Gilly

"The thing about Gilly that's so interesting...is that after all that Craster's done to her, she's still got hope that life might get better"

- Samwell Tarly, about Gilly

Gilly is a recurring character in the second season. She is played by guest star Hannah Murray and debuts in "The North Remembers." Gilly is one of the Free Folk, and is the daughter and wife of Craster.

Background
Gilly is one of the many daughters of Craster, a wildling who lives beyond the Wall. She lives with him at Craster's Keep. As well as being a daughter of Craster, she is one of his wives, as Craster routinely marries his own daughters. At the time of the War of the Five Kings, Craster has nineteen wives, including Gilly. When the Night's Watch encounters her, Gilly is pregnant with the incestuous child of her own father.

Season 2
A great ranging of the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont arrives at Craster's Keep. Inside the hall the Lord Commander meets with Craster and Gilly serves wine. During the meeting, Lord Mormont tells Craster that as things are getting dangerous, he and his household can come back with them to Castle Black for protection. Craster pulls Gilly over and instructs her to tell Jeor how content they are: calling him the Lord Crow, the speech she gives seems rehearsed. Gilly says that they are protected by Craster and that it is better to live free than die a slave. Craster is pleased by what she says.

While the Night's Watch stay at Craster's Keep, Gilly is scared by Ghost when the white direwolf approaches her, attracted by a dead rabbit she's holding. Samwell Tarly, who had already noticed her, tells Ghost to get away. Gilly notes Sam's courage and asks him to take her away. The two approach Jon Snow, who refuses to take Gilly, reminding the pair of Craster's threat. Gilly is afraid of what might happen to her baby if its a boy but keeps silent when Jon demands to know what Craster does with his male offspring.

Jon follows Craster into the woods and sees him leaving a newborn son for the White Walkers. Craster catches him, beats him, and taking him back into the keep, he throws him down at Lord Mormont's feet and demands that the Night's Watch leave his home. Sam spots Gilly carrying out her chores as he is preparing to leave and approaches her. He gives her a thimble that once belonged to his mother. He explains that he used to read to her while she was sewing but that his father ended the practice when he found out. He reveals that the thimble is the only possession he has from his mother and that it was a gift given when he left for the wall. Gilly says that he should not give it away and he explains that he is asking her to keep it safe until he returns for her. She accepts the thimble and the promise.

Obsessing over Gilly weeks later while talking to Grenn and Dolorous Edd, Sam sees the beauty of the icy landscape and anounces that Gilly would love it here. The others look at each other and say that there is nothing worse than a man in love. Sam says what interests him about her the most is that despite all that Craster has done to her, Gilly still has hope that life might get better.

Quotes
"I’m not giving it away. I’m giving it to you. Keep it safe for me, ‘til I come back.."

- Samwell Tarly to Gilly

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Gilly has dark hair, brown eyes, and a gaunt face. Nonetheless she is doe-eyed and regarded as quite pretty. Jon Snow estimates her to be 15 or 16 years old. Her mother may be another of Craster's wives named Ferny, though it wasn't specified if her mother was still alive. Gilly is named for the gillyflower. She married Craster in the summer, and she remembers the sweet mead at the wedding.

Gilly is not carrying the dead rabbits in the book, the rabbits are in a wooden hutch and Ghost breaks into it killing the rabbits. When the deep cold comes, Craster sacrifices a male child, but this has been happening so frequently now that he has run out, and has had to give sheep as sacrifices, but now those are all gone as well. She thinks it will be dogs next, but doesn't know what will follow then. However, since there are no sheep, she has been trying to breed rabbits. She yells at Ghost attracting the attention of Jon Snow (rather than Sam as in the show). Jon tells her he will talk to Lord Commander Mormont to get her compensation for the rabbits.

When Gilly goes to see Jon, he thinks it is about the rabbits, but Mormont has already given Craster a crossbow to pay for them. Gilly has come to ask him to take her away as she fears for her child. Sam helps her by giving her his cloak so that in the dark they won't know Jon is talking to one of Craster's wives. She hopes that as he is a relation of the new King in the North, and he will help her. Jon refuses, but Sam tells her if they come back this way, he will smuggle her out. Jon thinks him mad to think he can pull that off. However as they don't even know if they will be coming back that way, he isn't too worried yet.

Jon doesn't follow Craster and doesn't see the White Walker, as this happens "off-screen" in the books. Gilly reports to Jon what happens to the male babies, and as this information is secondhand, it wasn't clear if her suspicions about the male babies were entirely true, but the TV series visually confirmed this. There is no scene showing Sam giving his mother's thimble to Gilly or even having a thimble in the book, this scene was invented for the TV series.