Histories of the Greater and Lesser Houses

"Girl, fetch me history of the greater and the lesser houses."

―Tywin Lannister to Arya Stark

Histories of the Greater and Lesser Houses is a book detailing the history of several noble houses of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

History

Game of Thrones: Season 2

Tywin Lannister is in possession of a copy of the book. During his occupation of Harrenhal he keeps it in his war council chamber. When due to Ser Amory Lorch's nigh-illiteracy a letter detailing Western infantry movements is sent to Lord Marlyn Dormand, a vassal of House Stark, instead of Lord Damon Marbrand, a Lannister vassal, Lord Tywin orders his cupbearer, Arya Stark, to fetch the book. Arya finds it before he tells her which one is it. Tywin then uses the book to remind Ser Amory that the Dormands are Stark vassals.

Contents

House Dormand. A minor Northern house in service of House Stark of Winterfell. It was established in the seventh year after Aegon's Landing. Its blazon - a black dagger over grey, though most fly the blazon of the grey direwolf of Winterfell. Its words: Faithful and True.

Its founder, Artys Dormand, was a squire in service of Lord Torrhen Stark, he that was the last King in the North and bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror. On a hunt in the wolfswood, Lord Torrhen and his sons were set upon by savages^[sic] wildlings from beyond the Wall. They had grown bolder in the days since Torrhen's kneeling and had undoubtedly hoped to capture one or more of the Stark family for ransom.

Armed only with a crude steel dagger, fought and killed the wildlings, saving Lord Torrhen and his sons from certain death. Torrhen knighted him on the spot and granted him a small tract of land south of Winterfell. Ser Artys raised the keep of Dormand Hall, which left^[sic] to his son Torrhen -- so named for his benevolent liege lord. it was Torrhen that was granted a lordship some years later. Today, the house serves as a faithful vassal of House Stark.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, there has been no mention of this book.