Old Wyk

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Old Wyk is one of the islands that make up the Iron Islands, located in Ironman's Bay and inhabited by the ironborn. It is located east of Great Wyk and west of Orkmont.[1][2]

The island is home to the noble houses Drumm, Goodbrother of Shatterstone, and Stonehouse.[3] Lord Dunstan Drumm is known as the Lord of Old Wyk.[4]

Windy hills and cruel black mountains make up much of Old Wyk, and Nagga's hill is located on it near Nagga's Cradle.[5][6]

History

The ironborn consider Old Wyk to be the holiest of all the Iron Islands.[7] The legendary Grey King slew the sea dragon, Nagga, upon its shore. It is on Old Wyk where the First Men found the Seastone Chair, the traditional throne of the Iron Islands.[3]

The Grey King's Hall was where kingsmoots to choose the High King of the Iron Islands were held for thousand of years, beginning with the crowning of Urras Greyiron by Galon Whitestaff. His son, Erich I Greyiron, later tried to claim the crown without a kingsmoot, but opposition from Galon led to Erich renouncing his claim and the selection by kingsmoot of Old Wyk's rock king, Regnar Drumm.[8]

Ragged Ralf was a famous reaver from the island.[7] King Harrag Hoare included longships from Old Wyk in his forces when he attacked the north of Theon Stark.[9]

The selection of high kings through the kingsmoot ended when Urron Greyiron gathered his rivals to Old Wyk and slaughtered them amidst Nagga's ribs. Old Wyk's rock and salt kings were reduced to lords sworn to hereditary dynasties of iron kings.[10]

When a sept was built on Old Wyk during the reign of King Horgan Hoare, the drowned men burned the sept, killed the septon, and drowned its congregation. The king reacted by slaughtering the priests of the Drowned God, earning him the sobriquet Horgan Priestkiller.[11]

In the aftermath of the War of Conquest, the priest-king Lodos of Old Wyk briefly opposed Aegon I Targaryen.[12]

There were succession battles on Old Wyk and Pyke after the death of Dalton Greyjoy.[13]

Ser Barristan Selmy led the attack on Old Wyk during Greyjoy's Rebellion.[14]

Recent Events

A Clash of Kings

Balon Greyjoy sends Dagmer Cleftjaw to roust the Stonehouses and the Drumms on Old Wyk.[15]

A Feast for Crows

At Pebbleton, Aeron Greyjoy preaches that a kingsmoot should be held on Nagga's hill on Old Wyk to choose the new king.[16] Euron Greyjoy is chosen King of the Isles and the North by the assembled ironborn during this kingsmoot.[17]

A Dance with Dragons

Following Euron's election as iron king, Asha Greyjoy flees the small island for Ten Towers and then Deepwood Motte.[18]

References and Notes

  1. A Feast for Crows, Map of the Iron Islands
  2. The Lands of Ice and Fire.
  3. 3.0 3.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 24, Theon II.
  4. A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
  5. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 19, Arya V.
  6. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 18, The Iron Captain.
  7. 7.0 7.1 The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands.
  8. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: Driftwood Crowns.
  9. The World of Ice & Fire, The North: The Kings of Winter.
  10. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Iron Kings.
  11. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Black Blood.
  12. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Island: The Greyjoys of Pyke.
  13. The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands: The Red Kraken.
  14. A Storm of Swords, Chapter 67, Jaime VIII.
  15. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 11, Theon I.
  16. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 1, The Prophet.
  17. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 19, The Drowned Man.
  18. A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.