The Realm, The Wall, The Night's Watch

[Stark bannermen]

The wall was built around the wierwood door to protect the realm of men from the others not the wildlings (wildlings are human). In the vows of the NN there's 2 parts the first part is the take no wives and father no children. But the second part is "I am the sword on the night" ( :) ) now Sam used the sec part of the vows to open up the wierwood doors and only the sec part. The night fort is the oldest castle on the wall and the wierwood doors is in the night fort. Brandon's gift was prob used as land to house the NN and their family. There was a period where the LC would try and make themselves kings of the wall and beyond the wall. 1 LC even tried to make his son his heir to run the wall after him. This is when the no wives part was included into the vows and this was what (no wives) started the demise of the NN and slowly they forgot the why the wall was built and the honour of service on the wall also declined

[Bolton333]

There is the Night ' s watch and there is the Kingsguard, somehow these two are a similar construction:

Both are monastery-style orders which you join for life, in both cases you have to live celebate (although in the N.W. they seem to overlook the part in the owth about "fathering no children", which could well happen if you go to a brothel).