House Hornwood

House Hornwood of Hornwood
Righteous in Wrath
Coat of arms	A brown bullmoose with black antlers on orange (Tenné, a bullmoose brunâtre attired sable)
Seat	None (formerly Hornwood)
Head	None, usurped by Ramsay Bolton
Region	North
Title	Lord of the Hornwood
Overlords	House Stark (AGOT) House Bolton (ADWD)

House Hornwood of Hornwood is a noble house whose seat is Hornwood in the north. They are among the principal bannermen of Starks of Winterfell. Their sigil is a bull moose, brown on a field of dark orange. Their words are "Righteous in Wrath".

The lands of the House, which include the forest of the Hornwood and other castles beside Hornwood, border those of Houses Bolton and Manderly. The Hornwood lands extend west to the White Knife. Their ruler is known as the Lord of the Hornwood.

History

Dance of the Dragons

Lord Hornwood declared for the blacks in the Dance of the Dragons. In late 130 AC he left the north and marched towards King's Landing as part of the army led by his liege lord, Lord Cregan Stark. Once in the capital, his younger son disappeared in Flea Bottom during the Hour of the Wolf.

Hallis Hornwood and Timotty Snow founded the Wolf Pack after the Dance.

Recent History

The grandfather of Lord Halys Hornwood lost ownership of an holdfast.

Members of House Hornwood were present at the tourney at Harrenhal of 281 AC.

Female Hornwoods have married into Houses Flint, Karstark, and Tallhart.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Bran Stark sees the Hornwoods at Winterfell after Robb Stark calls the northern banners. Lord Halys Hornwood requests the return of a holdfast taken from his grandfather, hunting rights near a ridge, and permission to dam the White Knife.

When the northern army splits at the Twins, Lord Halys goes with Lord Roose Bolton's army and his heir, Daryn, accompanies Robb to free Riverrun. The banners of House Hornwood are spotted by Tyrion Lannister at the battle on the Green Fork, at which Halys is killed. Daryn is one of Robb's personal guard at the battle in the Whispering Wood, where he is killed by Ser Jaime Lannister.

A Clash of Kings

Donella Hornwood by Katherine Dinger © Fantasy Flight Games

Halys's widow, Donella, is now Lady of the Hornwood, but a matter of succession arises. House Hornwood is connected by the female line with House Karstark, House Flint, and House Tallhart, while Halys's bastard, Larence Snow, is fostered at Deepwood Motte by House Glover. Donella arrives at Winterfell for the harvest feast and meets with Bran and Ser Rodrik Cassel. She warns them that Ramsay Snow, Lord Bolton's bastard, is gathering soldiers at the Dreadfort. Maester Luwin advises her to increase her harvest storage from a fifth to a quarter. Mors Umber and Lord Wyman Manderly advance themselves as possible suitors to Lady Donella. It is suggested that Beren Tallhart, a son of Halys's sister Berena, could take the Hornwood lands and name to prevent the House from dying out.

Lady Hornwood is captured by and forced to marry Ramsay, the Bastard of Bolton. Her cousin, Wyman Manderly, sends White Harbor men to take the Hornwood castle, and there is fighting in the Hornwood between Houses Manderly and Bolton. Rodrik tries to rescue Donella, but discovers that Ramsay locked her in a tower and allowed her to starve to death. Rodrik tells Luwin that Ramsay and Donella's wedding appears to have been lawful and that she designated Ramsay as her heir before her death.

When Rodrik aims to retake Winterfell from its ironborn captors, Theon Greyjoy spies some Hornwood banners among his host. Ramsay kills Rodrik in the battle at Winterfell, abducts Theon, and sacks Winterfell.

A Storm of Swords

After the fighting at the fords of the Trident, Lord Roose Bolton leaves, among others, a hundred Hornwood bowmen to guard the Trident. Larence Snow is held as a captive by Asha Greyjoy at Deepwood Motte.

A Feast for Crows

Brienne of Tarth spots the badge of House Hornwood among those collected from the dead after the battle at Duskendale.

A Dance with Dragons

Lord Tywin Lannister requires that Lord Wyman Manderly abandon his claim to Hornwood lands as a condition for peace with the Iron Throne.

Davos Seaworth learns that smallfolk from along the White Knife and Hornwood have been seeking protection at White Harbor with House Manderly. Some Hornwood men are also reported to have joined Ramsay Bolton's force marching on Moat Cailin. Theon Greyjoy sees the moose of the Hornwoods among the banners flying above Barrow Hall.

Stannis Baratheon writes to Jon Snow that his growing army contains some Hornwood men who survived Ramsay's betrayal of Ser Rodrik Cassel at Winterfell.

During the wedding of "Arya Stark", actually Jeyne Poole, to Ramsay in Winterfell, Ramsay is introduced as Lord of the Hornwood. As the Manderlys are ostensibly supportive of House Bolton, Lord Manderly has presumably relinquished Hornwood to Ramsay. Lady Barbrey Dustin tells Theon that the Hornwood men who are at Winterfell for Ramsay's wedding and its upcoming siege have not forgotten how Ramsay treated Lady Donella.

Larence Snow, the late Lord Halys Hornwood's bastard, is presumably freed from captivity when Stannis recovers Deepwood Motte from Asha Greyjoy.

House Hornwood at the end of the third century

The known Hornwoods during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:

• Lord {Halys Hornwood}, Lord of the Hornwood, slain at the battle on the Green Fork.
  • Lady {Donella Manderly}, his wife, the cousin of Lord Wyman Manderly. Becomes Lady of the Hornwood after the deaths of her husband and son. Forcibly married to Ramsay Snow, who imprisons her without food. After she starves to death, he claims the title Lord of the Hornwood.
    • {Daryn Hornwood}, his son and heir, slain at the battle in the Whispering Wood.
    • Larence Snow, the natural son of Lord Halys. Over thirteen years old; fostered at Deepwood Motte.
• Berena Hornwood, his sister, wife of Leobald Tallhart.

Unknown woman

Halys

Donella Manderly

Ramsay Snow

Berena

Leobald Tallhart

Larence Snow

Daryn

Brandon Tallhart

Beren Tallhart

Household

• Maester Medrick, currently at Winterfell.

Historical Members

• Lord Hornwood, a supporter of Rhaenyra Targaryen and the blacks during the Dance of the Dragons.
  • Elder son.
  • Younger son.
• Hallis Hornwood, co-founder of the Wolf Pack.
• Lord Hornwood, Halys' grandfather. He lost ownership of an holdfast and Halys wants to recover it.
• Female Hornwood, married to a member of House Karstark.
• Female Hornwood, married to a member of House Flint.

Quotes

On a stony outcrop of land higher than the surrounding country, they passed a lord's pavilion with walls of heavy sailcloth. Catelyn recognized the banner, the bull moose of the Hornwoods, brown on its dark orange field.

—thoughts of Catelyn Stark

With no direct heir, there are sure to be many claimants contending for the Hornwood lands. The Tallharts, Flints, and Karstarks all have ties to House Hornwood through the female line, and the Glovers are fostering Lord Harys's bastard at Deepwood Motte. The Dreadfort has no claim that I know, but the lands adjoin, and Roose Bolton is not one to overlook such a chance.

—Luwin to Bran Stark

Leobald: An empty hall is a sad one. I had a thought to send my younger son to Lady Donella to foster as her own. Beren is near ten, a likely lad, and her own nephew. He would cheer her, I am certain, and perhaps he would even take the name Hornwood ...
Luwin: If he were named heir?
Leobald: ... so the House might continue.

—Leobald Tallhart and Luwin

And do you imagine the Hornwood men have forgotten the Bastard's last marriage, and how his lady wife was left to starve, chewing her own fingers? What do you think passes through their heads when they hear the new bride weeping?

—Barbrey Dustin to Theon Greyjoy