House Hoare

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House Hoare of Orkmont
Hoare.png
Coat of arms Quarted per saltire of silver chains: 1st quarter sable, a longship or, 2nd quarter argent, a pine vert, 3rd quarter or, a grape burgundy, 4th quarter azure, a flying raven sable
Seats
Region Iron Islands
Titles
Died out 1 AL

House Hoare of Orkmont is an extinct house of the Iron Islands. The Hoares were the High Kings of the Iron Islands after the Andal settlers on the Iron Islands ended the rule of House Greyiron.

According to semi-canon sources, their banner depicts per saltire and with two heavy silver chains crossing between a gold longship on black, a dark green pine on white, a cluster of red grapes on gold, and a black raven flying in a blue sky (clockwise).[1]

History

A kingsmoot gave House Hoare the Seastone Chair after the Greyiron line had been extinguished. However, instead of returning to the Old Way when all the kings were chosen in assembly, the Hoares kept the title hereditary as the Greyirons had done.

Under King Qhored Hoare the realm of the ironborn reached the peak of its expansion, and it was said that all the western coast of Westeros where the salt of the sea could be smelled or heard the crashing of waves were under their control. It is unlikely that this assertion is literal, since with all probability places like Oldtown or Lannisport have never been ruled from the Iron Islands, it is still remarkable that the ironborn could hold places as distant as the Arbor.

During the next years, the power of House Hoare would diminish and many of the conquests would be lost. Bear Island was lost to Rodrik Stark in a wrestling match. He gave it to the Mormonts. The possessions of the ironborn were reduced to the Isles and the coast of the Riverlands.

In a new age of expansion, the ironborn took all of the Riverlands from the Storm Kings (who had killed the last River King 300 years before). Harren the Black ordered the construction of Harrenhal, the greatest castle of the Seven Kingdoms, on the shores of the Gods Eye, a long away from the sea. The construction took forty years, and was finished the day Aegon I and his sisters landed in Westeros. Having seen how Kings Loren and Mern had been defeated at the Field of Fire, he decided to remain within his castle. Aegon burned it with his dragon, incinerating Harren and his sons alive and thus ending the Hoare line. While Harren burned, his brother was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but kept to his vows even as his entire house died.[2]

His banner, showing a longship, a pine tree, red grapes and a black raven represents all the distant lands that had been under the rule of the house: the longship for the Iron islands, the green pine for the Bear Island (the northern border of their dominion), the grape cluster for the Arbor (the southernmost) and the black raven for Raventree Hall in the Riverlands; all bound by the iron chains of the ironmen.[3]

During A Song of Ice and Fire

Harren Half-Hoare, a raider loyal to Euron Crow's Eye. His relation to House Hoare is unclear.

Historical Hoares


References in the books

A Song of Ice and Fire

  • Harwyn Hardhand was the Hoare king who conquered the Riverlands
  • Harrag Hoare is cited by Aeron Damphair as an example of a great king that was chosen through a kingsmoot. Possibly he was the one chosen after the death of the Greyiron line, but he could also had been a previous King from the same house.
  • The house reached the peak of its power under King Qhored Hoare, but his descendants started to lose possessions.
  • Harren the Black was the last Hoare king. He was burned alive with his sons at the Kingspyre Tower from Harrenhal.
  • When Black Harren burned at Harrenhal, his brother commanded the Night's Watch, and did not intervene.[4]
  • According to semi-canon sources, Harwyn Hardhand is a member of House Hoare.[5]
  • Harren Half-Hoare is mentioned among the supporters of Euron Greyjoy before the kingsmoot.[6]

References and Notes

  1. The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses on the Iron Islands
  2. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon
  3. The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses in the Iron Islands
  4. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon
  5. House Greyiron (May 24, 1999) So Spake Martin
  6. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter