House Yronwood
House Yronwood of Yronwood | |
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We Guard the Way
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Coat of arms | Or, a portcullis sable |
Seat | Yronwood |
Head | Lord Anders Yronwood |
Region | Dorne |
Titles |
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Heir | Gwyneth Yronwood |
Overlord | House Martell |
House Yronwood of Yronwood is the most powerful house in Dorne after the Martells.[1] Yronwood Castle is the last fortress defending the Boneway; this is reflected in their title Warden of the Stone Way.[1] The Yronwoods were kings in Dorne before the arrival of the Rhoynar; the head of the house continues to hold the title The Bloodroyal.
According to semi-canon sources, their motto is We Guard the Way.[2] Their blazon is a black portcullis grill over sand.[3] The Yronwoods often have blond hair and blue eyes.[4]
Contents
History
House Yronwood is an ancient family who once ruled half of Dorne as the Kings of Yronwood, with domains significantly greater than House Martell of Sunspear, a fact the Yronwoods let no one forget.[5] House Yronwood established itself in the high valleys and green foothills below the peaks and seized control of the Stone Way, the second of the two great passes into Dorne. Well protected and comparably fertile, their lands were also well timbered and possessed of valuable deposits of iron, tin, and silver, making them the richest and most powerful of the Dornish kings. The ancient Yronwood kings oft fought with the Stormlands, as seen when King Olyvar Yronwood invaded King Erich VII Durrandon's domain.[6] When the Rhoynar came to Dorne with Nymeria, they did not join House Yronwood but instead these newcomers joined House Martell, increasing the size of their host tenfold.[7]. Nymeria married and named herself and her husband, Mors Martell, Prince and Princess of Dorne, asserting their dominion over all of Dorne. Such supremacy was easier to declare than to achieve. Years of war followed. House Yronwood was their greatest foe. For nine years Mors Martel and his bannermen struggled against Yorick Yronwood and his bannermen, in battles too numerous to mention. When Mors Martell died at Yorick's sword, Nymeria took control of the armies. It took another two years of fighting but eventually, Yorick Yronwood bent the knee and the Yronwoods became the most powerful bannerman of House Martell.[7] Though their relationship is uneasy at best.[8] The Yronwoods also have a rivalry with House Fowler, who had supported the Martells in the war.[1]
The Yronwoods joined Bittersteel against the Targaryens and Martells in three of the fiveBlackfyre Rebellions, even though one of the original goals of the rebels was to remove the Dornish influence at court.[9]
When Oberyn Martell was no older than sixteen, he was found abed with old Lord Edgar Yronwood's paramour and they fought a duel. Although it was only to first blood, Edgar's wounds festered and he died shortly afterwards, originating rumors that the Red Viper's blade had been poisoned. Oberyn fled to the Free Cities in exile. To "repay a blood debt", Prince Doran Martell later sent his second child, Quentyn Martell, to foster with Edgar's grandson, Lord Anders Yronwood.[5] Quentyn was sent more than 10 years after the incident. Quentyn served at Yronwood as page and squire. He chose to be knighted by Anders himself instead of his uncle, Oberyn.[9]
Recent Events
A Feast for Crows
Following Doran's instructions, Lord Anders musters and maintains an army in the Boneway during the War of the Five Kings.[10] Anders delays Ser Balon Swann at Yronwood by feasting him for a fortnight.[1]
A Dance with Dragons
Ser Cletus Yronwood and Ser Archibald Yronwood accompany Quentyn Martell in his mission to find Daenerys Targaryen in Essos. Since his son and his cousin are traveling with Quentyn to Essos, with all probability Lord Anders has been entrusted by Doran Martell with the critical secret of his support for the Targaryen restoration. Cletus, the heir of House Yronwood, is killed by corsairs, but Archibald arrives in Meereen.
House Yronwood at the end of the third century
The known Yronwoods during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:
- Lord Anders Yronwood, Lord of Yronwood. Warden of the Stone Way. The Bloodroyal. Son of Lord Ormond.
- Ynys Yronwood, his eldest daughter, and heir by Dornish law. Married to Ser Ryon Allyrion.
- She has at least two children.
- Ser {Cletus Yronwood}, his eldest son. Known for a lazy eye. Slain by corsairs aboard the ship Meadowlark.
- Gwyneth Yronwood, his youngest daughter.
- Ser Archibald Yronwood, his cousin. Called the Big Man and known among the Windblown as Greenguts.
- Ynys Yronwood, his eldest daughter, and heir by Dornish law. Married to Ser Ryon Allyrion.
Edgar | Unknown wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ormond | Unknown wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anders | Unknown wife | Son | Unknown wife | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ryon Allyrion | Ynys | Cletus | Gwyneth | Archibald | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Two sons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Historical Yronwoods
- Yoren Yronwood, who was defeated in the Battle by the Bloody Pool by King Durran the Young.[11]
- King Olyvar Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, Lord of Yronwood, Lord of the Stone Way, Master of the Green Hills, and High King of Dorne.[6]
- King Yorick Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, Fifth of His Name, Lord of Yronwood, Warden of the Stone Way, Knight of the Wells, King of Redmarch, King of the Greenbelt, King of the Dornish. The last of the Yronwood kings.[8]
- Lord Edgar Yronwood, who died from poison after a duel with the Red Viper.
- Lord Ormond Yronwood, a former Lord of Yronwood. The son of Lord Edgar.
Houses Sworn to House Yronwood
References and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 40, Princess In The Tower.
- ↑ The Citadel. House Mottoes
- ↑ The Citadel. Heraldry: Houses from Dorne
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 6, The Merchant's Man.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Winds of Winter, Chapter , Arianne.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Andals in the Stormlands.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The World of Ice & Fire, Ten Thousand Ships.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Coming of the Rhoynar.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 2, The Captain Of Guards.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, House Durrandon.
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