A curse is an expressed wish for misfortune to occur to a target. Curses are also believed to occur when terrible events have occurred[1][2] or when someone performs an irredeemable act.[3][4][5]
Culture
[edit]Some believe that curses can be inflicted through magical means.[6]
Kinslaying[6][3][5][7] and violations of guest right[4][5][8] are believed to bring curses down upon transgressors.
Men of the free folk are expected to steal women from afar. Women who sleep with their own kin or even with men from their village are believed to be cursed with with weak and sickly children.[9] Free folk also believe that a mother who leaves her son is cursed forever.[10]
Dothraki believe that salt water is poisoned and cursed because their horses cannot drink it.[11] Ibbenese, however, believe any man who goes beyond the sound of the sea is accursed.[12]
History
[edit]Older History
[edit]According to Maester Kennet's Passages of the Dead, a curse was placed on the Great Barrow preventing any living man from rivalling the First King.[13]
The sorceress Ursula Upcliff cursed Torgold Tollett shortly before being slain by him during the Battle of Seven Stars.[14]
King Sherrit called a curse down on the Andals while at the Nightfort.[8] The Rat Cook was accursed for breaking guest right at the same castle.[8]
Garin's Curse is said to have been inflicted upon the Sorrows during the Rhoynish Wars.[15][16]
The ruins of Hardhome are considered accursed.[17][18]
Valyria and the Lands of the Long Summer are believed to be cursed after the Doom ruined the Valyrian peninsula.[19][2]
Targaryen Era
[edit]
Harrenhal is believed to be cursed by Harren the Black,[20] as the families who have held the castle since its burning during Aegon's Conquest have fallen into ruin.[21][22][1][23][24]
The Storm King Argilac Durrandon was slain with a curse on his lips by Orys Baratheon.[25]
When Princess Rhaena gave birth to her brother Aegon's daughters, Aerea and Rhaella, the High Septon proclaimed that they too were abominations, the fruits of lust and incest, and accursed of the gods.[26]
King Maegor I Targaryen was believed cursed for, among other crimes, having slain his nephew, Prince Aegon.[26][27]
During the Dance of the Dragons, the Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower pronounced a dire curse upon Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen after the death of her daughter, Queen Helaena Targaryen; a bloody riot began that night.[28] Rhaenyra cursed her rival, King Aegon II Targaryen, before she was devoured by his dragon, Sunfyre.[28] The Shepherd cursed Borros Baratheon before being captured by the Lord of Storm's End.[29]
After her followers defeated a loyalist host outside Harrenhal, Alys Rivers sent a captured man to Darry as a messenger the following day. The survivor relayed Alys's warning against further campaigns against her, and he claimed he had been cursed by Alys so that he would die if anyone laughed at his story. Despite Ser Damon Darry's assurance that no one would laugh at the messenger's story, an onlooker did so. The messenger then choked to death in moments, with some saying they had seen the imprints of a woman's fingers on his throat.[30]
There was talk of a "Maiden's Day curse" prior to the Maiden's Day Ball in 133 AC.[31]
Ser Eustace Osgrey and a hunchbacked septon thought that the Seven Kingdoms were cursed because of Lord Brynden Rivers.[32][33]
Recent History
[edit]
Craster is believed by other free folk to be cursed.[9]
Cersei Lannister believes that she and Melara Hetherspoon were cursed by Maggy the Frog.[34][35]
Lord Randyll Tarly cursed his son and heir, Samwell Tarly, in a failed attempt to turn the meek boy into a knight.[36]
Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands, exiled his younger brother Euron instead of executing him, because kinslaying would have brought a curse.[7]
Smallfolk of the Dreadfort believe that Reek's smell is a curse.[37]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]The birthing women in the khalasar of Khal Drogo refuse to see the pregnant Daenerys Targaryen because they believe she is accursed.[38]
A Clash of Kings
[edit]Septon Barre curses the queen's men when they ruin the sept at Dragonstone.[39]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]
Before Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold, is executed for treason, he warns Robb Stark, King in the North, that kinslayers are accursed.[3]
Some believe House Frey to be cursed because of their orchestration of the Red Wedding.[5]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]Petyr Baelish, Lord of Harrenhal, discusses the supposed curse of the castle with Sansa Stark.[24]
Victarion Greyjoy desires to kill his elder brother, King Euron Crow's Eye, but he does not want to be cursed by the Drowned God for kinslaying.[40]
A Dance with Dragons
[edit]Queen Whore curses the Yunkai'i before being slain during the siege of Astapor.[41]
Lord Ondrew Locke believes that Lord Roose Bolton's host has been cursed by the blizzard engulfing Winterfell.[42]
The crew of Iron Victory fear that Moqorro has cursed Victarion.[43]
Quotes
[edit]Whatever curse may linger over the Tower of the Hand, I pray I'm small enough to escape its notice.[44]
Varys: My lord, do you believe in the old powers?
Tyrion: Magic, you mean? Bloodspells, curses, shapeshifting, those sorts of things?[6]—Varys and Tyrion Lannister
Kill me, and be cursed. You are no king of mine.[3]
Mance: Qhorin was my enemy. But also my brother, once. So ... shall I thank you for killing him, Jon Snow? Or curse you?
Jon: You ought to thank me for killing your enemy, and curse me for killing your friend.[45]—Mance Rayder and Jon Snow
Davos: No man is as cursed as the kinslayer, in the eyes of gods and men.
Melisandre: There are no gods save R'hllor and the Other, whose name must not be spoken. And small men curse what they cannot understand.[5]—Davos Seaworth and Melisandre
Petyr: Ah, and what a castle it is. Cavernous halls and ruined towers, ghosts and draughts, ruinous to heat, impossible to garrison ... and there's that small matter of a curse.
Sansa: Curses are only in songs and stories.
Petyr: Has someone made a song about Gregor Clegane dying of a poisoned spear thrust? Or about the sellsword before him, whose limbs Ser Gregor removed a joint at a time? That one took the castle from Ser Amory Lorch, who received it from Lord Tywin. A bear killed one, your dwarf the other. Lady Whent's died as well, I hear. Lothstons, Strongs, Harroways ... Harrenhal has withered every hand to touch it.[24]—Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark
If I must die, I will die with an axe in my hand and a curse upon my lips.[46]
—thoughts of Asha Greyjoy
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 7, Catelyn I.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 33, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 20, Catelyn III.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 33, Samwell II.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 44, Tyrion X.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 18, The Iron Captain.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 56, Bran IV.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 26, Jon III.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 7, Jon II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 16, Daenerys III.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Free Cities: Lorath.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The North.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Vale.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, Ancient History: Ten Thousand Ships.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 18, Tyrion V.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 39, Jon VIII.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 45, The Blind Girl.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys and Alysanne - Their Triumphs and Tragedies.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 37, Jaime V.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Riverlands: House Tully.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 69, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 8, Tyrion II.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 24.2 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Aegon's Conquest.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Fire & Blood, The Sons of the Dragon.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - The Hooded Hand.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Under the Regents - War and Peace and Cattle Shows.
- ↑ The Sworn Sword.
- ↑ The Mystery Knight.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 24, Cersei V.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 36, Cersei VIII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 26, Jon IV.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 32, Reek III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 64, Daenerys VIII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 10, Davos I.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 29, The Reaver.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 30, Daenerys V.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 46, A Ghost in Winterfell.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 56, The Iron Suitor.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 3, Tyrion I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 7, Jon I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.