| House Baelish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coat of arms |
A field of silver mockingbirds on green (Vert, semé of mockingbirds argent) Formerly: A grey stone head with fiery eyes, on a light green field  (Vert, a stone head cendrée, orbed gules) |
| Seats | |
| Head | Lord Petyr Baelish |
| Regions | |
| Titles | |
| Overlords | |
| Founder | A hedge knight of Braavosi descent |
House Baelish is a noble house from the Vale of Arryn. Their seat is an unnamed, old flint tower, which commands no more than a few stony acres on the smallest of the Fingers. House Baelish's smallfolk consists of a village of a dozen families in huts of piled stone beside a peat bog.[1][2]
The current lord, Petyr Baelish, is only the second generation of the landed family. His grandfather had been a landless hedge knight, and his father the smallest of lords.[3] While the traditional arms of House Baelish depict the Titan's head, Petyr has adopted as new arms a field of silver mockingbirds on green.[2][4][5]
History
[edit]
Art by PHATandy ©
The house began with Petyr's great-grandfather, who was born in Braavos and came to the Vale of Arryn as a sellsword employed by House Corbray. His son took the head of the Titan of Braavos as his sigil when he was knighted. His arms were a grey stone head with fiery eyes, on a light green field.[2]
The hedge knight's son became "the smallest of small lords" in the Vale.[3] During the War of the Ninepenny Kings, he became friends with Lord Hoster Tully. He later "cashed in" on the friendship to have his son, Petyr, fostered at Riverrun.[6] Petyr, nicknamed "Littlefinger" for his size and for the Baelish small holdings on the Fingers,[1] fell in love with Hoster's daughter, Catelyn, and her younger sister Lysa fell in love with him. After Petyr challenged Brandon Stark for Catelyn's hand and lost, and after he secretly impregnated Lysa, Petyr was sent home in disgrace.[7][8]
In 289 AC, Petyr was given the customs at Gulltown by Lord Jon Arryn,[3] on the suggestion of his wife Lysa.[8] According to Lysa, Petyr increased incomes tenfold while in control of the city's port.[2] Lysa then convinced Jon, also the Hand of the King for Robert I Baratheon, to bring Petyr to court in King's Landing,[8] and he was given a minor sinecure in customs. There, Petyr distinguished himself, bringing in three times as much as any other royal collector.[3] Lord Arryn rewarded Petyr with other appointments.[2] Within three years of coming to the capital, Littlefinger had become master of coin and a member of the small council.[3] Lord Baelish died several years before 298 AC, and Petyr succeeded him as lord of the house.[1] Around this time, Petyr changed the Baelish arms from the head of the Titan to his own mockingbird sigil.[2]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]
Lord Jon Arryn dies,[9] and Lord Eddard Stark is appointed Hand of the King by Robert I Baratheon.[10] When Lady Catelyn Stark comes to King's Landing to inform her husband Eddard about an attempt on the life of their son Bran, she is intercepted by Petyr, and they meet again for the first time since he left Riverrun. Petyr assists Catelyn with information, although he misdirects her about the provenance of his Valyrian steel dagger, which had been used by the assassin.[1][11] Petyr promises Catelyn he will help her husband investigate the death of Jon Arryn,[12] and Eddard begins to trust him, despite Petyr's advice not to trust anyone.[13]
Robert is mortally wounded hunting a boar, and Eddard enlists Petyr's help in securing the allegiance of the gold cloaks for when he moves against Robert's unfaithful queen, Cersei Lannister.[14] However, Littlefinger actually bribes the gold cloaks to support the queen, and when Eddard confronts Cersei in the throne room and is taken captive, Petyr takes the dagger from him and holds it to his throat.[15]
A Clash of Kings
[edit]After the execution of Eddard Stark, his daughter Sansa, a hostage of Cersei Lannister, is secretly befriended by Ser Dontos Hollard.[16] Dontos, who Sansa is unaware is secretly employed by Petyr Baelish,[17] claims he has a plan to help her escape the Red Keep.[16]
Petyr offers himself to Tyrion Lannister, acting Hand of the King, as the envoy to the Reach to win their support for House Lannister.[18] Cersei hires the Kettleblack brothers as sellswords, though they are secretly being paid by Tyrion,[19] but unbeknownst to both Cersei and Tyrion, the brothers actually work for Petyr.[2]
Following the Battle of the Blackwater, Petyr is granted Harrenhal and the title Lord Paramount of the Trident, as a reward for arranging the alliance between Houses Lannister and Tyrell and the betrothal of Margaery Tyrell to King Joffrey I Baratheon.[20]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]Petyr informs Lord Tywin Lannister of the Tyrell plot to spirit Sansa Stark to Highgarden and marry her to Willas Tyrell, and Tywin decides to hastily wed her to his son Tyrion Lannister instead.[21] Petyr's newfound status as a high lord gives him the necessary standing to be considered by Tywin for a marriage to the widowed Lysa Arryn with the intent of delivering the Vale of Arryn, which has remained neutral, to the crown without violence. Petyr agrees with the plan and is sent to the Eyrie to woo Lysa, claiming it will be an easy task given their history.[21] However, he secretly remains near King's Landing.[11]
Harrenhal is recaptured from the Brave Companions by Ser Gregor Clegane and the Mountain's men.[22]
At the feast for Joffrey's wedding to Margaery, the boy king is poisoned and chokes to death,[22] and Petyr uses the chaos to spirit Sansa out of the city to his ship.[17] They arrive at the "Drearfort", House Baelish's tower, where Petyr introduces Sansa to his smallfolk. Petyr suggests that Sansa use his mother's name, Alayne, while disguising herself as his bastard daughter. He reveals to Sansa that Joffrey was poisoned by a black amethyst from the silver hair net that his catspaw had given her to wear to the wedding.[2]
Soon afterwards, Lady Lysa Arryn arrives at the tower, and insists upon marrying Petyr immediately.[2] At the Eyrie, Lysa tries to kill Sansa in a fit of jealous rage, and reveals the history between herself and Petyr, including the fact that she murdered her husband Jon Arryn with poison provided to her by Petyr. He then kills Lysa by shoving her out of the Eyrie's Moon Door, and blames Lysa's singer Marillion for the murder.[8]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]In no hurry to occupy Harrenhal, Petyr Baelish assumes power as the Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn following the death of Lysa, who had granted him the title after their marriage.[23]
A Dance with Dragons
[edit]Cersei Lannister recalls that before the Lannisters married Sansa to Tyrion, Petyr had offered to marry Sansa himself, but his offer was rejected on account of his low birth.[24]
House Baelish at the end of the third century
[edit]The known Baelishes during the timespan described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:
- Lord Petyr Baelish, Lord of Harrenhal, Lord Paramount of the Trident, and Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn, formerly master of coin under King Robert I Baratheon and King Joffrey I Baratheon.
- Lady {Lysa Tully}, his wife, widow to Lord Jon Arryn. Defenestrated at the Eyrie, in 300 AC.
- "Alayne Stone", his natural daughter. Actually Sansa Stark.
- Lady {Lysa Tully}, his wife, widow to Lord Jon Arryn. Defenestrated at the Eyrie, in 300 AC.
| Sellsword Baelish | Unknown wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baelish | Unknown wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lord Baelish | Alayne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Petyr | Lysa Tully | Jon Arryn | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Two stillborn children | Robert Arryn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Household
[edit]- Umfred, Lord Petyr's steward.
- Grisel, a former wetnurse to Lord Petyr, now keeper of his tower.
- Bryen, the old captain of the guards at Lord Petyr's tower.
- Kella, a servingwoman and shepherd.
- Kella's daughter, an infant.
- Ser Bonifer Hasty, called Bonifer the Good, commander of the Holy Hundred and declared castellan of Harrenhal by Ser Jaime Lannister.
- Ser Lothor Brune, a knight and former freerider in Lord Petyr's service.
- Oswell Kettleblack, a grizzled man-at-arms in Lord Petyr's service.
- Ser Osmund Kettleblack, his eldest son, a member of the Kingsguard.
- Ser Osfryd Kettleblack, his second son, former Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing and sworn sword of Queen Cersei Lannister.
- Ser Osney Kettleblack, his youngest son, sworn sword of Queen Cersei Lannister.
- Ser Shadrich of the Shady Glen, called the Mad Mouse, a hedge knight in Lord Petyr's service.
- Ser Byron the Beautiful, a hedge knight in Lord Petyr's service.
- Ser Morgarth the Merry, a hedge knight in Lord Petyr's service.
Historical Members
[edit]- Baelish, a Braavosi sellsword and the progenitor of the line.
- Baelish, his son, a hedge knight and the founder of the House.
Quotes
[edit]
His face swam up before her; a boy's face, though he was a boy no longer. His father had died several years before, so he was Lord Baelish now, yet still they called him Littlefinger. Her brother Edmure had given him that name, long ago at Riverrun. His family's modest holdings were on the smallest of the Fingers, and Petyr had been slight and short for his age.[1]
—thoughts of Catelyn Stark
Littlefinger was no threat to anyone. A clever, smiling, genial man, everyone's friend, always able to find whatever gold the king or his Hand required, and yet of such undistinguished birth, one step up from a hedge knight, he was not a man to fear. He had no banners to call, no army of retainers, no great stronghold, no holdings to speak of, no prospects of a great marriage.[3]
—thoughts of Tyrion Lannister
Petyr: My grandfather's shield. His own father was born in Braavos and came to the Vale as a sellsword in the hire of Lord Corbray, so my grandfather took the head of the Titan as his sigil when he was knighted.
Sansa: It's very fierce.
Petyr: Rather too fierce, for an amiable fellow like me. I much prefer my mockingbird.[2]
—Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark
You could turn King's Landing upside down and not find a single man with a mockingbird sewn over his heart, but that does not mean I am friendless.[2]
—Petyr Baelish, to Sansa Stark
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 18, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 17, Tyrion IV.
- ↑ The Citadel. Heraldry: Changes
- ↑ The Citadel. Heraldry: In the Vale
- ↑ So Spake Martin: US Signing Tour (Half Moon Bay, CA) (November 18, 2005).
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 40, Catelyn VII.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 80, Sansa VII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 2, Catelyn I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 3, Daenerys I.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Petyr Baelish.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 25, Eddard V.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 47, Eddard XIII.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 49, Eddard XIV.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 18, Sansa II.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 36, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 41, Tyrion IX.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 65, Sansa VIII.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 19, Tyrion III.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 60, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 23, Alayne I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 65, Cersei II.
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