- "The first lords of the Vale didn’t have much, but they had these mountains, and they knew how to use them. And the fortress they built here has never been overcome, not once, in a thousand years."
- ―Petyr Baelish
Knights flying the banner of House Arryn galloping through the Vale.
Map showing the location of the Vale of Arryn on the continent of Westeros.
The Vale of Arryn, often referred to simply as the Vale, is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms. Prior to the Targaryen Conquest, it was a sovereign nation known as the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale. It is ruled by House Arryn from their stronghold, the Eyrie. Protected and surrounded by the Mountains of the Moon, the Vale is isolated from the rest of Westeros and is accessible only during warmer seasons.[1]
Bastards born in the Vale are given the surname Stone.
The Vale is where the Andals first landed and assailed from during their invasion of Westeros six thousand years ago, though as settlement patterns became established, the Reach became the main population center and cultural heartland of the Andals. Still, because of its isolated, mountainous terrain, noble families from the Vale are said to have among the purest Andal bloodlines within Westeros. While some other noble families on the continent can claim the same, the Vale is unique to this as a region.
There are many small tribes who inhabit the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon. These tribes are commonly known as the hill tribes, and they reject the rule of House Arryn. Although they are dangerous to passing travelers, their lack of organization and less advanced weaponry means they pose little threat to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.
During the War of the Five Kings, under the regency of Lady Lysa Arryn after the death of Jon Arryn, the Vale followed a strict policy of neutrality until the very last stages of the conflict and was thus able to keep its resources and army, the formidable knights of the Vale, nearly intact. The young Lord Robin Arryn, under the wing of the manipulative Lord Protector Petyr Baelish, consented to join the war when they came to the aid of their old allies of House Stark in their campaign to retake Winterfell and the North from House Bolton at the Battle of the Bastards. In the aftermath of the battle, the lords of the Vale and the North hailed Jon Snow, bastard of House Stark, as the King in the North, thus seceding from the sovereignty of the Iron Throne and joining the Kingdom of the North until Jon pledged himself to Daenerys Targaryen during her invasion. Robin chose to recognize Bran Stark as the new king after her assassination.
Geography
Unlike the Westerlands, the mountains of the Vale are much less hospitable and more difficult to traverse. While the mountains of the Westerlands are filled with precious metals such as gold and silver, the mountains of the Vale are not particularly rich in resources. The valleys scattered between the harsh mountains, however, are as fertile as any in the Riverlands. The Vale's mountains are well-known for their strategic defensibility.
- File:House-Arryn-Main-Shield.PNG The Eyrie, the regional capital and the seat of House Arryn.
- Bloody Gate, a stronghold on the road to the Eyrie.
- File:House-Royce-Main-Shield.PNG Runestone, the seat of House Royce.
- File:House-Waynwood-Shield.PNG Ironoaks, the seat of House Waynwood, located east of the Eyrie on the coast of the Narrow Sea.
- File:House-Baelish-Main-Shield.PNG Unnamed Baelish keep, the seat of House Baelish, located northeast of the Eyrie on the smallest of the Fingers.
- Redfort, a castle located southeast of the Eyrie.
Towns and cities
- Sisterton, the biggest town on the Three Sisters.
- Wickenden, a town in the south of the Vale.
- Gulltown, the only city in the Vale and a major port.
Regions
- The Fingers, a series of peninsulas in the north of the Vale.
- The Mountains of the Moon, the mountain range that dominates the Vale.
Coastal areas
- The Bite, a bay separating the Vale from the North.
- The Three Sisters, a group of islands in the Bite.
- The Paps, an island northeast of the Fingers.
- Pebble, a small island east of the Three Sisters.
In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the term "Vale" refers to the entire region ruled by the Arryns, as well as the Vale itself, which runs from the foot of the Giant's Lance almost to the sea. The Arryns rule the Vale from their castle known as the Eyrie. Before the Andal Invasion, the region was originally known as the Kingdom of Mountain and Vale. During the time the Arryn dynasty ruled the Vale, the region was also alternatively known as the Kingdom of Vale and Sky.
The people of the Vale, popularly called "valemen", are known as honorable, reliable warriors steeped in honor and the worship of the Faith of the Seven.
Some of the valemen living in the foothills of the Mountains of the Moon have rejected the authority of the Eyrie and exist as little more than clans and tribes of savage warriors, such as the Black Ears and Burned Men. While dangerous to passing travelers, they lack the number and equipment to properly invade or trouble the Vale.
The borders of the Vale are held to be the Bite to the north, the Bay of Crabs to the south, the Mountains of the Moon to the west and the Narrow Sea to the east.
Castles
- The Gates of the Moon, a fortress which guards the foot of the Giant's Lance, held by a cadet branch of House Royce.
See also
References
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