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Were the Greystarks half ironborn?


HouseFossoway

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The Greystarks were a cadet branch of House Stark. All we know about them is that they were established at the Wolf's Den, land which would eventually become White Harbor, the Greystarks lasted for five centuries until they presumed to join House Bolton in rebellion against the Starks of Winterfell.

I was wondering if they could perhaps be half Ironborn. The other cadet branch of house Stark, the Karstarks, formed their name from their founder, Karlon Stark, whose descendant's became known as Karlon's Starks to differentiate themselves from the main starks, until it got shortened to Karstark. Could the Greystarks be a shortened name for the Greyjoy Starks or the Greyiron Starks, which was formed when a Stark married an ironborn?

It would also then make sense why they were established at the wolf's den. That way, they are close to the water, so the starks could take advantage of any naval capability they have from their ironborn side, but they are on the opposite side of the north from the Iron Islands, so they wouldn't be as likely to maintain strong connections to the ironborn.

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47 minutes ago, Ethelarion said:

Let's say a Stark marries a Greyjoy/iron, perhaps to try to obtain peace between the North and the Iron Islands. Why wouldn't he settle in Deepwood Motte or Bear Island, far closer to the II.

The ironborn are usually enemies of the north, since they raid the north. I don't think the Kings in the north would want a potentially ironborn friendly lord close enough to the iron islands who might potentially help the reavers. But he would still want them by the sea so that he could take advantage of their naval capabilities.

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Could be just a bastard branch that sprouted a legit child of noble birth, the father's banner would have been grey maybe his son added this to the Stark name to try and maintain some heritage despite his father being base born. Most likely the bastard was well thought of perhaps even an heir for a time until he was replaced.

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On 6/30/2017 at 5:18 AM, HouseFossoway said:

The Greystarks were a cadet branch of House Stark. All we know about them is that they were established at the Wolf's Den, land which would eventually become White Harbor, the Greystarks lasted for five centuries until they presumed to join House Bolton in rebellion against the Starks of Winterfell.

I was wondering if they could perhaps be half Ironborn. The other cadet branch of house Stark, the Karstarks, formed their name from their founder, Karlon Stark, whose descendant's became known as Karlon's Starks to differentiate themselves from the main starks, until it got shortened to Karstark. Could the Greystarks be a shortened name for the Greyjoy Starks or the Greyiron Starks, which was formed when a Stark married an ironborn?

It would also then make sense why they were established at the wolf's den. That way, they are close to the water, so the starks could take advantage of any naval capability they have from their ironborn side, but they are on the opposite side of the north from the Iron Islands, so they wouldn't be as likely to maintain strong connections to the ironborn.

No, that makes absolutely no sense. There is no possible way that ever happened. 

 

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1 hour ago, Rickon Stark The Aulë said:

No, that makes absolutely no sense. There is no possible way that ever happened. 

 

Well put! Informative, detailed, and fact laden rebuttal!

 

Sigh....

 

I think it makes a lot of sense, and I thought the same thing myself. The amount of evidence we have for forced marriages (or unforced) during times of conflict, to bring realms and houses together, is enormous. It happened in real life, during the middle ages, as well, and we know GRRM loosely based the Stark/Lannister conflict on the York/Lancaster War of the Roses. It makes a ton of sense for some ancient war/rebellion to have gone awry, and for a Stark to marry off a distant cousin to some Greyjoy or another, thereby ending the conflict, and possibly purchasing a few centuries of peace, through the brokered marriage. The location makes sense too.

 

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16 hours ago, HaeSuse said:

Well put! Informative, detailed, and fact laden rebuttal!

XD You can hardly make a informative reply when there is essentially nothing about the Greystarks.

I would say there was a marriage between one of Gaven Greywolf's daughter and some 3rd or 2nd born Stark son and he decided to make his own branch of Starks and called it the Greystarks after Gaven Greywolf probably also to gain some prestige by claiming descent of both parties in the "savage war of the wolves" which no doubt has possibly lots of crazy battles, heroes, and lot's of magic especially since Gaven Greywolf was a skinchanger. I can't see any type of marriage between a Stark and a Greyjoy all those thousands of years ago especially since they were such bitter rivals.

It would make sense to put the branch descended from a skinchanger in charge of the Wolf's den since pirates are superstitious foke so they would probably sail away from the place where skinchangers live. The reputation that you can get from the savage war of the wolves would probably be enough to make sure that the Arryns don't get greedy and attempt an invasion that way. 

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