Jeor Mormont

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Jeor Mormont
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Jeor Mormont.jpg
Jeor Mormont by Amok ©

Alias The Old Bear
Title Lord Commander of the Night's Watch
Allegiance the Night's Watch
Culture Northmen
Born 230 AC[1]
Died 299 AC
Craster's Keep
Books

Played by James Cosmo
TV series Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3

Jeor Mormont, also known as the Old Bear, is the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch,[2] which he commands from their headquarters, Castle Black. Jeor, previously head of House Mormont and Lord of Bear Island, abdicated his seat in favor of his son, Ser Jorah Mormont, and joined the Night's Watch.[3] In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Jeor is played by James Cosmo.[4]

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Jeor Mormont

Jeor remains an imposing figure in spite of his age, and most brothers hold him in great esteem.[5] He has broad-shoulders and a stern gaze.[5] He has lost most most of his hair save for his shaggy grey-white beard.[6] He is a considered strong, resolute leader, a formidable battle commander and is also fearless in the face of adversity.

Jeor is always accompanied by his pet raven, which is constantly demanding corn.[6]

History

Before Robert's Rebellion,[7] presumably shortly,[8] Jeor abdicated his seat, leaving the lordship of Bear Island to his son, Ser Jorah Mormont, and joined the Night's Watch. He rapidly rose through the ranks and was elected Lord Commander in 288 AC.[9] Jeor Mormont was deeply concerned by the declining power of the Watch and the rising threat of the wildlings beyond the Wall. On the advice of his First Ranger, Benjen Stark, he gave up the regular patrols used by his predecessor Lord Qorgyle in favor of a more random system, varying the number of patrols and the days of their departure, to make it more difficult for the wildlings to know their comings and goings. Sometimes a larger force was sent to garrison one of the abandoned castles for a fortnight or a moon's turn as well.[10]

When Jeor's son Jorah fled to the Free Cities to escape Lord Eddard's punishment for selling captives into slavery, Jeor regained Longclaw, his house famous Valyrian steel blade, which his son left behind. Jeor's sister, Maege Mormont, became the head of House Mormont with the exile of Jorah.

Recent Events

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont - by Veronica V. Jones ©

A Game of Thrones

Lord Commander Mormont has Jon Snow named his steward to groom him for command. When he informs Jon of his father's supposed treachery, he has him watched.[11]

Jeor dispatches First Ranger Benjen Stark to search for the missing ranger Ser Waymar Royce and to determine the activities of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. After the discovery of two members of Benjen's party near the Wall, Lord Commander Mormont has their dead bodies brought back to Castle Black for further inspection. During the night, the corpses, which are actually reanimated wights, attack the Night's Watch, killing several men, including Ser Jaremy Rykker. Only the timely intervention of Jon and his direwolf Ghost prevent the wight Othor from killing Jeor.[12] For saving his life, Jeor gives the Bastard of Winterfell the Valyrian steel bastard sword Longclaw, ancestral weapon of House Mormont.[13]

A Clash of Kings

Jeor Mormont speaks to his brothers - by Brittmartin ©

After informing Jon his half-brother Robb Stark is King in the North, Jeor has Jon watched again, just in case he heads south to join his brother.[6]

With missing rangers, the dead walking, reports of abandoned wildling villages, huge fires in the night, and Mance Rayder gathering his people, Jeor decides to lead a great ranging beyond the Wall to discover what is going on and to search for the missing Benjen Stark. He takes three hundred men from the Wall and marches north.[14]

At Craster's Keep, Jeor learns that Mance is gathering his people at the Frostfangs, preparing to launch an assault on the Wall. Jeor leads the expedition to the Fist of the First Men, a good defensive position located on Mance's only route to the Wall, and sends out three scouting parties.

A Storm of Swords

While awaiting the return of the final scouting party, the Night's Watch is assaulted on the Fist of the First Men by wights. The Night's Watch force is broken and Mormont leads the survivors on a grim march back to Craster's Keep.

At Craster's Keep, after being told by Samwell Tarly of his slaying of the lone Other with an obsidian dagger given to Sam by Jon Snow, Jeor discusses dragonglass daggers with Sam and the need to supply the Watch with dragonglass weaponry. However, shortly thereafter Jeor is slain by Ollo Lophand during the mutiny at Craster's Keep. As he lies dying he asks Sam to send word to Jorah Mormont, his dying wish being to forgive his son of his crimes and let him come home to take the black, relieving him of his exile.[15]

Quotes by Jeor

They say the king loved to hunt. The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember that.[12]

- Jeor to Jon Snow


Did I say it was your honor?[16]

- Jeor to Jon Snow

When dead men come hunting in the night, do you think it matters who sits the Iron Throne? [16]

- Jeor to Jon Snow


Are you a brother of the Night's Watch ... or only a bastard boy who wants to play at war? [16]

- Jeor to Jon Snow


Tarly, when I was a lad half your age, my lady mother told me that if I stood about with my mouth open, a weasel was like to mistake it for his lair and run down my throat. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, beware of weasels. [6]

- Jeor to Samwell Tarly


And now his watch is ended.[15]

- Jeor regarding Bannen


We never knew! But we must have known once. The Night's Watch has forgotten its true purpose, Tarly. You don't build a wall seven hundred feet high to keep savages in skins from stealing women. The Wall was made to guard the realms of men … and not against other men, which is all the wildlings are when you come right down to it. Too many years, Tarly, too many hundreds and thousands of years. We lost sight of the true enemy. And now he's here, but we don't know how to fight him.[15]

- Jeor to Samwell Tarly

Family

Lord
Mormont
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lord
Mormont
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jeor
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
Maege
 
Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
Glover
 
Jorah
 
Lynesse
Hightower
 
Dacey
 
Alysane
 
Unknown
 
Lyra
 
Jorelle
 
Lyanna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daughter
[Note 1]
 
Son
[Note 1]
 
Notes:
  1. 1.0 1.1 It is currently unknown whether Alysane's children are trueborn, or bastard-born.


References and Notes

  1. See the Jeor Mormont calculation.
  2. A Clash of Kings, Appendix.
  3. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 12, Daenerys I.
  4. HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew
  5. 5.0 5.1 A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
  7. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 21, Tyrion III.
  8. Jeor is stated to have rosen quickly through the ranks of the Night's Watch. As he became Lord Commander in 288 AC, he won't have joined too many years before the Rebellion
  9. George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire.
  10. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 26, Jon III.
  11. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
  12. 12.0 12.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
  13. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon VIII.
  14. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon II.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 70, Jon IX.