How was the Night's Watch originally formed?

[BlackBrother55]

OK, here's something I've been wondering for a bit. I's been established in GoT that the Night's Watch is currently mostly made up of criminals, and that the Wall is under manned. But it has also been established that being a member of the Night's Watch is considered an honorable position in the North, and has been for thousands of years. So what happened? Wouldn't northerners continue to join the Watch-it's not as though there's a plague or something, the population is pretty stable.

Anyway if anyone has any answers I'd like to hear them.

[Queen Elsa]

The NW was formed 8000 years ago after the invasion of the Others. When the enemies were defeated, Bran the Builder build the massive Wall to protect the realm from enemies in case they return. It was an honor to join the Watch and lots of highborn/lowborn lads and men joined in, too. After thousands of years without threat from the Others (except the Wildlings), the number of black brothers dwindled. What happened during the Long Night seemed to be forgotten also. Nowadays, people from all over the seven kingdoms (mostly from the south) see the NW as guards of the realm against fictitious grumpkins and snarks. Since not many lads and men want to spend their whole lives at the freakin' Wall anymore, the realm send misfits people as punishment of their wrongdoings. Nobles who are low in succession still join; bastards like Jon who has nowhere else to go ends up in the Wall, too.

The NW is no longer as glorious as before but this upcoming winter, I strongly believe the seven kingdoms will remember them; and hopefully it is not yet too late..

[AC Angel]

The NW was formed 8000 years ago after the invasion of the Others. When the enemies were defeated, Bran the Builder build the massive Wall to protect the realm from enemies in case they return. It was an honor to join the Watch and lots of highborn/lowborn lads and men joined in, too. After thousands of years without threat from the Others (except the Wildlings), the number of black brothers dwindled. What happened during the Long Night seemed to be forgotten also. Nowadays, people from all over the seven kingdoms (mostly from the south) see the NW as guards of the realm against fictitious grumpkins and snarks. Since not many lads and men want to spend their whole lives at the freakin' Wall anymore, the realm send misfits people as punishment of their wrongdoings. Nobles who are low in succession still join; bastards like Jon who has nowhere else to go ends up in the Wall, too.

The NW is no longer as glorious as before but this upcoming winter, I strongly believe the seven kingdoms will remember them; and hopefully it is not yet too late..

Best answer you can get. Queen V really knows her stuff from what I've seen. ;)

[Hodoris]

I agree with Queen V. Centuries ago the realm faced threat from the real north and that's why it was considered honorable to join the Night's Watch. However as the threat of Wights had disappeared for long long time. People started thinking that it was just a legend. So over the period of time people thought that the Night's Watch wasnt that important. There was a time when the Targaryen king and queen visited it on their dragons but in the present time it has lost its sheen.

[Lady-Nymeria]

I agree, too. It was initially considered a great honor to join the Night's Watch and protect the Realms of men from the Others. But when the Others were forgotten, it didn't seem so important as it had been. However, it was still considered as a good chance for the youngest sons of large families to find their places in the world or serve the realm, as the maesters or septons. But by the time the books begin, there's hardly any man willing to leave his family to freeze in the Wall fighting wildlings and being known only by their sworn brothers if they have another life to choose. That's why most of the men of the Night's Watch are people who committed crimes and were allowed to choose between death/having their balls cut/rot in a dungeon or take the black. And of course, there are the poor orphan kids from the big cities who go to the Wall to be fed. There are still men who join the Watch because they really think it's necessary: a few northerners like the Old Bear, who would be the Lord of Bear Island if he hadn't taken the black, or Benjen Stark (their reasons to join the watch are actually unknown, but since the books don't say they committed any crime, I assume they decided it on their own).

[King Wayne-1st of His Name]

to fight the true enemy of the realm