Citadel
The Citadel is a complex of buildings in Oldtown that serves as the central home to the order of the maesters. The name is also employed to refer to order of maesters as an institution, or the higher placed members.[1] At the Citadel, the residing archmaesters teach and train new students, and convene in the Conclave. The Citadel is funded by taxes from Oldtown and payments from lords for the service of maesters.[2] Maesters rigorously copy books at the Citadel.[3] Leyton Hightower, the Lord of Oldtown, includes Protector of the Citadel among his titles.[4]
Contents
Layout
The Citadel lies on the Honeywine, where its towers and domes are connected with arching stone bridges. Houses and stalls sit on the bridges. It lies upriver compared to the Starry Sept and Battle Island.[4] The gates are flanked by a pair of tall green sphinxes with the bodies of lions, the wings of eagles and the tails of serpents. One has the face of a man, the other a woman.[1]
Scribe's Hearth
Just inside the gates of the Citadel lies the Scribe's Hearth. Here, the citizens of Oldtown come to hire scribes, usually acolytes, to write and read letters for them. The scribes wait in open stalls for their custom. Other stalls situated at the Scribe's Hearth include those where books are bought and sold. Others offer maps.[1]
The path divides at a statue of King Daeron I Targaryen atop a tall stone horse; the king's sword is pointed toward Dorne.[1] The Citadel also has a monument of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen; its plinth reads "He bound the land together, and made of seven kingdoms, one."[5]
Weeping Dock
From this dock, one can get a boat for a short voyage to the Bloody Isle.[1] Near the dock is a septry.[1]
Seneschal's Court
Outside the Seneschal's Court lies the stocks where acolytes and novices are punished for minor crimes, such as petty thievery. Inside the doors is a hall with a stone floor and high, arched windows. At the far end of the hall there is a raised dais where a gatekeeper greets all those who wish to make an appointment to see the Seneschal. Behind the dais is a turnpike stair.[1]
Isle of Ravens
The Isle of Ravens is linked to the eastern bank of the Honeywine by a weathered wooden drawbridge. On the island is located the Ravenry, the oldest building of the Citadel. The walls of the Ravenry are covered in moss and vines, and within its yard sits a weirwood tree on which the ravens like to perch. The rookery for white ravens is located in the west tower, and that of black ravens is found in the north tower.[1]
Library and Vaults
The vast[6] Library of the Citadel is known to be a great repository of knowledge.[7]
The Citadel has four glass candles, one green in color and three black. Before an acolyte says his vows, he spends the night prior in the darkness of the Citadel's vault. The acolyte can attempt to light an obsidian candle, but none have succeeded.[4] The Citadel also has a stuffed Little Valyrian on display, but its fur fell out as students patted it for luck over the years.[8]
History
Origin
In the Age of Heroes, the Ravenry was supposedly the stronghold of a pirate lord who picked off ships as they came down the Honeywine.[1]
The origin of the Citadel is disputed, but House Hightower is generally considered to have played an integral role in its foundation.[9] Most accounts on the Citadel's origins credit its foundation to Prince Peremore the Twisted, the second son of King Uthor of the High Tower. The curious Peremore invited numerous scholars, including wise men, teachers, priests, healers, singers, wizards, alchemists, and sorcerers, to Oldtown. After Peremore's death, his brother, King Urrigon, granted land alongside the Honeywine to "Peremore's pets", who developed the tract into the maesters' Citadel.[10]
House Hightower continues to be a strong patron of learning.[9]
Iron Throne
There are reports of Aegon and Visenya Targaryen visiting the Citadel in their youth. During Aegon's Conquest, Lord Manfred Hightower submitted to the Conqueror to prevent the destruction of Oldtown by dragonflame.[11]
Queen Alysanne Targaryen visited the Citadel in 54 AC, spending three days in the Library and attending lectures.[7] Alysanne and her husband, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, sent their son Vaegon to the Citadel to become an archmaester.[12]
Lyonel Strong, Lord of Harrenhal, studied at the Citadel in his youth, earning six links.[13] While sailing to the Sunset Sea in 133 AC, Lord Alyn Velaryon visited the Citadel and studied ancient charts and Valyrian treatises about warships and maritime tactics.[14] Ser Michael Manwoody studied at the Citadel when he was young.[15] King Daeron II Targaryen sent his grandson Aemon to the Citadel to become a maester[6][16] when he was nine or ten years old.[17] Circa 210–211 AC, Aemon's younger brother Aegon visited him at the Citadel, along with Ser Duncan the Tall.[18]
Prince Oberyn Martell achieved six links while studying at the Citadel in his youth.[19] Ser Gunthor Hightower has also studied at the Citadel.[1] When Samwell Tarly mentioned to his father that he would like to become a maester at the Citadel, Lord Randyll Tarly had him chained to a wall for three days to discourage him.[6]
Bones of giants found in the north have been sent to the Citadel for study.[20] Archmaester Gyldayn's history of Aegon's Conquest was recently found in the papers of Archmaester Gerold in the vaults of the Citadel.[21]
Recent Events
A Storm of Swords
The Conclave meets to choose the new Grand Maester after Pycelle's removal from the position. Although the deliberations are supposed to be secret, Lord Varys learns from spies at the Citadel that Maester Gormon, born a Tyrell of Highgarden, has been selected. The master of whisperers informs the Hand of the King, Lord Tywin Lannister, who quickly reinstates Pycelle.[22]
Maester Aemon sends a raven to the Citadel in a plea for help to defend Castle Black from wildlings.[23]
A Feast for Crows
Half a year earlier, Archmaester Walgrave was found weeping in the Library by acolytes after being unable to find his way back to his chambers.[4]
Pate, a novice at the Citadel, gives Walgrave's archmaester's key to a man calling himself an alchemist, and is killed by him afterwards.[4]
Jon Snow, the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, sends Samwell Tarly to the Citadel to study and become a maester, and sends Maester Aemon with him to protect the former prince from Melisandre.[6] Maester Aemon brings a chest of rare books from the vault of Castle Black to gift to the Citadel,[6] but Sam gives them to Quhuru Mo to pay for passage on the Cinnamon Wind at Braavos and the aged Aemon dies en route.[24] After Sam arrives at Oldtown, he is forced by the gatekeeper Lorcas to wait for the Seneschal, Archmaester Theobald. Alleras brings Sam to meet Archmaester Marwyn at the Ravenry. Marwyn the Mage alleges that maesters of the Citadel helped to extinguish dragons, and the archmaester departs the Citadel to find Daenerys Targaryen.[1]
Quotes
The Faith was not the only institution to flourish behind the massive walls of Oldtown, under the protection of the Hightower. Thousands of years before the first sept opened its doors, the city had been home to the Citadel, where boys and young men from all over Westeros came to study, learn, and forge their chains as maesters. No greater seat of knowledge exists anywhere in the world.[10]
—writings of Yandel
The Citadel is the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world.[5]
There are truths in this world that are not taught at Oldtown.[25]
—Melisandre to Cressen
The healers of the Citadel are the best in the Seven Kingdoms.[24]
—Samwell Tarly to Gilly
The Citadel is not what it was. They will take anything these days. Dusky dogs and Dornishmen, pig boys, cripples, cretins, and now a black-clad whale. And here I thought leviathans were grey.[1]
The world the Citadel is building has no place in it for sorcery or prophecy or glass candles, much less for dragons.[1]
—Marwyn to Samwell Tarly
Behind the Scenes
Before writing The Hedge Knight for the Legends anthology, George R. R. Martin considered writing a novella set at the Citadel.[26]
In an early draft of the prologue from A Feast for Crows, there is mention of the Ring of Wisdom, the archmaesters' throne room, where students are judged.[27]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: ConJose (San Jose, CA; August 29-September 2), August 29, 2002
- ↑ Fire & Blood, A Surfeit of Rulers.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 A Feast for Crows, Prologue.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Fire & Blood, Birth, Death, and Betrayal under King Jaehaerys I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Qohor.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Oldtown.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Aegon's Conquest.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Long Reign—Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I.
- ↑ The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
- ↑ The Sworn Sword.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Dawn Age.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 12, Tyrion II.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 55, Jon VII.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 35, Samwell IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Prologue.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin (October 10, 2024). A Tourney at Ashford. Not A Blog.
- ↑ Reddit: Secrets of the Cushing Library: The Long AFFC Prologue by u/gsteff