Owen Merryweather

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House Merryweather.svg Lord
Owen Merryweather
House Merryweather.svg
Owen Merryweather.png
Owen Merryweather as depicted in Game of Thrones: Histories & Lore.

Aliases
  • The horn-of-plenty Hand[1]
  • Old Merryweather[2]
  • The Chuckler[3]
Titles
Allegiance House Merryweather
Culture Reach
Died In 282299 AC
Spouse Unknown
Issue Father of Orton Merryweather
Books

Owen Merryweather was the Lord of Longtable and the head of House Merryweather during the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen. He also served as Hand of the King for Aerys.

Character

Owen was considered amiable but not capable.[4][5] He was famous for lavishing praise upon King Aerys II Targaryen and laughing at all of the Mad King's jokes.[6] Because of the sigil of House Merryweather, Ser Jaime Lannister thought of Owen as "the horn-of-plenty Hand".[1]

History

During a feast King Aerys II Targaryen held when Cersei Lannister came to court for the first time, Lord Owen talked about raising taxes on wine, which led to Lord Rykker joking about Lord Tywin Lannister shitting gold.[2] Ser Bonifer Hasty once served Lord Merryweather.[7]

When Tywin resigned his position as Hand of the King in 281 AC, the aged Owen was named the new Hand by Aerys.[5][6] With Tywin gone from court, the new focus of Aerys's mistrust and paranoia was his own son and heir, Rhaegar Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone. Lord Merryweather and Grand Maester Pycelle attempted to keep peace between the factions loyal to the king and those loyal to Rhaegar.[8]

Owen proved ineffectual in preventing the uprising that came to be known as Robert's Rebellion. When Lords Jon Arryn, Robert Baratheon, and Eddard Stark began their rebellion, Owen sent missives to the lords of the Seven Kingdoms declaring them outlaws and demanding their heads. Some of the stormlords were encouraged by Owen, but they were defeated by Robert at Summerhall.[9] Owen never stirred from King's Landing, and this coupled with the news of Ned and Robert's successful return to their respective seats of power made the paranoid Aerys believe that Lord Merryweather was conspiring with them. Owen was subsequently stripped of lands and titles and exiled for his failure, and was replaced as Hand by the younger Jon Connington, Lord of Griffin's Roost.[1][10]

King Robert I Baratheon eventually restored the Merryweather titles and some of their lands to Owen's grandson, Orton.[4]

Quotes

Tywin claimed the only thing Merryweather was good for was chuckling at the king's witticisms. His lordship chuckled himself right into exile, as I recall.[3]

Replacing Tywin Lannister with Owen Merryweather had proved to be akin to replacing a destrier with a donkey, to be sure, but Owen had been an old done man when Aerys raised him, amiable if ineffectual.[5]

—thoughts of Cersei Lannister

Family

Owen
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Son
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orton
 
Taena
of Myr
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Russell
 


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 11, Jaime II.
  2. 2.0 2.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 7, Cersei II.
  3. 3.0 3.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 33, Jaime V.
  4. 4.0 4.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 39, Cersei IX.
  6. 6.0 6.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II.
  7. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 27, Jaime III.
  8. The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons: The Year of the False Spring.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The Fall of the Dragons: Robert's Rebellion.
  10. A Dance with Dragons, Epilogue.
Unknown
Last known title holder:
Marq Merryweather
Lord of Longtable
?–282 AC
Recreated
Title next held by
Orton Merryweather
Preceded by Hand of the King
281282 AC
Served under: Aerys II Targaryen
Succeeded by