Editing Bastardy (section)

==Acknowledgement==
[[File:MagaliVilleneuve Bastard Daughter.jpg|thumb|350px|A bastard daughter of Prince [[Oberyn Martell]], by Magali Villeneuve © Fantasy Flight Games]]
At any point, the biological father of a bastard may acknowledge him and bring him formally into his house. King [[Robert I Baratheon]] acknowledged [[Edric Storm]] at his birth, although the boy was raised at [[Storm's End]].{{ref|ACOK|10}} Lord [[Roose Bolton]] brought his bastard son, [[Ramsay Snow]], to the [[Dreadfort]] following the death of his only trueborn son, [[Domeric Bolton|Domeric]], albeit without acknowledging him.{{ref|ACOK|16}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Ramsay Snow}} An acknowledged bastard might even be considered to inherit a seat when no direct heirs can be found.{{ref|ACOK|16}}

Prince [[Oberyn Martell]] has fathered [[Sand Snakes|eight bastard daughters]] on five mothers.{{Ref|AFFC|Appendix}} His children are raised at the court of [[Sunspear]], where several are close to the heir of Prince [[Doran Martell]], Princess [[Arianne Martell|Arianne]].{{Ref|AFFC|13}}{{Ref|AFFC|22}} The Dornish are not greatly concerned about whether or not a child is trueborn or bastard-born, especially not if the child born to a paramour.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Queer Customs of the South}} While Prince Oberyn's four elder daughters were born of mothers of variable social stations - [[Obara Sand|Obara]]'s mother was a whore, [[Nymeria Sand|Nymeria]]'s mother a [[Volantis|Volantene]] noblewoman, [[Tyene Sand|Tyene]]'s mother a septa and [[Sarella Sand|Sarella]]'s mother a trader captain from the [[Summer Islands]] - they appear to be treated no differently from [[Elia Sand|Elia]], [[Obella Sand|Obella]], [[Dorea Sand|Dorea]], and [[Loreza Sand|Loreza]], the children he fathered on his recognized paramour, [[Ellaria Sand]].{{Ref|AFFC|Appendix}}{{Ref|AFFC|13}}{{Ref|AFFC|40}}

===Legitimization===
Besides being acknowledged, bastards can also be legitimized. This power is usually reserved to monarchs alone but in some cases to [[High Septon]]s as well.{{Ref|ASOS|45}}<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/Jon_Snow Jon Snow (August 6, 2000)]</ref> Once a bastard is legitimized, this cannot be undone.{{ref|fab|Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf}} 

Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] legitimized the brothers [[Addam Velaryon|Addam]] and [[Alyn Velaryon|Alyn of Hull]] as heirs of Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]].{{ref|TPATQ}}

The children of Lord [[Lyonel Hightower]] and Lady [[Samantha Tarly]] were rendered legitimate once a new High Septon allowed the couple to marry.<ref name="highsepton">[https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/169198/which-bastards-in-westeros-were-automatically-legitimized-once-their-parents-mar Which bastards in Westeros were automatically legitimized once their parents married? (September 8, 2017)]</ref>{{Ref|FAB|Aftermath - The Hour of the Wolf}}

King [[Aegon IV Targaryen]] legitimized all of his bastards on his deathbed, both those born by highborn mothers, who were also known as the [[Great Bastards]], and those who had been baseborn.{{ref|tss}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon IV}} This act by King Aegon eventually played a large role in several wars fought over the [[Iron Throne]] between the trueborn descendants of King Aegon and his bastard-born offspring, the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]].{{Ref|ASOS|45}}

Following his role in the [[War of the Five Kings]], the bastard-born son of Lord [[Roose Bolton]], [[Ramsay Snow]], is legitimized in order to marry a [[Arya Stark|highborn bride]].{{Ref|ASOS|72}}