Mhairi Kinley

Rose Leslie (Ygritte)

Ygritte was a quick-witted and courageous young spearwife. She had red hair and displayed great skill as an archer. Living north of the Wall, she was well skilled in survival and was staunchly loyal to the cause of Mance Rayder. She valued her status as a free woman, and disparaged those living south of the Wall as 'kneelers', who blindly followed hereditary leaders instead of choosing a king.*[citation needed]*

Ygritte believed that because wildlings and Northerners both claim descent from the First Men, there is no need for them to be fighting, and that only the geographical divide of the Wall separates them. As with other wildlings, Ygritte understood that the real threat lies with the impending invasion of the White Walkers.

## In the books

In the *A Song of Ice and Fire* novels, Ygritte is described as skinny but well-muscled, with a round face, crooked teeth, blue-grey eyes that are too far apart, and a slightly upturned nose. She does not have the flawless features of noblewomen in courts south of the Wall, but Jon thinks that she is still quite beautiful in her own way, with a smile that lights up her face. Her most distinctive feature is her hair, fiery red and "a tangle of curls." The wildlings consider redheads to be "kissed by fire", a sign of special significance and luck.

When a wildling man wants a wife (wildling or non-wildling), it is custom that he must capture her while risking severe injury, or even death, by the woman and her relatives and the woman must fight back. As a rule, the wildlings do not capture married women. As Ygritte explains to Jon - who is unaware of this custom - when a man succeeds, it shows that he is strong, brave and cunning, and this is what wildling women seek in men. If the man turns out to be an abusive husband, the wife can always slit his throat.

When Jon and Qhorin Halfhand capture Ygritte and her fellow wildlings during their ranging, Jon is unaware of this custom and didn’t even know Ygritte was a woman at the time - believing her and her fellow wildlings to be men until he sees her face after the capture. When the rangers want to execute her, Jon objects and wants to spare Ygritte, saying that she surrendered. However, when a ranger draws his dagger, Qhorin gives the task to Jon and simply tells him "to do what needs to be done." Jon can't bring himself to go through with it and he saves Ygritte's life, letting her go. Because Jon captured Ygritte and later saved her life, Ygritte - who is attracted to Jon - explains the aforementioned wildling marriage custom to him and insists that they might be considered technically married because of it (according to loose wildling customs, which are not strictly defined "laws") and this stuns Jon. Jon disapproves of the custom, since, in his eyes, it is similar to a rape, and insists this was not his intent and his capture of her/saving her life was not for sex. Ygritte, however, does not change her mind and explains how this custom is actually practiced with the free folk and why, revealing some of their ways. When Jon asks Ygritte what if the man is cruel, Ygritte answers, "I'd cut his throat while he slept. You know nothing, Jon Snow."

At first, Jon rejects Ygritte's advances, not only due to his vows, but also because he does not wish to hurt Ygritte's feelings, being aware that sooner or later - he'd have to leave her and return to the Night's Watch (likewise, Sam felt bad about having sex with Gilly for the same reasons). Moreover, he may get her pregnant. He discusses this with Tormund, who fails to understand why Jon captured Ygritte if he does not want her. He explains to Jon that there is nothing dishonorable about free folk laying together and, in case Ygritte becomes pregnant - she can either drink moon tea, give birth to a strong son, or a lively laughing girl kissed by fire, and where's the harm in that? Jon has no answer. Later, when Mance grows suspicious of Jon's true motives, Ygritte assures him that they sleep together. This convinces Mance. Afterwards, Jon has no choice but to have sex with Ygritte. However, Jon and Ygritte fall in love and share a deep affection.

Unlike in the TV series, Ygritte is not shot in front of Jon. After the first stage of the battle is over, Jon finds the dying Ygritte and, for a frantic moment, he fears that it was his arrow which shot her - but he checks the fletching, then realizes it was not his arrow. Ygritte dies in Jon's arms, with essentially the same dialogue as in the TV series. Jon is certain he can save her and insists she is not going to die. Ygritte smiles at this, remembers the cave they spent their first night in together, and Jon promises they will go back to that cave and again tells her she isn’t going to die. Ygritte cups Jon’s face, as Jon remains unable to accept her impending death, and she passes away in Jon’s arms. Jon is deeply grieved by her death. He does not know which of his sworn brothers killed her, and hopes he'll never learn this information.

When Alliser Thorne and Janos Slynt interrogate Jon roughly, they accuse him, among other charges, of oathbreaking by having sex with "the unwashed whore." Jon knows well that many of the sworn brothers often visit the brothel at Mole's Town, and for a moment, he ponders claiming that he only did what Qhorin commanded him to do, which was to do anything he could to gain the wildlings' trust, and that having sex with Ygritte was just part of his ploy. However, he does not want to dishonor Ygritte's memory, so he admits that he truly fell in love with her, even though this angers his superiors further because it is a more serious breach of his vows (even though Ygritte is dead by this point).

When Tormund escorts Jon to Mance's tent, Jon tells him about Ygritte's death. Tormund says sorrowfully "A waste. If I'd been ten years younger, I'd have stolen her meself. That hair she had. Well, the hottest fires burn out quickest." They share Tormund's skin of mead in her memory.

Ygritte's name did not appear in the Season 1 pronunciation guide, but the phonetic pronunciation of her name was later seen written out in a behind-the-scenes short video: "EE-grit."

## Quotes

### Spoken by Ygritte

"*In your hearts, all you crows want to fly free.*"
―Ygritte taunting Jon Snow.[src]
"*You’re mine as I’m yours. And if we die, we die. But first we’ll live*"
―Ygritte to Jon.[src]
"*Strike hard and true, Jon Snow, or I’ll come back to haunt you.*"
―Ygritte to Jon Snow.[src]
"*The first time you’ve seen a giant, Jon Snow?*"
―Ygritte mocking Jon.[src]
**Tormund**: "*Did I ever tell you about her? My Sheila?*"
**Ygritte**: "*Yes.*"
**Tormund**: "*Oh, that was a night to remember. Of course, I'd had a good bit to drink. Her fangs were sharp, but she knew how to use them. And she was nice and soft down below. No, she was no ordinary beast. Many is the man who...*"
**Ygritte**: "*I know you never fucked a bear. You know you never fucked a bear. Right now, I don't want to think about the bear you never fucked. Right now, all I want to think about is each one of these arrows finding its way into a crow's heart.*"
— Ygritte and Tormund before the battle for the Wall.[src]
**Ygritte**: "*Do you remember that cave...? We should've stayed in that cave...*"
**Jon Snow**: "*We'll go back there.*"
**Ygritte**: "*You know nothing...Jon Snow...*"
— Ygritte to Jon in her last moments.[src]
### Spoken about Ygritte

"*The girl likes you. You like her back, Snow? That why you want to join us?*"
―Mance Rayder questioning Jon Snow.[src]