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Why don't we know who won the melee at Harrenhal?


Ser Meryn Frey

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Hello

The tourney of Harrenhal is mentioned in at least three of the five books, and is the greatest tourney of Westeros in living memory. It is also extensively mentioned in the World of Ice and Fire. It's the starting point of all the books; without the Tourney at Harrenhal, Westeros would not be what it is now.

We know that Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, the Prince of Dragonstone, won the jousting and crowned Lyanna of House Stark the Queen of Beauty. We also know there was a seven-sided melee.

However, we don't know who won the melee. Why is this? Will we ever find out?

 

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The melee is usually for the second-sons, squires and lesser knights, so it's pretty likely it was some random dude who's name wouldn't ring a bell. 

36 minutes ago, Macgregor of the North said:

My money's on Bobby B, unhorsing people left and right with berserk valor, laughing as he done so. 

Not sure if the heir to Storms End would be in the melee. We all know he would want to, and it took Ned to talk him out of it at the Hand tourney, but I don't think it's a 100% lock. 

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15 minutes ago, Lord Vance II said:

The melee is usually for the second-sons, squires and lesser knights, so it's pretty likely it was some random dude who's name wouldn't ring a bell. 

Not sure if the heir to Storms End would be in the melee. We all know he would want to, and it took Ned to talk him out of it at the Hand tourney, but I don't think it's a 100% lock. 

Why not? It did sound like Robert participated in couple of melee tournaments in his youth when he tried to get in at the Hand's tourney. Chances are that he did. IF in D&E stories, Targaeryen crown princes could participate in melee if they really wanted to (Baelor was killed and he was Heir to the Iron Throne!), why not heir to Storms End?

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18 minutes ago, Lord Vance II said:

The melee is usually for the second-sons, squires and lesser knights, so it's pretty likely it was some random dude who's name wouldn't ring a bell. 

Not sure if the heir to Storms End would be in the melee. We all know he would want to, and it took Ned to talk him out of it at the Hand tourney, but I don't think it's a 100% lock. 

Ned remembers Robert winning melees when he was younger.  Also the Laughing Storm, IE Robert from 100 years ago fought in Melees as the Lord of Storms End just as Robert was at HH.

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Folks, Ned remembers it vividly. 

"It was the year of false spring, and he was eighteen again, down from the Eyrie to the tourney at Harrenhal. He could see the deep green of the grass, and smell the pollen on the wind. Warm days and cool nights and the sweet taste of wine. He remembered Brandon's laughter, and Robert's berserk valor in the melee, the way he laughed as he unhorsed men left and right."

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We also don't know who won the archery contest, do we? Or the horse race? Or any other of the numerous side events?

By the way, the melee was a team event, says George. And I don't think we know anything about the participants (how many, who were the team captains, or if the teams even had captains in the first place), let alone the winner(s). Probably because it isn't all that important.

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On 1/12/2017 at 0:01 PM, Ser Meryn Frey said:

we don't know who won the melee. Why is this?

Um. Because Martin hasn't written that part of the story for us yet. :D 

On 1/12/2017 at 1:19 PM, Macgregor of the North said:

Folks, Ned remembers it vividly. 

Yeah but remembers what exactly? That Robert was in the melee, sure.  But did Robert win?  :dunno:

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12 hours ago, Snow Shrike said:

Um. Because Martin hasn't written that part of the story for us yet. :D 

Yeah but remembers what exactly? That Robert was in the melee, sure.  But did Robert win?  :dunno:

I said Ned remembers vividly that Robert was in it, in response to people being unsure if he even participated.

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the whole point and purpose of HH tourney is to make Rhaegar and Lyanna meet and fall in love, therefore they can run away later and create a war (and Jon Snow) to set a background for the whole book. 

Why would GRRM bother writing who won the melee? All infomation we got about HH tourney are related to Rhaegar and Lyanna. Other information is not useful or important. 

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14 hours ago, Macgregor of the North said:

I said Ned remembers vividly that Robert was in it, in response to people being unsure if he even participated.

Ah. Gotcha. Thought the question was mainly about who won. 

10 hours ago, Ser Meryn Frey said:

I think not. I think it's rather because he hasn't even thought of it. I don't think it's a game changer or even important. But, I'd like to know.

I had the impression he had considered the HH tourney in some detail. Can't remember where I saw it, but he said we'd be hearing a lot more about it in future books. But yeah - maybe not the melter, I guess. I don't know! But I agree it would be interesting! :) 

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