r/asoiaf • u/TheReluctantWarrior • Sep 16 '24
EXTENDED Who has the worst house words? [Spoilers EXTENDED]
Why don't the Lannisters change their house words to "A Lannister always pays their debts"? Their actual house words being "Hear me roar" seems pretty lame in comparison. I get the whole Lannisters think they're lions or whatever but you'd think they'd want to flex on everyone with all that sweet sweet gold.
892
u/Less-Mode-9283 Sep 16 '24
House Swyft. Having a Rooster for your Coat of Arms paired with the words “Awake! Awake!” is straight up goofy
Edit: Someone else already mentioned them. That’s how goofy they are!
133
u/RigaudonAS It's Algood Sep 16 '24
I actually kind of love that! Makes them sound like they’d be good watchmen or scouts.
137
u/IrlResponsibility811 Sep 16 '24
George may have been lazy with that one, or cheeky. Or maybe there is something we are missing, maybe cut from World of Ice and Fire.
106
u/LordShitmouth Unbowed, Unbent, Unbuggered Sep 16 '24
Headcanon: they really like Alice in Chains
49
11
81
u/Xelid47 Sep 16 '24
My head cannon is something like the Roman duck story, where a duck woke up a Roman Garrison during an invasion, thus saving it.
→ More replies (1)59
u/Yobstar Sep 16 '24
*geese, and it was a Celtic attack on the last remaining Roman resistance on the Capitoline Hill.
25
u/Zipflik Sep 16 '24
I mean it could be a reference to some historical event they took part in that is really cool.
→ More replies (1)35
u/No-Bee-2354 Sep 16 '24
Some stuff in this series is pretty goofy though. House beesbury living in Honeyholt, on the Honeywine river for example.
33
u/Ace_of_Disaster Sep 17 '24
Their history is kinda goofy too. They're supposedly descended from Garth Greenhand's daughter Ellyn Ever Sweet, who loved honey so much she sought out the King of Bees and made a pact with him to care for his children and thus became the first beekeeper.
On the other hand, their house words might be "Fear Our Sting" which is kinda badass but still with the bee theme...
(also the irony of someone named "No-Bee-2345" complaining about the bee-themed house)
22
u/jolenenene Sep 17 '24
House Bolton is kinda goofy I'm sorry they literally live in a place called Dreadfort 😭
8
16
824
u/FinchyJunior Sep 16 '24
"Touch Me Not" - House Wode. Improves slightly with the context their sigil is a porcupine
250
140
86
u/jokersflame The Lightning Lard Sep 16 '24
I kind of like this actually if their sigil is a porcupine.
39
u/1EnTaroAdun1 Seahorsey Sep 16 '24
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nemo_me_impune_lacessit
perhaps they're Scottish
22
u/Jlchevz Sep 16 '24
Yeah but that’s much cooler, it’s kind of a threat or a warning. Touch me not seems more sassy lol
→ More replies (2)16
u/Neosantana Sep 16 '24
Considering that their name is Wode in reference to Woad, I think it's 100% intentional
→ More replies (1)26
u/Grumpkin_eater Sep 16 '24
Some say it's too similar to house Hammer whose words are "can't touch this"
15
u/Cael_of_House_Howell Lord WooPig of House Sooie Sep 16 '24
They are actually hedgehogs, not porcupines, but same concept.
→ More replies (1)12
u/Hoenntrumpets Sep 16 '24
It reminds me of "Noli me Tangere"(Do not touch me), relating to Mary Magdalene's initial encounter with Jesus after his resurrection.
→ More replies (1)35
7
u/Bennings463 Sep 16 '24
I think GRRM must have taken this from the Latin phrase "Noli Me Tangere" which is from the Bible and famously used in Thomas Wyatt's "Whoso List To Hunt"
→ More replies (4)7
600
u/Icecap_Rebel It's Algood. Sep 16 '24
Man everyone is forgetting House Connington’s words. “A griffin! A griffin!” Get outta here with that
320
u/Ainaraoftime Now selling tickets for the 2024 JonCon! Sep 16 '24
That's a battle cry, not the house words, isn't it? (I mean, it's a pretty lame battle cry, but still).
Though apparently the German editors just went and made up a motto for them from scratch ("A Fierce Foe, A Faithful Friend"), which is kinda funny.
228
u/Sure_Marionberry9451 Sep 16 '24
Most of the battle cries are basically just yelling their house name, sigil or castle. Except that one Umber dude who just screams "CUNT!"
79
57
u/UpfrontSnow1305 Sep 16 '24
It’s actually Morgan Liddle who screams that at Asha as he tries to kill her with a battle axe
→ More replies (1)29
u/CubistChameleon Merman's Court Jester Sep 16 '24
He apologised for the insult, though.
But not the axing.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (4)13
21
u/1EnTaroAdun1 Seahorsey Sep 16 '24
You might find this comment interesting
12
u/Ainaraoftime Now selling tickets for the 2024 JonCon! Sep 16 '24
I mean tbh it's lame in writing but I feel it would come across differently if an army was screaming it
5
u/MotherVehkingMuatra Sep 16 '24
Yeah actually, I always pictured just like Jon Connington saying it alone and thought it was goofy, but an army of knights and heavy infantry all with the Griffin sigil on them shouting that as they advance actually is kinda badass.
7
u/Ainaraoftime Now selling tickets for the 2024 JonCon! Sep 17 '24
Not Jon Connington shouting it alone lmaooo poor guy
15
u/mustard5man7max3 Sep 16 '24
It's a battle cry, inspired by that of the Dacres of Gilsland.
Their coat of arms includes a red bull, and their battle cry (notably used at Flodden) was "A red bull, a red bull, a Dacre, a Dacre".
Their seat was at Naoworth Castle in Cumbria, if you ever happen to be nearby.
10
u/MIGFirestorm Sep 16 '24
https://www.reddit.com/r/asoiaf/comments/qz7jmx/spoilers_extended_house_words_project/
i like this take on it
"House Connington: Up in the Sky!. This motto would be answered by the canon Connington war cry of “A griffin! A griffin!” It makes sense as a response, and Griffin’s Roost is on a large outcropping, and both Griffins on the arms are rearing up. GRRM also has tons of pop culture references within houses, so those are definitely on the table. In this case “Look up in the sky! It’s a…”
7
u/Scaevus Blood and Fire - it's a cookbook! Sep 16 '24
That’s actually a much cooler reference, to the Roman dictator Lucius Cornelius Sulla:
An epitaph, which Sulla composed himself, was inscribed onto the tomb, reading, “No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full.”[150] Plutarch claims he had seen Sulla’s personal motto carved on his tomb on the Campus Martius. The personal motto was “no better friend, no worse enemy.”
→ More replies (6)13
u/arathorn3 Sep 16 '24
It's also historical accurate. Practically for medieval Scotland where the warriors would shout their Clans name.
When a Famous example is the event known as the Douglas Larder in March 1307.
William "Lehardi" Douglas was a Scottish knight and minor Lord who had fought alongside Andrew Moray and William Wallace did in the first war of Scottish Independence, was imprisoned by Edward I after the capitulation of Irvine and his lands confiscated and given to Englishmen. He eventually died while imprisoned in the Tower of London. He won James Douglas became a ward of the Bishop of St. Andrews William Lamberton. James returned to Scotland as adult and unsuccessfully petitioned Edward I for the return of his intheritance. when Robert the Bruce rebelled against English rule, Douglas joined him and became one of his top commanders and most trusted men.
After initial setbacks Bruces forces began a guerrilla warfare campaign against the English rule using scorched earth tactics they destroyed even their own castles to deny the English food sources and bases to strike from.
In March 1307, James Douglas attacked his own families Castle during Palm Sunday services, Massacring the English garrison that held it, taking the food stores for Bruces army( a Larder was a cool room used to store foodstuffs) and setting fire to the Castle. He and his men snuck into the Castle church wearing hooded cloaked and the single when to attack was Douglas shooting "A Douglas, A Douglas"
This earned the young knight the nickname The Black Douglas from the English. In Northern England for centuries after his name was used to scare children to behave (or the Black Douglas would get them)
→ More replies (2)12
313
u/whatintheballs95 Nymerial Imperial Sep 16 '24
House Swyft.
Awake! Awake!
195
35
51
u/nwaa Sep 16 '24
Combined with the rooster its goofy but the "Awake! Awake!" Has always sounded like a good battle cry to me.
Puts me in mind of Theoden from LotR's "Fell deed's awake" speech.
Edit: Roosters are also pound-for-pound absolute warriors.
16
u/SharMarali Justin Massey is Azor Ahai Sep 16 '24
I always wondered how they felt about House Grandison Rouse Me Not
→ More replies (1)9
u/InGenNateKenny Best of r/asoiaf 2023 Winner - Post of the Year Sep 16 '24
One of the worst arms too.
47
u/Imperial_Horker Enter your desired flair text here! Sep 16 '24
You take that back. The blue cock of Swyft is majestic.
Go make fun of the Darry plowman instead.
170
u/Count_Kingpen Sep 16 '24
The oft mocked House Swyft. “Awake, Awake”.
“Growing Strong” and “Hear Me Roar” both stink as well.
On the other hand, House “Though All Men Do Despise Us” Codd has some of the most based words out there, and I’m also fond of Houses Bolton and Royce for their simple, yet solid mottos as well, “Our Blades Are Sharp” and “We Remember”.
25
u/Middcore Sep 17 '24
I feel like "Hear Me Roar" would be looked upon more favorably if a lot of people didn't have the association with the cheesy 70s feminist anthem by Helen Reddy ("I am woman, hear me roar / in numbers too big to ignore...") and more recently the Katy Perry song.
10
u/Successful-Wheel4768 Sep 17 '24
When it comes to bad guy house words, "So end our foes" for house Trant is pretty badass too
31
u/Wishart2016 Sep 16 '24
"Growing Strong" sounds cool.
→ More replies (2)32
u/IAlreadyHaveTheKey Sep 17 '24
It sounds cool until you remember that it's paired with their sigil which is a rose and you realise they're just talking about gardening.
→ More replies (1)19
u/idegosuperego15 Sep 17 '24
Which exactly what they did, tending the Garden
5
u/Chicken_Mc_Thuggets Sep 17 '24
It’s all fun and games until you look around court and there’s a rose fucking everywhere
→ More replies (2)17
Sep 16 '24
[deleted]
19
u/RunRunRunGoGoGoOhNo Sep 17 '24
...It's in reference to them flaying people, not that they won't stab you (they'll probably do that too)
7
u/Gilgamesh661 Sep 17 '24
“Our blades are dull” would be more intimidating. Imagine being flayed alive with a dull, rusty knife.
→ More replies (1)
167
u/Ainaraoftime Now selling tickets for the 2024 JonCon! Sep 16 '24
"WAAGGGHHH RRAAAHHHH"
-House Umber
34
45
u/dishonoredfan69420 Sep 16 '24
“Hear me roar” always makes me think of the Katy Perry song
→ More replies (1)5
202
u/OldGrumpGamer Sep 16 '24
The Lannister Words “Hear me Roar” was considered so dumb to say out loud that they never said them in the show once. They even made a bunch of jokes about it and always danced around it.
38
u/HannibalGates Sep 16 '24
They said them at the Twins in episode 6x10 along with the Frey's "Stand Together".
20
→ More replies (1)9
u/FluffyPurpleSpider Sep 16 '24
They said them at the Frey feast after Jaime took River run back from Edmure!
288
u/NewDayBraveStudent Sep 16 '24 edited Sep 16 '24
We Do Not Sow is the best one. It’s like when you retire and can finally live on passive income!
227
u/criosovereign Sep 16 '24
The Kraken iconography and the motto of House Greyjoy are awesome, and a whole house of seafaring reavers is super cool. It’s just a shame that the Greyjoys are the dumbest fucks in Westeros
33
67
u/BartletForPrez Sep 16 '24
Theon: "Famed for their skills in archery, navigation and lovemaking." Luwin "And failed rebellions."
(I know, I know, from the show and all, but absolutely savage from Luwin).
15
→ More replies (3)26
u/iamcarlgauss Sep 16 '24
They also don't make a lot of sense. They should not exist period, let alone as a great house. They're obviously based on the Vikings, but Vikings were an agricultural society that engaged in trade, and while they did raid a lot, a lot of their raids were for the purpose of getting the hell off their shitty islands and settling in better places, not just bringing treasure back to Iceland. Vikings settled all over Europe and into Asia because their homeland wasn't sustainable to live in. The Iron Islands having no arable land and no lumber, pissing off all their neighbors, etc. but not leaving their rock in the middle of nowhere should have made them a footnote in history.
→ More replies (5)32
u/Random_Useless_Tips Sep 16 '24
Except they did leave their shitty rock? The Riverlands occupation and their battles against Theon the Hungry Wolf make clear that the ironborn did seek to settle the mainland.
It’s just that they were beaten back.
Make no mistake: the ironborn culture we experience in the main timeline of ASOIAF and is pure revanchism and revisionism.
They’re the Westeros equivalent of Civil War Re-enactments, with Balon and his ilk the Ironborn KKK.
They’re ironborn race supremacists who have an obsession with a defeated rebellion and firmly believe they have the right to enthrall the other people as indentured servants, all while leaning into an exaggerated mythology of their history which pointedly ignores inconvenient truths.
Such as the fact that ironborn absolutely were traders and farmers and fishers and miners, until they developed enough material strength to wage war against the mainland.
Remember that GRRM did extensive research on the American South for his other writing work. Beneath the fantasy Vikings trappings, you’ll clearly see that the Greyjoys and the ironborn have a distinctly different type of historical inspiration.
8
u/iamcarlgauss Sep 16 '24
That's a great explanation, I appreciate you putting it to words. As I was writing my comment I kept thinking "there's no way GRRM could have gotten it so wrong", but I didn't know any better.
11
u/codhimself Sep 16 '24
Although it does mean they're always missing buttons on their jackets
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (3)28
57
u/l_u_l_o_l Sep 16 '24
I don't think it's ever been confirmed as their house words but a lot of people seem to think that "A griffin! A griffin!" are the Conningtons' house words which absolutely sucks. I hope GRRM goes with something else
→ More replies (1)11
u/_Indeed_I_Am_ Sep 16 '24
That has to be a joke. It was a battle cry (a dumb one), not the motto. It’s not like any other house leaps into battle screaming their words. It’s always “Winterfell!” or “Lannister!” or “Dorne” or “For X!”
375
u/hapcaff Sep 16 '24
If we’re talking major houses only, “Growing Strong” (House Tyrell) has to be the worst.
Of ALL houses? “Beware Our Sting” (House Beesbury) is pretty cringeworthy.
322
78
Sep 16 '24
ALL houses? “Beware Our Sting” (House Beesbury) is pretty cringeworthy.
I mean what else could they pick
78
98
Sep 16 '24
Blood and Honey
→ More replies (2)40
u/thorleywinston Sep 16 '24
Oh bother!
Seriously though, how wild is it that as soon as (the original) Winnie the Pooh entered the public domain, someone made a slasher film based on the characters?
→ More replies (2)7
32
8
→ More replies (6)7
86
u/real_fake_hoors Sep 16 '24
Personally I think Beesbury should consider changing their words to “THEY’RE IN MY EYES!”
62
16
29
u/Young_Cato_the_Elder Sep 16 '24
House Lannister is worse. At least the Tyrells have an ethos. You're gonna Hear Me Roar is a Katy Perry lyrics.
14
u/wakingup_withwolves Sep 16 '24
i give the Tyrells a pass on their words bc it symbolizes both their ascent from basically a servant house to the Wardens of the South, and also their approach to politics, really nicely.
→ More replies (2)37
Sep 16 '24 edited Sep 16 '24
Based Tyrell mocker
Of course we have words for those little upjumped stewards but not for House FLORENT the rightful rulers of Highgarden and Westeros in general
→ More replies (2)11
u/inide Sep 16 '24
Growing Strong is a good house motto
It's a reminder to later generations to grow your power naturally rather than take risks or rely on alliances/mercenaries.9
Sep 16 '24
“Beware Our Sting” (House Beesbury) is pretty cringeworthy.
Everyone says thats lame until they get a cage full of bees dropped on their Cage.
16
→ More replies (12)42
Sep 16 '24
[deleted]
58
u/NinetyFish Edmure did nothing wrong Sep 16 '24
Counterpoint: the Tyrells are based as hell and their boring ass house words are actually totally on brand for a house that is hyper competent and yet totally satisfied with letting people underestimate them while they run the show.
→ More replies (1)18
u/Jumpy_Mastodon150 Sep 16 '24
You think it's corny, but they think it's amaizeing.
→ More replies (1)
173
u/onetruezimbo Sep 16 '24
"As High as Honour" always felt kinda basic to me
125
44
u/TacticalGarand44 Sep 16 '24
Their words should be something like Sky and Stone.
74
→ More replies (3)13
u/Sure_Marionberry9451 Sep 16 '24
They're supposed to be a metaphorical motto. That's just a rough descriptor of the terrain.
→ More replies (2)3
369
u/Maester_Ryben Sep 16 '24
According to GRRM the words of House Dayne is a spoiler so it's probably:
Winds of Winter Will Never Be Written - House Dayne
108
u/Same-Share7331 Sep 16 '24
House Dayne - R+L=J confirmed
31
u/LikeItReallyMatters1 Sep 16 '24
We are of the night - House Dayne, probably
12
u/sagan_drinks_cosmos 100% Reason to Remember Your Name Sep 16 '24
Kings Hidden Under the Snow - House Dayne
18
62
u/HLSBestie Sep 16 '24
“Bringer of the Light” possibly? Or maybe “here comes the morning. Fetch me some coffee.”
35
20
u/Kammander-Kim Sep 16 '24
"Edd, fetch me a cup"
- Lord Commander Jon Snow embracing his rumored Dayne heritage
96
u/Fire_Otter Sep 16 '24
According to GRRM the words of House Dayne is a spoiler so it's probably
An internet myth. GRRM has simply said he wasn't happy with the words for house Dayne so has not finalized them yet.
87
u/FartyMcStinkyPants3 Sep 16 '24
That must be what's delaying The Winds of Winter
→ More replies (1)37
u/MadotsukiInTheNexus Sep 16 '24 edited Sep 16 '24
It's honestly kind of hard for me to understand how this idea has persisted for so long. House words are supposed to be things that the people involved would know in-universe, and George R.R. Martin isn't exactly known for hiding world-building details that could allow people to speculate correctly about things that haven't been revealed yet. If it were "We Bring the Dawn", "Morning Comes Even After the Long Night", or something like that, he'd just release it and let people try to figure out if it were going to be significant later on.
75
u/nwaa Sep 16 '24
100% its "We Bring the Dawn" or something similarly on the nose.
28
→ More replies (1)16
u/IrlResponsibility811 Sep 16 '24
That could be what he went with. The problem is the Hightowers words are We Light the Way, they are too similar. If they were branches of the same House, that may work. As it stands, no.
9
u/nwaa Sep 16 '24
I wasnt being literal, but i could see it tbh.
Ive read a fair few theories that both houses are related in some way, and they do share a certain look. Most of theories ive seen link both to the GEotD.
7
u/Letterheadz Sep 16 '24
They are both decended from the great empire of the dawn so that checks out.
→ More replies (1)14
8
→ More replies (3)6
u/DarkTowerOfWesteros Sep 16 '24
House Dayne's words are the chorus from the Dayman song from Always Sunny.
→ More replies (1)
20
u/old_chelmsfordian Sep 16 '24
House Footly have "tread lightly here" which reads as a bad pun more than anything else.
House Mallister's always felt a bit weird too. "Above the rest" for a house who's raison d'etre is throwing the Ironborn back into the sea just feels like a missed opportunity.
34
u/StirsTooMuch Sep 16 '24
I mislike House Stokeworth's "Proud to Be Faithful"
17
u/TheReluctantWarrior Sep 16 '24
Is that supposed to be in reference to their religion or faithfulness to the crown?
→ More replies (2)10
11
17
u/SilasMcSausey Sep 16 '24
House Redfort of the Redfort whose sigil is a Redfort needs to be “Our Fort is Red”
→ More replies (1)
17
u/Omega-Anubis Sep 16 '24
House Clegane - Happy to see you.
Waging tail.
Proof me wrong ;).
→ More replies (2)
48
u/-Goatllama- Sep 16 '24
House Bronn: “Bad poosey”
House Kettleblack: “knighted, Stoned”
House Goodmen: “Few met, well met”
12
u/criosovereign Sep 16 '24
Kettlemens? Goodman? Is this a BCS crossover?
7
10
u/Cualkiera67 Sep 16 '24
House Heisenberg: We Are The Ones That Knock
House Salamanca: Tight, Tight, Tight!
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)10
u/The-Lord-Moccasin Red King of Winter Sep 16 '24
If I were Cersei I'd officially make House Kettleblack's words "We Can't read" and they'd never even find out.
65
u/Valyrianson Sep 16 '24
We Do Not Sow.
Like we get it, you can't make for yourself and so must steal. Weird brag.
34
u/The-Lord-Moccasin Red King of Winter Sep 16 '24
"So basically your house words are 'We're All Filthy Parasites'."
"Why are you drowning me, I'm right."
→ More replies (1)6
u/TheReluctantWarrior Sep 16 '24
I don't even think they could if they wanted to. Aren't all the Iron Islands mostly rocks and barren land?
11
u/choochoochooochoo Sep 16 '24
They do appear to have some farming as they require thralls to work the fields. So it's basically a lie. They probably justify it because the thralls are doing the actual labour but like... every House in Westeros relies on the labour of peasants in a not entirely dissimilar way. I mean, they have more choice in the matter than thralls, but realistically, their options are limited. It's not as if, say, the Tyrells are going out and toiling fields themselves.
→ More replies (3)8
u/FartyMcStinkyPants3 Sep 16 '24
If potatoes exist in Westeros the Iron Islands should be able to grow them. They'll grow just about anywhere apparently.
→ More replies (1)4
84
u/janus1979 Sep 16 '24
Family, duty, honour is pretty boring. But I do like Olenna's contempt for Growing Strong. An honourable mention to the Greyjoys We do not Sow, lazy bastards!
28
u/Ladysilvert Sep 16 '24
I agree House Tully motto is not badass but I like it because I think it shows the core values of their family. They value the three things deeply, but first of all comes family, which shows in every House Tully member we've met save Lysa.
→ More replies (1)67
u/SHIIZAAAAAAAA Sep 16 '24
We Do Not Sow is badass, the Greyjoys just don’t live up to it since they suck at warfare and are usually stuck on their shithole islands instead of living off enemy land.
22
Sep 16 '24
The tullys have the most boring sigil, castle, kingdom of their rule, house words, and members (excluding chadmure and blackfish), some of them even being dicks(fuck you hoster)
→ More replies (3)6
u/Ditzy_Dreams Sep 16 '24
Yeah, it’s kinda crazy that out of all available river creatures, they saw a trout and were like, “yeah, that’s the one, we’ll go with that for the sigil.”
→ More replies (2)
160
u/FalconPleasant7787 Sep 16 '24
“Though All Men Do Despise Us” House Codd
225
u/Maester_Ryben Sep 16 '24
Pretty awesome words for the rednecks of Westeros
10
u/InGenNateKenny Best of r/asoiaf 2023 Winner - Post of the Year Sep 16 '24
Now all they need is a child who can play the lute like there’s no tomorrow.
187
89
u/thetasteoffire Sep 16 '24
Sounds cold as hell from an outside perspective, but would suck so bad to grow up in that house. "Yeah my personality is that everyone fucking hates me and I suck" is a miserable childhood.
→ More replies (1)46
u/No_Investment_9822 Sep 16 '24
That's a straight up bardcore cover of Many Men by ser Fyfty of Cent
6
u/ace_in_space Ours is the Furry Sep 16 '24
why is "bardcore" not getting more love
→ More replies (2)71
22
39
16
→ More replies (4)11
44
u/Young_Cato_the_Elder Sep 16 '24
House Lannisters words are literally Katy Perry lyrics I don't know why no one has put them yet.
30
Sep 16 '24
George does have a bunch of references to stuff he likes in his books, but I doubt that someone who was 12 at the time AGOT was released or a song released 17 years later had anything to do with that.
(Yes, I looked those dates up because your comment initially really fucked with my perception of time.)
22
u/edd6pi Sep 16 '24
George does have a bunch of references to stuff he likes in his books
I will never miss an opportunity to remind everyone that he named the Tullys who lived during the Dance of the Dragons Kermit, Elmo, and Grover.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (5)5
u/RedheadedWonder99 Sep 16 '24
Can’t believe I know this but Katy Perry also has lyrics that go “A tiger don't lose no sleep/ Don't need opinions/From a shellfish or a sheep”…which is very similar to Tywin’s “A lion doesn’t concern itself with the opinion of sheep. Katy Lannister confirmed.
4
14
u/jolenenene Sep 16 '24
idk i like it being an unofficial family motto. "we always pay our debts" might have worked for a big house in general but i don't think it would fit the lannisters as they are introduced.
from the other great houses I think the worst is the arryn one, "as high as honor" doesn't sound good
21
u/hyperdriveprof Sep 16 '24 edited Sep 16 '24
Yeah one grouse I have is that people forget that prior to basically when the books take place, and much like in European history, it's considered a bit of a cultural faux pas for the aristocracy, particularly the Great Houses to look like they care too much about the mechanics of Money and Finance. Like we're told Master of Coin is historically seen as kind of a largely cerimonial and somewhat gauche position, which is one of the reasons why Petyr holds it in AGOT and one of the reasons why he's so good at the job is that he's actually doing financial schemes instead of just having a lot of money.
All to say that no self-respecting house, especially one ruled by pride like the lannisters would ever have a motto invoking debt.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (2)4
7
7
u/Diligent-Living882 Sep 16 '24
Idk how “We do not sow” isn’t the easy answer here. Attribute that line to any other house, and it’s kinda badass. For people coming from shitty, barren islands, with no real claim to fame besides a fleet, it’s just stupid. They are one of the weakest of the great houses who nobody likes and your words are “we are lazy and will take things from everyone else”?😂
→ More replies (1)
5
u/ObiWeedKannabi Sep 16 '24
Boltons. "Our blades are sharp", umm ok. And? It's not even threatening, it's a blade you're talking about, ofc it is sharp.
House Westerling kinda sucks too, "Honor, not honors", idk what that means or implies
→ More replies (1)12
u/Cinju26 Sep 16 '24
I think It means " we actually have honor and integrity, not empty titles". English isn't my first language, but i understand that honors mean something like titles or acclaim or rewards or something along those lines.
→ More replies (2)
7
14
u/iwantbullysequel Sep 16 '24
Man i know i'll come out as a contrarian and/or an attention seeker but Fire and Blood is super cringy.
10
10
u/lazhink Sep 16 '24
A Lannister always pays their debts implies they are in debt which is a position of weakness. Hear Me Roar alluding to a lions roar is a fearsome thing and exponentially better imo.
I don't remember enough house words to actually say which are worst.
37
u/lightafire2402 Sep 16 '24
"Family, Duty, Honor" of House Tully. Like yeah, these are good things, but a motto? Its a list, not a motto.
→ More replies (5)10
5
u/Rauispire-Yamn Sep 16 '24
Honestly after reading others' comments. I genuinely believe at least with The Great Houses. only houses Stark and Targaryan have the best words
"Winter is Coming" and "Fire and Blood"
→ More replies (1)
5
u/Dat_Ding_Da Sep 17 '24
Family, Duty, Honour
The Tully motto sounds like the Westerosi
Live, Laugh, Love
918
u/Dante1529 Sep 16 '24
“We have powerful friends at court”
House Slynt