The Value of Weirwood

[aeverett]

We know weirwood is extremely rare and expensive as a building material or in making bows and other finished goods, but how expensive do you think it is?  Tyrion thinks that saffron and high quality Myrish lace and tapestries are worth MORE than their weight in gold.  Would weirwood fall into that category, or is it more like obsidian or amber, valuable, but not nearly as valuable as gold.

[Rondo]

Not as valuable as gold to the humans.  In terms of economic or financial value, it is less than the value of gold.  Furniture has been crafted from weirwood.  The doors to the Palace of Dust were partly crafted from this wood.  The value of the wood is spiritual.  The spirits of the Children are preserved forever in those trees.  Cut one down and it destroys a spirit.  

[Mad King Bolton]

I think that's a great question and thought exercise. I think Weirwood would be incredibly valuable given its rarity (In the South all of the trees are cut down, and I don't recall mention of many or any in the North (south of the wall)...though the stump Jaime rests his head on when he has a fever dream indicates that if it was as valuable as it should be then someone would have dug up the stump.

That might be an exception though that Martin used without thinking through the economic ramifications of it being there.  There is indeed furniture and items made of weir wood, but they're old and in important places, not just hanging around abandoned peasant buildings.  So, because of its rarity, it MIGHT be as valuable as saffron and above mentioned high value trade goods, but its rarity would mean it's unlikely to pass often across markets making it more of a specialty item or antique of sorts.  You could steal some but unless you have a way to unload it, you won't get your money or times worth.  Would that make sense?

Does anyone in the present story use a weir wood bow? I forget, or are any hilts or other practical objects made of weir wood?  who holds them?  What is their status.  Interesting idea.

[Sir Tumbleweed]

12 minutes ago, Mad King Bolton said:

Does anyone in the present story use a weir wood bow? I forget, or are any hilts or other practical objects made of weir wood?

Ygritte had one, and Blood Raven supposedly. The moon door and Sweet Robins throne are made of weirwood. I want to believe that Eurons 'Silence' is made from weirwood as well

11 hours ago, Rondo said:

The value of the wood is spiritual.  The spirits of the Children are preserved forever in those trees.  Cut one down and it destroys a spirit.  

That's true but that kind of value is only recognized by Northers and CotF. It's still likely the best type of wooden building material because it doesn't deteriorate the way other woods do. I think I read somewhere that it actually turns to stone eventually.

[Mad King Bolton]

nice finds.  Ygritte shows that it's quality but not necessarily high value, Blood Raven shows that it's high quality and both as you point out show it's a Northern thing.  I think it makes it inconsistent and this question from the OP would indicate a hole in the story from an economic standpoint that is fair since an author as great as Martin probably can't be expected to address every single aspect of their world.  If something is of high quality and has obvious rarity, then it has economic value. yet, wildings and the Nights Watch don't trade in weirwood and we don't hear of it's value despite important or high quality items being notably made of it.  

[broken one]

I think it is not THAT rare and so it is not fabulously expensive. More expensive than oak, cheaper than ebony I guess. If you want to build a castle using weirwood rafters you better be Butterwell but if it is just a piece of furniture you want - no big deal.

11 hours ago, Sir Tumbleweed said:

 I think I read somewhere that it actually turns to stone eventually.

Tytos Blackwood to Jaime Lannister

 

 

[Aebram]

I would guess that the situation for weirwood is about the same as today, in the real world, for exotic hardwoods. If I want to buy some mahogany, paduuc, or zebrawood, I can get it at a specialty store a few miles from my house. It's expensive, but there isn't all that much demand. It's kind of a novelty or luxury item.

Weirwoods may have been common when the First Men arrived in Westeros, but many of them have been cut down, especially in the lands South of the Neck. In the North, most people still regard them as sacred; so they wouldn't be in any rush to cut them down for profit.

[LongRider]

I can't guess what the cost of Weirwood might be, but I researched objects made of the wood at the  A Search of Ice and Fire website and this is what I found:

Quote

in the House of the Undying, Dani goes through a ebony and WW door
Black Gate made of WW
old WW table, White Sword Tower of the KG, first floor
Lysa's WW chair at High Hall in the Eyrie
the Moon Door is made is made of WW
WW and ebony door at the HoBW
the old High Septon in KL has a WW staff
Varamyr finds a broken branch of WW he uses as a crutch (prologe of Dance)
Leaf has WW bowl of paste made of WW seeds for Bran
Morna has WW mask
Val has a WW pin
beneath the temple of HoBW the room had 11WW chairs, on the chair backs were faces carved of Ebony

Ygritte's short curved bow of horn and weirwood,

This list may not be complete.