So Game of Thrones is back! Or at least, it will be soon. With only 4 days to go, we’re pretty close to the Season 6 Premiere. And we’ve got lots of stuff coming up, too. But I’m afraid some of that stuff will go over the heads of those who aren’t familiar with the books. Particularly, we’re heading to Pyke this year. We’re also gonna get to know the Greyjoys, Theon’s family. The Greyjoys are one of the Great Houses of Westeros. They will definitely play a huge part in all the wars to come. But if you’re a bit confused about who the Greyjoys are, then you’ve come to the right place. Warning: Spoilers for Season 2 of Game of Thrones may follow. Also spoilers for A Song of Ice and Fire will definitely follow.
Sigil And Motto:
The sigil of House Greyjoy, as we can see above is a golden Kraken on a black field. The Kraken being a sort of King of the sea is a suitable symbol for House Greyjoy as the Greyjoys were kings in their own time. You’ll see this symbol on the show, pretty often. The motto of House Greyjoy is:
“We Do Not Sow”
Seat Of Power:
Like Winterfell for the Starks and Casterly Rock for the Lannisters, the Greyjoys rule from Pyke which is a collection of islands in the sea of Westeros. It gives them complete and utter control of the seas which is one of the many reasons why they are one of the Great Houses. However, the Greyjoys were first pledged to King Harren who ruled the Iron Islands from Harrenhal. You know, that castle where Arya was stuck for a while. Well what happened was this: Aegon Targaryen arrived and burnt the entire castle along with Harren and his sons. With them dead, the Greyjoys became Lord of the Iron Islands and made Pyke their seat of Power. So the history of House Greyjoy is a bloody one.
Religion:
House Greyjoy, along with the rest of the ironborn worship the Drowned God. Unlike the seven worshipped by the Southron Houses or the old gods worshipped by the Northern Houses, the Drowned God is…well drowned. They say that this god drowned in the sea to save the Ironborn. Then it was resurrected and rose “Harder and Stronger”. Which is why this prayer is often uttered by the Ironborn:
“What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger.”
Unlike traditional prayers, the ironborn pray by mass murdering, reaving and pillaging. You can really see why they call themselves Greyjoy. Unlike other religions, killing your enemies is a holy act and referred to as “paying the iron price”. The ironborn don’t really understand the notion of money. They prefer to take what they want rather than take what is offered. So their currency is iron and steel rather than gold.
“We are ironborn. We’re not subjects, we’re not slaves. We do not plow the field or toil in the mine. We take what is ours.“
-Balon Greyjoy
Important Members:
I think I’ll leave out Theon and Asha(Yara) since I’m pretty sure people are well aware of them. Rather I’ll focus on the rest here:
Balon Greyjoy:
The Once King of the Iron Islands and now deceased father of Theon and Asha. After The Sack of King’s Landing, Balon openly opposed Robert and declared himself a King. That was when Ned Stark and Robert sieged Pike and forced him to surrender his crown. Two of his sons died and that was when Theon was taken as hostage.
Aeron Greyjoy:
Also called “Aeron Damphair”, Aeron is Balon’s youngest brother. He is a Drowned Priest who serves the Drowned God. Hence he has no claim to the iron throne. He was once quite a merry fellow until he drowned and got pious.
Victarion Greyjoy:
He commands the Iron Fleet which is the Navy of the Ironborn. Technically, next in line if you don’t count Yara or Theon but we’ll see about that.
Euron Greyjoy:
Quite a character to watch out for if you ask me. Also known as “Euron Crow’s Eye”, he’s the most formidable and dangerous Greyjoy who has a great part to play in the wars to come.
That’s it for House Greyjoy. Game of Thrones airs this Sunday on HBO at 9PM.
Follow Us
