The Stark family tree

[joluoto]

I am very interested in the Stark family tree, leading up to the novels. I asked earler about Ned's mother (Rickard's wife), but it seems no one really knows who she was (perhaps revealed in A World of Ice and Fire?). Now I wonder if Rickard had any siblings? My guess is no brothers (at least not brothers who made it to adulthood), but did he have sisters and who did they marry? I have to guess Rickard did not have sisters due to their offspring not being discussed when Robb and Catelyn discussed the succession. Although I think Rickard not having siblings is really odd.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

If I'd had my way, the Stark family tree would be vastly different. There would be no Catelyn Stark. But she rejected me. And I rejected her husband one day in Kings Landing. And I mean to tear her whole family down as my vengeance.

[Michael Stark Thenextwolf]

Ya I would guess that Rickard was an only child. When Robb and his mother are talking about his will they mention vale lordlings who are distant relations, too distant to think they would be first or even second cousins.

[Grand Moff Mithrandir]

If I'd had my way, the Stark family tree would be vastly different. There would be no Catelyn Stark. But she rejected me. And I rejected her husband one day in Kings Landing. And I mean to tear her whole family down as my vengeance.

:lmao: Well maybe if your finger wasn't so little. It must be because of all those mud pies you wolfed down.

[Corvo Attano]

I thought it was confirmed that Rickard was an only child?

Rickard's father Edwyle had a sister who married a younger son of Lord Raymar Royce (probably the grandfather of Bronze Yohn).

[Littlefingers In The Air]

:lmao: Well maybe if your finger wasn't so little. It must be because of all those mud pies you wolfed down.

I was hoping for fair exchange. A mud pie seemed small risk to eat if I could have gotten my hands on the pie of my precious Cat.

[Michael Stark Thenextwolf]

LIttle finger you should make a play for her now, word on the street is shes been looking hot since the RW

[Littlefingers In The Air]

LIttle finger you should make a play for her now, word on the street is shes been looking hot since the RW

I'm living in the past

[Direwolf of the Starks]

I'm living in the past

i hope you die screaming

[Littlefingers In The Air]

i hope you die screaming

screaming would imply I felt something

[Direwolf of the Starks]

screaming would imply I felt something

you did once for Cat. But to bad she used you and threw you away like trash. Because that's all you are

[Littlefingers In The Air]

you did once for Cat. But to bad she used you and threw you away like trash. Because that's all you are

Ironic you call me trash. That's what Eddard must have felt like in his final moments on the steps of Baelor when he threw away his honor. He wore that honor like armor.

[Direwolf of the Starks]

And hopefully soon Ramsay will wear you like armor

[Stark Raving]

I guess this is off-topic, but this thread has raised an issue that I haven't ever considered. LF may want some serious revenge against the Freys for murdering Cat, particularly considering the lack of dignity with which they treated her body.

In all his scheming, he probably thought that Catelyn Stark would avoid physical harm during the war.

[Nerolunar]

I want to see how it would turn out if Petyr met with UnCat...

[Maxpey]

If I'd had my way, the Stark family tree would be vastly different. There would be no Catelyn Stark. But she rejected me. And I rejected her husband one day in Kings Landing. And I mean to tear her whole family down as my vengeance.

I have to say, writing responses as if you are actually Littlefinger cracks me up. Thanks for the laughs. :cheers:

[Stannis Eats No Peaches]

I think that Rickard was an only child, hence the lack of Ned's cousins.

[Son of a Harpy]

Everything about the Stark's family tree is odd. They're 8000 years old and to date have basically only 5 remaining members.

How is it there are more secret Targs than any legitimate Starks?

[A Man Has Said]

I am very interested in the Stark family tree, leading up to the novels. I asked earler about Ned's mother (Rickard's wife), but it seems no one really knows who she was (perhaps revealed in A World of Ice and Fire?). Now I wonder if Rickard had any siblings? My guess is no brothers (at least not brothers who made it to adulthood), but did he have sisters and who did they marry? I have to guess Rickard did not have sisters due to their offspring not being discussed when Robb and Catelyn discussed the succession. Although I think Rickard not having siblings is really odd.

I think you've hit on something important Joluoto. All the other houses have elaborate genealogies that connect them with other houses. In many cases it explains whose side a certain character or family is loyal to. This can be quite significant, as in the case of Jeyne Westerling, who marries Robb but her family is still connected to the Lannisters and their bannermen. The Freys have elaborate connections throughout the Riverlands, the west and the Vale. And the frickin' genealogy of the nearly extinct Targaryens is like a book unto itself.

The Starks are Lords Paramount in the north, and one would think they would have daughters, aunts, younger sons and so on who had married into other prominent families in the north, and at least a few marriages to other Families Paramount from throughout the realm. This is after all the coin of power in Westeros - you 'seal the deal' of alliances by marriage.

You might observe that the Starks inspire loyalty by a different method - by being honourable and dutiful to their vassals. The petty lords of the North see it as being in their best interests to have a Stark in Winterfell. Still, they should shore that up by marriage as much as possible and it shows a singular lack of foresight that they haven't.

If you want to look at the question in a different way, it would help to ask what is the literary purpose. I think that's more easily answered. GRRM wanted to create the Stark children as isolated orphans, not just sympathetic characters but pitiable ones. He really likes to crank up the emotional investment the reader makes in the characters to 11. Having a bunch of aunts and uncles that they could turn to would lessen the impact of that, and the character arcs that the children go through.

[Lord Bresteil of the North]

Maybe the Stark men have traditionally been poor at sex. The current two generations being notable exceptions.