Beyond the Wall is a general term for the northernmost area of Westeros, the lands north of the Wall and the Seven Kingdoms.
Geography
The lands beyond the Wall are primarily wild, untamed and uncharted. The climate is harsh and bitter, especially in the far north in the Lands of Always Winter. The region immediately north of the Wall includes the haunted forest, a vast taiga-forest which covers most of the area, extending from the Wall to the furthest lands of Thenn.[1] While no true roads exist, numerous game trails, paths, and old streambeds, called "ranger roads", are used by the Night's Watch and free folk alike.[2]
The haunted forest extends from the eastern coast to a large mountain chain in the west, the Frostfangs. These inhospitable mountains extend an unknown distance to the north. Notable features include the Giant's Stair and the Skirling Pass. The Milkwater, the great river beyond the Wall, has its origins in the Frostfangs. Thenn is a hidden valley in the mountains.[3]
Southwest of the Frostfangs is the Frozen Shore, a narrow strip of land between the mountains and the Bay of Ice. Along the east coast is the Antler River, which flows into the Shivering Sea. The easternmost region beyond the Wall is the forested peninsula Storrold's Point, which contains the ruins of the only free folk town, Hardhome.[4][1]
Beyond all of these areas, in the furthest north, is the Land of Always Winter. The haunted forest ends and gives way to these polar regions, which are unexplored.
Animals living beyond the Wall include deer, eagles, elk, hares, rams, shadowcats, snow bears, and wolves.[5][6]
Flowers include coldsnaps, frostfires, piper's grass, and wildflowers.[5] Trees include chestnuts, ironwoods, oaks, sentinels, soldier pines, and weirwoods.[7][8][9]
People
The people inhabiting the land refer to themselves as the "free folk", but are known by the people of the Seven Kingdoms as "wildlings". The lands beyond the Wall are bitterly cold year round, but many free folk reside from the furthest reaches of the haunted forest to the hidden valleys of the Frostfangs, including the valley of Thenn. The Thenns are surrounded by cave dwellers, Hornfoots, giants, and the ice-river clans. Other tribes include Nightrunners and men of the Frozen Shore.[10]
Some free folk are little more than savage and primitive raiders, but other groups live in small, settled communities and villages. Due to the impracticality of agriculture in the far north, many of them are hunters.
Maesters believe that giants are extinct, but some still live beyond the Wall.[11] A group of children of the forest reside within the cave of the three-eyed crow.[12] The Others are rumored to originate in the depths of the Land of Always Winter.[13]
History
Older History
Redwyn, a ranger of the Night's Watch, explored from the Shadow Tower to Lorn Point during the reign of Dorren Stark, King in the North.[14][15] Another king, Theon Stark, joined the Night's Watch in a venture north of the Wall which weakened the free folk for a generation.[16]
Hardhome was mysteriously destroyed six hundred years ago.[4]
Targaryen Era
During the suppression of the Night's Watch rebellion of 50 AC, Ser Raymund Mallery and other rebels fled from Sable Hall to the lands north of the Wall. Walton Stark, Lord of Winterfell, pursued them but was slain by giants in the haunted forest. The rebels were eventually slain by cannibal wildlings who delivered Raymund's head to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.[17]
Lothor Burley, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, brought Queen Alysanne Targaryen atop the Wall in 58 AC so she could see the haunted forest. The queen attempted to fly Silverwing north of the Wall three times, but the dragon refused each time and veered away.[18]
Lord Comamnder Brynden Rivers vanished during a ranging beyond the Wall in 252 AC.[19]
Recent History
Mance Rayder was attacked by a shadowcat while ranging, and was healed by a wildling woman, a wisewoman's daughter. While he recuperated, she mended his torn cloak with swatches of red silk. Upon returning to the Wall, Ser Denys Mallister required Mance to replace his mended cloak with one of uniform black. This infringement of freedom caused Mance to abandon the Shadow Tower[20] and live with the free folk in the way he wished.[21]
Mance spent years gaining gathering various tribes into one host, seeking support from clan mothers and magnars. He made peace between Harma Dogshead and the Lord of Bones, the Hornfoots and the Nightrunners, and the men of the Frozen Shore and the ice-river clans.[10] Opposed by five other would-be Kings-Beyond-the-Wall, Mance gained the support of Tormund of Ruddy Hall and Styr of Thenn and slew the three rivals who refused to submit.[22]
Texts about the region include History of the Kings-Beyond-the-Wall by Maester Herryk[15] and Hardhome: An Account of Three Years Spent Beyond-the-Wall among Savages, Raiders, and Woods-witches by Maester Wyllis.[23]
It is sometimes suggested that the lords of the north be allowed to extend their power beyond the Wall to end the threat of wildling raids.[24]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
Ser Waymar Royce leads a ranging party in the haunted forest, but he is slain by Others and rises as a wight.[25] Benjen Stark, the First Ranger, searches for Waymar beyond the Wall, but Benjen also disappears.[26] Ser Jaremy Rykker and Qhorin Halfhand search for Benjen to no avail.[27]
Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow view the northern lands from atop the Wall.[28] Jon says his vows for the Night's Watch in a grove of weirwoods within the haunted forest.[7]
The bodies of Othor and Jafer Flowers are found in the haunted forest. When they are brought back to Castle Black, the bodies rise as wights, attacking Jeor Mormont[29] and killing Jaremy.[30]
A Clash of Kings
Jon Snow participates in the great ranging to investigate the conflict beyond the Wall. The Night's Watch discover that Whitetree has been abandoned.[2] Jon is captured by Rattleshirt in the Skirling Pass and fights Qhorin Halfhand to the death.[31]
A Storm of Swords
Wights overwhelm the Night's Watch in the fight at the Fist.[32][33] After the mutiny at Craster's Keep, Samwell Tarly, Gilly, and other survivors flee south for the Wall.[34][35]
Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, leads the free folk into attacking the gate through the Wall at Castle Black. They are defeated by Stannis Baratheon in the battle beneath the Wall, however.[22]
A Dance with Dragons
With Mance a captive of Stannis, the free folk host is broken, with some submitting to Stannis and the Night's Watch and others scattering.[6] Jon Snow, now Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, frees Val so she can find Tormund in the wilderness and negotiate the passage of his followers through the Wall.[4][36] Jon sends Cotter Pyke with ships to rescue free folk at Hardhome, but the free folk do not trust the Night's Watch and Maester Harmune writes of dead things in the water.[37]
Coldhands leads Bran Stark, Hodor, Meera Reed, and Jojen Reed through the haunted forest to the cave of the three-eyed crow.[12]
Quotes
Eddard: Mance Rayder is nothing for us to fear.
Catelyn: There are darker things beyond the Wall.[38]
Tyrion: You do want to know what's on the other side, don't you?
Jon: It's nothing special. The rangers say it's just woods and mountains and frozen lakes, with lots of snow and ice.
Tyrion: And the grumkins and the snarks. Let us not forget them, Lord Snow, or else what's that big thing for?[26]
—Tyrion Lannister and Jon Snow
North of the Wall, things are different. That's where the children went, and the giants, and the other old races.[39]
—Osha to Bran Stark
The Mother was merciful, all the septons agreed, but the Seven had no power beyond the Wall. This was where the old gods ruled, the nameless gods of the trees and the wolves and the snows.[33]
—thoughts of Samwell Tarly
Beyond the gates the monsters live, and the giants and the ghouls, he remembered Old Nan saying, but they cannot pass so long as the Wall stands strong.[40]
—thoughts of Bran Stark
Jeor: There is no crime so foul as for a guest to bring murder into a man's hall. By all the laws of the hearth, we—
Dirk: There are no laws beyond the Wall, old man. Remember?[34]—Jeor Mormont and Dirk
Behind the scenes
According to George R. R. Martin, the lands beyond the Wall are probably larger than Greenland. The terrain closer to the Wall is reminiscent of forested Canada, while the Arctic lands further north have tundra and ice fields.[41]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Lands of Ice and Fire, Beyond the Wall.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon II.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 26, Jon III.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 39, Jon VIII.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 51, Jon VI.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Dance with Dragons, Prologue.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 23, Jon III.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 35, Jon VII.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 15, Jon II.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 53, Bran VI.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 13, Bran II.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Long Night.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Dawn Age.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Seven Kingdoms: The North (The Kings of Winter).
- ↑ Fire & Blood, A Surfeit of Rulers.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 53, Jon VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 7, Jon I.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 73, Jon X.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Seven Kingdoms: The Wall and Beyond (The Wildlings).
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Seven Kingdoms: The Wall and Beyond (The Night's Watch).
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Prologue.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 19, Jon III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 26, Jon IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 21, Tyrion III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 60, Jon VIII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 68, Jon VIII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Prologue.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 18, Samwell I.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 53, Jon XI.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 58, Jon XII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 66, Bran VII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 24, Bran II.
- ↑ SmarterTravel: George R.R. Martin Talks Season Two, 'The Winds of Winter,' and Real-World Influences for 'A Song of Ice and Fire' (April 1, 2012)