Samwell Tarly
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 Samwell Tarly, by Amok © | ||||
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| Aliases | ||||
| Title | Novice[5] | |||
| Allegiances | ||||
| Culture | Marcher | |||
| Born |
283 AC[6] Horn Hill[7] | |||
| Father | Lord Randyll Tarly | |||
| Mother | Lady Melessa Florent | |||
| Lover | Gilly | |||
| Books |
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| Played by | John Bradley | |||
| TV series |
Game of Thrones: Season 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |||
Samwell Tarly is the eldest son of Lord Randyll Tarly and his wife, Lady Melessa Florent. A recruit of the Night's Watch originally from House Tarly,[1] he is popularly called Sam. He becomes a POV character in A Storm of Swords.
In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Samwell is portrayed by John Bradley.[8]
Contents
Appearance and Character
Samwell is very fat, with dark hair, pale eyes, and a large moon-shaped face.[1] Jon Snow initially estimates Sam to weigh 20 stone (127 kg/280 lbs).[1]
When he arrives at the Wall, Sam wears a fur-trimmed surcoat embroidered with the striding huntsman of House Tarly,[1] and his great wood-and-leather shield also has the Tarly arms. Sam brings with him a padded doublet, boiled leather, mail, plate, and helm, but Ser Alliser Thorne has them replaced with the black equipment of the Night's Watch.[1] Sam later has an enormous black hooded cloak,[9] cap, surcoat, and chainmail hauberk.[10]
Samwell is a timid craven frightened of many things, including high places,[1] prostitutes,[11] and bloodshed.[12][1] He dislikes martial activities, hunting,[13] and the cold,[1] and he is a poor rider.[11] Although he is insecure and awkward, Sam is observant,[14] intelligent, and liked by animals.[13] He is fond of music, songs, and soft velvets,[1] and he loves books and scrolls.[11][12] The youth likes old items,[15] kittens,[1] and dancing, even though he is clumsy.[1] Sam likes to eat,[12] enjoying lemon cakes and blueberry tarts.[1]
History
Samwell was the first child of Randyll Tarly, Lord of Horn Hill, and his wife, Melessa Florent. Randyll, regarded as one of the finest military commanders in the Seven Kingdoms, did everything in his power to raise his son into what he deemed a proper heir, but Samwell frustrated him at every opportunity, resisting every effort made to change his nature. A dozen masters-at-arms failed to toughen him. Attempts such as beatings, starving him, dressing him in his mother's clothes and parading him, forcing him to sleep in chainmail, and being bathed in aurochs blood by two Qartheen warlocks failed to raise his valor. He even wept to see a chicken slaughtered.[1] When Lord Tarly had Sam thrown into Horn Hill's pond to teach his son to swim, Ser Hyle Hunt had to rescue the boy.[16]
Randyll insisted that young Sam attend him while holding court at Horn Hill, and he brought Sam to Highgarden during a visit to see Lord Mace Tyrell.[13] When he was ten,[7] Sam accompanied his father on a trip to the Arbor, but the Redwyne twins Horas and Hobber bullied him and Lord Randyll brought him back home. Sam's mother revealed to him that Randyll had meant for Samwell to remain at the Arbor, to serve as Lord Paxter Redwyne's page and squire. Had Sam pleased Paxter, he would have been betrothed to his daughter, Desmera.[16]
After Lady Melessa bore her husband three girls in three consecutive years, Samwell's brother Dickon was born.[1] When Sam and his mother sang "The Song of the Seven" to the baby, Randyll reprimanded his wife and his heir.[3] Randyll also forbade Sam from sleeping in the same bed as his sisters.[3] Dickon showed all of the physical vigor that Samwell lacked, and Randyll's attentions turned to raising his more promising younger son to take Sam's place. For a time Sam was left to enjoy his music, food, and other soft pursuits, though Randyll forbade him from traveling to Oldtown to study at the Citadel, horrified at the notion of a member of House Tarly wearing a maester's chain. To discourage the boy, Randyll had Sam chained and manacled to a wall for three days.[12]
When Sam turned fifteen, his father bluntly told him that he was not worthy of their house's ancestral Valyrian steel greatsword, Heartsbane, and that he must join the Night's Watch and renounce his family name so that he would not stand in the way of Dickon's inheritance. Failing that, Randyll promised that Sam would suffer an unfortunate hunting accident on the morrow. Sam chose to take the black.[1]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
Samwell is escorted to the Wall by men provided by his father, Lord Randyll Tarly, and the youth sees snow for the first time while in the barrowlands.[1]
Sam arrives at Castle Black shortly after Jon Snow and is immediately mocked for his size and timid nature. Ser Alliser Thorne, the master-at-arms, joins in the mocking, nicknaming him "Ser Piggy" and doing nothing to prevent the other recruits from bullying Sam and hurting him during their training. Miserable, Sam finds a friend in Jon, with whom he shares his story. Jon takes pity on Sam and, to Alliser's annoyance, takes it upon himself to persuade (and threaten, when necessary) his fellow recruits to stop their abuse.[1]
Samwell is not helped by Alliser's training and remains an incompetent warrior. Because of this, he is initially deemed not ready to take his vows and become a man of the Night's Watch with Jon and his fellow recruits. Jon, fearful of what will happen to Sam once he is no longer able to protect him, persuades Maester Aemon to allow him to join the stewards, convincing him that despite his uselessness as a soldier, Sam's literacy and intelligence may be of great value to the Watch. Aemon agrees, and gives Samwell a position assisting him in the rookery and library at Maester Aemon's tower, displacing Chett.[13] Jon is disappointed at himself being named to the stewards instead of the rangers, but Sam points out that his friend is being groomed for command by serving under Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.[13]
Despite having been born and raised into the Faith of the Seven, Samwell decides to take his Night's Watch vows with Jon at at a weirwood grove in the haunted forest.[13] He is able to impress Lord Commander Mormont by noting some of the odd details of the corpses of Othor and Jafer Flowers. Jon saves Jeor's life when Othor rises as a wight and attacks the Lord Commander.[14]
Sam consoles Jon when they learn about the arrest of Eddard Stark, Jon's father, in King's Landing. When Alliser calls Jon a traitor's bastard in the common hall, Sam places his body between them to stop Jon from stabbing the master-at-arms.[14] Sam informs Jon that his half brother, Robb Stark, has marched south from Winterfell. Lord Commander Mormont gives a repaired Longclaw to Jon as a reward for having saved him from the wight. Sam travels to Mole's Town to purchase garnets for the new pommel of the Valyrian steel sword.[17]
When Jon deserts in the middle of the night to join Robb in the south, Sam unsuccessfully tries to stop his friend from leaving Castle Black. After Jon leaves, Sam informs other mutual friends—Grenn, Pyp, Toad, Halder, and Matthar—who ride off in pursuit. These black brothers convince Jon to return to the Wall and an anxious Sam.[18]
A Clash of Kings
In preparation for the great ranging venturing beyond the Wall, Aemon sends Sam into the vaults of Castle Black to search for maps, and the youth spends hours looking at maps, scrolls, and books.[11] Pyp, Halder, and Toad invite Sam to join them when they take Grenn to the Mole's Town brothel, but Sam declines out of fear of the whores.[11]
The apprehensive Sam is placed in charge of the ravens as Lord Commander Mormont's aide for the great ranging.[11] He gains some confidence, teaching the birds a few words and working on maps for Maester Aemon.[9] When the expedition stays a night at Craster's Keep, Sam draws a map for the Lord Commander based on Craster's descriptions of Mance Rayder's whereabouts. Samwell is befriended by Gilly, a pregnant daughter-wife of Craster. Gilly is fearful that if she has a boy, Craster will sacrifice it to the Others. Samwell, unsure of what to do, turns to Jon for help, but there is nothing that Jon can do. [19]
Ghost discovers a cache of dragonglass weapons near the Fist of the First Men and leads Jon to it.[20] Jon gives Sam a cracked warhorn, a spearhead, and a dozen arrowheads from the bundle.[21] Jon gives him a dragonglass dagger as well.[10][7]
A Storm of Swords
Sam practices his archery while the great ranging remains encamped at the Fist of the First Men. A small group of mutineers led by Chett plot to kill Jeor Mormont and desert, with Chett planning to personally slit Sam's throat for having replaced him as Maester Aemon's steward.[22] Wights begin attacking the Watch's camp, however, and Sam sends ravens to alert Castle Black and the Shadow Tower. When the Watch loses the fight at the Fist, Sam releases the rest of the birds but forgets to include messages with them.[10]
Sam escapes with a group of about fifty survivors led by Jeor Mormont. The march is hard on Sam, but Grenn encourages him not to give up and Small Paul begins carrying the youth. The trio lag behind and become separated from the other survivors. Paul is attacked and killed by an Other, but the weight of his body disarms it as he dies. Samwell, who still carries the dagger given to him by Jon Snow, blindly stabs the Other, which dies instantaneously from the dragonglass blade.
Sam and Grenn rendezvous with the remaining survivors at Craster's Keep. Killing the Other has earned Samwell the nickname "Sam the Slayer", but many members of the Night's Watch use it mockingly as they do not believe Sam's feat. Grenn respects the name, however. Lord Commander Mormont discusses the obsidian weaponry with Sam. Gilly gives birth to a son, and Sam angers Craster by suggesting that the Watch could take Gilly and the child with them.[2]
Violence erupts in the keep, with some Night's Watch men believing that Craster is holding out on the food he provided for the Watch, and others harboring mutinous intentions toward Lord Commander Mormont. After Craster is murdered and Jeor is stabbed during the mutiny at Craster's Keep, Grenn slaps and shouts at Sam in an attempt to rouse the shocked youth. Sam is unresponsive, however, so Grenn and others leave him behind.[2][23] Jeor gives Sam his dying wish, that his son, the exiled Ser Jorah Mormont, join the Watch.[2]
Two of Craster's older wives encourage Sam to flee with Gilly and her child.[2] They make it as far as a village Sam believes to be Whitetree. Sam prays before the village's heart tree and then sings the "The Song of the Seven" to Gilly and her baby in the longhall. A reanimated Small Paul attacks them in the night. Sam fights it off and stabs it with the dragonglass dagger, but the blade shatters on Paul's iron mail. Sam desperately trikes the wight with a piece of charred wood, which catches the dead man's face on fire, destroying it. Sam and Gilly are then beset by at least a score of wights near the weirwood. Hundreds of ravens suddenly attack the wights, however, and a mysterious rider helps the humans escape on his giant elk.[3]
Sam, Gilly, and her son are led back to the Wall by the rider, Coldhands, who has informed them that there will be one in the Nightfort that must be sent to him. Entering the Nightfort through the ruined castle's hidden Black Gate, Samwell encounters Bran Stark, along with Hodor, and Meera and Jojen Reed. Remembering that Bran is Jon Snow's brother, Sam agrees to keep knowledge of Bran's survival a secret. Sam recites the vows of the Night's Watch at the Black Gate, and he leads Bran's party to Coldhands.[24]
After leaving the Nightfort on the south side of the Wall, Sam and Gilly follow a track near Deep Lake and Queensgate. They are joined by Ser Denys Mallister and Bowen Marsh's party, also en route to Castle Black from the Shadow Tower.[25] Sam weeps when he is reunited with Dywen, Giant, and Dolorous Edd. Pypar cheers when he sees Sam, and Grenn gives him a fierce hug. Sam suggests to Jon that Gilly and her son could be sent to live with his family at Horn Hill, lying that the baby was fathered by him. Sam reluctantly does not tell Jon about having met Bran.[25]
In the aftermath of the battle beneath the Wall, Stannis Baratheon and his red priestess, Melisandre, ask Sam about his having killed the Other, and the king tells Sam that he wants to eventually be shown the Black Gate below the Nightfort. The blind Maester Aemon has Sam describe Stannis's sword, Lightbringer, and Sam later admits to Aemon that the blade emits no heat.[26]
Stannis urges the swift election of a new Lord Commander and threatens to name one himself if none can achieve the required two-thirds majority. In the voting, Janos Slynt gains ground on the leading candidates, Cotter Pyke and Denys Mallister. Believing Janos would be a disastrous Lord Commander and inspired by Aemon, Sam approaches Cotter and Denys independently. He lies to each regarding Stannis's intentions to name the other to the office, thus convincing them both to support Jon Snow as a compromise candidate.[26] When a bird emerges from the selection kettle and lands on Jon's shoulder during the next choosing, Sam shouts that it is Mormont's raven; the Night's Watch then enthusiastically choose Jon as the new Lord Commander. Grenn and Pyp tell Jon that Sam was behind Jon's selection, but Sam insists he had nothing to do with the raven.[27]
A Feast for Crows
Samwell searches the vaults of Castle Black for information about the Others.[12] One of Jon Snow's first acts as Lord Commander is to send Sam south to the Citadel of Oldtown, where he might study to become Maester Aemon's successor. Jon also sends Dareon, whom he appoints as a recruiter for the Night's Watch, as well as Aemon and the infant son of Mance Rayder, so as to deprive Melisandre of the chance to sacrifice them for their king's blood. He also sends Gilly, separating her from her own child, so that she might nurse Rayder's son.[12][16] Maester Aemon falls ill on the voyage, however, and stopping in Braavos they are forced to spend their coin on an inn and a healer. Aemon's condition worsens, though he briefly wakes and wishes to hear the stories of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons that are spreading throughout the city, having the revelation that Daenerys may be the true fulfillment of the prophecy of the prince that was promised.[4]
Samwell urges Dareon to sing at the local taverns to earn money so that they might buy passage on a ship to Oldtown, but Dareon spends most of what he earns on wine and trade from the city's whores. Sam confronts Dareon in a brothel and accuses him of breaking his vows, and Dareon responds with his intention to abandon them and desert the Night's Watch, resulting in a fight whereupon Sam is pulled off Dareon and thrown into a canal. He is pulled out by Xhondo, who heard him speaking of dragons and had seen them in Qarth.[28] Xhondo offers them passage on his ship, the Cinnamon Wind, in exchange for work and for some of the last of their possessions.[4] Dareon remains behind and is eventually killed by Arya Stark.[29]
Maester Aemon dies early in the journey from Braavos to Oldtown, and in mourning for his death Gilly briefly becomes a lover to Samwell. She names Mance's child "Aemon Steelsong" after Maester Aemon,[4] and it is planned that upon landing at Oldtown she will be sent to Sam's childhood home of Horn Hill with the story that her child is a bastard fathered by him.[12]
Samwell continues to the Citadel, where he goes to the Seneschal's Court to speak with the Seneschal. Sam is forced to wait a long while before he will be admitted. When his patience starts to run thin, he is approached by the acolyte Alleras, who brings him to Archmaester Marwyn and Leo Tyrell at the Ravenry. Upon hearing Sam's story, Marwyn orders Sam to keep Aemon's prophecies and Daenerys's dragons a secret from the other archmaesters. Marwyn immediately departs the city with the stated intention of going to Daenerys and becoming her maester. Alleras informs Sam that Marwyn's glass candle had anticipated Sam's arrival, and Pate gives Sam a cell near Archmaester Walgrave's chamber.[5]
Quotes by Samwell
—Samwell and Jon Snow
Samwell: I'm to assist Maester Aemon with the library and the birds. He needs someone who can read and write letters.
Jon: You'll do well at that.[14]—Samwell and Jon Snow
Jon: You're more than fond of Gilly, aren't you?
Samwell: Gilly's good. She's good and kind. She ... she made me braver, Jon. Not brave, but ... braver.[25]—Jon Snow and Samwell
Stannis: You are the one that killed the creature in the snow.
Melisandre: Sam the Slayer.
Samwell: No, my lady. Your Grace. I mean, I am, yes. I'm Samwell Tarly, yes.[26]—Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre, and Samwell
Sam thought of all the trials that he and Gilly suffered, Craster's Keep and the death of the Old Bear, snow and ice and freezing winds, days and days and days of walking, the wights at Whitetree, Coldhands and the tree of ravens, the Wall, the Wall, the Wall, the Black Gate beneath the earth. What had it all been for? No happy choices and no happy endings.[16]
—Samwell's thoughts aboard the Blackbird
The worst isn't done. The worst is just beginning, and there are no happy endings.[16]
—Samwell to Dareon
No matter where he went in this wide world, his fears went with him.[28]
—Samwell's thoughts
Samwell: I am Sam, from Horn Hill. Lord Randyll Tarly's son.
Leo: Truly? I suppose you are. Your father told us all that you were dead. Or was it only that he wished you were? Are you still a craven?
Samwell: No. I went beyond the Wall and fought in battles. They call me Sam the Slayer.[5]—Samwell and Leo Tyrell
Quotes about Samwell
Nobody likes cravens. I wish we hadn't helped him. What if they think we're craven too?[1]
The world was full of cravens who pretended to be heroes; it took a queer sort of courage to admit to cowardice as Samwell Tarly had.[1]
—Jon Snow's thoughts
It was Ghost who knew what to do. Silent as shadow, the pale direwolf moved closer and began to lick the warm tears off Samwell Tarly's face. The fat boy cried out, startled .. and somehow, in a heartbeat, his sobs turned to laughter.[1]
—Jon Snow's thoughts
You're fat but you're not stupid, boy. You did well back there.[14]
—Jeor Mormont to Samwell
Tarly, when I was a lad half your age, my lady mother told me that if I stood about with my mouth open, a weasel was like to mistake it for his lair and run down my throat. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beware of weasels.[11]
—Jeor Mormont to Samwell
I don't care if you're so scared you foul your breeches, and I don't care if a thousand wildlings are coming over the walls howling for your blood, you get those birds off, or I swear I'll hunt you through all seven hells and make you damn sorry that you didn't.[10]
—Jeor Mormont to Samwell
You have no father. Only brothers. Only us. Your life belongs to the Night's Watch, so go and stuff your smallclothes into a sack, along with anything else you care to take to Oldtown. You leave an hour before sunrise. And here's another order. From this day forth, you will not call yourself a craven. You've faced more things this past year than most men face in a lifetime. You can face the Citadel, but you'll face it as a Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch. I can't command you to be brave, but I can command you to hide your fears.[12]
—Jon Snow to Samwell
You're a man who appreciates cooking, Slayer. We need more o' your sort.[12]
—Hobb to Samwell
The Citadel is not what it was. They will take anything these days. Dusky dogs and Dornishmen, pig boys, cripples, cretins, and now a black-clad whale. And here I thought leviathans were grey.[5]
—Leo Tyrell to Alleras
Family
| Randyll | Melessa Florent | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Samwell | Talla | Two daughters | Dickon | Eleanor Mooton | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Behind the Scenes
Samwell Tarly is apparently inspired by Samwise Gamgee, a character from The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.[30]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 26, Jon IV.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 46, Samwell III.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 35, Samwell IV.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
- ↑ See the Samwell Tarly calculation.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Samwell Tarly.
- ↑ HBO.com: Game of Thrones Cast & Characters
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon II.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 18, Samwell I.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 12.6 12.7 12.8 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 43, Arya VIII.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 15, Samwell II.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon VIII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 70, Jon IX.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 23, Jon III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 34, Jon IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 43, Jon V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Prologue.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 56, Bran IV.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 78, Samwell V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 79, Jon XII.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 26, Samwell III.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 34, Cat Of The Canals.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Many Questions, June 13, 2001
External links
- Samwell Tarly on Wikipedia
- Samwell Tarly on the Wiki of Westeros