Difference between revisions of "Guest right"

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It is sometimes customary for a host to give guest gifts to the departing guests when they leave the host's dwellings; this usually represents the end of the sacred guest right.{{ref|ADWD|9}}{{ref|adwd|29}} In addition, visiting guests will sometimes offer their host guest gifts as gratitude for giving them food and shelter.{{ref|ACOK|23}}{{ref|ASOS|33}}
 
It is sometimes customary for a host to give guest gifts to the departing guests when they leave the host's dwellings; this usually represents the end of the sacred guest right.{{ref|ADWD|9}}{{ref|adwd|29}} In addition, visiting guests will sometimes offer their host guest gifts as gratitude for giving them food and shelter.{{ref|ACOK|23}}{{ref|ASOS|33}}
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===Violations===
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For either a guest or a host to break the promised protection of guest right is considered to be an utterly heinous crime, breaking all the laws of gods and men. Indeed, that any lord might break the bond of guest right is not simply thought to be extremely reprehensible (as Kinslaying or Regicide are), but almost unfathomable and is thought to bring the wrath of all gods, old, new and unorthodox, down upon the perpetrators.
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Several infamous examples of violation of guest right include:
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The Rat Cook, a legendary figure who allegedly lived centuries ago, who killed the son of a King while they were guests at the Nightfort. He then baked the flesh of the King's son into a meat pie, and served it back to his own father, who unwittingly enjoyed it so much that he asked for a second piece. The gods were not offended by the murder (as a man has a right to vengeance), nor even by the cooking of the son into a pie, but for violating the protection of guest right, as the laws of hospitality are sacred above all others.
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Although few are aware of what really happened, Jaime Lannister violated guest right when he attempted to kill Bran Stark while he was a guest of Bran's father, Eddard Stark, at Winterfell. Jaime attempted to kill a member of his host's family, however, not the host himself. Jaime was never formally punished for this, though the loss of his hand and subsequent ordeal could be considered as such.
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When Catelyn Stark erroneously accuses Tyrion of conspiring to murder her son, she points out he did so while being a guest formally invited into her home. She believed whoever had pushed Bran then had also sent the assassin.
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The Mutiny at Craster's Keep. Craster grudgingly accepts the remaining members of Jeor Mormont's ranging party into his home and gave them shelter, but abuses and mocks them as well as their fallen comrades, as well as this, Craster gave them as little food as possible and fed them "bread cuts with sawdust". One of the brothers even dies from starvation. This leads to a verbal confrontation that culminated with ranger Karl Tanner calling his host "a daughter-fucking, wildling bastard." Despite his assertion that he was "a godly man" just a moment earlier, an enraged Craster attempts to kill his guest. Karl kills Craster first by stabbing him in the throat. Even though this was an act of self-defense, Jeor Mormont makes it clear that he considers this a violation of guest right, warning that "The gods will curse us for this. By all the laws—" before he too is mortally wounded by Rast. Karl, Rast and all the other mutineers are subsequently killed by their former brothers, Karl himself ironically with Mormont's former blade.
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The Red Wedding. Robb Stark, Talisa Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their bannermen are murdered by their host, Walder Frey, after he had formally extended guest right by ceremonially sharing bread and salt with them, and following the wedding feast of Robb's uncle Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. By a twist of fate, Arya Stark, who saw how the Freys desecrated her brother's corpse by sewing Grey Wind's head onto his body, avenges her family. First, she kills Lothar Frey and Black Walder for killing Talisa and Catelyn respectively and cooks their flesh into pies that she serves to their father (just as the Rat Cook did to the king's son) before killing him too. Arya then poisons all the Frey men who participated, bringing House Frey to ruin. Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton, who planned the betrayal and took part in it respectively, also die in ironic fashion. Tywin is ultimately shot with a crossbow (same as Robb, Catelyn, and their bannermen were) by his son Tyrion and Roose is fatally stabbed in a manner similar to when he killed Robb by his bastard son Ramsay Bolton and their houses are eventually brought to ruin by their children.
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Lady Olenna Tyrell, violated guest rights by conspiring with Petyr Baelish to assassinate King Joffrey at his own wedding, in which she was a guest of the crown.
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The Hound beats up the farmer who let him and Arya Stark stay in his house, and takes his money. The Hound had earlier remarked that "guest right don't mean much any more". The Hound is nearly killed after this, but survives and eventually regrets doing the deed, since the farmer killed himself and his daughter rather than starve. He even goes so far as to bury them and tries to give them faith of the seven funeral rites; he cannot, however, remember the rites and instead just declares that they both "deserved better" than what they received.
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When Jon Snow comes to treat with King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder during the Battle of Castle Black, Mance shares food and drink with him, and they even toast those on both sides who fell in the heavy fighting the night before. Mance then sees Jon eyeing a cooking knife, and quickly deduces that Jon's real reason for coming was to assassinate Mance, knowing full well that even if he succeeded he would never make it out of the camp alive. Mance is stunned that this is what the Night's Watch has come to, and asks if Jon would really kill a man under parley who shared food and drink with him. Given that Jon's own half-brother Robb Stark was murdered in an unthinkable violation of guest right, Mance's accusation stings Jon deeply, and he hesitates for a tense moment. However, before Jon can actually violate guest right, they are interrupted by the surprise arrival of Stannis Baratheon's army.
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Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes murder Myrcella Baratheon as revenge for the death of Oberyn Martell, even though Myrcella was an innocent girl who had nothing to do with Oberyn's fate (it was revenge against her mother, Cersei Lannister) and was living in Dorne under the protection of Prince Doran Martell as his ward. All of them are punished for this when they either die in combat or are imprisoned by Cersei.
  
 
==History==
 
==History==

Revision as of 19:23, 28 June 2022

Guest right is an ancient and sacred custom in Westeros, going back thousands of years to the First Men.[1] It is also recognized in the Free Cities.[2]

Customs

The guest right is a sacred law of hospitality, especially in the north.[3] When a guest, be he commonborn or noble, eats the food and drinks the drink off a host's table beneath the host's roof, guest right is invoked. Bread and salt are traditional provisions.

When invoked, neither the guest nor the host can harm the other for the length of the guest's stay.[1] For either to do so would be to break a sacred covenant that is believed to invoke the wrath of the gods. both old and new. Even robber lords and wreckers are bound by the ancient laws of hospitality.[4]

A lord with a bared sword across his knees is making a traditional sign that he is denying guest right.[5]

It is sometimes customary for a host to give guest gifts to the departing guests when they leave the host's dwellings; this usually represents the end of the sacred guest right.[4][6] In addition, visiting guests will sometimes offer their host guest gifts as gratitude for giving them food and shelter.[7][8]

Violations

For either a guest or a host to break the promised protection of guest right is considered to be an utterly heinous crime, breaking all the laws of gods and men. Indeed, that any lord might break the bond of guest right is not simply thought to be extremely reprehensible (as Kinslaying or Regicide are), but almost unfathomable and is thought to bring the wrath of all gods, old, new and unorthodox, down upon the perpetrators.

Several infamous examples of violation of guest right include:


The Rat Cook, a legendary figure who allegedly lived centuries ago, who killed the son of a King while they were guests at the Nightfort. He then baked the flesh of the King's son into a meat pie, and served it back to his own father, who unwittingly enjoyed it so much that he asked for a second piece. The gods were not offended by the murder (as a man has a right to vengeance), nor even by the cooking of the son into a pie, but for violating the protection of guest right, as the laws of hospitality are sacred above all others.

Although few are aware of what really happened, Jaime Lannister violated guest right when he attempted to kill Bran Stark while he was a guest of Bran's father, Eddard Stark, at Winterfell. Jaime attempted to kill a member of his host's family, however, not the host himself. Jaime was never formally punished for this, though the loss of his hand and subsequent ordeal could be considered as such.

When Catelyn Stark erroneously accuses Tyrion of conspiring to murder her son, she points out he did so while being a guest formally invited into her home. She believed whoever had pushed Bran then had also sent the assassin.

The Mutiny at Craster's Keep. Craster grudgingly accepts the remaining members of Jeor Mormont's ranging party into his home and gave them shelter, but abuses and mocks them as well as their fallen comrades, as well as this, Craster gave them as little food as possible and fed them "bread cuts with sawdust". One of the brothers even dies from starvation. This leads to a verbal confrontation that culminated with ranger Karl Tanner calling his host "a daughter-fucking, wildling bastard." Despite his assertion that he was "a godly man" just a moment earlier, an enraged Craster attempts to kill his guest. Karl kills Craster first by stabbing him in the throat. Even though this was an act of self-defense, Jeor Mormont makes it clear that he considers this a violation of guest right, warning that "The gods will curse us for this. By all the laws—" before he too is mortally wounded by Rast. Karl, Rast and all the other mutineers are subsequently killed by their former brothers, Karl himself ironically with Mormont's former blade.

The Red Wedding. Robb Stark, Talisa Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their bannermen are murdered by their host, Walder Frey, after he had formally extended guest right by ceremonially sharing bread and salt with them, and following the wedding feast of Robb's uncle Lord Edmure Tully and Roslin Frey. By a twist of fate, Arya Stark, who saw how the Freys desecrated her brother's corpse by sewing Grey Wind's head onto his body, avenges her family. First, she kills Lothar Frey and Black Walder for killing Talisa and Catelyn respectively and cooks their flesh into pies that she serves to their father (just as the Rat Cook did to the king's son) before killing him too. Arya then poisons all the Frey men who participated, bringing House Frey to ruin. Tywin Lannister and Roose Bolton, who planned the betrayal and took part in it respectively, also die in ironic fashion. Tywin is ultimately shot with a crossbow (same as Robb, Catelyn, and their bannermen were) by his son Tyrion and Roose is fatally stabbed in a manner similar to when he killed Robb by his bastard son Ramsay Bolton and their houses are eventually brought to ruin by their children.

Lady Olenna Tyrell, violated guest rights by conspiring with Petyr Baelish to assassinate King Joffrey at his own wedding, in which she was a guest of the crown.

The Hound beats up the farmer who let him and Arya Stark stay in his house, and takes his money. The Hound had earlier remarked that "guest right don't mean much any more". The Hound is nearly killed after this, but survives and eventually regrets doing the deed, since the farmer killed himself and his daughter rather than starve. He even goes so far as to bury them and tries to give them faith of the seven funeral rites; he cannot, however, remember the rites and instead just declares that they both "deserved better" than what they received.

When Jon Snow comes to treat with King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder during the Battle of Castle Black, Mance shares food and drink with him, and they even toast those on both sides who fell in the heavy fighting the night before. Mance then sees Jon eyeing a cooking knife, and quickly deduces that Jon's real reason for coming was to assassinate Mance, knowing full well that even if he succeeded he would never make it out of the camp alive. Mance is stunned that this is what the Night's Watch has come to, and asks if Jon would really kill a man under parley who shared food and drink with him. Given that Jon's own half-brother Robb Stark was murdered in an unthinkable violation of guest right, Mance's accusation stings Jon deeply, and he hesitates for a tense moment. However, before Jon can actually violate guest right, they are interrupted by the surprise arrival of Stannis Baratheon's army.

Ellaria Sand and the Sand Snakes murder Myrcella Baratheon as revenge for the death of Oberyn Martell, even though Myrcella was an innocent girl who had nothing to do with Oberyn's fate (it was revenge against her mother, Cersei Lannister) and was living in Dorne under the protection of Prince Doran Martell as his ward. All of them are punished for this when they either die in combat or are imprisoned by Cersei.

History

The legend of the Rat Cook of the Nightfort concerns guest right.[9] Its song is used to represent the repercussions that await those who violate this sacred law of hospitality.[10]

Maester Egbert wrote about northern violations of guest right in Justice and Injustice in the North: Judgments of Three Stark Lords, with only kinslaying being an equivalent crime.[10]

Lord Lyman Lannister provided guest right to Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena Targaryen, protecting them from King Maegor I Targaryen.[11]

During his dispute with House Webber, Ser Eustace Osgrey refused hospitality to Lady Rohanne Webber when she neared the lands of House Osgrey.[12]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

When Tyrion Lannister returns to Winterfell after the injury of Bran Stark, Robb Stark greets Tyrion with an unsheathed sword upon his knees.[5]

A Clash of Kings

Mance Rayder agrees to protect Jon as a guest when they meet beyond the Wall.[1]

Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, gifts Craster with an axe and a crossbow when the great ranging stays at Craster's Keep. The pregnant Gilly wants Jon Snow to take her away. When Jon protests that he is a guest, Gilly argues that Jon did not eat Craster's food or sleep in Craster's hall.[7]

A Storm of Swords

Craster and Jeor are murdered by members of the Night's Watch during the mutiny at Craster's Keep.[8]

Robb and his mother Catelyn receive bread and salt when they arrive at the Twins for the wedding of Lord Edmure Tully.[13] Walder Frey, the Lord of the Crossing, betrays them in the Red Wedding, however.[14] Despite having orchestrated the massacre and offered protection to Lord Walder, Lord Tywin Lannister places the blame on him.[15] When Davos Seaworth hears of the Red Wedding, he believes that House Frey is cursed for violating guest right.[16]

A Feast for Crows

The massacre ruins the Freys' reputation even among allies.[17][18] The thousands of sparrows in King's Landing are especially furious about the Red Wedding and violation of guest right. The small council discusses how to blame the Freys, and not the Iron Throne, for the massacre.[19] Trust in guest right has declined in the riverlands in the aftermath of the Red Wedding. The brotherhood without banners hangs some outlaws and soldiers who expect safety at the crossroads inn.[20][21]

Wine, cheese, bread, and salt are offered to the Lords Declarant when they come to the Eyrie, since their acceptance of the good is a recognition of guest right.[18]

A Dance with Dragons

Davos Seaworth is grateful to eat bread and sister's stew while at Breakwater, since it is a recognition of guest right by Lord Godric Borrell.[4]

Lord Wyman Manderly grants palfreys as guest gifts to Jared, Rhaegar Frey, and Symond Frey when they depart White Harbor.[6][22] Wyman desires vengeance against House Frey for the death of his son, Wendel, who was killed at the Twins as a guest during the Red Wedding.[6] The three Frey envoys disappear while traveling to Barrowton.[23] Wyman serves three large pork pies during the wedding feast of Ramsay Bolton and "Arya Stark" at Winterfell.[24]

Despite Obara Sand's calls for vengeance, Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne, refuses to harm his guest, Ser Balon Swann.[25]

Jon Snow, now Lord Commander, accepts Alys Karstark as a guest at Castle Black and has Cregan Karstark apprehended before he can request guest right.[26]

Quotes

Once I had eaten at his board I was protected by guest right. The laws of hospitality are as old as the First Men, and sacred as a heart tree … Here you are the guest, and safe from harm at my hands … this night, at least.[1]

Jeor: The gods will curse us. There is no crime so foul as for a guest to bring murder into a man's hall. By all the laws of the hearth, we-
Dirk: There are no laws beyond the Wall, old man.[8]

In the north, we hold the laws of hospitality sacred still.[27]

Catelyn: If we are offered refreshment when we arrive, on no account refuse. Take what is offered, and eat and drink where all can see. If nothing is offered, ask for bread and cheese and a cup of wine.

Robb: I'm more wet than hungry …
Catelyn: Robb, listen to me. Once you have eaten of his bread and salt, you have the guest right, and the laws of hospitality protect you beneath his roof.

Robb: I have an army to protect me, Mother, I don't need to trust in bread and salt. But if it pleases Lord Walder to serve me stewed crow smothered in maggots, I'll eat it and ask for a second bowl.[13]

Walder: Bread and salt. Heh. Of course, of course. My guests. My honored guests. Be welcome beneath my roof, and at my table.
Robb: We thank you for your hospitality, my lord.[13]

Guest right don't mean so much as it used to. Not since m'lady come back from the wedding. Some o' them swinging down by the river figured they was guests too.[21]

Tyrion: In the Seven Kingdoms it is considered a grave breach of hospitality to poison your guests at supper.
Illyrio: Here as well. Yet when a guest plainly wishes to end his own life, why, his host must oblige him, no?[2]

I will see the dawn, at least … I have eaten of his bread and salt.[4]

Davos Seaworth’s thoughts after eating sister's stew with Godric Borrell

Ser Balon is a guest beneath my roof. He has eaten of my bread and salt. I will not do him harm.[25]

Walder Frey's fourth wife was a Blackwood, but kinship counts for no more than guest right at the Twins.[28]

References