Difference between revisions of "Bastardy"
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Bastards whose parents are both of the nobility are not considered baseborn<ref>[[The Sworn Sword]]: p.132</ref> 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. {{Ref|aFfC|8}} <ref>[[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2999/ So Speak Martin]], June 26, 2001</ref> | Bastards whose parents are both of the nobility are not considered baseborn<ref>[[The Sworn Sword]]: p.132</ref> 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. {{Ref|aFfC|8}} <ref>[[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/2999/ So Speak Martin]], June 26, 2001</ref> | ||
− | At any point, the biological father of a bastard may legitimize him and bring him formally into his house; for example, [[Ramsay Bolton|Ramsay Snow]] was legitimized by his father [[Roose Bolton]]. Ramsay Bolton's official bastard status was removed, and he became the heir of [[House Bolton]] | + | At any point, the biological father of a bastard may legitimize him and bring him formally into his house; for example, [[Ramsay Bolton|Ramsay Snow]] was legitimized by his father [[Roose Bolton]]. Ramsay Bolton's official bastard status was removed by royal decree (as a reward for the Boltons betraying the Starks and bowing to the Lannisters), and he became the heir of [[House Bolton]]. The social stigma of his bastardy was not lifted, however. |
[[Joffrey Baratheon]] was acknowledged by [[Robert Baratheon]] as his son, and therefore heir to [[House Baratheon]] and the [[Iron Throne]]. Joffrey's bastardy, as revealed after Robert's death, caused his claim to the Iron Throne to be disputed by Robert's brothers, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. | [[Joffrey Baratheon]] was acknowledged by [[Robert Baratheon]] as his son, and therefore heir to [[House Baratheon]] and the [[Iron Throne]]. Joffrey's bastardy, as revealed after Robert's death, caused his claim to the Iron Throne to be disputed by Robert's brothers, [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]] and [[Renly Baratheon|Renly]]. |
Revision as of 15:22, 5 June 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.'
Contents
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] [4]
At any point, the biological father of a bastard may legitimize him and bring him formally into his house; for example, Ramsay Snow was legitimized by his father Roose Bolton. Ramsay Bolton's official bastard status was removed by royal decree (as a reward for the Boltons betraying the Starks and bowing to the Lannisters), and he became the heir of House Bolton. The social stigma of his bastardy was not lifted, however.
Joffrey Baratheon was acknowledged by Robert Baratheon as his son, and therefore heir to House Baratheon and the Iron Throne. Joffrey's bastardy, as revealed after Robert's death, caused his claim to the Iron Throne to be disputed by Robert's brothers, Stannis and Renly.
A bastard can be simultaneously acknowledged but not legitimized. For example, Eddard Stark acknowledged Jon Snow as his son and a member of House Stark, but did not legitimize him. Snow retained the bastard name of the North and the social status it conferred, and did not enter the line of succession of House Stark.
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.[5][6], 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, and 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.[7]
Coat of Arms
The bastards do not have the right to use the arms of their families. The custom is thus a bastard using arms (when knighted for example) adds a distinction, called "breaking". This can be in the form of a color inversion on their own coats of arms, with the addition of a possible bar sinsister.
Arms of House Blackfyre, founded by a bastard of the House Targaryen, has the colors reversed[8]. |
The blason of Walder Rivers, bastard son of Lord Walder Frey, has the colors reversed and a red bar sinister[9] |
Surnames
Each of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms have bastard surnames decreed by custom. Bastards are given these surnames to hold them apart from their fathers' houses.
Region | Surname | Example Character |
---|---|---|
Reach | Flowers | Ser Robert Flowers |
Westerlands | Hill | Joy Hill |
Iron Islands | Pyke | Wex Pyke |
Riverlands | Rivers | Walder Rivers |
Dorne | Sand | Nymeria Sand |
North | Snow | Jon Snow |
Vale | Stone | Alayne Stone |
Stormlands | Storm | Ser Rolland Storm |
Crownlands | Waters | Aurane Waters |
Even if a bastard has a half sibling by the same father, the bastard surname is still applied by region. For example, Robert Baratheon's eldest bastard, born in The Vale, is called Mya 'Stone'; his bastard son in the Crownlands is called Gendry 'Waters'; and his bastard from the Stormlands is called Edric 'Storm'. All three are half siblings of the same noble, yet all carry bastard names from the place of their birth.
Notable Bastards
The North
- Jon Snow, is the widely believed bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark and the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
- Ramsay Snow, is the recognised and legitimised son of Lord Roose Bolton. Commonly known as the Bastard of Bolton or the Bastard of the Dreadfort.
- Larence Snow, is the son of Lord Halys Hornwood.
The Iron Islands
- Cotter Pyke, is a member of the Night's Watch and the current Commander of Eastwatch-by-the-sea.
- Wex Pyke, is the baseborn son of Sargon Botley and the squire of Theon Greyjoy.
The Riverlands
- Ser Aegor Rivers, better known as Bittersteel, is the recognised and legitimised son of King Aegon IV and Barba Bracken. Founder of the Golden Company.
- Brynden Rivers better known as Bloodraven, recognised and legitimised son of King Aegon IV and Mylessa Blackwood. Former Hand of the King and Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
- Walder Rivers, recognised eldest bastard son of Lord Walder Frey.
The Vale
- Mya Stone, the eldest bastard of King Robert Baratheon.
- Alayne Stone, the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish, actually Sansa Stark.
The Westerlands
- Joy Hill, recognised daughter of Gerion Lannister.
- Sweet Donnel Hill, claims to be a bastard of the Lannisters.
The Crownlands
- Aurane Waters better known as the Bastard of Driftmark. He was part of Queen Cersei's small council as the Grand Admiral and Master of Ships.
- Humfrey Waters is the current Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing.
- Gendry, is an unrecognised bastard of King Robert Baratheon. Unaware of his heritage but is the spitting image of Robert when he was young.
The Reach
- Ser Robert Flowers, is a former member of the Kingsguard.
The Stormlands
- Edric Storm, is the acknowledged bastard son of King Robert Baratheon and Delena Florent.
- Ser Rolland Storm better known as the Bastard of Nightsong, is the baseborn son of Lord Bryen Caron.
Dorne
- Ellaria Sand, is the bastard daughter of Lord Harmen Uller. She is also the paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell.
- The Sand Snakes is the collective name for the bastard daughters of Prince Oberyn Martell, the Red Viper. They are Obara Sand, Nymeria Sand, Tyene Sand, Sarella Sand, Elia Sand, Obella Sand, Dorea Sand and Loreza Sand.
- Daemon Sand better known as the Bastard of Godsgrace, is the bastard son of Ryon Allyrion.
References and Notes
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 6, Catelyn II.
- ↑ The Sworn Sword: p.132
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 8, Jaime I.
- ↑ [So Speak Martin], June 26, 2001
- ↑ The Sworn Sword: p.109
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 38, Jaime VI.
- ↑ I: 45, III: 830
- ↑ The Sworn Sword.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 39, Cersei IX.
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.