Oak

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The arms of House Oakheart include three green oak leaves.

Oaks are common trees in the known world similar to the real-life oaks. Their fruits are called acorns.

Oak trees can be found in places such as Bear Island,[1] beyond the Wall,[2] the North,[3][4] the Riverlands,[5][6] the Reach,[7][8] and the dark forests around Norvos.[9]

Usage

Due to the strength and weight of its wood, oak trees are used in the making of objects for defensive purposes, such as shields and castle doors.[10] Even reinforced with iron,[7][8] it is still vulnerable to dragonflame.[11] Oak doors guard the entrance of the Dragonpit,[12] Castle Black,[13] Standfast,[8] Harrenhal,[14] Queenscrown,[15] the Red Keep,[16][17] the Great Hall of Winterfell,[18] the Twins,[19] the Citadel,[20] the Old Mint in White Harbor,[21] and the mine of House Reyne.[22]

Two gilded oak thrones sat on the dais of Whitewalls's great hall.[23] The Lords of the Crossing of House Frey sit on a throne made of black oak.[19]

Queen Cersei Lannister's huge royal wheelhouse is made of oiled oak.[24]

Heavy oak-and-leather chairs can be found in the solar of the Eyrie.[25]

Acorns can be transformed into an edible paste.[6][26][27]

The chair of the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in the Round Room in White Sword Tower is made of old black oak.[28]

The high ceilings of the solar in Raventree Hall as well as the heart of the Great Pyramid of Meereen are supported by great beams of dark oak.[29][30]

Culture

Oak is used by multiple Westerosi Houses on their coat-of-arms; such as the leaves of House Oakheart, the spoon of House Hetherspoon, the escutcheon of House Hewett, the barrels of House Lolliston, the doors of House Rhysling, the acorns of House Smallwood, the saltire of House Sparr, the paly of House Uffering, and the field of House Woodright.[31]

Owen Oakenshield and John the Oak were two sons of the mythological Garth Greenhand. The Oakhearts of Old Oak claim descent from the latter.[32] Oakenshield is the name of an abandoned castle of the Night's Watch along the Wall, as well as the castle of House Hewett located in Lord Hewett's Town on the Oakenshield island.[33]

House Yew in the Westerlands claim descent from Alan o' the Oak, a legendary figure from the Age of Heroes.[34]

Ironoaks and Acorn Hall are the seats of Houses Waynwood and Smallwood respectively.[35][36] The Acorn Water is a small river near Winterfell.[37]

Outside of the North, great oaks can be used in place of weirwood as heart tree in godswoods, such as at the Red Keep.[38]

Ser Arys Oakheart owns a tunic with a spreading oak tree worked in shining gold thread.[1]

The lands of House Umber are known for their forests of tall pine and old oak.[39]

The tree that gives the village of Pennytree its name is an ancient and tall oak.[29]

History

According to legend, the Oakenseat was carved from an oak planted by Garth Greenhand himself.[40] The Gardener kings used it as a throne until its destruction by Dornish invaders who sacked Highgarden late in the reign of King Garth X Gardener.[41]

First Men made their homes beneath ancient and tall trees such as oaks.[42]

Lord Alyn Velaryon earned the nickname Oakenfist after he rammed and sank the Braavosi dromond Grand Defiance strucking its side "like a great oaken fist".[43] The Oakenfist's squire later wrote a biography on him titled Hard as Oak.[44]

Ser Olyvar Oakheart of the Kingsguard is remembered as the Green Oak.[45]

Ser Arlan of Pennytree was buried on a hill near an oak tree.[7]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

During the harvest feast, Bran Stark sits in the oak chair reserved for the Lord of Winterfell.[39]

The three great trebuchets built inside the Mud Gate in King's Landing prior to the Battle of the Blackwater are made of old oaks.[46]

A Storm of Swords

Lady Ravella Smallwood gives a dress paterned with the acorns of her house to Arya Stark. Arya first complains she looks like an oak tree and inadvertently tears the dress but she later apologizes to Lady Smallwood and compliments her gift.[47]

During the battle beneath the Wall, the brother of the Night's Watch throw big oak barrels full of frozen gravel from atop the Wall onto the free folk's turtle.[48]

Petyr and Merrett Frey are hanged from an oak tree by the brotherhood without banners.[49]

A Feast for Crows

At the kingsmoot on Old Wyk, Asha Greyjoy presents oak chests full of pebbles, pinecones, and turnips to the ironborn captains to show them how little they have gained from the raidings in the north.[50]

A Dance with Dragons

The free folk settled near Mole's Town carves angry faces on oak trees.[51]

Quotes

Oak and iron, guard me well, or else I'm dead and doomed to hell.[7]

—A famous shield rhyme

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 2, Sansa I.
  2. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 4, Bran I.
  3. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
  4. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 13, Tyrion II.
  5. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 5, Arya II.
  6. 6.0 6.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 19, Arya V.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 The Hedge Knight.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Sworn Sword.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Norvos.
  10. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 9, Brienne II.
  11. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
  12. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
  13. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 64, Jon VIII.
  14. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 64, Arya X.
  15. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 40, Bran III.
  16. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  17. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
  18. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 21, Bran III.
  19. 19.0 19.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 59, Catelyn IX.
  20. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
  21. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 15, Davos II.
  22. The World of Ice & Fire, The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons.
  23. The Mystery Knight.
  24. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 4, Eddard I.
  25. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
  26. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 4, Brienne I.
  27. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 17, Jon IV.
  28. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 67, Jaime VIII.
  29. 29.0 29.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 48, Jaime I.
  30. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.
  31. The Citadel. Heraldry
  32. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Garth Greenhand.
  33. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 29, The Reaver.
  34. The World of Ice & Fire, The Westerlands.
  35. A Storm of Swords, Appendix.
  36. A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
  37. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 50, Theon IV.
  38. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 25, Eddard V.
  39. 39.0 39.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 16, Bran II.
  40. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: The Gardener Kings.
  41. The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Andals in the Reach.
  42. The World of Ice & Fire, The Stormlands: The Coming of the First Men.
  43. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows.
  44. Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Voyage of Alyn Oakenfist.
  45. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
  46. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 49, Tyrion XI.
  47. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 22, Arya IV.
  48. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 69, Jon IX.
  49. A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.
  50. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 19, The Drowned Man.
  51. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 21, Jon V.