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Do arranged marriages make houses closer?


Varysblackfyre321

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I would imagine that in most cases arranged marriages offer a great deal to the families involved.  Making them closer?   Well sure.  The bloodlines are mingled and blood usually invokes at least an interest among relatives.  Of course there will always be people like the Freys and Lannisters who really are just out for themselves.  

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Marriage is a blood bond that can seal an alliance.  For example, Robb's oath to marry a Frey girl in exchange for Walder's support.  Walder was basically hanging his neck out because Robb was asking him to rebel against King Joffrey.  A blood bond is asked to seal the deal.  Houses Frey and Stark will be bound by blood while Robb and his Lady Frey live.  The future lords of Winterfell will carry the blood of House Frey.  Note that it doesn't work the other way around.  The heir to the bridge and the twins does not carry Stark blood.  Walder was giving a lot and risking a lot and he expected a lot in return.  Which is only fair.  Until Robb decided not to follow through on his oath.  

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By long term I mean well more generational like past 2 generations at least. It seems the marriage alliance between the Baratheons and Targyens did not actua get the other to each other as something more prior to the proposal. The brackens and Blackwoods have many marriage between each other but it never seems to actually over eclipse the many problems each house has with other.

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45 minutes ago, Varysblackfyre321 said:

By long term I mean well more generational like past 2 generations at least. It seems the marriage alliance between the Baratheons and Targyens did not actua get the other to each other as something more prior to the proposal. The brackens and Blackwoods have many marriage between each other but it never seems to actually over eclipse the many problems each house has with other.

I'd say that depends on the nature of the arrangement, but on average yes.

If the arrangement was between two already friendly/allied and fairly equal houses, then this just makes the bond official and makes the two families effectively one.

If the arrangement was to stop the feuding between two houses and was imposed upon them by their liege lord or the monarchy with the belief that it would be horrible to attack your own kin. In these cases it was common to have more than one marriage to give some insurance to the plan and the business of making heirs would be a very important and nervous part of the first year of the truce.

If the arrangement was between a house wanting to improve their status and offered something attractive to a greater house, thereby granting that house a very loyal and attached vassal lord that they can count on.

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  • 3 months later...
On 7/28/2018 at 10:59 PM, Bowen 747 said:

Marriage is a blood bond that can seal an alliance.  For example, Robb's oath to marry a Frey girl in exchange for Walder's support.  Walder was basically hanging his neck out because Robb was asking him to rebel against King Joffrey.  A blood bond is asked to seal the deal.  Houses Frey and Stark will be bound by blood while Robb and his Lady Frey live.  The future lords of Winterfell will carry the blood of House Frey.  Note that it doesn't work the other way around.  The heir to the bridge and the twins does not carry Stark blood.  Walder was giving a lot and risking a lot and he expected a lot in return.  Which is only fair.  Until Robb decided not to follow through on his oath.  

yes

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On 11/24/2018 at 6:03 PM, Sophia [email protected] said:

Not always look the House Bracken and House Blackwood they have many arrange marriages with each other. They still war with each other.

The timespan between different marriages and armed conflicts would be intersting to know. Perhaps as kinship between House Blackwood and Bracken becomes more distant, conflicts over land will take precedance?

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On 11/24/2018 at 12:34 PM, Annalee said:

It's an unbreakable bond between the families.  It's like a mutual agreement to support the other in war.  A mutual defense agreement sealed by what amounts to a public oath.  

Didn't stop Cleos Frey taking up arms against his Frey relations in AGOT.

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They have the potential to make houses closer for a time, but they are not guaranteed to, especially in the long term. Things change to much from generation to generation, including deaths and new marriages with new houses, not to mention internal conflicts between people within the same house. It's a crapshoot.

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On 12/6/2018 at 3:07 PM, Angel Eyes said:

Didn't stop Cleos Frey taking up arms against his Frey relations in AGOT.

He lived at Casterly Rock and had entered the war on House Lannisters side before the Freys even involved themselfes in the war. Sometimes kin happen to join different sides in a conflict due to different circumstances(friends, family, ideology, etc).

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