was tyrions childhood that sad?

[geogus]

We all see that tyrions thinks that his childhood was awful because all the prejudice he suffered for being a dwarf.

For sure, cersey and his father twin made his first years tough, altough i cant imagine twin humiliating him in a daiy basis. They probably had a cold relation.

Cersei, for sure, made tyrion feel as bad as possible whenever she could.

But i dont think he was hated by all other people in Casterly Rock

For sure Jaime loved him.

His uncles seemd to deal with him really well, Kevan, Tygett and Gerlon, those last two a lot.

Of course a uncles love cant replace a fathers, but i think there was some room for love and caring in Tyrion´s childhood.

Maybe, that what made him a more soft lannister

[Anvilbreaker]

He is basically the stereotypical rich kid whose dad never paid attention to him, that is so common on TV. Admittedly it probably hurt a little more to see that it was his siblings and not work that he cared more about, but it remains that he never really had to go without anything he wanted. He got to spend most of his free time spending his dad's money on the things that interested him most. Not as good a childhood as someone like Loras perhaps, but still not tragic

[Grand Vizier Zigzag]

Well, Tywin battered Tyrions dreams on several occasions and the whole Tysha dragedy in his teens was a real trauma and haunts him to this day. I'd say his upbringing was sad but he learned how to shrug the prejudice off and went on with his life.

[Winter's Knight]

Here's what I don't understand: both Tywin and Cersei were in KL for most of Tyron's childhood while he was in Casterly Rock, right? Tywin resigned as Hand when Jaime was seventeen and chosen for the KG at which point Tyrion was nine.

So, Cersei leaves home at ten with Tywin, when Tyrion is two years old, returns when Tyrion is nine and weds Robert a year later.

Logically speaking, they barely spend any time together to develop any sort of relationship.

[Elder Sister]

Here's what I don't understand: both Tywin and Cersei were in KL for most of Tyron's childhood while he was in Casterly Rock, right? Tywin resigned as Hand when Jaime was seventeen and chosen for the KG at which point Tyrion was nine.

So, Cersei leaves home at ten with Tywin, when Tyrion is two years old, returns when Tyrion is nine and weds Robert a year later.

Logically speaking, they barely spend any time together to develop any sort of relationship.

This is a very good point and one I hadn't even thought about. Why did she hate him so much other than blaming him for their mother's death?

She may have also resented Jaime's affection for him.

[Winterfell is Burning]

Here's what I don't understand: both Tywin and Cersei were in KL for most of Tyron's childhood while he was in Casterly Rock, right? Tywin resigned as Hand when Jaime was seventeen and chosen for the KG at which point Tyrion was nine.

So, Cersei leaves home at ten with Tywin, when Tyrion is two years old, returns when Tyrion is nine and weds Robert a year later.

Logically speaking, they barely spend any time together to develop any sort of relationship.

Well, Tywins seems more likely to be coming and going from KL to Casterly Rock. So would Cersei.

[Selyse's Moustache Rides]

Here's what I don't understand: both Tywin and Cersei were in KL for most of Tyron's childhood while he was in Casterly Rock, right? Tywin resigned as Hand when Jaime was seventeen and chosen for the KG at which point Tyrion was nine.

So, Cersei leaves home at ten with Tywin, when Tyrion is two years old, returns when Tyrion is nine and weds Robert a year later.

Logically speaking, they barely spend any time together to develop any sort of relationship.

They might not have had much childhood together, but they've been adults together in KL for several years and had plenty of time to develop their animosity.

[Kittykatknits]

Here's what I don't understand: both Tywin and Cersei were in KL for most of Tyron's childhood while he was in Casterly Rock, right? Tywin resigned as Hand when Jaime was seventeen and chosen for the KG at which point Tyrion was nine.

So, Cersei leaves home at ten with Tywin, when Tyrion is two years old, returns when Tyrion is nine and weds Robert a year later.

Logically speaking, they barely spend any time together to develop any sort of relationship.

Yes, you are correct. I also got my impression that Tyrion spent his childhood at CR, spending little time at all in KL itself. Cersei was gone with her father for much of it and Jaime was also gone for part of Tyrion's childhood too.

I think Tywin was gone for much of his younger childhood and then spent his time in CR after resigning. IIRC, Tyrion's memories of the younger part of his childhood are much more positive than the later years. It's at this point when his uncles were around. It's when he is older that Cersei and his father were around. Overall, I think Tywin was a horrible father but the only moment of outright cruelty that we know of is the Tysha incident which I think was sexual abuse as well.

This is a very good point and one I hadn't even thought about. Why did she hate him so much other than blaming him for their mother's death?

She may have also resented Jaime's affection for him.

She killed a childhood friend over Jaime so this wouldn't surprise me at all. I also think Cersei held some resentment over the death of their mother. Tyrion didn't deserve it but I think it's likely that he became the focus of her anger.

[Fat Mac]

He is basically the stereotypical rich kid whose dad never paid attention to him, that is so common on TV. Admittedly it probably hurt a little more to see that it was his siblings and not work that he cared more about, but it remains that he never really had to go without anything he wanted. He got to spend most of his free time spending his dad's money on the things that interested him most. Not as good a childhood as someone like Loras perhaps, but still not tragic

Pretty much this. Up until the whole Tysha incident, his life seemed better than most.

[Winter's Knight]

This is a very good point and one I hadn't even thought about. Why did she hate him so much other than blaming him for their mother's death?

She may have also resented Jaime's affection for him.

That's the thing though, we don't know if she hated him pre-AFfC.

In Feast she has every reason to hate him, seeing as how it appears that he killed her son and definitely killed her father, but before that, their relationship was not loving but it definitely wasn't hateful. She is furious when Cat kidnaps him in Game, for instance and is irritated at the idea of him staying behind in the North.

[Winter's Knight]

She killed a childhood friend over Jaime so this wouldn't surprise me at all. I also think Cersei held some resentment over the death of their mother. Tyrion didn't deserve it but I think it's likely that he became the focus of her anger.

Oy vey, we don't know if she killed her! God knows, children fall in wells all the time.

[Kittykatknits]

They might not have had much childhood together, but they've been adults together in KL for several years and had plenty of time to develop their animosity.

Actually, from what we learn in GOT, Tyrion spent much of his time at CR rather than in KL. He left Casterly Rock to join his sister and brother for the trek up to the North to visit Ned.

Oy vey, we don't know if she killed her! God knows, children fall in wells all the time.

Yeah, you are right, we don't know it for certain but it is pretty strongly hinted at.

[Winter's Knight]

Actually, from what we learn in GOT, Tyrion spent much of his time at CR rather than in KL. He left Casterly Rock to join his sister and brother for the trek up to the North to visit Ned.

He was at CR at thirteen, when he wed Tysha and at 16 when he wanted to go East with Gerion.

In fact, although he says that only Jaime was kind to him, he seems to have gotten along really well with his uncles.

[Brony Stark]

That's the thing though, we don't know if she hated him pre-AFfC.

In Feast she has every reason to hate him, seeing as how it appears that he killed her son and definitely killed her father, but before that, their relationship was not loving but it definitely wasn't hateful. She is furious when Cat kidnaps him in Game, for instance and is irritated at the idea of him staying behind in the North.

She hated him, don't remember where it was said but she tried to twist his cock off when he was a baby. Also I think that she was furious because it was a slight against the Lannisters, not Tyrion himself. Sure there were some moments (when she kissed him in Clash) but mostly she was resentful of him for killing their mom.

[Queen Cersei I]

He is basically the stereotypical rich kid whose dad never paid attention to him,

Hee heee.

But seriously, before the hard core Tyrion fans arrive and castigate us all for our insensitivity towards Tyrion's life (which, according to them, has been one of constant, unmitigated cruelty and deprivation) I think I'll briefly put my two cents in.

I'd say that Tyrion's childhood was not tragic so much as difficult. In fact, I'd wager that it was perhaps not so very different from that of many of us-- with its share of difficulties and joys. Tyrion's childhood was one that contained several tragedies, certain great obstacles/ difficulties, along with an undeniable amount of enormous privileges. On the downside, he was a dwarf in Westeros (a land hostile to those with physical or mental differences), he had a cold indifferent father, and a sister who ignored him. (IMO, the latter is exactly what many of us had growing up, but that's another issue for another day.)

However, Tyrion also had a great deal of privilege. He was the son of one of the richest and most powerful families in the land. Whereas many dismiss those who note this as an issue in Tyrion's favor as "shallow" or "insensitive" (claiming that Tyrion's emotional isolation made all other factors null and void), that fact is that Tyrion is far more privileged that 99.9999 percent of his land's population.

For instance, growing up, he never once had to worry about the issue that plagues the vast majority of Westeros children-- am I going to starve to death within the next several weeks. In a brutal land, Tyrion always had all of his immediate needs and wants taken care of. His has wonderful clothes, lavish living quarters, rich food to eat at all times.

Furthermore, being part of one of the wealthiest, most poweful great families in the land would have done a great deal to shield insults from those around him; if a peasant, merchant, even a wealthy man looked like Tyrion, he'd probably be mocked; Tyrion seems to often avoid this, up until everyone starts loathing him in ASOS. With the exception of Tywin and Cersei and other enormously powerful nobles, few other people are going to have the guts to risk their lives mocking Tyrion to his face.

Finally, though it was sad that his father (apparently) ignored him, it is worth noting that Tywin accepted him as a son, gave him every privilege of his house, gave him a generous allowance, etc. Furthermore, Tyrion had his brother Jaime, and several uncles who clearly loved and expressed clear affection for him. So while Tywin emotionally rejection Tyrion must have been difficult, Tyrion also had something that some of us, even in our modern day, have never gotten-- one member of his immediate family who clearly loved and cared for him; and several others who cared and looked out for him (his uncles.)

Overall, Tyrion's childhood was difficult since a. His father didn't love and nurture him; b. dwarves are looked down upon in Westeros and c. his sister ignored him.

However, he was also a member of an incredibly wealthy and powerful great family, and lived his entire life with all his needs and wants lavishly cared for. Furthermore, his membership to the powerful Lannister clan greatly shaded him from any face to face mockery and ridicule that his situation would merit were he a member of the lower classes. Finally, he had a loving brother an others who showed him affection, kindness, and nurtured him.

Really, the greatest thing Tyrion's complained about thus far (rereading his chapters) has been neither his position as a dwarf in Wesrteros or his lousy childhood (those both these spectres are often envoked when Tyrion has done something particularly horrible and GRRM needs a way to create pity for him), but the tragic fact that the gorgeous girls he desires will not love him, and consider him homely. (Despite the fact that he himself is disgusted by homely women.) If one rereads his sections, especially in ASOS, there is really no end to the harping on this particular cord.

[Winter's Knight]

She hated him, don't remember where it was said but she tried to twist his cock off when he was a baby. Also I think that she was furious because it was a slight against the Lannisters, not Tyrion himself. Sure there were some moments (when she kissed him in Clash) but mostly she was resentful of him for killing their mom.

That was a story Oberyn told Tyrion-I'd take it with a grain of salt.

She did pinch him once but that's hardly as humiliating.

[tyrions sliced nose]

I love the red vipers tale of cersei twisting his little cock lmfao, you just know how fucking mad tyrion mustve been hearing that one lmfaooo

besides that im sure it was pretty good.

[Kittykatknits]

He was at CR at thirteen, when he wed Tysha and at 16 when he wanted to go East with Gerion.

In fact, although he says that only Jaime was kind to him, he seems to have gotten along really well with his uncles.

Yeah, we also have his joke implying that he supports the brothel industry in Lannisport as well, I'm to lazy to look up the exact quote. But, it all indicates he spent his time in KL.

Yeah, Jaime would have been around until he left home to squire but still came home for visits based upon their memories.

She hated him, don't remember where it was said but she tried to twist his cock off when he was a baby. Also I think that she was furious because it was a slight against the Lannisters, not Tyrion himself. Sure there were some moments (when she kissed him in Clash) but mostly she was resentful of him for killing their mom.

Oberyn told Tyrion this story in Storm but Tyrion seemed a bit surprised by it. His reaction made me wonder if he even believed it. I don't think she ever liked him but it seemed rather apparent that her feelings intensified in to hatred in Feast once she thinks he killed Joff.

[The Manhood-Eating Goat]

Tyrion's childhood, as his adulthood, was probably defined by his own self-definition. He was grim, twisted and lonely. His childhood was incredibly sad.

Does it excuse the long list of things he did wrong? No.

Does it explain them? Probably.

[Winter's Knight]

The way I see it, Cersei was eight when Tyrion was born, she left for KL at about ten years of age, returned at seventeen and wed Robert at eighteen.

She and Tyrion spent a grand total of three years together, during two of which he was a babe.