Difference between revisions of "Catelyn Tully"

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{{Infobox character
 
{{Infobox character
 
| Character_name = [[File:House_Tully.PNG|50px|left]] '''Catelyn Tully''' [[File:House_Stark.PNG|50px|right]]
 
| Character_name = [[File:House_Tully.PNG|50px|left]] '''Catelyn Tully''' [[File:House_Stark.PNG|50px|right]]
| image          = [[File:Catelyn Stark.jpg|250px]]
+
| image          = [[File:Catelyn Stark.jpg|300px]]
 
| image_caption  = Catelyn Tully by Amok©
 
| image_caption  = Catelyn Tully by Amok©
 
| Alias          = Cat<br>Lady Stoneheart<br>The Silent Sister<br>Mother Merciless<br>The Hangwoman
 
| Alias          = Cat<br>Lady Stoneheart<br>The Silent Sister<br>Mother Merciless<br>The Hangwoman

Revision as of 00:34, 9 May 2014

House Tully.PNG
Catelyn Tully
House Stark.PNG
Catelyn Stark.jpg
Catelyn Tully by Amok©

Aliases
  • Cat
  • Lady Stoneheart
  • The Silent Sister
  • Mother Merciless
  • The Hangwoman
Title Lady of Winterfell
Allegiances
Culture Riverlands
Born 264 AC
Riverrun
Died 299 AC
the Twins
Spouse Eddard Stark
Books

Played by Michelle Fairley
TV series Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3

Catelyn Tully is the wife of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady of Winterfell. Together they have five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. Catelyn was born into House Tully of Riverrun, the liege lords of the Riverlands. She is the daughter of Lord Hoster Tully and Minisa Whent, and her siblings are Edmure and Lysa. She is a major POV Character in the books.

Appearance

See also: Images of Catelyn Tully

She is described as beautiful, with auburn hair, blue eyes, and long fingers. She dresses simply and avoids the ostentation of the court at King’s Landing, preferring to wear the grey of House Stark or the blue and red of her father’s household.

Character

Catelyn is proud, strong, kind, and generous. She is seen as honourable and upright by acquaintances, holding duty over desire as a governing principle of behaviour. Catelyn also has a strong grasp of politics and possesses considerable insight into what makes Westeros run. Nevertheless, Catelyn is also a fiercely protective woman and more often than not follows her heart rather than her head, especially when it comes to her family, whom she loves deeply. She follows strongly the words of her house. (House Tully's words are "Family. Duty. Honor.", in that order). However, she regards the bastard Jon Snow as an outsider to her family, and has never forgiven Eddard Stark for bringing him into the Stark household. She holds to the Faith of the Seven.

History

Young Catelyn Tully - by C.Griffin ©

Catelyn is the eldest daughter of Lady Minisa Whent and Lord Hoster Tully, head of House Tully and Lord of the Riverlands. She has a younger brother, Edmure, and a younger sister, Lysa.

She spent her childhood in Riverrun, where she befriended her father's ward, Petyr Baelish. Although the ward fell in love with her and sought her hand, Catelyn never shared his feelings, seeing him as a little brother and nothing more. When she was twelve, it was announced that she was betrothed to Brandon Stark, heir of Winterfell, in what would strengthen the ties of friendship between the great houses.

When Brandon came to Riverrun to meet with Catelyn, young Petyr challenged him to a duel for her hand. Brandon won easily, but spared Baelish's life in compliance with Catelyn's plea. Baelish was banished from Riverrun back to his own home as soon as he was sufficiently recovered; he later sent a single letter after Brandon's death, but she burned it without reading it.

Catelyn's betrothal to Brandon ended abruptly when he, along with his father, was killed by the Mad King, setting off Robert's Rebellion, led by his younger brother Eddard Stark and his childhood friend Robert Baratheon. During the Rebellion, Catelyn father's sought to continue the alliance, so she married Brandon's brother Eddard. She moved to Winterfell, where she and Eddard formed a strong and loving marriage; they are well respected and loved by nobles and smallfolk alike. Catelyn and Eddard have five children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon. They have also raised Eddard's bastard son Jon Snow, which was the single act of faithlessness that was a source of friction between her and her husband.

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Catelyn and Eddard at the Godswood - by Denmark ©

After the arrival of the royal party at Winterfell, Catelyn received a letter from her sister Lysa, stating that the Lannisters had killed her husband Jon Arryn, the late Hand of the King. This put the Starks on guard, for her husband had just been offered the position of Hand by his friend the king, Robert I. Catelyn pushed Ned to accept the offer along with a betrothal that would make Sansa queen one day. Despite misgivings about going to the capitol, Ned eventually accepted.

When Bran fell comatose after apparently falling while climbing one of Winterfell's keeps, Catelyn stayed by his side for eight days, ignoring her own affairs and those of Winterfell. On the eighth night, she was attacked by an assassin who had come for Bran. During the struggle, the man injured her hands before being killed by Bran's direwolf.[1] After recovering, Catelyn traveled to King's Landing along with Ser Rodrik Cassel to inform Eddard, sailing on a ship called Storm Dancer. There, her childhood companion Petyr Baelish met her in one of his brothels and told her that the dagger used in the attack belonged to Tyrion Lannister.[2]

On her way back to Winterfell, she encountered and arrested Tyrion at the Inn at the Crossroads, imploring her father's bannermen to help her bring him to justice.[3] Despite announcing her intentions taking him to Winterfell, she instead went to her sister at the Eyrie for trial, making the ascent after coming under attack by clansmen on the High Road in the Mountains of the Moon.[4] At the Eyrie, Tyrion was thrown in the Sky Cells, but escaped execution by convincing a sellsword to fight in a trial by combat.[5] Meanwhile, the arrest had become a linchpin of the war that followed, as Tywin Lannister ordered Ser Gregor Clegane and other raiders to attack the Riverlands in retribution.

Her son Robb having marched south with his father's bannermen in response to Lord Eddard's arrest in King's Landing, she met up with House Manderly's levies and met the northern host in the field at Moat Cailin, accompanied by her uncle Ser Brynden Tully, who had quit his service to House Arryn, disgusted by Lysa's refusal to help against the Lannisters. When Robb is about to place Greatjon Umber in command of the infantry force sent to engage Tywin Lannister, Catelyn is able to convince him to appoint a man of cold calculation: Roose Bolton. Robb wants Cat to return to The North, but she stays with the army to see her dying father.[6] When the army found it necessary to cross the Trident, Cat took the delicate task of negotiating with Lord Walder Frey, gaining passage by promising (among other things) Robb's hand in marriage to one of the many women of House Frey.[7] She observed his victory at the Battle of the Whispering Wood, where her guard was commanded by Hallis Mollen.[8] After the news of Eddard's execution by order of King Joffrey, Catelyn was filled with grief but put on a strong front for the sake of her son. During the war council at Riverrun, Catelyn argued for peace with the south so that Sansa and Arya might be more easily brought to safety, but Robb and the assembled lords made clear their desire to continue the war, with the Greatjon declaring Robb the first King in the North in three centuries. [9]

A Clash of Kings

Catelyn claws her face and screams after the death of Robb Stark at the Red Wedding - by nejna ©

Catelyn advised against Robb's plan to send Eddard's ward, Theon Greyjoy, on a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with his father, as she did not trust either. It was Catelyn's idea to attempt to ally with Renly Baratheon and his massive Reach-Stormlands host, but she wished to remain with Robb. When he threatened to send the boisterous Greatjon as his envoy, Catelyn relented and went herself, accepting the fact that her son was becoming a man. She traveled south to Bitterbridge to meet King Renly's host, where she found him hosting a tourney. With Catelyn in tow, Renly rode to Storm's End when he heard his brother Stannis was threatening the Baratheon seat. Catelyn was present for the inconclusive parley between the two rival brothers, and witnessed Renly's murder later that night by a mysterious creature of shadow. She took Brienne of Tarth, one of Renly's Rainbow Guard, into her service as they fled the scene, making their way to Riverrun. Upon hearing of her younger sons' supposed murder at the hand of the turncloak Theon Greyjoy, she frees Robb's hostage Jaime Lannister in a covert attempt to exchange him for her daughters, captives at King's Landing.

A Storm of Swords

Her brother Edmure places Catelyn under house arrest at Riverrun, but Robb pardons her after he tells of his wedding to Jeyne Westerling. She attends Edmure's wedding at the Twins. Despite her wariness throughout the ceremony, she, Robb, and many of Robb's men are murdered by members of House Frey, an act of treachery that became known as the "Red Wedding". In a mad attempt to save her son's life, she took and executed the lackwit hostage Aegon Frey, but nonetheless had her throat slashed by Raymund Frey.[10] Three days later she was resurrected by Lord Beric Dondarrion, who gave his life for hers. Catelyn's wounds only partially healed, leaving her mutilated and without the ability to speak. She became consumed with the desire for vengeance over her family's betrayal and murder. She took the name "Lady Stoneheart" and assumed command of Dondarrion's outlaw band, the Brotherhood Without Banners. She led the Brotherhood to mercilessly pursuing and executing everyone she perceived to be a traitor, including Petyr and Merrett Frey.[11]

A Feast for Crows

Lady Stoneheart, with Robb's crown - by zippo514 ©

While leading the Brotherhood, she comes upon a small party led by Brienne. Brienne informs her that she is searching for Sansa at the behest of Jaime Lannister. Stoneheart says that Brienne has turned traitor, since she carries Oathkeeper, a Lannister sword forged from the Stark Valyrian steel blade, Ice. Brienne swears she is still faithful but Stoneheart insists she must prove it by killing Jaime. Brienne refuses, stating that Jaime has changed. Stoneheart says she must choose, kill Jaime or be hanged. Brienne refuses to choose. Just before she is executed however, she shouts out a word.

Lady Stoneheart

Death has changed Catelyn. She is less gracious and forgiving than in life and is consumed with a desire for vengeance on anyone she thinks betrayed her and her son, Robb. She hangs any men associated with the Freys, Boltons, or Lannisters, even if they had nothing to do with the "Red Wedding" or if they are boys, as was the case of Podrick Payne. Her appearance has been altered as well, with her flesh becoming soft and the color of curdled milk due to her corpse being submerged in river water for days. Half of her hair is gone and the rest is white and brittle. In addition, her wounds have not healed with her face covered in scratch marks and her throat still slit open. To speak she must cover the wound on her throat; even then she is difficult to understand.

Quotes by Catelyn

My son lies here broken and dying, Luwin, and you wish to discuss a new master of horse? Do you think I care what happens in the stables? Do you think it matters to me one whit? I would gladly butcher every horse in Winterfell with my own hands if it would open Bran's eyes, do you understand that? Do you?[1]

– Catelyn to Maester Luwin after Bran's fall


Robb, if that sword could bring him back, I should never let you sheathe it until Ned stood at my side once more... but he is gone, and a hundred Whispering Woods will not change that. [9]

– Catelyn to Robb's council after Eddard's death


If I must trade our four Lannisters for their two Starks, I will call that a bargain and thank the gods. I want you safe, Robb, ruling at Winterfell from your father's seat. I want you to live your life, to kiss a girl and wed a woman and father a son. I want to write an end to this. I want to go home, my lords, and weep for my husband. [9]

– Catelyn to Robb's council after Eddard's death


I want to weep. I want to be comforted. I'm so tired of being strong. I want to be foolish and frightened for once. Just for a small while, that's all....a day.....an hour. [12]


I take no joy in mead nor meat, and song and laughter have become suspicious strangers to me. I am a creature of grief and dust and bitter longings. There is an empty place within me where my heart was once.[13]


I want them all dead, Brienne. Theon Greyjoy first, then Jaime Lannister and Cersei and the Imp, every one, every one. [13]

– Catelyn to Brienne, after learning of the deaths of Bran and Rickon


On my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, I will trade your boy's life for Robb's. A son for a son.[10]

– Catelyn to Walder Frey during the Red Wedding

Quotes about Catelyn

All his life Tyrion had prided himself on his cunning, the only gift the gods had seen fit to give him, yet this seven-times-damned she-wolf Catelyn Stark had outwitted him at every turn. The knowledge was more galling than the bare fact of his abduction.[14]

Tyrion Lannister


You have courage. Not battle courage perhaps but. . .I don’t know. . .a kind of woman's courage.[15]

Brienne of Tarth

Quotes about Lady Stoneheart

She don't speak. You bloody bastards cut her throat too deep for that. But she remembers.[11]

Tom Sevenstrings to Merrett Frey


Her cloak and collar hid the gash his brother’s blade had made, but her face was even worse than he remembered. The flesh had gone pudding soft in the water and turned the color of curdled milk. Half her hair was gone and the rest had turned as white and brittle as a crone’s. Beneath her ravaged scalp, her face was shredded skin and black blood where she had raked herself with her nails. But her eyes were the most terrible thing. Her eyes saw him, and they hated.[11]

Merrett Frey's thoughts


The Freys slashed her throat from ear to ear. When we found her by the river she was three days dead. Harwin begged me to give her the kiss of life, but it had been too long. I would not do it, so Lord Beric put his lips to hers instead, and the flame of life passed from him to her. And... she rose. May the Lord of Light protect us. She rose.[16]

Thoros of Myr

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lord Tully
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Hoster
 
Minisa
Whent
 
Brynden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Two sons[17]
 
Catelyn
 
Eddard
Stark
 
Jon
Arryn
 
Lysa
 
Petyr
Baelish
 
Edmure
 
Roslin
Frey
 
Son[15]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
House Stark.svg
 
 
 
 
 
House Arryn.svg
 

References and Notes