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| “ | Littlefinger was born with no lands, no wealth, no armies. He has acquired the first two. How long before he has the army? Perhaps you'll laugh, but I know him better than most, and this is the truth. Littlefinger is one of the most dangerous men in Westeros. | „ |
| ~ Varys |
| “ | Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail, and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some are given a chance to climb, but refuse. They cling to the realm, or the gods, or love... illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is. | „ |
| ~ Petyr Baelish to Varys |
| “ | Knowledge is power. | „ |
| ~ Littlefinger's famous quote |
House Baelish, now also known as House Baelish of Harrenhal, are some of the main antagonists of the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. The original branch is a minor house of Braavosi origin, located at the smallest of the Fingers, an archipelago of isles that are part of the Vale of Arryn.
The sigil of House Baelish is a grey stone head with fiery eyes on a light green background, which represents the Titan of Braavos, a massive statue that defends the Free City of Braavos. The personal coat-of-arms of Lord Petyr Baelish is a field of silver mockingbirds on a green background. However, in the TV series, House Baelish's sigil is a black mockingbird on a yellow field.
Originally a lesser vassal house of House Arryn in the Vale, House Baelish rose to glory under Lord Petyr Baelish. The family now stands as the effective rulers of the Vale and the Trident, bearing titles such as Lord of Harrenhal, Lord Paramount of the Trident, Lord Protector of the Eyrie and the Vale of Arryn, and Acting Warden of the East.
Following the Battle of the Blackwater, Lord Baelish was named the new liege lord of the Riverlands (Lord Paramount of the Trident), replacing Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun, who was still alive at that point but demoted and stripped of his overlord office because of House Tully's rebellion against the Iron Throne.
Overview[]
The history of House Baelish begins with Petyr's great-grandfather, a common sellsword from Braavos, who traveled to Westeros and offered his services to House Corbray in the Vale of Arryn. The son of the sellsword, Petyr's grandfather, was an impoverished hedge knight who earned rule over one of the smallest and most insignificant territories, just a few rocky hectares, on the smallest peninsula of the Fingers.
Petyr's father fought in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, a battle against the forces of Maelys Blackfyre, the last of the Blackfyre pretenders, who planned an invasion of the Seven Kingdoms from the Stepstones. During the war, Baelish also served under Lord Hoster Tully. Because of their good relations, Hoster took in his son Petyr as a ward, a great honor for a minor house.
Petyr went to Riverrun at the age of eight, where he befriended Hoster's daughters, Catelyn and Lysa Tully. Their brother Edmure mockingly called him "Littlefinger" during this time because of his small stature and his origin. Petyr fell in love with Catelyn, who never reciprocated his affection. Ironically, her sister Lysa was smitten with Petyr, but he only had eyes for Catelyn. She eventually became engaged to Brandon Stark, heir to House Stark, and Petyr challenged him to a duel for Catelyn. He was defeated and nearly killed, but Catelyn pleaded with Brandon to spare his life. Embittered, Petyr left Riverrun and returned to the Vale.
Later, Brandon was killed by King Aerys II, a pivotal event that led to Robert's Rebellion. Catelyn then became engaged to Brandon's younger brother, Eddard Stark, and Lysa to Jon Arryn, the Lord of the Eyrie. Due to Lysa's continued infatuation with Petyr and his joining Jon's service, he first became a customs officer in Gulltown, where he severely increased the port's revenues. Because of Littlefinger's financial successes, it was easy for Lysa to persuade Jon to bring him to the court in King's Landing later and to appoint him as the Master of Coin.
With responsibility over the crown's wealth, Littlefinger evolved into a powerful decision-maker in the realm's politics and a master of court intrigues. It benefited him that he was underestimated by most as the Lord of an insignificant house without special blood, holdings, or troops. Instead, his acquired power was based on money and knowledge.
Quotes[]
| “ | Sansa: Joffrey gave you Harrenhal. You are lord in your own right there. Petyr: By title. I needed a great seat to marry Lysa, and the Lannisters were not about to grant me Casterly Rock. Sansa: Yes, but the castle is yours. Petyr: Ah, and what a castle it is. Cavernous halls and ruined towers, ghosts and draughts, ruinous to heat, impossible to garrison... and there's that small matter of a curse. Sansa: Curses are only in songs and stories. Petyr: Has someone made a song about Gregor Clegane dying of a poisoned spear thrust? Or about the sellsword before him, whose limbs Ser Gregor removed a joint at a time? That one took the castle from Ser Amory Lorch, who received it from Lord Tywin. A bear killed one, your dwarf the other. Lady Whent died as well, I hear. Lothstons, Strongs, Harroways... Harrenhal has withered every hand to touch it. Sansa: Then give it to Lord Frey. Petyr: [laughs] Perhaps I shall. Or better still, to our sweet Cersei. |
„ |
| ~ Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark discussing the former's unwillingness to claim his seat. |
Trivia[]
- In both the novels and the TV series, one specific brothel, known as the finest pleasure establishment of King's Landing, is a recurring location of the series. While in the show, this brothel's owner is Petyr Baelish, in the books, the owner of this place is the summer islander Chataya, who is also the mother of the teenage prostitute Alayaya, whose role in the second book is taken by Ros.
- In the third season, Ros takes her own role, ending in a tragic and fatal outcome, while Alayaya never ends up in the same situation, is still alive, and has nothing to do with Littlefinger due to her mother being her brothel's owner.
- While there are many scenes in said brothel in the show, the brothel is way less featured in the novels, as the majority of the scenes taking place in its television counterpart are exclusive creations of the television series. For example, Podrick Payne is never rewarded with sex with prostitutes in the novels, in which he is still a child, a virgin, extremely shy, and very clueless about anything revolving around sex.
- In the novels, Littlefinger does own several brothels in King's Landing, and one of them is only featured twice during the early story of the first novel, when Catelyn Stark comes to the capital. The only brothel in King's Landing ever featured afterwards is Chataya's.
- While in the television series, one of Robert Baratheon's bastard children, Barra, was being raised by her prostitute mother in Littlefinger's recurring establishment, in the novels, said infant was raised by the same prostitute character in Chataya's brothel. In the book version, Littlefinger and Ned come to Chataya's as visitors, unlike in the TV series, where Littlefinger is the owner.
- In the novels, Barra's mother is really young, estimated to be a teen or preteen no older than 15, although Ned is uncomfortable with asking her age because he feels she might be younger. The girl was so infatuated with Robert that she named her child after House Baratheon and refused to have other clients. In the television series, she is called Mhaegen and works for Littlefinger's establishment, although her employer does not even remember who she is when her name is mentioned. In the novels, she is unnamed and is killed by the gold cloak Allar Deem, Lord Janos Slynt's right hand, for fighting for her baby's life, while in the TV series, it is implied that she lived.
- It is also known that Sansa's best friend, 11/12-year-old Jeyne Poole, was given to Littlefinger, who made her a sex slave to be trained by senior prostitutes in one of his brothels. In the third novel, Littlefinger, Tywin Lannister, and Roose Bolton arrange to have Jeyne presented to the world as Arya Stark and given to a clueless Ramsay Bolton as his wife, for House Bolton to hold a stronger claim on Winterfell. Jeyne is given to Steelshanks Walton's escort party after they bring Jaime Lannister back to King's Landing. Jaime sees through Littlefinger's ploy as soon as he goes to bid farewell to Arya and ask her if she remembers him, only to see Jeyne and recognize her as Sansa's friend. At Winterfell, Jeyne mentioned that she was trained to pleasure men but remained a virgin until her marriage to Ramsay as Arya.
- While in the television series, one of Robert Baratheon's bastard children, Barra, was being raised by her prostitute mother in Littlefinger's recurring establishment, in the novels, said infant was raised by the same prostitute character in Chataya's brothel. In the book version, Littlefinger and Ned come to Chataya's as visitors, unlike in the TV series, where Littlefinger is the owner.
- In the novels, the jester Dontos Hollard reports to Petyr Baelish the Tyrells' plan to have Sansa Stark married to Willas Tyrell, the heir to Highgarden, in order to gain a claim to Winterfell. In the TV series, Dontos is cut from the third season and is replaced by a boy named Olyvar, who does not exist in the novels. Also, due to being cut from the show, Willas is replaced by Loras, who instead joined the Kingsguard in the novels in order to stay celibate and remain by his sister's side.
- Petyr Baelish's initial plan to possibly initiate a rebellion of the Vale and rally the North once more was to marry Sansa Stark to her cousin Robert "Sweetrobin" (or just Robin) Arryn, as soon as the accused traitor Tyrion Lannister would have been executed for regicide. However, Tyrion escaped from King's Landing before the execution could take place, and a conflict with Petyr's wife, Lysa Tully, led to a change of plan.
- An attempt to remove House Baelish from the ruling position in the Vale was made by a political faction named the Lords Declarant, who were led by Lord Yohn Royce. Cersei Lannister gave them leave to manage the Vale's politics as they wanted (preferring to have Petyr back at the small council) and only told them not to do any harm to Lord Baelish.
- The Lords Declarant's attempt to remove Petyr from his position and to have Robert Arryn fostered at Runestone with the Royces failed thanks to Petyr's manipulations and bribes, assisted with the help of Ser Lyn Corbray. All the rivals of the faction were bought by House Baelish with offices, new seats, debt annullments, honors, money, and gifts, leaving only their leader, Yohn Royce, as the only current Vale lord still opposing Petyr. Currently, Royce is trying to gather political support against Petyr at Gulltown, the Vale's primary port and major city. Petyr considers Yohn to be a threat and his worst rival in the Vale, but points out that so long as he manages to keep most of the Vale's major nobility on his side, Yohn will not be a threat.
- Currently in the novels, Petyr is planning to use the fact that Sansa Stark's marriage to the exile traitor Tyrion Lannister, wanted for regicide, is unconsummated in order to annull it and have Sansa "Alayne Stone" marry someone else. Petyr intends to marry Sansa, who is posing as his bastard daughter, to Jon Arryn's second heir, Ser Harrold "Harry" Hardyng, who was chosen over Jon's disliked distant cousins of House Arryn of Gulltown. Should the sickly Robert Arryn die without issue, Harry the Heir, being the son of a hedge knight and the deceased youngest daughter of Alys Arryn, would legally rise as "Harrold Arryn" by the will of the late Jon Arryn. Harry becoming the next Lord Arryn seems to be part of Littlefinger's plans, as he ominously suggested that Robert will "inevitably" die of the shaking sickness.
- Despite his highly sickly condition, Robert privately confessed to "Alayne" (in the novels, Sansa has been presented to Robert as Alayne) that he is aware that almost everyone around him is likely waiting for him to die, so that Harry can become the Vale's new overlord. Ever since his mother was murdered (for which the singer Marillion was wrongfully accused), Robert has become even more emotional and unstable, and he has become highly attached to Alayne, who has replaced Lysa's maternal role. Robert still wants to marry "Alayne" but cannot due to Petyr's new plan to wed the girl to Harry, whom Robert dislikes.
- Petyr suggested to Maester Colemon that he use small doses of sweetsleep, a drug known to cause painless death, to treat Robert's constant and violent seizures, although he also expressed concerns about the potentially fatal side effects of using it too often on the boy. It is unknown if this might imply Petyr's way to assassinate Robert or if it is just a genuine statement and there is no murder being planned.
- Despite his highly sickly condition, Robert privately confessed to "Alayne" (in the novels, Sansa has been presented to Robert as Alayne) that he is aware that almost everyone around him is likely waiting for him to die, so that Harry can become the Vale's new overlord. Ever since his mother was murdered (for which the singer Marillion was wrongfully accused), Robert has become even more emotional and unstable, and he has become highly attached to Alayne, who has replaced Lysa's maternal role. Robert still wants to marry "Alayne" but cannot due to Petyr's new plan to wed the girl to Harry, whom Robert dislikes.
External Links[]
- House Baelish on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- House Baelish on the Game of Thrones Wiki
