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What have the Ironborn been doing since the Conquest?


Adam Targaryen

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What do all of the Ironborn lords do all day? Since the Conquest, as far as I understand, they have mostly been forbidden to raid the other kingdoms of Westeros, although they have tried it a few times. The Ironborn lords are all warriors, reavers and rapers as they constantly pride themselves - but on what merits? Sure, a couple of them were active during the Greyjoy Rebellion and some of the older men - like Erik Ironmaker - might have done things in their youth - but besides that there haven't really been any chances of plundering around Westeros from what I understand. I don't think they plunder around Essos or the Summer Isles either, but I could possibly be wrong. So how can the Ironborn lords be considered - and, perhaps more importantly, consider themselves - seafaring warriors, killers and reavers if they haven't done any reaving in their days? And what do the Ironborn lords do all day? Are they out sailing without the reaving part? Do they fight and kill eachother on a regular basis over quarrels (or maybe simply because they like it)? Do they just sit in their halls drinking and reminiscing about the Old Way, which most of them haven't experienced at all apart from one or two wars?

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This is the problem with the Ironborn. I like Vikings, I like pirates, and I like HP Lovecraft, so the Ironborn chapters can be fun to read. But it's really hard to envision how they make sense. A culture that's bent on such a toxic economy and worldview has a few realistic outcomes: 

1) They are successful and conquer all around them (Vikings, sort of).

2) They are co-opted by the King and used as a weapon against foreign enemies (privateers). 

3) They are put down like mad dogs (many pirates in history).

4) They are lying to themselves and actually don't do all the raping and killing they brag about, like you suggest. 

I just don't see how one of these never came to pass in the thousands of years the Ironborn have been there. 

 

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This thread makes some good guesses about it. In short:

  1. They raid Essos, knowing that, as part of the seven kingdoms, a military action of the Free Cities against them would be dismantled by the Iron Throne.
  2. A few lords do some piracy, against small fleets, in the narrow sea and in the stepstones, for the glory and riches of the captain and crew.
  3. They raid Westeros, reaving in small scale, only some small fishing villages and the like.
  4. They raid the disputed lands and Myr, Tyrosh and Lys while they were at war (and perhaps other Free Cities, whenever weakened)..
  5. The Old Way is dead, most of the them had adapted to more modern ways of subsistence. Only Balon and his brothers think otherwise.

 

However, the little textual evidence we have indicates something closer to "2", as it appears in the wiki (Steptones entry):

Quote

The Stepstones and Basilisk Isles have often been raided by ironborn reavers and sellsails from the Iron Islands, such as Harwyn Hoare[17] and Dalton Greyjoy.[18] When he was fifteen, Balon Greyjoy spent a summer reaving in the Stepstones with Dagmer Cleftjaw, killing his first man and taking his first two salt wives in the islands.[19]Asha Greyjoy was away fighting Lyseni pirates in the Stepstones when Balon, Lord Reaper of Pyke, exiled Euron Greyjoy from the Iron Islands.[20]

 

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I remember in one of the Dunk and Egg novels Dunk wants to go North to help them fight the Iron Born. This is when Bloodraven was hand and had his eye on the Blackfyres so the North had to fight them themselves. Obviously they were causing big enough problems for the North if Knights where hearing of the Iron Born attacks from the South.

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They have been periods close linked of them fighting.

- A revolt occured after Aegon died(put down by greyjoys)

- Dagon raided the west coast merceliously, ignoring the king's peace and reaved till his execution

- Contrary to popular belief, the Iron Born did fight during Robert's Rebellion, after the battle of the trident they raided parts of the Reach, but more for personal gain and meek show of support rather than actual help.

- Now - Soooo much violence. They are invading the North. They are invading the Reach. Victarion has killed at least a hundred people abroad going to kidnap Daenerys. 

Outside these periods they atrophy on their barren islands, finger dancing. But every now and then they sail around half of Westeros to reave the free cities and basilisk Isle because bad habits di

 

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