The world of A song of ice and fire, so skillfully designed by George RR Martin, is made up of many characters and houses with a rich history. Each of these Houses is defined by its specific traits and the rules to which it conforms. The current HBO show House of the Dragon (HOTD), has recently mentioned three houses – House Blackwood, House Bracken and House Caswell. In this article, we will look at the history and details of these houses as mentioned in the books. So let’s get started.
Blackwood House
Seal of House Blackwood
It is therefore Lord Blackwood’s assertion that the Brackens moved the boundary stones in the middle of the night and put their horses to graze in his field. – Lyonel Strong (HOTD S1E6)
Once ruler of Riverlands in the Age of Heroes, House Blackwood of Raventree Hall is sworn to House Tully of Riverrun. They have their headquarters located in the Blackwood Valley north of Riverrun and Red Fork. Their seal consists of a flock of crows on a scarlet background surrounding a dead dam wood on a black crest. However, in the TV series, the black shield background was removed for some reason, so the white wood tree is directly against the scarlet background.
Claiming descent from the First Men, the Blackwoods have an old and bitter rivalry with Brackens of Stone Hedge, their neighbor in Riverlands. During the Age of Heroes, these two houses ruled as kings. The Blackwoods regard the Brackens as petty lords and horse herders. According to the books, this rivalry was further sparked when House Bracken converted to the Faith of the Seven. Blackwoods, however, is one of the few great noble houses outside the North that continues to revere the Old Gods of the Forestand never converted to the Faith of the Seven.
house fern
Seal of House Bracken
Another old house in the Riverlands is the Bracken House at Stone Hedge. They too, like House Blackwoods, are sworn to House Tully of Riverrun. Their seal is a red stallion on a gold crest on a maroon background. The lands of Bracken are also found along the Red Fork of the Trident. They also see the Blackwoods as their biggest rival. They believe the Brackens were the kings who once ruled Red Fork, but were later usurped by their vassals – the Blackwoods.
The ferns follow the Faith of the Seven, further fueling the animosity. The books mention many incidents when people tried to settle the dispute between House Brackens and House Blackwood, sealed by marriage. But the feud still managed to restart. However, it should be noted that the two houses – Blackwoods and Brackens, fought side by side during the War of the Five Kings.
Caswell House
Seal of House Caswell
Headquartered in Bitterbridge, House Caswell is another of the many noble houses in Westeros. Their sigil is a yellow centaur with a white background. they are also called the Defender of the Fords. There is another House with the same name, but they rule Pale Pass and are loyal to House Grayburn of Brightbank.
In the final sixth episode of House of Dragons, one of the lords of House Caswell asks Rhaenyra if he could be of use to her. To this, Rhaenyra Targaryen replies that she will let him know when the time comes. Those who have read Martin’s work will know that at the start of the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Caswell was among the court nobles loyal to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. He was even imprisoned for his loyalty. They even fought alongside Rhaenyra in the Battle of Honeywine. In the battle, their military commander, the bastard Tom Flowers, was slain by the dragon Tessarion of Daeron Targaryen (youngest son of Alicent Hightower and Viserys Targaryen).
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