Iron Islands - Lords with Maesters/ Knights / Septons etc.

[Legitimate_Bastard]

So I am re-reading and just finished Aerons chapter where Euron makes his successful Kingsmoot speech. Aeron goes on about how when all the Ironborn were arriving some of the lords were knights and traveled with maesters and septons in their entourages, and others arrived with salt waves and thralls.

I wonder what the mix is between the houses of the Iron Islands and how much sway those lords that keep maesters & observe mainland traditions hold over the Iron Islands as a whole?

The way Aeron talked about it they might be sneered at by Drowned God believers, but they seem to be pretty much accepted right? Balon Greyjoy must have been okay with them or at least tolerated their presence despite the return to the “old way” and paying the iron price etc.

Rodrik Harlaw has a maester and he is lord of the richest island - can that be used to make the same assumption for other islands? If they were under crown rule from KL since the conquest, were those lords who embraced mainland ways were more prosperous than those who got their riches from reaving? How much reaving went on before Balon’s rebellion anyway? There is such a stark contrast between the Ironborn and the rest of Westerosi culture I find it so surprising and interesting these hybrid situations exist.

I trailed off there at the end but what does everyone think about the status/power held by the maester keeping lords? 
 

Would love to hear people’s opinions regarding mainland cultural aspects within the Iron Isles in general.

[The Map Guy]

The general cultural trend is no different than a lot of places in Westeros where different cultures and religions blend in with one another.

Like us today, they have freedom of religion, and a freedom to choose science as well. Even a mix of both.

The North has their Old Gods, but when the Manderlys established White Harbor, they brought the Faith of the Seven to the North.
And the North have their maesters too, from Oldtown.

The Iron Islands are no different, they have their old ways, blended with the new: maesters and septons.

Aeron is a very religious man and he is very bias towards them.
He thinks his CPR that brings drowned men back to life makes him a prophet.
Modern medicine (~maesters) just thinks of CPR as a science.
 

17 hours ago, Legitimate_Bastard said:

Rodrik Harlaw has a maester and he is lord of the richest island - can that be used to make the same assumption for other islands? If they were under crown rule from KL since the conquest, were those lords who embraced mainland ways were more prosperous than those who got their riches from reaving? How much reaving went on before Balon’s rebellion anyway? There is such a stark contrast between the Ironborn and the rest of Westerosi culture I find it so surprising and interesting these hybrid situations exist.

Most of the Iron Born reaved & plundered for goods & treasure from other people. It was their "old way" and it has been their way of life (which I find hard to believe they were able sustained it this long). They steal things made by better men. But look at our modern world now ... do we have a nation whose' culture is similar to the Iron Born? No, not anymore. We evolved as a human race and choose to be the better people and educate ourselves to sustain on our own.

Rodrik Harlaw embraced Mainland-Westeroi culture by having maesters and septons. More importantly, they brought him books.

[...] "My uncle is with his books?"
"Aye, where else?" The woman was so old that a septon had once said she must have nursed the Crone. That was when the Faith was still tolerated on the isles. Lord Rodrik had kept septons at Ten Towers, not for his soul's sake but for his books. "With the books, and Botley. He was with him too."
[...]
[...]
It was good to walk these halls again. Ten Towers had always felt like home to Asha, more so than Pyke. Not one castle, ten castles squashed together, she had thought, the first time she had seen it. She remembered breathless races up and down the steps and along wallwalks and covered bridges, fishing off the Long Stone Quay, days and nights lost amongst her uncle's wealth of books. [...]
{The Kraken's Daughter AFFC}

So why is Lord Rodrik Harlaw self-sustaining better on his own than others?

Let me bring in Skeletor to answer that question:
https://giphy.com/gifs/RX1QzIIkFC5xe

[Legitimate_Bastard]

All hail Skeletor.

[frenin]

On 4/10/2020 at 4:20 AM, Legitimate_Bastard said:

The way Aeron talked about it they might be sneered at by Drowned God believers, but they seem to be pretty much accepted right? Balon Greyjoy must have been okay with them or at least tolerated their presence despite the return to the “old way” and paying the iron price etc.

They seem to be accepted just fine, besides the maester tradition has been a thing for a millenia.

 

On 4/10/2020 at 4:20 AM, Legitimate_Bastard said:

 Rodrik Harlaw has a maester and he is lord of the richest island - can that be used to make the same assumption for other islands? If they were under crown rule from KL since the conquest, were those lords who embraced mainland ways were more prosperous than those who got their riches from reaving? How much reaving went on before Balon’s rebellion anyway? There is such a stark contrast between the Ironborn and the rest of Westerosi culture I find it so surprising and interesting these hybrid situations exist.

 

As far as i can tell, the Iron Islands are pretty muc abandoned by the crown, whether the ironborn are Old way hardcore fans or not. But yes, commerce is always going to be more productive than reaving, the Hoares did that too.