Red Wedding

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Red Wedding artistic depiction by FatherStone ©

The Red Wedding is a massacre that takes place at the Twins in 299 AC during the War of the Five Kings, in which the King in the North, Robb Stark, his mother Catelyn Stark, and most of his 3,500 bannermen are slaughtered. The event is orchestrated by Lord Walder Frey as revenge for Robb Stark's breaking of a marriage pact he made with House Frey. However, Lord Walder would never have gone along with the massacre which violated all the sacred laws of hospitality without the promise of protection from Tywin Lannister.

Background

During the War of the Five Kings, the Freys initially rises in rebellion against the Iron Throne for the King in the North, securing an invaluable strategic position for the northmen. The rebellion is contingent on Robb Stark's betrothal to one of Lord Walder Frey's daughters. However, Robb Stark breaks his promise when he marries Jeyne Westerling, a slight that Walder is unlikely to overlook.

After learning of the broken pact, Walder secretly begins conversing with Tywin Lannister for terms to bring House Frey back as a supporter of the Iron Throne. Tywin also communicates with Roose Bolton and Sybell and Rolph Spicer and develops a devious ploy in which Walder lures Robb to the Twins, under the pretense of an invite to another marriage pact, to allegedly forgive Robb's broken vow.

The marriage, between Edmure Tully and Walder's daughter Roslin Frey, is an invitation which Robb cannot decline after already giving slight to his allies once. After Robb and his army arrive, he apologizes for his slight and Catelyn Tully asks for bread and salt to secure guest right. Roose Bolton brings five hundred horse and three thousand foot to the Twins, mostly men from the Dreadfort, as well as some Karstarks whose loyalty is in question after Robb's execution of Lord Rickard Karstark.[1]

Wedding Night

There is a feast and songs are sung including "Iron Lances" and "The Queen Took Off Her Sandal, the King Took Off His Crown".[2] The main food is pink lamb.

By using sellswords and knights at the feast disguised as musicians, and getting Robb's men too drunk to fight, Lord Walder Frey is able to coordinate a massacre with little loss to his own men. The two twin castles and the outlying camps are signalled when the band begins playing "The Rains of Castamere" after the start of the bedding between Edmure and Roslin. Few of the northmen have a chance to react, and most are butchered on the spot.

The Frey and Bolton men turn on the Stark soldiers. Specially-rigged feast tents collapse and are set aflame during the slaughter. In the main hall, many of Robb's personal guard are killed by Freys, including Smalljon Umber, Dacey Mormont, and Ser Wendel Manderly, as well as his mother Catelyn. Roose Bolton personally slays Robb, who was previously shot by arrows, with a thrust to the heart. [2]

Though no definitive count is known, most of the northmen are killed while House Frey loses only approximately fifty men in the camps, as well as Ser Garse Goodbrook and Ser Tytos Frey, both of whom are killed by Sandor Clegane.[3]

After the battle, the Freys hack and mutilate Robb's body and cut off his head along with that of Grey Wind, Robb's direwolf. In a mockery of Robb's relationship with his direwolf, the Freys sew Grey Wind's head onto Robb's decapitated body and place his bronze crown atop the direwolf's head. [4] Lady Catelyn Tully has her throat slit and is later thrown naked into the river in a mockery of House Tully funeral customs. [4]

Robb's crown is kept by Ryman Frey [5]. Later, during the Second Siege of Riverrun Jaime takes Robb's crown from Ryman's whore. [6]

Depiction of the Red Wedding byConor Campbell©

Aftermath

The Red Wedding brings an end to the northern rebellion, with Roose Bolton being made the Warden of the North for his aid in it, and several great benefits befell House Frey, including the lordship of Riverrun. However, it also destroys what honor is left in the house, as they violated one of the oldest and most sacred traditions of old, the guest right. This leads to antipathy and disgust towards the house by most Westerosi, including their own allies. Additionally, though no other house has dreamed to repeat the breaking of the right, it has left a more lasting stain on the ancient guest right, with safety and security in a strange castle no longer being considered guaranteed.

The Iron Throne also gains a number of valuable prisoners which help resolve hostilities around Westeros. With Edmure Tully captive, Jaime Lannister is able to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Siege of Riverrun. Black Walder Frey threatens to hang Patrek Mallister outside his father's castle which results in Seagard's surrender. The Greatjon and Marq Piper are held as hostages to ensure their houses' loyalty; Hother Umber allies with the newly appointed Warden of the North, Roose Bolton, and Lord Clement Piper is forced to help besiege Riverrun.

Since the Red Wedding, several of Lord Walder Frey's kin have been killed by the Brotherhood Without Banners, northmen such as Wyman Manderly or the "Ghost of Winterfell" in retaliation. Perhaps ironically, more Freys have died due to the repercussions of the Red Wedding than during the War of the Five Kings.

Frey Version

Jared Frey tells Lord Wyman Manderly that, contrary to the true story, the Red Wedding was actually Robb Stark’s work. According to the Frey fictionalization, Robb changed into a wolf-man beast before the eyes of the Freys and tore out the throat of Jinglebell, a harmless simpleton. Furthermore, he allegedly would have slain Lord Walder Frey if Ser Wendel Manderly had not put himself in the way. According to this version of the event, the other northmen also turned into wolves to join Robb's attack.[7]

Participants

art by Zippo514 ©)

Architects

Perpetrators

In the Main Hall

In the Camps

  • Ser Walder Rivers leads the attack against the northern host's camp.
  • Ser Garse Goodbrook participates in the attack against the northern host's camp.
  • Ser Tytos Frey participates in the attack against the northern host's camp.

Perpetrator casualties

Known victims

Known captives

Absent

Influences

George R.R. Martin has revealed that the inspiration for the Red Wedding came from the Black Dinner.[8] [9] The Black Dinner took place in 1440 when William Douglas, the 6th Earl of Douglas, was invited to a dinner with the ten year old King James II of Scotland. After the dinner the Clan Douglas chiefs were taken outside, given a mock trial and beheaded.

Quotes about Red Wedding

The boy was too wary in the field. He kept his men in good order, and surrounded himself with outriders and bodyguards. [10]

- Tywin Lannister justifies Red Wedding


Mercy!

- Catelyn Tully


In the midst of slaughter, the Lord of the Crossing sat on his carved oaken throne, watching greedily.


Tyrion: So much for guest right.

Tywin: The blood is on Walder Frey's hands, not mine.

Tyrion: Walder Frey is a peevish old man who lives to fondle his young wife and brood over all the slights he's suffered. I have no doubt he hatched this ugly chicken, but he would never have dared such a thing without a promise of protection.

Tywin: I suppose you would have spared the boy and told Lord Frey you had no need of his allegiance? That would have driven the old fool right back into Stark's arms and won you another year of war. Explain to me why it is more noble to kill ten thousand men in battle than a dozen at dinner. The price was cheap by any measure. The crown shall grant Riverrun to Ser Emmon Frey once the Blackfish yields. Lancel and Daven must marry Frey girls, Joy is to wed one of Lord Walder’s natural sons when she's old enough, and Roose Bolton becomes Warden of the North and takes home Arya Stark. [10]

- Tywin Lannister to Tyrion


And Bolton? I might have known Frey would not have the stomach to act alone. [10]

- Tyrion


Not murder. It was vengeance, we had a right to our vengeance. It was war. Aegon, we called him Jinglebell, a poor lackwit never hurt anyone, Lady Stark cut his throat. We lost half a hundred men in the camps. Ser Garse Goodbrook, Kyra’s husband, and Ser Tytos, Jared’s son . . . someone smashed his head in with an axe ... Stark's direwolf killed four of our wolfhounds and tore the kennelmaster’s arm off his shoulder, even after we’d filled him full of quarrels . . .[3]

- Merrett Frey


Lem: So you sewed his head on Robb Stark's neck after both o' them were dead.

Merrett: My father did that. All I did was drink. You wouldn't kill a man for drinking.

[3]

- Merrett Frey to Lem


The Red Wedding was my father's work, and Ryman's and Lord Bolton's. Lothar rigged the tents to collapse and put the crossbowmen in the gallery with the musicians, Bastard Walder led the attack on the camps ... [3]

- Merrett Frey


Jared: The Red Wedding was the Young Wolf's work. He changed into a beast before our eyes and tore out the throat of my cousin Jinglebell, a harmless simpleton. He would have slain my lord father too, if Ser Wendel had not put himself in the way.

Davos: Is it your claim that Robb Stark killed Wendel Manderly?

Jared: And many more. Mine own son Tytos was amongst them, and my daughter's husband. When Stark changed into a wolf, his northmen did the same. The mark of the beast was on them all. Wargs birth other wargs with a bite, it is well-known. It was all my brothers and I could do to put them down before they slew us all.

Davos: Ser, may I have your name?

Jared: Ser Jared, of House Frey.

Davos: Jared of House Frey, I name you liar. [7]

- Jared Frey to Davos


They speak of wargs and skinchangers and assert that it was Robb Stark who slew my Wendel. The arrogance of it! They do not expect the north to believe their lies, not truly, but they think we must pretend to believe or die. Roose Bolton lies about his part in the Red Wedding, and his bastard lies about the fall of Winterfell. And yet so long as they held Wylis I had no choice but to eat all this excrement and praise the taste. [11]

- Wyman Manderly


Robb who had been more a brother to Theon than any son born of Balon Greyjoy's loins. Murdered at the Red Wedding, butchered by the Freys. I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him. [12]

- Theon Greyjoy's thoughts

References and Notes

  1. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
  2. 2.0 2.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 51, Catelyn VII.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 A Storm of Swords, Epilogue.
  4. 4.0 4.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 58 , Tyrion VII, p 654.
  5. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 38, Jaime VI, p 709.
  6. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 38, Jaime VI, p 710.
  7. 7.0 7.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 19, Davos III.
  8. Historical Influences. (June 20, 2001) So Spake Martin
  9. So Spake Martin. Archon Meeting (October 5-7) October 05, 2001.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 53, Tyrion VI.
  11. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 29, Davos IV.
  12. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 46, A Ghost in Winterfell.

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See Also

Game of Thrones Red Wedding Scene