Wednesday, March 9, 2016

ASOIAF: Has there ever been a Stark with a bad reputation?

While we think of the Starks as the most honorable and good family Westeros, not all of them have always been so. The overal impression is that while they've always been strong and stern rulers of the North capable of commanding great respect, some of them have had various bad deeds attributed to them.
However, I think we're a little short on details.
There's one ancient Stark King known only as Brandon the Bad, but we don't really know WHY he was bad.
Bran Stark  reflects when seeing the statues of the old Kings of Winter in the crypts of Winterfell that not all of them had been good; some of them had been "hard men for a hard time"(in Maester Luwin's words.). Unfortunately we dont have tons of stories about these "Hard Men".
But perhaps we don't have to go back very far to find some GREYNESS, if not outright blackness.
Brandon Stark:
Of course, we think of Brandon Stark in light of the atrocity that was inflicted on him by Aerys II Targaryen, the "Mad King". Put in a torture device  with a sword just out of reach--he strangled himself trying to reach the sword that would save his father while his father was burnt alive in front of his face. Sure, he had foolishly and hothheadedly challenged the Crown Prince to a death match; but still the injustice and horror of his death tends to outweigh the questionable characteristics he showed in life.
Brandon was a bit of a bad boy, a man who enjoyed nothing more than slaying and deflowering maidens, as Lady Dustin tells Reek in A Dance with Dragons.
My father had great ambitions for House Ryswell. He would have served up my maidenhead to any Stark who happened by, but there was no need. Brandon was never shy about taking what he wanted. I am old now, a dried-up thing, too long a widow, but I still remember the look of my maiden's blood on his cock the night he claimed me. I think Brandon liked the sight as well. A bloody sword is a beautiful thing, yes. It hurt, but it was a sweet pain.
--the Turncloak, A Dance with Dragons
OK, in his defense he did spare, at Catelyn's behest the scrawny and helpless Littlefinger in their duel for Catelyn after cutting him open and its not like he was flat-out evil. More just lustful and hot-headed. But the cool-headed ultra-honorable personality of Eddard Stark and his sons seems to be something he didn't share.

There's also the Night's King from the Age of Heroes, whose name is forgotten. Old Nan insists he was a Stark of Winterfell, though other tales attribute him to another Northern House.
This man, the 13th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch took an female Other 'with skin as white and cold as snow' as a bride and 'gave her his soul when he gave her his seed.' (brrr!)
He ruled from the NIghtfort for 13 years and many (unspecified) horrors are attributed to him. Eventually he was put down by an unusual alliance between Brandon Stark 'the Breaker' of Winterfell and Joramun, the King Beyond the Wall. When it was discovered he was sacrificing to the Others, his name was wiped from history--which explains the dispute on whether he was a Stark or not.

Starks in general seem a tough lot and they command great respect from most of their bannermen, and have for thousands of years. Stern, strong, cunning, reliable. But not always necessarily good. But , while they may be strong and stern and worthy of respect, I dont think they're always 'GOOD.' They have always done what needs to be done in their role as the Kings in the North. (And later, the Lords of the North.)

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