Wax
Waxes are a diverse class of organic compounds.
Contents
Usages
Sealing wax are blocks of wax[1] used to close and to avoid the tampering of letters and official documents. The senders usually put their seal on the warm wax to create a unique form in the wax as it cools and solidifies.[2]
Wax tablets can be used to document inventories.[3]
Wax can also be used to create candles.[4][5]
Culture
Wickenden, the seat of House Waxley in the Vale of Arryn, is known for their scented beeswax candles.[6]
Ghiscari men shape their hair using wax, combs, and irons.[7]
Sealing waxes can be found in different colors, Westerosi nobles usually use wax the same color as their coat of arms. Examples include:
- Black wax, used by the Night's Watch[8][9] (the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch has a personal seal but it is not stated in the books what it looks like[10]). Black wax is also used by House Karstark.[11]
- Blue wax with a moon-and-falcon seal, used by Lysa Arryn[12]
- Dark green wax, used by Lyanna Mormont[13]
- Golden wax with a stag seal, used by Robert I Baratheon[2]
- Golden wax with a stag's head within a flaming heart seal, used by Stannis Baratheon[14]
- Golden wax with a lion seal, used by Cersei Lannister,[15][16] Tyrion Lannister[17] and Tywin Lannister[18]
- Grey wax with a mockingbird seal, used by Petyr Baelish[19]
- Pink wax, used by Ramsay Bolton[20][21][22]
- Red wax[23]
- Silvery-grey wax with a twin towers seal, used by Walder Frey[24]
- White wax with a direwolf seal, used by Robb Stark[25] and Eddard Stark[2]
History
Ser Duncan the Tall recognized the three-headed dragon seal of House Targaryen in the wax of the royal decree showned to him by Maester Cerrick and Lady Rohanne Webber.[26]
During the "trade wars" between the Free Cities of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh, the cities often grant combattants licenses to prey on ships of the other cities. Grand Maester Merion referred to this practise as "piracy with a wax seal".[27]
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
The officer of the City Watch in charge of retreiving Gendry from Yoren's group of recruits has a warrant ribbon with golden wax from Queen Cersei Lannister.[15]
Grand Maester Pycelle's medicines are stored in dozens of pots sealed with wax.[28] The wildfire pots and jars of Aerys's day are sealed with wax and stored in stone cells beneath the guildhall of the Alchemists' Guild.[29][30]
One of Arya Stark's task as Lord Roose Bolton's cupbearer at Harrenhal include putting the quills, inks and sealing wax in order in Roose's solar.[31]
A Storm of Swords
Maester Vyman provides parchment, quills and sealing wax to Catelyn Tully so she can write to her sister, Lady Lysa Arryn.[32]
Ser Davos Seaworth finds Salladhor Saan and two eunuchs in the hold of the Bountiful Harvest as they are making its inventory and writting it on a wax tablet with stylus.[3]
Ayra sees four archers outside of the Twins slipping waxed strings over the notches of their longbows as she makes her way towards the castle.[33]
The new boy king, Tommen I Baratheon, enjoys putting the royal seal into the hot wax.[34][35]
A Feast for Crows
Armen is dubious of Leo the Lazy's report of glass candles burning in Marwyn's study. He believes it to be simple candle of black wax.[5]
The news of Prince Oberyn Martell's death reached Dorne in a letter sealed with red wax.[23]
The maester at the Dun Fort inspects carefully the seal on Brienne of Tarth's royal letter stating she is on a royal mission.[34] Once satisfied with the authenticity of the document, he answers Brienne's questions.[36]
Lord Waxley once gifted scented beeswax candles to Lady Lysa Arryn.[6]
A Dance with Dragons
The food of the Night's Watch is stored in clay jars sealed with wax.[37]
Ramsay Bolton uses pink wax for his letters to Deepwood Motte and Torrhen's Square[20] and later to the Night's Watch.[21][22]
The message in between the castles of the Night's Watch is sealed with black wax.[14][38]
References
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 51, Sansa IV.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 47, Eddard XIII.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 10, Davos II.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 50, Arya IV.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Feast for Crows, Prologue.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 43, Daenerys VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 7, Jon II.
- ↑ The Winds of Winter, Theon I
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 6, Catelyn II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 3, Jon I.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 35, Jon VII.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 5, Arya II.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 29, Tyrion VII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 44, Tyrion X.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 3, Tyrion I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 28, Jon VI.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 69, Jon XIII.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 2, The Captain Of Guards.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 53, Tyrion VI.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 19, Jon III.
- ↑ The Sworn Sword.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 17, Tyrion IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 20, Tyrion V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 49, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 64, Arya X.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 50, Arya X.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 72, Jaime IX.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 43, Cersei X.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 9, Brienne II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 17, Jon IV.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 49, Jon X.