Kinslaying

Aemond Targaryen killed his nephew Lucerys Velaryon during the Dance of the Dragons. Art from the Game of Thrones Season 5 Blu-ray, supplemental content.

Kinslaying is a great taboo in Westeros. Any individual who kills a member of their own family is dubbed a kinslayer, and believed to be cursed forever.

Culture

Many nobles and smallfolk believe this, and thus those who slay their own blood are usually looked down upon or shunned. Across Westeros, in the religions of the old gods, the Faith of the Seven, and even of the Drowned God, men state that "no man is so accursed as the kinslayer" and that "the kinslayer is accursed in the eyes of gods and men".

The stigma and notoriety of kinslaying can go both ways. For example, Victarion Greyjoy hates his brother Euron and thinks about killing him, but the stigma and curse associated with kinslaying is what restrains him from doing so. However, when Tristifer Botley, who believes Aeron Greyjoy was killed by his brother Euron, says Euron is afraid of being seen as a kinslayer, Asha Greyjoy responds that if Euron heard this, he would murder one of his sons to prove them wrong.

In the rare case of twin brothers Arryk and Erryk Cargyll, kinslaying is a subject of romance and songs. While Mushroom's testimony asserts the brothers met a brutal and hate-filled end, Munkun claimed they professed their love for one another and died weeping in each other's arms. The singers much prefer the latter tale, and it is the version Sansa Stark is familiar with long after their deaths. Rather than being reviled, the Cargyll twins' names are remembered alongside exalted knights of the Kingsguard such as Ryam Redwyne and Prince Aemon the Dragonknight.

To be a kinslayer does not inherently indicate a deliberate act. After Prince Maekar Targaryen accidentally killed his elder brother Baelor in a trial of seven at Ashford Meadow, he was reckoned a kinslayer by many in the Realm. Although Maekar's son Aegon bristled at the accusations, Ser Duncan the Tall privately admitted that Maekar was a kinslayer, even though he had not meant it. Another such instance is the death of Prince Aelor Targaryen in a terrible mishap at the hand of his wife and twin sister Aelora, though it's unknown if she was considered a kinslayer for the incident. Lack of intent does not spare one from the stigma and curse of kinslaying. Free folk legend holds that Bael the Bard was slain by a Lord Stark, his own son. Although Lord Stark had not known Bael was his father, the gods hate even unknowning kinslayers and he soon was killed by one of his own lords himself.

According to George R. R. Martin:

There are degrees in kinslaying, as in anything else. Fighting a battle in which a brother dies might be frowned upon, but killing him with your own hand would be considered far worse.

Kinslayers

• King Aegon II: For feeding his half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen to his dragon Sunfyre during the Dance of the Dragons.

• Aemond Targaryen: For killing his half-nephew Lucerys Velaryon during the Dance of the Dragons.

• Ser Arryk Cargyll: For slaying his twin brother Ser Erryk Cargyll during the Dance of the Dragons; each died by the other's sword.

• The Bloodstone Emperor killed his own sister.

• Brynden Rivers: Was called a kinslayer when he killed his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre and Daemon's sons Aegon Blackfyre and Aemon Blackfyre during the Battle of the Redgrass Field. Later Brynden executed another of Daemon's sons, Aenys Blackfyre.

• Craster: For sacrificing his male children to the Others.

• Daemon Targaryen: For killing his nephew Aemond Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons, and sending the assassins who murdered his great-nephew Jaehaerys Targaryen.

• Erich Durrandon: Known as Erich Kin-Killer when he slew his brother King Durran, who was possibly Durran the Young.

• Ser Erryk Cargyll: For slaying his twin brother Ser Arryk Cargyll during the Dance of the Dragons; each died by the other's sword.

• Euron Greyjoy: Confessed to his younger brother Aeron that he killed his older brother Balon, though his was not the hand that did so, and two of his half-brothers, Harlon and Robin.

• Jonos Arryn: Was called Jonos the Kinslayer when he killed his own brother, Ronnel, and their family during the reign of Aenys.

• King Maegor I the Cruel: For slaying his half-nephew Aegon Targaryen and later having another half-nephew Viserys Targaryen tortured to death.

• King Maekar I: For accidentally slaying his own brother Baelor "Breakspear" Targaryen in a trial of seven.

• Maelys Blackfyre: Was called a kinslayer because he supposedly consumed his own twin in the womb. Later in life he killed his own cousin, Daemon.

• Robert Baratheon: Killed his second cousin Rhaegar Targaryen during the Battle of the Trident.

• Stannis Baratheon: Conceived a shadow assassin with Melisandre that went on to slay his younger brother King Renly Baratheon. Note, Renly intended that Stannis would die in battle (by his hand or by one of his men's), and it is unclear if Stannis pre-approved of Melisandre's sorcery.

• Lord Stark (grandson of Brandon the Daughterless): For slaying Bael the Bard, the King-Beyond-the-Wall, ignorant that Bael was his actual father.

• Tyrion Lannister: Murdered his own father, Tywin Lannister.

People accused of kinslaying

• King Aegon IV the Unworthy: Was alleged to have poisoned his father Viserys II.

• Euron Greyjoy: Because of the disappearance of his younger brother Aeron after the Kingsmoot, some ironborn think that he murdered him. It is instead revealed that Aeron is still alive, though seized and captured by Euron.

• House Frey: Tytos Blackwood, accuses the Freys of commiting kinslaying during the Red Wedding for the murder of Lucas Blackwood, as Alyssa Blackwood was Walder Frey's fourth wife. Lothar Frey was one of the planners of the Red Wedding, while Whalen Frey took active part in the massacre and both are sons of Alyssa.

• Gerold Lannister: He was suspected of murdering his older brother Tybolt Lannister and Tybolt's daughter Cerelle Lannister.

• Gregor Clegane: It is rumored that he murdered his father and his sister.

• Gilwood Hunter: Was accused by his two younger brothers Eustace and Harlan of killing their father Eon Hunter.

• Harlan Hunter: According to Petyr Baelish, Harlan murdered his father Eon Hunter.

• Harwyn Hoare: He was suspected of murdering his middle brother Harlan Hoare, who died from falling of a horse shortly before their father died.

• Lord Larys Strong: Is suspected of beginning the fire at Harrenhal in which his father, Lord Lyonel Strong, and elder brother Ser Harwin Strong, died.

• Ramsay Snow: His own father, Lord Roose Bolton, suspects he poisoned his half-brother Domeric, Roose's trueborn son.

• Robb Stark: When preparing to execute Rickard Karstark, per Eddard Stark's custom that the man who passes the sentence should also swing the sword, Karstark calls Robb a kinslayer due to the blood ties between House Stark and House Karstark. However, Rickard was stretching the concept of kinslaying in hopes of saving his head, as House Karstark split from House Stark over a thousand years before, and Robb was only a distant cousin through his great-great-great grandmother Alys Karstark.

• Theon Greyjoy: Named a kinslayer by some for his supposed murder of Bran and Rickon Stark; although they are not his blood kin, he was their father's ward and was raised with them.

• Tyrion Lannister: Accused of the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey I Baratheon, of which he is actually innocent.

• Queen Visenya Targaryen: Accused after her death of poisoning her nephew and stepson Aenys so her son Maegor could succeed. Maester Yandel believed the suspicion could neither be wholly dismissed nor answered, while Archmaester Gyldayn regarded it as calumny without any proof.

• King Viserys II: Was alleged to have poisoned his nephew Baelor I Targaryen, though many people think Baelor fasted himself to death.

• Black Walder Frey: After Ser Ryman Frey's death while returning to the Twins, Edwyn Frey confesses to Ser Jaime Lannister that he suspects Black Walder had a hand in their father's death, and he is afraid that he will be the next.

Quotes

Fratricide ... my lord, this is evil, unthinkable ... please, listen to me.

—Cressen to Stannis Baratheon

The gods hate kinslayers, even when they kill unknowing.

—Ygritte to Jon Snow

Old gods or new, it makes no matter, no man is so accursed as the kinslayer.

—Rickard Karstark to Robb Stark

Jaime had not wanted to believe it. Kinslaying was worse than kingslaying, in the eyes of gods and men. He knew the boy was mine. I loved Tyrion. I was good to him. Well, but for that one time ... but the imp did not know the truth of that. Or did he?

—Jaime Lannister's thoughts

Kinslaying is dry work. It gives a man a thirst.

—Tyrion Lannister to Illyrio Mopatis

Tell me, my lord ... if the kinslayer is accursed, what is a father to do when one son slays another?

—Roose Bolton to Theon Greyjoy

The gods hate kinslayers, he brooded, elsewise Euron Crow's Eye would have died a dozen deaths by my hand.

—thoughts of Victarion Greyjoy

See also

• Customs, for additional information on customs and traditions of Westeros.
• Walder Frey (son of Ryman)/Theories for the theory of Black Walder Frey having murdered his grandfather, Ser Stevron Frey.
• Walder Frey (son of Jammos)/Theories for the theory of Big Walder Frey having murdered his cousin, Little Walder Frey.