Barristan Selmy

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Barristan Selmy
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Ian McElhinney as Baristan Selmy
Ian McElhinney as Baristan Selmy

Aliases
  • Barristan the Bold
  • Arstan Whitebeard
  • Ser Grandfather
  • Barristan the Old
Titles
Allegiances
Culture Westeros
Born 237 AC
Books

Played by Ian McElhinney
TV series Season 1

Ser Barristan Selmy, called "Barristan the Bold," is a celebrated hero and knight of the Kingsguard, serving throughout a time when the Kingsguard were considered to be the greatest knights of the realm. In the TV series, he is played by Ian McElhinney.[1]

Character and Appearance

Selmy is one of the most skilled and respected knights in the Seven Kingdoms.

Selmy is tall and has blue eyes[2], Daenerys considers them sad. He is an older man (sixty at the series' beginning), with long white hair and lined features. Daenerys considers him handsome at least for an older man. Despite his advanced age looks strong and graceful and every bit the skilled knight he was in his youth. During his time in the Kingsguard, like all members of the Kingsguard, he wore white, from his suit of enameled scale armor to his shield.[3]

Queensguard armour

In Meereen, as a token of her esteem, Daenerys Targaryen gifts Ser Barristan Selmy, her Lord Commander, with armour.

The mail is gilded, finely wrought, the links as supple as good leather, the plate enameled, hard as ice and bright as new fallen snow. A dagger goes on one hip, his longsword on the other; it hangs from a white leather belt with golden buckles. Last of all he fastens a long white cloak about his shoulders.

The helm has a narrow eye slit and ornate dragon’s wings, splendid to look upon. He leaves the helm on its hook for his confrontation with Hizdahr zo Loraq. He leaves it for his next tourney, if the Seven should grant him one.

History

Early Life

Barristan was born the first son of Ser Lyonel Selmy, the Knight of Harvest Hall. He squired for Lord Manfred Swann in his youth.[4][5] At the age of ten, Barristan donned the armor of a mystery knight and entered a tourney at Blackhaven. Prince Duncan took pity on the small mystery knight while others laughed. Duncan jousted Selmy when no one else would and it was Prince Duncan who gave Barristan his epithet.

He received his knighthood at the age of sixteen from King Aegon V after unhorsing Prince Duncan and Lord Commander Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard at a tourney in King's Landing.[6] An eminently successful tourney knight throughout his career, he also proved his worth on the battlefield, killing Maelys the Monstrous in single combat in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, ending the line of the Blackfyre pretenders after cutting a bloody swath through the Golden Company to get to him.[7] He was named to the Kingsguard at the age of twenty-three and swore his vows before Ser Gerold Hightower, during the reign of Jaehaerys II.[6] In joining the Kingsguard, he gave up the claim to his family seat, and the girl he was to wed was married to his cousin instead.[8][5]

In the Kingsguard

During the Defiance of Duskendale, Lord Hand Tywin Lannister sent Selmy to rescue the captive King Aerys II. Ser Barristan slew Ser Symon Hollard, avenging the death of his sworn brother Ser Gwayne Gaunt and freeing the king. In the aftermath of the Defiance, he pleaded for the life of the child Dontos Hollard, to which King Aerys acquiesced.[9] Later in Aerys's reign, during the Kingsguard's campaign against the outlaw Kingswood Brotherhood, Barristan rescued Lady Jeyne Swann and her septa, and killed the bandits' leader Ser Simon Toyne in single combat. He defeated Prince Rhaegar Targaryen in the final joust to win the tourney held at Storm's End.[10]

He, like his other sworn brothers of the Kingsguard, was present at the tourney at Harrenhal. He was infatuated by the Lady Ashara Dayne, though he knew nothing could come of his desire for her. He planned on naming her Queen of Love and Beauty if he won the tournament, but was unhorsed by Rhaegar Targaryen. Rhaegar then crowned Lyanna Stark, setting off a chain of events that led to Robert's Rebellion. Selmy wonders if he could have averted the war if he had defeated Rhaegar in the tournament. He also fantasizes that, if he had won the tourney and crowned Ashara, perhaps she would have turned to him "instead of Stark." He thinks of the consequences of his unspoken love for Ashara as one of his many failures.[11]

During the War of the Usurper, after the defeat of Lord Jon Connington at the Battle of the Bells, Ser Barristan, with Ser Jonothor Darry was sent to rally the remnants of Connington's army.[12] He was severely wounded at the Battle of the Trident. Lord Roose Bolton counseled that his throat should be cut, but Robert instead called for maesters to attend him. Though he fought bravely for the Targaryens during the rebellion which overthrew them, Barristan later took the new king's pardon and became the Lord Commander of Robert's Kingsguard.[13] Ser Barristan did not approve of Jaime Lannister being allowed to continue his service, having had reservations about the Kingslayer even before he earned his epithet. After Jaime slew Aerys he was quoted by Tyrion Lannister as saying Ser Jaime's white cloak should be traded for a black one, agreeing with Ned Stark that Jaime should be exiled to the Wall [14].

Selmy had moral reservations about serving the Usurper, but served loyally nonetheless. Selmy recalled, however, that if he had seen Robert smile when Tywin Lannister presented him with the bodies of Rhaegar's children, he would never have served Robert and nothing on earth would have stopped Selmy from killing him. Selmy loathed seeing the deaths of children, as illustrated by his asking that the babe Dontos Hollard be spared when House Hollard was destroyed after the Defiance of Duskendale.

During the Greyjoy Rebellion, Selmy led the attack on Old Wyk.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Barristan is a formidable fighter even in his advanced years, having won the championship of a tourney at King's Landing at the age of 57, and unhorsing Sandor Clegane in a tilt just a year prior to the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings.[15] He serves loyally as Lord Commander of Robert's Kingsguard. During the Tourney of the Hand, he is only defeated by Ser Jaime Lannister after three tilts, having defeated men ten and twenty years younger in his first two contests.[16] When Ser Hugh of the Vale is killed in the tournament by Ser Gregor Clegane, Selmy stands vigil over the young knight himself as the boy had no one else.[17]

He is present on the small council when Robert Baratheon orders the death of the pregnant Daenerys Targaryen. He and Eddard Stark are the only council members who protest the move.[13] He accompanies King Robert on his ill-fated boar hunt which led to the death of the king.[18] In an unprecedented move, he is dismissed from the Kingsguard and the small council by Joffrey Baratheon on grounds of old age. The real reasons, however, are to allow Joffrey to give a white cloak to his "dog," Sandor Clegane, and so Cersei Lannister could place Jaime Lannister as the new Lord Commander.

When the king orders him seized and questioned for a perceived threat uttered in the heat of his dismissal, Selmy kills the Gold Cloaks sent after him and flees the city.[8] He could have returned to Harvest Hall, where his kin would doubtless welcome him, but Selmy did not wish to inflict Joffrey's displeasure on them. Instead Selmy sells his horse and disguises himself as a commoner. He returned to the city along with the stream of smallfolk fleeing the war, making their way to King's Landing. He enters through the Gate of the Gods with dirt on his face, stubble on his cheeks and no weapon but a wooden staff. In roughspun clothes and mud-caked boots, he was just one more old man fleeing the war. He lost himself among the refugees and slept in septs and alleys and pot shops. He lets his beard grow out a cloaks himself in age. He is present in the crowd when Lord Eddard Stark is executed. Afterwards he goes to the Great Sept of Baelor to pray for Eddard's soul and thanks the gods he himself had only been dismissed. These events force Barristan to reevaluate his years of service in Robert's Kingsguard alongside the likes of the Kingslayer, and others whom he considers near as bad. He comes to the conclusion that his service to Robert was inexcusable. He thinks that Robert had been a good knight, but a poor king, and that Selmy must find his true king and die in his service. This leads Selmy to book passage across the narrow sea to Pentos. [19]

A Clash of Kings

Ser Barristan as Arstan Whitebeard by Amoka©

While Daenerys Targaryen is walking through the docks of Qarth visiting ships to to find passage, Ser Jorah notices that they are being followed by two men, a fat brown man (20 stone weight and covered in scars) and an older man (appears to be from Westeros) with a staff. He stops Dany, and, using a large brass platter in a ship to let her see the men without revealing they have been discovered. Jarah and Dany head back to escape the men. The brass merchant from the shop chases them trying to get Dany to buy the massive platter, and finally with the price down, Dany instructs Jarah to buy it just to get rid of the man. Just then, as Dany is distracted, Qartheen thrusts a beautiful carved wood case in her face indicating it is a gift for the mother of dragons. She opens the box and sees a beautiful, obviously valuable, scarab, and reaches for it scarab it unfolds with a hiss. Before the manticore can sting her Whitebeard uses his staff to send the box flying away, and then smashes the creature with the butt of his staff. Before Daenerys guards can kill the two, she puts herself between her bloodriders and the two men, telling them that the old man had knocked a manticore out of her hands. Before Dany can direct her bloodriders to the perpetrator, a Sorrowful Man, he has disappeared.

Dany questions Whitebeard who tells her is name. Strong Belwas, the large man, a eunuch, tells Dany that he has never lost in the fighting pits, letting each cut him before he kills them. He continues to tell her that Magister Illyrio Mopatis sent them from across the sea with Whitebeard to serve her since he cannot travel. She is further informed that by Whitebeard that he is now a squire for Belwas. When asked about his age, he tells them that he is not too old to squire, and has seen Ser Jorah, who is among Dany’s guard, fighting in a tourney. Belwas tells Dany that Illyrio would have the dragons, and Dany. Whitebeard tells her that it is the truth and that they are to bring her back to Pentos; there are 4 kings in Westeros, and no justice. Belwas further tells her that they also have three ships for her to travel. Dany then tells them that the ships must have new names.[20]

A Storm of Swords

Hiding his true identity for a time to assess whether Daenerys is of a sound mind, Barristan teaches her about Westerosi culture and her family history. When Daenerys, under the advice of Jorah Mormont, had the ship sail for Slaver's Bay Selmy protested the idea of purchasing a slave army and was disgusted when he heard how the Unsullied were trained. Selmy however was impressed with Daenerys when she tricked the slavers and used her newly purchased army to free all the slaves.

After the sack of Astapor and the defeat of the Yunkai army Selmy saves Daenerys life near Meereen from the vengeful attack of the former Second Sons commander, Mero, known as the Titan's Bastard. Daenerys, in gratitude, wishes "Arstan" to be knighted, but he refuses and finally reveals himself and his true identity.[4]

He also reveals that Jorah Mormont was a former spy in service to Varys. Upon the revelation of his identity, Daenerys nearly banishes him along with Ser Jorah for their deception and services to Robert, her greatest enemy.[4] However, when Selmy explains himself and repents for his service in Robert's Kingsguard, Dany sends him along with Jorah Mormont on a near suicidal mission in order for both men to prove themselves. After Meereen is captured, Daenerys pardons him and readmits him into her service, now as Lord Commander of her Queensguard.[21]

A Dance with Dragons

Ser Barristan continues his service of Daenerys Targaryen as Lord Commander of her Queensguard, attempting to lead her down an honorable path towards the safety of Meereen. Barristan opposes Daenerys's relationship with her paramour Daario Naharis, and even her marriage to Hizdahr zo Loraq, which ensures temporary peace within Meereen.

He also begins training knights. His squires are Tumco Lho, Larraq, the The Red Lamb, and the Boys (three Ghiscari brothers). After Daenerys's departure on Drogon's back, Barristan assumes the title of Hand of the Queen within Meereen. He is present when Bloodbeard presents the court with the head of Groleo. Barristan is enraged and wants to kill Bloodbeard, but stops because the act would break his queen's peace.[22]

He finally decides to work with Skahaz mo Kandaq, despite his loathing of the man and his own inhibitions about making decisions of state in the absence of his queen.[6] Selmy leads with honor and refuses Skahaz mo Kandaq's council on killing the Ghiscari child cupbearers who are the sons and daughters of powerful Meereenese nobles. He also enlists Grey Worm, and they plan to take King Hizdahr hostage. Selmy fears that if he harms Hizdahr the Yunkai will kill the remaining hostages Daario, Jhogo and Hero just as they killed Captain Groleo. Skahaz however states it would be better for Daenerys in the long run if they killed Daario.

Despite his personal feeling about Daario, however, Selmy goes to the Tattered Prince and enlists his help.[23] He promises to reward the Tattered Prince if he frees the three hostages from the Yunkai camp. Selmy then goes to capture Hizdahr.[11] In doing so, he slays Hizdahr's protector, the formidable pit fighter Khrazz. Barristan longs for the return of Daenerys, but prepares for battle with the Yunkai, using a beacon system to call the attack should the fragile peace between the sides be broken.

References and Notes

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. The list of authors can be seen in the page history of Characters from A Song of Ice and Fire. As with A Wiki of Ice and Fire, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.