The Red Mountains[2][3] or red mountains[4][5] is a mountain range extending over much of southern Westeros. The range divides Dorne in the south from the stormlands and the Reach to the north. The peaks can appear scarlet and crimson at sunset, though it is said by some that the Red Mountains are named after the blood which has been spilled in the contested terrain.[6][7]
Geography
[edit]Dorne
[edit]The steep Stone Way, more commonly known as the Boneway,[8] is one of the principal passes through the Red Mountains in eastern Dorne. The Boneway is guarded by House Yronwood of Yronwood, the Wardens of the Stone Way,[9] and the Wyls have fortified the caverns beneath their castle of Wyl.[10] The River Wyl flows from the eastern mountains to the Sea of Dorne. The ruins of the Vulture's Roost are also found in the eastern Dornish mountains.[11]
West of the Boneway is the Prince's Pass, the less treacherous path through the mountains. The ruins of the tower of joy are found at the northern end of the road,[12] which was once known as the Wide Way,[13] and it passes south past Kingsgrave, the seat of House Manwoody, to Skyreach, the castle of House Fowler. The Fowlers guard the way as the Wardens of the Prince's Pass.[9]
The Torentine flows from the western mountains south to the Summer Sea.[11] Families situated along the river include the Blackmonts of Blackmont, the Daynes of High Hermitage, and the senior Daynes of Starfall.[11]
The hidden valleys and high meadows of the Red Mountains have sweet and green grass.[14] The meadows north of Yronwood, for instance, have crisp air at night.[15] The fertile vicinity of Yronwood is forested and contains iron, tin, and silver.[13] The foothills near Skyreach have runoff from the heights and plentiful game in valleys.[16]
The people of the southern Red Mountains are considered "stony Dornishmen" descending primarily from First Men and Andals.[14]
Stormlands
[edit]North and northeast of Dorne, the Red Mountains extend along the southern stormlands to Cape Wrath, Griffin's Roost on Shipbreaker Bay, and almost to Storm's End.[11] This includes the southern Dornish Marches and the castles of the marcher lords, such as Blackhaven and Stonehelm.[11] The vicinity of Stonehelm is known as the Red Watch.[17]
Reach
[edit]Northwest of Dorne, the mountain range extends into the southern Reach. Horn Hill is located in the foothills[18] of the northwestern Red Mountains.[11] The mountain chain once formed the eastern border of the kingdom ruled by House Hightower of Oldtown.[19]
History
[edit]
According to some legends, Garth Greenhand is said to have led the First Men from Dorne through the Red Mountains to the Reach.[14] The rugged terrain kept many mountain communities isolated.[13] The most powerful dynasties which developed were the Kings of the Torrentine from House Dayne, the Kings of Stone and Sky from House Fowler, and the High Kings of Dorne from House Yronwood.[13]
Garth XI Gardener, King of the Reach, avenged Garth X by attacking Dorne; Lord Hightower claimed that Garth XI painted the mountains from green to red with Dornish blood.[6]
King Albin Manwoody was a madman who claimed dominion over the Red Mountains, but he was defeated and sent to the Wall during Nymeria's War.[20]
Dornishmen raided the Dornish Marches from the Red Mountains during Aegon's Conquest.[21] The Dornish abandoned their watchtowers in the mountains during the First Dornish War, and the Wyls ambushed the host of Lord Orys Baratheon in the Boneway.[16]
The first Vulture King rose in the Red Mountains during the reign of King Aenys I Targaryen, beginning the Second Dornish War.[22] A second Vulture King fought against King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, but he was defeated in the Third Dornish War.[23] Morion Martell, Prince of Dorne, desired to ravage the stormlands, but the Fourth Dornish War was swiftly crushed by Jaehaerys.[23]
During the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Borros Baratheon entered the Red Mountains with six thousand men in response to Dornish incursions.[24]
During the conquest of Dorne, Lord Lyonel Tyrell led a host through the Prince's Pass and King Daeron I Targaryen traveled the Boneway.[25]
Lords Caron and Dondarrion burned a Vulture King out of the Red Mountains.[3] Gerris Drinkwater once led Quentyn Martell and other friends to find the lair of one of the Vulture Kings.[15]
Recent Events
[edit]A Clash of Kings
[edit]
Tyrion Lannister requests that Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, send his armies to the Boneway and the Prince's Pass to keep the marcher lords in their castles as part of the political betrothal of Myrcella Baratheon and Trystane Martell.[26] Doran promises to move his banners into the high passes once Myrcella arrives safely at Sunspear.[27]
The Winds of Winter
[edit]
| Warning This information has thus far been released in a sample chapter for The Winds of Winter, and might therefore not be in finalized form. Keep in mind that the content as described below is still subject to change. |
Two Dornish hosts have massed in the two passes through the Red Mountains. The hosts sit encamped, waiting for Doran to loose them on the enemies of House Martell.[28]
Quotes
[edit]
Deep dry valleys and great sandstone cliffs dominate the landscape here, and it is true that sometimes at sunset the peaks gleam scarlet and crimson against the clouds ... yet there are those who say these mountains were named not for the color of their stone but for all the blood that has soaked into the ground.[7]
—writings of Yandel
The stony Dornish have the most in common with those north of the mountains and are the least touched by Rhoynish custom. This has not made them close allies with the Marcher lords or the Lords of the Reach, however; on the contrary, it has been said that the mountain lords have a history as savage as that of the mountain clans of the Vale, having for thousands of years warred with the Reach and the stormlands, as well as with each other.[29]
—wrirings of Yandel
References
[edit]- ↑ The Lands of Ice and Fire, Westeros.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 39, Eddard X.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 45, Eddard XII.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Andals in the Reach.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Stormlands.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Boneway.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 40, Princess In The Tower.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Wyl.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 The Lands of Ice and Fire, Westeros.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Tower of Joy.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: Kingdoms of the First Men.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Stonehelm.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 45, Samwell V.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: The Coming of the Rhoynar.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reign of the Dragons: The Conquest.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron I.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Dornish Marches.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ The Winds of Winter, Arianne I
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Dorne: Queer Customs of the South.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 43, Daenerys VII.