Osha

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Osha
Osha.jpg
Osha, by Amok ©

Allegiance House Stark
Culture Free folk
Lovers
Books

Played by Natalia Tena
TV series Game of Thrones:
Season 1 | Season 2 | 3 | 6

Osha is a free folk woman, who becomes a captive of Winterfell, and later a servant of House Stark. In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, she is played by Natalia Tena.[1]

Appearance and Character

Osha is tall and lean, standing a head taller than Robb Stark. She has a hard face, shaggy brown hair,[2] and is flat-chested.[3] Her body bears many scars.[3]

Osha is a spearwife from north of the Wall. Bran Stark compares her long spear to a steel-headed serpent.[2] She is described as tough and uncomplaining.[4] She worships the old gods of the forest and is knowledgeable about them, as well as the lands beyond the Wall and their inhabitants. She also has a brother, who at some point killed a ten-foot tall female giant.[5]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Natalia Tena as Osha in Game of Thrones

Osha travels with three other wildlings and a pair of Night's Watch deserters, Stiv and Wallen. This group flees south of the Wall, trying to escape the Others. They cross the Wall and travel into the wolfswood north of Winterfell, where they come upon the crippled Bran Stark. Osha wants to take him hostage and return to Mance Rayder, presumably to use him to gain passage south through the Wall. Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Grey Wind, and Summer arrive to rescue him, and all of the band are killed, except Osha. She is taken back to Winterfell for questioning.[2] She is eventually given a limited freedom of the castle for her good behavior, and employed as a kitchen servant.[5] Osha allows the cook Gage to have a sexual relationship with her, as she likes the smell of flour on his hands, and finds him gentler than Stiv.[5]

Osha goes to pray to the old gods in the godswood of Winterfell, and comes upon Bran as he finishes his prayers. She is wearing chains on her legs. The two bond to a degree, sharing a common devotion to the old gods. She tells him that when the weirwood leaves are rustling in the wind, it means the old gods are listening. She also says that the old gods have no power in the south because the weirwoods are gone. She says that Robb, who is marching south, is going the wrong way, and that she has been trying to warn him that the Others are coming, but was ignored.[5]

Bran dreams that he saw his father, Lord Eddard Stark, in the crypt of Winterfell. Maester Luwin summons Osha to carry Bran and goes down to the crypts with him; Osha tells them that she has lived her life beyond the Wall, and a hole in the ground will not scare her. Because of Osha’s good behavior, the chains from her shackles are removed, but the shackles remain to show she is not entirely trusted. They are surprised in the catacombs by Shaggydog, who savages Maester Luwin's arm. They return to Luwin's tower, where Osha bandages the maester's wound.[4]

A Clash of Kings

Osha, by Eldritch-historian ©

Osha works in the kitchens, often giving Bran advice when she bathes in the godswood. During one of their conversations, Osha reveals to Bran that she had killed a Night's Watch ranger in the past.[3]

After Winterfell is taken by the turncloak Theon Greyjoy and his ironborn, Theon has all of Winterfell's people gather in the Great Hall so that they can hear Bran yield to him. The Stark prisoner Reek bends the knee to Theon, and is set free and armed. Osha then steps up, saying to Theon that she is a captive too, which he knows as he was there when she was taken. Bran is hurt by this betrayal, as he thought she was his friend. Osha says that she is tired of scrubbing pots and warming Gage's bed, and wants a spear in her hand again. The ironborn Stygg harasses her, and in response, Osha knees him in the crotch and knocks him to the ground with the butt of his own spear, while the other ironborn laugh. Theon laughs as well, and tells her to keep the spear as she bends the knee.[6]

However, not long after, Osha secretly escapes Winterfell with Bran and Rickon Stark, Jojen and Meera Reed, Hodor, and the direwolves Summer and Shaggydog. She kills the ironborn Drennan in the process, seducing him before cutting his throat with his own knife. During Theon's hunt for the escapees in the wolfswood, Maester Luwin convinces him to show mercy on the children and Hodor if they are found, but Theon says he will not spare Osha, as she pissed on the oath she swore to him.[7]

In actuality, Osha, the Starks, the Reeds, and Hodor hide in the crypt of Winterfell.[8] While they are hiding, Reek reveals himself as Ramsay Snow, betrays Theon, and orders the sack of Winterfell.[9] When Bran sees through Summer's eyes that Winterfell is empty and on fire, Osha decides they can go aboveground. She takes the sword from Eddard Stark's tomb before they leave, the last sword to come from Mikken's forge. They emerge to find Winterfell in ruins and filled with corpses, which angers Osha. Osha realizes it was not Theon who sacked Winterfell, as many ironborn are among the slain, but someone from House Bolton. They find the mortally wounded Maester Luwin in the godswood, and Osha agrees with him that the Stark brothers should be split up for safety. Before she leaves the godswood, Osha grants Maester Luwin the gift of mercy. Outside Winterfell, Bran, Summer, the Reeds, and Hodor head north, while Osha escorts Rickon and Shaggydog east along the kingsroad to parts unknown.[8]

Osha and Rickon Stark, by Amuelia ©

A Storm of Swords

Heading north to the Wall, Bran remembers that Osha had once told him that the blue star in the Ice Dragon's eye pointed the way north. He wonders how Osha and Rickon are doing, and if they have found safety with House Manderly or House Umber.[10]

A Dance with Dragons

At White Harbor, Davos Seaworth learns that Wex Pyke survived the sack of Winterfell by hiding in the heart tree in the godswood, and afterwards followed Osha and Rickon. Wex reveals that Osha has taken Rickon and Shaggydog to Skagos.[11]

Quotes

You tell him this, m’lord. You tell him he’s bound on marching the wrong way. It’s north he should be taking his swords. North, not south.[5]

—Osha, to Bran Stark, regarding Robb Stark

Who do you think sends the wind, if not the gods?[5]

—Osha, to Bran Stark

The giants I’ve seen, the children I’ve heard tell of, and the white walkers ...[12]

—Osha, to Bran Stark

Osha: It was Robb Stark put me in the kitchens. For the best part of a year, I've been left to scour kettles, scrape grease, and warm the straw for this one. I've had a bellyful of it. Put a spear in my hand again.

Stygg: I got a spear for you right here.

Osha: You keep that soft pink thing. I'll have me the wood and iron.[6]

—Osha and Stygg

References