Chapter 148: Let's Talk About the Sacred Oath

Let's talk about the Sacred Oath

Let's talk about the Sacred Oath

Let's talk about a few basic settings: Guest Right and the Sacred Oath, as well as the Sacred Marriage Contract.

Whether in the original Ice and Fire novels or the Game of Thrones TV series, these three basic settings are universally observed.

What is Guest Right? Once a guest accepts the bread and salt offered by the host, neither side may harm the other. Violating this custom is considered trampling the Sacred Oath, and the transgressor is cursed by the gods above, with their entire family meeting a terrible end.

In the original work, across the eight-thousand-year history of Westeros, there are only three well-known incidents of violating Guest Right: the Rat Cook incident that originated the custom, the Red Wedding, and the Nightfort mutiny.

Denying Guest Right also follows a set of rules: the host lays his drawn sword across his knees, signifying the denial of Guest Right, after which it's fight if you will, negotiate if you will.

The sign that it has ended is when the host gives the guest a guest-gift, and the guest gives one in return—Guest Right ends there. After that, if the two sides come to blows, it does not count as violating this custom.

The other two settings, the Sacred Oath and the Sacred Marriage Contract, are even more widespread.

The so-called Sacred Oath is swearing before the gods above that one will do such-and-such; failing to do so counts as breaking the oath, and all the gods of Justice collectively curse the swearer, who shall meet a terrible end.

At the end of the third century of the Aegon the Conqueror era, the oath-breakers across the continent include: the Kingslayer Jaime, the Young Wolf Robb, Eddard Stark (beheaded by Qiaodadi—guess which oath he broke), Joffrey (sacrilege), and some members of Vargo Hoat's Brave Companions.

The people of Ice and Fire tend to believe in oaths. If someone breaks an oath, regardless of birth, they will be abandoned by all—just look at the Kingslayer Jaime Lannister.

Apart from the core Westerlands factions, basically no one looks up to him. Jaime was nagged by Robert for fifteen years, and he himself gave up on himself for fifteen years.

Although Jaime killed the king to save hundreds of thousands of lives in King's Landing from being consumed by Wildfire, he himself felt that an oath-breaker like him had no honor left. If not for Cersei, he might have killed himself right after slaying the Mad King.

He even felt there was no need to explain to anyone why he slew the king. Setting aside whether people would believe him, even if they did, they would not forgive his oath-breaking.

On the continent of Westeros, people never swear oaths lightly. Once one makes a Sacred Oath, it must be kept. Anyone who breaks an oath, like trampling Guest Right, will be recognized by the NPCs of the Ice and Fire world—just like a red name in a game, no matter which city they go to, the guards will actively identify and attack them.

Earlier, some questioned whether the casualty rate was too high. Given that family standing soldiers generally swear allegiance to their lord, only after the lord is killed in battle, captured, or surrenders can the rank-and-file surrender or flee; otherwise they count as oath-breakers.

In the original work, the Karstark cavalry only left Robb's army after receiving their lord's permission, and after their lord was beheaded by a higher liege lord—meaning the object of their oath was gone.

Sworn Knights take it even further: if their lord is captured or killed, the stubborn ones generally choose to die a martyr's death, while those without the courage to die generally choose to join the Night's Watch (equivalent to a death sentence).

For example, in the original work, Desmond Grell, the master-at-arms of Riverrun, after his lord Edmure was captured, chose to don the black cloak and join the Night's Watch.

Evil gods like the Black Goat and the Night Lion don't care about this, so Vargo Hoat, who worships the Black Goat, will take in oath-breakers as subordinates. Other mercenary companies treat oath-breakers with a kill-on-sight attitude, showing no mercy at all.

The Sacred Marriage Contract is similar to the Sacred Oath: once the marriage oath is sworn, before one party's death, the other cannot divorce and remarry. Moreover, apart from followers of the Valyrian gods, followers of the remaining gods can basically only take one wife at a time.

The Faith of the Seven launched their rebellion during the Maegor era precisely because the king who worshipped the Seven was taking multiple wives. Aegon I, because he worshipped the Valyrian gods when he married, and after converting to the Seven at the Starry Sept in Oldtown did not take another wife, barely does not count as violating the Sacred Marriage Contract.

Even though old Walder Frey took eight wives, and Brienne of Tarth's father changes wives every year, each new wife can only be taken after the previous one "accidentally" dies.

The Young Wolf Robb also violated the Sacred Marriage Contract. Although he didn't marry, being betrothed counts too, which is why he died so horribly.

In the original work, Joffrey also called off his betrothal to Sansa, which counts as another form of oath-breaking, and he also died a horrible death.

At this point, everyone should have a concept of oath-breaking.

One last point: the Kingslayer Jaime's death will absolutely not be as dignified as in the TV series. His right hand only repaid Bran's leg; the retribution for slaying the Mad King has yet to come.

As usual, asking for monthly votes.

(End of this chapter)