House Vance of Atranta

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House Vance of Atranta
House Vance of Atranta.svg
Coat of arms Quartered: a green dragon on white, a white tower on black
(Quarterly, 1st and 4th argent, a dragon vert, 2nd and 3rd sable, a tower argent)
Seat Atranta
Head Lord Norbert Vance[1]
Region Riverlands
Title Lord of Atranta[1]
Heir Ser Ronald Vance[2]
Overlords
Founder Armistead Vance[3]
Founded Coming of the Andals[3]

House Vance of Atranta is one of the two great branches of House Vance in the riverlands, the other being House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest.

Neither their arms or their motto appear in the books. According to semi-canon sources they blazon their arms as quartered, a green dragon on white and a white tower on black.[4] They supported the greens during the Dance of the Dragons,[5] but it is not known whether the green dragon on their sigil is supposed to indicate this choice, as the arms were created before George R. R. Martin decided they supported the greens.[6]

House Vance rules over wider domains and can field a much larger army than their liege lords, House Tully.[7] House Smallwood is sworn to one of the Vance families.[8]

History

Armistead Vance was the mightiest of the Andal conquerors who defeated Tristifer IV Mudd, King of the Rivers and the Hills, during the coming of the Andals to the riverlands.[3]

In the century after the downfall of House Justman, the Vances were among the petty kings who disputed the riverlands. The Vances of Atranta joined the Blackwoods and the Tullys in rebellion against King Humfrey I Teague, and both Lords Vance were slain in the ensuing war.[9] Lord Robert Vance rebelled against the ensuing rule of the Storm Kings from House Durrandon, but he was eventually defeated.[9]

The Vances joined the rebellion of river lords against Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, during Aegon's Conquest.[10]

The Vances supported Prince Aegon Targaryen against King Maegor I Targaryen, but Lord Ronnel Vance and Aegon the Uncrowned were slain in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye.[11]

King Jaehaerys I Targaryen visited Atranta atop Vermithor in 53 AC.[12] Vances were among the handmaidens of Jahaerys's wife, Queen Alysanne Targaryen, at Dragonstone when she was pregnant with Aemon Targaryen.[13]

House Vance of Atranta supported the greens of Aegon II Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons, while House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest declared for the blacks of Rhaenyra Targaryen.[5] The greens in the riverlands yielded after the taking of Stone Hedge.[14]

Lord Norbert Vance squired for Lord Darry with Brynden Tully.[15]

Recent Events

A Storm of Swords

The Vances support Robb Stark, King of the Trident, during the War of the Five Kings. After Catelyn Stark scolds her brother, Lord Edmure Tully, for complaining about Roslin Frey's expected lack of beauty, she sees how he avoids her, preferring the company of, among others, the young Vances.[16] Ser Ronald, Ser Ellery, Ser Hugo, and Kirth Vance are all companions of Edmure.[1]

Catelyn sees an unspecified Vance being hamstrung by Black Walder Frey during the Red Wedding,[17] but apparently all of Norbert's sons survive the war.[2]

King Tommen I Baratheon signs the pardon of Lord Vance after the war.[18] It is unknown if it is for Lord Norbert of Atranta or for Lord Karyl of Wayfarer's Rest, but afterwards both have been welcomed to the king's peace.[19]

A Feast for Crows

Ser Hugo Vance survived the Red Wedding, and presumably traveled to King's Landing to swear his house's fealty to the Iron Throne. He joins Ser Jaime Lannister in his expedition to besiege Riverrun.[20]

Both branches of House Vance are present at the siege of Riverrun,[19] and their lords take part in the war councils. Lord Norbert offers to parley with the besieged Ser Brynden Tully, whom he squired with, but his offer is turned down.[15]

House Vance of Atranta at the end of the third century

The known Vances of Atranta during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:

 
 
 
 
 
 
Norbert
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ronald
 
Hugo
 
Ellery
 
Kirth
 
Jon
 


With unspecified familiar relationship to the main branch there are also:

Historical Members

Sworn Houses

House Smallwood.svg House Smallwood of Acorn Hall (possibly)[8]

Behind the Scenes

House Vance is a reference by George R. R. Martin to the author Jack Vance, who was one of Martin's favorite authors. The dragons in their sigil refer to Vance's The Dragon Masters and the towers to his The Last Castle. Atranta is a reference by Martin to a land in Vance's Bad Ronald.[22]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Storm of Swords, Appendix.
  2. 2.0 2.1 A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The World of Ice & Fire, The Riverlands: House Tully.
  4. The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses in the Riverlands
  5. 5.0 5.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son.
  6. asoiaf.westeros.org: The branches of House Vance - November 27, 2018
  7. Fire & Blood, Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf.
  8. 8.0 8.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 22, Arya IV.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 The World of Ice & Fire, The Riverlands.
  10. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  11. 11.0 11.1 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
  12. Fire & Blood, Birth, Death, and Betrayal Under King Jaehaerys I.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
  14. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  15. 15.0 15.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 38, Jaime VI.
  16. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 45, Catelyn V.
  17. 17.0 17.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
  18. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 72, Jaime IX.
  19. 19.0 19.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 33, Jaime V.
  20. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 30, Jaime IV.
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 A Clash of Kings, Appendix.
  22. So Spake Martin: Vance, King, and Anime and Manga, April 20, 2008