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Wiki of Westeros

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"We are ironborn. We're not subjects, we're not slaves. We do not plow the field or toil in the mine. We take what is ours."
―Balon Greyjoy[src]

House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It rules over the Iron Islands, a harsh and bleak collection of islands off the west coast of Westeros, from the castle at Pyke. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.

House Greyjoy's sigil is traditionally a golden kraken on a black field. Their house motto is "We Do Not Sow."

History

Background

House Greyjoy is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are the Iron Islands off the west coast of the continent. They rule from their castle Pyke from the island of the same name. The Iron Islands are harsh and bleak and the Greyjoys have traditionally survived by raiding their neighbors. They have always had plans to conquer the mainland. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.[1]

House Greyjoy boasts descent from the Grey King, a legendary King of the Iron Islands said to have ruled for a thousand years and taken a mermaid as wife. Like the vast majority of ironborn, they worship the Drowned God.[1]

For thousands of years, raiders from the Iron Islands --called "ironmen" by those they plundered--were the terrors of the seas, sailing as far as thePort of Ibben and the Summer Isles . They prided themselves on their fierceness in battle and their sacred freedoms. Each island had its own "salt king" and "rock king." The High King of the Isles was chosen from among their number, until King Urron made the throne hereditary by murdering the other kings when they assembled for a choosing. Urron's own line was extinguished a thousand years later when the Andals swept over the islands. The Greyjoys, like other island lords, intermarried with the conquerers.

The Iron Kings extended their rule far beyond the isles themselves, carving kingdoms out of the mainland with fire and sword. King Qhored could truthfully boast that his writ ran "wherever men can smell salt water or hear the crash of waves." In later centuries, Qhored's descendents lost The ArborOldtown , Bear Island , and much of the western shore. Still, come the Wars of Conquest , King Harren the Black ruled all the lands between the mountains, from the Neck to the Blackwater Rush. When Harren and his sons perished in the fall of Harrenhal , Aegon Targaryen Targaryen granted The Riverlands  to House Tully , and allowed to surviving lords of the Iron Islands to revive their ancient custom and chose who should have the primacy among them. They chose Lord Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke .

Lord Balon Greyjoy is the most recent head of the house. He led a rebellion against King Robert Baratheon eight years before the events of the series began. Balon's sons Rodrik and Maron were killed in the unsuccessful rebellion. Balon's only surviving son Theon was made a ward of Lord Eddard Stark to ensure Balon's submission to King Robert.[2] Only his daughter, Yara Greyjoy, and two of his brothers remained on the Iron Islands after his defeat.[3]

Relationships

Members

File:House Greyjoy banner.jpg

The banner of House Greyjoy of Pyke, rulers of the Iron Islands.

Sworn to House Greyjoy

Household and allies

  • {Dagmer}, called "Dagmer Cleftjaw", first mate of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.
  • {Lorren}, called "Black Lorren", an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.
  • {Drennan}, an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Killed by Osha.
  • {Gelmarr}, an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.
  • {Wex}, an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.
  • {Stygg}, an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.
  • {Aggar}, an ironborn raider and crewman of the Sea Bitch. Flayed by Ramsay Snow.

Family Tree

Template:House Greyjoy family tree

Image gallery

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Greyjoys have been a powerful family in the Islands for possibly thousands of years, long ruling the formidable castle of Pyke. When King Harren the Black was slain by King Aegon the Conqueror during the Targaryen invasion, the ironborn elected Lord Vickon Greyjoy of Pyke to succeed him as ruler of the isles, now oath-sworn to the Iron Throne. The Greyjoys have ruled ever since. The Greyjoys keep themselves distant from the other Great Houses, rarely taking part in events on the mainland (which they call the green lands) and, at various times, even returning to their ancient practices of raiding the nearby coastlines.

After holding themselves aloof during Robert's Rebellion, Lord Balon Greyjoy rebelled against the Iron Throne, declaring himself King of the Isles. Balon's belief was that Robert, who had only been on the throne for five years, did not command the total support of the nobles due to his status as a usurper and would not be able to rally the support needed to crush the rebellion. He was proven wrong and was defeated, with his fleet burned and two eldest sons slain during the war.

Additional Houses sworn to Hous Greyjoy, yet to appear in the series, include:

See also

References

Template:Great Houses navbox Template:Greyjoy navbox Template:IronIslands Houses

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