History of the North

(The above map shows major locations only. For a complete map of all of the seats of all of the houses of the North, click here.)

Founding of Houses Stark, Bolton, and Reed, and the Kingdom of the North

     Oberon had three sons by his fifth wife, Rilga--Caine, Julian, and Gerard.

     Caine, who took the surname Bolton, married four times:

• Joanna
• Bessa
• Belandra
• Brienne

Caine had a number of children by each of his wives, and also is known to have fathered a number of bastards by other women.

     Julian, who took the surname Reed, married twice:

• Daella
• Alysanne

Julian had several children by both of his wives. He is also rumored to have fathered a child with his half-sister, Fiona.

     Gerard, who took the surname Stark, married three times:

• Mariya
• Allyria (known as Allyria Flint)
• Allyria (known as Allyria the Younger)

Gerard had a number of children by each of his three wives. There are no rumors of him having sired any bastards.

     For many years, the North was without a king or concentrated center of power. Many Children of the Forest settled in this area, and their traditions did not support the notion of a high king. However, because of the threat of the Others, the three brothers met and decided that one of them should take the throne of the North, if for no other reason than to have a unified leader for their armies. After three weeks of deliberations, they selected Gerard as "the best of us all." King Gerard Stark became the first King of the North, and his descendants hold the throne from their seat in Winterfell to this day.

Houses of the North

Their part in events B.F.

     During the Long Night, the lands of the North suffered greatly. The Others made many raids into the North before the other kingdoms were able to rally troops to assist, and several of the earliest families of the North were extinguished. Some in the North claim that the great hero, Azor Ahai, may have been one of the three brothers who founded the Kingdom of the North. The most common claim is that it was Gerard, but others suggest that Julian was the true savior of the realm.

     Bran the Builder is said to have been a grandson of Gerard, and was later King of the North. Nearly every house in the North participated in the building of the Wall to some extent, either directly, by sending men as laborers, or indirectly, by supplying the laborers with provisions. A high proportion of those men send to build the Wall remained at the Wall after it was complete. Some of these men left behind their wives and families, but in every instance, the "widows" were well provided for.

     Although the name of the Night's King has been lost to the ages, those in the North know that he was one of theirs. The family names that are most often cited are Stark, Bolton, Magnar (out of Skagos), Umber, Flint, Norrey, or Woodfoot (extinct house). Interestingly, each family named has their own private theories about which member of their lineage was the one responsible, but the truth of the matter is that it is impossible to say for certain who is correct.

Internal Events B.F.

     For much of the early history of the North, the people struggled to survive every time that winter came. Although their territory is and always has been vast, the land is not particularly fertile. Houses along the coasts and in the Neck typically fared better. But not until a son of the Moss family put together the first glass garden did the families in the interior of the North enjoy better food sources regardless of the season. Though the glass gardens typically do not produce crops in the dead of winter, those houses who maintain glass gardens often put away the entirety of the crop from their glass garden each year to enable them to get through the lean years of winter.

Their part in the founding of the Faith

     The North did not produce a large number of scholars devoted to the founding of the Faith of the Thirteen. For some time, it seemed likely that the North would have no part in the new religion, particularly as many of the Children of the Forest still lived among them. The kingdom saw an abrupt turnaround when King Brandon Stark (known as "the Visionary" after this time) declared the Faith of the Thirteen as the dominant religion in the North, claiming that he had been visited by Gerard and Caine, both of whom pressed for the new Faith. Small pockets of worship of the Old Gods remained in the North for a hundred or more years, but even today, when nearly every person in the North follows the Faith of the Thirteen, weirwoods are still common in most keeps.

Their part in events A.F.

     As is the case with most winters, the Winter of Hunger had a major impact on the North. Members of the mountain clans came down from the mountains for a number of years, though they eventually returned to their former homes. Families who lived in the Neck raided the Riverlands during this era, which has created bad feelings between the Riverlands and the North that persist to this day.

     The Clash with the Baurig had little impact on the North, as the raiders did not venture to the north.

     The Wildling Invasion swept across a portion of the Gift before the King of the North was able to push back the invasion. Fortunately for the North, this invasion came during early spring, and the crops planted in the Gift were not heavily damaged. An Umber replaced the Lord Commander who was responsible for this breach in duty.

Internal Events A.F.

     In 2,615 A.F., King Rodrik Stark challenged King Lanwen Hoare to a wrestling match. King Rodrik Stark won, and his prize was Bear Island, which he awarded to the Mormonts. Few Hoares had lived on Bear Island, and most of them left at that time. But Lord Aggyll Mormont, who had recently lost his wife in childbirth, asked for the hand of Sybilion Hoare, a distant cousin of King Lanwen Hoare. Thus some Mormonts can trace their lineage back to the Iron Islands as well as the North.

     In 3,718 A.F., the North faced attackers on two fronts--the Mountain Clans invaded from the west, and the families of Skagos invaded from the east. The King of the North was able to negotiate with the Mountain Clans, getting them to return to their mountain homes after only minor bloodshed. However, this meant that the Boltons handled the raiders from Skagos, which they did with extreme bloodshed. The attackers were driven off, but since that time, the families on Skagos have kept to themselves. Kings since that time have sent ravens and occasional envoys to Skagos; no messages or envoys have returned to date.

Current situation

     The current King of the North is King Damon Stark, the Third of His Name. His Queen is Arienne Ryswell. After their first four children were all daughters, Damon and Arienne finally had a son as their fifth child, Samwell Stark, who is heir to the throne. King Damon is in his 50s, and Samwell has only recently turned 18. Although many offers of marriage have been made for Samwell, none have been accepted as of yet. King Damon's stepmother, Daeryssa (Bolton) Stark, has even offered her youngest daughter (who would be Samwell's half-aunt) as a potential bride. The Starks may be considering marriage offers from outside of their kingdom. 

     During the last winter in Amber (5,640-5,643 A.F.), inhabitants of the North experienced highly unusual storms. In addition to the anticipated rain, sleet, and snow, numerous accounts say that miscellaneous objects--weapons, cookware, animals, and even people--also fell from the sky. However, these were quickly buried beneath snow and ice, and when the spring thaw came, no trace of the unusual objects was found. At first, most of the people who saw such things assumed they had imagined them, but as they talked with friends and neighbors, they realized that the phenomenon was widespread across the North (though not in any other Kingdom). There are a number of inhabitants of the North who wonder if such things will happen when the next winter comes.