Gilly

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Gilly
Only water by cabepfir.jpg
Gilly and Samwell from Only Water by cabepfir

Alias the rabbit keeper [1]
Culture Free Folk
Born In either 282 AC, 283 AC or 284 AC[2]Craster's Keep
Spouse Craster
Books

Played by Hannah Murray
TV series Season 2 | Season 3 | Season 4

Gilly is a wildling girl, daughter and wife of Craster. She also has a son by Craster.

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Gilly

Gilly seems to be in her late teens. During their initial encounter, Jon Snow estimated her to be 15 or 16 years-old. Gilly has dark hair and a gaunt face. She is named for the gillyflower. [1] [3] She has brown eyes. She is regarded as doe-eyed. Even after giving birth, Gilly retains a slim figure. She is regarded as pretty. [4] Jon Snow considers Gilly a slender little thing, somewhat childlike in appearance. Her status as a wife and mother is not evident in her appearance. [5]

Samwell Tarly considers Gilly "very brave", and able to keep going no matter the obstacles on the way. He contrasts her to himself and his perceived cowardice. [6] He also considers her to be kind. [7]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Hannah Murray as Gilly at Craster's Keep (TV Show)

When the Night's Watch stops at Craster's Keep on Jeor Mormont's ranging, she encounters and befriends Samwell Tarly. She is pregnant with Craster's child, and fears that if she gives birth to a son, Craster will sacrifice him to the Others. She beseeches Samwell to help her, and Samwell agrees, sending her to Jon Snow, to the annoyance of the latter.[1]

A Storm of Swords

After the attack on the Fist of the First Men, as the Night's Watch pauses to regroup at Craster's Keep, Gilly gives birth to a son. Craster is killed before he can sacrifice the child, and in the confusion Gilly flees south with Samwell. After arriving at the Wall, she serves as a wetnurse to Mance Rayder's son after his wife, Dalla, dies in childbirth.

A Feast for Crows

She is sent South aboard a ship to Oldtown with Samwell, Dareon, and Maester Aemon, ostensibly with her child; in truth Jon Snow swapped her child with that of Mance Rayder, to spare the innocent child from Melisandre's flames on account of his king's blood. For much of the journey she is overcome with grief at being separated from her child, but after Aemon's death aboard the Cinnamon Wind, she recovers, and for a time becomes a lover to Samwell. Upon their arrival at Oldtown, it is planned that she will be sent to Samwell's old home at Horn Hill with the story that her child is a bastard fathered by Samwell.

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 23, Jon III.
  2. See the Gilly calculation.
  3. The term "gillyflower" traditionally describes a number of unrelated species of scented flowering plants. The most notable of them are Dianthus caryophyllus (also known as "carnation" or "clove pink"), Matthiola incana ("stock" or "hoary stock"), Erysimum cheiri ("cheiranthus" or "wallflower"), Hesperis matronalis ("night-scented gilliflower" or "mother-of-the-evening"), Saponaria officinalis ("soapwort" or "bouncing bet"), and Armeria maritima ("thrift" or "sea pink").
  4. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.
  5. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 7, Jon II.
  6. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 46, Samwell III.
  7. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 75, Samwell IV.