A forester,[1] or woodsman, is a person who chops wood and practices forest management and forestry.
They wield a woodsman's axe, a tool for chopping and splitting wood, which can turn into a deadly weapon.[2]
Culture
Westeros
The order of builders of the Night's Watch, which provides masons, carpenter, miners, and woodsmen to their fellow brothers, is responsible for tending to and maintaining the Wall and its castles, including repairing its keeps and towers, and clearing away the parts of the forest that press too close to the Wall on its northern side.[3] Some foresters in the Night's Watch are part of the order of the rangers.[4]
Families or clans sworn to Deepwood Motte include Houses Forrester, Woods, Branch, and Bole, all of whom are skilled woodsmen.[5] Even in the deepest parts of the wolfswood in the north, there are crofters, foresters, and hunters.[1]
Essos
The Free City of Qohor is famous for its hunters, foresters, and artisans.[6]
The Ibbenese who live in the woods and mountains of Ibben are very suspicious of strangers. These foresters, goatherds, and miners prefer to make their homes in caves or houses of grey stone which they dig into the earth.[7]
History
During the Faith Militant uprising, Wat the Hewer led the Poor Fellows in the Battle at Stonebridge against the forces of King Maegor I Targaryen. Armed largely with woodsmen's axes, sharpened sticks, and farm implements, they did not stand a chance against the knights of the royalist armies and were cut to pieces.[8]
During the Storming of the Dragonpit, a woodsman named Hobb the Hewer managed to slay Shrykos when he leapt on the dragon's neck, driving his axe into the beast's skull.[2]
Recent Events
A Game of Thrones
The forester Dywen of the Night's Watch is among the rangers who escort Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly to the haunted forest when they go swear their vows.[4] Dywen accompanies Jeor Mormont when the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch goes to look at the corpses of Othor and Jafer Flowers in the forest.[9]
A Clash of Kings
During the great ranging, Dywen informs Jon Snow that the woods and villages north of the Wall are empty.[10] Lord Commander Mormont has the Watch encamp at the Fist of the First Men and foresters cut down trees for firewood.[11]
Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, sends expert woodsmen and the Vale mountain clansmen who had accompanied him to King's Landing to the kingswood in preparation for Stannis Baratheon's imminent arrival.[12] Leading Stannis's vanguard, Ser Guyard Morrigen burns part of the kingswood to smoke out Tyrion's men.[13]
A Storm of Swords
Because of their excellent tracking abilities, Dywen and Bannen are to be killed by Lark and his cousins as part of Chett's conspiracy against Lord Commander Mormont. One of these conspirators is Sawwood, a forester of the Night's Watch who earned his name more from his snoring than his ability to cut wood.[14]
Known foresters and woodsmen
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 9, Bran I.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 41, Jon V.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 42, The King's Prize.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Qohor.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: Ib.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 52, Jon VII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 13, Jon II.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 34, Jon IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 49, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Kingswood.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 A Storm of Swords, Prologue.