Difference between revisions of "The Rains of Castamere"

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'''The Rains of Castamere''' is a song which immortalizes the destruction of [[House Reyne]] by [[Tywin Lannister]].
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:''For the television episode, see [[The Rains of Castamere (TV)]].''
 
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[[File:Serena Malyon The Rains of Castamere.jpg|The Rains of Castamere - by Serena Malyon. © FFG|thumb|350px|right]]
==Origins==
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"'''The Rains of Castamere'''" is a song which immortalizes the destruction of [[House Reyne]] of [[Castamere]] by [[Tywin Lannister]].
 
 
[[House Reyne]] was obliterated after they rebelled against their liege lord, [[Tytos Lannister]], who was perceived as weak by his own vassals. To restore Lannister dominance, Tytos' son, [[Tywin]], marched against the upstart Lord of Castamere, the [[Red Lion of Castamere|Red Lion]]. By the end of the rebellion, [[Castamere]] had been put to the torch and all members of House Reyne executed. The title is thus a play on words, as the "rains" fall over the empty halls of the "Reynes" who have been killed to the last man, and "not a soul to hear".{{Ref|asos|19}}
 
 
 
The lyrics heavily reference the fact that the sigil of House Reyne was also a lion, but a red one instead of the golden lion used as the sigil of [[House Lannister]]. The rebellion of the Reynes against the Lannisters was thus seen as a civil war of lions.
 
 
 
In the decades since young Tywin reasserted House Lannister's dominance by crushing the Reynes, ''The Rains of Castemere'' went on to become very popular with soldiers of the [[Westerlands]], becoming an "anthem" of sorts for House Lannister. This extends to the point that even Western soldiers sometimes refer to it simply as, "the Lannister song". It is noted as being one of the few songs that the stern Tywin Lannister seems to enjoy, as he is fond of the lyrics.{{Ref|asos|60}}
 
 
 
==Appearance at the Red Wedding==
 
The song is featured most prominently during the events of the infamous [[Red Wedding]] in ''[[A Storm of Swords]]''. The song is the signal for the forces of [[House Frey]] and House Bolton to turn on the [[House Stark|Starks]] and [[House Tully|Tullys]] and slaughter them. [[Catelyn Stark]] is the only one present who recognizes the tune, but by the time she realizes what is happening, it is already far too late; as the song starts, so does the bloodbath that ends the life of [[Robb Stark|King Robb Stark]] and the rebellion.{{Ref|asos|51}}
 
  
 
==Refrain==
 
==Refrain==
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[[File:House Lannister.svg|200px|thumb|The golden lion of House Lannister]]
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[[File:House Reyne.svg|200px|thumb|The red lion of House Reyne]]
  
 
:::''And who are you, the proud lord said,  
 
:::''And who are you, the proud lord said,  
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:::''with no one there to hear.  
 
:::''with no one there to hear.  
 
:::''Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,  
 
:::''Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,  
:::''and not a soul to hear.''<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 39|Chapter 39]], Arya</ref>
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:::''and not a soul to hear.''{{ref|ASOS|39}}
  
==Major performances==
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==History==
* It was played by envoy by Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] to truculent [[House Farman]] of [[Faircastle]]. It was enough to make Lord Farman reconsider his position.
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[[House Reyne]] was obliterated after they [[Reyne-Tarbeck revolt|rebelled]] against their liege lord, [[Tytos Lannister]], who was perceived as weak by his own vassals. To restore [[House Lannister|Lannister]] dominance, Tytos's son, [[Tywin Lannister]], marched against the upstart Lord of [[Castamere]], Lord [[Roger Reyne]], known as the "Red Lion of Castamere". By the end of the rebellion, Castamere had been put to the torch and all members of House Reyne executed. The title is thus a play on words, as the "rains" fall over the empty halls of the "Reynes" who have been killed to the last man, and "not a soul to hear".{{Ref|asos|19}}
* It is played at the [[Red Wedding]], a signal to start the bloodbath that ends the life of King [[Robb Stark]] and ends his rebellion.
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* It is played numerous times at the wedding feast of [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and [[Margaery Tyrell]].
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The lyrics heavily reference the fact that the sigil of [[House Reyne]] was also a lion, but a red one instead of the golden lion used as the sigil of [[House Lannister]]. The rebellion of the Reynes against the Lannisters was thus seen as a civil war of lions.
* [[Jaime Lannister]] has [[Tom of Sevenstreams]] play it to the captive [[Edmure Tully]] to remind him what would happen to his family if he does not surrender [[Second Siege of Riverrun|Riverrun]].
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The song was played by an envoy of Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] to truculent [[House Farman]] of [[Faircastle]]. It was enough to make Lord Farman reconsider his position.
 +
 
 +
==Recent Events==
 +
===''A Storm of Swords''===
 +
"The Rains of Castamere" is featured most prominently during the events of the infamous [[Red Wedding]]. The song is the signal for the forces of [[House Frey]] and [[House Bolton]] to turn on the [[House Stark|Starks]] and [[House Tully|Tullys]] and slaughter them. Lady [[Catelyn Tully|Catelyn Stark]] is the only one present who recognizes the tune, but by the time she realizes what is happening, it is already far too late; as the song starts, so does the bloodbath that ends the life of King [[Robb Stark]] and the rebellions of [[the North]] and the [[Riverlands]] to the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|asos|51}}
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 +
The song is played numerous times at the [[Purple Wedding|wedding feast]] of King [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and [[Margaery Tyrell]].
 +
 
 +
===''A Feast for Crows''===
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Ser [[Jaime Lannister]] has [[Tom of Sevenstreams]] play the song to the captive Lord [[Edmure Tully]] to remind him what would happen to his family if he does not surrender [[Siege of Riverrun|Riverrun]].
  
 
==''Game of Thrones''==
 
==''Game of Thrones''==
The first occurrence of "The Rains of Castamere" in the [[Game of Thrones|HBO television series]] is in episode one of [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|season two]], "[[The North Remembers (TV)|The North Remembers]]", when [[Tyrion Lannister]] whistles the refrain as he enters the small council for the first time. In the episode 9 scene in which [[Bronn]] drinks and sings with his men outside the [[Red Keep]], the song is featured in a more complete form. The song is performed in the closing credits of episode nine, "[[Blackwater (TV)|Blackwater]]", by the indie rock band ''[[w:The National (band)|The National]]'', sung by their vocalist [[w:Matt Berninger|Matt Berninger]].<ref>{{cite news|title=‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 Soundtrack Details|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2012/05/23/game-of-thrones-season-2-soundtrack-details/|accessdate=24 May 2012|newspaper=Film Music Reporter|date=24 May 2012}}</ref> On the published tracklist of the [[soundtrack]], the title is spelled "The Rains of Castomere" rather than "Castamere" as in the novels.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lamar|first=Cyriaque|title=Listen to The National's new Lannister-happy song from The Game of Thrones soundtrack|url=http://io9.com/5913172/listen-to-the-nationals-new-lannister+happy-song-from-the-game-of-thrones-soundtrack|accessdate=25 May 2012|newspaper=[[w:io9|io9]]|date=24 May 2012}}</ref> The music was written by [[w:Ramin Djawadi|Ramin Djawadi]] and and lyrics by [[George R.R. Martin]].
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The first occurrence of "The Rains of Castamere" in the HBO television series ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' is in episode one of [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|season two]], "[[The North Remembers (TV)|The North Remembers]]", when [[Tyrion Lannister]] whistles the refrain as he enters the small council for the first time.{{ref|hbogot|s02e01}} In the ninth episode of season 2, "[[Blackwater (TV)|Blackwater]]", [[Bronn]] sings the song with his men outside the [[Red Keep]] while drinking. Here, the song is featured in a more complete form. The song is also performed in the closing credits of the same episode by the indie rock band [[w:The National (band)|The National]], sung by their vocalist [[w:Matt Berninger|Matt Berninger]].{{ref|hbogot|s02e09}}<ref>{{cite news|title=‘Game of Thrones’ Season 2 Soundtrack Details|url=http://filmmusicreporter.com/2012/05/23/game-of-thrones-season-2-soundtrack-details/|accessdate=24 May 2012|newspaper=Film Music Reporter|date=24 May 2012}}</ref> On the published tracklist of the [[soundtrack]], the title is spelled "The Rains of Castomere" rather than "Castamere" as in the novels.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lamar|first=Cyriaque|title=Listen to The National's new Lannister-happy song from The Game of Thrones soundtrack|url=http://io9.com/5913172/listen-to-the-nationals-new-lannister+happy-song-from-the-game-of-thrones-soundtrack|accessdate=25 May 2012|newspaper=[[w:io9|io9]]|date=24 May 2012}}</ref> The music was written by [[w:Ramin Djawadi|Ramin Djawadi]] and the lyrics by [[George R. R. Martin]].
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During episode two of [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|season three]], "[[Dark Wings, Dark Words]]", [[Thoros of Myr]] sings "The Rains of Castamere" when the [[brotherhood without banners]] finds [[Arya Stark]].{{ref|hbogot|s03e02}} [[Cersei Lannister]] relays the history of the song to [[Margaery Tyrell]] in episode eight, "[[Second Sons (TV)|Second Sons]]".{{ref|hbogot|s03e028}} In episode nine, "[[The Rains of Castamere (TV)|The Rains of Castamere]]", the famous song is performed by the musicians at [[the Twins]] to begin the [[Red Wedding]].{{ref|hbogot|s03e09}}
  
During episode two of [[Game of Thrones - Season 3|season three]], "[[Dark Wings, Dark Words]]", [[Thoros of Myr]] sings "The Rains of Castamere" when the [[Brotherhood Without Banners]] finds [[Arya Stark]]. [[Cersei Lannister]] relays the history of the song to [[Margaery Tyrell]] in episode eight, "[[Second Sons (TV)|Second Sons]]". In episode nine, "[[The Rains of Castamere (TV)|The Rains of Castamere]]", the famous song is performed by the musicians at [[the Twins]] to begin the [[Red Wedding]].
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During episode two of [[Game of Thrones - Season 4|season four]], "[[The Lion and the Rose]]", the song is performed during [[Purple Wedding|the wedding feast]] of King [[Joffrey Baratheon]].{{ref|hbogot|s04e02}} It is also performed in the end credits by the band [[w:Sigur Rós|Sigur Rós]], whose band members portray the musicians within the episode.{{fact}}
  
 
==Quotes==
 
==Quotes==
{{Quote|I do so hope he plays The Rains of Castamere, it's been an hour, I've forgotten how it goes.{{ref|asos|60}}}}
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{{Quote|I do so hope he plays 'The Rains of Castamere.' It's been an hour, I've forgotten how it goes.{{ref|asos|60}}}}
– [[Olenna Redwyne]]
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Lady [[Olenna Redwyne]], regarding [[Alaric of Eysen]] at King [[Joffrey Baratheon]] and [[Margaery Tyrell]]'s wedding
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{{Quote|What a disappointment. I was hoping for 'The Rains of Castamere'.{{ref|affc|12}}}}
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– Lady [[Olenna Redwyne]], after the [[Blue Bard]] plays love songs at King [[Tommen Baratheon]] and [[Margaery Tyrell]]'s wedding
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{{Quote|“[[Water Gardens|It does not please me]]. I’d get more pleasure from driving my spear into [[Tywin Lannister|Lord Tywin]]’s belly. I’ll make him sing ‘The Rains of Castamere’ as I pull his bowels out and look for gold.”}} - [[Obara Sand]] to Prince [[Doran  Martell]]  
  
 
==References and Notes==
 
==References and Notes==
{{references}}
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{{references|2}}
  
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[[Category:House Lannister|Rains of Castamere]]
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[[Category:House Reyne|Rains of Castamere]]
 
[[Category:Songs|Rains of Castamere]]
 
[[Category:Songs|Rains of Castamere]]
[[Category:The Westerlands|Rains of Castamere]]
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[[fr:Les pluies de Castamere]][[zh:&#21345;&#26031;&#29305;&#26757;&#30340;&#38632;&#23395;]][[pt:As Chuvas de Castamere]]
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[[es:Las Lluvias de Castamere]]
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[[fa:باران های کستامیر]]
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[[fr:Les pluies de Castamere]]
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[[pt:As Chuvas de Castamere]]
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[[zh:&#21345;&#26031;&#29305;&#26757;&#30340;&#38632;&#23395;]]
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[[ru:Рейны из Кастамере]]

Revision as of 08:24, 30 November 2016

For the television episode, see The Rains of Castamere (TV).

"The Rains of Castamere" is a song which immortalizes the destruction of House Reyne of Castamere by Tywin Lannister.

Refrain

The golden lion of House Lannister
The red lion of House Reyne
And who are you, the proud lord said,
that I must bow so low?
Only a cat of a different coat,
that's all the truth I know.
In a coat of gold or a coat of red,
a lion still has claws,
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,
as long and sharp as yours.
And so he spoke, and so he spoke,
that lord of Castamere,
But now the rains weep o'er his hall,
with no one there to hear.
Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,
and not a soul to hear.[1]

History

House Reyne was obliterated after they rebelled against their liege lord, Tytos Lannister, who was perceived as weak by his own vassals. To restore Lannister dominance, Tytos's son, Tywin Lannister, marched against the upstart Lord of Castamere, Lord Roger Reyne, known as the "Red Lion of Castamere". By the end of the rebellion, Castamere had been put to the torch and all members of House Reyne executed. The title is thus a play on words, as the "rains" fall over the empty halls of the "Reynes" who have been killed to the last man, and "not a soul to hear".[2]

The lyrics heavily reference the fact that the sigil of House Reyne was also a lion, but a red one instead of the golden lion used as the sigil of House Lannister. The rebellion of the Reynes against the Lannisters was thus seen as a civil war of lions.

The song was played by an envoy of Lord Tywin Lannister to truculent House Farman of Faircastle. It was enough to make Lord Farman reconsider his position.

Recent Events

A Storm of Swords

"The Rains of Castamere" is featured most prominently during the events of the infamous Red Wedding. The song is the signal for the forces of House Frey and House Bolton to turn on the Starks and Tullys and slaughter them. Lady Catelyn Stark is the only one present who recognizes the tune, but by the time she realizes what is happening, it is already far too late; as the song starts, so does the bloodbath that ends the life of King Robb Stark and the rebellions of the North and the Riverlands to the Iron Throne.[3]

The song is played numerous times at the wedding feast of King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell.

A Feast for Crows

Ser Jaime Lannister has Tom of Sevenstreams play the song to the captive Lord Edmure Tully to remind him what would happen to his family if he does not surrender Riverrun.

Game of Thrones

The first occurrence of "The Rains of Castamere" in the HBO television series Game of Thrones is in episode one of season two, "The North Remembers", when Tyrion Lannister whistles the refrain as he enters the small council for the first time.[4] In the ninth episode of season 2, "Blackwater", Bronn sings the song with his men outside the Red Keep while drinking. Here, the song is featured in a more complete form. The song is also performed in the closing credits of the same episode by the indie rock band The National, sung by their vocalist Matt Berninger.[5][6] On the published tracklist of the soundtrack, the title is spelled "The Rains of Castomere" rather than "Castamere" as in the novels.[7] The music was written by Ramin Djawadi and the lyrics by George R. R. Martin.

During episode two of season three, "Dark Wings, Dark Words", Thoros of Myr sings "The Rains of Castamere" when the brotherhood without banners finds Arya Stark.[8] Cersei Lannister relays the history of the song to Margaery Tyrell in episode eight, "Second Sons".[9] In episode nine, "The Rains of Castamere", the famous song is performed by the musicians at the Twins to begin the Red Wedding.[10]

During episode two of season four, "The Lion and the Rose", the song is performed during the wedding feast of King Joffrey Baratheon.[11] It is also performed in the end credits by the band Sigur Rós, whose band members portray the musicians within the episode.[citation needed]

Quotes

I do so hope he plays 'The Rains of Castamere.' It's been an hour, I've forgotten how it goes.[12]

– Lady Olenna Redwyne, regarding Alaric of Eysen at King Joffrey Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell's wedding


What a disappointment. I was hoping for 'The Rains of Castamere'.[13]

– Lady Olenna Redwyne, after the Blue Bard plays love songs at King Tommen Baratheon and Margaery Tyrell's wedding


It does not please me. I’d get more pleasure from driving my spear into Lord Tywin’s belly. I’ll make him sing ‘The Rains of Castamere’ as I pull his bowels out and look for gold.”

- Obara Sand to Prince Doran Martell

References and Notes