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House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Seven Kingdoms, and the principal house of the westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, though another branch exists in nearby Lannisport. Their sigil is a golden roaring lion on a field of crimson.[1][2] Their official motto is "Hear Me Roar!" However, their unofficial motto, equally well known, is "A Lannister ...
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- Overview
- History
- Military strength
- Relationships
- Behind the scenes
- In the books
"You have to give it to the Lannisters – they may be the most pompous, ponderous cunts the gods ever suffered to walk the world, but they do have outrageous amounts of money."
―Renly Baratheon
House Lannister of Casterly Rock is one of the Great Houses of Westeros, one of its richest and most powerful families and one of its oldest dynasties. It was briefly the royal house of the Seven Kingdoms until their defeat in the Last War.
The Lannisters rule over the Westerlands. Their seat is Casterly Rock, a massive rocky promontory overlooking the Sunset Sea which has had habitations and fortifications built into it over the millennia. They are the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. As the new royal house, they also ruled directly over the Crownlands from their seat of the Red Keep in King's Landing, the traditional seat of the royal family. House Lannister's Heraldry consists of a golden lion on a crimson background, and their house words are "Hear me roar!", which are rarely mentioned. Their unofficial motto, which is as well known as the official one, is "A Lannister always pays his debts" - which is used much more often and mostly in negative context, though it can also be used in the original, literal sense.
Background
House Lannister is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Their lands are in the far west of the continent. Their seat is Casterly Rock, a castle on a rocky promontory overlooking the Sunset Sea. It overlooks the thriving city of Lannisport and sits atop the most productive gold mine in the Westerlands. They are the wealthiest family in the realm. Fair-haired, tall and handsome, the modern Lannisters are the blood of Andal adventurers who carved out a mighty kingdom in the western hills and valleys. Through the female line, they boast of descent from Lann the Clever, the legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes who swindled Casterly Rock from House Casterly. They used to rule the Westerlands as the Kings of the Rock before swearing allegiance to House Targaryen. They have since served the Targaryens and now King Robert Baratheon as the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and Wardens of the West. The gold of Casterly Rock and the Golden Tooth has made them the wealthiest of the Great Houses. Tywin Lannister is the current head of the family. His father Tytos Lannister presided over a period of decline for the house, to the point that their vassals House Reyne rebelled against Lord Tytos. Tywin put down the rebellion personally, extinguishing their house and re-establishing the fearsome reputation of House Lannister. His ruthlessness gave darker meaning to the common phrase "A Lannister always pays his debts" and was immortalized in the song "The Rains of Castamere." Tywin has three children: Cersei, Jaime, and Tyrion by his wife Joanna Lannister. Cersei is Queen of Westeros since Tywin arranged for her marriage to King Robert Baratheon, in exchange for his support in Robert's Rebellion. She has a longstanding incestuous relationship with her brother Jaime. The two conspire to conceal their love and have passed their children (Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen) off as being the product of Cersei's marriage.
Game of Thrones: Season 1
In King's Landing, while the Silent Sisters prepare the body of Lord Jon Arryn, the former Hand of the King, Cersei and Jaime wonder if Jon discovered their secret and told someone else. They, their children, and Tyrion arrive at Winterfell as a part of King Robert's entourage. Following the kidnapping of Tyrion by Catelyn Stark, the Lannisters retaliate, first by a bloody encounter between Jaime and Eddard, and later by sending Gregor Clegane to raid the Riverlands. After Robert dies, the Lannisters gather troops and begin their war against the Starks and Tullys at the Golden Tooth.
Game of Thrones: Season 2
While Tyrion prepares the capital for the imminent attack of Stannis, Tywin abandons Harrenhal and marches the Lannister troops to the city. The Lannisters, reinforced by the Tyrell troops, defeat Stannis at the Battle of the Blackwater. Tywin is formally appointed Hand of the King. The Lannisters form an alliance with House Tyrell.
Due to its wealth, House Lannister is capable of fielding thousands of troops (it is not mentioned how many of the 60,000 men, which Tywin rallies from the Westerlands in "You Win or You Die", belong to House Lannister). As the richest House, the Lannisters' forces are among the best-equipped in the Seven Kingdoms.
However, the military strength of the Westerlands has been badly depleted due to the War of the Five Kings (half of it was destroyed in the Battle of Whispering Wood alone), as well as the Last War. Battles against the armies of the North, the Baratheons, and later Daenerys's forces, have cut their numbers down to size.
According to Tyrion, Casterly Rock alone, even by Season 7, still held a garrison of at least 10,000 Lannister soldiers, well trained and provisioned. However, much of this army has been later destroyed by the Targaryen forces in the Battle of the Goldroad, and its remnants have essentially been wiped out in the Battle of King's Landing.
Lannister armies seem to be more well-equipped than any other armies that Westeros could muster. This is particularly evidenced by the high quality arms and armor forged directly in the Crownlands and Westerlands, by skilled smithies and armorers. An advanced degree of standardization and role differentiation between cavalry, heavy infantry, archers and sappers is clear.
Lannister soldiers are typically outfitted in excellent quality armor. Sturdy, red-dyed leather coated over augmented steel armor plates, in a striking combination. This smart design, is not only aesthetically impressive - as per Lannister lavishness - but also ergonomically practical, with the segmented armor allowing for ample mobility and flexibility for the wearer.
They also have crested steel and leather helmets, with uniquely designed cheek visors which overlap when locked shut, forming a broad facial plate with small eye slots which still give good visibility. The horizontally arrayed crests on their helmets, are a kind of defensive feature to deflect blade strikes. When the facial visors are opened, the soldier can get a better view of their surrounding vicinity, as well as talk with or to civilians more personally in their patrol duties or guard duties. The closed visors also give a deliberate resemblance to the face of a lion, looking directly forward towards it. Arguably, the design is as much for show, as for practical effectiveness.
Members
•Lord {Tytos Lannister}, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, former head of the family. His reign saw the rise of the Reyne-Tarbeck revolt, which was put down by his eldest son, Tywin Lannister. He is the grandfather to Cersei, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister. •Lady {Jeyne}, his wife of House Marbrand •Lord {Tywin Lannister}, their eldest son and successor. Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Hand of the King, Savior of the City of King's Landing and Protector of the Realm for King Tommen I. Killed by his son Tyrion Lannister on the privy. •Lady {Joanna Lannister}, his wife. Died after giving birth to their second son Tyrion. Also a first cousin to Tywin. •Queen {Cersei Lannister}, their only daughter. Widow to the late King Robert Baratheon, formerly Queen Regent; Queen Dowager, and Queen Mother. Formerly the Lady of Casterly Rock, Queen of the Andals and the First Men and Protector of the Seven Kingdoms. Agreed to marry King Euron Greyjoy of the Iron Islands after the prospective defeat of Daenerys Targaryen. Crushed by falling debris under the Red Keep during the Battle of King's Landing. •{Robert Baratheon's son}, her eldest son. Briefly, heir to the Seven Kingdoms died of a fever. The only legitimate child of Queen Cersei by King Robert. •King {Joffrey Baratheon}, her second son. King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. Poisoned at his own wedding feast by Olenna Tyrell. •Princess {Myrcella Baratheon}, her only daughter. Betrothed to Trystane Martell. Poisoned by Ellaria Sand. •King {Tommen Baratheon}, her youngest son. King of the Andals and the First Men and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Committed suicide after the death of his wife, Queen Margaery Tyrell. •Ser {Jaime Lannister}, their eldest son. Cersei's twin and Tywin's desired heir. Called "the Kingslayer". Former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and former Commander of the Lannister Army. Biological father of Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen Baratheon. Renounced his position and left Cersei to fight with the North and House Targaryen against the Night King. Crushed by falling debris under the Red Keep during the Battle of King's Landing. •Tyrion Lannister, their youngest son. The current Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, head of the family. A dwarf called "the Imp" and "Halfman". Former acting Hand of the King and Master of Coin to King Joffrey I. As well as former Hand of the Queen to Daenerys I Targaryen before resigning following the Battle of King's Landing. Pardoned and now serving as Hand of the King to Bran I the Broken. •Tysha, his former wife. •Queen Sansa Stark, his former wife through force, and still unconsummated, marriage. The current head of House Stark, Queen in the North and Lady of Winterfell. •Ser {Kevan Lannister}, their second son. Hand of the King to King Tommen I. Burned alive by wildfire in the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor. •Lady Dorna, his wife of House Swyft. •Ser {Lancel Lannister}, their eldest son. Former squire to King Robert Baratheon. Knighted after Robert's death. Renounced his name and inheritance after joining the Sparrows and the Faith Militant and renamed "Brother Lancel". Burned alive by wildfire in the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor. •{Martyn Lannister}, their second son, a squire in the Lannister army. Murdered by Rickard Karstark while hostage at Riverrun. •Janei Lannister, their only daughter. •{Willem Lannister}, their youngest son, a squire in the Lannister army. Murdered by Rickard Karstark while hostage at Riverrun. •{Gerion Lannister}, their third son. •Genna Lannister, their only daughter. •{Tygett Lannister}, their youngest son. •Lady Darlessa, his wife of House Marbrand •Tyrek Lannister, their son. •Ser {Stafford Lannister}, Tywin's first cousin and brother of Joanna. Killed during the Battle of Oxcross.
Cadet branches
House Lannister is a very old and wealthy family, dating back to the Age of Heroes and the Andal invasion 6,000 years ago. As a result it has produced numerous cadet branches and distant cousins of the main line, who have prospered as members of the minor nobility in the Westerlands for many years. In contrast, while House Stark is even older than House Lannister, due to the harsh conditions of the North (both low economic output and threat of wildling attacks) by the time of the War of the Five Kings, the Starks possess few if any cousins, and only one major cadet branch, House Karstark. Therefore, there are numerous minor members of the extended "House Lannister" who exist in the background of the narrative, but they are so numerous and distantly related that members of the main line wouldn't think to mention them any more than they would their other vassals. •Ser {Alton Lannister}, a cousin to Jaime, Cersei, and Tyrion from a lesser branch of the family. A prisoner of House Stark. Killed by Jaime as part of an escape attempt. He stated that his mother is Cynda Lannister. •Reginald Lannister, a bannerman of Lord Tywin fighting for House Lannister in the War of the Five Kings.
Ancestors
•Lann the Clever, a legendary trickster who swindled Casterly Rock from House Casterly, ancestor of the modern House Lannister through the female line •King Tommen II Lannister, King of the Rock, who sailed to Valyria after the Doom and never returned. •King Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock, who bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror and became the first Warden of the West •Ser Tyland Lannister, a member of the small council during the reign of Viserys I •Lord Damon Lannister
The official Lannister motto, "Hear Me Roar", is a reference to the lion on the House's sigil, an animal that is powerful, fierce, and strong. Behind closed doors, however, they are known for their unofficial motto: "A Lannister always pays his debts". On one level, this represent the Lannister richness and their pride for it. They trade for having money (e.g Tyrion Lannister's relationship with Bronn). On a literal level, this boasts their reliability and the honorable repayment. Unfortunately, this also has a dark flip side: when wronged, a Lannister seeks revenge.
The Lannister colors are gold and crimson. Gold is associated with a crown, and money, something the Lannisters have aplenty, and being the best, as in with a medal, just as the Lannister see themselves as superior. It is also an eye-catching color that demands attention. Like their golden hair, gold is a color of sunny false appearances. Crimson indicates nobility and status. Both in the Roman and Elizabethan eras, crimson (and its natural derivative purple) were colors only warn by important people, such as monarchs and military leaders. Yet they are not truly royalty and gain stature by social climbing and being close to royalty: Tywin was Hand of the King, Jaime was in the Kingsguard, and Cersei married the king himself, thus enabling all her children to become kings and queens. Also, it is the color of the Sun, which through its mythological and religious heritage is associated with many positive traits.
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Lannister was established many thousands of years prior to the books' opening by a trickster-hero called Lann the Clever, who tricked the powerful Casterly family into abandoning their stronghold of Casterly Rock, which the Lannisters took for their own. The Lannisters have ruled the region known as the Westerlands ever since, getting rich off the many gold and silver mines in the western hills and mountains.
During Robert's Rebellion, the Lannisters sat out most of the war, refusing to heed the calls of King Aerys II Targaryen to aid him in crushing the rebellion. After the rebel victory at the Battle of the Trident, the Lannister army marched to the relief of King's Landing but, instead of helping defend the city, they brutally sacked it, killing King Aerys and his grandchildren. Robert Baratheon publicly pardoned the Lannisters for their actions and accepted their allegiance, marrying Cersei Lannister in thanks for Tywin's assistance. However, Eddard Stark saw the Lannister action as betrayal and murder, and has not trusted them ever since. Due to the actions of House Lannister, as well as being responsible for the brutal murder of Rhaegar's wife Elia Martell and their two children, this earned them the ire of Dorne and its ruling house, House Martell, in which both region and house made a full withdrawal from interacting with the royal court.
House Lannister consists of a "main" branch led by Lord Tywin and a junior branch, led by cousins, that controls the city of Lannisport. The Lannisters are a relatively large family, though nowhere near as numerous as the Freys of the Crossing.
A minor change is that in the books the heraldry of House Lannister features a lion passant (striding on all four legs), but in the TV series the lion is rampant (rearing up with its forepaws raised to attack). The variant with the striding, passant lion is still glimpsed on several occasions in the TV series (i.e. Tywin's battle-flags during the battle on the Green Fork), though it is not the primary version featured in promotional materials.
The official motto of House Lannister, "Hear me Roar", is confirmed in this feature. It has been mentioned only once in the show ("The Winds of Winter"), and only once in the novels (in addition to the appendices). The Lannisters' unofficial motto "A Lannister always pays his debts" is mentioned far more often, both in the show and the novels.
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- House Targaryen: Fire And Blood. The Targaryens united the warring kingdoms of Westeros into one realm. Their words - "Fire and Blood" encapsulate their ruthlessness, naked ambition, and the victories that they won over their enemies.
- House Martell: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. Aegon, Visenya, and Rhaenys conquered six of the Seven independent kingdoms, Dorne retained its independence, thanks to the difficulties the Targaryens faced in invading it.
- House Lannister: Hear Me Roar! Although members of this rich House often say the words, "A Lannister always pays his debts," their official motto remains, "Hear Me Roar!"
- House Arryn: As High As Honor. The head of House Arryn, Jon served as the first Hand of Robert I Baratheon. He was a widely respected figure in Westeros, and he fostered both Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon in the Vale.
Like with House Lannister's preference for the usage of their unofficial motto of "A Lannister always pays his/her debts," over the official "Hear Me Roar!" House Bolton also has a similar situation. Although House Bolton's words are "Our Blades Are Sharp," the more common saying of the house, and used frequently in the TV adaptation, is "A ...
So i wanted to make this argument that Hear Me Roar is actually a great motto for House Lannister. It has a lot of depth/symbolism to it: In a pride of lions, the alpha male has to exert very dominant behavior over the lionesses, roaring is a major part of this. If he stops doing this, could for example happen if he got sick, then the pride ...
Nothing can hurt me so long as I have a sword. As he raised the sword a finger of pale flame flickered at the point and crept up along the edge, stopping a hand's breath from the hilt. The fire took on the color of the steel itself so it burned with a silvery-blue light, and the gloom pulled back. ...
