7 kingdoms of westeros titles. Great Houses of Westeros

The most courageous stars of the mega-popular TV project in the ELLE review

Game of Thrones is full of beautiful scenery and unexpected plot twists. The series based on the books of George Martin is wonderfully written, directed and acted, and, importantly, full of exceptionally attractive men. Here are specimens for every taste: blondes and brunettes, old and young, tall and dwarfs. In general, choose - I do not want. The main condition: all the characters in our review survived until the new, fourth, season, which started on HBO last week. And fans and just sympathizers know that not everyone managed to survive.

Jaime Lannister

The main scoundrel from the Lannister clan - it was he who, in the finale of the very first series, threw the baby Bran Stark off the tower with the words "Whatever you do for love." His love, however, is rather strange - for his own twin sister, Queen Regent Cersei, with whom they gave birth to bastards, disguising them as royal heirs. Jaime was caught by enemies, held hostage, his hand was cut off, and only after all these twists and turns did he slowly begin to change and acquire a human face.

The role of Jaime is played by a Dane with an impeccable British accent and the Russian name Nikolai Coster-Waldau. His character is the spitting image of Prince Charming from Shrek, especially in appearance. That is, the same hand-written handsome man with blond hair, a determined chin and a cold heart. Perhaps the most attractive villain in Westeros. As for the actor himself, despite the resounding success of Game of Thrones, Nikolai still lives in Copenhagen with his wife, singer and former Miss Greenland named Nukaka - together they raise two children. In addition to Game of Thrones, we could also see Nikolai in Mom and Oblivion, and very soon he will appear on our screens in the comedy The Other Woman, where he will have affairs with half of Hollywood blondes.

Tyrion Lannister

According to the vast majority of fans of books and the series - the best character in the saga. The cynical dwarf, whom his father is ashamed of and his sister despises, is a frequenter of brothels and a drunkard, but at the same time a rather tragic womanizer and joker. Being a clear laughing stock of the Lannister clan, Tyrion jumped ahead of his namesakes in terms of intelligence and quick wits: only he can pacify the underage false king, the evil idiot Joffrey, giving him slaps in the face. Only Tyrion can figure out how to repel the attack of the rightful heir to the throne, Stannis Baratheon, with his numerous flotilla. Only Tyrion can earn the sincere love of a beautiful and witty whore. And finally, only Tyrion can kill... However, this is already a spoiler for everyone who has not read the original source.

The younger Lannister is played by Peter Dinklage, who, although an American, has also learned to speak with an impeccable British (read, seven-royal) accent. The inimitable Dinklage (all the actors of the series unanimously claim that Peter is terribly similar to his character) is 44 years old, of which 9 he is married to theater director Erica Schmidt - a woman, if you are interested, of absolutely normal growth. Debuting in 1995 in a memorable role in the great film A Life in Oblivion, Dinklage rose to the awards "Emmy" and "Golden Globe". Despite the limited role, he is extremely in demand: very soon we will see him as the main villain in the new film about the X-Men.

Tywin Lannister

The head of the Lannister clan, the father of Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion, is not a trivial cold bastard - he is rich, stately, smart, eloquent. Such a widower, warrior, rich man and intellectual could happily rush any single woman of the Seven Kingdoms, but Lord Tywin has no time to twist novels - he is too busy with internecine warriors. Tywin does not appear in the series immediately, and at first the viewer sees in him the root of evil and the shadow general responsible for placing Joffrey on the throne. But then the Lannister-father makes friends with Arya Stark, and their intoxicating picks make it clear that Tywin is not such a terrible evil as it seems.

The role is played by the outstanding English actor Charles Dance, who has long been in the habit of playing charming villains. He still has a lot of gunpowder in his flasks, which is clear from recent events in his personal life. First, Dans, after 20 years of marriage, left his wife and two children, then for some time met with actress Sophia Miles (who is 34 years younger than him), and then at the age of 65 he became a father for the third time, but soon left his new mother and his bride, sculptor Elinor Burman. Now is the time to find out if Lannisters always or not always "pay back."

Stannis Baratheon

The younger brother of the late King Robert and the older brother of the no less deceased Renly, Stannis Baratheon is the only legitimate contender for the throne (except for the wandering Daenerys Targaryen in the deserts and the bastard Robert Gendry lost in the northern forests). He has no sense of humor at all and generally at least some kind of cheerfulness - no one has ever seen Stannis smiling. However, he is stubborn, purposeful and suffers from a heightened sense of justice. He really needs to sit on the throne - so much so that he did not disdain to remove his younger brother from the path. Stannis is at the mercy of Lady Melisandre, the Red Priestess, who knows how to fool everyone around, even such reinforced concrete types as our hero. She makes him believe in his god, who supposedly will help the true king take his throne. However, the first attempt to take the Red Fortress turned out to be a failure - the perspicacious dwarf Tyrion prevented the venture.

Stannis is played by Stephen Dillane, a veteran stage actor and Tony Award winner. He lives in London and brings up two children with his wife, one of whom, Frank Dillane, played not just anyone, but the young Voldemort in the movie Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Jora Mormont

The prodigal knight Jorah Mormont is a loyal protector and secret admirer of the Khaleesi Daenerys. He has a dark past: he got into debt because of his wife, fled the state, divorced, made friends with the Dothraki tribe and began to report to the authorities (in particular, the eunuch Varis) about the location of the Khaleesi. However, he quickly came to his senses, gave up espionage, saved Daenerys from an assassination attempt, and for some reason fell in love with her. Jora is no longer young, worn out by life, but still good and courageous - he has an Eastwood squint and chivalrous skills that can defeat even the most fastidious ladies. However, Daenerys is impregnable - she greatly appreciates Jora as a friend and squire, but she has dragons, and they, to be honest, are worth a whole army of beautiful knights.

The role of Jora is played by another well-deserved British actor Ian Glen, whom we could see in three films of the Resident Evil franchise. In real life, Jora doesn't run after underage princesses: he is in a relationship with actress Charlotte Emerson and they have two children.

John Snow

On the shoulders of the young bastard Ned Stark, who with a heavy heart went to serve on the Wall, is entrusted with a mission much more significant than the rest of the men on our list: Jon Snow must protect the Seven Kingdoms from the evil spirits that have bred to the north of the Black Castle. And by the end of the third season, this evil spirits went to the Wall with a wall, and compared to this impending nightmare, all the showdowns in the South, all this fuss in the struggle for the throne looks like an innocent game in the sandbox. Jon Snow, the owner of a snow-white dire wolf, started a painful affair with the red-haired savage Ygritte, despite the fact that, according to a vow, he must remain a virgin all his life. However, John infiltrated the camp of the savages solely for the purpose of espionage, and in the end left his girlfriend terribly dissatisfied. Of all the Game of Thrones romance novels, Jon and Ygritte's is perhaps the most unpredictable.

Kit Harington as Jon Snow was one of the show's biggest revelations. So far, only he and Emilia "Daenerys" Clarke have landed blockbuster roles at the end of the third season. And if Clarke has yet to play Sarah Connor in the new "Terminator", then Harington has already managed to decorate the disaster film "Pompeii" with his deer eyes and cubes on his torso.

Peter Bailish

Sweet-sounding as a nightingale, witty and cynical, Baelish is one of the closest advisers to the king and, in combination, is the owner of a network of fashionable brothels. You can immediately see from him - a slippery type, but charming. Constantly lying, but how well it rings! Baelish regularly feuds with another royal advisor, Lord Varys, and their skirmishes are some of the most interesting dialogues in both the books and the series. Lord Baelish once (yes, frankly, always!) Was in love with Catelyn Tully, who married Ned Stark. A hidden grudge against all the Starks has long stimulated Baelish to weave intrigues and build intrigues.

Lord Baelish is played by Irish actor Aidan Gillen, who, long before Game of Thrones, became famous for his roles in the series Close Friends and The Wire. He lives in Dublin with his wife and two teenage children, hosts the evening show Other Voices (that is, he works as a local David Letterman) and does not even look in the direction of Hollywood.

Liverpool lad Joe Depmsey, who plays Gendry, went through a TV drill on the youth series Skins. He is only 26 and has a bright future: he will soon play the lead role in the sequel to the film "Monsters", the director of which, Gareth Edwards, is completing work on "Godzilla". Dempsey was born in Liverpool but grew up in Nottingham; he has been actively supporting Nottingham Forrest football club for many years, trying not to miss a single match - both at home and away.

PS At the end of our review, I would like to note the deceased heroes: Sean Bean, more than ever, in the image of Ned Stark - for his mighty profile and inflexibility; our universal "sun and stars" Khala Drogo (Jason Momoa) - for a long braid with bells and fidelity to traditions; "young wolf" Rob Stark (James Madden) - for childish wisdom and devotion to his people; playful Renly Baratheon - for a smile and ingenuity; and the loathsome Viserys Targaryen for his maniacal determination. Of the newcomers, we are waiting for Daario Naharis and Oberyn Martell to reveal their potential. And of course, our compatriot Yuri Kolokolnikov - in the role of the leader of the Wildlings, he is terribly brutal and charming!

The sixth season of Game of Thrones kicks off April 24. We decided to remember what the Seven Kingdoms are, who lives in them and why they all fight among themselves.

Seven Kingdoms- this is the name of the state on the continent of Westeros, washed by the seas on all sides and only protected by a northern wall. Although in fact, this is one kingdom, the capital of which is located in King's Landing, along with the Iron Throne, on which the king sits. Initially, Westeros was divided into hundreds of small kingdoms, with the advent of the Andal conquerors (an ancient people who brought with them culture, language, faith in the Seven and knightly tournaments), most of them fell, and nine regions remained: Dorne, Reach, Western Lands, Royal Lands , Stormlands, Iron Islands, Arryn Vale, Riverlands, and the North. And by the time of the reign of Aegon I the Conqueror, Westeros consisted of seven independent states, nicknamed the Seven Kingdoms.

Kings of the North, House Stark (North)

Coat of arms: gray direwolf running across a snowy field
Motto: The winter is coming
Ancestral Castle: Winterfell

Starks- a very ancient family, originating from Brandon the Builder, who lived 8000 years ago. Like most northerners, they believe in the Old Gods. Before the unification of Westeros, they ruled the northern lands as the Kings of the North, however, having knelt before Aegon the Conqueror, they became the Lords of Winterfell and the Keepers of the North. It is this title that Lord Eddard Stark proudly wears at the beginning of a long story called Song of Ice and Fire. He lives in Winterfell with his wife, five children and bastard Jon Snow. In season 1 of the series, he loses his head in the truest sense of the word, and chaos begins not only among the household, but throughout the kingdom. At the moment, the eldest son Robb is killed at the wedding of Edmure Tully with Roslyn Frey within the walls of the Twins, Sansa married Ramsey Bolton, Arya is in Braavos in the House of Black and White, Bran was looking for Jon, but eventually found the magic tree from his visions, fate Rikon is still unknown. Their mother, Catelyn, had her throat slit at that bloody wedding. And Jon Snow, already as the commander-in-chief of the Night's Watch, was also killed by his own subordinates. However, we do not yet believe that he died completely and, most importantly, irrevocably.

North- the most extreme and largest region of the Seven Kingdoms, although sparsely populated. From the south it borders on the Riverlands on the Isthmus, and from the north it is backed by the Wall. A harsh land, far from abundant in food, where winter can begin at any moment. And here it is so heavy and long that not everyone is able to survive it. The wall, which stands on the border of the world of people and the Lands beyond the Wall, is guarded by the brotherhood night watch- an ancient order created eight thousand years ago, at the time Long Night. Its members take an oath of allegiance, take vows of celibacy and asceticism, and wear black. In the old days, the Watch was a powerful army and it was considered a great honor to serve in it. Today it consists of exiled criminals and is unlikely to be able to protect even himself.

Kings of Isles and Rivers, House Hoare (Iron Islands, Riverlands, Kingslands)

Coat of arms: consists of four parts, testifying to the former grandeur of the house - the golden boat (Iron Islands), green pine (Northern coast), red grape bunch (Arbor) and black raven (Old Town)
Motto: unknown
Ancestral Castle: they originally owned Hoare Castle on the island of Great Vic. But the last king of this house, Harren Hoar, built the fearsome Harrenhal in the Riverlands, where, in fact, he died.

Hoares- one of the extinct houses of the Iron Islands. At one time he was quite powerful, gave the islands several famous kings and naval commanders. After the arrival of the Andals, the Hoares achieved hereditary royal power. They were called black dynasty or black blood.

iron islands- a group of islands in the west of Westeros, separated from the mainland by the Gulf of Iron Men, and washed by the Sunset Sea from the west. The region is even poorer than the northern one, which survives on seafood. Its inhabitants are called ironborn. These are free and very cruel pirates who worship the Drowned God. In the past, they often raided the coast of the mainland. House Greyjoy of Castle Pike now rules over the Isles. Theon Greyjoy, the son of the insidious traitor Balon, is still on the mainland as a prisoner of the Boltons, from which, at the end of season 5, he seems to have managed to escape with Sansa Stark. And his father and belligerent sister Asha are going to fight.

river lands- a central, well-populated region with many rivers and lakes. However, its population is quite fragmented. House Tully rules them from their castle of Riverrun, their vassals Freya own the ferry at the Twins, and their largest and most strategically important castle is the semi-abandoned Harrenhal. Now Brynden Tully (Blackfish), Catelyn Stark's uncle, who held the siege of Riverrun for a long time, was forced to surrender, but he managed to elude the clutches of the Lannister minions, and we still do not know about his whereabouts.

royal lands located on the east coast of the mainland. It is here that the capital of the state is located - King's Landing, as well as the small port of Duskdale and the island castle Dragonstone - once the Targaryen's ancestral castle. The Crownlands are bordered by the Riverlands to the west and the Reach to the southwest, separated by a gulf from the Vale of Arryn and the Crownwood from the Stormlands. The Chernovodnaya River greatly contributed to the development of trade in the region and the prosperity of the port, which is considered the largest on the mainland. From here originates the Royal Route - the main artery connecting the North and South.

Kings of the Vale, House of Arryn (Vale of Arryn)

Coat of arms: white moon and falcon on a sky blue field
Motto: Tall as an honor
Ancestral Castle: Eagle Nest

Arrynes- one of the most ancient and purebred Andal families. In the old days of the Andal migration to Westeros, the founder of the house, Artis Arryn, defeated the fabulous Griffin King, taking his place. After which his descendants ruled as Kings of Mountain and Dale for many centuries until the coming of the Targaryens. The last of the heirs - Lysa Arryn, obsessed with her not-so-distant son, was in love with Petyr Baelish. He also sent her to the forefathers, having previously married, and received the Eagle's Nest for himself. True, there is still little Robert Arryn, but in the world of George Martin, rare boys live even to their adulthood. And so fragile and painful all the more.

Vale of Arryn- Eastern lands, separated from Westeros by the Moon Mountains. The Eagle's Nest castle located on them is considered the most impregnable on the mainland. Wild highlanders live in the mountains - robbers and robbers who do not obey anyone. The largest city and the main port is Chayachiy city. By the way, the Arryns from the City of Gulls are representatives of one of the younger branches of the Arryn family. The richest, but also the most despised for marriages with brides from merchant families.

Kings of the Cliff, House Lannister (Westernlands)

Coat of arms: golden lion on a scarlet field
Motto: Hear my roar! (A Lannister always pays his debts - it's a family proverb)
Ancestral Castle: Casterly Rock

Lannisters- rulers of the Western Lands and representatives of one of the great houses of Westeros. They boast of their origin and coat of arms, so they like to call themselves lions and lionesses. In their power is Lannisport - the main port of the west coast and the third largest city on the mainland. The Western Lands, among other things, are rich in gold mines. The profit from them and the skillful distribution of finances made the Lannisters the richest house of the Seven Kingdoms and the main creditors of the royal treasury. At the end of the fifth season, Tywin Lannister, the head of the family, who somehow could restrain all his children, was killed by his own dwarf son Tyrion, who then fled to the Mother of Dragons. Tywin's daughter Cersei, the widow of ex-King Robert Baratheon, was publicly disgraced for committing adultery with her brother Jaime. And of their three joint children, born in sin, only one boy, Tommen, is already left, who is still officially listed as the king. Joffrey's eldest son, crowned after the death of his "father", was poisoned. Myrcella's daughter at the end of season 5 was also sent to the forefathers.

Western Lands- a small hilly, but very fertile area. This, and the proximity to the Iron Islands, has always made them a target for attacks and devastation. Lannisport is located here, famous for its artisans. And not far from it is Casterly Rock - a family nest of narcissistic lions.

Storm Kings, home of the Durrandons (Stormlands)

Coat of arms: black crowned stag on a golden field
Motto: Us fury
Ancestral Castle: Storm's End

Durrandons (Storm Kings)- a royal dynasty that has ruled the Stormlands for many centuries. The baratheons who succeeded the Durrandons as lords of Storm's End adopted their coat of arms and motto. At the same time, the Baratheons are also relatives of the Targaryens, who were overthrown in the process of the uprising of Robert Baratheon. At the beginning of the story, he is the sole ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and the owner of the Iron Throne. The truth is short. After a hunting accident and his sudden death, the war for the throne just began, since Robert had no heirs. At least legal. Only brothers.

Stormlands area in the southeast. Blown by all winds, but, nevertheless, fertile and rich. Many islands in the Narrow Sea belong to it, among which are Tarth and Nephrite. Connected to the northern part of the mainland by the Royal Forest. Bordered by Kingslands, Dorne and the Reach. With the last two, the Stormlands were constantly at war over the Dornish Marches - lands on the border with Dorne, which passed several times from hand to hand. As a result of such historical events, the knights of the Dornish Marches became the strongest warriors, and the region received many enviable castles.

Kings of the Expanse, home of the Gardeners (The Expanse)

Coat of arms: green hand on white field
Motto: unknown
Ancestral Castle: Highgarden

gardeners- Annihilated royal family.

space- the most fertile and densely populated region in the southwest of the country. Ideal natural conditions, mild climate and fertile land made it the breadbasket of the Seven Kingdoms. The powerful and wealthy house of Tyrell rules here. The main city of the Reach and one of the most important ports of Oldtown is just as good as King's Landing. It is here in the Citadel that the learned maesters are trained. And noble knights rule the ball. At the moment, Margaery Tyrell, the only daughter of Lord Highgarden, is in King's Landing, having become the wife of the heir to the throne for the third time. And her brother Loras Tyrell, once the object of desire for all the young maidens of the kingdom, is in custody for indecent relationships with men.

Princes of Dorne, Houses of Martell (Dorn)

Coat of arms: red sun pierced by a golden spear
Motto: Relentless, unyielding, unyielding
Ancestral Castle: Solar Spear

Martells originate from the Andals and traditionally style the head of the house and members of his family as princes and princesses. They were the last to kneel before the Iron Throne. Several centuries in a row before that, the Targaryens tried in vain to conquer them with all their dragons. Why did they repeatedly marry with representatives of the Martell family. Thus, the blood of dragon lords flows in their veins. Elia Martell, the wife of Rhaegar Targaryen, was killed by the Lannisters along with her children during the rebellion of Robert Baratheon. Since then, her brothers Oberyn and Doran have a fierce hatred of lions. True, only Doran remained alive at the moment.

Mandrel is the southernmost region, bordering the Reach and the Stormlands. The land of the scorching sun, endless deserts and dead mountains. He was annexed to the Seven Kingdoms by a dynastic marriage only a hundred years before the events described.

Daenerys Targaryen

And, perhaps, it would not be superfluous to mention Daenerys Targaryen- perhaps the most important character in the saga. Although she is not geographically connected in any way with all the previous representatives of the Seven Kingdoms. She was born in the marriage of King Aerys II the Mad with his own sister Rayla Targaryen and is the only representative of her kind. Dany was born after the extermination of all her relatives by Baratheon and lived all her life in the Free Cities. Now she is traveling through the countries of the East in search of allies, with the help of which, as well as with the direct participation of her three dragons, she is going to return to the Seven Kingdoms and take the rightful Iron Throne.

The finale of the Game of Thrones will have to wait at least a year, but already in the seventh season it turned out that we are being shown a completely different series, where heroes who have changed beyond recognition act in a new world that is more and more reminiscent of our own

From the very beginning it was clear: the seventh season will be strange. It's not just that George Martin has not yet finished the sixth book of his saga and Benioff and Weiss have become almost full owners of the series. The absence of the demiurge, who created this universe of ice and fire, of course, has an effect: the characters have become stupid and boring, and everything that we saw this summer on TV screens, monitors and tablets sometimes seemed too straightforward and predictable. Tyrion seems to have spent too much time in the company of Varys and the Unsullied, losing interest in the female sex and giving up drinking. Varys himself, blissful to the point of disgust, stopped spinning webs and catching flies, humbly awaiting the death that was predicted to overtake him in Westeros. Jon Snow from a gloomy bastard and a lone wolf has turned into some kind of plush toy - however, now he is not a bastard, not Snow, and not even John at all. Melisandre retired, Jaime Lannister's good beginning finally triumphed, and the wildlings, Dothraki, the Night's Watch and the Unsullied simply became extras.

Shot from the series "Game of Thrones"

But the problem isn't just awkward apprentices. Martin would certainly have told his story more gracefully, but that would hardly have changed the essence of what was happening in the seventh season: the world of the Seven Kingdoms, as we knew it, ceased to exist. The saga had to end with the disappearance of this fantastic Middle Ages, openwork, vicious, deceitful and touching - we just probably did not expect everything to happen so early. The Game of Thrones is over, even if the winner has not yet been officially determined: there is no more this battle that took place on several chessboards at once and in which the grandmasters constantly cheated, changed the rules, revived already eaten pieces or simply removed new ones from wide trousers and sleeves. After the murder of Baelish, one of the last representatives of the old school, only Cersei tries to intrigue, but she, with her naive cunning, already looks like a relic of the past. If initially several families claimed the Iron Throne at once, now that the Lannisters are clearly doomed, and Jon Snow, the most obvious candidate from the Stark family, turned out to be Aegon Targaryen, everything clearly goes to the fact that one of the dragon lords will rule in Westeros . There is, of course, a not entirely zero probability that in the eighth season a surprise awaits us and, say, Greyjoy or Tarly in general will ascend the throne, but this will not be the result of a cunning combination, but a combination of circumstances and author's voluntarism. The games are over: now it really is A Song of Ice and Fire, a battle between good and evil, life and death. Dragon against dragon, horde against militia.

Shot from the series "Game of Thrones"

In fact, there are no more families in the series. There were already three people left of the Lannister clan, and Tyrion had long since gone over to the side of the enemy, and now Jaime, remembering his honor and conscience, waved his golden right hand to his sister and set off towards winter. Jon Snow is no longer quite Stark, the feud between Arya and Sansa has not disappeared, even though they jointly got rid of the Littlefinger, and Bran became interested in his psychonautics, ceasing to consider himself part of the family. Theon, of course, went to save Yara, but he betrays his sister with such regularity that it is hard to believe in the successful outcome of this enterprise - to say nothing of dear Uncle Greyjoy. Everything is now on their own, and the call of blood is barely audible in the howls of the blizzard.

Seven kingdoms catapulted somewhere into modernity: the atomization of the family, the decline of religion, talk of building a new world instead of Machiavellian politics - all these are already signs of modern history

Shot from the series "Game of Thrones"

The gods also left this world: the Great Sept flew into the air, His Sparrow died, the Red Priestess went into the shadows, Thoros died. The feud between the Yorks and the Lancasters, or the War of the Scarlet and White Roses, which became one of Martin's inspirations, ended the Middle Ages in England, just as the confrontation between the Starks and Lannisters led to the disappearance of the old era. This is no longer the autumn of the Middle Ages described by Huizinga, this is his winter. Seven kingdoms catapulted somewhere into modernity: the atomization of the family, the decline of religion, talk of building a new world instead of Machiavellian politics - all these are already signs of modern history. It is no coincidence that the episode where dragons first took part in the war, incinerating an entire army, aired on August 6, the day of the bombing of Hiroshima, and the episode in which the blue-eyed Viserion, resurrected by the King of the Night, attacked the Wall, was shown on the eve of the anniversary of the first test of the Soviet atomic bomb. bombs. To complete the picture, only the struggle for the equality of white walkers and the criminal article for inciting hatred against a social group of alternatively living people are missing. However, whether there will be more: we still have a whole season left, but no matter what happens now, the Middle Ages of the Game of Thrones is over forever. Daenerys, united by an incestuous marriage with a newly-minted nephew, can build in Westeros even enlightened absolutism, even liberal democracy, even war communism, but we will miss this bad old world - noble duels and vile murders, cunning intrigues and ingenuous courage, bloody weddings and merry adultery. Ah, winter, what have you done, vile?

) has systematically and deliberately truncated almost all references to the history of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in an attempt to trim the story down as much as possible. Everything went well for the first five seasons, but season six suddenly pops up a 12,000-year-old story in the main plot, setting the stage for the series' final two (incomplete) seasons, and trying to deliver roughly the same denouement that author George Martin intended in his last two upcoming novels.

This, understandably, has left many fans scratching their heads as to what this means. In an attempt to unravel the tangled backstory, we've put together a brief yet comprehensive history of Game of Thrones. Unfortunately, you won't learn all the ins and outs of Conqueror Aegon's campaign to conquer the seven kingdoms, but you will have a good understanding of the basics of Westeros.

Before Game of Thrones

The Age of Dawn - 12,000 years ago

The first humans arrive in Westeros via a naturally-created land bridge that connects the mainland to Essos. Along with their own culture and religion, they bring with them something that Westeros has never seen before: technology. Equipped with bronze swords and leather shields, and using horses to move and fight, the first humans begin to claim the land for themselves, cutting down forests to make way for their new settlements.

This displaces the original inhabitants of Westeros, a lesser race of magical creatures that the First Men came to call the Children of the Forest. And worse, they were considered Hearttrees, and trees were systematically cut down, which was blasphemous towards them. The war was coming.

Children use their magic (including breaking the bridge of the earth, turning it into rocky islands), but they cannot resist the numbers and superiority of people. They take one last desperate step and create the White Walkers, who essentially become a series of supernatural super-soldiers. However, this backfires: one day, these ice zombies will rise up against their masters as well.

The pact, as a result, was signed, it provides for the peaceful coexistence of the two peoples. The children agree to stay in the forest, and the First Men vow to leave the forests alone. Eventually, they even adopt the Children's religion as their own, worshiping the gods of the forest, the stream, and the stone (a practice that lives on in the north to this day).

(It is possible that the truce was due to the growing threat of the Walkers, but there is nothing in history about the first massive invasion of Westeros under the onslaught of these creatures).

The Long Night - 8,000 years ago

A winter that lasts for a generation suddenly descends on the entire world, bringing with it the first all-out invasion of the White Walkers. Amid hunger, insecurity, and war itself, tens of thousands (if not more) of people are dying.

In Westeros, the first humans seek out the now-forgotten dwellings of the Children of the Forest in an attempt to lead a military alliance to keep the ice zombies at bay. This works, and a Wall is subsequently created along with the Night's Watch to ensure that a surprise attack never hits the continent again. The children supply the first brothers of the Watch with several hundred obsidian daggers, the only weapon that can harm the Walkers.

Essos dispatches a legendary figure, mostly known as Azor Ahai, who forges the unstoppable magical sword, the Bringer of Light, by tempering it in the blood (and possibly soul) of his wife, Nissa Nissa. The Red Priests and the priestess R'hllor, god of fire, prophesy that the Long Night will one day return, with the reincarnated Azor soon following her to save humanity once more.

Andal Invasion - 6,000 years ago

Thanks to the relatively new technology of shipbuilding and shipping, a group of people called the Andals leave Essoss and go looking for a new home in Westeros, like the first people six thousand years ago. And just like their predecessors, the Andals begin a process of rapid colonization, unleashing a long war with the First Men and pushing them north.

And again, as a result, they sign a truce for harmonious coexistence. The first humans remain in the north, where they continue to pray to the Old Gods, while the newcomers take over the rest of the continent, establishing their new Faith in the Seven (of which His Sparrow is the current leader). But the cultural invention of knights and Andal chivalry eventually begins to be practiced throughout the country.

Another side effect of the migration is less positive: the complete disappearance of the Children of the Forest due to the presence of the great man. Soon people believe that they will die out and (in time) become just a myth.

Rise of Valyria - 5,000 years ago

Originally just one of countless societies scattered across the great Essos landmass, Valyria left her place when she discovered the presence of dragons within her borders (nesting in a massive ring of volcanoes). Once the Valyrians learned to use magic to tame the massive beasts, they quickly established themselves as the greatest political and military power the world has ever known, and has ruled for nearly five millennia.

Essos' former superpower, the Old Empire of Ghis, tries to prevent its extinction by going to war with the Valarians about five times, but their legions of soldiers are no match for the dragons. Valyria expands to include former Giscari territory, including Slaver's Bay (which Daenerys Targaryen currently calls home), and even spans west to the very edge of Westeros, forming the remote outpost of Dragonstone (which will eventually be under the control of King Stannis Baratheon).

Exodus of the Roynar - 1,000 years ago

The third and final major migration in Westeros is instigated by the Valyrians who continue to take over Essos. The Rhoyners, egalitarians who have made their home along the mighty Rhoyne River, suffer a crushing defeat in the war (water magic seems to be useless against dragons), prompting their warrior queen, Nymeria, to set sail in search of a new home. They end up finding Dorne, where Nymeria marries into the Martell family and spreads the liberal culture of her people: explains why Dorne remains so unique among all the other kingdoms of Westeros (including the reason for using "prince" instead of "king").

Doom of Valyria - 412 years ago

After five thousand years of unbreakable dominance, Valyria plummets when a catastrophe of unknown nature strikes them, turning the peninsula into a series of islands. (It seems that a huge chain of volcanoes located throughout the country is to blame for the cataclysm, but we are not sure if their mass eruptions were magical or strictly geological in nature). The now flooded area is called the Smoky Sea.

There are two powerful consequences of the so-called Doom of Valyria: first, all Valyrian spells, knowledge, and lore are forever lost. Secondly, the rest of the dragonriders' empire crumbles almost instantly along with their homeland, causing many regions and former colonies to declare their independence (including Slaver's Bay and the Nine Free Cities).

Aegon's Conquest - 298 years ago

Just 12 years before Valyria's death, Daenerys Targaryen saw a prophetic vision of her apocalyptic fall. She begs her father to move House Targaryen to the safety of Dragonstone, which he does, keeping her family safe and allowing her to become the sole survivor of the former empire.

In the following century after the fall of Valyria, the Targaryens attempt to expand their holdings in order to recreate their own little piece of Valyria. However, until the arrival of Aegon, their dreams of conquest are not realized. The intervention of constantly warring between the Free Cities began. Ægon quickly decides to turn back to Essos and do what has never been done before: unite all of Westeros into one giant, master kingdom. (By this point, the several hundred kingdoms that the First Men had originally founded had been reduced to seven by neighbors who absorbed each other through military conquest or marriage alliances.)

Thanks to Aegon's conquest, he, his two sister-wives and their three dragons, supported by a relatively small number of soldiers, conquer six of the seven realms, some kings are killed in battle, and others willingly submit to King Aegon I Targaryen. After two short years, the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros are formed. The consequences are impressive: the Iron Throne is assembled from the molten swords of all the fallen enemies of Aegon; King's Landing, the new capital, is built on the site where his campaign began; and former kings have been given new titles such as the Starks who rule as kings in the North and are currently called the Wardens of the North.

Although Dorne technically still remains independent of the new Targaryen rule (it is the only kingdom that has successfully withstood the might of the Riders) - after 187 years they join the monarchical church through the marriage of the current prince from Dorne and the Targaryen princess.

Rise of the Holy War - 257 years ago

Aegon I Targaryen's son, Aenys, takes the throne after the death of his father and immediately, albeit unintentionally, continues to agitate the Faith in the Seven, which at that time possessed a certain army called the Holy Host. The last straw is the marriage of the king's son Aenis and his daughter; although the Targaryens marry among themselves according to a long tradition, Faith condemns them for insulting the gods. A war begins, which lasts for seven long and bloody years.

When Jayeheris I ascends the throne, the rebellions end and peace reigns. The new king negotiates a peace treaty with the High Septon; in exchange for a formal pardon for all rebels and an oath that the Iron Throne will always protect the Faith, the Holy Host is disbanded and the practice of religious testing ends.

This status quo lasts for the next two and a half centuries, until Queen Regent Cersei Lannister revokes King Jayeheris' treaty for immediate and fleeting personal gain.

Death of the last dragon - 145 years ago

King Aegon III Targaryen, seventh king of the united Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, receives the dubious honor of being the last monarch to watch over true dragons. Magical creatures have been getting weaker over the past century, especially since the bloody Targaryen civil war (called the Dragon Dance) that ended 22 years ago with the loss of many dragons. And while Aegon does his best to produce healthy offspring, he only succeeds in breeding sickly babies. He is unable to prevent the death of the last of them, earning him the nickname Dragon Slayer, and this drastically undermines the effectiveness of magic around the world.

Robert's Rebellion - 17 years ago

Rhaegar Targaryen, the crown prince, "kidnaps" Lyanna Stark (Jon Snow's mother), Eddard Stark's sister, continues to hold her hostage and "rape". However, this is only the official summary of events, as Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark belatedly revealed. There are several reasons to believe that Lyanna left with Rhaegar of her own free will, as they seem to have been secretly in love, despite the fact that he was already married and had two children of his own.

Lord Rickard Stark, Warden of the North, and his eldest son and heir, Brandon, seek justice. King Aerys II, the 17th Targaryen monarch, summons them to King's Landing, only to be tortured and executed. Furthermore, in order to prevent further "rebellion", he demands the heads of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon, who live in the Eyrie under the watchful (and instructive) watch of Lord Jon Arryn, Guardian of the East.

He's already earned the nickname "The Mad King" for his increasingly bizarre behavior (mostly thought to be a by-product of centuries of Targaryen family inbreeding), and these unnecessarily violent acts are the last straw for many in the kingdom. Houses Stark, Baratheon, and Arryn openly declare war, calling on the other Great Houses of Westeros to overthrow Aerys. Robert's rebellion, as he is nicknamed, lasts one year and results in the deaths of Prince Rhaegar (who is killed by Robert in one fight) and King Aerys II (killed by Jaime Lannister, a member of his own Kingsguard, who stabs him in the back); the murder of Rhaegar's wife Elia Martell (sister of Princess Doran and Oberyn Martell) and her two children on the direct orders of Lord Tywin Lannister; and the final exile of Aerys's two remaining children, Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys (who flee with Varys' covert help to Essos). After the end of the war, Lyanna Stark also dies in childbirth in the Tower of Joy in Dorne, where she was secretly kept.

With the fall of House Targaryen, House Baratheon rises to become a second royal family, Robert ascends the Iron Throne, and Jon Arryn becomes Hand of the King. It is Jon who arranges the marriage to Cersei Lannister, bringing together the two most powerful houses in all of Westeros to help heal the wounds of the rebellion.

Other notable events during the war included: the allegiance of House Tully, Masters of Riverrun, the Baratheon-Stark-Arryn Alliance (in exchange for the marriage of Lysa Tully and Jon Arryn); House Tyrell is sworn in by the Targaryens and attempts to lay siege to Storm's End, the site of House Baratheon (which Stannis once held); King Aerys II's secret plan to level all of King's Landing with a hidden forest fire; and the sudden as well as unexpected arrival of the illegitimate son of the venerable Ned Stark, Jon Snow, who returns home to Winterfell with him.

Rise of the First Greyjoy - 9 years ago

Since the House of Greyjoy, the Lords of the Iron Islands, remained neutral in Robert's rebellion, maintaining their strength, and since Lord Balon Greyjoy believes that King Robert Baratheon has a weak hold on the Iron Throne, Balon decides to declare the independence of the Ironborn by proclaiming himself king, and begins a war of devastation. along the west coast of Westeros.

But Balon was wrong on two main points: Robert has strong support among the Great Houses, and the Royal Navy is bigger and stronger than the Iron Fleet. The Greyjoy rebellion ended almost as soon as it began, resulting in the invasion of the Iron Islands, Balon swearing allegiance to King Robert in person, and the kidnapping of Balon's only surviving son, Theon, who is taken to Winterfell to serve as Eddard Stark's hostage and also to House Greyjoy obeyed.

During Game of Thrones

Slay Lord Hand Jon Arryn

Unbeknownst to King Robert Baratheon, Queen Cersei Lannister has had a secret relationship with her twin brother, Jaime, for years, which causes her to give birth to three illegitimate children: Princes Joffrey and Tommen and Princess Myrcella. When Jon Arryn, Hand of the King, learns this terrible truth, he decides to tell Robert, but is poisoned by his own wife Lysa on the direct orders of Lord Petyr Baelish, master of coin from Robert's small council. And when the deed is done, he forces her to write a letter to her sister, Lady Catelyn Stark, blaming the Lannisters for the incident.

Jon Arryn is unaware of what is happening, and Littlefinger knows that King Robert will turn to his close friend, Eddard Stark, to replace him. And now that the Starks are armed with the belief that the Lannisters are secretly trying to stage a coup (which, paradoxically, Cersei is plotting), Littlefinger also understands that the two houses will soon be at war with each other. He's just trying to bring as many of the Seven Kingdoms into conflict with them as possible, leaving himself in a better position to ascend the Iron Throne.

War of the Five Kings

The war, indeed, begins, but it has consequences that no one expected. King Robert is killed in a hunt orchestrated by Cersei, allowing Joffrey to claim his "birthright" as king. Ned Stark, who wants the throne to pass through the legitimate path of succession to Stannis Baratheon, Master of the Courts, becomes a traitor to the new royal regime and is executed. In return, the north yearns to regain its independence from King's Landing, proclaiming Eddard's son Robb as the first king in the North since the Invader Aegon three centuries ago.

Seeing the instability that the situation has caused, a number of other individuals also enter the royal fight: Stannis, who does not want to ascend the throne, but will still fulfill his duty as the rightful heir; Renly Baratheon, Stannis's younger brother, who fancies himself a better ruler than his grumpy brother; and Balon Greyjoy, who sees a chance to try and start a second war of independence for his Iron Islands.

The so-called War of the Five Kings lasts for about two or three years (starting in the first season and ending in the fourth), killing thousands and displacing even more (meanwhile, in the following years, a long winter sets in, which means that even more will die from hunger and insecurity ). Renly, Robb, Joffrey and Stannis are all killed: some in combat on the battlefield, some through killings. Tommen Baratheon, young and naive and easily manipulated (hence Petyr Baelish's desire to see him ascend the throne), becomes king and enters into an arranged marriage with Margaery Tyrell. She, in turn, is so eager to become queen that she is ready for anything (including first marriage to "King" Renly, and then Joffrey, although she is unable to complete any relationship before her husband is killed) .

Consequences of the war

In addition to every fallen monarch and their armies, other senior lords or advisors were also killed, including Lord Tywin Lannister, Joffrey, and Hand of King Tommen. This leaves much weaker and much less experienced advisors vying for positions of power, such as Queen Regent Cersei Lannister, who so desperately deceives House Tyrell to influence King Tommen. She tricks the Faith in the Seven into re-arming itself and sending judgment on all sinners. This touches on Margaret for lying that her brother Ser Loras Tyrell committed an illegal homosexual "misdemeanor", as well as Cersei herself for cheating on her royal husband and committing incest. When her son too falls under His Sparrow's spell, Cersei seems to have no choice but to execute the entire leadership of the Faith, a number of rival royal advisors, and virtually the entirety of House Tyrell in one fell swoop, destroying the Great Sept of Baelor with arcane fire left over from the Mad One's reign. King Aerys. Broken by personal and professional losses, Tommen soon follows them, throwing himself from a tower window. The Iron Throne is now occupied by Cersei herself, making her the first queen in the history of Westeros.

In the north, House Bolton, longtime vassal of House Stark, finally rises to the position of Warden of the North when they conspire with the Lannisters and House Frey to kill King Robb Stark. The illegitimate Ramsey Bolton keeps Winterfell as his personal chair for some time, personally killing the long-hidden Rickon Stark in order to gain power over the north.

House Tully challenges the Lannister-Frey alliance in the Riverlands for a time, holding out against the siege of Riverrun until Ser Jaime Lannister personally, on the orders of King Tommen, resolves the situation. Riverrun capitulates, and one of the very last areas that still clings to war finally returns to the royal world.

Remains untouched throughout the devastating war of the Vale, a region where Lysa Arryn rules as regent until her son Robin reaches adulthood and can fully claim the mantle of Guardian of the East. Lisa secretly falls in love with Petyr Baelish decades ago. She is finally able to marry him after the death of her husband, John Aren, until he kills her, thereby claiming the title of regent. Throughout the process, he arranges for the Knights of the Vale, one of the largest armies in all of Westeros, to hide safely in the mountainous east, waiting for the right moment to strike, ostensibly as his personal fighting force.

Threat in the East: Daenerys Targaryen

Lord Varys, master whisperer in the king's small council, and Illyrio Mopatis, master of the Free City of Pentos, plot for unknown reasons to reinstall the Targaryen dynasty on the Iron Throne before Robert's Rebellion ends and before House Baratheon claims the crown for itself. The bulk of this plan initially relies on Viserys. They arrange with his sister, young Daenerys, destined for sale to Hal Drogo, one of the most powerful of the Dothraki, to use his khalasarsev as the backbone of the Targaryen army.

But Viserys ends up being as mad as his father Aerys II, and he is killed for personal troubles. Dany takes over, demanding the remains of Drogo's master after he too dies from three dragons, which she inadvertently manages to hatch in her husband's funeral pyre to inspire devotion in her followers and fear in her enemies. Believing that she must raise as large an army as possible before landing in the Seven Kingdoms, she first acquires a considerable number of Unsullied Soldiers, the most formidable army in the world, and then also gains the allegiance of mercenary companies and almost the entire Dothraki horde.

In the process, Dany also believes that she needs more practice as a ruler before restoring the Targaryen dynasty, lest she end up as an incompetent monarch like her father. She settles in the city of Mirin, one of the largest slave traders in the Gulf. Suffering from an insurgency against her anti-slavery reform, she still manages to crush the rebellion thanks to her large army, dragons (of course), as well as the presence of inspired councilors, including Tyrion Lannister, a dwarf who irrevocably turns away from his home and instead seeks to overthrow his nephew's regime by restoring Targaryen power.

There is also an interesting fact about ironborn. After the self-appointed King Balon is first killed and then replaced by his brother Euron, Balon's children Theon and Yar flee the Iron Islands for safety, taking as much of the Iron Fleet with them as they can. They swim across the narrow sea and land at Myrina in hopes of forging an alliance with the future Queen Daenerys. After arguing with her, they came to an agreement: the ironborn would provide the ships that Dani would use to invade Westeros and pledge never to plunder the other six kingdoms again in exchange for her help in overthrowing King Euron and appointing Yara to the Throne of Salt.

With all the pieces finally assembled, Daenerys Targaryen, future Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, sails home and into the biggest invasion Westeros has ever seen.

Threat Beyond the Wall: White Walkers

The real threat to Westeros is the White Walkers, who after these tens of thousands of years have returned to complete their assimilation of the living.

Silently increasing their numbers and slowly but steadily heading south towards the Night's Watch (which is set up to monitor their return and provide a defense against their attack), they belatedly resume their activities. Lord Commander Jeor Mormont calls for a Great March beyond the Wall to survey where the Wildlings have spread and learn the numbers and movements of the Walkers. This campaign was almost completely destroyed by ice zombies and deprived the people of their Commander.

Jon Snow is forced to take over the leadership of the Watch, the job proving so difficult that he takes the most unconventional approach to increase a meager number and make the best defense against the enemy: he reaches out to the Wildlings across the Wall and offers them a large swath of uninhabited land to inhabit. In turn, the so-called Free Folk must abide by the rules of the King of the Iron Throne and aid the people of the Wall in the inevitable invasion of the supernatural.

Jon is killed for personal trouble by his own brothers, who are stunned by the sudden turn in the Night's Watch politics in eight thousand years. Luckily for him, Lady Melisandre, temporarily residing in Castle Black (the result of King Stannis Baratheon coming to the Watch for help during a massive standoff with the Wildlings), discovers that she has the ability that some of the red priests and priestesses have: resurrect the dead.

A clear sense of loyalty drives John to decide that life as one of the Night's Watch is no longer for him. He resigns as Lord Commander and becomes a Stark (albeit illegitimate) instead, helping his sister Sansa rally the houses of the north (and the various Wildling tribes) to reclaim Winterfell by force and remove the Boltons as the Wardens of the North. After a protracted fight, Jon and his army emerge victorious, but only after Petyr Baelish finally reveals his Knights of the Vale, coming to Lady Sansa's aid and further cementing his position of influencing events on the continent.

Or so he thinks: after Jon demonstrates courage and skill on the battlefield, the various houses of the North gather around him as they originally flocked to his half-brother Robb, declaring him the White Wolf, the new King of the North. John, Sansa, and Littlefinger are shocked by this unexpected turn of events.

Order has finally been restored in the North, but the White Walkers are closer than ever, and the real war is about to begin.

The one who will lead them all: Bran Stark

Starting life as the second newborn son of House Stark, Bran learns his dreams of knighthood are dashed when he falls from a tower in Winterfell and becomes paralyzed from the waist down (Bran was deliberately thrown out of a window by Ser Jaime Lannister after he accidentally saw Jaime had sex with his twin sister). But when one door closes, another opens. Bran gained the ability to penetrate other living beings (mainly his Direwolf, Leto) and even see the future.

Bran eventually realizes that the three-eyed raven that keeps appearing in his dreams is actually another clairvoyant who is behind the Wall, who beckons Bran to join him to train his newfound powers (and essentially become the general of all powers). living in the upcoming battle with the undead). After a perilous journey through hostile territory, Bran nevertheless encounters the Three-Eyed Raven, learning that he is connected to the roots of a massive Heart Tree in a cave system that has a connection to one of, if not the last, settlements of the Children of the Forest.

Bran learns a lot during his training, such as how to travel back in time to see how events unfolded in the past. But everything is cut short when the young Stark, during one of his astral walks, accidentally meets the Night King, the apparent leader of the White Walkers. This allows the Walkers to bypass the Three-Eyed Raven's magical defenses, killing him and forcing Bran and his only surviving ally, Mira Reed, to go on the run.

House Lannister

Motto: "Hear me roar"

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Lannisters- one of the great houses of Westeros, the rulers of the Western Lands. The Lannister coat of arms features a golden lion on a red field, and the members of this house like to refer to themselves as "lions" and "lionesses". Lannister Castle - Casterly Rock, in addition, the city of Lannisport, the main port of the west coast, the third largest city in Westeros, is in the power of this house. In Lannisport lives the younger branch of the house, the Lannisters of Lannisport, who are distant relatives of the Lannisters of the Cliff.

The Lannisters are tall, handsome and fair-haired, descending from the Andals, who were able to destroy a powerful kingdom in the Western Lands, through the male line, and from Lann the Clever, the legendary scoundrel and deceiver who was able to take possession of Casterly Rock, through the female line. For a long time the Lannisters ruled the Westlands as Kings of the Rock.

The last of this royal dynasty was Lauren Lannister. Allied with King Mern Gardener of the Expanse, he led sixty thousand warriors against Aegon Targaryen, but was defeated in the battle known as the Field of Fire. Since that time, the Lannisters have served the Iron Throne King as High Lords of the Westlands and Guardians of the West.

The many gold mines of the Western Lands and the skillful handling of finances made the Lannisters the richest house in the Seven Kingdoms; they are the main creditors of the royal treasury. In addition to the official motto, this house has a proverb: "A Lannister always pays his debts."

House Lannister is an old and wealthy family, throughout the history of which it has formed several branches that rule various castles in the Western Lands. By comparison, House Stark is older than House Lannister, but due to the harsh living conditions in the North, the Starks don't have many cousins ​​and only have one branch, House Karstark. And the Lannisters have a number of relatives, cousins ​​and cousins, countless, many of them only remotely related to the house, and the Lannisters consider them more their vassals than members of the family.

Of the representatives of the branches of the house in the series, Elton Lannister is mentioned, the cousin of Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion. His mother is Cynda Lannister. There is also a branch of Lannisters from Lannistport who rule this port city, which is located near Casterly Rock. One of its representatives is Reginald Lannister, Tywin's standard bearer.

House Tyrell

Motto: "Growing Strong"

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They rule the Reach, a vast, fertile, densely populated land in the southwest of the continent. Their castle is Highgarden.

The Tyrells, despite the fact that they begin to play an active role only at the very end of the saga, the house is very powerful. It is in the domain of the Tyrells that most of the grain of the seven kingdoms is grown. They have a large army, equal to the royal and navy. They share a common border with the Lannisters.

House Tyrell was a branch of House Gardener, the ancient kings of the Reach. For centuries, the Tyrells have served as castellan of Highgarden. Gradually, their power grew, they became stronger and even sealed the bonds of marriage with the powerful noble houses of the Reach.

During the War of Conquest, King Mern Gardener was burned alive in a battle called the Field of Fire, killed by the Targaryen dragons. His heirs also died. After this, Harlen Tyrell voluntarily surrendered Highgarden to Aegon Targaryen, who in return made Tyrell Lord of Highgarden and Highlord of the Reach, although there were other noble houses in the Reach with closer family ties to the Gardners.

The history of the Tyrells is perfectly characterized by their coat of arms - thorns are hidden behind the beauty of the rose. The Tyrells seem to be fair and just, in fact they are no less cunning than the Lannisters, and palace intrigues and political games are not alien to them.

For years in military conflicts, the Tyrells have always aligned themselves with those most likely to emerge victorious from the conflict. This was both during the Targaryen conquest and during Robert's rebellion. During Robert's rebellion, the Tyrells won a resounding victory at the Battle of Ashford and then laid siege to Storm's End. But after the death of the Mad King, they immediately surrendered and swore allegiance to Robert Baratheon.

House Baratheon

Motto: "We are furious"

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One of the great houses of Westeros, and the youngest of them all. The symbol of this house is a black crowned deer standing on its hind legs on a golden field. The crown on the coat of arms did not appear immediately, it was added there when Robert Baratheon conquered the Iron Throne.

Storm's End was originally the Baratheon family castle, but after Robert became king, the Targaryen castle Dragonstone also belonged to the house, and the king himself began to rule from King's Landing.

When Robert died, House Baratheon split into three warring factions:

• House Baratheon of King's Landing, led by Robert's alleged children.
• House Baratheon of Dragonstone, led by Stannis, Robert's younger brother.
• The group is led by Renly, Robert's other younger brother. He proclaimed himself head of House Baratheon and was supported by the houses of the Stormlands as well as the Reach.

The ancestor of the house is Oris Baratheon, who was a general under Aegon the Conqueror. Oris was rumored to be a bastard and half-brother of Aegon. Orys slew the last king of Storm's End, Argilac the Arrogant, and occupied the castle. His daughter, Argella, he took as his wife.

House Tully

Motto - "Family, duty, honor"

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House Tully rules the Riverlands from their ancestral castle of Riverrun, which is ruled by the Lord of Riverrun.

In fact, the House plays almost no role in the saga. But he should be. Also, it should be remembered that the Creators did not aim to draw complete parallels with something, they drew a general picture.

House Tully rose to prominence during the War of Conquest. Edmin Tully, who at that time was the head of this noble house, supported the Targaryens and led a rebellion against the king who at that time ruled the Iron Islands and the Riverlands, Harren the Black. The lords of the Riverlands, led by Edmin, prevailed, and when Aegon I Targaryen conquered the continent and took the throne, he bestowed on Edmin the title of High Lord of the Riverlands, a title that Edmin's descendants have inherited ever since.

Until recently, the head of the Tully house was Hoster Tully. His daughters Catelyn and Lysa, wives of Lords Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, formed a major alliance of their houses during Robert's Rebellion.

Historically, the Riverlands have often been the scene of hostilities. To survive, House Tully constantly formed marriage alliances with other noble houses.

House Arryn.

Motto: "High as honor"

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They rule the Vale of Arryn for a thousand years. Robin Arryn is currently Lord of the Eyrie, but for now, Regent Lysa Arryn rules on his behalf.

The second strange house, right after the Starks. They practically do not take part in the division of the throne, but they raised the future king Robert Baratheon and Eddard Stark, the future ruler of the North. They could easily break away from the kingdoms, sitting in an impregnable castle on the rocks, but they do not. The symbol of the house is a white flying falcon and a moon on a blue background.

According to legend, the house was founded by Ser Artis Arryn, who flew on a falcon, landed on the highest mountain of the Giantspear Valley, and defeated the Griffin King, the last of the First Men of the Mountain. Artis Arryn became the first king of Mountains and Dales. His descendants continued to rule in the Vale until the invasion of Aegon Targaryen, after which they became subject to the King on the Iron Throne. Eagle's Nest Castle is considered impregnable and protects its inhabitants from attacks by wild tribes.

Lord Jon Arryn was a respected and honorable man. He raised Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. After the kidnapping of Lyanna Stark and the execution of Rickard and Brandon Stark by the Mad King, Jon Arryn rebelled. The Starks and the Baratheons joined him. They forged an alliance with House Tully through the marriage of Eddard Stark to Catelyn Tully. After the victory, the new king Robert Baratheon appointed Jon Arryn as Hand.

For the next seventeen years, Jon performed his duties until he discovered that the children of Robert and Cersei were nothing like the king's descendants. Shortly thereafter, he fell seriously ill and died suddenly.

John is survived by his wife Lisa and son Robin.

House Greyjoy

Motto "We do not sow"

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Run the Iron Islands from Pike Castle. The symbol of this house is a golden kraken on a black field. Pirates, robbers, a local analogue of the Vikings. House Greyjoy is descended from the Gray King, the legendary King of the Iron Islands. According to legend, he ruled for a thousand years and married a mermaid.

Like most ironborn, they believe in the Drowned God.

At the beginning of the series, Balon Greyjoy is the head of the house. Eight years before the events of the first series of the series, he led a rebellion against the power of the Iron Throne. The uprising ended in defeat for Balon, his two sons, Rodrik and Maron, died. The third son, Theon, was taken hostage by Eddard Stark, he was taken to Winterfell Castle, where he was brought up and trained with the Stark children. Only Yara's daughter remained by Balon's side.

House Martell

Motto: Relentless, unyielding, unyielding

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One of the great houses of Westeros. They rule the southernmost region on the continent, Dorne, from Castle Sunspear. Although they are loyal to the king on the iron throne, after Robert's Rebellion they try to isolate themselves.

The symbol of the Martells is a golden sun pierced by a spear.

House Stark

Motto: "Winter is coming"

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Great House of Westeros, former rulers of the North.

A very ancient family, it is believed that their bloodline has not been interrupted since the time of Brandon the Builder, who lived eight thousand years ago. Like many other houses in the North, they retained their faith in the Old Gods. For a long time, the Starks ruled their realm as kings of the North. But after the invasion of Westeros by Aegon I Targaryen, King Torrhen Stark surrendered when he saw the dragons that Targaryen brought with him to the battle on the Flaming Field. So the Starks received the title of High Lords of the North and began to serve the king on the iron throne as the guardians of the North.

Three hundred years later, Lord Eddard Stark became related to the house of Tully by marrying Catelyn Tully. During Robert Baratheon's rebellion, Eddard and his men fought at Robert's side and helped him ascend to the throne.

Targaryens

Motto: "Fire and blood"

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Targaryens- The former dynasty of the kings of Westeros and the former Great House. After Robert Baratheon's defeat in the rebellion, his descendants fled from Westeros to Essos. The motto of the house is the phrase "Fire and Blood", and the symbol is a red three-headed dragon on a black background.

The Targaryens were one of the noble families of the Valyrian Freehold, the powerful empire of Essos. They occupied Castle Dragonstone on the island of the same name in the Narrow Sea. After the fall of the empire in a cataclysmic volcanic eruption known as the Doom of Valyria, the Targaryens invaded Westeros with a small army and three dragons.

In a fairly short period of time, they conquered the six kingdoms that existed at that time on the continent, and founded the dynasty of the Andal Kings and the First Men. Two centuries later, the kingdom of Dorne joined them, which eventually led to the formation of a state known as the Seven Kingdoms.

Two hundred and eighty years later, the erratic rule of Aerys II Targaryen began, turning most of the regions against him, resulting in a civil war that became known as Robert's Rebellion. The Targaryens lost it and almost all were destroyed. Only the two youngest children of Aerys, Viserys and Daenerys, managed to escape, who took refuge in the Free Cities. Also survived was Aerys's uncle, Aemon Targaryen, who by that time had long served in the Night's Watch.

Almost all Targaryens have common features in appearance, for example, silver hair with a golden tint.

So, now we know exactly how the Lannisters differ from the Baratheons and who belongs to which house.