  |
This article's content is marked as Mature The page contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, strong drug use, extremely traumatic themes, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature pages are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
| “ | Joron I Blacktyde captured Gyles II Gardener when their fleets clashed off the Misty Islands. After torturing him to death, Joron had his corpse cut into pieces so that he might bait his fishhooks with "a chunk of king." Later in his reign, Joron swept across the Arbor with steel and fire, and supposedly carried off every woman on the island under thirty years of age, thereby earning himself the name Maidensbane, by which he is best remembered. | „ |
| ~ Maester Yandel's description of King Joron. |
King Joron I Blacktyde, also known as Maidensbane, is a minor character in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series. He was the High King of the Iron Islands and a head of House Blacktyde, one of the Ironborn's most successful monarchs before the Coming of the Andals from Essos.
Biography[]
Joron was born into House Blacktyde on the island of Blacktyde during the Westerosi age of the First Men, long before the Andal invasion from Andalos, a country in Essos. At some point in his life, Joron became the head of his family and would eventually win a kingsmoot and be chosen as the High King of the Iron Islands, rising as King Joron I.
Like the rest of his people from the Iron Islands, King Joron practiced the Old Way, successfully leading his people in raids on the green lands, the mainland of Westeros. During one of his campaigns, he captured King Gyles II Gardener, ruler of the Reach, when their respective fleets clashed off the Misty Islands. Joron tortured Gyles to death, then had his corpse cut into pieces of flesh, which he used to bait his fishhooks with "a chunk of king," as he commented himself.
At one later point of his reign, Joron raided the Arbor, a large island, the most known island of the Reach, which is highly populated, filled with numerous settlements and towns, and is considered to be one of the richest places in the kingdoms of Westeros. According to the records of the Citadel, Joron "swept across the Arbor with steel and fire," assuming he waged fierce battle against his enemies and likely led brutal raids and pillages on the island, killing numerous inhabitants. He is said to have "supposedly" carried off every woman and young girl under the age of thirty, which earned him the name "Maidensbane," by which he is best remembered in history. The kidnapped victims were presumably made into salt wives, as per Ironborn custom and polygamous culture, making them sex slaves and property in all but name, as they are not considered slaves nor whores, and receiving a proper wedding ceremony and legal marriage.
It is not said for how long King Joron would rule or how he would die. Throughout the centuries after his death, he was succeeded by countless more monarchs of the Iron Islands from all the major Ironborn houses, including his own family of Blacktyde. However, as centuries passed, the kingdoms of the Green Lands would grow stronger, while the Iron Islands would grow weaker through time, especially after becoming divided by the actions of King Urrathon IV Goodbrother.
