Brandon Stark (the Daughterless)

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House Stark.PNG Brandon Stark House Stark.PNG
Title Lord of Winterfell
Allegiance House Stark
Book A Clash of Kings

Lord Brandon Stark was the supposedly the Lord of Winterfell when Bael the Bard was just a common wildling raider.

Legend of Bael the Bard

The lord of the North at this time, Lord Brandon Stark once called Bael a coward. To take revenge of this affront and prove his courage, Bael climbed the Wall, took the Kingsroad and entered Winterfell under the name of Sygerrik of Skagos, which means deceitful in the old language of Skagos, a singer. There, he sang until midnight for the lord. Impressed by his skills as a singer, Lord Stark asked him what he wanted as a reward, and Bael only asked for the most beautiful flower blooming in Winterfell's gardens. As the blue winter rose were just blooming, Brandon Stark accepted to offer him one. But the following morning, the single, virgin daughter of the lord had disappeared, and in her bed was the blue winter rose.

Lord Brandon sent the members of the Night's Watch looking for them beyond the Wall, but they never found neither Bael nor the girl. The Stark line was on the verge of extinction, when one day the girl was back in her room, holding in her hand an infant: they had actually never left Winterfell, staying hidden in the crypts. Bael's bastard and the daughter of the Lord Stark became the new Lord Stark.

About thirty years later Bael became King-Beyond-the-Wall and lead the wildling's army south, he had to fight his own son at the Frozen Ford. There, incapable of killing his own blood, he let himself be killed by Lord Stark. His son brought back Bael's head to Winterfell, and his mother who had loved the bard, seeing the trophy, killed herself from the top of a tower.[1]

Time of the events

The books don't mention the exact time of the events only say that it was a "long time back". As Brandon Stark and his grandson are booth given the title "Lord" instead of King this seems to indicate that the story took place after the Starks gave up their kingship; around 1 AL).

On the other hand the story tells that Bael's son was killed by one of his own lords who wore his skin afterwards. The habit of flaying an enemy and wearing his skin was practiced by the Bolton lords up until 700 before AL[2].

References and Notes