🧙‍♂️ House Blackwood and why they should be your favorite house

[@jakel.1724]

i love everything about blackwoods. them trees are the coolest part of this world.

[@jasonmendoza2044]

Yes 🙌🏽 so very much so that I have a huge one tatted from my upper forearm to the top of my shoulder into my neck. I love the look, lore and what they represent, ancient knowledge and absolute truth 🩸

[@mauldania8947]

Another possibility, Blackwoods and the Brackens were both kingly houses. An outside force, probably the Ironmen attacked and because neither the Blackwood nor the Brackens would ally with one another they both lost. The story changed over the years and now they name each other turn cloaks and betrayers.

[@realdaggerman105]

Mudd sweep Mudd sweep

[@pyramidion5911]

Theory time: The two sides are known by their slanderous nicknames for one another. The Brandon loyalists are called Brackens, because Brandon Stark washed ashore on the iron islands and became the Grey King. Bracken, being a combination of Brandon and Kraken, is an insult for his westerosi loyalists. The Blackwoods on the other hand are (most likely) what became of the Greenhand family. The Brackens poisoned their family tree and called the Greenhands, Blackwoods as an insult to rub it in. If both sides embraced the insults as monikers their descendants may not remember why. Nowadays they simply assume that was always the family name.

[@shawnablackwood4262]

As a Blackwood IRL I hecking LOVE THIS!

[@bethaofhouseblackwood234]

Put some respect on house blackwood, not enough blackwood videos online

[@BlackstreetBoys2Men]

(Stares in Bittersteel)

[@tomswiftyphilo2504]

"bracken" and "blackwood" are linguistically similar enough (brack, black) that they might be offshoots of the same house. "there's bracken blood in every blackwood and blackwood blood in every bracken."

[@sandrastevens4418]

Thanks! For all your theories.

[@sax5389]

ah yes house Blackwood the house with the most badass motto “The more you fuck around the more you find out”

[@bethaofhouseblackwood234]

Blackwood are my favourite house, along with the targs

[@SuperAlien2000]

I think your in-universe explanations for the name Blackwood are solid, but in a meta sense I had assumed the name was a reference to Algernon Blackwood, who wrote “The Willows” and was H.P. Lovecraft’s personal favorite writer of Weird Fiction

[@SeritaTheresa]

I think House Blackwood, Stark, Strong, and Bracken are super-relatives. I think the Blackwoods are descendants of the Warg King.

[@jonahlafountain4299]

But unlike the Blackwoods and The Starks,House Strong died out during the dance of the dragons

[@pyramidion5911]

Garth Greenhand descendants

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

I love that both Grrm and Anne Rice wrote about magical houses named Blackwood.

[@_S.D._]

AMC, I think is adapting The Mayfairs into a TV series, I'm excited to see Blackwood Manor.

[@Ash.Crow.Goddess]

I HEARD THAT! Can't wait for the Mayfairs.

[@brettc6132]

@@_S.D._ man, amc are going all in on the rice-verse, huh? As a New Orleans notice who’s been reading rice’s books since I was a kid in the 90s, I couldn’t be more excited that we’re getting an adaptation of the series that isn’t that awful queen of the damned film or the decent-film-but-unsatisfying-adaptation that was the cruise/Pitt interview adaptation. Now the only thing that concerns me is that if I were adapting the series I’d start with vampire lestat since he is the actual protagonist of the series. I’m hoping they started with interview just to give viewers the same feeling readers had when after interview the antagonist that we feared and hated becomes the protagonist and we see a different perspective, but I am concerned they will just stick with Louis as the protagonist since his actor is (if I’m not mistaken) the bigger star and so many ppl only know the interview movie and thus think Louis is the protagonist of the series

[@MemphisCorollaS]

Two of the greatest writers ever IMO

[@pamjames9077]

I love The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I wish they would adapt the book to screen.

[@billysanpidro]

The Blackwoods producing the best archers in Westeros (Bloody Ben, Black Aly, Red Robb, Brynden Rivers as well as having Billy Burley in their employ) versus the Brackens breeding the best horses south of the Rills and being able to provide the largest contingent of soldiers in Riverlands.

[@zenith1047]

Excellent stream. I've always liked House Blackwood, but never attempted any deeper thoughts into their history. I like your theories on their origins and history.

[@curtiswfranks]

One of the big things which I want to see in HotD is the Blackwoods.

[@701delbronx8]

We saw one!

[@veritasinvicta8128]

A male and fe,male blackood will figure prominately toards the end of the war, in fact even in the beginning there's a Braken-blackwood battle. i'm certainly a north guy, a Stark man. Yet house blakood are the biggest house that rejects the andals and their faith. it's my ontention that the Masters have been working against the North and Starks and Targaryrians (First men/Valyrains). remember Barbary Dustin's words concerning the "Gray Rats" talking to Theon in the Winterfell crypts.

[@guccigucci5002]

you got what you wanted

[@sweetpotatofries99]

Not for long, sadly, but we got Big Balls Bracken-Busting Billy Blackwood, who did indeed study the blade. Rhaenyra should have chosen him. A strong connection in the Riverlands and, being married to a brunette, she could cheat with Harwin freely.

[@Chasingdreams25]

She wouldn't cheat if she married a straight man.​@@sweetpotatofries99

[@TheLastSoundNL]

I had an epiphany with the Blackwood name. Recently I came across some black Israelites claiming that all Vikings in the middle ages were black in texts. The counter I saw to that is that there was a mistranslation with the word bleac. Which could be bastardized to black, but the real translation is bleak. In my own language, Dutch, bleek means pale. French has blanc of course. So Blackwood could be from bleakwood, whitewood or palewood, which is the accurate description of Weirwoods. In my language brand also means something on fire like a house or forest on fire. While the literal translation is vuur. so Brandon translates to Fireon or Flameon.

[@QueenDaenerysTargaryen]

It seems to me that a queen who trusts no one is as foolish as a queen who trusts everyone.

[@joejett5084]

💯🔥🔥🔥

[@jasonmendoza2044]

Generally leaning too far any one way tends to be very foolish

[@comradeconrad3636]

Gonna finished this tomorrow on my commute but want to say thank you for the stream now. Glad your back man always happy when I see your stream in my notifications. Also never noticed the whole blackwood name but a white wood tree as a sigil before. Good catch man.

[@cernunnos_lives]

Man I'm sorry I missed out on this when it was new. This is amazing lore content. I remember thinking before that this House had an ancient, bigger, & hidden part of the story. Thanks for the upload brother. GRRM really sprinkled details that make you curious. So I've got my tinfoil hat on. I was absolutely enthralled about what happened during the Age of Heroes and the Warg King, Barrow Kings, ect...

[@reaver1414]

I like what you were saying about black being the prefix added to people with a bad reputation and that made me think about the characters that get the prefix Brown to their name. Such as brown Ben plum and brown Bennis from Dunk and egg where instead of a evil character they more describe a selfish opportunistic character, someone who is willing to do evil Acts when they benefit him but they don't commit evil just for the sake of it

[@CDeCollibus]

Joe I can’t wait to watch your back catalog of videos in between episodes of HOTD. Watched about 10 hours of your content so far and so happy there’s a lot more to keep me busy

[@boladocemo3672]

After episode 4 they my favourite house too

[@cbob213]

I think the Blackwoods were moved by the Starks to guard that giant Weirwood tree. It looks like that tree was used maybe to do the hammer of the waters, and mayhaps the Starks moved the Blackwoods there to guard that tree so the children can't get close to it again.

[@TheTrixman123]

Bro looks Valyrian 😂 I love the hair bro

[@Yes_Fantasy_419]

A Song of Ice and Fire Book Five: A Dance with Dragons (After Jaime ends the siege in Riverrun and ensures the loyalty of the Blackwoods by taking one of their sons as a hostage and one daughter from the Brackens) "So we go on century after century. with us hating the Brackens and them hating us. My father says there will never be an end to it." - Hoster Blackwood (Jaime's hostage) "There could be." - Jaime Lannister "How, my lord? The old wounds never heal, my father says." - Hoster Blackwood "My father had a saying too. Never wound a foe when you can kill him. Dead men can't claim vengeance." - Jaime Lannister "Their sons do." - Hoster Blackwood "Not if you kill their sons as well. Ask the Casterlys about that if you doubt me. Ask Lord and Lady Tarbeck, or the Reynes of Castamere. Ask the Prince of Dragonstone." - Jaime Lannister "Is that why you killed all the Starks?" - Hoster Blackwood "Not all, Lord Eddard's daughters live. One has just been wed. The other...." (Brienne, where are you? Have you found her?) "... if the gods are good, she'll forget she was a Stark. She'll wed some burly blacksmith or fat faced innkeep, fill his house with children, and never need to fear that some knight might come along to smash their heads against a wall." - Jaime Lannister "The gods are good." -Hoster Blackwood (You go on believing that.) - Jaime Lannister's thought

[@benjaminvonstein]

House Velaryon is too cool to swap for anyone but the Martells, and I’m not ready to make that jump yet lol

[@gabi4205]

Here to learn about the blackwoods after s2ep3 💪😭 I'm damn excited

[@HeyJudeDontBeSad]

😜 ditto

[@MM-eb9ub]

I might be late, but glad that I stumble upon your channel and what way to start the journey with your work watching this amazing stream!

[@themonologuer]

Came here after episode 4 of HOTD, and I gotta say these guys are pretty cool

[@JCftwZOMFGwtf]

Idea about how to kill a weirwood; shove salt in its mouth like Lady Stoneheart does to the Frey's. Also, there's the idea that the Prince that was Promised prophecy 'born in salt and smoke' is that the salt is actually snow, but someone who had never seen snow (eg, from the lands of long summer) would probably think it was salt. And so to carry on with your idea of sowing salt to kill the roots it might make sense if it was winter with snow on the ground to hide the deceit.

[@marting1984]

keep up the good work Joe. I'm waiting for the podcast feed to listen to it.

[@KaritKtana]

I haven't started watching yet, but just wanted to say that they already are 🖤

[@tashacrawford770]

Awesome video! I love the idea the night king was a Blackwood. I love the idea Jon and Bloodraven are both Targaryen and from the North. It made me think of the dragon egg that was stolen from The Mystery Knight story. Could Bloodraven still have it with him? Could Jon get his hands on this egg and hatch it with Melisandre help with blood magic?

[@JoeMagician]

I may have said it wrong while I was talking, the Others may be Blackwoods or related to the Warg King. However the Night King came later, and he was likely a Stark of Winterfell. In the vagueish timeline we get, the Night King came after the Night's Watch formation and the Wall and the Others already existed, being the "13th lord commander". Although that would make the Night King part Blackwood as the Starks took the Warg King's daughters as "prizes", meaning forced marriages or worse leading to children and their bloodlines mixing. So in a round about way, yes I guess that would make the Night King a Blackwood by blood but I meant the Others as being descendants of the Warg King.

[@tashacrawford770]

@@JoeMagician okay, I probably missed heard.

[@JoeMagician]

I'm sure I misspoke, good thoughts though!

[@minotaur818]

The Blackwoods are dishonorable cravens. Anyone who likes them as their favorite house should rethink their lives. - This message was brought to you by House Bracken

[@Chasingdreams25]

😂😂😂

[@DaveyFish1]

You have really great content. Underrated for sure

[@deckie_]

1:15:11 that's a european christian thing. The idea was that if you nailed a penny into a tree, you could make a wish. I read it a while back on wikipedia while researching religious practises that aren't supported by religious institutions (I am sure there must be a single english word for it), but I can't find that exact article anymore. I did find other sources. BBC claims the practise originates in Scotland from around the 1700s, but from what I recall it had been a big practise in the medieval ages.

[@ImOldGreggg]

Joe Magician is a rad dude.

[@tomswiftyphilo2504]

the idea of a huge white stone tree with hundreds of ravens perched in its branches reminds me of the Citadel of Oldtown

[@roddammit5510]

Thanks for all the hard work

[@frankybee9]

Here after episode 3 of Dance of the Dragons on HBO and I can't help but think the show runners watched this video

[@luvprue1]

House Blackwood has always been one of my favorite houses.

[@dandata8586]

I miss the intro music in the newer videos!

[@urosmarkovic3806]

Blackwoods Are my favorite house!!!

[@patrickpaisley6175]

I can’t wait for George to fill in the empty void of what’s going on with Egg and this whole situation

[@liberTvalance]

My biggest hope for HOTD going forward is that we get lots of House Blackwood. I want some Red Rob and Bloody Ben on my tv soooo bad.

[@jasonwood8023]

Willem Blackwood from the show definitely has me leaning in that direction.

[@aaronbaron3155]

Saw an interesting video about the link between weirwoods and shade of evening trees.. and blackwood's were mentioned as being associated w the latter. I wanna say Disputed Lands made the video but I could be wrong

[@christianjarnes5034]

very fascinating theories more of this

[@Sarsgnu]

Time to listen to this for the 10th time! Ooooooh yeeeaaaaaah

[@kekero540]

I think Bloodraven has been architecting his own return through Betha Blackwoods line and creating someone who he can take over when the winter comes. It’s why he manipulates Jon Snow to go north and join the nights watch. He needs a new body.

[@JustGio1111]

They’re my favorite now!!!! The prince just owned some adult talking crap

[@stoffelstrange5215]

look at this asoiaffle go! u go joe!

[@alsharpe7213]

Like Jon fossaway changes to the green apple the woods changed to black woods

[@curtiswfranks]

The Blackwoods could have been kings before their exile. Heck, maybe the Starks were their claimed vassals but overthrew them and forced their exile. Later, the Blackwoods are vassals to either the Muds or Brackens (maybe those houses are effectively the same thing) and came to overthrow them. Both houses are right in their sense of having been wronged, but the Blackwoods have displaced their enmity onto the Brackens, probably due to needing propaganda for the ongoing rivalry. Alternatively, the Blackwoods and Brackens each could have ruled over the other as king with the vassal eventually coming to overthrow them and assume the rulership, in a cyclical fashion which eventually devolved into the battle of approximate co-equals which we know of in their recorded histories. I agree with you, though, that it makes no sense for a migrant family to just come into highly desirable land uncontested and immediately set themselves up as rulers of the established locals. That takes time. Also, "Bracken" seems like a much more Riverlandy name, IMHO. So, it seems to me that the Brackens were there first.

[@curtiswfranks]

Another possibility, I suppose, is that Bracken and Blackwood are actually descended from the same house (even prior to the intermarriages) - they were once one and are now like a couple undergoing a divorce without any means of arbitrating the case. The names are juuust close enough for them to possibly be mutually related if we squint. The split in the family could have happened during the migration or after settlement; the latter makes more sense to me of the two. I do not really buy this take, but I will throw it out there all the same.

[@Mechataur]

House Harlton of Castlewood, also has a white tree on green as their sigil. Which is odd since they are a Riverlands house and are faith of the Seven.

[@alpheuswoodley8435]

The tree turns to atone, rather than a normal death. The naga turned to stone. The drowned god. The miraculous birth from a stone egg. Hmm. That is not dead, whoch cam eternal lie, and im strange eons, even death may die? Subscribed!

[@RAVENW0LF]

Could they be named Blackwood after their seat in Raventree Hall? Where their godswood has a huge "dead" weirwood that hundreds of ravens roost all night. Therefore, covering the weirwood in black.

[@RAVENW0LF]

I just realized that if this is the case it could imply that wherever they make their home the same raven phenomenon occurs. This also makes the case for their connection to skinchangers all the more plausible.

[@natie3322]

King Jon Stargaryen…

[@karentargaryen7959]

A two-part Blackwood stream? I am here for it!!

[@TheMoonDejesus]

There are pennys in westeros?

[@regulomarte6338]

Great video, I can buy the blackwoods are descendents from the warg king, but I have trouble believing some of them became the Others. Being that the Starks got establish after the long night, after the wall was built, I could believe one of them bein the night king, which could also explain why they got exiled from the north. I don't believe the long night happens just before the andal invasion, doesn't add up, considering that the andals invaded westeros when Valyria was expanding. Keep in mind that by the time of the war with the warg kings, those kingdoms were closer to the hill clans to what we see today, so the wars were more brutal, and my guess is the changes of territories happened more often that we imagine, if the blackwoods were a bunch of greenseers, I could see them taking territories as time go on, but yes the brackens were probably the victims.

[@jonahlafountain4299]

Blackwoods kinda seem like a Noblehouse that inspired fear and also reverence in the riverlands especially with the Blood feud with the Brackens.

[@tombehrens2063]

Good thing I don’t have to change my favourite House after this :D

[@cityofmagic4370]

Benedict rivers sound like an interesting premise for a show!

[@greenman6141]

On the subject of poisoning the ground and stopping anything from growing: Sowing the earth with salt is, famously, what the Romans did to Carthage. It was their final way of killing off any attempt by the Phoenicians to ever rebuild and repeople the area, and the end of the Punic wars. We know that grrmartin has given Valyria many Roman Empire features. This appears to be another one.

[@alsharpe7213]

The fact that George makes is they are family and share the same blood 🩸 So they are examples of cursed kin slayer s! Stuck at war with family

[@jonahlafountain4299]

Yet Most details of the Blackwoods history is inconsistent and inconclusive but I think it's due to the fact Grrm got lazy and complacent with the success of Game of thrones show that he doesn't want to rush with the next book

[@Dani_1012]

I like House Dayne with their (lightbringer) moon sword ⚔

[@michaelwright3830]

Wouldn't one of those small folk be kind of well off if one of them were to take all of the pennies off of the tree at Pennyhill?

[@MaesterGreen]

The Blackwood's I think are the only ones with both Stark and Targaryen blood. Cregan Stark and Black Aly at the end of The DWD. Also Blood Raven and lastly Betha Blackwood wife to Aegon "Egg"

[@SparklerBlack]

can i have TLDR version of this video please?

[@fortelewisandrew2426]

You want a Bracken? This how you get them. If they pull out a dagger, you pull out a broadsword. They send one of yours to the maester, you send one of his to the fucking stranger. Now that is the Blackwood way.

[@bartsullivan4866]

So do the Tully's rule both these houses? I thought they were the head kingdom in the Riverlands.

[@JoeMagician]

Indeed, after Aegon's Conquest the Tullys became their overlords

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

Do you stream on twitch or KZbin

[@JoeMagician]

KZbin

[@sit-insforsithis1568]

@@JoeMagician thanks ! I’m gonna try and win a shirt haha

[@randomanon2999]

Jump to 19:00

[@Pentagathusosaurus]

I think the parallel between Jon Snow and Benny the Bold is less about his Stark/Targ identity and more his Northman identity and his understanding and respect for the wildlings. I don't see how being the son of Rhaegar would really change his identity that much, he's still a bastard raised by the Starks who lived his whole life in the north.

[@fitzchivalrysnow9560]

😌 I have missed all this. Went down a true crime channel Rabbit hole for study reasons 😬 so haven't watched any of my faves for a while So great to get back to some fantasy and escapism,Matts brilliant mind and Aziz's terrible but hilarious jokes......... sitting back to just let the rest of the Westeros goodness clean out my poor noggin ☺️🐺☄️🍑🧇🍻

[@davewise4073]

Blackwoods!!! Last House to surrender after Rob Zombie dies

[@claudeavilez8241]

Raven

[@figjam9530]

Blackwoods aren't my favorite house, but they're up there. my favorite house are the Daynes. the house descended from Azor Ahai himself.

[@charlesjones5414]

Riverlands seem to no longer border the Stormlands, just the Crownlands, Westerlands, Vale, North, & Reach

[@humdiddy9999]

Brother these are interesting topics being gatekept by the length of the video. If you just edited out the bits where you are interacting with your chat and focused on the subject matter this would get so many more views

[@trashlag]

This was written and directed by the Blackwoods

[@TheMoonDejesus]

Brackins-brackish water- tree poison

[@dghboy212]

The Starks are the best house, The North remembers and winter is coming

[@proild]

I believe that both Brackens and Blackwoods are right and wrong at the same time in regards to who rebelled against whom. There is a theory that the history of Planetos is about twice as short as people think - about 6k years instead of 12k - and that the long night happened simultaneously (and because of) the Andal invasion. The 10k timeline comes from the book "True history", which, according to the theory, is Andal propaganda that aims to conceal this very fact. So it's not hard to imagine that Brackens were early adopters of new technology that came to Westeros with the Andals (first and foremost iron weaponry), and used it to rebel against their greenseer overlords, who had to run north. In the north the history repeated itself with the Starks (who also conquered the north by being early adopters of Andal iron - the crown of Kings of Winter symbolizes that), so the same First men came back to Blackwood vale once again, but this time as refugees. For whatever reason the Brackens took them in as vassals, which in turn allowed Blackwoods to eventually rebel. And that rebellion, in their eyes, was retaliation for Brackens chasing them up north in the first place, rather than the original betrayal the way Brackens see it. Thus the dispute.

[@amirhad6594]

I have a soft spot for Freys in my heart. I said what I said.

[@ca2082]

love #HouseBlackwood but sorry, #HouseMartell is my home as is Dorne, we be a bit crazy but I love Nymeria. I love House Blackwood in my top five houses.

[@hypatiakovalevskayasklodow9195]

I heard that someone said to George the Balckwood lord is their favorite character and George was pissed 😂 Any way I don’t really have a favourite house, that seems awfully deterministic 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@brickbunniestv7184]

the weir tree was poisoned by Bracken Water.... lol

[@jonahlafountain4299]

It just seems Grrm is making this shit up as he goes along he better get this shit together if there's ever gonna be an aegon the conqueror prequel show or anything like that

[@jnande3]

It's possible the Blackwoods could have settled in previously unsettled lands before the Tullys were the established Lords. It seems like much of the Riverlands history is fluid and changed often before the Tully's became established. Brackens being neighbors but a smaller house didn't like them and saw them as foreigners. At least then there would be motive for what started their feud in the first place. If house Bracken were jealous and xenophobic because the Blackwoods worshipped the Old Gods.

[@melvinbrotherofthejoker436]

The Blackwoods are pure evil, they killed that cute Bracken boy

[@tesla4608]

If they keep the name it reminds their neighbours that they took it.

[@pezgraph]

Blackwoods practice Erd Tree Burial. Like Elden Ring

[@SeanLKearns]

The scene in house of the dragon where Willem kills tha bully felt like the book fans killing the HBO fans. Very let the boy die.

[@benjaminvonstein]

Not sure how I feel about this Wild Cards slander…

[@SingingSealRiana]

it is kind of grrm step child

[@benjaminvonstein]

@@SingingSealRiana I know that’s what it is to many people. But I first came to read GRRM because I had been such a fan of Zelasny’s Chronicles of Amber as a child, that I picked up the wild cards books & instantly found them much more interesting than any marvel or dc properties. Even though I am now a much bigger fan of asoiaf, I still don’t love how much asoiaf fans s*** on wild cards…especially given how much George seems to enjoy them.

[@tylerbarrett6652]

I can't imagine your train of thought being accurate. It seems to me that the Starks would have HAD to be in alliance with the Blackwoods... that any feud between them was personal and sort of one on one... and probably over a woman or something. They continued to intermarry... I think perhaps the Blackwoods got tired of defending themselves against the Ironborn and dealing with the snow... and so moved south to a better climate.... meanwhile maintaining a GOOD relationship with the Starks.

[@JoeMagician]

What little we know has them specifically driven from the North, not going South like snowbirds going from New York to Florida. Seems to me that's more than a petty drama over a woman that for some reason the entire house had to leave the North. That the Starks continue to intermarry with them doesn't really tell us much, they're well known for getting over feuds over time. In particular they conquered all their neighbors in the North and had thousands of years of war against the Vale, now they are all allies who intermarry.

[@experiencenz.]

Imagine not having a cool horse on your banner (this was made by the house bracken patriots)

[@cindym5896]

❤

[@yannickokpara4861]

It's actually ridiculous how the Brackens bitch about the Blackwoods even if the story is true. That's like complaining that the better player beat you in a game since medieval times was a time of conquest. Like... does anyone question the Lannisters scamming their way into Casterly Rock and subsequently 'enslaving' the Reynes and the Baneforts amongst others?

[@LSK1]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁