Editing First Men (section)

==Culture==
===Language===
The original language of the First Men was the [[Old Tongue]], a harsh, clanging language{{Ref|ASOS|15}} that is still spoken by the [[free folk]]{{Ref|ASOS|15}} and the [[giants]]{{Ref|ADWD|49}} found in the lands [[beyond the Wall]].

The First Men had a [[runes|runic]] writing system.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} They left their runes on rocks in most of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; only in the [[stormlands]], where races older than the First Men were dominant, did the First Men carve their tales into the trunks of trees, which have since rotted away.{{ref|AFFC|5}}{{Ref|ADWD|7}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: House Durrandon}} The meaning of the runes of the First Men are disputed at the [[Citadel]] to this day.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Riverlands}} 

===Religion===
The First Men worshiped unspecified gods before they arrived in [[Westeros]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}} The [[Sistermen]] of the [[Three Sisters]] believed that sacred storms were the result of the [[Lady of the Waves]] mating with the [[Lord of the Skies]].{{ref|ADWD|9}} Their worship ended with the [[coming of the Andals]], who introduced the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{ref|ADWD|9}} In the [[Kingdom of the Storm]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: Andals in the Stormlands}} the [[sea god]] and his wife, the [[goddess of the wind]], were worshiped.{{Ref|ACOK|31}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: House Durrandon}} The [[ironborn]], who are considered by most to descend from the First Men, worshiped the [[Drowned God]] before the Andals came, and continue to do so.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} In addition, they also continue to believe in the Drowned God's eternal enemy, the [[Storm God]].{{Ref|AFFC|1}}

[[File:Bill Corbett men of duty.jpg|thumb|350px|Worship before [[heart tree]]s, by Bill Corbett © Fantasy Flight Games]]

Following the [[Pact]] between the First Men and the [[children of the forest]], the majority of the First Men eventually set aside their own gods and adopted the gods of the children as their own.{{Ref|AGOT|66}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Dawn Age}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: The Coming of the First Men}} These nameless deities{{ref|AGOT|70}} of stream, forest, and stone{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Dawn Age}} are referred to as the "[[old gods]]" because the gods of the [[Andals]], referred to as the "[[Faith of the Seven|new gods]]", replaced them in all but the [[Westeros#The North|north of Westeros]].

The worship of the old gods is not accompanied by priests, holy texts, songs of worship, and barely any rites.{{ref|AGOT|70}}{{ref|ASOS|53}} Prayers are done in silence.{{Ref|ASOS|53}} Worshipers of the old gods visit [[godswood]]s, groves contained within castles throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]], where a [[heart tree]] can be found. These trees, which have faces carved into them, are considered to be sacred. Worshipers believe the old gods watch through the trees.{{ref|AGOT|48}}{{ref|AGOT|53}} The heart trees are usually weirwoods, and godswoods are often the only places where living weirwoods still remain{{Ref|AGOT|2}} until one goes north of the [[Wall]].{{ref|AGOT|48}} Once all noble houses had a godswood with a heart tree in its center, but the First Men, in their wars against the children of the forest, cut down many of the trees, as did the Andals later on, replacing the old gods with the Seven in the southern kingdoms.{{Ref|AGOT|66}}

According to Maester [[Yorrick]], blood sacrifice to the old gods was still practiced in the vicinity of [[White Harbor]] five hundred years ago.{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Dawn Age}}

===Social hierarchy===
[[File:Rise of the Mountain Clans Skysoul Visual Art Studios.png|thumb|350px|The [[Vale mountain clans]] descend from First Men, by Skysoul Visual Art Studios © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The exact laws of inheritance followed by the First Men have not been stated. Several of the groups that descended from the First Men practiced rule by consensus or election among several lords and chieftains in council. The [[ironborn]] of old chose their kings through a [[kingsmoot]], where each man who owned and captained a ship might cast a vote for the new king.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns}}

In [[Dorne]], before the [[coming of the Andals]] or the [[ten thousand ships|Rhoynar]], the First Men were divided into numerous petty kingdoms. The [[High Kings of Dorne]]<ref group="N">The title of "High Kings of Dorne" was also claimed by the lords of [[House Yronwood]], who ruled northern Dorne from the mountain domains of [[House Wyl]] to the headwaters of the [[Greenblood]].</ref> who ruled the lands near the mouth of the [[Greenblood]] were elected in a non-hereditary fashion from among a dozen noble families. This practice eventually collapsed when a dispute concerning an election set the families to war against one another.{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Kingdoms of the First Men}}

The [[free folk]] who live [[beyond the Wall]] are led by chieftains. At several times during history, they have united behind a non-hereditary over-chief known as the [[King-Beyond-the-Wall]].{{Ref|AGOT|1}}{{Ref|ACOK|51}}{{Ref|ASOS|26}} The [[Vale mountain clans]] are led by chieftains as well. In council, they insist that every man or woman must be allowed to have their voice heard.{{Ref|AGOT|56}}

According to Archmaester [[Eyron]], the ancient [[Marsh King]]s of the [[crannogmen]] of the [[Neck]] were considered to be a "first among equals", often thought to be touched by the [[old gods]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Crannogmen of the Neck}}

[[Thrall]]dom was a common practice amongst the First Men before the arrival of the Andals.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}} The [[first night]] was a custom in which warlords and heroes slept with maidens on their wedding night. Pregnancies were seen by some as a blessing, as the new husbands could then raise the children of heroes as their own.{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}

===Military===
[[File:Tristifer.jpeg|thumb|350px|King [[Tristifer IV Mudd]], by Roman Papsuev ©]]
The First Men wielded [[bronze]] swords{{Ref|AGOT|66}} and great bronze axes.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reach: The Gardener Kings}}{{ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands}} They were armored in bronze as well,{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}} carrying large, leather shields.{{Ref|AGOT|66}} When the [[coming of the Andals]] began, the First Men still fought in bronze.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals}} In time, however, Andal blacksmiths taught the First Men to arm and armor themselves in [[iron]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reach: Andals in the Reach}} The First Men rode [[horse]]s into battle.{{ref|AGOT|66}}{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}}

Although not a seafaring people, the First Men did use fishing boats and trading cogs, though these were no match for longships with great sails and banks of oars.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands}}

===Architecture and infrastructure===
When the First Men first settled in [[Westeros]], they cut down the forests, began to plow the fields, and constructed roads through the hill country.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands}} The farms and villages the First Men built were protected by stout motte-and-bailey forts, which were later on replaced by stone castles.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands}} The First Men also raised up [[ringfort]]s,{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}} ruins of which can still be found at numerous places, including the [[Fist of the First Men]],{{ref|ACOK|34}} and [[Seal Rock]] at [[White Harbor]],{{ref|ADWD|15}} and the [[stormlands]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: Storm's End}} On [[Sea Dragon Point]] still stand ruins of ancient strongholds of the First Men.{{ref|ADWD|26}} The First Men, and later on the early Andals, built square towers and keeps.{{ref|TWOIAF|The North: Winterfell}} In the [[Reach]], Andal stonemasons taught the First Men how to further strengthen the defenses of their castles and holdfasts.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Reach: Andals in the Reach}}

Some of the barrow fields contain monuments.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Age of Heroes}} 

===Guest right===
The custom of [[guest right]] is both a sacred rule and an ancient one.{{Ref|ASOS|7}} The guest rights are taken seriously, both [[beyond the Wall]],{{Ref|ACOK|23}}{{Ref|ASOS|7}} and in the [[Seven Kingdoms]], and although it looms less in the southron kingdoms, it is held most dear in the [[north]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North}} There, breaking guest right is punished similarly to the direst of treasons.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North}}

The most common way of receiving guest right is by eating "bread and salt".{{Ref|ASOS|49}} Once guest right has been offered and accepted, the guests and hosts are protected from harm by one another for the length of the stay.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North}} Guest gifts can be given on the day the guests depart,{{Ref|ADWD|29}}{{Ref|ADWD|46}} possibly as a means of ending the protection of the guest right. Guest gifts are no longer given by all lords, however.{{Ref|ADWD|29}}

===Death===
[[File:Thomas_Denmark-Crypts_Winterfell.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[crypt of Winterfell]], by Thomas Denmark © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The First Men believed that the person who condemned another to die should be the one who wields the sword.{{Ref|AGOT|43}} [[House Stark]] practices this belief still.{{Ref|AGOT|1}}

The First Men interred their dead in [[w:tumulus|barrows]], which can be found everywhere in the [[north]], e.g., the [[Great Barrow]] of [[Barrowton]], where the [[First King]] of the First Men is said to have been buried.{{ref|ADWD|32}} The [[barrowlands]] contains wide plains of flatness which are relieved by long, low hummocks, the barrows of the First Men.{{Ref|AGOT|12}}

The Starks bury their deceased family members in the [[crypts of Winterfell]],{{ref|AGOT|3}}{{ref|AGOT|66}} located beneath [[Winterfell|their castle]]. The [[House Bolton|Boltons]] similarly bury their deceased beneath the [[Dreadfort]].{{ref|ADWD|32}} The [[House Blackwood|Blackwoods]], originally from the north, have buried their dead at [[Cairns]] and beneath the [[weirwood]] in the [[godswood of Raventree Hall]].{{ref|ADWD|48}}

The [[House Tully|Tullys]] of [[Riverrun]], a house of First Men origin who now follow the [[Faith of the Seven]], place their dead in a funereal boat on the [[Red Fork]] and have it sink into the river after being set ablaze with fire arrows.{{ref|ASOS|35}}