Valemen[1] are natives of the Vale of Arryn, an eastern region of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
Ethnicity
The Vale and the Mountains of the Moon were settled in antiquity by the First Men, who established numerous petty kingdoms in the region over many centuries.[2] The Vale was where the Andals landed when they began their invasion of Westeros. Utilizing armament of iron, the Andals defeated the bronze-wielding First Men.[1] Ruling House Arryn descends from one of the oldest and purest lines of Andal nobility.[3]
Some of the defeated First Men submitted to the conquerors and accepted the Faith of the Seven, while others fled into the mountains and became the mountain clans[4][2] considered savage by lowlanders.[5]
Some Sistermen of the Three Sisters have webbing between their hands and feet, which they call the mark.[6]
Culture
Religion
The Faith of the Seven, brought by the Andals, is the predominant religion among lowland Valemen. Carvings of seven-pointed stars and double-bladed axes, left by the Andal conquerors, can be found in the Fingers, the Mountains of the Moon, and at the Giant's Lance.[7]
House Arryn fostered learning in septries and septs.[5] The mountain clansmen, however, do not follow the Seven.[8]
Customs
The rich soil of the Vale allows the Valemen to grow fine wheat, barley, corn, pumpkins, and fruits.[9]
Some consider the knights of the Vale to be the finest of the Seven Kingdoms.[10] The Winged Knight is a legendary figure in the Vale.[11]
Sister's stew is popular in the Three Sisters.[6] Some Sistermen use false lights to cause unsuspecting ships to wreck.[6]
Unlike the feudal lowlanders, the clansmen who live in the Mountains of the Moon have a more egalitarian[12] but also more violent society.[13]
Bastards of noble origin raised in the Vale can be given the surname Stone.[9]
Quotes
Isolated from the rest of Westeros by its towering mountains, the Vale proved the perfect ground for the Andals to carve out their first kingdoms in this new land. The First Men, who were there before the Andals, fought these seaborne conquerors stubbornly, but the Vale was but thinly peopled in those days, and they soon found themselves outnumbered in every fight.[2]
—writings of Yandel
—writings of Daemon Targaryen
That was the trouble with the clans; they had an absurd notion that every man's voice should be heard in council, so they argued about everything, endlessly.[12]
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
Littlefinger holds the Eyrie now ... though not for long. The lords of the Vale are not the sort to bend their knees to some upjumped jackanapes whose only skill is counting coppers.[15]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Vale.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The World of Ice & Fire, THe Vale: House Arryn.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 9, Davos I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Norvos.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 42, Tyrion VI.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 34, Catelyn VI.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 41, Alayne II.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 56, Tyrion VII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 62, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 14, Brienne III.