Difference between revisions of "Bastardy"

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
(Surnames)
(Surnames)
Line 18: Line 18:
 
==Surnames==
 
==Surnames==
 
Each of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms have bastard surnames decreed by custom.
 
Each of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms have bastard surnames decreed by custom.
* '''Flowers''' is the bastard name for the [[The Reach|the Reach]]
+
* '''Flowers''' is the bastard name for the [[The Reach|Reach]]
 
* '''Hill''' is the bastard name for the [[The Westerlands|Westerlands]]
 
* '''Hill''' is the bastard name for the [[The Westerlands|Westerlands]]
 
* '''Pyke''' is the bastard name for the [[The Iron Islands|Iron Islands]]
 
* '''Pyke''' is the bastard name for the [[The Iron Islands|Iron Islands]]
 
* '''Rivers''' is the bastard name for the [[The Riverlands|Riverlands]]  
 
* '''Rivers''' is the bastard name for the [[The Riverlands|Riverlands]]  
* '''Sand''' is the bastard name for the [[Dorne]]  
+
* '''Sand''' is the bastard name for [[Dorne]]  
* '''Snow''' is the bastard name for the [[The North|the North]]  
+
* '''Snow''' is the bastard name for the [[The North|North]]  
* '''Stone''' is the bastard name for the [[The Vale|the Vale]]
+
* '''Stone''' is the bastard name for the [[The Vale|Vale]]
 
* '''Storm''' is the bastard name for the [[The Stormlands|Stormlands]]
 
* '''Storm''' is the bastard name for the [[The Stormlands|Stormlands]]
 
* '''Waters''' is the bastard name for the [[Crownlands]].
 
* '''Waters''' is the bastard name for the [[Crownlands]].

Revision as of 21:00, 2 February 2012

A bastard is a person whose parents, at the time of their birth, were not married to each other. As a polite way of referring to someone who is bastard-born, someone may be referred to as a 'natural son' or 'natural daughter.' A less polite term is 'baseborn.' A euphemism for being bastard-born is 'being born on the wrong side of the sheets.'

Family Life and Status

In the series, it is not unexpected for noblemen to have bastard children, however, it is not typical for a noble to bring his bastards home and raise them with his own children. It's more usually expected that he will see to the child's well-being to some degree.[1] A nobly born wife has the right to take insult at her husband's bastards being introduced into her household and being commensurate in rank with her legally born children.

Bastards whose parents are both of the nobility are not considered baseborn[2] and trueborn children of a bastard might change their surnames to show their legitimate nature. For example, a legitimate son of a Waters might change their surname to Longwaters. [3]

Rights of Inheritance

The baseborn have few rights under the law and custom when it comes to rights of inheritance. A bastard may inherit if the father has no other trueborn children nor any other likely kin to follow him. Additionally, a bastard can inherit if he is legitimized by a royal decree. However, a legitimized bastard falls in the order of succession at the end, after all trueborn offspring, including daughters.

Thus the custom states that bastards who take arms (noble born, knighted, etc.) take the coat of arms of their fathers with the colors reversed.[4], with the possible addition of a red bar sinister, as exemplified by Ser Walder Rivers.

However, any man can be knighted, even a bastard. A bastard may even be appointed to the Kingsguard. In the Night's Watch, any man may rise to command, no matter the circumstances of their birth, such was the case of Cotter Pyke, commander of Eastwatch-by-the-sea, Jon Snow, who became its Lord Commander.

Social Status

It is considered rude to pry into the origins of a man's natural children. Men say that bastards are born from lust and lies, grow up more swiftly than other children, and their nature is wanton and treacherous.[5]

Surnames

Each of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms have bastard surnames decreed by custom.

  • Flowers is the bastard name for the Reach
  • Hill is the bastard name for the Westerlands
  • Pyke is the bastard name for the Iron Islands
  • Rivers is the bastard name for the Riverlands
  • Sand is the bastard name for Dorne
  • Snow is the bastard name for the North
  • Stone is the bastard name for the Vale
  • Storm is the bastard name for the Stormlands
  • Waters is the bastard name for the Crownlands.

Notable Bastards

The North

The Iron Islands

The Riverlands

The Vale

The Westerlands

The Crownlands

The Reach

The Stormlands

Dorne

References and Notes

  1. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 6, Catelyn II.
  2. TSS: 132
  3. IV: 120-121. SSM: 1
  4. TSS: 109. IV: 569
  5. I: 45, III: 830

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Bastard (Law of England and Wales). The list of authors can be seen in the page history of Bastard (Law of England and Wales). As with A Wiki of Ice and Fire, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.