View source for House Cassel/Theories

{{Theory_Policy}}

The origins of [[House Cassel]] are not explained in any published book or semi-canon source. However, some fans have speculated the Cassels might be related to the [[House Stark|Starks]] of [[Winterfell]], more particularly to [[Lonnel Snow]].

==Supporting evidence==
The following pieces of evidence are frequently used in favor of this theory:
* According to a semi-canon source, the coat of arms of House Cassel depicts ten white wolf heads on grey with a black border.<ref>The Citadel. Heraldry: [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Heraldry/Entry/House_Cassel/ House Cassel]</ref> Those arms are similar to those of [[House Stark]] but with a reversed coloring,{{Ref|AGOT|1}} particularly [[Robb Stark]]'s personal sigil.{{ref|agot|59}}{{Ref|agot|53}} Based on the reversed coloring, it is possible that the founder of House Cassel was a [[bastard]] of House Stark.
** Recognized bastards who take arms (noble born, knighted, etc.) often take the [[Heraldry|coat of arms]] of their fathers with the colors reversed.{{Ref|TSS}} 
** Younger sons are known to replicate the device of their House's coat of arms to show their status as a younger child. Examples include [[Garlan Tyrell|Garlan]] and [[Loras Tyrell]], who use two and three golden roses on a green field respectively, as a variant on the coat of arms of [[House Tyrell]] (a golden rose on a green field), and [[Maekar I Targaryen]] (who quartered the red Targaryen dragon on a black field).
*** [[Lonnel Snow]], or possibly a trueborn son of his, meets those two conditions, as Lonnel was the acknowledged bastard  son of Lord [[Brandon Stark (son of Cregan)|Brandon Stark]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|Appendix: Stark Lineage}} who was in turn the tenth child of Lord [[Cregan Stark]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|Appendix: Stark Lineage}} explaining the usage of ten wolf heads in reversed coloring.

==Counterpoints==
* While younger sons are known to replicate the device of their House's coat of arms, there is no evidence that daughters do this too and five of Cregan's children where daughters. As such Lord [[Brandon Stark (son of Cregan)|Brandon Stark]] as a fifth son would more likely have used five wolfs heads and not ten, which would then result in Lonnel using five wolfsheads as well.
* The wolfs heads could simply signify that House Cassel originates in the wolfswood.
* If House Cassel was elevated to the status of noble house by House Stark, they might have chosen the sigil to honor House Stark.
* The wolfs heads might be totaly unrelated to house Stark, there is no reason to assume that a sigil with the same animal on it means the two houses are related in some way.
* The wolfs heads might be part of an origin story similar to that of [[House Clegane]] in the Westerlands with its three dogs, and as such commerate a brave deed of the founder of the house.

<gallery>
File:House Cassel.svg|The arms of [[House Cassel]].
File:House Stark.svg|The arms of [[House Stark]].
File:House Stark (Robb).svg|[[Robb Stark]]'s personal arms
</gallery>

==References==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:Theories]]