| Wat Barleycorn Wet Wat | |
|---|---|
 Wet Wat by Mike S Miller for The Sworn Sword graphic novel | |
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| Aliases |
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| Allegiance | House Osgrey |
| Born | ~191–196 AC[1] |
| Book | The Sworn Sword (appears) |
Wat, better known as Wet Wat and Wat Barleycorn, was a peasant in service to House Osgrey. He had an older brother, who was also called Wat Barleycorn.[2]
Character
[edit]Wat was "still half a boy", not yet an adult.[2]
History
[edit]Wat and his older 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 older brother was also named Wat Barleycorn, the younger Wat 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 where he saw Wet Wat with his head cut nearly in half, and that all the other men had also been killed and he had to bury them.[2]
Wet Wat was assigned to stand watch atop Standfast to look out for Lady Rohanne Webber's forces. However, after Ser Duncan realized that it would be a hopeless fight where all the smallfolk would certainly die, he sent Wet Wat home with the others.[2]
Quotes
[edit]Wat: We will get swords and helms and chainmail?
Bennis: Why, sure you will, just as soon as you kill one o' the Widow's knights and strip his bloody corpse. Make sure you stick your arm up his horse's arse, too, that's where you'll find his silver.[2]—Wat and Bennis of the Brown Shield