The Red Wedding might have been carried out by the Freys and Boltons, but it was orchestrated by the most cunning man in the Seven Kingdoms, Tywin Lannister. And while the violation of a sacred guest right shocked the subjects of Westeros, no one was surprised by the brutality of it, because Tywin had long ago proven himself to be a ruthless opponent when he wiped out his enemies during an event commemorated by the song “The Rains of Castamere.” And a new History and Lore video included on Game of Thrones season seven Blu-ray explores why Robb Stark’s fate wasn’t the worst end he ever doled out on a foe.
Watchers on the Wall shared the featurette from the season seven home release, and it’s narrated by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Cost-Waldau). He explains how his grandfather Lord Tytos was “more kitten than lion,” which led him to being dishonored by his vassals, which included Houses Tarbeck and Reyne. Fortunately for the family’s fortune and honor, his son Tywin was no pushover. In fact, what he turned out to be was a cold-blooded murderer who wiped his enemies off the face of the earth. Which included burying them alive under it.
It can be easy to forget that the stature of the great houses on Game of Thrones are not always indicative of where they were even a generation or two ago. Westeros has always been a volatile place, where fortunes rise and fall when the right or wrong family members come to power.
But if Tytos had not been such an ineffectual leader, would his son Tywin have learned the lessons he did about strength and brutality? Would he have been as ruthless as he proved to be?
How different would the Seven Kingdoms would have been? We probably wouldn’t have ever heard someone sing “The Rains of Castamere.”
What do you think was worse, the Red Wedding or the Rains of Castamere? Let us know in the comments below.
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Images: HBO
