Craster

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Craster
Craster by Amok©
Craster by Amok©

Culture Free folk
Born Whitetree
Died In 299 ACCraster's Keep
Spouses
Issue
Books

Played by Robert Pugh
TV series Game of Thrones:
Season 2 | 3

Craster is a wildling and is the master of Craster's Keep, located beyond the Wall. Despite his unsavory reputation, he is regarded as a friend to the Night's Watch.[1] In the television adaptation Game of Thrones he is portrayed by Robert Pugh.

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Craster

Once a powerful-looking man, Craster is nearing the end of his life. His hair is grey turning to white. He has a flat nose and a drooping mouth, which gives him a cruel look. One of Craster's ears is missing, which he has lost to the cold.[2] His teeth are brown and rotten.[1] Craster wears a sheepskin jerkin and a cloak of sewn skins, as well as a twisted heavy gold ring about his wrist.[2][1] He drinks thin yellow beer from a chipped stone cup, but prefers wine from the Seven Kingdoms.[2]

Craster is one of the few wildlings not openly hostile to the Night's Watch. Although he shows the Watch no malice and offers sanctuary to those north of the Wall on rangings, he is regarded as a tenuous ally at best. This is due to his incestuous relationships with his daughter-wives and suspicions of kinslaying, sacrificing his male children to the "cold gods".[2] Craster is not an ally of Mance Rayder,[2] and he dislikes Rattleshirt.[3]

History

Craster is the bastard son of a man of the Night's Watch and a wildling woman from the village of Whitetree. His father abandoned his mother after Craster was conceived, and when his mother tried to bring him to Castle Black, she was chased off by members of the Watch. His father's name is never mentioned.[4]

Craster's Keep is located in the haunted forest, where he lives with his nineteen wives,[2] and he has other daughters too young to wed.[5] Any sons he has are sacrificed to cold gods.[2]

Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, once gifted Craster with a crossbow.[2] Craster cut out the tongue of an envoy sent by Mance Rayder, King-Beyond-the-Wall.[2] Gilly drank sweet mead when she wed Craster in the summer.[6]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Craster begrudgingly allows the Night's Watch to stay at his keep overnight during their great ranging beyond the Wall. He informs Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, that Mance Rayder is gathering wildlings to the source of the Milkwater in the Frostfangs.[2][7] Although Craster admits to having been visited by Ser Waymar Royce's ranging party, he claims not to have seen Benjen Stark for three years, yet he's also aware of the fate that befell Gared. Craster is offered escort south to the Wall, but he refuses. Jeor gifts Craster with wine and his own black steel battle-axe with gold scrollwork.[2][1]

A Storm of Swords

Following the fight at the Fist, Craster allows the survivors of the attack to stay overnight at his keep. This time, several members of the Watch, already mutinous, believe that Craster is holding back food and aid to the men. During the farewell feast hosted by Craster, a mutiny erupts. Dirk slits Craster's throat, and the dying wildling falls atop the wounded Ser Byam Flint. Lord Commander Mormont is then mortally wounded by Ollo Lophand. Samwell Tarly flees with Gilly, who has recently given birth.[1]

Quotes by Craster

Jeor: These are bad times to dwell alone in the wild. The cold winds are rising.
Craster: Let them rise. My roots are sunk deep.[2]

Jeor Mormont and Craster

A godly man got no cause to fear such. I said as much to that Mance Rayder once, when he come sniffing round. He never listened, no more'n you crows with your swords and your bloody fires. That won't help you none when the white cold comes. Only the gods will help you then. You best get right with the gods.[1]

—Craster to the Night's Watch

Craster: Who calls me bastard?
Karl: It's no more than all men know.[1]

—Craster and Clubfoot Karl

Quotes about Craster

Dolorous Edd says Craster's a terrible savage. He marries his daughters and obeys no laws but those he makes himself. And Dywen told Grenn he's got black blood in his veins. His mother was a wildling woman who lay with a ranger, so he's a bas ...[2]

The man's half-mad, I won't deny it, but you'd be the same if you'd spent your life in this cursed wood. Even so, he's never turned a ranger away from his fire, nor does he love Mance Rayder. He'll give us good counsel.[2]

Jon: At Winterfell one of the serving women told us stories. She used to say that there were wildlings who would lay with the Others to birth half-human children.

Jeor: Hearth tales. Does Craster seem less than human to you?

Jon: He gives his sons to the wood.[2]

Craster's blood is black, and he bears a heavy curse.[4]

Family

 
 
 
Man of the
Night's Watch
 
Free folk
woman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
Craster
 
 
 
Nella
 
Dyah
 
Ferny
 
14 other
wives
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gilly
 
 
 
 
6 sons
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
"Monster"
 


References

External Links

Craster on the Game of Thrones wiki.