Analysis of the Brotherhood's Death List: Darrys and Freys

[CJ McLannister]

I always assumed the elimination of the Darrys was on Tywin's command. With the Vale possibly in play, Darry held high strategic value. He couldn't risk trusting it to a house of questionable loyalty.

The fact that he tried to get his nephew set up there confirms that he knew its importance.

[Eden-Mackenzie]

In Arya VI, the mysterious Brotherhood Without Banners accuses the Hound of murder. The Hound asks who and the Brotherhood begins naming people:

“Murder is a crime.”

“Who did I murder?”

“Lord Lothar Mallery and Ser Gladden Wylde,” said Harwin.

“My brothers Lister and Lennocks,” declared Jack-Be-Lucky.

“Goodman Beck and Mudge the miller’s son, from Donnelwood,” an old woman called from the shadows.

“Merriman’s widow, who loved so sweet,” added Greenbeard.

“Them septons at Sludgy Pond.”

“Ser Andrey Charlton. His squire Lucas Roote. Every man, woman, and child in Fieldstone and Mousedown Mill.”

“Lord and Lady Deddings, that was so rich.”

Tom Sevenstrings took up the count. “Alyn of Winterfell, Joth Quickbow, Little Matt and his sister Randa, Anvil Ryn. Ser Ormond. Ser Dudley. Pate of Mory, Pate of Lancewood, Old Pate, and Pate of Shermer’s Grove. Blind Wyl the Whittler. Goodwife Maerie. Maerie the Whore. Becca the Baker. Ser Raymun Darry, Lord Darry, young Lord Darry. The Bastard of Bracken. Fletcher Will. Harsley. Goodwife Nolla -”

“Enough.” The Hound’s face was tight with anger. “You’re making noise. These names mean nothing. Who were they?”

“People,” said Lord Beric. “People great and small, young and old. Good people and bad people, who died on the points of Lannister spears or saw their bellies opened by Lannister swords.”

...

As you point out several times, we know nothing about almost every name on this list. I believe the entire list of the dead is the BWB being facetious, the BWB knows good and well that the Hound did not participate in his brother's ravaging of the Riverlands, his eventual trial was for the murder of Mycah, the butcher's boy.

Conclusion: the Brotherhood without banners is not being honest about their connection to Darry and Darry lands.

A list of things that don't fit to me:

1) Darry tags along with the Mountain justice party despite not being ordered to do so.

2) Young Lord Darry's death does not sound like the Mountain's work.

3) Tom mentions of another "Lord Darry."

4) The Elder Brother mentions that Freys and Darrys have a feud despite their two intermarriages.

5) Tom fails to mention his cousin Pate of the Blue Fork who married a half-Darry Half-Frey.

6) There was a high priority to kill Merret who is married to a Darry, when he was way down the list of evil Freys.

7) The death of Cleos Frey (who was married to a Darry) seems like a hit. The archers hit Cleos, but miss Jamie.

Possibilities? The Darrys are still alive on the Quiet Isle and taking out the Freys for betraying them during Roberts Rebellion?

I disagree, in its origins the BWB was closely associated with Darry, as it was the Mountain's attack on Darry that led to the eventual formation of the BWB, but their mission expanded to the protection of all smallfolk.

1) Lord Beric and Thoros were chosen by Ned as the leaders of the Mountain Justice Party because he expected them to be able to remain impartial and therefore more likely to deliver justice as opposed to vengeance, which is what Ser Raymun (and to a lesser extent Ser Loras) were after. The Mountain had been especially active in Darry land, so of course Ser Raymun joined the MJP, what kind of lord would he be if he did not try to protect his lands and people?

2) Actually, I think murdering a child lord who defied him in a fit of rage sounds exactly like the Mountain's work, similar to his attempted murder of Sandor for stealing his toy and his attempted murder of Loras for defeating him with a trick. And don't forget his poor horse, who did nothing wrong. It is the Tickler who asks the questions, so for all we know it is the Tickler who is obsessed with gold, and Gregor really may not give a damn.

3) The "Lord Darry" thing is a huge inconsistency in the books. After all, it is Ser Raymun, not Lord Raymun who is ruling Darry at the start of the series. Similar to the Connington family after Robert's Rebellion, the Darrys appear to have lost the right to call themselves Lord, although they retained their castle and some if not all of their lands. However, unlike the Conningtons, whose head is now called the Knight of Griffin's Roost, we are not told what the head of Darry is now called, so perhaps he is still referred to as Ser Raymun, Lord of Darry. The young Lord Darry in question is Ser Raymun's son, so to me it seems most likely Tom was referring to Ser Raymun, Lord of Darry and his son the young Lord Darry. But this is an inconsistency.

4) We are told in one of Jaime's chapters (I believe his last chapters when he is traveling with Hos the Hostage) that the Brackens and Blackwoods have married each other countless times, yet their feud lingers as well, and after recent events potentially into perpetuity.

5) Was his cousin known to be dead at this point in time?

6) It is important to differentiate between the BWB led by Lord Beric and the BWB lead by Lady Stoneheart. Everything mentioned up to this point has been the BWB led by Lord Beric. Lady Stoneheart killed Merrett (and Petyr Pimple). Merrett played a role in the Red Wedding, albeit unsuccessfully, so his death should be attributed to his Freyness, regardless of his Darry connections. The BWB did not seek out or hunt down Merrett, he went to them, hoping to ransom Petyr as an atonement for his failure with the Greatjon.

7) Cleos died because his horse ran off after Jaime, Brienne, and Cleos were attacked, and Cleos fell from the saddle but his foot was caught in a stirrup and his head was smashed to a pulp. There is no mention of Cleos or his horse actually being hit with an arrow, but there is mention of both Jaime's horse and Brienne being hit. Jaime does not think the archer outlaws were affiliated with the Bloody Mummers, but he also at this time does not think Cersei could be unfaithful to him. And as far as I remember, there is nothing to suggest anyone in the BWB came close to capturing Jaime and Brienne.

Did the Freys and Darrys have any sort of alliance prior to Robert's Rebellion that would have led the Darrys to expect Frey support?

Interesting ideas for sure, but in the end, I do not think the BWB is a massive pro-Darry conspiracy. Sometimes good guys who try to protect the helpless and innocent really are just good guys trying to protect the helpless and innocent, at least until a change in leadership changes their purpose as well.

[Lord Wraith]

I always assumed the elimination of the Darrys was on Tywin's command.  With the Vale possibly in play, Darry held high strategic value.  He couldn't risk trusting it to a house of questionable loyalty.  

 

The fact that he tried to get his nephew set up there confirms that he knew its importance.

 

I thought it was Kevan who wanted safe lands for his son to inherit.  Jaime and his aunt talk about it.

[Lord Wraith]

 

Possibilities? The Darrys are still alive on the Quiet Isle and taking out the Freys for betraying them during Roberts Rebellion?

 

There is certainly a lot of fishy things going on and coming from the Riverlands and I'm not talking about the Tully's.  I am really curious about the whole Frey vs Darry rivalry and I think I might have found an interesting clue.  Interestingly it involves the Sparrow Movement which orginated in the Riverlands,

 

The Sparrow movement had interfered with the Most Devout from getting too close to becoming High Septon.

 

Septon's Raynard and Torbert are Cersei's favored Septons.

Septon Ollidor was close to being elected when the Sparrows followed him to a brothel and dragged him out naked.

Septon Luceon was a mere nine votes away from being elected when the High Sparrow and his followers came in and forced the election via force.

 

Septon Luceon is a Frey.

[ThePrunesThatWasPromised]

As with all things Lancel related, this thread is both complex and fascinating.

[Tijgy]

Amazing OP and discussion. I do agree however with Eden-Mackenzie the BwB started to exist as a result of the Mountain's attack on Darry. 

 

I still loved how the work you (the OP) did on the analysis of the Death list. But can the fact Tom mentions the largest part of the list not explained by the fact he is the singer, the poet, the artist of the Brotherhood, as reference to the Iliad and (maybe) other old poems. In Homeros' Iliad the number of lists of the people who died IRRF are actually endless. IIRC minstrels, singers are also the ones who are associated with the ability to memorizes facts, ...

 

So it is in one way appropriated that the singer is the one who remembers the list of the death 

[unitron]

The Tickler asking about money isn't just because they want the money, it's to make sure that the small folk are deprived of it.

[Lord Wraith]

So does anyone else have an opinion on the whole Dary vs Frey rivalry?

[SerGrahamando ofUttershill]

There is another interesting link between Illyrio and Tyrosh. At the start of GoT at the party where Dany is introduced to Drogo the Archon of Tyrosh (or might be his brother) is mentioned as being present. Tyrosh might have an interest in destabilising Westeros for it's own reasons. Wasn't Tyrosh involved with the Ninepenny Kings?

[Lord Wraith]

There is another interesting link between Illyrio and Tyrosh. At the start of GoT at the party where Dany is introduced to Drogo the Archon of Tyrosh (or might be his brother) is mentioned as being present. Tyrosh might have an interest in destabilising Westeros for it's own reasons. Wasn't Tyrosh involved with the Ninepenny Kings?

 

Yes Tyrosh was conquered prior to the attempted invasion of Westeros.