This page is about the castle. For the short, see: Riverrun (short)

Riverrun^[1] is the seat of House Tully, which was once occupied by House Frey.

History[]

Background[]

Riverrun is the seat of House Tully, the Lord Paramounts of the Trident and the Riverlands. It was built as an island fortress by Axel Tully. Prior to the War of the Five Kings, Lord Hoster Tully is the Lord of Riverrun.^[2] Petyr Baelish recalls being fostered at Riverrun during his childhood and being enamoured by its high walls.^[3]

The castle located in the central-western part of the Riverlands. It sits at the point where the Red Fork of the Trident River is joined by its major tributary, the Tumblestone River flowing out of the west. In times of danger, sluice gates can be opened to flood a channel cut to the west of the castle, turning Riverrun into an island. Its walls rise sheer from the waters and its towers command the opposite shores, making assaulting it almost impossible without huge casualties.

Game of Thrones: Season 1[]

During the War of the Five Kings, Jaime Lannister lays siege to Riverrun.^[4] Northern forces under Robb Stark lure Jaime's men into a trap at the Battle of Whispering Wood, breaking the siege and liberating the castle.^[5]

Game of Thrones: Season 3[]

Following the death of Hoster Tully, his kith and kin including Catelyn, Robb, Edmure, and Brynden Tully attend his funeral. Riverrun becomes the headquarters and main base of operations for the Starks.^[6]

Following the Red Wedding, as a reward for the Freys' help in putting down the Northern rebellion, Lord Walder Frey is made Lord of Riverrun and the Freys are given paramountcy over the Riverlands.^[7]

Game of Thrones: Season 6[]

The Freys lose control of Riverrun when Brynden retakes it.^[8]

Embarrassed by the loss of Riverrun and other uprisings in the Riverlands, Lord Walder orders Lothar and Black Walder to retake the castle.^[9] The Freys besiege Riverrun, reinforced by a Lannister force.^[10] Jaime convinces the captive Edmure to yield Riverrun, which he does.^[11]

Game of Thrones: Season 8[]

Following the end of the Frey male line, Cersei offers to install Bronn as Lord of Riverrun should he assassinate Jaime and Tyrion.^[12]

Notable residents of the castle[]

• Lord {Hoster Tully}, the late Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident.
  • Lady {Minisa Whent}, his wife, who died many years ago in childbirth.
  • Lady {Catelyn Tully}, his eldest daughter, widow of Lord Eddard Stark. Catelyn was, along with her son Robb Stark and many other Northmen, slain at the Twins during the wedding ceremony of her brother Edmure to Roslin Frey.
  • Lady {Lysa Tully}, his youngest daughter, widow of Lord Jon Arryn and Lady Regent of the Vale. Murdered by Lord Petyr Baelish.
  • Lord Edmure Tully, Lord of Riverrun and Lord Paramount of the Trident. Formerly a hostage of the Iron Throne. Restored to his titles after the defeat of Cersei Lannister.
• Ser {Brynden Tully}, known as "the Blackfish", Lord Hoster's brother. Killed by Lannister and Frey soldiers after Riverrun is retaken by the Iron Throne.

Behind the scenes[]

The grounds of Gosford Castle in County Armagh, Northern Ireland were used for Riverrun exteriors during Season 3.^[13]

The design was loosely based on Château de Chenonceau.^[14]

The word "riverrun" is also the first word in James Joyce's final novel, Finnegans Wake.^[15] This is the book that Dan Weiss wrote his thesis on while studying at Trinity College Dublin, where he and David Benioff met for the first time. ^[16]

In the books[]

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Riverrun is a triangular castle made of sandstone. It is located at the confluence of the Tumblestone River and the Red Fork of the the Trident River.

Riverrun has been in the possession of House Tully for a thousand years, and it became the seat of rule over the region when House Tully rebelled against the ironborn occupiers of the Riverlands and allied with Aegon the Conqueror three centuries ago.

Prior to the Red Wedding, Robb Stark leaves Brynden Tully holding Riverrun as "Warden of the Southern Marches", overseeing the defenses of the Stark-loyal territories of the Riverlands, and protecting his Queen, Jeyne Westerling (the book's counterpart of Talisa Maegyr), who also remains at Riverrun.

Following the Red Wedding, according to the agreement between Tywin Lannister and the Freys, Riverrun is granted to Emmon Frey, the second son of Lord Walder Frey and husband of Tywin's sister Genna. Ryman Frey leads two thousand spears to take Riverrun, reinforced by Lannister troops led by Ser Daven Lannister, the new Warden of the West, and several Riverlords that bent the knee following the Red Wedding. However, Brynden anticipates the siege. He gathers all the foodstuffs and goods he can within the castle, expels all the unnecessary mouths, and prepares for a long siege.

As in the show, Edmure Tully accepts Jaime Lannister's terms and yields the castle, but he helps his uncle Brynden escape. Emmon Frey takes his place as Lord of Riverrun.

Gallery[]

Riverrun as it appears in the show's title sequence.

Riverrun as it appears in Season 3

Riverrun's main hall.

Riverrun's garden.

Rivverun seen in Season 6.

Riverrun under siege

Riverrun's battlements

References[]

Notes[]

External links[]

• Riverrun on A Wiki of Ice and Fire

v • d • e House Tully
Head	Edmure Tully	Heir	Edmure Tully's son
Seat	Riverrun	Region	Riverlands
Titles	Lord Paramount of the Trident · Lord of Riverrun
Ancestors	Edmyn Tully · Grover Tully · Grover Tully's son · Oscar Tully
Members	Roslin Tully
Deceased	Catelyn Stark · Hoster Tully · Minisa Tully · Lysa Arryn · Brynden Tully
Overlords	King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men

v • d • e House Frey
Head	Unknown	Heir	Unknown
Seat	Twins · Riverrun	Region	Riverlands
Titles	Lord of the Crossing · Lord of Riverrun · Lord Paramount of the Trident
Ancestors	Lord Frey · Forrest Frey · Serena Frey
Members	Arwaya Frey · Derwa Frey · Freya Frey · Janeya Frey · Marianne Frey · Merry Frey · Neyela Frey · Olyvar Frey · Roslin Tully · Sarra Frey · Serra Frey · Shirei Frey · Walda Frey · Walda Frey · Waldra Frey · Waldron Frey · Ryger Rivers
Deceased	Joyeuse Frey · Lothar Frey · Walda Bolton · Walder Frey · Walder Rivers
Household	Malcolm · Talbot
Overlords	House Lannister