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{|
{{Infobox settlement
{{Location map| File:The North.png
| name = White Harbor
| label = '''White Harbor'''
| image = [[File:Juan Carlos Barquet White Habor.jpg|300px]]
| lat = -33
| image_caption = White Harbor by Juan Carlos Barquet © Fantasy Flight Games
| long = 29
| settlement_type= Port City
| position = right
| location = [[north]], [[Westeros]]
| mark = Wolff2.PNG
| seat = [[House Manderly]]
| marksize = 9
| seat_type = [[Feudalism|feudal lord]]
| width = 350
| religion = [[Faith of the Seven]], [[old gods]]
| float = right
| population =  
| caption = [[The North]] and the location of White Harbor
| size =
| alt = [[The North]] and the location of White Harbor
| founded =  
| named_for = <!--Being the harbor at the mouth of the [[White Knife]]{{Fact}} Removed because the city could also be named after the color of its whitewashed stone buildings and walls.-->
| places = [[New Castle]], [[Wolf's Den]], [[Sept of the Snows]], [[Old Mint]]
| organizations =
}}
}}
|}
{{Location map|The North |long = 30 |lat = -37 |label = '''White Harbor''' |float = right |caption = The [[north]] and the location of White Harbor}}
'''White Harbor''' is a large harbor city, south of [[Winterfell]], seat of [[House Manderly]]. It's the largest settlement north of [[the Neck]], but the smallest among [[Westeros]] five major cities. White Harbor is the [[North]]'s primary trade port and it's location on the mouth of the [[White Knife]], provides further trade opportunities further North.{{Ref|aGoT|14}}


Due to its location White Harbor has much more contact with the south and there are more knights and followers of the [[Faith of the Seven]] in White Harbor than anywhere else in the North. The city has access to very good fishing grounds and is also the home of many silversmiths.
'''White Harbor''' is a harbor city in the [[north]] which contains the [[New Castle]], the seat of [[House Manderly]]. Located southeast of [[Winterfell]], it is the largest settlement north of the [[Neck]], but the smallest among the five major cities of [[Westeros]]. White Harbor is the north's primary trade port. Its location on the mouth of the [[White Knife]] provides opportunities for trade further north.{{Ref|AGOT|14}}{{ref|ADWD|9}}


==History==
Due to its location, White Harbor has more contact with southern Westeros and has a mixed population, and there are more [[knight]]s and followers of the [[Faith of the Seven]] in the city than anywhere else in the north.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/The_Drowned_God_and_More The Drowned God and More], July 14, 1999</ref> There are some followers of the [[old gods]] in White Harbor, but most follow the Seven.{{ref|ADWD|15}}
The castle and later city of White Harbor were founded by King [[Jon Stark]] after he drove out raiders who were using the harbor as a base for raids inland.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} Many centuries later the city was given to the Manderlys, an exiled house from the Mander River in [[the Reach]], for loyal service to the [[Kings in the North]].


==City==
==City==
The city located on the eastern shore of the White Knife. It's clean and well-ordered, with wide straight cobbled streets that made it easy to walk around. The houses were built of whitewashed stone, with steeply pitched roofs of dark grey slate.  
{{See also|:Category:Images of White Harbor|l1=Images of White Harbor}}
White Harbor is located on the eastern shore of the [[White Knife]], where the river empties into a firth of the [[Bite]].{{ref|ADWD|15}} The firth has been free of ice for centuries, even when in the depths of winter.{{ref|ADWD|9}}
 
White Harbor is clean and well-ordered, with wide straight cobbled streets that make it easy to walk around. Its houses are built of whitewashed stone, with steeply-pitched roofs of dark grey [[slate]].{{ref|ADWD|15}} According to a semi-canon source, there may be an offshoot branch of the [[House Stark|Starks]] in the city.<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/1239/ The Stark Family], June 10, 2003</ref> White Harbor is defended by city guardsmen.{{ref|ADWD|15}}
 
The city has access to a variety of seafood,{{ref|ACOK|21}}{{ref|ADWD|15}} and it is also the home of many [[ship]]wrights and [[silver]]smiths.{{ref|ASOS|73}} White Harbor is well regarded for its [[beer]], which includes ale,{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}} yellow beer,{{ref|ADWD|37}} and a thick black{{ref|ADWD|15}} stout{{ref|ADWD|37}} prized as far away as [[Braavos]] and the [[Port of Ibben]].{{ref|ADWD|15}} Ships frequently travel the Bite between White Harbor and the [[Three Sisters]]. White Harbor sells wood, wool, and hides, and in return the [[Sistermen]] sell [[crab]], fish, and [[goat]] [[cheese]].{{Ref|ADWD|9}}


===Outskirts===
===Outskirts===
* '''Seal Rock''', a massive stone dominating the approaches to the 'outer harbor', the rock is crowned with a ringfort of the First Men that stood desolate and abandoned for centuries, but currently occupied by crossbowmen with scorpions and spitfires. The stone is looming fifty feet above the waters, grey-green in colors and Seals often rest on it.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
* [[Seal Rock]] is a massive stone dominating the approaches to the Outer Harbor. It is crowned with a [[ringfort]] of weathered stones of the [[First Men]] that stood desolate and abandoned for centuries. However, the Manderlys fortify it with crossbowmen, [[Scorpion (weapon)|scorpions]], and spitfires. The stone looms fifty feet above the waters, grey-green in color. [[Seal]]s often rest on it.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
 
*The harbor is divided into the inner and outer harbors. The outer harbor is larger, but the inner harbor offers better anchorage and shelter by the city wall on one side and the looming mass of the Wolf's Den on another. A mile-long, thirty foot wall, with towers every hundred yards, is located on the jetty that separates the two harbors.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
 
*The [[Wolf's Den]] is an ancient fortress that now serves as a prison. It is located by the water and adjoins the city walls. Houses cling like barnacles to the walls of the Wolf's Den; one is a brewhouse which makes well-regarded black [[beer]]. The [[godswood of White Harbor]] is found within the prison's walls.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
 
*A fish market is located between the outer harbor and the Seal Gate. Seafood available at White Harbor include clams,{{ref|ACOK|21}} [[cod]],{{ref|ACOK|21}}{{ref|ADWD|15}} [[crab]]s,{{ref|ACOK|21}} [[eel]]s,{{ref|AGOT|55}} [[herring]],{{ref|ACOK|21}}{{ref|ADWD|15}} [[lamprey]]s,{{ref|ACOK|21}} [[lobster]],{{ref|ACOK|21}} mussels,{{ref|ACOK|21}} oysters,{{ref|ADWD|32}} [[salmon]],{{ref|ACOK|21}} [[whitefish]],{{ref|ACOK|21}} and [[winkle]]s.{{ref|ACOK|21}}
 
===Inside the walls===
[[File:Marc Fishman Old FishfootII.jpg|thumb|225px|Old Fishfoot by Marc Fishman ©]]
The city is protected by thick walls. The Seal Gate opens into the harbor.
 
* [[Fishfoot Yard]], a cobbled square with a fountain at its center, located just outside the Seal Gate. There is an alley leading to a brothel.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* The [[Old Mint]], located in Fishfoot Yard.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* The [[Lazy Eel]], a winesink renowned for offering the oldest [[whores]] and vilest wine in White Harbor, along with meat pies full of lard and gristle that are inedible on their best days and poisonous on their worst.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* [[Castle Stair]] is a stone street with steps which connects the Wolf's Den and the New Castle. It is lined with marble [[mermaids]] that light the way with bowls of burning [[whale]] oil cradled in their arms.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* The [[Sept of the Snows]] is a large sept with a domed roof surmounted by tall statues of [[Faith of the Seven|the Seven]].{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* A [[mummer]]'s hall where bawdy entertainments can be had for a few [[Currency|pennies]].{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* An inn famous for its lamprey pies.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
* An [[ale]]house where the wool factors and the customs men of White Harbor are known to come to drink.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
 
===New Castle===
* The [[New Castle]] is the seat of House Manderly. It is located on a hill inside the city wall, and the Castle Stair leads to its gates from the Wolf's Den below.{{ref|ADWD|15}} There is a secret passage beneath the Castle Stair connecting the New Castle with the cellars of the Wolf's Den.{{ref|ADWD|29}}
 
* The [[Merman's Court]] is the great hall of the New Castle where Lord Manderly holds court and feasts. Its walls, floor, and ceiling are made of wooden planks notched cunningly together and decorated with all the creatures of the sea.{{Ref|ADWD|19}}


* '''Harbor''', The harbor divided into Inner and Outer Harbor, the 'Outer Harbor' is larger, while the 'Inner Harbor' offers better anchorage and sheltered by the 'City Wall' on one side and the looming mass of the 'Wolf's Den' on another, and a mile long, thirty foot wall, with towers every hundred yards, in between, located on the jetty that separated it from the 'Outer Harbor'. The 'Outer Harbor' can hold a score of ships.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
==History==
===Antiquity===
The [[First Men]] constructed an ancient [[ringfort]] atop [[Seal Rock]] at the entrance to the harbor.{{ref|ADWD|15}}


* '''[[Wolf's Den]]''', the 'Old Castle', is an ancient fortress that now serves as a prison, It's located by the water, outside of the city walls. There is a godswood within its walls.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
King [[Jon Stark]] founded the [[Wolf's Den]],{{ref|ADWD|29}} a castle at the mouth of the [[White Knife]], after he drove out sea raiders who were using the harbor as a base for raids inland.{{Ref|AGOT|66}} For centuries the castle was held by various [[House Stark|Starks]] and offshoot branches, such as the [[House Greystark|Greystarks]]. Other families who were lords of the Wolf's Den in the past included the [[House Flint|Flints]], [[House Locke|Lockes]], [[House Slate|Slates]], [[House Long|Longs]], [[House Holt (north)|Holts]], and [[House Ashwood|Ashwoods]], all tasked by [[Winterfell]] to defend the White Knife.{{ref|ADWD|29}}


* '''Fish Market''', Located between the 'Outer Harbor' and the 'Seal Gate'.
===Foundation===
[[File:White Harbor by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|350px|White Harbor and [[Seal Rock]], by cabepfir ©]]
Between {{date|-1000}} and {{date|-600}},<ref group="N">When exactly [[House Manderly]] came north is unknown. In {{Date|211}}, Lady [[Rohanne Webber]] dated the flight of the Manderlys as having occurred "a thousand years" ago (''[[The Sworn Sword]]''). Lord [[Godric Borrell]] defines the time period to "no more than nine hundred years" before {{Date|300}} (''[[A Dance with Dragons]]'', [[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 9|Davos I]]). However, [[Wylla Manderly]] and Maester [[Yandel]] date the arrival of the Manderlys in the north back a bit further, "a thousand years before [[Aegon's Conquest|the Conquest]]" (''A Dance with Dragons'', [[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 19|Davos III]]) and "some thousand years before the Conquest", (''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', The North: The Kings of Winter) respectively. A semi-canon source lists "a thousand years before the Conquest" as well (''[[A World of Ice and Fire]]'', White Harbor) These accounts thus place the arrival of the Manderlys in the north between 1000 BC and 600 BC.</ref> [[House Manderly]] was driven into exile from the [[Mander]] in southern [[Westeros]] by Lord [[Lorimar Peake]] during the reign of [[Perceon III Gardener]], [[King of the Reach]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Kings of Winter}} The Starks welcomed the Manderlys to the north and accepted oaths of fealty from them in the Wolf's Den, giving them the ancient castle and the surrounding lands. This led to the creation of White Harbor around the Wolf's Den.{{Ref|ADWD|19}}{{ref|AWOIAF|Wolf's Den}}


===Inside The walls===
The Manderlys used their wealth from the [[Reach]] to build the new city, the architecture of which more closely resembles that of the Reach than other northern settlements.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Kings of Winter}} The Manderlys eventually built the [[New Castle]], said to be inspired by their lost southern seat of [[Dunstonbury]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|The North: The Kings of Winter}} and they receive visitors in its [[Merman's Court]].{{ref|ADWD|19}} The older, crumbling Wolf's Den is now used as a prison.{{ref|ADWD|19}}
The city is protected by thick walls, the 'Seal Gate' opens into the harbor.


* '''Fishfoot Yard''', cobbled square with a fountain at its center, Located just outside the 'Seal Gate'. there is an alley leading to a brothel.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
===Aegon the Conqueror===
* '''Old Mint''', located on the 'Fishfoot Yard', has seen no use in a long time, until recently when it was set as refuge shelter from the war.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
Ser [[Warrick Manderly]] led a fleet of hired [[Braavos]]i galleys from White Harbor to suppress the [[Sistermen's Rebellion]].{{ref|FAB|Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I}} King [[Aegon I Targaryen]] held court in White Harbor three times during his reign.{{ref|FAB|Three Heads Had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I}} Queen [[Rhaenys Targaryen]] arranged a marriage between a White Harbor knight and a girl from [[House Rowan]] who had been impregnated by a scullion.{{ref|FAB|Three Heads Had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I}}
* '''Lazy Eel''', A winesink renowned for offering the oldest whores and vilest wine in White Harbor, along with meat pies full of lard and gristle that were inedible on their best days and poisonous on their worst.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}


* '''[[Sept of Snow|The Sept of Snow]]''', is a large sept with the domed roof surmounted by tall statues of the Seven.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
===Good Queen Alysanne===
White Harbor prospered during the reign of [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen]] and under the rule of Lord [[Theomore Manderly]].{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}{{ref|FAB|The Long Reign - Policy, Progeny, and Pain}} The king and his queen, [[Alysanne Targaryen]], planned to make a great [[royal progress]] to the [[north]] in {{date|58}}. The royal retinue traveled in three ships to White Harbor before proceeding to [[Winterfell]]. As Jaehaerys was delayed in [[King's Landing]], Alysanne and the retinue went ahead without him. Tens of thousands of [[smallfolk]] came to see Alysanne and her [[Dragons|dragon]], [[Silverwing]]. Lord [[Theomore Manderly]] was surprised by the amount of smallfolk residing in his city.{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}


===The castle===
Alysanne's social and courtly skills were welcome in White Harbor, as the Manderlys enjoyed similar courtesies and pageantry on account of their [[southron]] origins. Theomore held a small [[tourney at White Harbor]] to honor the queen and to display the prowess of his [[knight]]s. A [[wildling]] woman, having been fostered as a girl with one of Theomore's household knights, dueled the queen's sworn shield, [[Jonquil Darke]]. A few days after the tournament, Queen Alysanne convened a southron-style "[[women's court]]" in Lord Manderly's hall, at which more than two hundred women and girls gathered to share their thoughts, concerns, and grievances with the queen.{{ref|FAB|Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies}}
The '''New Castle''' is the seat of House Manderly. It's located on a hill inside the city wall, a broad white stone way leads to it's gates from the Wolf's Den bellow. There is a secret passage connecting it to the 'Wolf's Den'.


* '''[[Merman's Court]]''', is the great hall of the New Castle where Lord Manderly holds court and feasts. Its walls, floor and ceiling were made of wooden planks notched cunningly together and decorated with all the creatures of the sea.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}
===The Dance and Its Aftermath===
[[File:Dimitri Bielak White Harbor Dromon.JPG|thumb|350px|White Harbor dromon by Dimitri Bielak © Fantasy Flight Games]]
During the [[Dance of the Dragons]], Prince [[Jacaerys Velaryon]] traveled to White Harbor and Winterfell on [[Vermax]] and convinced the north to join the [[blacks]]. Lord [[Desmond Manderly]] sent his sons, [[Medrick Manderly|Medrick]] and [[Torrhen Manderly|Torrhen]], to support [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]].{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} After the [[fall of King's Landing]], the two knights urged Rhaenyra to accompany them on the ''[[Violande]]'' back to White Harbor, but the queen refused.{{ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown}} Medrick and Torrhen returned to [[King's Landing]] with a hundred White Harbor knights for the wedding of [[Aegon III Targaryen]] to [[Jaehaera Targaryen]].{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}}
 
Thousands died of the [[Winter Fever]] in White Harbor in {{date|132}}, including Lord Desmond and Ser Medrick.{{ref|FAB|Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand}} The city suffered during the harsh winter of {{date|134}}, with some men selling themselves or family members into [[slavery]] in return for food. Lord [[Thaddeus Rowan]], the [[Hand of the King]], sent food to aid the [[northmen]], but more was always needed. White Harbor prospered during the brief rise of the [[Rogare Bank]]. [[Mushroom]] chose to accompany Lord Torrhen back to White Harbor after the [[regency of Aegon III|regent]] was dismissed by King Aegon III.{{ref|FAB|The Lysene Spring - The End of Regency}}
 
===Recent History===
White Harbor has not seen [[wildlings]] in centuries and has never been attacked by the [[ironborn]].{{ref|ADWD|19}} Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] last visited White Harbor in {{Date|294}}.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
 
[[Arya Stark]] accompanied her father, Lord [[Eddard Stark]], on two of his visits of the city.{{Ref|AFFC|22}}
 
The city's history is described in [[Maester]] [[Yorrick]]'s ''[[Wed to the Sea, Being an Account of the History of White Harbor from Its Earliest Days]]''.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Ancient History: The Dawn Age}} Maester [[Heriston]] also served in the city.{{Ref|TWOIAF|Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea}}


==Recent Events==
==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[Catelyn Stark]] hires the ''[[Storm Dancer]]'' to take her and Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] to [[King's Landing]] in White Harbor. Lady Catelyn returned the [[North]] from the [[Vale]] with Ser Rodrik and her uncle, [[Brynden Tully]] at White Harbor, She and her uncle left White Harbor with Ser [[Wylis Manderly]] his levies of nearly 1500 men to meet [[Robb Stark|Robb]] at [[Moat Cailin]]. Lord [[Wyman Manderly]] stayed behind to see to White Harbor's defenses and to raise a navy.
[[File:Jon Bosco White Harbor CaptainII.png|thumb|350px|White Harbor Captain by Jon Bosco © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Lady [[Catelyn Stark]] hires ''[[Storm Dancer]]'' to take her and Ser [[Rodrik Cassel]] to [[King's Landing]] from White Harbor. Lord [[Eddard Stark]] instructs Catelyn to have Lord [[Wyman Manderly]] repair and strengthen the defenses of White Harbor and insure they are well-manned.{{ref|AGOT|20}}
 
Catelyn returns to the north from the [[Vale of Arryn]] with Rodrik and her uncle, Ser [[Brynden Tully]], arriving at White Harbor. She and her uncle leave with Ser [[Wylis Manderly]] and his levies of nearly 1,500 men to meet her son, [[Robb Stark]], at [[Moat Cailin]]. Lord Wyman stays behind to see to White Harbor's defenses.{{ref|AGOT|55}} Robb is later proclaimed [[King in the North]] at [[Riverrun]].{{ref|AGOT|71}}
 
===''A Clash of Kings''===
Ser [[Davos Seaworth]] is sent by [[Stannis Baratheon]] with a chest of letters to spread word of [[Joffrey Baratheon]]'s illegitimacy. His route is to sail to White Harbor and other harbors along the [[narrow sea]].{{ref|ACOK|10}} Davos does not visit White Harbor, however.{{ref|ADWD|15}}


===A Storm of Swords===
While at [[Winterfell]] for the [[harvest feast]], Lord Wyman meets with [[Bran Stark]], Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Maester [[Luwin]]. He has appointed new customs officers at White Harbor, as the previous officials had held back [[silver]] for the [[Iron Throne]] instead of Robb, the new [[King in the North]]. Wyman offers to [[Old Mint|mint]] coins for Robb, informs of White Harbor's defenses, and proposes to build the king a new warfleet of galleys, with Rodrik saying he will inform Robb of the proposal. Rodrik commands [[Hother Umber|Hother]] and [[Mors Umber]] to work with Wyman in building longships to combat [[wildlings]].{{ref|ACOK|16}} Twenty casks of seafood are brought from White Harbor for the feast.{{ref|ACOK|21}}
[[Maester Aemon]] sent a raven to White Harbor in a plea for help to defend [[Castle Black]] from [[wildlings]].  


===A Feast for Crows===
After hearing of the [[ironborn]] threat to [[Torrhen's Square]], Maester Luwin sends [[raven]]s to White Harbor, the [[barrowlands]], and the [[wolfswood]] with instructions to summon their levies. While [[Theon Greyjoy]] is [[capture of Winterfell|capturing Winterfell]], Luwin is able to send another [[raven]] to alert White Harbor.{{ref|ACOK|46}} Lord Wyman then sends a dozen barges up the [[White Knife]] packed with knights, warhorses, and siege engines.{{ref|ACOK|56}} The Manderly contingent is betrayed and defeated by [[House Bolton]] in the [[battle at Winterfell]], however.{{ref|ACOK|66}}
It is reported to queen [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] that [[Davos Seaworth]] was  executed in White Harbor and his head head and hand grace the walls of White Harbor.


===A Dance with Dragons===
===''A Storm of Swords''===
Davos notes the large navy when he arrives in White Harbor, noting the inner harbor is filled with twenty-three war galleys.{{Ref|aDwD|15}}. [[Davos Seaworth]] comes to White Harbour, to treat with Manderly on behalf of Stannis. He is preceded, however, by envoys of [[House Frey]] ([[Rhaegar Frey]], Ser [[Jared Frey]] and [[Symond Frey]]), who have come with the remains of one of Lord [[Wyman Manderly]]'s sons who died at the Red Wedding.{{Ref|aDwD|15}} Davos appears before Merman's Court to present the case for the [[House Manderly|Manderlys]] to support [[Stannis]]. To save his living son, who is a captive at Harrenhal, Lord Manderly has Davos dragged off  to prison  as a traitor, in the presence of the Freys.{{Ref|aDwD|19}} Manderly has Davos imprisoned in the Wolf's Den, but has a different prisoner in the cell executed. The prisoner is beheaded, his head dipped in tar. The fingers of one of his hands are also cut off to resemble Davos. The head and hands are then put up on spikes on the walls of White Harbour to give the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] and Freys reason to believe in [[House Manderly]]'s loyalty to the [[Iron Throne]]. Once Manderly has sent a false report to the Iron Throne and gotten his son and heir, Ser [[Wylis Manderly]], back, he frees Davos.  He tells Davos that he will swear his allegiance to Stannis if Davos retrieves [[Rickon Stark]]. Manderly has discovered the boy is alive, but needs a smuggler to retrieve him from Skagos.{{Ref|aDwD|29}}
Maester [[Aemon Targaryen (son of Maekar I)|Aemon]] of the [[Night's Watch]] sends a raven to White Harbor in a plea for help to defend [[attack on Castle Black|Castle Black]] from [[wildlings]].{{ref|ASOS|55}}


==References and Notes==
===''A Feast for Crows''===
{{references|2}}
It is reported to Queen Regent [[Cersei Lannister]] that [[Davos Seaworth]] has been executed in White Harbor and that his head and hand grace the walls of White Harbor.{{ref|AFFC|24}}


===''A Dance with Dragons''===
[[File:Folko Streese white harbour.JPG|thumb|350px|White Harbor by Folko Streese © Fantasy Flight Games]]
Sent by [[Stannis Baratheon]] to negotiate with [[House Manderly]], Lord [[Davos Seaworth]] returns to White Harbor for the first time in six years.{{ref|ADWD|15}} The Onion Lord notes the large navy when he arrives in White Harbor, with the inner harbor filled with twenty-three war galleys, and that [[Seal Rock]] has been occupied.{{Ref|ADWD|15}} Davos is preceded, however, by envoys of [[House Frey]]. [[Rhaegar Frey|Rhaegar]], [[Jared Frey|Jared]] and [[Symond Frey]] have come with the remains of Ser [[Wendel Manderly]], who died at the [[Red Wedding]]. Davos notices that the [[Old Mint]] is now being used to shelter refugees, and he visits the [[Lazy Eel]] to gather information.{{Ref|ADWD|15}}
Davos appears before the [[Merman's Court]] in the [[New Castle]] to present the case for the Manderlys to support Stannis. To save his living son and heir, Ser [[Wylis Manderly]], who is a captive at [[Harrenhal]], Lord Manderly has Davos dragged to prison as a traitor, in the presence of the Freys.{{Ref|ADWD|19}}
Wyman has Davos imprisoned in the [[Wolf's Den]], but has a different prisoner in the cell executed. The prisoner is beheaded, his head dipped in tar. The fingers of one of his hands are also cut off to resemble Davos. The head and hands are then put up on spikes on the walls of White Harbor to give the [[House Lannister|Lannisters]] and Freys reason to believe in House Manderly's loyalty to the [[Iron Throne]].{{ref|ADWD|29}}
Once Wyman has sent a false report to the Iron Throne and has Wylis returned, the Lord of White Harbor has [[Robett Glover]] free Davos and bring him through a secret passage to the New Castle. He tells the Onion Knight that he will swear his allegiance to Stannis Baratheon if Davos retrieves [[Rickon Stark]]. Via [[Wex Pyke]], Wyman has discovered the boy is alive, but needs a smuggler to retrieve him from [[Skagos]].{{Ref|ADWD|29}}
Wyman travels to [[Barrowton]] and then Winterfell for the [[wedding of Ramsay Bolton and Arya Stark]] with three hundred men, including one hundred knights.{{ref|ADWD|46}} His retinue includes musicians from White Harbor{{ref|ADWD|37}} and forty wayns of foodstuffs.{{ref|ADWD|32}}
==Quotes==
{{quote|White Harbor is to [[King's Landing]] as my brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is to Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].{{ref|ASOS|62}}|[[Jaime Lannister]] to [[Brienne Tarth]]}}
{{quote|If [[Winterfell]] was the heart of the [[north]], White Harbor was its mouth.{{ref|ADWD|9}}|thoughts of [[Davos Seaworth]]}}
{{quote|[[Roro Uhoris]], the ''[[Cobblecat]]'''s cranky old master, used to claim that he could tell one port from another just by the way they smelled. Cities were like women, he insisted; each one had its own unique scent. [[Oldtown]] was as flowery as a perfumed dowager. [[Lannisport]] was a milkmaid, fresh and earthy, with woodsmoke in her hair. [[King's Landing]] reeked like some unwashed [[whore]]. But White Harbor's scent was sharp and salty, and a little fishy too. "She smells the way a [[mermaid]] ought to smell," Roro said. "She smells of the sea."{{ref|ADWD|15}}|thoughts of [[Davos Seaworth]]}}
{{quote|We are good people in White Harbor, lawful, loyal people.{{ref|ADWD|19}}|[[Leona Woolfield]] to [[Davos Seaworth]]}}
{{quote|'''Ramsay''': Lord Pig must have brought half the food in White Harbor with him.<br>'''Roose''': Forty wayns full of foodstuffs. Casks of [[wine]] and [[hippocras]], barrels of fresh-caught [[lamprey]]s, a herd of [[goat]]s, a hundred [[pig]]s, crates of [[crab]]s and oysters, a monstrous [[cod]]fish ... Lord [[Wyman Manderly|Wyman]] likes to eat. You may have noticed.{{ref|ADWD|32}}|[[Ramsay Snow|Ramsay Bolton]] and [[Roose Bolton]]}}
==Chapters that take place at White Harbor==
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 15|''A Dance with Dragons'': 15. Davos II]]
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 19|''A Dance with Dragons'': 19. Davos III]]
*[[A Dance with Dragons-Chapter 29|''A Dance with Dragons'': 29. Davos IV]]
==Notes==
{{Notes}}
==References==
{{references}}
{{Region North‎}}
{{Cities}}
[[Category:White Harbor| ]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Cities]]
[[Category:Castles]]
[[Category:Harbors]]
[[Category:House Manderly]]
[[Category:Places in the North]]
[[Category:Strongholds]]
[[Category:Strongholds]]
[[Category:Places in the North]]
 
[[es:Puerto Blanco]]
[[fa:وایت هاربر]]
[[fr:Blancport]]
[[fr:Blancport]]
[[pt:Porto Branco]]
[[ru:Белая Гавань]]
[[ru:Белая Гавань]]
[[zh:&#30333;&#28207;]]
[[zh:&#30333;&#28207;]]

Latest revision as of 02:29, 29 August 2026

White Harbor
Port City
White Harbor by Juan Carlos Barquet © Fantasy Flight Games
Location north, Westeros
Government House Manderly, feudal lord
Religion Faith of the Seven, old gods
Notable places New Castle, Wolf's Den, Sept of the Snows, Old Mint
White Harbor is located in The North
White Harbor
The north and the location of White Harbor

White Harbor is a harbor city in the north which contains the New Castle, the seat of House Manderly. Located southeast of Winterfell, it is the largest settlement north of the Neck, but the smallest among the five major cities of Westeros. White Harbor is the north's primary trade port. Its location on the mouth of the White Knife provides opportunities for trade further north.[1][2]

Due to its location, White Harbor has more contact with southern Westeros and has a mixed population, and there are more knights and followers of the Faith of the Seven in the city than anywhere else in the north.[3] There are some followers of the old gods in White Harbor, but most follow the Seven.[4]

City

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See also: Images of White Harbor

White Harbor is located on the eastern shore of the White Knife, where the river empties into a firth of the Bite.[4] The firth has been free of ice for centuries, even when in the depths of winter.[2]

White Harbor is clean and well-ordered, with wide straight cobbled streets that make it easy to walk around. Its houses are built of whitewashed stone, with steeply-pitched roofs of dark grey slate.[4] According to a semi-canon source, there may be an offshoot branch of the Starks in the city.[5] White Harbor is defended by city guardsmen.[4]

The city has access to a variety of seafood,[6][4] and it is also the home of many shipwrights and silversmiths.[7] White Harbor is well regarded for its beer, which includes ale,[8] yellow beer,[9] and a thick black[4] stout[9] prized as far away as Braavos and the Port of Ibben.[4] Ships frequently travel the Bite between White Harbor and the Three Sisters. White Harbor sells wood, wool, and hides, and in return the Sistermen sell crab, fish, and goat cheese.[2]

Outskirts

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  • Seal Rock is a massive stone dominating the approaches to the Outer Harbor. It is crowned with a ringfort of weathered stones of the First Men that stood desolate and abandoned for centuries. However, the Manderlys fortify it with crossbowmen, scorpions, and spitfires. The stone looms fifty feet above the waters, grey-green in color. Seals often rest on it.[4]
  • The harbor is divided into the inner and outer harbors. The outer harbor is larger, but the inner harbor offers better anchorage and shelter by the city wall on one side and the looming mass of the Wolf's Den on another. A mile-long, thirty foot wall, with towers every hundred yards, is located on the jetty that separates the two harbors.[4]
  • The Wolf's Den is an ancient fortress that now serves as a prison. It is located by the water and adjoins the city walls. Houses cling like barnacles to the walls of the Wolf's Den; one is a brewhouse which makes well-regarded black beer. The godswood of White Harbor is found within the prison's walls.[4]

Inside the walls

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Old Fishfoot by Marc Fishman ©

The city is protected by thick walls. The Seal Gate opens into the harbor.

  • Fishfoot Yard, a cobbled square with a fountain at its center, located just outside the Seal Gate. There is an alley leading to a brothel.[4]
  • The Old Mint, located in Fishfoot Yard.[4]
  • The Lazy Eel, a winesink renowned for offering the oldest whores and vilest wine in White Harbor, along with meat pies full of lard and gristle that are inedible on their best days and poisonous on their worst.[4]
  • Castle Stair is a stone street with steps which connects the Wolf's Den and the New Castle. It is lined with marble mermaids that light the way with bowls of burning whale oil cradled in their arms.[4]
  • The Sept of the Snows is a large sept with a domed roof surmounted by tall statues of the Seven.[4]
  • A mummer's hall where bawdy entertainments can be had for a few pennies.[4]
  • An inn famous for its lamprey pies.[4]
  • An alehouse where the wool factors and the customs men of White Harbor are known to come to drink.[4]

New Castle

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  • The New Castle is the seat of House Manderly. It is located on a hill inside the city wall, and the Castle Stair leads to its gates from the Wolf's Den below.[4] There is a secret passage beneath the Castle Stair connecting the New Castle with the cellars of the Wolf's Den.[12]
  • The Merman's Court is the great hall of the New Castle where Lord Manderly holds court and feasts. Its walls, floor, and ceiling are made of wooden planks notched cunningly together and decorated with all the creatures of the sea.[13]

History

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Antiquity

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The First Men constructed an ancient ringfort atop Seal Rock at the entrance to the harbor.[4]

King Jon Stark founded the Wolf's Den,[12] a castle at the mouth of the White Knife, after he drove out sea raiders who were using the harbor as a base for raids inland.[14] For centuries the castle was held by various Starks and offshoot branches, such as the Greystarks. Other families who were lords of the Wolf's Den in the past included the Flints, Lockes, Slates, Longs, Holts, and Ashwoods, all tasked by Winterfell to defend the White Knife.[12]

Foundation

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White Harbor and Seal Rock, by cabepfir ©

Between 1,000 BC and 600 BC,[N 1] House Manderly was driven into exile from the Mander in southern Westeros by Lord Lorimar Peake during the reign of Perceon III Gardener, King of the Reach.[15] The Starks welcomed the Manderlys to the north and accepted oaths of fealty from them in the Wolf's Den, giving them the ancient castle and the surrounding lands. This led to the creation of White Harbor around the Wolf's Den.[13][16]

The Manderlys used their wealth from the Reach to build the new city, the architecture of which more closely resembles that of the Reach than other northern settlements.[15] The Manderlys eventually built the New Castle, said to be inspired by their lost southern seat of Dunstonbury,[15] and they receive visitors in its Merman's Court.[13] The older, crumbling Wolf's Den is now used as a prison.[13]

Aegon the Conqueror

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Ser Warrick Manderly led a fleet of hired Braavosi galleys from White Harbor to suppress the Sistermen's Rebellion.[17] King Aegon I Targaryen held court in White Harbor three times during his reign.[18] Queen Rhaenys Targaryen arranged a marriage between a White Harbor knight and a girl from House Rowan who had been impregnated by a scullion.[18]

Good Queen Alysanne

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White Harbor prospered during the reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen and under the rule of Lord Theomore Manderly.[8][19] The king and his queen, Alysanne Targaryen, planned to make a great royal progress to the north in 58 AC. The royal retinue traveled in three ships to White Harbor before proceeding to Winterfell. As Jaehaerys was delayed in King's Landing, Alysanne and the retinue went ahead without him. Tens of thousands of smallfolk came to see Alysanne and her dragon, Silverwing. Lord Theomore Manderly was surprised by the amount of smallfolk residing in his city.[8]

Alysanne's social and courtly skills were welcome in White Harbor, as the Manderlys enjoyed similar courtesies and pageantry on account of their southron origins. Theomore held a small tourney at White Harbor to honor the queen and to display the prowess of his knights. A wildling woman, having been fostered as a girl with one of Theomore's household knights, dueled the queen's sworn shield, Jonquil Darke. A few days after the tournament, Queen Alysanne convened a southron-style "women's court" in Lord Manderly's hall, at which more than two hundred women and girls gathered to share their thoughts, concerns, and grievances with the queen.[8]

The Dance and Its Aftermath

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White Harbor dromon by Dimitri Bielak © Fantasy Flight Games

During the Dance of the Dragons, Prince Jacaerys Velaryon traveled to White Harbor and Winterfell on Vermax and convinced the north to join the blacks. Lord Desmond Manderly sent his sons, Medrick and Torrhen, to support Rhaenyra Targaryen.[20] After the fall of King's Landing, the two knights urged Rhaenyra to accompany them on the Violande back to White Harbor, but the queen refused.[21] Medrick and Torrhen returned to King's Landing with a hundred White Harbor knights for the wedding of Aegon III Targaryen to Jaehaera Targaryen.[22]

Thousands died of the Winter Fever in White Harbor in 132 AC, including Lord Desmond and Ser Medrick.[22] The city suffered during the harsh winter of 134 AC, with some men selling themselves or family members into slavery in return for food. Lord Thaddeus Rowan, the Hand of the King, sent food to aid the northmen, but more was always needed. White Harbor prospered during the brief rise of the Rogare Bank. Mushroom chose to accompany Lord Torrhen back to White Harbor after the regent was dismissed by King Aegon III.[23]

Recent History

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White Harbor has not seen wildlings in centuries and has never been attacked by the ironborn.[13] Ser Davos Seaworth last visited White Harbor in 294 AC.[4]

Arya Stark accompanied her father, Lord Eddard Stark, on two of his visits of the city.[24]

The city's history is described in Maester Yorrick's Wed to the Sea, Being an Account of the History of White Harbor from Its Earliest Days.[25] Maester Heriston also served in the city.[26]

Recent Events

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A Game of Thrones

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White Harbor Captain by Jon Bosco © Fantasy Flight Games

Lady Catelyn Stark hires Storm Dancer to take her and Ser Rodrik Cassel to King's Landing from White Harbor. Lord Eddard Stark instructs Catelyn to have Lord Wyman Manderly repair and strengthen the defenses of White Harbor and insure they are well-manned.[27]

Catelyn returns to the north from the Vale of Arryn with Rodrik and her uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, arriving at White Harbor. She and her uncle leave with Ser Wylis Manderly and his levies of nearly 1,500 men to meet her son, Robb Stark, at Moat Cailin. Lord Wyman stays behind to see to White Harbor's defenses.[10] Robb is later proclaimed King in the North at Riverrun.[28]

A Clash of Kings

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Ser Davos Seaworth is sent by Stannis Baratheon with a chest of letters to spread word of Joffrey Baratheon's illegitimacy. His route is to sail to White Harbor and other harbors along the narrow sea.[29] Davos does not visit White Harbor, however.[4]

While at Winterfell for the harvest feast, Lord Wyman meets with Bran Stark, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Maester Luwin. He has appointed new customs officers at White Harbor, as the previous officials had held back silver for the Iron Throne instead of Robb, the new King in the North. Wyman offers to mint coins for Robb, informs of White Harbor's defenses, and proposes to build the king a new warfleet of galleys, with Rodrik saying he will inform Robb of the proposal. Rodrik commands Hother and Mors Umber to work with Wyman in building longships to combat wildlings.[30] Twenty casks of seafood are brought from White Harbor for the feast.[6]

After hearing of the ironborn threat to Torrhen's Square, Maester Luwin sends ravens to White Harbor, the barrowlands, and the wolfswood with instructions to summon their levies. While Theon Greyjoy is capturing Winterfell, Luwin is able to send another raven to alert White Harbor.[31] Lord Wyman then sends a dozen barges up the White Knife packed with knights, warhorses, and siege engines.[32] The Manderly contingent is betrayed and defeated by House Bolton in the battle at Winterfell, however.[33]

A Storm of Swords

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Maester Aemon of the Night's Watch sends a raven to White Harbor in a plea for help to defend Castle Black from wildlings.[34]

A Feast for Crows

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It is reported to Queen Regent Cersei Lannister that Davos Seaworth has been executed in White Harbor and that his head and hand grace the walls of White Harbor.[35]

A Dance with Dragons

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White Harbor by Folko Streese © Fantasy Flight Games

Sent by Stannis Baratheon to negotiate with House Manderly, Lord Davos Seaworth returns to White Harbor for the first time in six years.[4] The Onion Lord notes the large navy when he arrives in White Harbor, with the inner harbor filled with twenty-three war galleys, and that Seal Rock has been occupied.[4] Davos is preceded, however, by envoys of House Frey. Rhaegar, Jared and Symond Frey have come with the remains of Ser Wendel Manderly, who died at the Red Wedding. Davos notices that the Old Mint is now being used to shelter refugees, and he visits the Lazy Eel to gather information.[4]

Davos appears before the Merman's Court in the New Castle to present the case for the Manderlys to support Stannis. To save his living son and heir, Ser Wylis Manderly, who is a captive at Harrenhal, Lord Manderly has Davos dragged to prison as a traitor, in the presence of the Freys.[13]

Wyman has Davos imprisoned in the Wolf's Den, but has a different prisoner in the cell executed. The prisoner is beheaded, his head dipped in tar. The fingers of one of his hands are also cut off to resemble Davos. The head and hands are then put up on spikes on the walls of White Harbor to give the Lannisters and Freys reason to believe in House Manderly's loyalty to the Iron Throne.[12]

Once Wyman has sent a false report to the Iron Throne and has Wylis returned, the Lord of White Harbor has Robett Glover free Davos and bring him through a secret passage to the New Castle. He tells the Onion Knight that he will swear his allegiance to Stannis Baratheon if Davos retrieves Rickon Stark. Via Wex Pyke, Wyman has discovered the boy is alive, but needs a smuggler to retrieve him from Skagos.[12]

Wyman travels to Barrowton and then Winterfell for the wedding of Ramsay Bolton and Arya Stark with three hundred men, including one hundred knights.[36] His retinue includes musicians from White Harbor[9] and forty wayns of foodstuffs.[11]

Quotes

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White Harbor is to King's Landing as my brother Tyrion is to Ser Gregor Clegane.[37]

—Jaime Lannister to Brienne Tarth

If Winterfell was the heart of the north, White Harbor was its mouth.[2]

—thoughts of Davos Seaworth

Roro Uhoris, the Cobblecat's cranky old master, used to claim that he could tell one port from another just by the way they smelled. Cities were like women, he insisted; each one had its own unique scent. Oldtown was as flowery as a perfumed dowager. Lannisport was a milkmaid, fresh and earthy, with woodsmoke in her hair. King's Landing reeked like some unwashed whore. But White Harbor's scent was sharp and salty, and a little fishy too. "She smells the way a mermaid ought to smell," Roro said. "She smells of the sea."[4]

—thoughts of Davos Seaworth

We are good people in White Harbor, lawful, loyal people.[13]

—Leona Woolfield to Davos Seaworth

Ramsay: Lord Pig must have brought half the food in White Harbor with him.
Roose: Forty wayns full of foodstuffs. Casks of wine and hippocras, barrels of fresh-caught lampreys, a herd of goats, a hundred pigs, crates of crabs and oysters, a monstrous codfish ... Lord Wyman likes to eat. You may have noticed.[11]

—Ramsay Bolton and Roose Bolton

Chapters that take place at White Harbor

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Notes

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  1. ↑ When exactly House Manderly came north is unknown. In 211 AC, Lady Rohanne Webber dated the flight of the Manderlys as having occurred "a thousand years" ago (The Sworn Sword). Lord Godric Borrell defines the time period to "no more than nine hundred years" before 300 AC (A Dance with Dragons, Davos I). However, Wylla Manderly and Maester Yandel date the arrival of the Manderlys in the north back a bit further, "a thousand years before the Conquest" (A Dance with Dragons, Davos III) and "some thousand years before the Conquest", (The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Kings of Winter) respectively. A semi-canon source lists "a thousand years before the Conquest" as well (A World of Ice and Fire, White Harbor) These accounts thus place the arrival of the Manderlys in the north between 1000 BC and 600 BC.

References

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  1. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 14, Catelyn III.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 9, Davos I.
  3. ↑ So Spake Martin: The Drowned God and More, July 14, 1999
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 15, Davos II.
  5. ↑ So Spake Martin: The Stark Family, June 10, 2003
  6. ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 21, Bran III.
  7. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 73, Jon X.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 37, The Prince of Winterfell.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 55, Catelyn VIII.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 32, Reek III.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 29, Davos IV.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 19, Davos III.
  14. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 66, Bran VII.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Kings of Winter.
  16. ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Wolf's Den.
  17. ↑ Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Fire & Blood, Three Heads Had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I.
  19. ↑ Fire & Blood, The Long Reign - Policy, Progeny, and Pain.
  20. ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant.
  21. ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
  23. ↑ Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring - The End of Regency.
  24. ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 22, Arya II.
  25. ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: The Dawn Age.
  26. ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Beyond the Free Cities: The Shivering Sea.
  27. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
  28. ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn XI.
  29. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.
  30. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 16, Bran II.
  31. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 46, Bran VI.
  32. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 56, Theon V.
  33. ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 66, Theon VI.
  34. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 55, Jon VII.
  35. ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 24, Cersei V.
  36. ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 46, A Ghost in Winterfell.
  37. ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 62, Jaime VII.
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