Difference between revisions of "Iron Islands"

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The inhabitants of these harsh isles are known as ironmen,{{ref|ACOK|11}} especially by the rest of Westeros,{{ref|AGOT|Appendix}} but they also call themselves the [[ironborn]].{{ref|ACOK|11}} They are men of the sea, and their naval supremacy was once unmatched. They are considered independent, fierce and sometimes cruel. They live in a harsh land and they hold no love for the peoples of the mainland and their soft green ways. The [[Faith of the Seven]] of the [[Andals]] and the [[old gods]] find small favor with the ironborn, as their allegiance is given to their native [[Drowned God]]. Many ironborn believe in returning to the [[Old Way]] of reaving and paying the [[iron price]].
 
The inhabitants of these harsh isles are known as ironmen,{{ref|ACOK|11}} especially by the rest of Westeros,{{ref|AGOT|Appendix}} but they also call themselves the [[ironborn]].{{ref|ACOK|11}} They are men of the sea, and their naval supremacy was once unmatched. They are considered independent, fierce and sometimes cruel. They live in a harsh land and they hold no love for the peoples of the mainland and their soft green ways. The [[Faith of the Seven]] of the [[Andals]] and the [[old gods]] find small favor with the ironborn, as their allegiance is given to their native [[Drowned God]]. Many ironborn believe in returning to the [[Old Way]] of reaving and paying the [[iron price]].
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According to a semi-canon source,<ref>[[A Game of Thrones (game)|A Game of Thrones RPG and Resource Book]], Guardians of Order</ref> the isles can raise approximately twenty thousand men and five hundred longships. The [[Iron Fleet]] consists of one hundred ships which are three times larger than the standard longship.{{ref|ADWD|56}}
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==

Revision as of 22:27, 28 July 2014

Map (click to zoom)

The Iron Islands is one of the constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms, and it was formerly a sovereign nation under the same name, until the War of Conquest. The Iron Islands are home to a fierce people who call themselves the ironborn and are ruled by House Greyjoy from the castle of Pyke.

Geography

The Iron Islands is an archipelago in Ironman's Bay, located in the Sunset Sea off the western coast of Westeros. They are roughly west of the Riverlands, northwest of the Westerlands, and south of the North. The seven major islands are Pyke, Great Wyk, Old Wyk, Harlaw, Saltcliffe, Blacktyde, and Orkmont. The Lonely Light, located eight days sail northwest of Great Wyk, is the most distant of the islands. The Iron Islands is the smallest of the regions of the Seven Kingdoms, but Dorne is the least populous.[1]

The Iron Islands are small, barely-fertile rocks with few safe harbours. The seas around the islands are stormy, frequently wreaking havoc with their considerable force.

The islands are ruled from the island of Pyke, the seat of House Greyjoy. Pyke bears an ancient fortress of the same name built atop several natural rocky towers jutting out of the sea. Connected by treacherous rope bridges, it would be a major challenge for any invading army. Pyke once extended as a spur of land like a sword out of the sea, but that outcropping has long since shattered, and it is now in essence three separate isles.

People

The inhabitants of these harsh isles are known as ironmen,[2] especially by the rest of Westeros,[3] but they also call themselves the ironborn.[2] They are men of the sea, and their naval supremacy was once unmatched. They are considered independent, fierce and sometimes cruel. They live in a harsh land and they hold no love for the peoples of the mainland and their soft green ways. The Faith of the Seven of the Andals and the old gods find small favor with the ironborn, as their allegiance is given to their native Drowned God. Many ironborn believe in returning to the Old Way of reaving and paying the iron price.

According to a semi-canon source,[4] the isles can raise approximately twenty thousand men and five hundred longships. The Iron Fleet consists of one hundred ships which are three times larger than the standard longship.[5]

Economy

The islands are sparse and rocky with a thin, stony soil that makes it hard for the smallfolk to farm, often having to do without the animals that might make their job easier, such as oxen or horses.[6] Their mines do not produce the precious metals of the Westerlands;[7] iron, lead and tin can be obtained, but only through backbreaking labour. With so little wealth on the islands themselves, it is not difficult to understand why the ironborn of old turned to raiding.

History

The Iron Islands were settled by the First Men many thousands of years ago. Legends claim that the First Men discovered what would be called the Seastone Chair upon the shores of Old Wyk.[6] For much of their history, each island was its own kingdom and had its own two kings: a rock king (who ruled the land) and a salt king (who commanded at sea), with a High King chosen at kingsmoot by these petty kings. This changed 5,000 years prior to Greyjoy's Rebellion, when King Urron Redhand slaughtered the assembled kings and established a hereditary throne. His dynasty, House Greyiron, lasted a thousand years, until the Andals swept over the Iron Islands.[2]

Under the rule of House Hoare, the ironborn managed to bring much of the western coast of Westeros under the rule of the Iron Island, including lands as far as Bear Island, the Arbor, and Oldtown.[3] Although those lands were eventually lost, Harwyn Hardhand conquered the Trident from the Storm King Arrec.[3]

The Hoare line ended with the death of King Harren the Black and his sons at Harrenhal, the monstrous castle he had built on the shores of the Gods Eye. During his War of Conquest, Aegon I Targaryen came to Harrenhal intending to make Harren bend the knee. Harren refused to yield and the castle was too strong to storm, so Aegon rode his dragon Balerion over the walls and roasted King Harren and his sons in their tower.[8] With Harren's death the Riverlands, led by House Tully, rose in rebellion and threw the ironborn back to their islands. Submitting to Aegon and the Iron Throne, the ironborn elected House Greyjoy of Pyke to rule as Aegon's vassal.

During the reign of King Aerys I Targaryen, Lord Dagon Greyjoy led the ironborn in raiding the western coast of Westeros.[9][10]

In 289 AC Lord Balon Greyjoy led an uprising of the Iron Islands against the Iron Throne in a bid for independence. The Greyjoy Rebellion was crushed by King Robert Baratheon, however. Balon's only surviving son, Theon Greyjoy, was taken to the North as a ward of Lord Eddard Stark.

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

When warfare erupts in Westeros after the death of King Robert Baratheon, Lord Balon Greyjoy takes advantage of the instability and declares independence for the Iron Islands. Rather than ally with King Robb Stark against House Lannister, Balon sends the ironborn to occupy key positions in the North and declares himself King of the Iron Islands and the North.

A Feast for Crows

Aeron Greyjoy declares a kingsmoot as the proper way to raise the next King of the Iron Islands after the death of King Balon.[11] This move is made by Aeron to end a potential civil war between the ironborn and to prevent Euron Greyjoy from taking the Seastone Chair. However, Euron is chosen king despite the efforts of Aeron, Victarion Greyjoy, and Asha Greyjoy.

Euron promises to conquer all of Westeros for the ironborn and expands their war. The castellan, Erik Ironmaker, rules the Iron Islands in Euron's absence while he is on campaign.

A Dance with Dragons

Lord Captain Victarion Greyjoy leads the Iron Fleet to Slaver's Bay in order to gain Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons for King Euron's cause.

Houses

Blacktyde.PNG House Blacktyde of Blacktyde.
Botley.png House Botley of Lordsport.
House Codd.png House Codd.
Drumm.png House Drumm of Old Wyk.
Farwynd.png House Farwynd of the Lonely Light.
Arms unknown House Farwynd of Sealskin Point.
Arms unknown House Goodbrother of Corpse Lake.
Arms unknown House Goodbrother of Crow Spike Keep.
Arms unknown House Goodbrother of Downdelving.
House Goodbrother.png House Goodbrother of the Hammerhorn.
Arms unknown House Goodbrother of Orkmont.
Arms unknown House Goodbrother of Shatterstone.
Greyiron.png House Greyiron of Orkmont.
Greyjoy coat sigil.png House Greyjoy of Pyke.
Harris Harlaw.png House Harlaw of Grey Garden.
Sigfryd Harlaw.png House Harlaw of Harlaw Hall.
Boremund Harlaw.PNG House Harlaw of Harridan Hill.
House Harlaw.PNG House Harlaw of the Ten Towers.
Hotho Harlaw.png House Harlaw of the Tower of Glimmering.
Hoare.png House Hoare of Orkmont.
Arms unknown House Humble.
Arms unknown House Ironmaker.
Kenning.png House Kenning of Harlaw.
Merlyn.png House Merlyn of Pebbleton.
Arms unknown House Netley.
Myre.png House Myre of Harlaw.
Orkwood.png House Orkwood of Orkmont.
Saltcliffe.png House Saltcliffe of Saltcliffe.
Arms unknown House Sharp.
Arms unknown House Shepherd.
House Sparr.PNG House Sparr of Great Wyk.
Stonehouse.png House Stonehouse of Old Wyk.
Stonetree.png House Stonetree of Harlaw.
House Sunderly.png House Sunderly of Saltcliffe.
Tawney.png House Tawney of Orkmont.
House Volmark.png House Volmark of Volmark.
Arms unknown House Weaver.
Wynch.png House Wynch of Iron Holt.

Quotes

The islands are stern and stony places, scant of comfort and bleak of prospect. Death is never far here, and life is mean and meagre. Men spend their nights drinking ale and arguing over whose lot is worse, the fisherfolk who fight the sea or the farmers who and scratch a crop from the poor thin soil. If truth be told, the miners have it worse than either, breaking their backs down in the dark, and for what? Iron, lead, tin, those are our treasures. Small wonder the ironmen of old turned to raiding.[7]

- Theon Greyjoy to the captain's daughter

References and Sources

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