Template:Battle
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 pray 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.
See also
Battle at the Mummer's Ford on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (spoilers from the books)
References
- ↑ A Golden Crown
- ↑ Season 2 Bluray: War of the Five Kings feature
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