Iron price

The iron price, by Jon Bosco © Fantasy Flight Games

The iron price in ironborn culture refers to warriors acquiring possessions by taking them by force from defeated adversaries, rather than purchasing items with currency, which they refer to as the gold price.

Culture

Dagmer Cleftjaw, by by Jason Jenicke © Fantasy Flight Games

The iron price is closely associated with the Old Way of raiding and reaving, with ironborn slaying adversaries by sword and axe and claiming their valuables. Thralls and salt wives can be acquired only through reaving, never through transactions.

Dagmer Cleftjaw owns numerous rings and gemstones that he has taken from his opponents. Germund Botley has a gilded breastplate which he took from a Lannister captain during Greyjoy's Rebellion.

History

Reavers who paid the iron price in antiquity were revered by the people of the Iron Islands. When the ironmen declined in strength, the Kings of the Iron Islands from House Hoare traded iron ore for timber and food, but this was seen as humiliating by some and as shameful by priests of the Drowned God.

Aegon the Conqueror pacified the ironborn through his invasion of the Iron Islands, and the Old Way has declined since the Wars of Conquest. Vickon Greyjoy, the first Lord of the Iron Islands, forbade his ironmen from reaving the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, with raiders confined instead to preying on faraway places like the Stepstones and the Summer Sea. Lord Quellon Greyjoy preferred a peaceful coexistence with the rest of the realm. Quellon tried to reform the traditions of the ironborn and integrate them with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms, hoping to forge stronger bonds between his own domains and the mainland. He forbade most reaving except by his own leave, and discouraged the taking of salt wives, taxing heavily for the privilege.

However, some lords of the Iron Islands have encouraged raiding, such as Dalton Greyjoy, Dagon Greyjoy, and Balon Greyjoy.

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Lord Balon Greyjoy accuses his son, Theon, of having paid the gold price for a necklace instead of the iron price. When Theon admits to having purchased it, Balon drops the chain of slender gold into a fire. Balon declines the offer of Robb Stark, King in the North, to become King of the Iron Islands, instead having decided to claim a crown himself by paying the iron price and attacking the north while Robb is fighting in southern Westeros.

After the harrying of the Stony Shore, Theon's crew take valuables from the slain Wild Hares.

A Feast for Crows

Euron's Favor, by Rafal Hrynkiewicz © Fantasy Flight Games

Lord Baelor Blacktyde is opposed to the Old Way and the iron price, as Greyjoy's Rebellion during the reign of King Robert I Baratheon was unsuccessful. When Baelor refuses to accept Euron Greyjoy's election at the kingsmoot on Old Wyk, Euron has Lord Blacktyde executed and claims his sable cloak.

A Dance with Dragons

During the Iron Fleet's voyage to Slaver's Bay, Lord Captain Victarion Greyjoy pays the gold price for food and water in Volantis, but he considers himself shamed by doing so. He also sends Red Ralf Stonehouse with the swiftest ships to pay the iron price for provisions by raiding towns in the Basilisk Isles. However, only nine of the ships reconvene with Victarion at the Isle of Cedars, with Ralf himself gone missing.

Quotes

In the Old Way, only women decorated themselves with ornaments bought with coin. A warrior wore only the jewelry he took off the corpses of enemies slain by his own hand. Paying the iron price, it was called.

—thoughts of Theon Greyjoy

Balon: That bauble around your neck—was it bought with gold or iron? You blush red as a maid, Theon. A question was asked. Is it the gold price you paid, or the iron?

Theon: The gold.

Balon: My daughter has taken an axe for a lover. I will not have my son bedeck himself like a whore.

—Balon Greyjoy and Theon Greyjoy

I am the Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke, King of Salt and Rock, Son of the Sea Wind, and no man gives me a crown. I pay the iron price. I will take my crown, as Urron Redhand did five thousand years ago.

—Balon Greyjoy to Theon Greyjoy

We cannot stand alone against all Westeros. King Robert proved that, to our grief. Balon would pay the iron price for freedom, he said, but our women bought Balon's crowns with empty beds. My mother was one such. The Old Way is dead.

—Asha Greyjoy to Victarion Greyjoy

There were no slaves in the Iron Islands, only thralls. A thrall was bound to service, but he was not chattel. His children were born free, so long as they were given to the Drowned God. And thralls were never bought nor sold for gold. A man paid the iron price for thralls, or else had none.

—thoughts of Victarion Greyjoy