Lann the Clever
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 Lann the Clever as depicted in Game of Thrones: Histories & Lore. | ||||
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| Title | King of the Rock (posthumously) | |||
| Allegiance | House Lannister | |||
| Race | First Men/Andal (disputed) | |||
| Born | In the Age of Heroes, Andalos or Westeros (disputed) | |||
| Mother | Florys the Fox or Rowan Gold-Tree (disputed) | |||
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Lann the Clever is the legendary hero who founded House Lannister in the Age of Heroes,[1] winkling Casterly Rock from the Casterlys with only his wits.[2] Lann is popular amongst singers and storytellers.[2]
History
Origin
Most tales connect Lann with the First Men and the dawn of days[3] or the Age of Heroes.[1] In some tales of the Reach, Lann was a bastard born to Florys the Fox or Rowan Gold-Tree, legendary daughters of Garth Greenhand.[4] In the westerlands, however, it is more commonly claimed that Lann deceived Garth by posing as one of his plentiful sons and making off with part of the inheritance that belonged to Garth's children.[4] Some versions state he was an Andal adventurer from across the narrow sea, although this would have been thousands of years before the coming of the Andals.[5]
Casterly Rock
Stories differ in the method by which Lann took Casterly Rock from House Casterly. In the most common version, Lann, having stripped naked and coated himself in butter, squeezed through a secret cleft in the stone. Once inside he confused the sleeping Casterlys by whispering threats, howling like a demon, stealing treasures from one brother and placing them in the bedchamber of another, and rigging traps. Thus, he set the Casterlys at odds with one another and convinced them their seat was haunted.[5]
In another version of the tale, Lann used the cleft to fill the Rock with mice, rats, and other vermin to drive the Casterlys out. In yet another he smuggled inside a pride of lions which devoured Lord Casterly and his sons. Lann then claimed the lord's wife and daughters for himself. In the most notorious tale, Lann had his way with Casterly maidens while they slept, and nine months later the women gave birth to golden-haired children while insisting they had never slept with a man.[5]
Lann is said to have stolen gold from the sun to brighten his hair.[2] He supposedly lived to the age of three hundred and twelve, siring a hundred bold sons and a hundred lissome daughters, all fair of face, clean of limb and with hair "as golden as the sun". In a few generations, Lann's descendants were so numerous that Casterly Rock could not contain them all. The members of the lesser branches made their home in a nearby village that grew into the city of Lannisport.[5]
Legacy
Maesters are skeptical of Lann the Clever's existence.[5] Archmaester Perestan proposed that Lann was a retainer or guard in service to House Casterly who impregnated the lord's daughter—or daughters—and persuaded the father to give him the girl in marriage. Maester Yandel considers that if this lord had no trueborn sons, the Rock eventually passed to said daughter and Lann. Whatever the case, House Casterly vanished from chronicles and histories and in its place appears the hitherto-unknown House Lannister.[5] Lann is not believed to have claimed the title of king, although some tales have called him such posthumously.[5]
Some claim that Lann's ghost still haunts Casterly Rock.[6] Lann's Point is presumably named after Lann the Clever.[5]
Quotes
In the songs, Lann was the fellow who winkled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock with no weapon but his wits, and stole gold from the sun to brighten his curly hair.[2]
—thoughts of Eddard Stark
Family
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 27, Eddard VI.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 44, Jaime VI.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Garth Greenhand.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 The World of Ice & Fire, The Westerlands.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 8, Tyrion III.