Grey King's Hall

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The Grey King's Hall is located near the southern shore of Old Wyk, by Nagga's Cradle

The Grey King's Hall is a ruin on Nagga's Hill on Old Wyk in the Iron Islands. It is where the Grey King is said to have raised his hall out of the bones of Nagga, a sea dragon.

Layout

Forty-four stone ribs are located on the top of Nagga's hill. There are nine steep and wide stone steps which lead to where the hall's doors once stood.[1]

Legend

Nagga's ribs became the beams and pillars and her jaws the throne. According to legend, the Hall had been warmed by Nagga's living fire and on the walls hung tapestries made of silver seaweed. The men sworn to the Grey King ate at a table shaped like a large starfish while seated on thrones made from mother-of-pearl. Upon the Grey King's death, the Storm God snuffed out Nagga's fire and the sea stole the fanged throne.[1]

Maesters do believe the pillars of the hall are the petrified remains of a sea creature, but there is skepticism if they are large enough to have actually belonged to a sea dragon.[2]

History

The Grey King's Hall is where kingsmoots were held to determine which rock or salt king would become High King of the Iron Islands.[3]

After the death of Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, during Aegon's Conquest, priests of the Drowned God crowned the priest-king Lodos beneath Nagga's bones.[4][5]

During Greyjoy's Rebellion, Tarle the Thrice-Drowned crowned Balon Greyjoy as King of the Iron Islands beneath Nagga's bones.[6]

Recent Events

A Feast for Crows

After the passing of Balon Greyjoy, King of the Isles and the North, his brother Aeron Damphair calls for a kingsmoot to be held at the ruins of the Grey King's Hall.[7][6] Their brother, Euron Crow's Eye, is chosen king.[1]

Quotes

The bones of the Grey King's Hall. Victarion could feel the magic of this place.[6]

—thoughts of Victarion Greyjoy

On the crown of the hill four-and-forty monstrous stone ribs rose from the earth like the trunks of great pale trees. The sight made Aeron's heart beat faster.[1]

—thoughts of Aeron Greyjoy

Only Nagga's bones endured to remind the ironborn of all the wonder that had been.[1]

—thoughts of Aeron Greyjoy

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 19, The Drowned Man.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns.
  3. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands.
  4. Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
  5. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Island: The Greyjoys of Pyke.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 18, The Iron Captain.
  7. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 1, The Prophet.