House Swyft

House Swyft of Cornfield
Awake! Awake!
Coat of arms	A blue bantam rooster on yellow (Or, a cock azure)
Seat	Cornfield
Head	Ser Harys Swyft
Region	Westerlands
Titles	Knight of Cornfield[1] Lord of Cornfield (formerly)[N 1]
Heir	Ser Steffon Swyft
Overlord	House Lannister

House Swyft of Cornfield is a knightly house from Cornfield in the westerlands. They are among the principal houses sworn to House Lannister of Casterly Rock.^[2]

Their arms depict a blue bantam rooster on yellow.^[3][4] According to semi-canon sources, their words are "Awake! Awake!".^[5]

History

Ser Addison Hill, the Bastard of Cornfield, was one the first seven Kingsguards during the reign of Aegon I Targaryen,^[6] who eventually rose to the position of Lord Commander.^[7]

During the Dance of the Dragons, House Swyft was apparently a full-fledged noble house. Lord Swyft fought for the greens and died in the Battle by the Lakeshore.^[8]

Ser Harrold Swyft participated in the tourney at Ashford Meadow in 209 AC.^[9]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Tyrion Lannister sees the bantam rooster of House Swyft among Lord Tywin Lannister's army. Cornfield men form part of the Lannister right during the battle on the Green Fork, with heavy lancers under command of Ser Addam Marbrand.^[10]

Tyrion is upset at Ser Harys Swyft for criticizing Ser Jaime Lannister's tactics during the siege of Riverrun, and considers Harys a craven lickspittle whose greatest accomplishment was marrying his daughter Dorna to Ser Kevan Lannister.^[11]

A Clash of Kings

Arya Stark overhears in Harrenhal that the cooks despise Ser Harys and spit in all his food. Arya spots the bantam rooster in Tywin's army leaving Harrenhal. Harys's squire is stabbed to death in a quarrel with the Bloody Mummers in Harrenhal.^[12]

During the Battle of the Blackwater, Harys becomes trapped beneath his dying horse until a grizzled man-at-arms in his service named Willit pulls him out and defends him against a dozen attackers.^[13]

A Storm of Swords

Ser Harys is among the nobles gathered to greet the Dornish party headed by Prince Oberyn Martell when they arrive at King's Landing.^[14]

A Feast for Crows

Jocelyn Swyft is one of Queen Regent Cersei Lannister's ladies in-waiting. Cersei considers her a slow-witted fool.^[15] Ser Humfrey Swyft is seen by Jaime scoring a solid hit while training at the Red Keep.^[7]

Ser Harys is named Hand of the King by Cersei Lannister. While she does not have a high opinion of him, she chooses him due to the fact that he does not argue with her and can be used as a hostage against his son in-law and her uncle, Ser Kevan Lannister.^[16] Harys is later demoted to master of coin after the death of Gyles Rosby; he is replaced as Hand by Lord Orton Merryweather.^[17]

Ser Steffon Swyft is part of Jaime's army recruited to resolve the Siege of Riverrun. He is entrusted with the task of protecting the baggage train.^[18]

After Cersei is seized in the Great Sept of Baelor, Ser Harys takes the reigns of the Seven Kingdoms along with Grand Maester Pycelle. They invite Kevan Lannister to become Lord Regent.^[19]

Brienne of Tarth and her companions see the corpses of the perpetrators of the raid on Saltpans hanged from trees. Among the dead are men with bantams badges sewn on their breasts, presumably Swyft men-at-arms who became broken men during the War of the Five Kings.^[20]

A Dance with Dragons

Harys continues to serve as master of coin, attempting to deal with the debt issues created by Queen Cersei. Kevan suggests that Harys travel to Braavos and meet with the Iron Bank.^[21]

House Swyft at the end of the third century

The known Swyfts during the timespan of the events described in A Song of Ice and Fire are:

• Ser Harys Swyft, the Knight of Cornfield.^{[2][22][23][24][25]}
  • Dorna Swyft, his daughter. Married to Ser Kevan Lannister and mother to his three sons: Lancel, Willem and Martyn, and daughter: Janei Lannister.^{[2][22][23][24][25]}
  • Ser Steffon Swyft, his son and heir.^[23][24][25]
    • Joanna Swyft, his daughter.^[23][24]
  • Shierle Swyft, his daughter. Married to Ser Melwyn Sarsfield.^[23][24]

With unspecified familial relationship to the main branch there are also:

• Jocelyn Swyft, a lady attendant of Cersei Lannister.^[24]
• Ser Humfrey Swyft, a knight.^[24][25]

Historical Members

• Ser Addison Hill, known as the Bastard of Cornfield, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard during the reign of Aegon I Targaryen.^[6]
• Lord Swyft, a green supporter during the Dance of the Dragons.^[8]
• Ser Harrold Swyft, participant of the tourney at Ashford Meadow.^[9]

Notes

References

v d e Houses of the Westerlands   At the start of A Game of Thrones Great House Lannister of Casterly Rock Lordly Houses Banefort Brax Crakehall Estren Falwell Farman Jast Kenning of Kayce Lefford Lydden Marbrand Moreland Plumm Prester Serrett Stackspear Westerling Knightly Houses Clegane Clifton Greenfield Hetherspoon Lorch Ruttiger Swyft Vikary Yew Other Houses (noble rank unknown) Algood Bettley Broom Broome Doggett Drox Ferren Foote Garner Hamell Hawthorne Kyndall Lannett Lannister of Lannisport Lanny Lantell Myatt Payne Peckledon Sarsfield Spicer Stilwood Turnberry Yarwyck Extinct Houses Casterly Parren Reyne Tarbeck   At the end of A Dance with Dragons Great House Lannister of Casterly Rock Lordly Houses Banefort Brax Crakehall Estren Falwell Farman Jast Kenning of Kayce Lefford Lydden Marbrand Moreland Plumm Prester Serrett Spicer Stackspear Westerling Knightly Houses Clegane Clifton Greenfield Hetherspoon Lorch Ruttiger Swyft Vikary Yew Other Houses (noble rank unknown) Algood Bettley Broom Broome Doggett Drox Ferren Foote Garner Hamell Hawthorne Kyndall Lannett Lannister of Lannisport Lanny Lantell Myatt Payne Peckledon Sarsfield Stilwood Turnberry Yarwyck Extinct Houses Casterly Parren Reyne Tarbeck