Wiki of Westeros

Dragon S02E01 Blood for blood. Fire to fire. House of the Dragon: Season 2 will premiere in June 2024.

READ MORE

Wiki of Westeros
Register
Advertisement
Wiki of Westeros
Game of Thrones
House of the Dragon
This page is about the Great House. For the short, see: House Arryn (short)

"The Arryns are direct descendants of Andal invaders, who sailed across the Narrow Sea and came ashore at the Fingers."
Catelyn Stark[src]

House Arryn[1] of the Eyrie is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It has ruled over the Vale of Arryn for millennia, originally as the Kings of the Mountain and the Vale and more recently as Defenders of the Vale and Wardens of the East under the Targaryen, Baratheon, and Lannister dynasties. The nominal head of House Arryn is Robin Arryn with Yohn Royce holding actual power over the house.

Their lands are in the central-eastern region of the continent. Their seat is the Eyrie, a castle on a shoulder of the Giant's Lance. House Arryn's sigil is a white crescent moon and falcon on a blue field. Their house words are "As High as Honor."[2]

History

Background

According to legend, the house was founded by Ser Artys Arryn, the Winged Knight. He is said to have flown atop a giant falcon, landing on the topmost mountain of the Vale, and defeated the Griffin King, the last of the First Men Mountain Kings. Afterward, he took the Eyrie and became the first King of the Mountain and the Vale. His descendants continued to rule the Vale ever since. The Eyrie has never fallen to invaders. During Aegon's Conquest, House Arryn repulsed a Targaryen invasion at Gulltown with Braavosi aid, but ultimately bent the knee peacefully to Queen Visenya after young boy-king Ronnel yielded the crown and Queen Regent Sharra ordered the Vale's army to stand down, for which Ronnel was allowed to ride Vhagar with the Queen.. By submitting peacefully instead of being conquered, they were allowed to continue to rule as Lords Paramount of the Vale and Wardens of the East in the name of the Iron Throne.[3][4] The Eyrie is considered impregnable and defends House Arryn from the violent Hill tribes of the Mountains of the Moon.[4]

Jon Arryn is the most recent head of House Arryn, Warden of the East and Defender of the Vale. He was a respected nobleman and both Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon fostered with him.[5] The Mad King condoned the kidnap of Eddard's sister and Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark.[6] The Mad King had Eddard's father and brother killed for protesting against the kidnapping.[7] When he then demanded that Eddard be turned over to the King's justice, Lord Arryn rebelled, calling his banners to war. House Stark and House Baratheon followed suit. The rebels forged an alliance with House Tully through marriage, with Eddard married to Catelyn Tully and the then-elderly Jon to the young Lysa.[5][6]

After the rebel victory in the war, Robert became King and appointed Jon as his Hand. Jon served the realm well for many years as Hand of the King. He died immediately prior to the events of the series, sparking King Robert's search for a replacement. Jon is survived by his wife Lysa and their six-year-old son, Robin.[6] Jon was investigating the legitimacy of the children of Cersei when he died. He found that they were not Robert's offspring by comparing their appearance to Robert's bastards based on the genetic preponderance for dark hair in House Baratheon.[8]

Game of Thrones: Season 1

Tyrion, Cat and Vardis at the Eyrie

Catelyn Stark brings Tyrion Lannister to the Eyrie for trial.

Lysa Arryn writes to Catelyn, falsely claiming that House Lannister were behind Jon's death. Lysa flees King's Landing with her son seeking the refuge of the Eyrie. Robert Baratheon arrives at Winterfell, and asks Eddard to replace Jon as Hand of the King.[6] Eddard accepts and begins an investigation into Jon's death.[7] He learns that Jon may have been poisoned,[9] and uncovers Jon's findings about Cersei's infidelity and Robert's lack of a trueborn heir.[8]

Catelyn arrests Tyrion,[9] and brings him to the Eyrie. Lysa is attempting to isolate Robin from the rest of the Kingdom and use her role as regent to have the Vale lords protect him.[10] Tyrion tricks Lysa and is set free.[8]

Following King Robert's death and Eddard's arrest, Catelyn implores Lysa to lend her armies to march on King's Landing along with the forces of House Stark, but Lysa refuses.[11]

Game of Thrones: Season 2

House Arryn remains neutral in the War of the Five Kings. Lysa continues to withhold her armies from leaving the Vale to aid Houses Stark and Tully.[4]

Game of Thrones: Season 3

Tywin sends Littlefinger to marry Lysa, so that the Iron Throne can acquire the support of the Vale.[12]

Game of Thrones: Season 4

Sansa Stark and Lysa Arryn 4x07

Lysa Arryn attempts to murder her own niece Sansa Stark out of jealousy for Petyr Baelish.

After privately admitting her role in the death of her husband, Lysa marries Littlefinger. Later, she attempts to kill Sansa, but is killed by Littlefinger.[13] Littlefinger convinces the lords of the Vale that Lysa committed suicide, and becomes Lord Protector of the Vale until Robin comes of age.[14]

Game of Thrones: Season 5

Baelish leaves Robin to be fostered at Runestone under the tutelage of Lord Yohn Royce.[15] In King's Landing, Baelish gains House Lannister's blessings for a plan to use the knights of the Vale to invade the North and reclaim it for the Iron Throne.[16]

Game of Thrones: Season 6

Littlefinger convinces Robin to use the knights of the Vale to help Sansa.[17] The Arryn troops camp at Moat Cailin, while Baelish travels north to offer his assistance to Sansa.[18] Though she initially denies his help, she later requests the support of the Arryn soldiers.[19]

Battle of the Bastards 44

The knights of the Vale ride in at the command of Petyr Baelish.

When the Stark army seems to be on the verge of absolute annihilation at the Battle of the Bastards, the knights of the Vale arrive at the command of Littlefinger and Sansa, wiping out the Bolton troops, helping the Starks retake Winterfell.[20] Littlefinger subsequently declares House Arryn's support for House Stark, and the Vale lords join the Northern lords in declaring Jon Snow the King in the North. This officially brings to an end the policy of neutrality that House Arryn has held during the War of the Five Kings.[21]

Game of Thrones: Season 7

Lord Royce and Littlefinger remain in Winterfell as representatives of House Arryn to House Stark.[22]

Sansa finally learns about Littlefinger's crimes against Houses Stark and Arryn, putting him on a surprise trial in which he is charged of murdering both Jon and Lysa Arryn and betraying Eddard Stark, and executed. With Littlefinger dead, and Jon pledging the North to Daenerys Targaryen, House Arryn has also become a vassal for House Targaryen.[23]

Game of Thrones: Season 8

Brienne & Jaime S8 Ep3

The Arryn knights of the Vale fight in the Battle of Winterfell.

Lord Royce continues to represent the interests of House Arryn and the Vale in the North, serving as a prominent adviser to Sansa. The knights of the Vale work with the Starks and their allies in preparing the defenses of Winterfell against the marching Army of the Dead.[24][25]

The knights of the Vale fight in the Battle of Winterfell. They suffer losses,[26] but House Arryn still has a formidable military in the Vale.[27]

The remaining knights of the Vale fight alongside the Northern armies at the Battle of King's Landing.[28]

At the Great Council of 305 AC, Robin Arryn and Yohn Royce agree to Bran Stark's election, bringing the Vale back under the realm.[29]

Relationships

Members

  • Lord {Jasper Arryn}, former head of the family, Defender of the Vale, Warden of the East, and Defender of the Vale.
    • Lord {Jon Arryn}, his eldest son and successor. efender of the Vale, Warden of the East, and Hand of the King to Robert I. Poisoned with the tears of Lys by his wife Lysa.
      • Lady {Lysa}, his widow of House Tully. Lady Regent of the Eyrie and the Vale until her son comes of age. Defenestrated from the Moon Door of the Eyrie by Petyr Baelish.
        • Lord Robin Arryn, their son and successor. Defender of the Vale, and Warden of the East. He is one of the many lords who agreed to select Brandon Stark the Broken as the first elected King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm.
    • {Alys Arryn}, his only daughter.
    • {Ronnel Arryn}, his youngest son.

Ancestors

Sworn to House Arryn

Vassal Houses

Household

Symbolism

The Eyrie

View on the Eyrie in "The Wolf and the Lion".

The banner of House Arryn (see above) is blue, the color of the sky, and features a falcon and the moon. All of these things signify that the house is high up, in this case, in the mountains. To further this point, in "Mockingbird", after Sansa Stark builds a snow model of Winterfell, Robin Arryn finds it and inquires whether Winterfell has a moon door. When Sansa tells him it is not in the mountains so no, he worries that must be very dangerous.

The house motto is "As High as Honor", signifying that like House Stark, they believe in upholding honor. However, unlike House Stark, they believe in "talking the talk" as opposed to 'walking the walk", which is suggested by House Stark's motto "Winter Is Coming". When Tyrion Lannister calls for a trial by combat in "A Golden Crown and Bronn therefore fights for him, Bronn implements many clever moves, something that is ultimately the downfall of Ser Vardis Egen, the champion selected by Lysa Arryn. After Bronn pushed Egen out of the Moon Door, Lysa Arryn furiously claims he "fought without honor" to which Bronn replies "no, he did" and points out of the Moon Door. Unfortunately, it can be seen that House Arryn lost their honor and pride during the War of the Five Kings under the corrupt leadership of Lysa Arryn.

Military strength

Arryn man-at-arms

House Arryn soldier in Season 1.

During the War of the Five Kings, House Arryn, as a Great House, commands formidable and capable forces but remain largely unscathed, since the Arryns never partake in the war until the Battle of the Bastards, where they arrive late in battle, thus not taking significant losses. During the Great War, House Arryn forces participate in the Battle of Winterfell and suffer large casualties (half the forces that the Vale sent to Winterfell are obliterated). Despite their losses, they later participate in the Battle of King's Landing, supporting Daenerys Targaryen.

Arryn soldiers equip themselves much like the rest of the Valemen, with steel cuirasses, chainmail, and simple helmets, while their rounded shields represent the moon-and-falcon sigil. Their armor lacks ornamentation, in comparison with the Lannisters or the Tyrells, but is more functional than the Northmen's and the Rivermen's armor. Knights sworn to House Arryn, however, like Ser Vardis Egen, can afford more plate armor parts than a regular soldier, like arm and leg protection, and can have their armor ornamented.

Family tree


 
 
 
 
 
 
House-Arryn-Square
Jasper
Arryn

Deceased
 
House-Arryn-Square
Lady
Arryn
Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-JonArryn
Jon
Arryn

Deceased
 
Famtree-LysaArryn
Lysa Arryn
née Tully House Tully
Deceased
 
Famtree-PetyrBaelish
Petyr
Baelish
House Baelish
Deceased
 
House-Arryn-Square
Alys
Arryn

Deceased
 
House-Arryn-Square
Ronnel
Arryn

Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-RobinArryn
Robin
Arryn


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In the books

House Arryn ASOIAF

The Arryn coat of arms in the A Song of Ice and Fire novels: a sky-blue falcon soaring against a white moon on sky-blue.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Arryn is the oldest and purest line of Andal nobility. According to tradition, the Andals landed on the Fingers, an area of peninsulas, hills, and rivers on Westeros's eastern coast, six thousand years ago and helped conquer the Vale. Ser Artys Arryn's duel with the Griffin King is said to have taken place on the shoulder of the Giant's Lance where the Arryns later built the Eyrie.

During Aegon's Conquest, the Arryns planned to make a stand at the Bloody Gate, the only major pass into the Vale, and gathered their armies there while the king of the Vale (a young boy at this time) and his mother, the regent, took refuge in the Eyrie. Rather than risking a bloody battle, Visenya Targaryen simply flew her dragon Vhagar to the Vale and landed in the courtyard of the Eyrie while the young king was at play. He agreed to swear fealty to Aegon the Conqueror if Visenya allowed him to ride on Vhagar. Visenya agreed, the bargain was upheld, and the Arryns and their vassals became loyal subjects of the Targaryens.[30]

House Arryn also boasts the distinction of three times being deemed worthy of marriage into House Targaryen (who usually opted for the Valyrian tradition of incestuous marriage to keep their bloodlines pure). Perhaps the most famous example was Aemma Arryn, the first wife of King Viserys I and the mother of Rhaenyra. In a tribute to her mother, Rhaenyra even created her own unique heraldry that incorporated the Arryn sigil.

During the summer they rule over the Vale from the Eyrie, but during the winter they descend to the Gates of the Moon, a castle at the foot of the mountain. The Gates of the Moon have not appeared in the television adaptation and the House Arryn is depicted residing at the Eyrie in winter.

Jon Arryn and Lysa Tully's son is called "Robert", not "Robin", in the books. This change was made to prevent confusion with Robert Baratheon or Robb Stark. George R.R. Martin approved this change, noting that Robert Arryn's nickname in the books, "Sweetrobin", remains intact.

In the books, the heraldry of House Arryn is specifically sky blue (bleu celeste), but in the TV series it is simply blue (azure), like House Tully's heraldry. The coat of arms is also a little different: a sky-blue falcon soaring against a white moon, on a sky-blue field.

Known members

  • Lord {Jon Arryn}, the former head of the family. Murdered by his third wife Lysa.
    • His first wife, Lady {Jeyne Arryn}, who died in childbirth. Their daughter was stillborn.
    • His second wife, Lady {Rowena Arryn}, who died of a chill.
    • His third and current wife, Lady {Lysa}, of House Tully. Currently the ruling lady of the Vale until her son comes of age. Killed by Littlefinger.
      • Lord Jon's only surviving child and heir, Robert Arryn, the Lord of the Vale.
  • Lord Jon's younger sister, Lady Alys, married into House Waynwood.
    • Alys's eldest son, Ser {Denys Arryn}, killed by Jon Connington at the Battle of the Bells.
      • Alys's grandson by her daughter and Robert's heir (unless he has a son), Harrold Hardyng.
  • Lord Jon's youngest and deceased brother, Ser {Ronnel Arryn}.
    • Ser Ronnel's son, Ser {Elbert Arryn}, formerly Lord Jon's heir, slain at the order of the Mad King before the rebellion.

The following sworn houses have yet to appear in the series:

  • House Belmore of Strongsong
  • House Templeton of Ninestars
  • House Redfort of Redfort

Gallery

References

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 In "Winter Is Coming," which takes place in 298 AC, Sansa Stark tells Cersei Lannister that she is 13 years old and Bran Stark tells Jaime Lannister that he is 10 years old. Arya Stark was born between Sansa and Bran, making her either 11 or 12 in Season 1. The rest of the Stark children have been aged up by 2 years from their book ages, so it can be assumed that she is 11 in Season 1. Arya is 18 in Season 8 according to HBO, which means at least 7 years occur in the span of the series; therefore, each season of Game of Thrones must roughly correspond to a year in-universe, placing the events of Season 6 in 303 AC.
  2. In "Winter Is Coming," which takes place in 298 AC, Sansa Stark tells Cersei Lannister that she is 13 years old and Bran Stark tells Jaime Lannister that he is 10 years old. Arya Stark was born between Sansa and Bran, making her either 11 or 12 in Season 1. The rest of the Stark children have been aged up by 2 years from their book ages, so it can be assumed that she is 11 in Season 1. Arya is 18 in Season 8 according to HBO, which means at least 7 years occur in the span of the series; therefore, each season of Game of Thrones must roughly correspond to a year in-universe, placing the events of Season 8 in 305 AC.
  3. 3.0 3.1 In "The Kingsroad," which takes place in 298 AC, Catelyn Stark states that Eddard Stark went to war with Robert Baratheon "17 years ago;" therefore, Robert's Rebellion occurred in 281 AC.
  4. In "Valyria & the Dragons," Viserys Targaryen states that Aegon began his conquest 100 years after the Doom of Valyria in 102 BC, placing it in 2 BC.

External links


Advertisement