Difference between revisions of "Ramsay Snow"

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| image =  [[File:Ramsay Bolton.jpg|250px|Ramsay Bolton by Amoka©]]
 
| image =  [[File:Ramsay Bolton.jpg|250px|Ramsay Bolton by Amoka©]]
 
| image_caption = Ramsay Bolton by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/martin.html Amoka©]
 
| image_caption = Ramsay Bolton by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/martin.html Amoka©]
| Alias = The Bastard of Bolton <br> The Bastard of the Dreadfort <br> Reek <br> Red Helm
+
| Alias = The Bastard of Bolton <br> The Bastard of the Dreadfort <br> Reek <br> Red Helm <br> Lord Snow{{Ref|aDwD|32}}
 
| Title = Lord of [[Hornwood]]<br>Lord of [[Winterfell]]<br>Castellan of the [[Dreadfort]]
 
| Title = Lord of [[Hornwood]]<br>Lord of [[Winterfell]]<br>Castellan of the [[Dreadfort]]
 
| Allegiance = [[House Bolton]]
 
| Allegiance = [[House Bolton]]

Revision as of 10:38, 6 November 2012

Bolton.png
Ramsay Bolton
Bolton.png
Ramsay Bolton by Amoka©
Ramsay Bolton by Amoka©

Aliases
  • The Bastard of Bolton
  • The Bastard of the Dreadfort
  • Reek
  • Red Helm
  • Lord Snow[1]
Titles
Allegiance House Bolton
Culture The North
Spouses
Books

Played by Iwan Rheon
TV series Season 3

Ramsay Bolton is the legitimated bastard son of Lord Roose Bolton. Originally named Ramsay Snow, he was known as the Bastard of Bolton and the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Ramsay considers himself a true Bolton despite his birth[2] and is highly resentful of his baseborn status, referring to himself proudly as the trueborn scion of the Dreadfort and violently correcting those who refer to him otherwise.

Ramsay has a group of men at arms who stand high in his favor and follow him loyally, although their true allegiance (unknown to Ramsay) lies with Lord Roose. They are called the "Bastard Boys," though never within their or Ramsay's hearing, and are just as depraved as Ramsay. Ramsay's personal steed is named Blood.

Appearance and Personality

He is an ugly man. Even splendorous garb cannot disguise this fact. He is big boned and slope shouldered, with a fleshiness to him that suggests that later in life he will turn to fat. His skin is pink and blotchy, his nose broad, his mouth small, his hair long and dark and dry.[3][4] His lips are wide and meaty, wormy looking, but the thing that men notice most about him are his eyes. He has his lord father’s eyes – small, close-set and queerly pale. Ghost grey some men call the shade, but in truth his eyes are all but colourless, like two chips of dirty ice. He smiles a wet lipped smile. [4] He sometimes wears a garnet cut in the shape of a drop of blood in his right ear.

Ramsay is a sadist, he is cruel, savage and wild, taking delight in torturing others. He is quite fond of the old Bolton custom of flaying their enemies alive.

Ramsay is a capable manipulator and possesses a low cold cunning, particularly good at thinking on his feet, though less savvy when it comes to long term consequences and intricate politics. Ramsay openly enjoys abusive and sick practices such as having young women stripped naked and released into the Bolton forests, before hunting them with a pack of feral dogs. He gives a quick death to women who give him good sport (after raping them first), then flays their corpses. He likes to name his dogs after the women he enjoys most to "honor" them. The women who don't give him good sport are raped and then flayed alive. All the skins of his kills are brought back with him to the Dreadfort as gruesome trophies. The bodies of the woman are fed to his dogs.

His father chides him for his "amusements", and encourages Ramsay to incorporate his creed of "a peaceful land, a quiet people" [1] into his own, if Ramsay ever hopes to rule. Roose states that Ramsay is fearless which is a bad thing, as fear will keep a man alive in this world of treachery.

Ramsay, though savage in battle, was never officially taught at arms. His tutor in martial prowess was Reek, his serving man, who had never received any sword training himself. Ramsay's swordsmanship style is vicious and highly aggressive, wielding his sword as if it were a butcher's cleaver.

History

Ramsay is the product of rape between Roose Bolton and a miller's wife. While hunting, Roose saw the miller's wife and decided to illicitly practice the banned tradition of the 'First Night,' wherein a lord had the right to bed the commoner's bride. He hanged the miller under a tree (for not informing his Lord of the new marriage) and raped the man's bride beneath his swaying body. A year later the woman arrived at the Dreadfort with the newborn Ramsay. Roose nearly killed her and the babe, but when he saw the child had his eyes, the taboo of kinslaying stayed his hand. The woman claimed her husband's brother stole the mill and cast her out. Roose angered by this had the man's tongue removed so he would spread no tales to Roose's liege Lord Rickard Stark. Roose then gave the woman the mill along with a pig, several chicks and a bag of stars every year on the condition that she never reveal to Ramsay the truth about who his father was.

Ramsay's mother arrived a dozen years later claiming she needed help in raising Ramsay, who grew up wild and unruly. Roose sent Ramsay a servant known as "Reek." Reek, despite taking constant washes, always smelled bad due to some "unknown birth condition" that caused his skin to reek (thus his nickname). Giving him to Ramsay and his mother was actually a cruel jest by Roose, but Ramsay and Reek grew inseparable. Roose would later reflect on whether Ramsay had "corrupted" Reek or whether Reek had corrupted Ramsay, though Reek would follow Ramsay's orders quite faithfully; Ramsay mentioned once that Reek "knew better" than to deny him.

Despite Roose's instruction to Ramsay's mother, either she or Reek later informed him of his true parentage. Roose believes that both Reek and Ramsay's mother were urging Ramsay on, and constantly reminding the increasingly violent bastard of his "rights."

While most bastards would content themselves with their lot in life, Ramsay had larger ambitions. Roose's elder (and trueborn) son Domeric attempted to forge a sibling connection with his half-brother Ramsay, though Ramsay swiftly went about disposing of him with poison, thus robbing Roose of his heir and becoming a kinslayer. Ramsay earned the enmity of House Dustin in the process, whose lady was fond of Domeric. Two years prior to the beginning of the War of the Five Kings, Roose Bolton brought Ramsay to the Dreadfort and made him his heir as Roose had no other sons (trueborn or otherwise).[2]

Roose says to Theon that Ramsay does not have any secrets. Ramsay's men, Sour Alyn, Luton, Skinner, and the rest are not truly his men [1] they are Roose’s and spy on Ramsay. Whether Ramsay realizes this is not known.

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

While his father is away at war, Ramsay begins to amass troops at the Dreadfort.[2] When he receives news that the neighboring lands of House Hornwood had lost both their lord and his heir, he attacks, taking the Hornwood keep and forcing the widowed Lady Hornwood to marry him.[5] He then locks her in a tower without food, where she starves to death after eating some of her fingers.[3]

Ramsay is feared throughout the North, and quickly gained infamy after the outbreak of the War of the Five Kings. He callously practices rape, murder, and other sick indulgences around the lands adjacent to the Dreadfort. Ser Rodrik Cassel attempted to put an end to his atrocities after Ramsay had forced himself upon Lady Hornwood; though quick thinking on Ramsay's part allowed him to evade death, his necrophiliac accomplice and serving man Reek taking the fall for him.

Rodrik's party comes across Ramsay shortly after he had raped and killed a peasant girl and his companion Reek had raped the corpse. Ramsay is able to survive by switching clothes with Reek, who is killed in his place. Rodrik yearned to put "Reek" to death too but he needed him alive as he was a witness to many of Ramsay's crimes, so Ramsay narrowly escaped death due to his cunning and willingness to sacrifice others for his own ends.

Ramsay is taken as a prisoner to Winterfell in the guise of Reek. After Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Ramsay exchanges a vow of service to Theon for his release.[6] He quickly becomes one of Theon's more (seemingly) trustworthy attendants, assisting Theon on his hunt to bring the escaped Bran and Rickon Stark back to Winterfell. He orchestrates Theon's cover-up of the Stark boys' escape by killing two peasant boys of an age with the Starks, and then flaying the corpses to avoid recognition. Theon presents their flayed corpses as the Starks, then has their heads mounted on spikes over the castle walls, Ramsay then (with Theon's knowledge) kills the three ironmen (Gelmarr, Aggar and Gynir) who knew the truth about the bodies in order to keep the secret more secure, Theon used the Winterfell kennelmaster Farlen as a scapegoat and had him executed for the murders. The tide soon turns against Theon, however, when Dagmer Cleftjaw's assault is broken and the Northmen, enraged at Theon's duplicity and supposed murder of the young Stark children, march on Winterfell to liberate it. Unwilling to abandon the castle, though harboring few delusions about how likely a victory is, Theon and the few Ironmen loyal to him prepare to make their final stand. Ramsay offers to help Theon by taking a large sum of money to the Dreadfort and returning with much-needed reinforcements.[7]

After consulting with his father, Ramsay and his forces march to Winterfell just as Ser Rodrik Cassel and his host move to greet them. Ramsay swaps his serving man's garb for a full set of armor complete with a red helmet, and meets with Rodrik. As the castellan offers him his hand in friendship, however, Ramsay slices Cassel's arm off and leads his forces in a rampage through the stunned Northmen's ranks. Ramsay then rides to Winterfell's gates, and presents the corpses of Ser Rodrik, Leobald Tallhart and Cley Cerwyn to an onlooking Theon as a sign of his loyalty. Theon opens the gates and meets with Ramsay himself, who removes his red helmet and reveals his true identity. He tells Theon that he would much enjoy the use of his bed-warmer Kyra, and knocks him to the floor when Theon protests. Ramsay carries out a great sack of Winterfell, murdering many of its inhabitants in cold blood, slaughtering the remaining Ironmen, and capturing Theon in the process.

A Storm of Swords

Ramsay keeps Theon at the Dreadfort, where he reportedly flays him. He sends a small piece of his skin to Robb Stark as a gift, to show vengeance is being exacted for Bran and Rickon's "murder."

After the Red Wedding House Bolton is rewarded for their service to the Lannisters, with Roose named Warden of the North and Ramsay being given a girl posing as Arya Stark (Jeyne Poole); this gives Ramsay a claim to become Lord of Winterfell. Also they receive a decree of legitimization from King Tommen I, making Ramsay an official Bolton instead of a Snow.

A Feast for Crows

Ramsay is reportedly gathering an army to march south to attack the Ironborn-occupied Moat Cailin from the rear.

A Dance with Dragons

Roose Bolton,Ramsay Snow and Reek - Sir-Heartsalot ©

Ramsay forces Theon to take on the role of Reek, his slain serving man, never allowing Theon to bathe and covering him in excrement. Ramsay also removes the skin on several of Theon's toes and fingers, leaving him in agony for days before removing the joints. Ramsay also broke off several of Theons teeth as Ramsay hated Greyjoy's smile. It is also implied that Ramsay castrates Theon. Ramsay makes Little Walder Frey and Big Walder Frey his squires.[4]

Ramsay captures Moat Cailin from the Ironborn by sending Theon in as an envoy. Ramsay promises the Ironborn, (who were sick and starved), food and safe passage if they surrender.[8] When they do surrender, Ramsay has all of them, bar his pet Theon, flayed alive and displays their skinless bodies on poles along the road by Moat Cailin. Roose is displeased by Ramsay's behavior, stating that he needs to be more discreet with his practices as his infamous exploits are now well known throughout the North.

Ramsay weds Jeyne Poole, with only himself, his father and Theon knowing the girl was not Arya Stark, and repeatedly abuses her while Theon watches.[9] Jeyne and Theon, however, are rescued and freed by Mance Rayder, whom Jon Snow sent to rescue his "sister" when he heard of the wedding.[10][11] Although Jeyne and Theon escape, Mance is captured by Ramsay. Ramsay sends Jon a raven with a message that he has Mance, has defeated the northern army and killed King Stannis in battle and claims he now possesses Stannis's sword. He also states that he wants his bride back as well, as Selyse Florent, Shireen Baratheon, Melisandre, Val, the 'wildling prince' (actually the son of Gilly, who had taken the true Wildling Prince with her per Lord Commander Snow's instructions) and his Reek, and will come for Jon if he does not give him what he wants.[12]

Which parts of letter's contents are true and which are false remains unknown.

The Winds of Winter

Ramsay and several of his "Bastard Boys" leave Winterfell to fetch his escaped bride back.[13]

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unknown
first wife
 
 
"Fat" Walda
Frey
 
Roose
 
Bethany
Ryswell
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Miller's wife
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Unborn
child
 
Sons
 
Domeric
 
Donella
Hornwood
 
Ramsay
Snow
 
"Arya Stark"
 
 
 

Quotes

All you have I gave you. You would do well to remember that, bastard. [1]

Roose Bolton to Ramsay.

You must be more discreet. [1]

Roose Bolton to Ramsay

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 32, Reek III.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 16, Bran II.
  3. 3.0 3.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 35, Bran V.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 12, Reek I.
  5. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 28, Bran IV.
  6. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 46, Bran VI.
  7. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 56, Theon V.
  8. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 20, Reek II, pp 253-263.
  9. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 37, The Prince of Winterfell.
  10. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 46, A Ghost in Winterfell, pp 616-617.
  11. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 51, Theon I, pp 673-686.
  12. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 69, Jon XIII, pp 907-908.
  13. The Winds of Winter, Theon's sample chapter, made available on GRRM's website as of Dec 28th, 2011

This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original content was at House Bolton.
The list of authors can be seen in the page history of House Bolton.
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