Editing First Men (section)

==History==
===Arrival in Westeros===
Some [[maester]]s believe that the First Men originated in the grasslands of [[Essos]], in the lands now known as the [[Dothraki sea]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Beyond the Free Cities: The Grasslands}} Between eight thousand and twelve thousand years{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}}{{Ref|AGOT|66}} before [[Aegon's Landing]], during the [[Dawn Age]], the First Men came to [[Westeros]] from Essos, although no tale recalls exactly why they made the trek westwards.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}} The First Men crossed the land bridge called the [[Arm of Dorne]] under the leadership of the [[First King]], according to legends from the [[north]], or [[Garth Greenhand]], the [[High King of the First Men]], according to some legends from the [[Reach]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The North}}{{ref|TWOIAF|The Reach}}

The First Men supposedly found the [[Seastone Chair]] upon the shores of [[Old Wyk]] when they first came to the [[Iron Islands]].{{ref|ACOK|24}} It was the First Men who named the indigenous inhabitants "[[children of the forest]]", though the diminutive people's own name for themselves translates as "those who sing the song of the earth".{{ref|ADWD|13}}

===War with the children of the forest===
:{{main|War of the First Men and the children of the forest}}
[[File:HBOfirst men slay the children.jpg|thumb|350px|First Men fighting [[children of the forest]]. Screenshot from ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' Blu-ray content.]]
The First Men came with [[bronze]] swords and great leathern shields, riding [[horse]]s. As the men settled in the new land, carving out holdfasts and farms, they chopped down and burned the carved [[weirwood]]s that were sacred to the [[old gods|gods]] of the [[children of the forest]]. This provoked [[War of the First Men and the children of the forest|wars]] between the children and the First Men. Though the children fought with their [[greenseer]]s, [[magic]], and [[wood dancer]]s, the First Men were larger, stronger, and more technologically advanced.{{ref|AGOT|66}} The First Men cut down weirwoods as they believed that the greenseers could see through the eyes of the trees.{{Ref|ACOK|28}}

According to the old songs, the desperate children gathered greenseers to the [[Isle of Faces]]{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}} or to [[Moat Cailin]],{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}} a castle raised roughly ten thousand years ago{{ref|ACOK|66}} by the First Men.{{ref|AGOT|37}} The greenseers used dark magic to shatter the [[Arm of Dorne]] with the [[hammer of the waters]], creating the [[Stepstones]] and the [[Broken Arm]] and flooding the [[Neck]] into a swamp.{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Coming of the First Men}}{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}} Although the land bridge from [[Essos]] was shattered, the greenseers failed in their effort to halt the First Men, who were already more numerous in [[Westeros]].{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}}{{ref|AGOT|66}}

First Men also warred against [[giants]],{{ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands}}{{ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: The Breaking}} who were hostile to the newcomers.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: The Coming of the First Men}}

===The Pact===
[[File:LastHero.jpeg|thumb|350px|The [[last hero]], by Roman Papsuev ©]]
The wars against the [[children of the forest]] went in the First Men's favor until the two sides reached a peace agreement, called the [[Pact]], on the [[Isle of Faces]]. The First Men gave dominion of the deep woods to the children and promised to stop cutting down [[weirwood]]s. In return, they received claim to the rest of the Westeros.{{ref|AGOT|66}} [[Giants]] did not participate in the Pact.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: The Coming of the First Men}}

The Pact began four thousand years of friendship and peace between the two peoples,{{ref|AGOT|66}} although the children were already much diminished.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Stormlands: The Coming of the First Men}} The years that followed the forging of the Pact is known as the [[Age of Heroes]].{{ref|AGOT|66}} The First Men eventually set aside their religion to worship the children's [[old gods|secret gods of the wood]], and like the children they carved faces into the weirwoods, creating [[heart tree]]s. The children of the forest taught them to use [[raven]]s to communicate over long distances, but in those days the birds would speak the words, and the [[greenseer]]s of the children could change their skins and speak through the animals.{{ref|ADWD|34}}

===The Long Night===
During the [[Long Night]], the First Men suffered from a generation of winter and the legendary [[Others]] are said to have invaded from the [[Land of Always Winter]]. Archmaester [[Fomas]] suggests the Others were a tribe of First Men instead of a monstrous enemy.{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Long Night}} 

[[North]]ern legends claim the [[last hero]] sought out the [[children of the forest]] to gain their aid.{{ref|AGOT|24}} The Others were driven back in the [[Battle for the Dawn]] and the [[Night's Watch]] was created to keep them at bay.{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Long Night}}{{ref|ACOK|21}} Six thousand or eight thousand years ago{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Long Night}} the First Men built the [[Wall]],{{ref|AGOT|70}} allegedly with the aid of children and [[giants]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Wall and Beyond}}

===Coming of the Andals===
:{{main|Coming of the Andals}}
[[File:Battle of the Seven Stars.jpg|thumb|350px|The [[Battle of the Seven Stars]], by John McCambridge ©]]
Thousands of years after the Long Night,<ref group="N">The time when the Andal invasion occurred is disputed; some sources indicate it took place six thousand years ago (''[[A Game of Thrones]]'', [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 40|Catelyn VII]] and ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Vale: The Eyrie); ''[[True History]]'' states it was four thousand years ago (''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 48|Jaime I]]); Some [[maesters]], like [[Denestan]], claim it was two thousand years ago (''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 48|Jaime I]] and ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The Vale: The Eyrie).</ref> the [[Andals]] crossed the [[narrow sea]] and began [[coming of the Andals|their migration]] from [[Essos]] to [[Westeros]].{{ref|AGOT|66}} For several hundred years{{ref|AGOT|66}} the First Men and the Andals warred, fighting for control of the continent. Eventually, the Andals conquered or married into the kingdoms in the southern half of the continent, while the First Men [[King in the North|Kings of Winter]] stopped all Andal incursions through the Neck at [[Moat Cailin]].{{ref|AGOT|66}}

Since the Andals were outnumbered by the defeated First Men, the victorious newcomers pursued a policy of consolidating control over the native Westerosi instead of extermination. [[Godswood]]s were allowed to remain in many castles to prevent conflicts over [[religion]] as the [[Faith of the Seven]] spread throughout southern Westeros. Many Andal kings married the wives and daughters of defeated First Men kings to demonstrate their right to rule.{{ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Arrival of the Andals}}

The Andals continued practice of the [[first night]].{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}