ned calls forth Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]] and charges him to take a force of 100 men and travel to the lands of [[House Clegane]]. With great difficulty, Ned rises to his feet and with all ceremony and titles, he proclaims in the name of King Robert Baratheon that Ser Gregor Clegane is hereby stripped of all lands and titles and sentenced to death. He charges Ser Beric with carrying out the sentence.
+Lord Eddard also orders Pycelle to send a raven to [[Tywin Lannister]] at [[Casterly Rock]], instructing him to come to King's Landing, within a fortnight, to answer for the crimes of his bannerman. Otherwise, he will be branded a traitor and an enemy to the throne.
+=== The Battle ===
+The battle happens off-screen but is reported that the Iron Throne detachment takes heavy loses from a force led Ser [[Gregor Clegane]]. Lord [[Beric Dondarrion]] is killed, which is reported, but not that [[Thoros]] unwittingly brings him back from the dead when Thoros prays over his corpse.
+=== Aftermath ===
+The survivors are trapped behind enemy lines with the start of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. Instead of fleeing, they form the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]] to protect the [[smallfolk]] by harassing Lannister soldiers. This group eventually attacks anyone attacking the smallfolk, including Stark soldiers. Hence, their name "Brotherhood Without Banners".
+Thoros brings Beric back from the dead multiple times - at last count, six times - with a prayer to the [[Lord of Light]] but does not know why his pray only works on Beric.
 ==In the books==
-In the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels, the battle the force under Lord Beric includes Lord Lothar Mallery, Ser Raymun Darry and Ser Gladden Wylde, along with Thoros of Myr and men from Lord Eddard's personal guard. The Iron Throne envoys are intercepted at the Mummer's Ford and make a fighting retreat only to be taken in the rear by Ser Gregor Clegane and his men. Lord Lothar, Ser Raymun and Ser Gladden are all killed, as are most of Lord Eddard's men. Alyn of Winterfell manages to rally the survivors into a retreat. Young Lord Edric Dayne participates as Lord Beric's squire and survives the battle.
+In the ''[[A Song of Ice and Fire]]'' novels, Tywin hopes Ned Stark will lead the force and plans an ambush so he can obtain a hostage to trade for Tyrion. However, Ned's leg was broken in the skirmish led by Ser Jaime Lannister so he cannot lead the detachment himself. Ned passes over the impetuous Ser Loras Tyrell for command, naming Beric to lead the force. With Beric, Ned sends Thoros of Myr, Ser Gladden Wylde and Lord Lothar Mallery, each of whom are to raise 20 men-at-arms, along with 20 Winterfell men (including Alyn and Harwin) to fight alongside them.
+The Iron Throne detachment is intercepted at the Mummer's Ford and makes a fighting retreat only to be taken in the rear by Ser Gregor Clegane and his men. Lord Lothar, Ser Raymun and Ser Gladden are all killed, as are most of Lord Eddard's men. Alyn of Winterfell manages to rally the survivors into a retreat. Young Lord Edric Dayne participates as Lord Beric's squire and survives the battle.
+Many characters who later formed the [[Brotherhood without Banners|Brotherhood]] were introduced at the Tourney of the Hand in the first novel. This tourney did occur in Season 1 of the TV series, but the characters were not introduced, because they would not really make a significant appearance until Season 3 - they are given cameos in the first novel but only reappear as "the Brotherhood" in the third novel (though as in Season 2 of the TV series, in the second novel characters do mention that something called "the Brotherhood" is harassing Lannister supply lines).
+At the Tourney of the Hand, [[Anguy]] won the archery contest and [[Thoros]] of Myr won the melee contest. This is why they arrived in King's Landing and were available when Ned Stark ordered Beric Dondarrion to lead out a group of able knights to bring Gregor Clegane to justice - the soldiers who formed the original core of the Brotherhood Without Banners. Thus the connection might be lost on the TV audience that one of the reasons the Brotherhood is such a disproportionately capable fighting force is because so many of its initial members were elite fighters who came to the capital city to participate in the Tourney of the Hand. For example it might a bit contrived in the TV series that, as if by pure chance, the Brotherood's lead archer Anguy just happens to be preternaturally skilled with a bow. The books actually do explain that he is a professional archer so skilled that he actively competes in tournaments, and indeed recently won first place at a ''royal-level'' archery tournament. Moreover, he doesn't just happen to be wandering in the Riverlands, but the rational reason was given that he was in the capital for a major tournament, before being sent out with Dondarrion.
 ==See also==
+*{{AWOIAF}} (spoilers from the books)
-*[http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Battle_at_the_Mummer's_Ford Battle at the Mummer's Ford at A Wiki of Ice and Fire] (spoilers from the books)
 ==References==
 {{Reflist|2}}
+{{WarOfTheFiveKings}}
+[[de:Schlacht bei Mummersfurt]]
+[[ru:Битва у Шутовского Брода]]
 [[Category:Battles|Mummer's Ford]]
 [[Category:War of the Five Kings|Mummer's Ford]]

Wiki of Westeros