Bastardy

A **bastard** is a person whose parents are not married to each other. A bastard can also be referred to as **natural son** or **natural daughter**.

## Social status

A polite way of referring to someone who is bastard-born is referring to them as a "natural son" or "natural daughter". Others might refer to a bastard simply as "bastard-born". The term "baseborn" is used to refer to a child of whom one parent is of the smallfolk. A euphemism for being bastard-born is being "*born on the wrong side of the blanket*".
It is not unexpected for noblemen to have bastard children, though it is considered rude to pry into the origins of a man's bastards. While it is not typical for a noble to bring his bastards home and raise them with his own children, it is usually expected that he will see to the child's well-being to some degree. Some might chose to have their bastards fostered at the home of another lord, while others might decide to raise their bastard at their own home, in the position of a servant. A noble-born wife can take insult at her husband's bastards being introduced into her household and being commensurate in rank with her legally-born children.

There is a certain stigma that comes from being born as a bastard. They are said to be born from lust, lies, and weakness, and as such, they are said to be wanton and treacherous by nature. Because of the stigma bastards have to deal with, they are said to grow up faster than trueborn children. Even after being legitimized, bastards will usually have considerable difficulty in removing the stigma of having been bastard-born.

Nonetheless, a bastard might rise high. Male bastards may study at the Citadel and become a maester, and female bastards are allowed to join the Faith of the Seven and become septas, just as male bastards might become septons.

Bastards can also be knighted, and may even be appointed to the Kingsguard. Bastards can even rise to become the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, as Addison Hill did. In the Night's Watch, any man may rise to command, no matter the circumstance of his birth.

Another example is the origin of House Justman. This house was founded by Benedict Rivers, a bastard son descending of both House Blackwood and House Bracken. House Justman ruled the riverlands for three centuries before being eventually wiped out during a war against the ironborn and King Qhored Hoare.

## Surnames

Each of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms have bastard surnames decreed by custom, not law. Bastards with a high-born parent are given these surnames to hold them apart from their parent's houses. The parents may give a bastard a different surname if they wish, e.g. Tyrion Tanner, or no name at all. Bastard children of two people of the smallfolk are not given a distinctive surname. A bastard might also chose a surname for himself.

The surname a bastard received appears to be connected to the location the child is raised, though this is not a consistent rule. Because of this, bastards who are half-siblings might have different surnames. For example, Rafford Lannister's son is raised in the Westerlands, and given the name 'Hill', while his daughter is raised in King's Landing, and given the name 'Waters'.

As the youngest region in the realm, it is unclear exactly when "Waters" became the common surname for bastards from the Crownlands: the earliest mention of it is from 74 A.C., applied to the children of shamed kingsguard knight Lucamore Strong.

Most legitimate offspring of a bastard decides to keep the bastard surname. If two bastards from two different regions (i.e. with two different surnames) marry, the children will most likely take their father's surname. Some later legitimate offspring of bastards might change their surname to demonstrate their legitimate nature, and remove the bastard-born taint. One such an example is the son of Jon Waters. Jon Waters was the bastard son of Princess Elaena Targaryen and Lord Alyn Velaryon. His trueborn son changed his name from *"Waters"* to *"Longwaters"* in an attempt to remove the taint of bastardy, and to demonstrate he was of legitimate birth himself.

## Acknowledgement

At any point, the biological father of a bastard may acknowledge him and bring him formally into his house. Arlan Baratheon acknowledged Ardan Storm at birth and raised him in Storm's End. Rodrick Blacktyde brought his bastard son, Bennarion Pyke, to Blacktyde following the death of his trueborn children. An acknowledged bastard might even be considered to inherit a seat when no direct heirs can be found. Qoren Yronwood has two bastards with his paramour and raised them in Yronwood, where they are close to his trueborn children. The Dornish are not greatly concerned about whether or not a child is trueborn or bastard-born, especially not if the child born to a paramour.

### Legitimization

Besides acknowledging bastards, they can also be legitimized. This power is reserved to monarchs alone. Once a bastard is legitimized, this cannot be undone. Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen legitimized the brothers Addam and Alyn of Hull as heirs of Corlys Velaryon.
The pre-existing children of Lyonel Hightower and Samantha Tarly were rendered legitimate once a new High Septon allowed the couple to marry. This set a precedent that Tristifer Tully hoped would apply to his own children, before his betrothed, Lucynda Bracken, died.

## Rights of Inheritance

The bastard-born have few rights under law and custom. When it comes to rights of inheritance, there are no clear-cut laws.

A bastard may inherit if the father has no other trueborn children nor any other direct heirs to follow him. It is unclear whether a legitimized bastard would be placed in the succession according to birth order, or would be placed at the end, after the trueborn children.

### Coat of Arms

Bastards do not have the right to use the arms of the highborn families from which they descend. Recognized bastards who take arms (noble born, knighted, etc.) often, but not always, take the coat of arms of their fathers with the colours reversed. A bend sinister is sometimes added. A bastard that wants to emphasize his affiliation and minimize his own bastardy may decide to use the same sigil as his father, perhaps illegally. Other bastards might choose to combine multiple sigils if descended from multiple houses.

Example:

## Notable Bastards

### Crownlands

* Joyce Waters, the acknowledged bastard of Roland Lannister, who served Princess Rhaenerys Targaryen as a handmaid.

### Dorne

* Arthos Sand, the eldest son of Qoren Yronwood.
* Sylvanna Sand, the eldest daughter of Qoren Yronwood.

### Iron Islands

* Bennarion Pyke, the only living child of Rodrick Blacktyde.
* Kata Pyke, the eldest child of Dagon Botley.

### North

* Myra Snow, the bastard daughter of Mara Stark and Kolfinn Mormont (supposedly).

### The Reach

* Ceryse Flowers, the mistress of Aeron Targaryen.
* Elyn Flowers, a bastard from House Tarly that would disguise herself to compete in tourneys.

### Riverlands

* Tion Rivers, the acknowledged bastard son of Tristifer Tully and his betrothed, Lucynda Bracken, and Willow Rivers' twin brother.
* Willow Rivers, the acknowledged bastard daughter of Tristifer Tully and his betrothed, Lucynda Bracken, and Tion Rivers' twin sister.

### Stormlands

* Baldric 'the Bold' Baratheon, born as the bastard of Boremund Baratheon, and later legitimized and named the heir to Storm's End.
* Ardan Storm, the acknowledged bastard of Arlan Baratheon.

### Vale of Arryn

* Becca Stone, a historical bastard from House Arryn, raised in Gulltown.

### Westerlands

* Ser Addison Hill, also known as the Bastard of Cornfield, a former Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
* Robin Hill, considered one of the worst Lord Commanders of the Night's Watch.
* Ser Tyler Hill, also known as the Bastard of Lannisport, fought for the greens in the Dance of the Dragons.
* Tybolt Hill, the acknowledged bastard son of Roland Lannister and Gabelle Westerling.