Jeor Mormont

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House Mormont.png
Jeor Mormont
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Jeor Mormont by reneaigner.jpg
Jeor Mormont by Rene Aigner©

Alias The Old Bear
Title Lord Commander of the Night's Watch
Allegiance the Night's Watch
Culture Northmen
Born In 230 AC
Died In +/-299 ACCraster's Keep
Books

Played by James Cosmo
TV series Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3

Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, also known as the Old Bear, is the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch[1], which he commands from his headquarters, the fortress of Castle Black. Jeor, previously head of House Mormont and Lord of Bear Island, abdicated his seat in favor of his son, Ser Jorah Mormont, and joined the Night's Watch[2]. In the TV series, Jeor is played by James Cosmo.[3]

Appearance and Character

Lord Jeor remains an imposing figure in spite of his age, most brothers hold him in great esteem.[4] He has broad-shoulders and a stern gaze,[4] He has lost most most of his hair save for his shaggy grey-white beard.[5] He is a considered strong, resolute leader, a formidable battle commander and is also fearless in the face of adversity.

Jeor is always accompanied by a raven, which is constantly demanding corn.[5]

History

As Lord of Bear Island, Jeor marched to war under Lord Eddard Stark's banner during Robert's Rebellion. Within the next six years, he abdicated his seat in favor of his son, Ser Jorah Mormont, and joined the Night's Watch. He rapidly rose through the ranks and was elected Lord Commander in relatively short order. Jeor Mormont was deeply concerned by the declining power of the Watch and the rising threat of the wildlings beyond the Wall. On the advice of his First Ranger, Benjen Stark, he gave up the regular patrols used by his predecessor Lord Qorgyle in favor of a more random system, varying the number of patrols and the days of their departure, to make it more difficult for the wildlings to know their comings and goings. Sometimes a larger force was sent to garrison one of the abandoned castles for a fortnight or a moon's turn as well[6].

When Jeor son and Lord of his former house, fled to the Free Cities to escape Eddard Stark's punishment for selling captives into slavery. He regained Longclaw, his house famous Valyrian blade, which his son left behind.

Recent Events

Jeor Mormont by Wouter Bruneel.

A Game of Thrones

Lord Commander Mormont has Jon Snow named his steward to groom him for command. When he informs Jon of his father's supposed treachery, he has him watched.[7]

Jeor dispatches First Ranger Benjen Stark to search for the missing ranger Ser Waymar Royce and to determine the activities of Mance Rayder, the King-Beyond-the-Wall. After the discovery of two members of Benjen's party near the Wall, Lord Commander Mormont has their dead bodies brought back to Castle Black for further inspection. During the night, the corpses (which are actually reanimated wights) attack the men of the Night's Watch, killing several men, including Ser Jaremy Rykker. Only the timely intervention of Jon Snow and his direwolf Ghost prevent one of the wights from killing Mormont.[8] For saving his life, Jeor gives the Bastard of Winterfell the Valyrian steel bastard sword Longclaw, ancestral weapon of House Mormont.[9]

A Clash of Kings

James Cosmo as Jeor Mormont (TV series)

After informing Jon of his half-brother Robb's kingship, he has Jon watched again, just in case he heads south to join his brother.[10]

With missing rangers, the dead walking, reports of abandoned wildlings villages, huge fires in the night, and Mance Rayder gathering his people, Jeor decides to lead a large expedition beyond the Wall to discover what's going on and to search for Benjen Stark. He takes three hundred men from the Wall and marches north.[11] At Craster's Keep, Jeor learns that Mance Rayder is gathering his people at the Frostfangs, preparing to launch an assault on the Wall. Jeor leads the expedition to the Fist of the First Men, a good defensive position located on Mance's only route to the Wall, and sends out three scouting parties.

A Storm of Swords

While awaiting the return of the final scouting party, the Night's Watch is assaulted on the Fist of the First Men by wights. The Night's Watch force is broken and Mormont leads the survivors on a grim march back to Craster's Keep.

At Craster's Keep, after being told by Sam of his slaying of the lone Other with an obsidian dagger given to Sam by Jon, he discusses Jon Snow’s dragonglass daggers with Sam. He realises that over the thousands of years that have passed since the Others were defeated the Night’s Watch has forgotten its true purpose. The Old Bear asks Sam if dragonglass daggers are what they need why aren’t men on the Wall armed with one from the day he says his words? Sam replies “We never knew…”. To which the Old Bear exclaims:

We never knew! But we must have known once. The Night’s Watch has forgotten its true purpose, Tarly. You don’t build a wall seven hundred feet high to keep savages in skins from stealing women. The Wall was made to guard the realms of men … and not against other men, which is all the wildlings are when you come right down to it. Too many years, Tarly, too many hundreds and thousands of years. We lost sight of the true enemy. And now he’s here, but we don’t know how to fight him.

Shortly thereafter Mormont is slain by one of his men during a mutiny. As he lies dying he asks Samwell Tarly to send word to his son, his dying wish being to forgive his son of his crimes and let him come home to take the black, relieving him of his exile.[12]

Quotes

"They say the king loved to hunt. The things we love destroy us every time, lad. Remember that. " [13]

Jeor commenting on the death of Robert Baratheon.

Family

Lord
Mormont
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lord
Mormont
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jeor
 
Unknown
wife
 
 
 
Maege
 
Unknown
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
Glover
 
Jorah
 
Lynesse
Hightower
 
Dacey
 
Alysane
 
Unknown
 
Lyra
 
Jorelle
 
Lyanna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Daughter
[Note 1]
 
Son
[Note 1]
 
Notes:
  1. 1.0 1.1 It is currently unknown whether Alysane's children are trueborn, or bastard-born.


References and Notes