The history of Harrenhal

[@kiwwat4139]

I believe you failed to mention that house Slynt was briefly granted Harrenhal. A grave oversight, they have friends at court, powerful friends.

[@foobar9220]

Friends at court did not help much when Tyrion first shipped Janos to the wall and then Jon takes his head off. Wonder if anyone at court even cared about the beheading with all the chaos going on ;)

[@fairhair1539]

@@foobar9220whooosh

[@danielbertschi6349]

Well played 😂

[@WARLOCKJT]

BEST COMMENT

[@HipsterDanger]

Porn friends

[@Marqhll]

Also, a curse isn't entirely out of the question. The fact that they cut down thousands of weirwood trees to help build the thing is probably pretty solid fodder for a curse.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

That seems like some serious cause for a long lasting curse to me. And the proximity to the God's Eye probably doesn't make the Children very happy, either...

[@wallybonejengles5595]

And what was there burned away with magical fire and probably fused the curse literally into the stone left behind.

[@LarisaBayaMomo]

It was so good to see Daemon in the incredible haunted looking castle. The show creators really did it justice. Great video as usual Robert.

[@helixxharpell]

Not enuff. I want to see more magic! See my previous post

[@Hat_With_A_Hat_On]

Immediately one of my favourite scenes in any show or movie. That atmosphere was incredible.

[@zonahfalak4261]

Well this did not age very well

[@ThommyofThenn]

I love how Harrenhal is so massive, even in a largely derelict state, a small portion of it can function at a similar comparison to a normal westerosi castle

[@Thraim.]

And let's not forget, a "normal Westerosi castle" is already ridiculously large by the standards of historical castles.

[@theophrastusbombastus1359]

It was essentially five separate castles joined together into an uber-castle

[@WeirwoodNet]

That weirwood scene with daemon was cool

[@alilweeb7684]

the rest of the episode was awful tough

[@WeirwoodNet]

@@alilweeb7684 if you say so

[@Cubanmissledinocrisis]

​@alilweeb7684 no, it wasn't.

[@alilweeb7684]

@@Cubanmissledinocrisis weird ass dialogue and nonsensical plotpoints. It was just awful

[@PagemanX]

@@alilweeb7684 no

[@ryanperpich2501]

Am I the only one who is already very well-versed in the history of HarranHall but still tuned into this video just to hear Robert's sweet sultry voice talk about it some more?

[@Levacque]

Nope, I clicked on it specifically because I know and love the history yet wanted the sultriness to bring it home.

[@thedelacruz]

Yup...a playlist of iDG and it's a good night's sleep.

[@jacob4920]

This voice, and AltShiftX's, are the two voices I love hearing the most, when it comes to people on KZbin discussing Fantasy fiction.

[@chrismason6392]

No

[@Durtyrooster]

No?

[@AndrewK23777]

Really enjoyed seeing Harrenhal on screen again and HotD seems to really capture its size and do it much more justice / closer to the textual portrayal than we have seen previously. On HotD Hh rightly felt huge, dilapidated and had a truly ominous eerie / vibe. Genuinely my favorite parts of this past HotD episode were the Harrenhal scenes. And Harrenhal genuinely seems cursed and not super surprising to be the case. On a more superficial level its just too unwieldy a castle / its holdings to properly manage and too large to properly occupy. And on a deeper seemingly metaphysical level cutting down ancient sacred Weirwoods and using them for parts of Hh's construction , essentially brutal slave labor that resulted in many deaths in the building process. Ntm its just such garish , opulence and excess on the shores of the Gods Eye / where IoF is located , essentially the spiritual hub of the realm. No wonder such bad things continually seem to happen here ; the first 6 or so Houses that control Hh literally died out / went extinct (hardly an everyday occurrence). The next few have it dispossessed and likely will not end well for the current holder / ruler (Littlefinger). And so many continually strange and bad things always seem to happen at Hh. Though not surprising given the nature of its construction , history and what it represents on the shores of the realm's spiritual hub / home.

[@Prof_Meowington]

Been on a GOT lore binge and Harrenhal has popped up a lot and after this week’s episode, I was wondering if there was a video explaining the history of it. Crazy convenient and excited to watch

[@CJLOVE23]

I am absolutely obsessed with your videos! You narrate them so perfectly, your voice is up there with Bill Kurtis. And I’m serious. As an avid book reader, I’m still learning new things about the beautiful world of George’s mind

[@drbrunch]

Loved the Harrenhal scenes last episode, felt super creepy and haunted

[@bobmcbob9856]

I just clocked that Harren seems to be something like Harold Godwinson, the English king who repelled an invasion in the north right around when the Norman’s landed in the south, mere weeks before losing his kingdom to them at Hastings. Maybe also elements of the Norwegian invader he defeated, Harald Hardrada given the alliterated HH name & that as the ironborn ruler of the river lands Harren is essentially a Norse invader in Northern England.

[@Jen7867]

Has anybody ever refused Harrenhall out of fear that their family would come to ruin? Can't wait to watch this video, Robert. Thank you!

[@GreyWasteTim]

Closest we get to that is Little Finger. He is the current lord and has yet to spend a single day there, focusing instead on the Vale.

[@Jen7867]

@@GreyWasteTim Thank you!

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@GreyWasteTim I have to admit, though I'm not fond of Littlefinger as a person, I respect his intelligence in this respect!

[@bloodandempire]

Yet another awesome video. Your voice is soothing. Your explanations are simple without being condescending. And, your theories are logical. Keep up the good work King Robert!

[@tomhutchins7495]

Love your conclusion on hubris. There's an extending theme in that dragons burn away hubris. The thematic / metaphorical role of dragons is so often overlooked, but tells us so much about where the story might go.

[@davidlewis8814]

I would definitely go watch a movie on the Tourney at Harrenhall

[@jacob4920]

Yeah, I would watch it just to see who plays the legendary Ashara Dayne, and why she is always such a big deal in the Stark Family's personal history, particularly around Robert's Rebellion. Also just want to see who could play such a legendarily BEAUTIFUL woman!

[@FlyWithMe_666]

I hope the Harren’s had a decent fire & dragon insurance. I must really suck to get your nice castle destroyed right after you got the keys and moved in.

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

With no one left to collect, the insurers made a killing.

[@afrophoenix3111]

JK Simmons on behalf of Farmers Insurance: "Balerion the Black Dread. And we...would have covered it! If only someone made the claim... We know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two."

[@umarheadcutter7189]

I wonder how much rent is it to stay monthly

[@yehiasaber3732]

amazing video , felt like an exquisite piece of cake ! , too good in fact I want the whole cake , more about harrenhal please

[@ThommyofThenn]

Any fromsoft enjoyers here? Harrenhal has always given me High Wall of Lothric vibes with the massive walls that are honeycombed by armories, barracks and kitchens. Also somewhat reminds me of Stormveil castle from Elden Ring, also in its gross size and the way its massive parapets dominate the horizon if you're within 50km of it. Of course some of fromsofts visual language in regards to castle design is clearly inspired by dark fantasy manga. Makes me wonder if grrm has a secret love of anime/manga, and it has to be said, a lot of his castle descriptions harken back to early Berserk visuals

[@KetlerKeith]

Yes obsessed with all of the fromsoft stuff. The extensive and discreet lore is second to none game-wise. Agreed on the feel of Lothric and Stormveil!

[@ThommyofThenn]

@@KetlerKeith it's nice how both have it so you can get as deep or surface level as you'd like and still enjoy them

[@GodessSiri]

You didn't mention that the Stark kids have a tie to Harrenhal - their maternal grandmother was Minisa Whent. I can't imagine that that was unintentional on GRRM's part.

[@helixxharpell]

I would like to see Ryan explore more of the mysterious magic that is G.R.R.M's world. We got to see a small taste of it in this episode. Magic was much more prevalent on both continents 170+ yrs in the past. I want to see more characters from Essos added to the series. Dgmw, I'm thoroughly enjoying HoTD but I feel like it's missing that aire of mystery the GoTD gave us.

[@freckles0829]

I would love to hear @indeepgeek's take on Alys Rivers! 🧙🏻‍♀️🤔🏰

[@thegreatother25]

HOTD is going to give us so much amazing Harrenhal content and important answers to long held questions! Thank you for your content Robert ✊️

[@bladesofbell9489]

Your PFP, Band of the Red Hand ?

[@thegreatother25]

@bladesofbell9489 No friend but Wheel of Time is in my reading list 😁

[@bladesofbell9489]

@@thegreatother25 haha awesome !

[@Levacque]

It's been a while since I clicked on a link so fast it gave me whiplash. It's my absolute favourite castle in the series. That huge aerial shot of Harrenhal from S2E3 was soooooooo good!

[@C0H87]

Harrenhal is my favorite castle in Westeros lore. Love how ominjous and sinister it seems. Deeply creepy history as well.

[@ghostdreamer7272]

There’s no way this isn’t the site of a major battle, if not The Final Battle, at the end of ASOIAF. Its history and turning points, its location, the mysterious lake and island right at the center of the continent, the inn at the crossroads. The Wyrwood tree island. I think this will be the main target of the Others. They won’t be stopped at Winterfell, though it may hold out… or the Others will seem even more mysterious and pass Winterfell by. But if they don’t make it to King’s Landing, they make it to here (probably wiping out the Brackens and Blackwoods on the way, who fail to unite and so lose to the Others). Also, the show is making me think that, if Alys Rivers at least has similar powers as Melisandre with long life and glamors, I wonder if she’s already shown up throughout history. Harrenhal has a history of a significant woman, often the last one standing, or suspected to be involved in magic (perhaps even doing a switch like Melisandre with Mance).

[@theophrastusbombastus1359]

If you follow Daenerys' dreams, the final battle between ice and fire will happen on the Trident

[@buttheadpinger]

Thanks for the history lesson Robert. Your excellent analysis is greatly appreciated. I look forward to seeing more of Harrenhal and Alys Rivers in HoTD.

[@johnwatkins7322]

Hi Robert! Well paced, well articulated, and well presented. Thank you

[@WafaaH]

I’m glad they showed us Harrenhal in the show. This prompted all the GOT content creators to make videos just about the castle. This is my 4tj video about Harrenhal so far

[@DavidSpratt123]

It’s interesting that in the Middle Ages, only quarters where people were actually living would have light and warmth. No point lighting dormant rooms. If you had to move about at night you would take a lamp. Nothing would be lit permanently by flaming torches

[@inthefade]

Yeah there is no way Littlefinger was going to take that place. He's smart enough to know it is a death sentence.

[@jacob4920]

He did take it. He OWNS Harrenhal. He just refuses to live there. His logic being that if he's not there, then he can't possibly become a victim of that place. I feel like he's going to find out in TWOW that the curse is... more determined than just that... lol

[@GarryDKing]

Daemon walking through this castle, you could tell he was definitely thinking: God damn, what a dump kinda hard to believe they kept using this castle with how impossible it was to maintain and attempt to rebuild. Pretty sure it'll never get rebuilt, ever.

[@jaqjynx]

Just thinking of climbing those stairs gave me back ache. Another excellent video.

[@brycel0812]

Love your videos, been watching on and off for years!

[@obviouslyPSM]

The moment harron said “I want a monument to myself” the gods were like…well now we gota schedule the destruction of this jabroni

[@bobbybobwellington]

7:12 is this a mistake? i havent read fire and blood though so maybe im missing something about Laenor

[@blinforlife7847]

Fantastic video! Also I have one question regarding the Lord of the Rings content: Will there be a video about the nameless things underneath Moria, or the nameless things in general?

[@sw-gs]

I think Harren while dying he cursed castle like: "If I can't have I noone will!". His curse, mixed with Wierwood, dragon fire and a lot of spilled blood enchianced curse to almost spell.

[@d00mf00d]

I've never been able to envision Harrenhall, the stills from the shows awe my mind

[@julius924]

loved the show depiction of Harrenhal

[@Jackson_Fitz]

So the Curse of Harrenhal is an illusion, based on people dying in the castle or away from it. Littlefinger is the only one who is alive in the books because he didn’t step foot in it.

[@fgkuv5232]

It's actually the best castle in the land when repaired, Aegon should have been more careful while taking it, it's a good place for a capital

[@jsr_1528]

7:13 Anyone know how Laenor fits into the conversation? I imagine it’s probably a mistake to mention him here but I want to make sure lolol

[@lynzdro1]

Hi, In the great council, one of the people being considered was laenor, as the grandson of prince aemon, king jaehaerys oldest son.

[@colins6969]

@@lynzdro1 But it seemed it was more about Viserys and Rhaenys. the show never really mentions that Laenor was even considered.

[@jeremyscungio16]

​@colins6969 that's a difference the show makes. The council was more about laenor and viserys in the book

[@MaxwellAerialPhotography]

Harren the built a castle, and made the riverlanders pays for it.

[@ShadeoftheEvening]

Seeing all the behind the scenes about this set was amazing🖤🐉 wasn't Catelyn Tully a descendant of one of the families? Whent maybe? This place and the God's Eye/Isle of Faces are going to end up being important in the books. Imo

[@curryafficionado9355]

At 7:11 Viserys rather than Laenor velaryon?

[@Nerevar5me]

That daemon scene was right out of dark souls

[@EverTM]

I was thinking the same thing, right down to the clinking of the armor with every footfall. Just awesome.

[@animesempai0]

Hopefully we can see the God's eye as Aemond and Daemon fight above it, Harrenhal was great to see🔥

[@C0H87]

Not this season I fear.

[@animesempai0]

@@C0H87 oh I know, the Battle above the gods eye probably won't happen until season 3. Just can't wait to see it

[@davidlewis8814]

Good stuff - what a terrifically storied place

[@anitareasontobelieve378]

Great video. There is actually an all in a lake over in your part of the world in either the UK or Ireland. I just saw the video and it was about the l and holly king...

[@ShadeoftheEvening]

A character study about Alys Rivers would be fun. And did you remove a video about Bloodraven Robert? I think it had Azor Ahai in the title, was in Robert's Rebellion playlist. Had pictures of the Targs in the lineage images. I'm wanting to share it. I've searched, but can't seem to find it. Thanks so much🙏🖤🐉🔥

[@xarthys4474]

Honestly, what if multiple houses took residency in Harrenhal? Say, one per tower. Those families could then use their wealth to focus on portions of the fortress and perhaps the crown could aid in sending smallfolk to bolster the area's population? Now that'd be interesting to delve into.

[@desmondbrown3985]

I wondered why there hadn't been multiple houses at one time while watching this video

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

Can you think of any major houses that can cooperate well enough to manage this without ending up with a minor civil war being fought all within one castle?

[@xarthys4474]

@thing_under_the_stairs no but that's why it'd be interesting to delve into. Maybe they'd create some sort of city council somewhat echoing the small council. It also could be advised by the crown. Doesn't necessarily have to be powerful houses. Lesser nobles or even landed knight families.

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

@@xarthys4474 I wonder how many it would take to be able to afford upkeep? And I wonder how the curse would undermine any attempts at them getting along and working any issues out peacefully?

[@xarthys4474]

@thing_under_the_stairs Harrenhal has Five Towers. So, place 5 families one in each tower to call home. They could then form a council of five to figure things out. They could then split the castle into five, their own men would patrol said areas which they could all set up and that way the they could tax them. Essentially they could turn Harrenhal into a large city state in a way. The land would or could collectively fund the families by splitting the taxes five ways alomg with food supply and other resources. Of course this could go wrong in many ways, civil war, possible tensions or fueds and the curse itself would prove to be interesting to deal with. Besides, they may only need to run it successfully for about 3 to four generations, without bringing further destruction to the castle itself, to restore it and have it run perhaps better than it's old potential. Besides all of that, once its fully built by all means one family could just take control fully eventually.

[@peterhansen8216]

perfect timing. was wondering about this.

[@earthknight60]

You should consider adding Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series to your discussion of fantasy works.

[@thekrimsontower]

7:38 - Just because Harwin was the father of Luke and Jace in the show doesn't mean he was in the book. A detail they ignore is that their Arryn (Rhaenyra's mother) and Baratheon (Laenor's grandmother) heritage is just as likely the reason for their hair colour. The truth is meant to be uncertain and lost to history.

[@jacob4920]

Why Littlefinger is the smartest character in ASOIAF... He refuses to live in his own home (Harrenhal), because he is well aware of what happens to those who live there, and refuses to become a victim of that curse. If only the 25 or so other house lords/ladies before Littlefinger came along had been so based...

[@jameskelly4903]

What happened to the video titled "what really happened at the tournament of Harrenhall?"That was my favorite.

[@jlworrad]

What would you choose? Lord of Harrenhal or drummer for Spinal Tap?

[@onetuffspartan1981]

gods....the battle of the gods eye is going to be insanely spectacular when we get there

[@TalkingThrones]

🔥🔥🔥

[@brawlinharry6461]

hey, have you considered covering some themes and lore from the stormlight archive? i feel like those are pretty elaborate and complicated and rich with symbolism and secrets to explore. i would watch the hell out of those if you did some of them :)

[@Msaber2012]

Love the videos!

[@kingvarien]

Hey Robert, could you perhaps make a video on religion in Westeros and what perceived impact the gods have on the world? You always hear about "the old gods and the new," but who are these gods, and where did they come from?

[@Ruosteinenknight]

".....Harrenhall! The seat of kings." -Tywin Lannister

[@auroraglacialis]

Built in just 40 years? Thats impressive indeed!

[@mikelombard21]

Can someone tell me what happened to his travelers guide videos? I cant find them. Is it like a patreon only thing or something?

[@markpjf85]

I can’t wait till we get ageon the Conqueror film / tv show going be like rain of fire 🐉 🔥

[@kradylladel2785]

5:35 congrats to my boy DJ Qualls

[@jerroldkovolyan5665]

Would love to see a Who is the High Sparrow and Faith Militant

[@moleahjobe]

Walton towers? His life must have been a roller coaster

[@highlandoutsider]

I wonder if any of the melted stone would be effective against The Others? While in our universe obsidian is a very specific thing, and given Dragonstones volcanic history, Westerosi obsidian may be the same, it could be argued that the melted portions could count as "Dragon Glass" 🤔 would be pretty epic to see chunks of Harrenhall used as ammo for trebuchets

[@diocletiandondarrion7102]

What ever happened to your travelers guide videos? Those were awesome

[@davinhunt7558]

your videos dont miss!

[@gregcampwriter]

George R.R. Martin says he could have written an entire book about a tournament? Indeed. He seems able to write entire books about anything but the conclusion of A Song of Ice and Fire.

[@Xirpzy]

I wonder where all the stone comes from, sure plenty of wood is easy to get but the quarry would have to be huge.

[@johnnye87]

Another practical downfall of Harrenhal is political - it's so huge and ostentatious but it's also *right on the king's doorstep*. Aegon could see immediately that it was a threat to his rule (even if it was built before King's Landing existed) so made sure to take it out quickly. The crown can never give it to a house wealthy and powerful enough to actually defend it, as they'd be effectively placing an army at their own gates. (Taking it for themselves either looks like overstepping their power, or they're as afraid of the curse as everyone else.) So it almost always seems to be granted, in a slightly snobby manner, to a collection of new, minor, or upjumped houses that can't afford or defend it, and their inevitable collapse is a vicious cycle providing ever more evidence for a curse. Interestingly, something that fundamentally changes that dynamic was almost an afterthought. Littlefinger was given Harrenhal (standard sinecure for a minor lordly ally) but then he was also made Lord Paramount. If that becomes a precedent, the Riverlands could become & remain much more powerful & decisive once the Frey Civil War is resolved and Littlefinger disposed of. That could well coincide - as cause, effect, or both - with the fall of King's Landing as a seat of power, another thing that seems well foreshadowed. (Also, this is a complete tangent and I don't know how it ties in to the rest of my point, but I've just realised that Euron is ABSOLUTELY going to end up in Harrenhal, either sealing his fate or breaking the curse by returning it to the Ironborn who built it. That twisted, evil black castle has been squatting there waiting for its ideal Lovecraftian owner this whole time.)

[@Caleb-zu1pk]

Daemon is walking history and makes me sad in what’s to come

[@Sange4499]

I'm so keen on a series of aegon the conqueror, or a movie length feature epsiode

[@kb4903]

Fascinating place.

[@jamesnave1249]

I can't help but feel King Bran will end up making Harrenhal his new capital.

[@Dennis_The_Peasant]

Please please please read the Cosmere and start making videos about it 🙏🙏

[@Cdre_Satori]

To be honest it felt a bit hubrid how Daemon just flies in alone and claims the castle. Once he dismounts any number of soldiers could have ambushed and captured or killed him. One would expect he would put at least a dozen men on ropes on Caraxes to have a small tactical unit.

[@smilodnfatalis55]

Hey man, your Robert's Rebellion videos seem to be missing/ private in youtube?

[@jellypasta151]

Goddammit I haven't seen S2 ep 3 yet and it's killing me 😂

[@magister343]

Did the Iron Islanders under House Hoare keep slaves, or just Thralls? I thought Ironborn were quite strongly opposed to the practice of slavery (where slaves could be bought and sold for a gold price) but approved of the practice of Thralldom where prisoners of war claimed by the Iron price could be forced into hard labor for their whole lifetime (which could be short as they were sometimes sacrificed to the Drowned God), but children born to a Thrall were considered free.

[@awesomehpt8938]

Honestly they should just tear down Harrenhall and build a much smaller and more manageable fortress somewhere else. And hopefully with no curses.

[@kb4903]

Easier said then done when it’s that large.

[@saraa.4295]

Or make it something "general" like the citadell... I'd suggest having a knights school, stop the practice that every knight can make a knight, only those who go through knights training at harrenhall will become knights..

[@OLLYZOG]

Why release a video with spoilers for HOTD. I was excited to watch this before the warning

[@fydofire]

Shadiversity tried to rebuild Winterfell in a simulation according to the stats given in the books. Well...if Harrenhal is way bigger than that, it could be seen from space.

[@fredericocr1]

Hey, good source. You've been there before 😀

[@lewstherin9464]

You forgot Janos Slynt 😂

[@mohsenbayati3627]

If the lake is called The Gods' Eye so Alan Wake can have some impact there

[@robertallen7064]

5:42 bruh that’s DJ Qualls

[@lawrencereid2767]

First to take the black 🖤

[@GreyWasteTim]

Westeros' greatest money pit

[@RollMeAFat1]

Ok but Daemon and Aemond didn’t just fall, Daemon JUMPED from his dragon to Vhaegar and STABBED aemond in his one good eye

[@christophervogel2961]

Didn’t Jaehaerys’s Great Council at Harrenhal decide between Viserys and Rhaenys, rather than Viserys and Laenor Velaryon, the son of Rhaenys, as stated in the video?

[@SarahScarlett25]

In the book it was between Viserys and Laenor, as Rhaenys' son

[@CalebMay-bf1ci]

I never understood why daemon and aemond had to fight on their dragons when they were already on the ground before. I guess its more poetic but it seems dumb

[@tylerchapman9234]

I think that they had to. Had they sword fought, you can still imagine that the dragons would fight or intervene. However it does seem stupid

[@katelynozdemir7536]

I wish he wouldn’t do spoilers for HOTD, I can never watch his videos anymore and I used to always watch 😢

[@blanchedevereaux4820]

You do realize the show is based upon a book that was released years ago?

[@methodsocratic]

1:00 did you just “tracts of land” Harrenhall?!? 😂

[@sackbeatgaming7751]

Wherever Hoares go... To Harrenhal I guess

[@Electramasco]

Was meagor Towers supposed to look like DJ Qualls?

[@tanksmoonchild]

Wasn't Janus Slynt made Lord of Harrenhall before Tyrion sent him to the wall?

[@tylerchapman9234]

Yeah