| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monarch | ||||
| Reign | Coming of the Andals | |||
| Full name | Garth of House Gardener, the Ninth of His Name | |||
| Title | King of the Reach | |||
| Heir | Merle I Gardener | |||
| Successor | Merle I Gardener | |||
| Personal Information | ||||
| Culture | First Men | |||
| Family | ||||
| Dynasty | House Gardener | |||
| Issue | Merle I Gardener | |||
| References | ||||
| Book | The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned) | |||
Garth IX Gardener was a King of the Reach and head of House Gardener. Along with his son Merle I and grandson Gwayne V, he is remembered as one of the Three Sage Kings who dealt with the coming of the Andals to the Reach with a policy of accord and assimilation rather then armed resistance.[1]
Character
Garth was wise and cunning.[1]
History
Instead of fighting off the Andals, Garth IX brought a septon to his court and made him part of his councils. The first sept at Highgarden was built during Garth's reign, although he continued to worship the old gods in the godswood of Highgarden.[1]
Garth took Andals into his service as household knights and retainers, and he bequeathed lands and wives and lordships for the more powerful of the Andal kings and other Andal adventurers descending on the Reach in exchange for pledges of fealty.[1]
Garth also sought after Andal craftsmen, especially blacksmiths and stonemasons, to settle throughout the Reach, supplying him and his bannermen with iron instead of bronze and strengthening their castles and holdfasts with Andal masonry.[1]
Quotes
When a wolf descends upon your flocks, all you gain by killing him is a short respite, for other wolves will come. If instead you feed the wolf and tame him and turn his pups into your guard dogs, they will protect the flock when the pack comes ravening.[1]
—Garth IX Gardener
Family