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| “ | A godly man got no cause to fear such. I said as much to that Mance Rayder once, when he come sniffing round. He never listened, no more'n you crows with your swords and your bloody fires. That won't help you none when the white cold comes. Only the gods will help you then. You best get right with the gods. | „ |
| ~ Craster to the Night's Watch. |
| “ | Don't it make you jealous, old man? To see me with all these young wives and you with no one to warm your bed? | „ |
| ~ Craster taunting Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. |
| “ | Bastard!? Out with you, you little thief! And you, and you! Go and sleep in the cold on empty bellies! I'll chop the hands off the next man who calls me "bastard!" | „ |
| ~ Craster's last words before being killed by Karl Tanner. |
Craster is a supporting character in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and its television adaptation Game of Thrones. He is a wildling and the master of Craster's Keep, located beyond the Wall. He is the bastard son of a ranger of the Night's Watch and a wildling woman. Despite his unsavory reputation, he is regarded as an ally of the Night's Watch.
In Game of Thrones, Craster is the only known person in the whole universe of Ice and Fire to have White Walkers as sons. In A Song of Ice and Fire, the fate of Craster's sons is yet to be known and are so far presumed dead, although it is implied they are still living and associated to the Others. For years, whenever the Others came around his keep, bringing the unnatural white cold with them, Craster offered them a newborn son of his to appease them. Of late the white cold has been coming more often.
He was portrayed by Robert Pugh.
Appearance
In his younger days, Craster used to be stronger and a powerful-looking man. Now aged, Craster is nearing the end of his life, with his grey hair slowly turning to white. In the novels, Craster is flat-nosed and has a drooping mouth, which gives him a cruel and mean appearance. Always in the novels, Craster misses one ear, as he lost it to the cold. His teeth are rotten and brown. Craster's usual choice of clothes include a sheepskin jerkin and a cloak made of skins sewn together. He also wears a twisted heavy gold ring about his wrist.
Personality
Craster is a belligerent, unfriendly, egotistical and greedy man, with a short-temper and ill manners. He is also quick to offend, violent, and poorly educated. He is hostile to many clan leaders of the Free Folk and he is regarded as a cursed madman by the population and the Night's Watch. Craster is infamously known by all Free Folk tribes. Some, like Ygritte, believe Craster is cursed and has literally black-colored blood.
Craster is one of the few wildlings who is not openly hostile to the Night's Watch and shows no malice to them. Although he regularly helps and gives sanctuary to rangers north of the Wall, he is regarded as a tenuous ally at best, and he is not considered trustworthy. This is of course due to Craster's unsavory reputation, mainly involving his incestuous relationships with his daughter-wives and all the rumors of kinslaying around him, as Craster is widely rumored to sacrifice his male children to the "cold gods". Craster refuses to ally with Mance Rayder and personally dislikes Rattleshirt, another unsavory and infamous wildling leader.
Unlike the other Free Folk tribes and groups, Craster does not worship the Old Gods and instead genuinely sees the Others as the real gods of the lands beyond the Wall. Due to his deal with the Others, or White Walkers, Craster is a self-proclaimed "godly man" and the Others have never attacked his home.
Craster's main weapon of choice is an axe, and he also uses the crossbow. His main drink of choice is thin yellow beer, although he prefers wine from the Seven Kingdoms. He also drinks sweet mead.
Biography
Background
Craster was born beyond the Wall, in the Free Folk village of Whitetree. His father was a man of the Night's Watch and his mother was a wildling woman from Whitetree, with the two not being married, making Craster a bastard. Craster's father abandoned his mother after the baby was conceived, and when his mother tried to bring him to Castle Black, she was chased off by members of the Watch. The name of Craster's father is never mentioned.
Craster had a keep in the Far North, within the Haunted Forest, where he lived with numerous wives. By the time of the current story, Craster has nineteen living wives, many of whom are his own daughters, including Gilly. Other named wives are Dyah, Ferny, and Nella. Ferny is one of Craster's oldest wives. Craster had numerous sons, all of whom he "sacrificed" to the Cold Gods. His wife Nella gave birth to six sons, all of them left to their fate in the woods. The ages of Craster's wives vary from old to young, and some being still little girls. Craster also has small child daughters who still did not wed. Craster owns many dogs, pigs, and sheep. To survive, Craster and his wives hunt, and their game includes wild bears.
Jeor Mormont, the 997th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, once gifted Craster with a crossbow. At some point prior the beginning of the main series, Craster received an envoy sent by Mance Rayder, King-Beyond-the-Wall, who wanted Craster to ally with him and in the future march with him to the Wall. As an answer, Craster cut the envoy's tongue and sent him back to Mance to show what he thought of his proposal. As a young smaller girl, Gilly married Craster during the recent long summer and the spouses drank sweet mead on the wedding day.
During the late 297 AC, Craster hosted the three rangers Ser Waymar Royce, Gared and Will in his home. The three asked Craster for information on the whereabouts of a band of wildling raiders roaming in the Haunted Forest, as they were hunting them to wipe them out. Craster advised the eighteen-year-old Waymar not to chase after them, criticizing the boy of being too green as a commander for such task. Craster allowed the rangers to sleep beneath his roof for a night, but Waymar declined, as he was too proud to stop in such place. Craster took notice that his wives liked to stare at the handsome Waymar.
Before his disappearance in 298 AC, the First Ranger Benjen Stark had not been in Craster's Keep for nearly three years, and Craster never missed him, as Benjen looked down on him.
A Clash of Kings
In 299 AC, Craster begrudgingly allowed the Night's Watch to stay at his keep overnight during their ranging beyond the Wall. He provided Lord Commander Mormont with the missing information on the location of Mance Rayder, telling him he gathered all Free Folk tribes in the Frostfangs, and he also claimed not to have seen Benjen Stark for three years. He also confirms that he was the last person to have seen Ser Waymar Royce and Will, who vanished beyond the Wall in the late 297 AC, while only Gared was found in an abandoned holdfast in the North in 298 AC, after he had deserted. Craster comments how the tough older ranger Gared was not that bad and jokingly comments about his death, as Gared was beheaded by the late Lord Eddard Stark. Craster was offered escort south to the Wall but refused, claiming he was safe from the incoming cold and long winter. Craster also advised the rangers to get in good terms with the "real" gods, if they wanted to survive, just as he had previously told Mance Rayder.
A Storm of Swords
Following the unexpected battle at the Fist of the First Men between the Night's Watch and an army of wights set by the Others, Craster allowed the survivors of the attack to stay overnight at his keep. This time, several members of the Watch, already mutinous, believed that Craster was holding back food and aid for the men. During the farewell feast, he had a heated argument with Karl, and some black brothers ended up backing the latter. After being provoked by Karl multiple times, Craster gave for a mutiny erupted, during which both Craster and Lord Commander Mormont were killed. As he was about to split Karl's head with his axe, Craster was killed by Dirk, who saved Karl and grabbed Craster by the hair, yanked his head back, and opened his throat ear to ear with one slash of his dirk. The dying Craster was released and he crashed on his face on the wounded Ser Byam Flint, who screamed in pain as Craster drowned in his own blood.
As Craster died, his wives screamed, with two of them wailing, and another one cursing at the black brothers. Another wife went beyond herself with rage, lost rationality, and attempted to avenge Craster by attacking Sweet Donnel Hill (who was innocent and didn't even instigate the fight), intending to scratch his eyes out. After Donnel easily knocked the woman to the floor, a brief confrontation between Lord Mormont and Dirk happened, then chaos started to erupt in Craster's Keep, shortly leading up to Mormont being killed and a fight between mutineers and loyalists, with some of Craster's wives trying to assist the latter party.
After Craster and Mormont's deaths, the mutineers won the skirmish and took over Craster's Keep and leadership over Craster's wives, making the place their own residence and a rape camp. As the mutineers ignored the surviving loyalists and went to raid Craster's secret larder or started raping his defeated wives, a few Craster's wives helped Gilly and her son to escape with Samwell Tarly.
Currently in the novels, Craster's son by Gilly is still nameless (as per Free Folk custom of not naming their children as babies) and nicknamed "Monster" by Jon Snow and Val, due to being born of incest. The baby is noted to be aggressive and big, and Jon believes he might grow with a similar bad temper and assertiveness as his father's.
Quotes
By Craster
| “ | Craster: I've not seen Benjen Stark for three years. And if truth be told, I never once missed him. Thoren Smallwood: He ought to have passed here last year. Lord Mormont: Ben was searching for Ser Waymar Royce, who'd vanished with Gared and young Will. Craster: Aye, those three I recall. The lordling no older than one of these pups [points at his dogs]. Too proud to sleep under my roof, him in his sable cloak and black steel. My wives give him big cow eyes all the same. Gared says they were chasing raiders. I told him, with a commander that green, best not catch 'em. Gared wasn't half-bad, for a crow. Had less ears than me, that one. The 'bite took 'em, same as mine. [laughs] Now I hear he got no head neither. The 'bite do that too? |
„ |
| ~ Craster and the Night's Watch officers discussing the whereabouts of the missing Ser Waymar Royce and Will. |
| “ | Lord Mormont: When Ser Waymar left you, where was he bound? Craster: [shrugs] Happens I have better things to do than tend to the comings and goings of crows. Had no good southron wine up here for a bear's night. I could use me some wine, and a new axe. Mine's lost its bite, can't have that, I got me women to protect. |
„ |
| ~ Craster and Jeor Mormont |
| “ | You're prettier than half my daughters. | „ |
| ~ Craster to Jon Snow. |
| “ | We're free folk here. Craster serves no man. | „ |
| ~ Craster to Jeor Mormont |
| “ | Craster: What have we here? Frozen crows? Jeor Mormont: Come a long way. Craster: Smaller flock than when you went north with. Jeor Mormont: We can talk inside. Craster: Can we? |
„ |
| ~ Craster to Jeor Mormont. |
| “ | You have one son, don't you, Mormont? I had my 99th. You ever meet a man with 99 sons? And more daughters than I count. | „ |
| ~ Craster to Jeor Mormont regarding how many sons each of them have had. |
| “ | Bah! They're as strong as they're gonna get. Them that's dying, just cut their throats and be done with it. Or leave them if you've not the stomach, and I'll sort them myself. | „ |
| ~ Craster to Jeor Mormont regarding the wounded Night's Watch rangers. |
| “ | You don't belong here, I told you that. All the same, I'll see you off proper, with a feast. Well, a feed. My wives can roast them horses you slaughtered, and I'll find some beer and bread. Nothing better than beer and horsemeat. If you can't ride 'em, eat 'em, that's what I say. | „ |
| ~ Craster to his black brother guests, in a good mood after being told they'll leave his home the following morning, yet not too long before the mutiny that's about to happen that night. |
| “ | Craster: I'm a godly man... Karl: You're a nig*ardly man, and a liar. |
„ |
| ~ Craster and Clubfoot Karl |
| “ | Craster: [standing and holding an axe] Go sleep in the cold with empty bellies, the lot o' you, or— Garth: Bloody bastard! Craster: [roaring] Who calls me bastard?! [sweeps away table in rage] Karl: It's no more than all men know. |
„ |
| ~ Craster, Garth and Karl. |
About Craster
| “ | Dolorous Edd says Craster's a terrible savage. He marries his daughters and obeys no laws but those he makes himself. And Dywen told Grenn he's got black blood in his veins. His mother was a wildling woman who lay with a ranger, so he's a bas ... | „ |
| ~ Samwell Tarly to Jon Snow, interrupting himself due to mentioning bastardy in a negative gossip. |
| “ | The man's half-mad, I won't deny it, but you'd be the same if you'd spent your life in this cursed wood. Even so, he's never turned a ranger away from his fire, nor does he love Mance Rayder. He'll give us good counsel. | „ |
| ~ Thoren Smallwood to Jeor Mormont. |
| “ | Dywen said Craster was a kinslayer, liar, raper, and craven, and hinted that he trafficked with slavers and demons. "And worse," the old forester would add, clacking his wooden teeth. "There's a cold smell to that one, there is." | „ |
| ~ Jon Snow recalling Dywen's warnings about Craster's character. |
| “ | Jon: At Winterfell one of the serving women told us stories. She used to say that there were wildlings who would lay with the Others to birth half-human children. Jeor: Hearth tales. Does Craster seem less than human to you? Jon: He gives his sons to the wood. |
„ |
| ~ Jon Snow and Jeor Mormont |
| “ | Craster's blood is black, and he bears a heavy curse. | „ |
| ~ Ygritte to Jon Snow. |
| “ | You are a bastard. A daughter-f-cking, wildling bastard. | „ |
| ~ Karl to Craster |
| “ | Jeor: The gods will curse us. There is no crime so foul as for a guest to bring murder into a man's hall. By all the laws of the hearth, we— Dirk: There are no laws beyond the Wall, old man. Remember? |
„ |
| ~ Jeor Mormont and Dirk after Craster's murder. |
| “ | Jon: Gilly's son is larger and more robust. He kicks the prince and pinches him, and shoves him from the breast. Craster was his father, a cruel man and greedy, and blood tells. Stannis: I thought the wet nurse was this man Craster's daughter? Jon: Wife and daughter both, Your Grace. Craster married all his daughters. Gilly's boy was the fruit of their union. Stannis: [shocked] Her own father got this child on her? We are well rid of her, then. I will not suffer such abominations here. This is not King's Landing. Jon: I can find another wet nurse. If there' s none amongst the wildlings, I will send to the mountain clans. Until such time, goat's milk should suffice for the boy, if it please Your Grace. Stannis: Poor fare for a prince … but better than whore's milk, aye. |
„ |
| ~ Jon Snow and Stannis Baratheon, about Gilly and her father-husband Craster. |
Gallery
Trivia
- In the novels, one of Craster's older wives tells Samwell Tarly, "The boy's brothers…Craster's sons. The white cold's rising out there, crow. I can feel it in my bones. These poor old bones don't lie. They'll be here soon, the sons." These words nearly confirm that Craster's sons were taken by the Others, just as the characters rumor about and just as the TV series showed. While the reader might assume the sons became wights, it's possible that Craster's sons stopped being humans and became part of the race of the Others.
- The woman's warning to Sam to take Gilly with him implied that Gilly's baby was wanted by Craster's other sons, and that said sons regularly came to Craster's Keep to claim their newborn male kin. The Others have never attacked Craster's Keep.
- In the books, Craster's last son is living at Castle Black without his mother Gilly, who is currently in southern Westeros, in the city of Oldtown in the Reach. Gilly was forced by Jon Snow to have Craster's son swap identities with Mance Rayder's own infant son, who is with Gilly in Oldtown and posing as Craster's son, who in turn is being presented as Mance's son at the Wall, while being under the care of a wildling wet nurse.
- Whether Gilly will survive and meet her son again has yet to be seen, as Gilly is currently living in a region being under invasion led by Euron Greyjoy.
- In the TV series Game of Thrones, a final (and allegedly 100th) infant son born from Craster and one of his wives was featured in Season 4 and is known as "Craster's last son". This character never appeared in the novels, and so far Gilly's baby is the last known child of Craster. Unlike Gilly's baby (who is named Sam in the show), Craster's last son doesn't escape his fate as a White Walker, as Karl Tanner and Craster's wives agreed to give him to those creatures.
- In the novels, some of Craster's wives had Sam take Gilly and her infant son with him back to the Wall, urging them to leave before the baby could be claimed by "Craster's sons". This is the reason why Gilly left her family, while the other women and girls stayed at Craster's Keep. In this version, at least the wives who had Sam escape didn't seem supportive of sacrificing their family to the Others.
- This differs from the television series, where all of Craster's wives make no effort to plead for Craster's last son's humanity or life to Karl, and instead all chant to give the baby as a gift to the "gods", which Karl grants. In this version, only Gilly is shown unwilling to offer her son to the White Walkers and keeps struggling even when one of them tries to claim him.
External Links
- Craster on the Pure Evil Wiki
- Craster on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- Craster on the Westeros Wiki
