Difference between revisions of "First night"

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[[fr:Première nuit]][[zh:初夜权]]

Revision as of 05:22, 11 June 2012

The First Night or the "Lord's Right" is a mostly extinct marriage tradition in Westeros. Under this tradition, when commoners or peasants married, their lord or king might bed the bride on the first night. This tradition sometimes even allowed kings to bed the wives of nobles on their wedding night, although this rarely took place, as a shrewd ruler would be aware of the resentment this would cause and how easily it could make enemies.

This tradition led some commoners to marry in secret or not inform their lords of the marriage, as they had no wish to share their brides, nor did the bride often wished to be shared. In Westeros, it was practiced for centuries until the reign of Jaehaerys I who, under the advice of his adored Queen Consort Alysanne, banned the tradition. This made Alysanne beloved of the smallfolk, though some lords resented it.

Although it is now against the law, some houses in Westeros, such as House Bolton and House Umber of the North, are rumored to still illicitly uphold Lord's Right.[1]

See also

  • Customs for additional information on customs and traditions of westeros.
  • Droit du seigneur's (a very similar custom that is not proven to have existed) article in Wikipedia.

References and Notes