Editing Gift

{{about|the region
|the television episode|The Gift}}
[[File:Martina Pilcerovada The New Gift.png|thumb|350px|right|The New Gift, by Martina Pilcerova © Fantasy Flight Games]]
The '''Gift''', consisting of '''Brandon's Gift''' and the '''New Gift''', is the area in the [[north]] stretching fifty leagues south from the [[Wall]], land given to the [[Night's Watch]] in perpetuity to support and aid the Watch.{{Ref|ASOS|40}} It is under the protection of both the Watch and [[Winterfell]].{{Ref|ASOS|41}} The eastern lands of the Gift consist of large rolling plans that reach the [[Shivering Sea]], while the western regions, which end at the [[Bay of Ice]], are increasingly forested and [[northern mountains|mountainous]].{{Ref|TLOIAF|Westeros}}

==History==
===Brandon's Gift===
[[File:Paolo Puggioni molestown.jpg||thumb|350px|[[Mole's Town]] by Paolo Puggioni © Fantasy Flight Games]]
A Brandon Stark, usually mentioned as [[Bran the Builder]] but sometimes another Brandon, gave the land up to twenty-five leagues south of the Wall to the [[Night's Watch]] for their sustenance and support.{{Ref|ASOS|40}} Brandon's Gift was farmed for thousands of years, but nature reclaimed many buildings and orchards as the Night's Watch decreased in number.{{Ref|ASOS|41}}

Compared to lands further south, the soil of Brandon's Gift is thin and stony.{{Ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} [[Mole's Town]] is located along the [[kingsroad]] half a league south of [[Castle Black]].{{ref|AGOT|21}}

===New Gift===
In {{Date|58}}, King [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Alysanne Targaryen]], made a royal progress to the [[north]]. Flying on her [[dragon]], [[Silverwing]], Alysanne visited [[Alaric Stark]], the [[Lord of Winterfell]] who warmed to the queen during her stay at [[Winterfell]], and then [[Lothor Burley]], the [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]] at [[Castle Black]].{{Ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} Holding the Night's Watch in great esteem,{{Ref|ASOS|40}} Alysanne felt Brandon's Gift was not sufficient to support the Night's Watch during her tour of the region. The queen suggested to Jaehaerys that he double the land by extending it a further twenty-five leagues south. Lord Alaric was wary of the idea of the New Gift, as the northmen who already held those lands would oppose having them taken away. According to Archmaester [[Gyldayn]], the charming Alysanne eventually persuaded Lord Stark to agree to the plan,{{Ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} and it is said that the Starks were glad to aid the Watch.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Lords of Winterfell}}

According to Maester [[Yandel]], however, the [[House Stark|Starks]] were angered at being forced to surrender the territory, as they believed the Night's Watch would focus their attention [[beyond the Wall]] and would neglect the New Gift. The brother of a Lord Stark sought legal guidance from the [[maesters]] of the [[Citadel]] to avoid the forced donation to no avail. This resentment toward Jaehaerys and Alysanne might have contributed to Lord [[Ellard Stark]] supporting Lord [[Corlys Velaryon]] and [[Rhaenys Targaryen (daughter of Aemon)|Rhaenys Targaryen]] in the [[Great Council of 101 AC]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Lords of Winterfell}}

The villages that exist in the New Gift pay their taxes in goods and labor to the Night's Watch, helping feed and provide food for the brothers. The New Gift contains many roundtowers, towerhouses, and holdfasts, such as [[Queenscrown]].{{Ref|ASOS|40}}{{ref|ASOS|41}} Of the [[northern mountain clans]], the [[House Norrey|Norreys]] live closest to the New Gift.{{Ref|ADWD|17}} The New Gift has good land, according to [[Jojen Reed]].{{ref|ASOS|40}}

===Wildings===
The [[free folk]] often enter the Gift to raid, steal, and carry off women of the [[north]].{{Ref|ASOS|40}} In {{Date|133}}, for instance, three thousand wildling raiders led by [[Sylas the Grim]] spread out across the Gift until being hunted down by Lord [[Cregan Stark]], [[House Flint of the mountains|Flints]], [[House Glover|Glovers]], [[House Norrey|Norreys]], and [[rangers]].{{Ref|FAB|Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows}} Because of the frequency of raids, many people have fled south into the mountains or the lands of [[House Umber]] east of the [[kingsroad]], leaving the villages and holdfasts abandoned.{{Ref|ASOS|40}}

Lord [[Eddard Stark]] has considered having new lords settle in the abandoned holdfasts of the Gift to protect against the raids. His brother [[Benjen Stark]], the [[First Ranger]], thinks the [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]] would approve the idea if the new lords pay taxes to [[Castle Black]] instead of [[Winterfell]], but Eddard believes the plan would have to wait until after winter.{{Ref|ASOS|41}}

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Queenscrown.jpg|thumb|350px|right|[[Queenscrown]] in the New Gift, by Michael Komarck ©]]
The [[kingsroad]] through the Gift is used by [[Tyrion Lannister]] and [[Jon Snow]].{{Ref|AGOT|13}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
During their journey to find the [[three-eyed crow]], [[Bran Stark]] and his companions seek refuge at [[Queenscrown]] in the New Gift, which [[Jojen Reed]] observes as having good land.{{Ref|ASOS|40}} While they are hiding in the tower, they witness a fight between [[Jon Snow]] and [[Styr]]'s party of [[free folk|wildling]] raiders.{{Ref|ASOS|40}}{{Ref|ASOS|41}}

After the [[battle beneath the Wall]], [[Stannis Baratheon]] informs Jon that he intends to settle wildlings in the Gift, if they swear fealty.{{Ref|ASOS|76}} The officers of the Watch react negatively when Stannis makes his request.{{Ref|ASOS|78}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
Jon, the new [[Lord Commander of the Night's Watch]], agrees to allow Stannis to settle [[free folk]] on the Gift,{{Ref|ADWD|3}} but the [[northern mountain clans]] are wary of the decision.{{Ref|ADWD|53}}

==Quotes==
{{Quote|'''Jojen''': Who holds this land?<br>'''Bran''': The [[Night's Watch]]. This is the Gift. The New Gift, and north of that Brandon's Gift. [[Brandon the Builder]] gave all the land south of the [[Wall]] to the black brothers, to a distance of twenty-five leagues. For their ... for their sustenance and support. Some [[maesters]] say it was some other Brandon, not the Builder, but it's still Brandon's Gift. Thousands of years later, [[Alysanne Targaryen|Good Queen Alysanne]] visited the Wall on her [[dragon]] [[Silverwing]], and she thought the Night's Watch was so brave that she had [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|the Old King]] double the size of their lands, to fifty leagues. So that was the New Gift. Here. All this.{{ref|ASOS|40}}|[[Jojen Reed]] and [[Bran Stark]]}}

{{Quote|'''Jon''': The land belongs to the [[Night's Watch|Watch]].<br>'''Ygritte''': No one lives here.<br>'''Jon''': [[free folk|Your raiders]] drove them off.<br>'''Ygritte''': They were cowards, then. If they wanted the land they should have stayed and fought.<br>'''Jon''': Maybe they were tired of fighting. Tired of barring their doors every night and wondering if [[Rattleshirt]] or someone like him would break them down to carry off their wives. Tired of having their harvests stolen, and any valuables they might have. It's easier to move beyond the reach of raiders.{{Ref|ASOS|41}}|[[Jon Snow]] and [[Ygritte]]}}

{{Quote|This was the Gift, protected by the [[Night's Watch]] and the power of [[Winterfell]]. A man should have been free to build a fire here, without dying for it.{{Ref|ASOS|41}}|thoughts of [[Jon Snow]]}}

{{Quote|'''Brandon''': Lord Snow, where do you mean to put these [[wildlings]] o' yours? Not on my lands, I hope.<br>'''Torghen''': Aye. You want them in the Gift, that's your folly, but see they don't wander off or I'll send you back their heads. Winter is nigh, I want no more mouths to feed.{{Ref|ADWD|53}}|[[Brandon Norrey]] and [[Torghen Flint]] to [[Jon Snow]]}}

==References==
{{References}}

{{Region North‎}}

[[Category:Places in the Gift| ]]
[[Category:Places in the North]]
[[Category:Places of the Night's Watch]]

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