Maesters

"Maester" redirects here. For the mule, see Maester (mule).

Order of Maesters
A maester of the Citadel, by Tiziano Baracchi © Fantasy Flight Games
Seat	The Citadel, Oldtown
Region	Seven Kingdoms
Founder	Peremore Hightower

The maesters are an order of scholars, healers, messengers, and scientists in the Seven Kingdoms. They educate new students at the Citadel, which is located in Oldtown, a city in the Reach. House Hightower was integral in the Citadel's foundation, and continues to patronize the order. As advisers to the Westerosi nobility, the maesters have largely supplanted the Alchemists' Guild. They are sometimes called "the knights of the mind."

Organization

Novices and Acolytes

Students who start their education at the Citadel are known as novices. Once they have earned a link for their chain, they become acolytes. Most acolytes treat novices as if they are slow-witted. Acolytes train at letters at the Scribe's Hearth, and can be hired by Oldtowners to read their letters or write their wills. When an acolyte is prepared to take his vows and become a maester, he is placed in a completely dark room with one of the Citadel's glass candles, made of razor-sharp obsidian. He must stay in that room for the entire night in darkness, unless he is able to light the candle. The tradition serves as a lesson about truth and learning.

Students who violate the rules of the Citadel can be ordered confined to their rooms by the maesters. They can also receive more physical punishments. For example, for stealing from the kitchens, rectors might place them in stocks at the Seneschal's Court, where acolytes may throw rotten vegetables at them.

Maesters

A maester reads a message brought by a raven, by Chris Rallis © Fantasy Flight Games

Maesters are scholars and healers who have completed their training at the Citadel. They can be sent by the Citadel to serve at the holdings of lords and landed knights throughout the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, from the Arbor to the Wall, but not in the lands beyond the Wall. If a lord does not have a maester in his service, he is seen as unimportant. Maesters normally serve only at castles, but they can accompany their lord when he travels or be sent on missions by the lord.

Aegon I Targaryen and his sister wives each had a maester during the Conquest, and as king Aegon had as many as six serving him, separate from the Grand Maester. A lord has to pay the Citadel for a maester's service, and some smallfolk believe that maesters would be unwilling to help them.

Maesters wear a collar, which is supposed to remind him of the realm he serves. When he completes his education and takes his vows, a maester puts aside his House name. Although he is supposed to be loyal to the seat to which he is assigned, regardless of the changes in control of that holding, old allegiances or loyalties might continue linger.

While the ironborn have rejected the Faith of the Seven, most recognize the usefulness of having maesters in the Iron Islands. Ironborn lords who venture more frequently to the green lands are more likely to keep maesters in their retinues. Ironmen who support the Old Way, such as Aeron Greyjoy, a priest of the Drowned God, are more likely to disapprove of maesters, however. Some Westerosi nobles, such as Maekar Targaryen and Randyll Tarly, have also opposed their own sons choosing a life of service by becoming maesters.

Archmaesters

Archmaesters are maesters who have demonstrated mastery of a particular subject. They receive a mask, ring, and rod in the metal corresponding to the link of the maester's chain which signifies their expertise on the topic. Archmaesters teach the students at the Citadel in their subject of expertise, and they judge whether a novice or an acolyte has shown enough knowledge on their subject to receive a link for their chain. While maesters are directly involved in a lord's household—teaching children, healing wounds, tending to ravens—archmaesters can dedicate themselves to research and study.

Archmaesters have the right to sit on the Conclave, a council which elects the Grand Maester and determines when the seasons change. The meetings of the Conclave are conducted behind closed doors at the Citadel.

Each archmaester is said to carry a heavy, black iron key that will open most of the doors in the Citadel. They keep them close on their person, or hide them well.

Grand Maesters

Grand Maester Pycelle, by Joshua Cairós © Fantasy Flight Games

The office of Grand Maester was created in 5 AC by Aegon I Targaryen, who asked for an archmaester to advise him on governing the Seven Kingdoms. Sworn to serve the whole realm, the Grand Maester sits on the king's small council and acts as one of the royal advisers. As the Citadel's representative at the royal court of the king on the Iron Throne the Grand Maester is elected by the Conclave, and only the Conclave can unmake him again, although several Grand Maesters have died violently. King Maegor I Targaryen executed three Grand Maesters during his reign—Gawen, Myros, and Desmond—while Aegon II Targaryen had Grand Maester Gerardys fed to his dragon Sunfyre. Grand Maester Hareth was executed as well, on grounds of treason.

Although the Conclave puts effort into demonstrating their consideration of ability before birth, this is generally a pretense, as family status often affects their final choice for Grand Maester.

More than forty men have served the Iron Throne as Grand Maester. Grand Maesters are generally older men. Kaeth was chosen as Grand Maester at the age of eighty, Ellendor at almost ninety, and Merion at the age of sixty-six. After all three died within a short time span, King Aegon V Targaryen suggested to the Conclave that a younger man might be better. As such, Pycelle, aged forty-two, was raised to the office.

The Grand Maester wears many interwoven maester chains to indicate his high office. Gems are woven into the chains.

Seneschal

The governance of the Citadel is held by the Seneschal, who is chosen from among the archmaesters. A new Seneschal is appointed annually. Because the archmaesters tend to see the office as a thankless task, as it takes them away from their true work, the Seneschal is selected by lot, with the one who draws the black stone taking on the office. When the archmaester who draws the black stone is not capable of fulfilling his duties as Seneschal, another archmaester might volunteer to serve his term instead.

Practices

Education

A maester at his studies, in Game of Thrones: Complete Guide to Westeros

Boys and young men from all over Westeros come to study, learn, and forge their chains at the Citadel. There is no age requirement, and despite the prejudice of the archmaesters to status of birth, males of every social status are allowed to forge their chain. As such, baseborns (e.g., Pate), bastards (e.g., Walys), younger children of lords, and even royalty (e.g., Prince Oberyn Martell, and Princes Aemon and Vaegon Targaryen) can study together at the Citadel.

Novices and acolytes are educated together. Archmaesters give open lectures, which the students can attend at will. Once a student believes he has sufficient knowledge on a particular subject, he can go before an archmaester to demonstrate his knowledge. If the archmaester judges the student’s knowledge to be proficient, he awards him with a link of a metal reflecting the topic.

Not all who start their studies will complete their chain. Oldtown is full of aging novices and acolytes who have never started their chains, or never finished forging them. Others leave the Citadel before completing their chain on purpose. Gunthor Hightower studied for several years at the Citadel, although it is not known whether he earned any links while there. Both Lord Lyonel Strong, and Prince Oberyn Martell left the Citadel after forging six links. Some students learn only something about healing, and may become barbers, serving smallfolk with leeches, setting broken bones, and shaving and cutting their hair.

It is not known how long a student generally takes to forge a chain. Maester Yandel earned his first link in 285 AC and completed his chain in 292 AC, at the age of twenty, while Aemon, who took several more years to forge his chain, took his maester's vows at the age of nineteen. The speed at which a student earns his links differs between each student. While some might take a year per link (e.g., Armen), exceptional students might earn as many as three links within a year (e.g., Alleras), possibly even more.

Citadel

A maester taking the oath, in Game of Thrones: Complete Guide to Westeros

Students are educated at the Citadel, a complex of buildings found in Oldtown. The Citadel is financed by the lords who pay for having a maester in their service, and from certain taxes that the Citadel collects at Oldtown.

Maester's vows

When an acolyte has completed his chain, he can swear a maester's vows. The night before, the acolytes must stand a vigil in a vault with a black glass candle. The acolytes are not allowed any other source of light, and has to spend the night in total darkness unless he can light the candle.

When an acolyte of noble birth takes his vows and dons his chain, he puts aside his House name. He swears sacred vows, promising to hold no lands or lordships, and to be celibate.

Maesters serving in the Night's Watch on the Wall are doubly sworn, and uphold both the maester's vows and the oaths of the Night's Watch

Subjects of knowledge and tasks

A maester advises his lord, by Kerry Barnett © Fantasy Flight Games

The order of maesters are sometimes called the knights of the mind. Numerous subjects are taught at the Citadel. They include history, healing, herblore, the speech of ravens, the building of castles, navigating by the stars, the measurement of days and the marking of seasons. Maesters have performed autopsies for centuries to better understand the workings of the human body. They have observed that highborn girls get their first period at a younger age than lower born girls, and that very young mothers tend to have a significantly higher rate of death in childbirth. They make star maps, monitor temperature variations and the march of the seasons, so they can advise on what to plant and when to expect a harvest, and measure the length of the days, as to determine the change of the seasons. When the Conclave has decreed that the seasons have indeed changed, the Citadel sends out white ravens to the lords of Westeros, to herald the changing of the seasons.

Maesters advise their lords on the operation of their households and lands. Some lords trust their maesters to open and read letters, and to convey their contents to them. Others prefer to do so for themselves. Maesters can be tasked with writing letters for their lords as well, and might be trusted to read and write the letters of those lords who are illiterate. They are in charge of the ravens used as messengers. Although most ravens can only be trained to fly to one castle, a few can be trained to distinguish between two, and rarely even more. Maesters assist in childbirth, treat illnesses, and teach children arithmetic, geometry, language, and history.

Even among the maesters who have earned a Valyrian link, representing the higher mysteries, there are those who believe that, though magic might have once been a mighty force in the world, it no longer is. They describe Valyria as the "last ember" of magic, which went out with the Doom. Most archmaesters do not care much for ideas concerning occult matters. The rare archmaester who does (e.g., Marwyn) can expect it to impact his reputation. It is said that all those who study the higher mysteries try their own hands at sorcery eventually, but always fail.

Some subjects are forbidden in the Citadel, including cutting open living people, or practicing necromancy.

Chain

Forging the chain, by Mike Capprotti © Fantasy Flight Games

A maester can be recognized by the chain he wears around his neck. The collar is intended to remind a maester of the realm he serves. The links of the chain can be made of every metal known to man. By earning their links, students "forge" their chain. Note, "forge" is metaphorical; though they do study metals at the Citadel, maesters do not necessarily train as blacksmiths. Maesters never remove their chain, not even when sleeping, and it is considered a great shame for a maester to surrender his chain. The Citadel can decide to strip a maester of his chain, thereby exiling him from the Citadel. This is done as a punishment for cutting open living people, or practicing necromancy. There may be other reasons the Citadel could strip a maester of their chain. It is unknown how many links one must earn to become a maester but it is known that you do not have to have every possible link, since for instance only on in a hundred maesters has a Valyrian steel link. It is known that it has to be more then nine links since the acolyte Lorcas has earned nine but is not yet eligible to become a maester.

A maester's chain, with links of different metals, by Tim Durning © Fantasy Flight Games

According to George R. R. Martin, it is possible to earn multiple links of the same metal. Multiple links of the same metal on a maester's chain signifies the expertise of the maester on the subject. The metals of which a student can earn links for their chain include:

• black iron, signifying ravenry
• brass
• bronze, signifying astronomy or astrology
• copper, signifying history
• electrum
• yellow gold, signifying mathematics or economics, that is the study of money and accounts or sums and numbers
• red gold
• iron, signifying warcraft
• lead
• pewter
• platinum
• silver, signifying medicine, healing, and the functions of the body
• steel
• tin
• Valyrian steel, signifying the higher mysteries

While there are only fifteen known links, and thus fifteen known subjects of expertise taught at the Citadel, there are twenty-one known current archmaesters of the Citadel, for only eight of whom a specialty is known. It is currently unknown if each of these archmaesters are specialized in a separate subject, or whether multiple archmaesters can be specialized in the same subject. However the fact that Maester Gormon takes Archmaester Walgrave's place in judging those attempting for the ravencraft link, but is not an Archmaester himself is a strong indication that there can only be one Archmaester per subject.

Only one maester in a hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel.

History

Although the origin of the Citadel is disputed, the Hightowers are considered to have been instrumental in its founding, as most accounts credit its foundation to Prince Peremore the Twisted, the second son of King Uthor of the High Tower. The curious Peremore invited numerous scholars, including wise men, teachers, priests, healers, singers, wizards, alchemists, and sorcerers, to Oldtown. After Peremore's death, his brother, King Urrigon, granted land alongside the Honeywine to "Peremore's pets", who developed the tract into the maesters' Citadel.

Before the Doom of Valyria, maesters and archmaesters often traveled to the Freehold of Valyria, searching for answers to the many questions they had.

In recent centuries, the maesters of the Citadel have supplanted the once powerful Alchemists' Guild through most of the Seven Kingdoms. In 54 AC, Queen Alysanne Targaryen unsuccessfully advised the Conclave to accept highborn girls into the Citadel.

Archmaester Marwyn believes that the Citadel is behind the deaths of the last Targaryen dragons, because of a conspiracy against magic and prophecy.

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

A raven with a message, by Raymond Bonilla © Fantasy Flight Games

When the red comet appears, the maesters are among the first to notice.

The Conclave gathers to consider the reports and measurements made by maesters all over the Seven Kingdoms. Based on that information, they declare the summer is over, and send out white ravens to herald the changing of the seasons.

Acting as Hand of the King, Tyrion Lannister has Grand Maester Pycelle thrown into the dungeons of the Red Keep as punishment for betraying his confidential information to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister.

A Storm of Swords

Accepting Pycelle's dismissal, the Conclave gathers to discuss who his successor should be. After pretending to consider two lowborn maesters, the Conclave comes close to electing Maester Gormon, who had been born a Tyrell of Highgarden. Thanks to the presence of his little birds at the Citadel, Lord Varys learns of this, and warns Lord Tywin Lannister, the Hand of the King. To prevent the Tyrells from gaining more influence at court, Tywin immediately restores Pycelle to his office.

A Feast for Crows

At the Citadel, the novice Pate steals a black key which supposedly opens every door in the Citadel. He trades the key with the Alchemist for a golden dragon. However, the Alchemist kills him, and assumes Pate's appearance and identity.

Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, sends his sworn brother Samwell Tarly to Oldtown to train at the Citadel and become a maester. Aemon, the maester of Castle Black, is send with Samwell, but following a long period of illness dies, shortly before they reach Oldtown. After hearing Aemon's interpretation of a prophecy, Archmaester Marwyn decides to travel to Slaver's Bay to reach Daenerys Targaryen.

A Dance with Dragons

Lady Barbrey Dustin expresses her distrust of maesters to Theon Greyjoy, and refers to them as "grey rats".

Following the fall of Cersei, Grand Maester Pycelle successfully seizes control of King Tommen I Baratheon and the small council. He offers Ser Kevan Lannister the regency. Together, they attempt to restore the damage done by Cersei and to mend the Lannister-Tyrell alliance that supports Tommen's hold on the Iron Throne. When he sees they are going to succeed, Varys, the former master of whisperers, assassinates both Pycelle and Kevan.

Known Members

Archmaesters

The archmaester's wrath, by Scott Murphy © Fantasy Flight Games

• Archmaester Agrivane
• Archmaester Benedict
• Archmaester Castos
• Archmaester Cetheres
• Archmaester Ebrose, the healer, whose ring and rod and mask are silver
• Archmaester Gallard
• Archmaester Garizon
• Archmaester Guyne
• Archmaester Harodon
• Archmaester Marwyn, called "Marwyn the Mage", whose ring and rod and mask are Valyrian steel
• Archmaester Mollos
• Archmaester Norren, the Seneschal of 299 AC, whose ring and rod and mask are electrum
• Archmaester Nymos
• Archmaester Ocley
• Archmaester Perestan, the historian, whose ring and rod and mask are copper
• Archmaester Ryam, whose ring and rod and mask are yellow gold
• Archmaester Theobald, the Seneschal of 300 AC, whose ring and rod and mask are lead
• Archmaester Vaellyn, called "Vinegar Vaellyn", the stargazer, whose ring and rod and mask are bronze
• Archmaester Walgrave, an old man of uncertain wit, whose ring and rod and mask are black iron
• Archmaester Willifer
• Archmaester Zarabelo

Maesters

Maester Aemon, treating his brother Prince Daeron Targaryen by wittythunderwitch

• Grand Maester {Pycelle}, served in King's Landing on the King's small council for over forty years. Murdered during the reign of King Tommen I.
• Maester {Aemon}, maester at Castle Black. Died while crossing the narrow sea.
• Maester Ballabar, maester at the Arbor, currently at the Red Keep.
• Maester Barneby.
• Maester Brenett, maester at the Twins.
• Maester Caleotte, maester at Sunspear.
• Maester Colemon, maester at the Eyrie.
• Maester {Cressen}, maester at Dragonstone. Died from drinking poison.
• Maester Creylen, maester at Casterly Rock.
• Maester Gormon, an uncle to Lord Mace Tyrell. Nearly elected as Grand Maester.
• Maester Gulian, currently with Ser Bonifer Hasty at Harrenhal.
• Maester Harmune, maester at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
• Maester Henly, maester in service of Lord Slate, currently at Winterfell.
• Maester Jon, originally of House Vance of Atranta.
• Maester Lomys, maester at Highgarden.
• Maester {Luwin}, previous maester at Winterfell. Killed during the sack of Winterfell by men of House Bolton.
• Maester Medrick, maester at the Hornwood, currently at Winterfell.
• Maester Melwys, originally a bastard of House Frey, maester at Rosby.
• Maester Mullin, maester at the Shadow Tower.
• Maester Myles, maester at Sunspear.
• Maester Omer, originally of House Florent, maester at Old Oak.
• Maester Pylos, maester at Dragonstone; Succeeded Cressen.
• Maester Rhodry, maester at Castle Cerwyn, currently at Winterfell.
• Maester Toman, maester at Ghost Hill.
• Maester Theomore, originally of House Lannister of Lannisport, in service at White Harbor.
• Maester Tybald, in service to the Dreadfort, currently with Arnolf Karstark at the Crofter's village near Winterfell.
• Maester Vyman, maester at Riverrun.
• Maester Wendamyr, maester at Pyke.
• Maester Willamen, originally of House Frey, maester at Longbow Hall.
• Maester Yandel, author of The World of Ice and Fire.
• Qyburn, a former maester who was stripped of his chain and title by the Citadel for conducting immoral research. Currently serves as advisor to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister.

Acolytes and Novices

• Acolyte Alleras, called "the Sphinx", a follower of Marwyn.
• Acolyte Armen, called "Armen the Acolyte" by his friends.
• Acolyte Robert Frey
• Acolyte Lorcas, an acolyte for fifty years who serves the Seneschal.
• Novice Mollander
• Novice {Pate}, who served as Archmaester Walgrave's personal assistant. Killed by the Alchemist, who currently resides at the Citadel, pretending to be Pate.
• Novice Roone
• Novice Samwell Tarly, a brother of the Night's Watch.
• Novice Leo Tyrell, called "Lazy Leo", a follower of Marwyn.

Historical members

Maesters

• Maester Alfador, who served House Hightower during the reign of Viserys I Targaryen.
• Maester Anselm, who served House Targaryen at Dragonstone during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
• Maester Beldon, who served at Casterly Rock during the rule of Lord Gerold Lannister
• Maester Bendamure, who wrote the book Six Times to Sea: Being an Account of the Great Voyages of Alyn Oakenfist.
• Maester Cerrick, a maester of ironborn origin who served House Webber.
• Maester Culiper, who served House Targaryen of Dragonstone during the reign of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
• Maester Gerardys, who served House Targaryen on Dragonstone during the reign of Viserys I Targaryen, later raised to Grand Maester by Rhaenyra Targaryen during the Dance of the Dragons.
• Maester Kym, maester at Riverrun during Catelyn Tully's childhood.
• Maester Kyrie, maester at Storm's End during the time of Lord Rogar Baratheon
• Maester Melaquin, who served Prince Maekar Targaryen while he held Summerhall.
• Maester Norren, who served House Mooton of Maidenpool during the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons.
• Maester Rowley, the Lord Confessor for King Aegon III Targaryen.
• Maester Ryben, the Citadel's foremost expert on banned, forbidden, fraudulent, and obscene texts.
• Maester Smike, who served House Farman of Fair Isle during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
• Maester Uthor, who served at the Dreadfort before 297 AC.
• Maester Walys, former maester of Winterfell and trusted advisor to Lord Rickard Stark.
• Maester Yormwell, the personal maester of Prince Baelor Targaryen at the end of the reign of Daeron I Targaryen.

Archmaesters

• Archmaester Abelon, who wrote the book When Women Ruled: Ladies of the Aftermath.
• Archmaester Crey, an Archmaester of the Citadel at the end of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's long reign.
• Archmaester Goodwyn, who wrote about the coming of King Jaehaerys I and his Queen Alysanne at Oldtown for the choosing of a new High Septon in 54 AC.
• Archmaester Gyldayn, who wrote The Princess and the Queen, The Rogue Prince, The Sons of the Dragon and Fire & Blood.
• Archmaester Haereg, who wrote History of the Ironborn.
• Archmaester Hake, an archmaester of ironborn origin.
• Archmaester Harmune, who wrote the book Watchers on the Wall.
• Archmaester Mancaster, who wrote the book Sea Demons: A History of the Children of the Drowned God of the Isles.
• Archmaester Lyman, who wrote the book Kingdoms of the Sky.
• Archmaester Sandeman, reputedly the wisest healer in the history of Westeros.
• Archmaester Umbert, who wrote about the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen.
• Archmaester Vaegon, born a Targaryen prince and called the Dragonless.
• Archmaester Rigney who wrote that history is a wheel.

Grand Maesters

Aegon I Targaryen (5–37 AC)

• Grand Maester Ollidar, the first to hold the office
• Grand Maester Lyonce
• Grand Maester Gawen

Aenys I Targaryen (37–42 AC)

• Grand Maester Gawen

Maegor I Targaryen (42–48 AC)

• Grand Maester Gawen, executed by Maegor
• Grand Maester Myros, executed by Maegor
• Grand Maester Desmond, executed by Maegor
• Grand Maester Benifer, the final Grand Maester to serve Maegor and the only one to survive his reign

Jaehaerys I Targaryen (48–103 AC)

• Grand Maester Benifer
• Grand Maester Elysar
• Grand Maester Allar
• Grand Maester Runciter

Viserys I Targaryen (103–129 AC)

• Grand Maester Runciter
• Grand Maester Mellos
• Grand Maester Orwyle

Dance of the Dragons (129–131 AC)
The Dance of the Dragons was a war between Prince Aegon the Elder and his older half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra. Both had their own council, each with their own Grand Maester.

Aegon II Targaryen

• Grand Maester Orwyle

Rhaenyra Targaryen

• Grand Maester Gerardys

Aegon III Targaryen (131–157 AC)

• Grand Maester Munkun
• Grand Maester Alford

Daeron I Targaryen (157–161 AC)

• Unknown

Baelor I Targaryen (161–171 AC)

• Grand Maester Munkun

Viserys II Targaryen (171–172 AC)

• Unknown

Aegon IV Targaryen (172–184 AC)

• Unknown

Daeron II Targaryen (184–209 AC)

• Unknown

Aerys I Targaryen (209–221 AC)

• The Grand Maester during the reign of Aerys I Targaryen, said to be steeped in sorcery

Maekar I Targaryen (221–233 AC)

• Unknown

Aegon V Targaryen (233–259 AC)

• Grand Maester Kaeth, wrote the book Lives of Four Kings
• Grand Maester Ellendor
• Grand Maester Merion was named to the office but died before arriving in King's Landing.
• Grand Maester Pycelle

Jaehaerys II Targaryen (259–262 AC)

• Grand Maester Pycelle

Aerys II Targaryen (262–283 AC)

• Grand Maester Pycelle

Robert I Baratheon (283–298 AC)

• Grand Maester Pycelle

Joffrey I Baratheon (298–300 AC)

• Grand Maester Pycelle

Tommen I Baratheon (300 AC)

• Grand Maester Pycelle

Unknown Reign

• Grand Maester Aethelmure, whose biography exists in the Library Tower at Winterfell and whose harsh view on poisoners is referenced by Grand Maester Pycelle
• Grand Maester Clegg, who speculated on the content of Prince Nymor Martell's letter to King Aegon I Targaryen
• Grand Maester Greydon, who wrote about the Triarchy
• Grand Maester Hareth, who was executed for treason
• Grand Maester Lucan, who wrote about the reasoning behind why King Aegon I Targaryen couldn't make peace with the Dornishmen at the end of the First Dornish War
• Grand Maester Malleon, who wrote the book The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms

Quotes

Jon: I remember once I asked Maester Luwin why he wore a chain around his throat.
Aemon: Go on.
Jon: He told me that a maester's collar is made of chain to remind him that he is sworn to serve. I asked why each link was a different metal. A silver chain would look much finer with his grey robes, I said. Maester Luwin laughed. A maester forges his chain with study, he told me. The different metals are each a different kind of learning, gold for the study of money and accounts, silver for healing, iron for warcraft. And he said there were other meanings as well. The collar is supposed to remind a maester of the realm he serves, isn't that so? Lords are gold and knights steel, but two links can't make a chain. You also need silver and iron and lead, tin and copper and bronze and all the rest, and those are farmers and smiths and merchants and the like. A chain needs all sorts of metals, and a land needs all sorts of people.

—Jon Snow and Aemon

There are some who call my order the knights of the mind ... Have you ever thought that you might wear a maester's chain? There is no limit to what you might learn ... I can teach you history, healing, herblore. I can teach you the speech of ravens, and how to build a castle, and the way a sailor steers his ship by the stars. I can teach you to measure the days and marks the seasons, and at the Citadel in Oldtown they can teach you a thousand things more. But, Bran, no man can teach you magic.

—Luwin to Bran Stark

Jon: Who are you?
Aemon: Only a maester of the Citadel, bound in service to Castle Black and the Night's Watch. In my order, we put aside our house names when we take our vows and don the collar.

—Jon Snow and Aemon

All the world knew that a maester forged his silver link when he learned the art of healing—but the world preferred to forget that men who knew how to heal also knew how to kill.

—thoughts of Cressen

He had no love of maesters. Their ravens were creatures of the Storm God, and he did not trust their healing, not since Urri. No proper man would choose a life of thralldom, nor forge a chain of servitude to wear about his throat.

—thoughts of Aeron Greyjoy

Barbrey: If I were queen, the first thing I would do would be to kill all those grey rats. They scurry everywhere, living on the leavings of the lords, chittering to one another, whispering in the ears of their masters. But who are the masters and who are the servants, truly? Every great lord has his maester, every lesser lord aspires to one. If you do not have a maester, it is taken to mean that you are of little consequence. The grey rats read and write our letters, even for such lords as cannot read themselves, and who can say for a certainty that they are not twisting the words for their own ends? What good are they, I ask you?
Theon: They heal.
Barbrey: They heal, yes. I never said they were not subtle. They tend to us when we are sick and injured, or distraught over the illness of a parent or a child. Whenever we are weakest and most vulnerable, there they are. Sometimes they heal us, and we are duly grateful. When they fail, they console us in our grief, and we are grateful for that as well. Out of gratitude we give them a place beneath our roof and make them privy to all our shames and secrets, a part of every council. And before too long, the ruler has become the ruled.

—Barbrey Dustin and Theon Greyjoy

Behind the scenes

In early drafts of A Clash of Kings and A Feast for Crows, additional metals used to forge the chains of the maesters are mentioned, including dark bronze, bright/white bronze, white gold, niello, and "the queer milky metal that the Citadel called starfall silver". Like the Valyrian steel, starfall silver (or "starsilver") is associated to the study of the higher mysteries.

See also

• Images of Maesters
• The Maester's Path - A viral marketing campaign for HBO's Game of Thrones.