- "I know for a fact that some of the officers go to that brothel in Mole's Town."
- ―Samwell Tarly
A map showing the location of Mole's Town on the continent of Westeros.
Mole's Town is one of the few villages located in the Gift, the strip of land immediately south of the Wall which is under the jurisdiction of the Night's Watch, meant to supply the forces that guard the Wall. It is the closest instance of "civilization" to the Wall, populated by smallfolk and not members of the Night's Watch. It is located along the Kingsroad about half a league (nearly two miles) south of Castle Black.
Despite their oath of celibacy, members of the Night's Watch are frequently known to slip off to visit the brothel in Mole's Town.[1]
History
Season 1
Samwell Tarly complains to fellow new recruit Jon Snow that he's heard that some of the officers have been known to slip off to Mole's Town to visit its brothel.[2]
Season 4
Samwell brings the wildling girl Gilly and her baby to Mole's Town on a cart, and gets her a job for room and board as a washerwoman at the local brothel. He insists that it is safer for her there than at Castle Black. As he explains, his immediate concern is that many of the Watch's recruits were rapers sent to the Wall as punishment, and as she was the only woman at the fortress, he feared they might attack her. Moreover, Castle Black facing the looming threat of an overwhelming attack by King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder's wildling army, numbering in the thousands, which is coming closer with each passing day. Gilly is still upset that she will be alone with her baby and away from Samwell.[3]
A whore is arguing with Gilly about her baby who woke her up during a night in Mole's Town. Meanwhile, wildlings, including Tormund, Styr and Ygritte, attack the town, killing everyone in their path. Ygritte discovers Gilly hiding with her baby, but urges them to keep quiet, sparing their lives.[4]
Notable residents
In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Mole's Town is much the same, located along the Kingsroad about half a league south of Castle Black (a little less than two miles, or almost three kilometers). It is a small village, though it is bigger than it looks, because three-quarters of the village's building-space is located below-ground for protection from the cold. The handful of small shacks on the surface are just entrances to the main living spaces below.
After Jon Snow escapes from the Wilding, he passes through Mole's Town, warns the residents of the imminent attack and advises them to seek refuge at Castle Black. Three quarters of the town residents follow Jon's advice. The blacksmith Donal Noye, who takes command on the defenders (since all the officers are either dead or absent), allows them to stay at the castle on condition that they take part in defending the castle.
Shortly before the attack of the Thenns begins, Jon notices grey smoke rising from the direction of the town, realizing that the wildlings set the village afire on their way to the castle.
Due to the underground location of Mole's Town brothel, the black brothers refer to their visits to it as "digging for buried treasure".
See also
Mole's Town on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (MAJOR spoilers from the books)
References
- ↑ "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"
- ↑ "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"
- ↑ "Breaker of Chains"
- ↑ "The Mountain and the Viper"
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