Who are the silent sisters in the HOTD and GOT world?

George RR Martin’s world of Westeros is rich in characters as well as history, culture and epic. The world of Westeros is full of many aspects that can be explored endlessly. One of them is a group of women called ‘The Silent Sisters‘. They appeared continuously in Game Of Thrones (GOT) and were even recently mentioned in the latest episode of House Of The Dragon (HOTD S1E2).

So, let’s dive into the lore of Westeros and find out who exactly are they.

The Silent Sisters

Silent Sisters prepare Jon Arryn’s body for funeral at GOT

Yes, Your Grace. He (Ser Rym) turned out to have passed quietly in his sleep. His remains are being prepared by the Silent Sisters.
– Grandmaster Mellos (HOTD S1E2)

The Silent Sisters are an order of women belonging to the Faith of the Seven. They are also called the The stranger’s wifes, The servants of deathWhere foreign maids. The Silent Sisters are sworn to serve the Foreign (representing death). Upon joining the order, they take a vow of chastity and silence. The Silent Sisters tend to the dead – preparing the corpses for their funeral rites.

Not to be confused with the Septas or Septons, the Silent Sisters are considered much more consecrated and inviolable. They are mostly shrouded in gray and wear hoods covering their heads and veils covering their entire face except for the eyes. In order to signify their exalted status, they wear elaborate suspenders displaying the seven-pointed star, the symbol of the Faith of the Seven. Since the Silent Sisters prepare men for the grave, the people of Westeros consider it bad luck to watch the face of death.

Books

The Silent Sisters as Described in the Books

In the A song of ice and fire, it is even mentioned that sometimes the sisters take the entrails and organs of the dead, and drain a body of blood, stuffing it with salts and fragrant herbs. Novices shave their heads, take cold baths, eat meatless meals, and wear coarsely spun robes. In particular, the Great Sept of Balor of King’s Landing has three separate entrances – for Septons, Septas and the Silent Sisters.

Also, in the books, the group of the Silent Sisters is sometimes treated as equivalent to that of the Night watchmen. When a noble family is defeated in war, the male members of the house are exiled the wall join the Night’s Watch. Since the Night’s Watch is an all-male order and women are prohibited from being part of it. Thus, female members of defeated Houses instead have the option of joining the Silent Sisters or facing execution.

The difference with Septas

Septa Mordane teaches sewing to Sansa Stark in GOT

Septas are women who have sworn to celibacy. They often serve noble houses as governesses and guardians of lords’ daughters, teaching them matters of etiquette, history, and household chores. In contrast, male clergy are known as Septons. They often dress in humble clothes with their hair hidden.

Unlike the Septas, the Silent Sisters’ monastic lifestyle is considered much more strict. Septas can interact with individuals, and some have even been known to have sex. But such is not the case with the Silent Sisters. In fact, if the victors in war want the wives of their vanquished enemies never to bear children, they would rather force them to join the Silent Sisters than become a Septa.

Ordinary people can also successfully join the Silent Sisters, to escape hardship and hunger. However, the order more often accepts noble women, so that their families can grant them generous donations in return. Rarely do noble women voluntarily join the Silent Sisters out of extremely pious devotion to the Faith.

Some believe the Silent Sisters had their tongues removed when they joined the order, but that’s just a rumour. It is also decreed in the Seven Kingdoms that harming a Silent Sister is a grave offense – even getting hold of one, let alone raping one. Although it’s not entirely clear, harming a Silent Sister could result in an instant death sentence.

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