Godswood of the Eyrie

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Ser Vardis Egen duels Bronn near the statue of Alyssa Arryn, by Marc Simonetti ©

The godswood of the Eyrie is a garden found at the Eyrie, seat of House Arryn in the Vale of Arryn.

Layout

The godswood is a small circle surrounded by the Eyrie's tall white towers,[1] which protect it from the worst of the mountain winds.[2] It contains grass, blue flowers, and low, flowering shrubs,[1] and there are some thin trees as well.[2]

The garden contains scattered statuary, including a marble statue of Alyssa Arryn in its center.[1] The ground is uneven and has moss-covered stones.[1]

Overlooking the godswood are the apartments of Lady Lysa Arryn, with a terrace and a balustrade.[1] There is a balcony across the garden,[1] and the rookery of Maester Colemon is also nearby.[2]

History

The Lords of the Eyrie tried to plant a weirwood in their godswood, but none would grow in the hard stone of the Giant's Lance.[1] The garden thus lacks a heart tree.[3]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Tyrion Lannister, accused by Lady Lysa Arryn of having murdered Lord Jon Arryn, calls for trial by combat.[4] Their respective champions, the sellsword Bronn and Ser Vardis Egen, captain of the Arryn guards, are to face each other in the godswood garden. The agile Bronn wears down the heavily-armored knight in their duel, and Bronn eventually kills Vardis after pushing the statue of Alyssa Arryn atop him.[1]

A Storm of Swords

Sansa Stark making a snow castle of Winterfell, by Michael Komarck ©

Snow falls upon the Eyrie, so Sansa Stark tries to recreate Winterfell out of snow in the garden. Lord Petyr Baelish, Lysa's new husband, helps Sansa add more buildings, and he then surprises her with a kiss. Lysa's son, young Lord Robert Arryn, arrives and begins demolishing the snow castle with his doll, and Sansa ruins the doll while trying to stop him. Lysa, having observed the kiss from her balcony, later summons Sansa to the High Hall. Accusing the girl of initiating the kiss with Petyr, Lysa threatens Sansa with the Moon Door. Petyr interrupts Lysa, however, pushes her through the Moon Door, and accuses Marillion of having murdered Lysa.[2]

Quotes

The swords flew at each other, and their steel song filled the garden and rang off the white towers of the Eyrie.[1]

—thoughts of Catelyn Stark

When she opened the door to the garden, it was so lovely that she held her breath, unwilling to disturb such perfect beauty. The snow drifted down and down, all in ghostly silence, and lay thick and unbroken on the ground. All color had fled the world outside. It was a place of whites and blacks and greys. White towers and white snow and white statues, black shadows and black trees, the dark grey sky above.[2]

—thoughts of Sansa Stark

The Eyrie boasted a sept, but no septon; a godswood, but no heart tree. No prayers are answered here, she often thought, though some days she felt so lonely she had to try.[3]

—thoughts of Sansa Stark

References