Game of Thrones 6x03 — Oath keeping

“I’ve always agreed with William Faulkner — he said that the human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about.” — George RR Martin

Oaths are the lynch-pin of feudal Westerosi society. Compared to the anarchic Free Folk, slave masters of Essos, and canonical thugs of the Faith Militant, a society based on oaths looks positively safe and orderly. However, the episode “Oathbreaker” demonstrates how untenable feudalism is when oaths are made in opposition to the desires of the human heart. Oath breaking damages the feudal apparatus for generations. Our heroes are still working through the consequences of their fore-father’s disloyalty, whilst committing treason of their own.

This week’s eponymous oath breaker is Jon Snow, who handed in his Lord Commander’s cape to declare “my watch has ended.” In doing so, he directly repudiated his sworn oath that “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death.” Some may argue that Jon is technically not an oath breaker because he swore to serve until death. Jon has died, so now his watch ended.

The status of Jon Snow’s oath breaking is not clear cut. Firstly, in the books Jon repudiated his vows before he was murdered. Book Jon was marshaling Wildlings to march on Winterfell minutes before he was stabbed to death.

Secondly, TV Jon Snow’s resurrection is a loophole. Westerosi nobles rely on Watchmen serving until death as a mechanism to manage inheritance without resorting to murder. If Samwell Tarly had not sworn to “ take no wife, hold no lands, father no children” his father, Randyll Tarly, would have killed him long ago. Jon’s disavowal of the oath, not to mention Sam’s oath-violating partnership with Gilly, may cause Randyll Tarly to wonder if perhaps he should murder Samwell.

Thirdly, the Watch cannot function unless Watchmen uphold their oaths. The oath denies men any power base with which to challenge the Watch leadership. The oath neutralises interests of family, lordship and status that may be contrary to those of the Watch. And, the oath creates a legal basis to execute mutineers. It’s therefore ironic that Jon executed Ser Alister Thorne for violating an oath that Jon himself is undermining.

This makes a powerful case that, technicalities aside, Jon is the episode’s oath breaker. His refusal to re-swear the oath could well be the killing blow that destroys the watch. Granted, the Watch appears so broken it would benefit from a good euthanising. However, an oath broken for good reasons is still a broken oath.

Jon’s willingness to exit the Nights Watch on a technicality speaks to a more fundamental character shift. Last week I predicted that his resurrection would change him into someone more cynical, less compassionate. That may have over-stated things — One doesn’t need a supernatural personality change to feel betrayed by an institution that let twelve angry men stab him to death. None the less, Jon clearly no longer believes in the Watch. His heart is no longer in it, and an oath contrary to the heart’s desires is quickly abandoned. Even if Jon weren’t technically absolved of his oath, it’s likely he’d have quit the Watch anyway.

Jon Snow’s disloyalty creates a surprising contrast with Varys the Spider. This week Varys arranges a surprisingly honourable deal with Vala, an agent for the Sons of the Harpy: Reveal the financial backers of the Meereenese insurgency in exchange for passage to Pentos. There is absolutely no evidence whether Varys makes good on this deal or throws Vala overboard once the ship is halfway to Pentos. What’s more interesting is that whatever vow Vala made to help the Meereenese insurgency, in helping Varys she is breaking that vow because she cares more about her own son than the Sons of the Harpy. Once again the heart’s desires overrule an oath of fealty.

In Vaes Dothrak, Daenerys is entering a similar situation as Vala. We have just learned that when Khal Drogo died Daenerys was obligated to join the Dosh Khaleen, the council of widow Dothraki elders. Although I’m glad Dany did no such thing, it does mean that that the breaker of chains is, technically, the breaker of oaths. Daenerys may not have known she was expected to join the Dosh Khaleen, but it’s beside the point. The Dothraki enforce the Dosh Khaleen based on what they think, Dany has no say in the matter. Oaths don’t just exist on pieces of paper; oaths exist where people believe they exist.

A council of imprisoned widows seems barbaric, yet it’s uncomfortably similar to the Westerosi custom that babies are born into non-negotiable lordships. It’s an obligation with real consequences. The late baby Bolton never made an oath to succeed Roose as Lord of Winterfell. Yet the tacit obligation was held so strongly that it was easier for Ramsay to murder the baby than challenge the laws of inheritance. We see at Vaes Dothrak, in the North and at the Wall, it’s easier to kill a person than an institution.

Everywhere we look the rule-of-oaths looks positively lethal, yet the subtext of Game of Thrones suggests that the alternatives are even worse. This week Lord Umber requested Ramsay fulfill a basic obligation of lordship — to provide for mutual self-defence against Wildling invaders. The new Lord Umber doesn’t put much stock in the oath of the patricidal Ramsay. Therefore, their self-defence could only be assured through costly hostage taking and bluff calling. Poor Rickon has become collateral damage in a lawless tit-for-tat.

Not so long ago Robb Stark’s mere suggestion that Greatjon Umber would break an oath was a serious affront. Under Stark rule, an oath was a credible commitment — No hostages were necessary, disloyalty was punished severely. This suggests that although oaths may create perverse incentives, and although oaths may be broken, the oaths of yesteryear were superior to the lawless war of all-against-all under Bolton rule.

In the current setting it seems unlikely peace and feudalism will even be restored. However, Bran’s visions of the past are a glimmer of hope that stability and honour may be restored. Years before the narrative of Game of Thrones, Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark raised their banners in defiance of the rightful, but mad, King Aerys. The Seven Kingdoms were as ravaged by war then as they are now. Bran Stark has begun to appreciate that devastation through his visions of the Rebellion’s final days — when young Ned Stark rescued his captive sister, Lyanna, from Rhaegar Targaryen’s bodyguards. Although Ned was victorious in combat, he was too late to save Lyanna.

Casual fans may not know it, but when Ned rescued Lyanna he ended the Rebellion.

We know from the books that Lyanna died soon after in Ned’s arms. Her cause of death is unknown, but there is strong evidence Lyanna died giving birth to her child by Rhaegar Targaryen. According to fan theories, Ned promised the dying Lyanna he would protect her half-Targaryen child, who he named Jon Snow. Knowledge of Jon’s heritage would have sparked a second civil war to install the boy king. It would be chaos once again. Instead, Ned promised to keep Jon Snow’s identity a secret. He kept that promise because he loved his sister. And so, the Rebellion ended when someone, finally, kept a promise in concordance with their heart.

It is almost certainly going too far to suggest a series like Game of Thrones, which deliberately subverts fantasy tropes, could end with the realm reverting to peace and harmony. All Ned has shown us is that it is possible for peace to be restored when oaths are made in accordance with the heart’s desires. Whether such a state of affairs will ever come to pass, however, is too soon to say.

Stray observations

It’s interesting that this episode didn’t include Sansa, her sworn-sword Brienne of Tarth, Brienne’s loyal squire Podrick, or Brienne’s sword “Oathkeeper”. It’s possible that featuring them in the episode “Oathbreaker” would be like mixing matter with anti-matter.

Ser Alister Thorne condemns Jon for letting Wildling “murderers” through the Wall, yet the ranks of the Nights Watch are full of murderers, rapists and thieves from across the Seven Kingdoms. Ser Alister: a hypocrite ‘til the end.

Ramsay holding Rickon captive is risky. On the one hand, Ramsay can use Rickon to blackmail Sansa to return to Winterfell and legitimise Bolton rule. On the other hand, Rickon is a legitimate claimant to Winterfell whom disaffected Northern Lords can rally around. Every day that Sansa holds out while Rickon is alive weakens Bolton rule.

For fun, here are some oath takers and whether they were oath breakers:

• Jon Snow vowed to serve the Nights Watch until his death. Abandoning the Watch despite being very much alive: Oath breaker (in spirit);
• Ser Alister Thorne, Othell Yarwyck, Bowen Marsh and Olly vowed to serve their Lord Commander faithfully. Stabbing the Lord Commander until dead: Oath breaker;
• Samwell Tarly promised Gilly he would take her and Little Sam to Oldtown. Going to live with Sam’s parent’s at Horn Hill instead: Oath breaker;
• Daenerys Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of Meereen, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Breaker of Chains, Mother of Dragons, agreed to be Khal Drogo’s Khaleesi,* swore to uphold the customs of the Dothraki* and vowed to join the Dosh Khaleen when Drogo died.* Overthrowing the regimes of Slaver’s Bay instead: Oath breaker;
• Varys promised Dom’s Mother she and Dom can sail out of Meereen with a bag of silver if she names the Sons of the Harpy’s financial backers. Letting them sail out of Meereen with a bag of silver: Oath keeper;
• Dom’s Mother (probably) promised to not betray the Sons of the Harpy. Ratting out the Sons of the Harpy to Varys: Oath breaker;
• Lord Umber told Ramsay to Fuck Oaths: Oath breaker;
• Osha the Wildling promised to keep Rickon Stark safe. Allowing Lord Umber to capture Rickon, butcher Shaggydog and hand them to Ramsay Bolton: Must try harder;
• Ned Stark promised Lyanna Stark that he would keep Jon Snow’s identity secret. Keeping Jon Snow’s identity a secret: Oath keeper;
• Lyanna Stark promised to marry Robert Baratheon. Eloping with Rhaegar Targaryan: Oath breaker;
• Rhaegar Targaryen promised Elia Martell to be her lawfully wedded husband. Eloping with Lyanna Stark: Oath breaker;
• The Three-Eyed-Raven promised Bran he will leave the tree one day. Still waiting to leave the tree: Too soon to say; and,
• David Benioff and D.B. Weiss promised a mature and exciting Game of Thrones TV Series. Giving us Ramsay Snow: Oath breakers.

* No she didn’t