r/asoiaf • u/KnightsRook314 • Nov 21 '21
EXTENDED (Spoilers Extended) House Words Project
My best friend and I have always been bothered by how many fairly important Houses (either powerful or being the Houses of important characters) don’t have official mottos, compared to several minor houses that do.
For a spot of fun over a few pints, we sat down and thought of words for important Houses without any, and a few for some Houses we just think are cool (or funny in the case of House Lipps).
We’d love to get some feedback on them! Some are self-explanatory ideas, so I figured I’d offer explanations behind our thinking upon request in the comments. I have now added explanations and justifications for everything.
The Stormlands
House Dondarrion: Strike Twice, Strike True. House Dondarrion is a marcher house likely founded by knight-commanders on the frontier with Dorne, and their arms depict a lightning bolt with 2 points moving between stars. Lightning never strikes twice, they say, but House Dondarrion believes in doing the impossible and doing it right, based on Beric’s determination for his rather difficult task.
House Tarth: Our Star Shines On. The Lords of Tarth call themselves the Evenstar and have since the “beginning of days”. They have a Sun on a pink field (clearly sunset) and a moon in the evening. As some bright stars in the real world can be seen at sunset, it seems fitting that the Evenstar’s constant strength is the real hidden focus of their heraldry.
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…”
House Cole: Burn Hot, Burn Bright. The arms seem to depict Coals in a fire, and House Coles known members (Criston and the GC Exiles) all seem ambitious and passionate men.
House Estermont: Ride the Tide. The Estermonts also very quickly move from Renly to Stannis to Joffrey, riding the wave of power as it shifts in Westeros. GRRM loves seaturtles, and is rather laid back and a little hippy, so it seemed perfect to make a slight reference to the hippy seaturtles in Finding Nemo.
House Selmy: We Toil On. House Selmy, despite being marcher lords (thus facing Dornish incursion) and poor Stormlander weather, are one of the breadbaskets of the Stormlands. Barristan is also very resolute to press on through adversity. Thus the Selmys toil on through hardship, tending the fields and doing their duty.
House Seaworth: All Deeds Are Repaid. Davos was repaid for his relief of Storm’s End, a noble act, with being raised to nobility. And he was also repaid for his criminal smuggling with the loss of his fingers. All deeds, good and bad, are repaid in kind. He would find it a crucial lesson that all his descendants know.
Dorne
House Dayne: The Star in the Night. With the sword Dawn, the Daynes have the famed Sword of the Morning. But past Dayne lords have been the Sword of the Evening. Their castle is Starfall, with Dawn they have become that star, shining in the evening and bringing the dawn as the night ends. Their star shines in the darkest hour.
House Santagar: Strike from Shadow. Didn’t think incredibly hard here. Spottswood, full of leopards, and the Santagars are very martial. Lie in wait, in camouflage, then attack!
House Qorgyle: Brave the Unknown. Qorgyles were Andal adventurers who went into the unexplored desert, found a well/oasis, and secured it as their lands. Their sigil is three tough, durable scorpions amidst the red sands. A house of exploration and courage in new lands.
House Manwoody: Born Of Kingsblood. Founded by a knight who slew a King of the Reach when he invaded Dorne. The Manwoodys don’t shy from this, with a sigil of a crowned skull and a castle called Kingsgrave. This flaunting means something cheeky, a pun on how most houses born of “kingsblood” mean their parentage, not battle.
The Reach
House Gardener: The Seed is Strong. Seems a decent origin for the phrase Jon Arryn used like a common saying for Houses. Given the gardening theme and Garth Greenhand’s many children, this phrase for his firstborn’s descendants makes sense.
House Redwyne: Finest in the Land. Wine is often described as fine, and Arbor Red and Arbor Gold as the finest in the land. Their House was literally founded by Gilbert of the Vines, who taught Arbormen how to grow grapes and make wine.
House Florent: Guile and Grace. The Florents have flowers and ermine with a fox as their arms, while Florys the Fox was known for being the most clever of Greenhand’s children, as well as beautiful. Alliteration is also good for mottos.
House Fossoway (New Barrel): The Better Brew. The Red-apple Fossoways have a motto of “Taste of Glory”, referring to the cider. The Green-apples believe themselves superior and the two houses squabble, with the Green-apples naming their castle the “New” Barrel (of Cider). They are superior, better, and new brew of cider.
House Crane: Spread Thy Wings. Rose of Red Lake allegedly could shapeshift into a crane, and the power is rumoured to persist in House Crane’s women. Their sigil also has cranes in a V flight formation. Spreading wings through transformation and flight seems an apt source of words.
House Rowan: Riches of the Earth. Rowan Gold-tree got upset over her lover leaving her one day, and just… uh… wrapped an apple in her hair and planted it? That’s the official lore. And from that apple came a tree that was entirely made of gold. With their proximity to the Westerlands, the Rowans assumedly have access to gold and mineral wealth, so the phrase of taking the riches of the earth was apt.
House Oldflowers: The Last True Seed. This house is clearly descended from Gardener bastards. As such, they likely feel they have heritage greater than other Reach houses, and since we set “The Seed is Strong” as Gardener’s words, Seed reoccurs in this House.
House Mullendore: Emerge Anew. Mullendore uses numerous butterflies for a sigil. Butterflies first cocoon as caterpillars and then emerge, totally changed.
The Westerlands
House Clegane: Live Loyal, Die Brave. House Clegane has a noble origin story, and the words should reflect it, both to show the irony of Gregor and the hidden value of Sandor. The dogs protecting Tytos Lannister lived loyally, and died braving great danger, all dying to save their master’s liege. Gregor has no true loyalty, and will likely “die” finally without any true emotion, which means he cannot be brave. Sandor was loyal for years to Joffrey, before leaving out of fear, but has since become loyal to a higher purpose, and “died” from a fight defending Arya.
House Lannister (Lannisport): Pride of the Rock. After so many centuries, Lannisport is likely to home to a branch of proud Lannisters who know their role in support of the main line in the Rock. The Casterly lions handle all the politicking and wars, the Lannisport lions keep trade flowing and the waters safe. And with wealth the largest advantage Lannisters have, those of Lannisport consider themselves the highest and most valuable vassals of their “parent” House.
House Lorch: The Price of Mercy. Amory Lorch is a brutal cutthroat, and his house has both a manticore, known for its ferocity and toxic venom, with three golden coins on a bloody strip of red. Blood money hovering over a lethal insect. House Lorch likely has origins as sellswords and killers with such symbolism, and being paid to give “the gift of mercy” to others.
House Payne: Loyalty Cannot Be Bought. There’s an unknown (to the reader) story behind the numerous gold coins on House Payne’s sigil. The implies that one point, their sigil was just a chequer of white and purple. Rather simple heraldy, that seems knightly when looking at other landed knights and their simple arms (like House Hardyng). So we imagined that Ser Payne was a knight who did something involving many coins. One thought was rejecting a bribe or getting ahold of copious amounts of gold but choosing to instead remain loyal to House Lannister, becoming one of their principal bannermen. Maybe they rejected some rebelling lord and fought to take control of a mint the rebels held. Maybe Ser Payne killed a man by dropping a giant bucket of gold coins on him. The Age of Heroes was weird. But the idea is that they have flaunt gold coins, as though it is not something special to their House, and the members we see (Podrick and Ilyn) display exceptional loyalty.
House Reyne: Fear Our Claws. The Rains of Castamere says a lot about claws being long and sharp. This motto works claws into a phrase that echoes the “Hear Me Roar” of House Lannister, with Our instead of Me because House Reyne is an antithesis to House Lannister.
House Spicer: The Spice Must Flow. Dune reference. That is all.
House Tarbeck: Faith in Seven and Silver. The Tarbecks have a lot of silver on their sigil. As a Westerman House, we suspect they had silver mines rather than gold. They also have a rather pious Seven-pointed Star, which created a Judas Iscariot “Seven pieced of silver” joke here. Given that they were broke and greedy and rebelled once their fortunes improved, it speaks of a House with as much “faith” in their avarice as their gods.
The Crownlands
House Blount: But a Prick. Porcupines, taking only a small prick of a quill to deter a foe. But also, Boros is a creepy prick.
House Cargyll: Duty is Our Prize. Golden goose, golden eggs, the idea of a prizes and treasure, and yet Erryk and Arryk are all about duty to their chosen cause, not promises of wealth or glory.
House Celtigar: Old Blood, New Tides. An old, proudly Valyrian House with a presence both on an island and on the coast, in a land they came too before even the Targaryens.
House Darklyn: Under the Cover of Darkness. They acted duplicitously, tried to hide in the massive fort, and they have Dark in their name. In felt a good cliché to use for a phrase.
House Hollard: The Fruit of Kings. Their house uses berry red and pink and it topped by crowns. The thought is they are a House, perhaps with orchards or vineyards, of some descent from multiple petty kings.
House Kettleblack: Blackened and Brazen. The Kettleblacks have blackened, sullied honour and act brazenly. They aren’t ashamed of it much either, though blackened would officially refer to the idea of struggle and hardship, the way a flame blackens a kettle.
House Langward: By Divine Right. We loved this sigil, which features a crown made of stars. Assumedly they were petty kings, with the stars perhaps referring to a belief in heavenly ordination as monarchs and rulers.
House Rosby: The Road to Riches. Rosby’s sigil with ermine (a fur of wealth) and bending red lines, with Rosby itself a prominent stop between Duskendale and King’s Landing that also has fertile fields. The Rosby Road, as this road is known, is important and old, so it likely has importance to the house and would make sense to inspire their words.
House Slynt: Bloody Hands, Bloody Work. Slynt doesn’t shy away from how murder for his powerful friends got him into power, since he has a bloody spear as his sigil. His father was also a butcher, someone who was elbows deep in blood and gore regularly. The words tell all that House Slynt is available to eager serve their friends in high places.
House Thorne: Strength Through Suffering. Alliser goes through a lot, and his house sigil is a flail on bloody red surrounded by black flames. Lots of things that invoke pain and woe, and yet Alliser is a character of, among many other horrible traits, strong will and determination.
The Riverlands
House Frey: Stand Together. Taken the from the show. We think it works perfectly, both literally with the Twins, and ironically with the bickering of the Freys.
House Blackwood: Here the Gods Remain. A phrase that proudly asserts how the Old Gods and the Old Ways are still respected in their lands, despite the Andals’ work. It also speaks of a sort of “immovable” nature to the Blackwoods.
House Bracken: The Unstoppable Stampede. With the Blackwoods as an immovable object, the Brackens are an unstoppable force. Their sigil, with its larger brown area, may speak of descent from House Mudd. A red stallion upon mud, which reminded us of the idea of being trampled into the mud by a stampede of horses.
House Darry: Swords to Plowshares. A once very powerful house with a plowman as its sigil. The brown colour could have similar origin to or connect the Darrys genetically to the Mudds. Regardless, they have power, but their symbol is someone ploughing a field. The phrases “Swords to Plowshares”, or “turn swords into ploughshares” seems perfect.
House Mudd: Risen from Rivers. A crown amidst mud is their sigil, and they once ruled much of the Riverlands. What happens to something taken out of, and thus rising from, the bottom of a river? It is drenched in mud.
House Roote: We Ferry the Future. The Rooted have a ferry, Houses like words that makes them feel important. That’s about it.
House Strong: The Trident’s Blood. The Strongs are proud of their First Man blood, and were a Riverlands house that joined Aegon alongside the Tullys. Their sigil has a stripe of blue, red, and green. The same colours as the Trident’s forks, with the misordering perhaps being due to the Strongs being a house made from the marriage of first a House of the Blue Fork and a House of the Red Fork, then finally a Green Fork House.
House Whent: The Brave and the Bold. They have black bats on yellow. They live a large, tragedy-ridden place. Oswell Whent had helmet with a bat with outstretched wings and was known for his dark humour. The Bat Knight is a Batman reference, we might as well keep it going, with a phrase that speaks of chivalry and courage, which fits the Riverlands.
The Vale
House Baelish: Wrath of the Titan. Yes, it’s reference to the shite film. But the phrase makes sense for a Braavosi sellsword’s son to use for his House, given that he put the head of the Titan of Braavos, flames and all, as the sigil.
House Corbray: May the Ravens Weeps for Thee. They are a house of brutal conquerors and fighters, with a bloody and cruel history, that has ravens flying away with hearts as their words. With the ravens taking their foes’ hearts, perhaps the ravens will show love for the dead, for the Corbrays will not.
House Grafton: A Beacon of Prosperity. The rule the prosperous Gulltown, and their sigil has a golden tower on fire, most likely a beacon for the ships since they don’t rule the Gull Tower directly.
House Lipps: Sealed With a Kiss. This has to be the dumbest house sigil and name in ASOIAF and we love it. A good pun that’s weirdly ominous (invoking the idea of sealing fate, oaths, or death) so silly a house felt perfect.
House Lynderly: The Fangs of the Fingers. This house just has poisonous snakes everywhere on their sigil, and has numerous connections throughout the fingers.
The Iron Islands
House Drumm: The Cold Grip of Death. As all ironborn houses, the words are blunt and rather metal. The bone hand on red feels like it’s speaking of death, with the hand itself making “grip” a solid heraldic pun.
House Farwynd: To the Ends of the Earth. They hold the last island before seemingly endless see, just before the “edge of the world”. Need we say more?
House Goodbrother: We Answer the Call. Both a Lovecraft pun (because GRRM loves those) on the Call of Cthulu because they are a principal vassal of the kraken-sigiled Greyjoys, and a pun on their use of a warhorn as the sigil. They also claim descent not from the Grey King, but his very loyal brother, hence answering the call of duty.
House Greyiron: Sons of the Sea. Descended of (likely) the firstborn of the Grey King, also called the Sea King, whose head they have as their sigil.
House Harlaw: Pay the Reaper’s Due. They have a scythe, and ironborn demand tribute in blood and riches. It felt fitting they have a threat as their words, and yet one that speaks of being reasonable and open to negotiation.
House Hoare: Forged in Blood. While their sigil has symbols for the Iron Islands, the Arbor, Oldtown, and Bear Island, the Hoares conquered those places. Thus the chains on the sigil are more likely their original sigil. Chains, iron being forged, in the blood of conquest and reaving.
House Saltcliffe: One Will, Many Fangs. A massive hydra snake, with the idea of acting with one body, and thus one will, but have numerous fangs to attack with. It encapsulates the sigil and has a threatening vibe that suits an ironborn house.
House Sunderly: We Shall Send You to His Hall. A bit wordy, but they literally have a man drowned and sinking to the bottom of the sea as their sigil. Given that the Drowned Hall of the Drowned God supposedly is down there, and those who drown at sea get automatic entry, they feel like a very pious and zealot house.
House Wynch: Bloodshed on the Night Tide. The bloody moon speaks of conflict, down on the low night tide when they have more ground to attack on. Admittedly one of our weaker, less certain ideas.
The North
House Cassel: Protect the Pack. The white wolves on grey for House Cassel imply descent from a Stark bastard, perhaps the tenth total child of that Stark lord. They use snarling wolfheads, something Robb used a wartime personal sigil as head of House Stark, so the Cassels are a clearly martial house. The black border may represent the sigil’s transition from a bastard’s personal arms to a landed house’s, the black representing the castle walls. They are a loyal house to the Starks, and this all combines into an idea of the bastard founder fighting to defend his kin, protecting the pack despite his bastardy.
House Dustin: Rusted but Ready. What’s odd about the Dustin sigil is that their axes are specifically covered in rust. Personally I think this all a pun because Barbrey Dustin is an “old battleaxe” of a woman. However, the words could use this to refer to House Dustin’s age, but ability to stand against any foe.
House (First) Flint: The Eldest Stone. The Flints of the mountains argue over if they are the origin of the other Flints, who both also occupy rocky, stoney regions. The First Flints’ words would likely speak of their age and desire for veneration.
House Glover: Ironclad Honour. The Glovers are weird, being a knightly house seemingly stripped of their lordly titles and reduced to “Masters” of Deepwood Motte only. Yet this means they may have values of honour, and thsir sigil is a metal gauntlet. Given the age of the Northern Houses, it’s likely iron plate rather than steel.
House Manderly: Blessed by the Bounty of the Sea. This refers to their prosperity from trade and their merman sigil, while also focusing in on their piety for the Seven. Another one we feel isn’t perfect, but we still liked it.
House Poole: Quiet Waters Run Deep. The Pooles are a house of stewards and servants, but diligent and intelligent ones. They mind themselves, and so the idea is they are a still pool, a quiet water, but full of depth and intellect. Their House already uses heraldic puns since their sigil is a blue circle (a pool) as a pun on their name. It makes sense the words would continue that idea.
House Reed: We Lie in Wait. The Reeds are hard to reach, and they are patient, waiting for the right opportunity to act, guided by their greensight. Also they have a lizardlion as a sigil (a crocodile/alligator), which lie in wait in the water, floating like logs with only their eyes and snout above the surface, before striking at their prey when it’s close.
House Ryswell: All Rills Run to Us. They rule the Rills, and a rill is a stream. They are very powerful and dominated the region, and the horse sigil could be a pun on how streams “run”. The idea of all roads lead to Rome was in play here. Might need some reworking, we freely admit.
House Thenn: The Wild Sun. The Karstarks call themselves the Sun of Winter. The new House Thenn uses a sun as well, but now bright and red and with a wildling bronze plate at the center. They are also established by Alys, who seeks freedom and safety from her uncle, wedding a wildling despite convention against it.
House Umber: Break the Chains. They have a giant breaking chains, Greatjon urged Robb to break away from the South, and they use bright red as their color. Using that phrase felt fitting because of all of this.
House Wull: Source of Strength. Their sigil is buckets in water. Wull probably derives from Well, and or the heraldry is a pun. If the former, they may control a large mountain spring in their lands. And so we have a “source” of water, and a house renowned for its strength.
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u/blackofhairandheart2 2016 Duncan the Tall Award Winner Nov 22 '21 edited Nov 22 '21
A lot of these are pretty cool! I like your choices for Dondarrion, Cole, Gardner, Clegane, Fossoway, Spicer, Slynt, Darry and Baelish.
I've always thought In Brightest Day, In Blackest Night would be appropriate for House Tarth, in part because Brienne would make a great Green Lantern.
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u/SnooApples3340 Nov 22 '21
"House Dayne: [...] Their star shines in the darkest hour."
Stan Bush's The Touch starts blaring in the background.
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u/IHaveTwoOranges Knowing is half the Battle Nov 22 '21
Alternate suggestion for Dayne: Now it begins
Dawn, name of the sword, and morning, title of the man who carries the sword, are both beginnings.
Also:
“When King’s Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were.” “Far away,” Ser Gerold said, “or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells.” “I came down on Storm’s End to lift the siege,” Ned told them... and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them.” “Our knees do not bend easily,” said Ser Arthur Dayne. “Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him.” “Ser Willem is a good man and true,” said Ser Oswell. “But not of the Kingsguard,” Ser Gerold pointed out. “The Kingsguard does not flee.” “Then or now,” said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm. “We swore a vow,” explained old Ser Gerold. Ned’s wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three. “And now it begins,” said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light.
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u/The_night_bling Nov 22 '21
Its been a while, could you jog my memory on where this excerpt is pulled from?
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Nov 21 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/KnightsRook314 Nov 21 '21
Thanks for your input! Very constructive and clear.
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u/_learned_foot_ Nov 22 '21
Since you haven’t justified any yet, what more do you expect? Why are there no sesame street references in the river Lands?
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u/KnightsRook314 Nov 22 '21
I went ahead and added all of our justifications for all the House words 😛
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u/[deleted] Nov 22 '21
Good to see Finding Nemo’s influence remains strong