The History of House Bolton | ASOIAF Animated

'Our Blades Are Sharp.' The chilling House words of the northern dynasty ruling over the Dreadfort. But who were the Red Kings of old? How did their bloody rivalry with the Starks unfold? And just who exactly is the Leech Lord? This is the History of House Bolton. The Boltons emerged as Red Kings of the Dreadfort, ruling the eastern lands of the icy North. To the west lay their fierce rivals - the Stark Kings of Winter, who, unlike the Boltons, were subscribed to Fantasy Haven! And if you wanna

do the same, go right ahead. We do animated lore, we do livestreams, we do video games, and even bonus content on our Patreon. Thanks to this viewer for suggesting the video in the comments, and if you have any ideas for future videos, let me know in the comments as well. Now, let's return to the North. It is said that the Red Kings practised the cruel art of flaying: stripping a man's skin from the tissue beneath. It is said that the flayed skins of their Stark rivals used to hang from the Dre

adfort. It is said that the Boltons wore cloaks fashioned from the skin of their enemies. But… many things are said about the past. Who knows what's true? We know the name of three Red Kings. Royce Bolton II captured and burned Winterfell to the ground. 300 years later, his Royce IV followed in his ancestor's footsteps. He was known as Royce Redarm, for tearing out the entrails of his prisoners with his bare hands. The last King of the Dreadfort was Rogar the Huntsman. He submitted to the Stark

Kings around the time of the Andal Invasion. Bitter enemies fought together to protect their land from these foreign warriors. King Theon Stark and his Bolton vassals defeated Argos Sevenstar at the Battle of the Weeping Water. The Red Kings were now Lords Bannermen. It is said that when they bent the knee to the Starks, they promised to stop their infamous practices… but rumours persist that the Boltons continue to flay their enemies and display their skins in the bowels of the Dreadfort. Sever

al horrific chronicles written by Sistermen claim that, during the Northern invasion of the Three Sisters, one Belthasar Bolton fashioned a Pink Pavilion from the skin of 100 natives. Unlike the eternally grateful Manderlys, the Boltons were not the most loyal of vassals. House Bolton and House Greystark of Wolf's Den rose up against their Kings, only to be crushed. House Greystark was wiped out, but the Boltons clung on to life. During the reign of the ailing King Edrick Snowbeard, House Bolton

were one of many factions trying to take advantage and seize control of the realm for themselves. They even rose up against King Harlon Stark, who laid siege to the Dreadfort for two years to starve them into capitulation. Despite all this… House Bolton survived. When the Targaryens conquered Westeros, the Boltons found themselves serving Lords Paramounts instead of Kings. We have heard little about the Boltons during the reign of the Targaryens, but we know of one notable woman: Lady Barba Bol

ton, who attended Aegon III's Maiden Day's Ball, an event designed to find him a wife. Lady Barba did her duty, but also asked the young King to send food and resources to the starving North. A peaceful land. A quiet people. These are the personal words of the Lord who ruled the Dreadfort at the end of the Targaryen era - Roose Bolton. Roose is a cold, enigmatic man, soft of voice and countenance. His desire to apply leeches to himself to suck out the "bad blood" has earned him the epithet 'Lord

Leech'. They certainly haven't sucked out his cruelty. During Robert's Rebellion, he argued that Robert Baratheon should slice the throat of the captured Barristan Selmy. And throughout his land, Roose continues to secretly practise the abolished tradition of The First Nights, which gave Lords the right to sleep with a groom's bride on their wedding day. One day, when Leech Lord was hunting across the Weeping Water, he encountered an old miller and his young wife, who had married without his kn

owledge or consent. As punishment, he forced himself onto the wife, and hanged the miller. The woman later gave birth to a baby boy with pale eyes. She was kicked out of the mill by her late husband's brother and came to the Dreadfort for help. Roose almost whipped her for her impudence, but saw the child's eyes, and realised it was his bastard. He gave her possession of the mill, yearly bundles of food and coin, and cut out the tongue of the miller's brother. In return, she was to tell no one o

f her child's true father. A promise... she did not keep. We don't know the identity of Roose's first wife, but she produced no living issue. After she died, he married Lady Bethany of House Ryswell, who gave him an heir: the quiet, introspective Domeric Bolton, a young lad who loved to read history, play the harp, and ride horses. As a page boy he lived in Barrowton with Bethany's sister Barbrey, serving under House Dustin; and as a squire, he served Lord Horton Redfort in the Vale. When he ret

urned to the North, Domeric discovered he had a bastard half-brother. Against his father's orders, he set out to visit the young Ramsay Snow. Ramsay had been an unruly child. When his mother asked Roose for a servant, he mockingly sent Heke - a foul-smelling creature who was once caught drinking Lady Bethany's perfume just to stop the stench. Ramsay and Heke - who he called Reek - became inseparable. Whether one corrupted the other, or if both had always been evil, is unknown. But together they

would kidnap, release, and then hunt down peasant girls for their own sick pleasure. If the girls provided a good hunt, Ramsay would name one of his hounds after them. If they didn't… well, let's leave it there. Shortly after Domeric visited Ramsay, he died from a sickness of the bowels… or more likely, poison. At some point, Lady Bethany Bolton died of a fever, and Roose Bolton once more became an heirless widower. Ramsay was invited to the Dreadfort, where he gathered a gang of sadistic friend

s known as The Bastard's Boys: Luton; Ben Bones, the kennelmaster; Grunt, the perverted mute; Sour Alyn, the simpleton; Yellow Dick, the scrofulous; Damon Dance-For-Me, the whipper; and Skinner. I'm sure you can work out what he does. Which brings us to the main book series. Roose Bolton answers Robb Stark's call to arms, who grants him command of the second Stark host, including the Northmen Halys Hornwood, Wylis Manderly, and Donnel Locke, and the Freys Ser Aenys, Ser Jared, and Ser Hosteen. H

e leads his army into the Battle of the Green Fork, distracting Tywin Lannister on Robb's orders. He retreats back to the Twins and forges an alliance with House Frey by marrying Fat Walda. Later, Roose devises a cunning plan to capture Harrenhal with the help of the Brave Companions - a sellsword company in Tywin's employ led by Vargo Hoat. Vargo brings "captive" Northmen into the castle, massacres the Lannister garrison, and lets the rest of Roose's forces into Harrenhal. At some point during

the war, House Frey and House Bolton decide to betray the Starks. If you want the details of the Red Wedding's Twisted Genius, you can check out this video. But to summarise: Theon Greyjoy takes Winterfell; Stannis fails to take King's Landing; the Tyrells join the Lannisters; the Karstarks leave Robb's army; and Roose sees an opportunity to restore his House's greatness. Thus, the Leech Lord lets the captured Jaime Lannister continue on to King's Landing, he sends a large chunk of Robb's army t

o be massacred at Duskendale, and he plots the intricacies of the Red Wedding with Lothar Frey, the steward of the Twins. At its climax, Roose personally stabs Robb Stark in the heart. Meanwhile up North - Ramsay Snow kidnaps and marries Lady Donella Hornwood to take control of her late husband's lands, and leaves her to starve to death in a tower. During one of Ramsay and Reek's hunts, Ser Rodrik Cassel descends on them with his men. Ramsay switches clothes with Reek, and orders him to ride for

the Dreadfort. Reek is slain and Ramsay is captured, and everyone believes the Bastard of Bolton to be dead. Theon Greyjoy and his ironborn capture Winterfell, and the cunning bastard pledges his loyalty to them. He promises to ride to the Dreadfort and return with an army to save Theon from Rodrik. Which he does… Before sacking Winterfell, burning the Winter Town, and kidnapping its inhabitants. Ramsay tortures Theon Greyjoy at the Dreadfort, breaking him down and transforming him into the sec

ond Reek, a mutilated, servile creature. Following the Red Wedding, Roose Bolton is named Warden of the North, while Ramsay is legitimised and named Lord of Winterfell. To secure their position, the Boltons host a wedding at Winterfell between Ramsay and Arya Stark - except it's not Arya Stark, but Jeyne Poole in disguise. ... It's a whole thing. Despite their newfound power, the Boltons are despised. Roose is a Kingslayer and Ramsay is an infamous murderer. Winterfell is ensconced in a blizzard

, Stannis Baratheon is marching against them, and the loyalty of the Lords and Ladies within the castle is in question. From Kings, to vassals, to Wardens of the North. Perhaps in the Winds of Winter, the House of Bolton will finally meet its end… Or perhaps the Lords of the Dreadfort will, as always, cling onto power like skin clings to flesh. To learn about a truly extinct House, check out this video about the Reynes of Castamere. Special thanks to my Patron Alex. Like and subscribe if you enj

oyed, check out my Patreon for cool content and Discord access, and let me know your thoughts on House Bolton in the comments below. CAPTION GANG