Sack of Winterfell
Sack of Winterfell | |||||||||||||||||
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Conflict | War of the Five Kings | ||||||||||||||||
Date | 299 AL | ||||||||||||||||
Place | Winterfell | ||||||||||||||||
Result | Bolton victory | ||||||||||||||||
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The Sack of Winterfell is the battle that determines the outcome of the North during the War of the Five Kings. The battle begins between forces loyal to House Stark and those loyal to House Greyjoy. House Bolton, though sworn to the Starks, betrays first the Starks and then the Greyjoys. Following the battle, the Boltons have Winterfell burned.
Contents
Background
With the majority of the northern lords and their hosts in the south fighting in the Riverlands and the Westerlands, the North is left relatively undefended. Balon Greyjoy declares himself King of the Isles and the North and orders his longships to take the North. Theon Greyjoy is sent to harry the Stony Shore with Dagmer Cleftjaw. After completing this task, the two plot the capture of Winterfell. Dagmer besieges Torrhen's Square, the seat of the Tallharts, in order to draw out the garrison of Winterfell, leaving the castle lightly defended.[2] Theon captures Winterfell in one night.[3]
Ser Rodrik Cassel breaks Dagmer's force outside of Torrhen's Square and, strengthened by House Tallhart men, he marches on Winterfell.[4] Many of the ironborn with Theon abandon him, including Urzen, Stygg, and ten of Asha Greyjoy's men, leaving Theon with only seventeen remaining in his command.[1]
Opposing Armies
Stark army
A force totaling less than 2,000 men:[1]
- The Winterfell garrison under the command of Ser Rodrik Cassel; some 600 strong.
- House Cerwyn brings 300 men under the command of Cley Cerwyn.
- A force from House Tallhart, under the command of Leobald Tallhart
- Banners from Houses Flint, Hornwood, Karstark and Manderly are also seen.[1]
- Catapults and scorpions, but no siege towers.[1]
Greyjoy force
- 17 men under the command of Prince Theon Greyjoy.[1]
Bolton force
- The Dreadfort garrison, roughly 600 men, under the command of Ramsay Snow.[1]
The Battle
A parley between Rodrik and Theon accomplishes nothing other than terms being given. A helmeted Ramsay Snow leads the Dreadfort men to the Stark army. Believing the Dreadfort men to be reinforcements, Rodrik offers his hand in greeting to their leader. However, Ramsay takes Rodrik's arm off at the elbow and reveals his identity. The Bolton force under Ramsay attacks the Stark army in the night, leading to fighting in the streets of the winter town. Cley Cerwyn is killed by an arrow to the eye, while Leobald Tallhart dies as well. From atop Winterfell's battlements, Theon and Luwin watch the Dreadfort men repeatedly charge the Starks and prevent them from forming up between the town's houses, which burn. While the Stark army is dispersed, Ramsay loses only twenty or thirty of the Dreadfort men.[1]
Aftermath
Although the battle at Winterfell is not especially bloody,[5] the hold of House Stark on the North is shattered. Ramsay enters Winterfell, shows Theon the bodies of the three slain Stark leaders, and then proceeds to kill the ironmen, including Red Rolfe, Kenned, Black Lorren, and Ulf. The Bolton men sack the castle and attack its servants, such as Maester Luwin.[1] Fires destroy the Maester's Tower and the Bell Tower, collapse a side of the First Keep, and cave in the ceiling of the Great Hall. Most of Rodrik's leaders are killed, but a good many of his common soldiers escape and return to their villages and holdfasts. However, their accounts of what happened vary.[6]
Lothar Frey and Roose Bolton, whose houses had allied to betray the Starks, later blame the sack on the ironborn.[7][8] Wex Pyke, Theon's squire, survived the battle by hiding in Winterfell's godswood. Wex reveals to Lord Wyman Manderly that Ramsay took Theon and the women of Winterfell back to the Dreadfort.[9] Hornwood, Cerwyn, and Tallhart survivors of the battle rally to the side of Stannis Baratheon after he recovers Deepwood Motte from the ironborn.[10]
Quotes
- Theon Greyjoy and Ramsay Snow
References and Notes
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 66, Theon VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 37, Theon III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 46, Bran VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 56, Theon V.
- ↑ So Spake Martin August 29, 2002.
- ↑ So Spake Martin, August 23, 2000.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 35, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 49, Catelyn VI.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 29, Davos IV.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 35, Jon VII.
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