House Strong

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House Strong of Harrenhal
House Strong.svg
Coat of arms A tripartite pale, blue, red, and green on white
(Argent, a pale tierced per pale azure, gules, and vert)
Seat Harrenhal
Head Extinct
Region The riverlands
Title Lord of Harrenhal
Overlord House Tully
Founded Age of Heroes[1] (House Strong)
73 AC[2] (House Strong of Harrenhal)
Died out 131 AC[3]

House Strong of Harrenhal was a noble house in the riverlands. Their main seat was Harrenhal. Like the other families who have been in possession of Harrenhal, their family died out.[4] According to semi-canon sources they blazoned their arms with a tripartite pale blue, red, and green on white, representing the three forks of the Trident.[5]

History

Origin

House Strong boasted of their descent from the First Men.[1]

Early Targaryens

During Aegon's Conquest, House Strong followed House Tully in rebelling against Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, supporting instead House Targaryen.[6]

Ser Osmund Strong was named Hand of the King during the reign of King Aegon I Targaryen and oversaw the construction of the wall around King's Landing.[7]

Ser Lucamore Strong was the victor of the grand melee held during the tourney for the completion of the Dragonpit in 55 AC. After Ser Willam the Wasp passed away the following year, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen replaced him in the Kingsguard with Lucamore.[2]

Lords of Harrenhal

Jaehaerys named Lucamore's brother, Ser Bywin Strong, as Lord of Harrenhal in 73 AC, after the passing of Queen Rhaena Targaryen.[2][N 1] Later that year, Lucamore was caught breaking his vows after fathering sixteen children. He was gelded and sent to join the Night's Watch. There is a song about Lucamore.[8][9]

Lord Lyonel Strong served the Old King's successor, Viserys I Targaryen, as master of laws from 105 AC.[10] Lyonel brought two maiden daughters and two sons to court with him. The girls became handmaids to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen; their elder brother, Ser Harwin Strong, was made a captain in the gold cloaks; the younger brother, Larys, joined the king's confessors.[10] Four years later, Lyonel replaced Ser Otto Hightower as Hand of the King.[11]

Ser Harwin Strong became Princess Rhaenyra's sworn shield in 114 AC. He was rumored to have been the true father of her children by Prince Laenor Velaryon, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon. In 120 AC, Lyonel and Harwin died in a fire at Harrenhal, and Lyonel's younger son Larys succeeded as lord.[10] Larys eventually became master of whisperers for Viserys, as well as Lord Confessor.[10] Sources dispute whether Alys Rivers was a bastard daughter of Lord Lyonel or if she was born to older generations.[12]

Dance of the Dragons

At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, the House's wealth was "not-inconsiderable" according to Archmaester Gyldayn. Lord Larys sat on the green council of King Aegon II Targaryen as master of whisperers and Lord Confessor, while his castellan and great-uncle Ser Simon held Harrenhal against the blacks of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. Simon and his grandsons were taken captive by Rhaenyra's second husband, Prince Daemon Targaryen, when he captured their castle during the civil war.[12] Prince Aemond Targaryen killed Simon and all the trueborn and baseborn members of his family (except for Alys Rivers) after Ser Criston Cole recovered Harrenhal, believing Simon to have been a traitor.[1]

Aegon II refused to surrender to the riverlands army led by young Lord Kermit Tully, who had defeated the last green army in the Battle of the Kingsroad, and the king was poisoned shortly after. During the Hour of the Wolf, Larys was accused of betraying his king and he chose death over the Wall. He was executed by Lord Cregan Stark, Hand for Aegon III, thus ending House Strong in 131 AC.[3] Possession of Harrenhal eventually went to House Lothston in 151 AC.[13]

Recent Events

A Feast for Crows

Petyr Baelish uses the extinction of House Strong as an example of the fate of those who claim to own Harrenhal.[14]

A Dance with Dragons

Denys Strong and Duncan Strong are members of the Golden Company. It is unknown if they actually descend from House Strong, as men of the free companies can take any name they want.[15]

The mysterious Ser Robert Strong is added to the Kingsguard of Tommen I Baratheon and is to serve as the champion of Cersei Lannister.[16]

House Strong at the end of the third century

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

Historical Members

Family tree

 
 
 
 
Osmund
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lucamore
 
Three
wives
 
Bywin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sixteen
children
[Note 1]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Simon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
woman
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lyonel
 
Three
wives
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
 
Alys Rivers
[Note 2]
 
Aemond
Targaryen
 
Harwin
 
Larys
 
Two
daughters
 
Grandsons
 
Bastards
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stillborn
children
 
Son
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes:
  1. The sixteen children of Lucamore Strong were all deemed bastards and ordered to bear the names Rivers, Waters, and Storm after being relocated to Harrenhal, Driftmark and Storm's End.
  2. Both Grand Maester Munkun and Septon Eustace believed Alys Rivers to have been the bastard daughter of Lord Lyonel Strong.


Notes

  1. The name and location of the previous seat of House Strong is currently unknown.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
  3. 3.0 3.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryens Kings: Aegon III.
  4. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  5. The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses in the Riverlands
  6. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
  7. 7.0 7.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon I.
  8. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
  9. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  11. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Viserys I.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son.
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, The Riverlands: House Tully.
  14. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 A Dance with Dragons, Appendix.
  16. 16.0 16.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 65, Cersei II.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne: Policy, Progeny, and Pain.