The great HBO adaptation of GRR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series of Books has been extended to a fourth season, due to air next year (2014). Here are the best ten Houses’ sigils and mottos, based on the impressiveness of the banner and boldness of the words! There are nine Great Houses, and each of them has a number of vassal (minor) houses supporting them- known as banner-men.
10. House Martell
Sigil: A golden sun pierced by a spear.
Motto: “Unbowed, unbent, unbroken”.
With its headquarters at the castle at Sunspear, in Dorne, in the far South of Westeros, this great House is ruled by the Prince of Dorne and Lord of Sunspear.
9. House Lannister
Sigil: The Lannister long-tailed gold lion, rampant, on a red background
Motto: “Hear me Roar” (common saying “A Lannister Always pays his Debts”
The Lannisters are the Lords of Casterly Rock, the Lords Paramount of the Westerlands and the Wardens of the West. They are the richest house which makes them particularly powerful. Their lands are mainly in the West of Westeros.
8. House Arryn
Sigil: A white falcon Volant flying into a white crescent moon on a blue field
Motto: “As High as Honour”
Titles: Lord of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale (of Arryn) and Warden of the East. Their lands are in the central-eastern region of the continent. Their seat is the Eyrie, ancestral seat of the Mountain Kings.
7. House Mormont
Sigil:A black bear in a green wood
Motto “Here we Stand”
House Mormont of Bear Island is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Stark of Winterfell. They rule Bear Island, an island far to the north-west of Winterfell. The family possessed the Valyrian steel sword Longclaw, which was given to Jon Snow, Eddard Stark’s bastard son. Valyrian steel can no longer be produced, only reworked from existing valyrian items.
Lord Commander Jeor Mormont, is the former head of the family who now serves as commander of the Night’s Watch, while Ser Jorah Mormont, is the disgraced former lord who has fled to the Free Cities after attempting to sell poachers into slavery. He is now a staunch supporter of the Danerys “Stormborn”Targaryan, Mother of Dragons.
6. House Seaworth
Sigil: A black ship on a pale grey field with a white onion on its sails.
Motto: “Cut us and you will cry”
House Seaworth is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Baratheon of Dragonstone. Their lands are located on Cape Wrath in the Stormlands.
House Seaworth is ruled by the landed knight Ser Davos Seaworth, the so-called “Onion Knight”, a reformed smuggler in the service of Lord Stannis Baratheon at Dragonstone.
5. House Clegane
Sigil: Three black dogs on a dark yellow background. The three dogs signify the three dogs that died fighting off the lion that attacked Tytos Lannister
Motto: “The Hunt is All”
House Clegane is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Lannister of Casterly Rock. Their lands are southeast of Casterly Rock and consist of a small patch of land and a modest house.
The current head of the family is Ser Gregor Clegane, known as ‘The Mountain That Rides’. Gregor has a younger brother, Sandor Clegane, known as ‘The Hound’, whose face was burned by his elder brother. The founder of House Clegane was the kennelmaster at Casterly Rock. Whilst accompanying Lord Tytos Lannister on an excursion, they were attacked by lion. He rescued his master and was awarded lands and title for his actions.
4. House Blackwood
Sigil: A flock of ravens on scarlet surrounding a dead weirwood tree upon a black shield.
Motto: “Messengers of the Gods”
Blackwoods are an old house in the riverlands, descended of the First Men. They had been petty kings during the Age of Heroes. They lost this status when the Andals came, but still managed to keep many of their cultural legacies including the religion of the Old Gods, being one of the few houses south of the Neck to do so.
3. House Bolton
Sigil: A red flayed (skinned) man, hanging upside-down on a white X-shaped cross, on a black background.
Motto: “Our Blades are Sharp” and a common saying is “A Flayed Man Has No Secrets”.
House Bolton of the Dreadfort is a vassal house that holds fealty to House Stark of Winterfell. Their lands are in the northeast of the Stark territories. Their stronghold is a castle called the Dreadfort and the head of the house is the Lord of the Dreadfort.
House Bolton is infamous for its centuries-old practice of flaying their enemies alive, to the point that they use a flayed man as their House sigil. Lord Eddard Stark outlawed flaying in the North, but it is implied that the Boltons continue this practice in secret.
2. House Stark
Sigil:A grey Direwolf on a white field
Motto: “Winter is Coming”
The Starks are one of the few noble Houses whose family words are not a boast or threat. Instead, the House Stark family motto is the ominous warning, “Winter is Coming”.
They control most of the Northlands, and have their main fort at Winterfell.
1. House Greyjoy.
Sigil:A golden Kraken on a black field.
Motto: “We do not sow”
The Greyjoys rule from castle Pyke on the island of the same name. The Iron Islands are harsh and bleak and the Greyjoy’s have traditionally survived by raiding and being hardy people. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.
Their power dates back to the time of the Grey King. He was rumoured to rule the sea itself and to have married a mermaid. They worship a god of the sea known as the Drowned God.