| Wat Barleycorn | |
|---|---|
 Wat Barleycorn by Mike S Miller for The Sworn Sword graphic novel | |
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| Allegiance | House Osgrey |
| Born | 160–195 AC[1] |
| Book | The Sworn Sword (appears) |
Wat, also known as Wat Barleycorn, was a peasant in service to House Osgrey. He had a younger brother, Wet Wat, who was also called Wat Barleycorn.[2]
Character
[edit]Wat was to be married the next time the traveling septon came to the Osgrey lands.[2][N 1]
History
[edit]Wat and his younger brother, Wat, were among the smallfolk called up by Ser Eustace Osgrey to defend his lands against House Webber when a dispute over the Chequy Water escalated into threats of war. Will was trained for battle by Eustace's sworn swords, Ser Bennis of the Brown Shield and Ser Duncan the Tall. Bennis laughed when he learned the brothers had the same first name, joking that their mother must not have known any other name but Wat. Because several of the other recruits also had the same first name, Duncan's squire, Egg, suggested that they be called by "village names" to distinguish them. However, because the villages had no names, the men were instead given surnames derived from the crop planted in their village. The men were excited to have been given "lord's names", and Wat was given the surname "Barleycorn". Since Wat's younger brother was also named Wat Barleycorn, he was additionally dubbed "Wet Wat", after he said he had once fallen down the village well.[2]
After the first day of training, Duncan had a nightmare that all the men had been killed and he had to bury them.[2]
After Ser Duncan realized that it would be a hopeless fight where all the smallfolk would certainly die, he sent Wat home with the others.[2]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ The identity of the character in The Sworn Sword who "is to be married the next time the septon comes" is actually uncertain. Egg calls him "Will Barleycorn", possibly referring to Will, a man better known by the nickname Treb. However, in the text Treb's name is explicitly said to be Will only in an instance, being usually called by his moniker instead. Hence, it is more likely that the soon-to-be groom is Wat Barleycorn, whereas Will Barleycorn is a misspelling by George R. R. Martin or a mistake on Egg's part.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ See the Wat Barleycorn calculation.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 The Sworn Sword.