Bear Island

Bear Island is a remote island in the North of Westeros, and the ancestral home of House Mormont, vassals of House Stark of Winterfell. It lies within the Bay of Ice on the western coast of the North. The island remains relatively poor. It is densely forested with a large bear population which earned the island its name.
People who hail from this island are strong, hardy, loyal and no-nonsense. This is best exemplified by its liege lords House Mormont.
==History==
===Background===
During the Age of Heroes, Rodrik Stark allegedly won control of the island in a wrestling match with an Ironborn. Rodrik gave Bear Island to the Mormonts who have been loyal supporters of the Starks ever since."The North"
Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch was born on Bear Island, as was his son, Jorah. Jorah and his wife were forced from his land and fled into exile after he sold poachers he had caught on Bear Island, an inexcusable crime. Following Jorah's disgrace, Jeor's younger sister Maege Mormont became Lady of Bear Island.
===Game of Thrones: Season 1===
When Daenerys Targaryen first meets Ser Jorah, he states he is from Bear Island."Winter Is Coming" Later Jorah relates to Daenerys about how Eddard Stark forced him from his lands."Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things" When asked by Daenerys what he longs for, Jorah simply replies, "Home."
When Jon Snow receives Longclaw, the ancestral Valyrian steel sword of House Mormont, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont recalls how when Jorah brought dishonor on their house, he had the grace to leave their sword at Bear Island before fleeing."Baelor""Valyrian Steel"
===Game of Thrones: Season 5===
Stannis Baratheon comes to Castle Black and sends ravens to all Northern Lords to ask them to join his cause. Lyanna Mormont, the 10-year-old daughter of Maege Mormont and Lady of Bear Island, sends back a rebuff that reads: "Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark.""The House of Black and White"
===Game of Thrones: Season 6===
Jon Snow, his half-sister Sansa Stark, and their advisor Davos Seaworth travel to Bear Island to seek the support of Lyanna Mormont in their efforts to retake Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. Lyanna is initially hostile toward Jon and Sansa, not considering either of them Starks, and seems poised to dismiss them. However, Davos manages to sway her by telling her that the real war is "between the living and the dead and the dead are coming." Swayed by Davos's counsel, Lyanna agrees to add her 62 fighting men to Jon Snow's Wildling army."The Broken Man"
===Game of Thrones: Season 7===
Lady Lyanna Mormont is present at Winterfell when Jon Snow announces his plans for the upcoming war with the dead, including the training of everyone in the North for battle regardless of age and gender. When Lord Glover protests, Lyanna retorts that she does not intend to "sit knitting by the fire while men fight for me" and pledges that she will immediately begin training every man, woman and child on Bear Island. She also witnesses Jon's pardoning of House Umber and House Karstark and curtly nods to the new lords, Ned Umber and Alys Karstark.
==In the books==
According to legend, in ancient times, Bear Island was ruled by House Woodfoot, who were wiped out when the ironborn conquered the island. Bear Island is home mostly to woodsmen, crofters and fisherfolk, as well as the bears that give the island its name.
There is a warrior woman tradition on Bear Island, because with all of the husbands and fathers away for long periods of time on fishing boats or working in the fields, the local women of the island had to be prepared to defend their homes and children from raids at a moment's notice (raids from both the ironborn further south, and from wildlings who avoided the Wall entirely by using boats to cross the bay from the Frozen Shore on the other side).
The Mormonts' seat is a huge wooden hall, defended by an earthen palisade. According to the semi-canonical A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying Campaign Guide: A Game of Thrones Edition from Green Ronin Publishing it is named Mormont Keep.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Bay of Ice
 
Category:House Mormont
Category:Islands
Category:North
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