This is a listing of members of House Westerling who appear in A Song of Ice and Fire.
For the main character index, see here
For the main Westerlands entry, see here
House Westerling of the Crag
"Honor Not Honors"
— Westerling House Words
A noble house seated at the Crag. They are an ancient house, dating back to the Age of Heroes, that has dwindled in influence and wealth over the centuries, to the point where they can no longer keep their castle's defenses fixed, but are still a prideful family. While initially loyal to House Lannister in the War of Five Kings, they defect to House Stark when Robb Stark took the Crag and married Jeyne Westerling after having sex with her. Their sigil is six white shells on a yellow background.
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Tropes related to House Westerling
- Bit Character: Eleyna Westerling, the second daughter and third child of Gawen and Sybell.
- Famous Ancestor: They are an old and proud house and have had many famous members over the years.
- Another Jeyne Westerling was the Lady of Tarbeck Hall before her husband Alyn Tarbeck was killed in the Battle Beneath God's Eye. Four years later, she was forced to marry her husband's killer Maegor the Cruel as one of his "Black Brides" and (one of his six queens). She died giving birth to a stillborn monstrosity before Maegor was overthrown.
- Ser Harrold Westerling, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard during the reign of Viserys I.
- Lord Roland Westerling, one of the initial members of the Council of Seven, who managed the regency of King Aegon III. He died of Winter Fever two years into the regency in 133 AC.
- Ser Ormund Westerling was present at Ashford's tourney of 209 AC.
- Impoverished Patrician: They are a very old house who were once so powerful and influential that one of its heads became a regent of the realm in the past century. In the 250 years since then, they have their (crumbling) castle and their pride, but not much else. This is the reason why Gawen married Sybell Spicer, daughter of a Nouveau Riche house looked down for being founded by a spice merchant and an eastern fortune teller.Tyrion's thoughts: The Westerlings were old blood, but they had more pride than power. It would not surprise him to learn that Lady Sybell had brought more wealth to the marriage than her highborn husband. The Westerling mines had failed years ago, their best lands had been sold off or lost, and the Crag was more ruin than stronghold.
- Keep the Reward: They seem to have lived by this credo if their motto is to be believed - that their every action is undertaken because it is the right thing to do, rather than out of a desire for honours and favours. If so, then this would be a deconstructive take on this trope, given their current state.
- Meaningful Name: A house of the Westerlands with "West" in its name.
Lord Gawen Westerling
Lord Gawen Westerling
Head of House Westerling and Lord of the Crag.
- Bit Character: Has only appeared once during the series.
- Distressed Dude: Captured at the Battle of the Whispering Wood. He's released after Jeyne marries Robb.
- Locked Out of the Loop: It is implied, and Jaime believes, that Gawen had no idea about his wife plotting the Red Wedding with Walder Frey and Tywin Lannister.
- Nice Guy: He is only seen once, and during that time he is fretting about the safety of his family and urging peaceful solutions. Ser Kevan Lannister also describes him as a good man.
Lady Sybell Westerling
Lady Sybell Westerling (née Spicer)
Wife of Lord Gawen Westerling (and mother to his four children Raynald, Jeyne, Elenya and Rollam) and sister of Ser Rolph Spicer. Her paternal grandmother was "Maggy the Frog", the same witch from Essos who foretold Cersei's future.
- Abusive Parents: Forcefully takes Jeyne's crown from her after Robb is killed, which results in Jeyne getting cut on the forehead. She later tries to slap Jeyne for saying she loved Robb, but Jaime Lannister stops her. She also gave Jeyne contraceptives against her will.
- Alliterative Name: Before marrying Gawen.
- Ambition Is Evil: She was one of the plotters of the murder of her son-in-law and most of his bannerman in order to gain more power for her houses.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She at first appears to be nice and a good mother, but her true colors are shown after the Red Wedding.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Twisted as she is, she does love her family, as part of her motivation in helping set up the Red Wedding is because she clearly thinks the Starks are screwed and she does not want her children to be on the losing side of a war against Tywin Lannister. Furthermore, Sybell states that she never would have allowed Raynald to accompany Robb to the Twins if she had known he would be put in danger.
- Evil Matriarch: She was complicit in the Red Wedding, and ensured that Jeyne did not get pregnant by Robb by giving her potions that decreased her fertility rather than ones that enhanced it.
- Fake Defector: She remains in contact with Tywin Lannister, and joins the conspiracy to kill Robb and end the Northern rebellion. Her role is to keep Jeyne from getting pregnant.
- Get Out!: Jaime, having gotten fed with Sybell's snobbish attitude, throws her out of his quarters.
- Manipulative Bitch: She has zero problems lying to and manipulating her children for her own benefit.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: To Jacquetta of Luxembourg, mother of Elizabeth Woodville. She and her husband Richard Woodville were originally tied to the House of Lancaster, but eventually sided closely with the House of York because of their daughter's marriage to Edward IV.
- Opportunistic Bastard: Jumped at the chance to use Robb and Jeyne's marriage to increase the power of both House Westerling and House Spicer by striking a deal with Tywin to get her brother Castamere and her children good marriages.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: Is on the receiving end of one of these from Jaime; when Sybell angrily explodes that the marriage deal Tywin offered her for Raynald will supposedly be with Gerion Lannister's bastard daughter Joy, she is shouted down by Jaime, who rages that he is even less happy with the deal, because he believes his sweet little cousin deserves better than to be fobbed off on the son of a conniving "turncloak bitch" who helped arrange the murder of her own son-in-law.Sybell Westerling: You want a Westerling to marry a bastard?!Jaime Lannister: No more than I want Joy to marry the son of some scheming, turncloak bitch. She deserves better.
- Turn Coat: Along with the rest of her family, she joins the Starks' side after Jeyne and Robb marry. In her case, however, it is a ruse, making her The Mole and a Fake Defector.
- Token Evil Teammate: Sybell and her brother Rolph serve as this to the Westerlings, being complicit in the Red Wedding while the rest of their family members were actually loyal to Robb.
- Walking Spoiler: Her role in setting up the Red Wedding and preventing Jeyne's pregnancy makes her one.
- You Remind Me of X: Sybell's conniving nature and scheming behind her husband's back put Jaime in mind of Cersei, and his discovery of how extensively she's lied to him.
Raynald Westerling
Ser Raynald Westerling
First son and child of Gawen and Sybell and heir of the Crag.
- Bodyguarding a Badass: Serves as one of Robb's thirty battle companions and bodyguards.
- Character Death: Raynald is believed dead after having been struck with crossbow bolts at the Twins and apparently falling into the river gravely wounded. His body hasn't been located.
- Know When to Fold Them: Zig-zagged: He initially surrenders without a fight when the Freys approach him during the Red Wedding, but when he realises they're going to kill Grey Wind, he disarms one and tries to defend the direwolf.
- Locked Out of the Loop: His mother insists Raynald had no idea she was in cahoots with Tywin Lannister.
- Never Found the Body: He was shot with several crossbow bolts while he was freeing Grey Wind from his bonds during the Red Wedding, but the only sign of him afterwards was a blood trail leading to the river.
- Nice Guy: He has an extremely cheerful attitude and becomes one of Robb's closest companions.
- Replacement Goldfish: Catelyn believes that Robb is using Raynald as a substitute for Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy.
- Turn Coat: Switches from fighting for the Lannisters to the Starks after Robb marries his sister.
Jeyne Westerling
Queen Jeyne Westerling
"I shall be a good and true wife to Robb, I swear. And as wise a queen as I can."
The eldest daughter and second child of Gawen and Sybell. Jeyne married Robb Stark during his campaign in the Westerlands, after he was wounded capturing the Crag and she helped nurse him back to health and slept with him after news arrived of his brothers' supposed deaths.
- Arranged Marriage: As part of her mother's deal with Tywin Lannister, suitable marriages of high birth will be found for Jeyne and her younger sister, though Jeyne must wait two years before wedding again to prevent rumors any children she gives birth to are actually Robb Stark's.
- Break the Cutie: After Robb's death, and learning of her mother's treachery.
- The Bus Came Back: She reappears in one of Jaime's chapters on the fourth book.
- Dead Guy Junior: She is not only the second Jeyne Westerling in ASOIAF, she is also the second Queen Jeyne Westerling. Just like her namesake, she's not a particularly lucky girl considering that the first one was unfortunate enough to be married to Maegor I Targaryen The Cruel, who had married her after her Tarbeck husband died, for her ability to have babies.
- Defecting for Love: Originally on the side of the Lannisters, until her marriage to Robb. It doesn't last long due to her mother's plotting with Tywin and the Freys.
- Defiled Forever: Robb married her because he took her virginity.
- Flat Character: Despite her impact on the plot, Jeyne is not seen often or given much in the way of characterization.
- Florence Nightingale Effect: Jeyne genuinely seems to have fallen in love with Robb after nursing him back to health from an arrow wound.
- Happily Married: Despite all the problems it inevitably creates, Robb and Jeyne are quite happy with each other.
- Hidden Depths: She has a bit of a willful streak. When Robb orders her to stay at Riverrun while he goes to the Twins, she goes after him and he has to send her back. Later, she fights her mother for the crown Robb gave her. She also rips her clothes apart as an act of mourning for Robb and rebellion against her mother.
- Honey Trap:
- Zig-Zagged Trope. Robb's dalliance with Jeyne ended up being his Achilles' Heel, but most people agree that their feelings for each other were genuine, and that Jeyne was never involved in any plots against him. After his death, Jeyne holds on to the crown Robb had made for her and rips part of her dress - a sign of mourning - when leaving Riverrun.
- However she is intended as one by Tywin and her own mother. The latter of whom doses her with contraceptives in the guise of a fertility posset.
- Hot Consort: Catelyn begrudgingly admits that she is a 'very pretty girl', with wide, birthing hips indicating her fertility. Jaime admits she is a pretty girl, but not a girl not worth losing a kingdom over.
- Modest Royalty: Never thinks of herself as a Queen, and insists to Catelyn that she be called by her first name.
- My Nayme Is: "Jeyne," based on "Jane."
- Nice Girl: Jeyne doesn't seem to care about the fact that she and Robb were both originally on opposing sides in the war, and hopes to become a good wife to her husband. Robb himself praises her kindness and honesty, but Catelyn nonetheless calls him out for what he did.
- No Historical Figures Were Harmed: To Elizabeth Woodville, Queen Consort to King Edward IV, which corresponds with Robb Stark being a counterpart to Edward IV. Each was married in secret, since Jeyne's family, which was not particularly powerful, was sworn to the Lannisters, as Elizabeth's family was sworn to the Lancasters, the real-life counterpart to the Lannisters. This marriage broke down an alliance to a powerful supporter (the Earl of Warwick for Edward IV, Walder Frey for Robb). The main difference is that Robb pays with his life for his marriage, while Edward gets off lucky.
- Regal Ringlets: Styles her hair into curls.
- Satellite Love Interest: To Robb.
- Sex for Solace: Which promptly leads to a Shotgun Wedding at Robb's own insistence.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Robb's a Stark and King in the North, while she comes from an ancient but impoverished Westerlands family. The relationship ultimately costs Robb the war and his life.
- Villain Respect: Jaime Lannister makes it plain that he considers Jeyne far more worthy of respect than her conniving mother.Jaime Lannister: [addressing Sybell Spicer] Your daughter is worth ten of you.
- Welcome Back, Traitor: Jeyne is rather unceremoniously given back to her family after Jaime Lannister lifts the siege of Riverrun. As she is a Westerling, a vassal house to the Lannisters, she is pretty much a traitor in the Westerlands. Awkward doesn't begin to cover it.
Rollam Westerling
Rollam Westerling
Second son and fourth child of Gawen and Sybell. He serves as Robb's squire after he and Jeyne are married. Now heir of the Crag following Raynald's death.
- Cheerful Child: He is a happy kid who reminds Catelyn and Robb of Bran.
- The Squire: To Robb.
- Replacement Goldfish: Catelyn thinks Robb is using Rollam as one for Bran, who was left behind in Winterfell and whom they believe to be dead.
Historical Westerlings
Queen Jeyne Westerling
Queen Jeyne Westerling
The third of Maegor's Black Brides. Was previously married to Lord Alyn Tarbeck, who was killed when she was pregnant with their son. She eventually died in 47 AC after giving birth to a deformed stillborn child.
- All There in the Manual: Though she's briefly mentioned in the main series, her character is only expanded upon in The World of Ice & Fire.
- Death by Childbirth: Died giving birth to one of Maegor's severely deformed, stillborn children.
- Defiant Captive: Supposedly, on her wedding night she was given a fertility potion by her sister-wife Tyanna of the Tower, but threw it back in her face. This is just a rumor, however.
- Famous Ancestor: Her marriage to Maegor is still remembered hundreds of years later by House Westerling.
- Someone to Remember Him By: She was pregnant when her first husband Alyn Tarbeck was killed, and her proven fertility was what drew the eye of Maegor to her.
- Statuesque Stunner: She was beautiful, tall, and slender.
Lady Johanna Westerling
Lady Johanna Lannister (nee Westerling)
The widow of Lord Jason Lannister, she ruled House Lannister following his death in the Dance of the Dragons.
- Bystander Syndrome: Decided to sit out the last part of the Dance, claiming when called for that she was just a woman, and therefore knew not how to fight. Right. Of course, the bigger (or more immediate) problem of the Greyjoys raiding up and down the coast might've helped.
- Crusading Widow: Due to Jason's death leaving Casterly Rock in disarray.
- General Failure: Tried to emulate a successful victory against the Ironborn at Kayce, Johanna tried to smuggle soldiers hidden aboard a fleet of fishing boats and merchant ships onto Fair Isle, hoping to take the Ironborn by surprise. Unfortunately, Dalton Greyjoy got wind of the ruse, the merchant fleet was massacred by Ironborn longships and Dalton sent the severed heads of the men she'd put in command of the attack back to Casterly Rock as an insult.
- Groin Attack: When she was delivered one of the captive bastards of Lord Dalton Greyjoy, she gelded him and turned him into her son's fool.
- He Who Fights Monsters: While her desire for revenge against Dalton Greyjoy is understandable, her methods were rather extreme and misplaced. The Red Kraken was already dead by the time she launched a counterattack on the Iron Islands, and the "fighting" mostly consisted of Westermen slaughtering Ironborn smallfolk, destroying their land, and taking their food stores right as winter was descending. Thousands died, and not much else was accomplished.
- It Runs in the Family: Let's just say you can see where her descendant Tywin Lannister got it from with her. After several raids on her lands by the Red Kraken, she wanted to go and kill every man, woman and child on the Iron Islands as payback. She settled for looting what she could and burning what she couldn't instead.
- Her descendant, Cersei, suggests exactly the same thing to King Robert after Balon Greyjoy's failed rebellion.
- Lady of War: Leads the fight against the Red Kraken and the Greyjoys.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Restores the dwindling glory of House Lannister and in the meantime aids in the reconstruction of King's Landing following the civil war.
- Would Hurt a Child: Rodrik Greyjoy, who she castrated, was no older than eight, and even that's assuming Dalton fathered him as soon as he hit puberty- given he had an older brother he was most likely even younger.
