Salt king

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Salt king was an ancient title among the ironborn during the Age of Heroes. Each of the Iron Islands had both a rock king and a salt king.

History

While the the rock king ruled the island itself, the salt king commanded the isle's ships whenever they were at sea. Each type of king was chosen at kingsmoots. An island's salt king was usually younger than its rock king. The two were sometimes father and son, and in some other cases they came from rival houses.[1]

The High Kings of the Iron Islands were chosen from the rock and salt kings and captains from each isle who gathered to Old Wyk to select a leader for all of the ironborn.[1]

The tradition of salt kings ended when Urron Greyiron attacked the attendees of the kingsmoot deciding the successor to Urragon IV Greyiron. Urron Redhand made House Greyiron the hereditary Kings of the Iron Islands, and the rock and salt kings were reduced to lords or extinguished.[2]

Known salt kings

Quotes

Many legends have come down to us through the millennia of the salt kings and reavers who made the Sunset Sea their own, men as wild and cruel and fearless as any who have ever lived.[3]

—writings of Yandel

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Iron Kings.
  3. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands.