A Seafaring House Worth Its Salt

Aenys I banned missionaries from proselytizing in the Islands, but only after this was requested of him by the Lord of the Iron Islands when the king was trying to build support among the realm by giving favors. Nonetheless, it seems to have been one of the wisest and most effective decisions he ever made; afterwards, the ironborn largely accepted Targaryen rule and did not rebel against them. Rhaenyra, however, is someone who the Islanders went out of their way to choose to fight in the name of. Conversely, the Iron Islands typically do not involve themselves in mainland civil conflicts – they were, for example, largely uninvolved in Robert’s Rebellion. These small but crucial details, when put together, may suggest something about the narrative’s connection of Rhaenyra and the Islands, and how her life may serve as an intended parallel to many women we see in the Islands during the main series. (Rhaenyra, of course, echoes across the series across the world, from the Amethyst Empress to POVS such as Daenerys, Cersei, and Arianne, to supporting characters like Shireen. But for now, let me focus on her unique ties to the Islands.)

One comparison that has been made by many others is Rhaenyra and Asha Greyjoy. Rhaenyra, of course, fatefully wore a black dress in honor of her Targaryen heritage during the 111 AC tourney on the fifth anniversary of Viserys and Alicent’s wedding, whereas Alicent wore a green dress, prompting “the custom to refer to ‘greens’ and ‘blacks’ while talking of the queen’s party and the party of the princess” (Fire and Blood, A Question of Succession). Meanwhile, Asha is famously, on and off the Islands, captain of a ship named the Black Wind: “Theon did not need to be told that Black Wind was Asha's longship. He had not seen his sister in ten years, but that much he knew of her.” (Theon I, ACOK). Two queens, or, according to those who disagree with their claims, princesses, who are leaders of “black” factions.  

Asha was named heir by Balon, but she still faced a lack of acceptance due to being a woman, despite the society of the Islands having a precedent of acceptance for her situation - ""But I am the child of King Balon's body, so I come before you both," Asha tells Victarion (The Iron Captain, AFFC). Her uncle Euron was eventually elected king, but he is not the only family member who disputes her due to being a woman. Victarion discusses the issue with a friend who encourages him to make his claim:

"Balon's sons are dead," Red Ralf Stonehouse had argued, "and Asha is a woman.” – The Iron Captain, AFFC

(One could argue that in this situation, Theon parallels both Viserys II – the missing and presumed dead prince who is trapped in a horrific sexually violent hostage situation- as well as Helaena, the “mad” grieving queen who fatefully jumps from a window.)

Red Ralf and Victarion are not pointing to a specific legal code that bans a woman from ruling the Islands, but the point is clear, that they, along with many other men, would never accept it. Similarly, Aeron dismisses the idea of a woman ruling, but not based on legal texts or religious doctrine- “If the Drowned God wills it. No godless man may sit the Seastone Chair” (The Prophet, AFFC) is his refrain. He takes greater issue with Euron, an immoral and “godless” person, than with Asha or the idea of a woman at all, but he still does not consider a woman’s claim to be able to outweigh Euron’s – “No woman could defeat [Euron], not even Asha,” he thinks, simultaneously dismissing her while also acknowledging her as a contender who could garner a threatening amount of support, and thus is eligible and allowed to take part in the kingsmoot. It recalls, despite not exactly based on comparable legal precedents, to “the decrees of the Great Council of 101, which always placed a man above a woman.” – TWOIAF

This stands in opposition to Theon’s claim when he returns to the Iron Islands:

“"A woman may inherit only if there is no male heir in the direct line," he insisted loudly. "I will not be cheated of my rights, I warn you."- Theon I , ACOK

He’s not entirely incorrect about common interpretation of the law – the young Eddara Tallhart, for example, becomes ruling Lady of Torrhen’s Square after the death of her father and brother. An unusual special case like Eddara and some others, occurring in the North after the men in the family die in war, are exceptions to the standard of male inheritance that Theon would be familiar with. But that’s the North, on the mainlands. Aeron dismisses his claim, telling him that he has forgotten more than he knows and that the Islands must be ruled by an Islander. Theon’s perspective is that of someone assimilated into mainlander society (and thus unfit to be considered for ruling the islands regardless of his place in the direct line), and he is not an objective source on the law, let alone the succession in a place he has been gone from for a decade. Asha might be a woman, but at this point in time and despite his later actions (prompted by Euron's surprising return) Aeron still considers her Balon's heir.

The fact that there is not a known legal precedent in the Islands similar to the Great Council is significant- possibly for the future in the Islands, but also because the history of the Islands reflects attitudes toward women's place in inheritance debates. For example, in the aftermath of Aegon’s Conquest, Qhorin Volmark claimed to be the rightful heir of House Hoare, inheriting through his grandmother, a lady of House Hoare: “Qhorin Volmark, a minor lord on Harlaw, was the first man to claim the kingship. His grandmother had been a younger sister of Harwyn Hardhand. On the basis of that tie, Volmark declared himself the rightful heir of "the black line."” – TWOIAF

This unnamed Lady Hoare and her grandson are more important than they may seem. A man claiming inheritance from his mother or grandmother is not something we see that often in asoiaf, and this, by design, mirrors that it was a controversial idea in real life medieval history, which forms the basis for the setting of Westeros. The Hundred Years’ War was fought over this idea, when in 1337 Edward III of England claimed he was also the rightful king of France as the son of Queen Isabella, the daughter of the king of France. The French Salic law dating back to the 6th century stated that men could not inherit from women, and thus, a man could not claim to be a king because of his mother’s heritage. It’s notable that Rhaenyra, despite her fate, ultimately subverts this idea – from her first mention, in the appendix of AGOT, her son Aegon III is listed as “Rhaenyra’s son,” where other kings are listed as sons or grandsons of previous kings they inherited from. Aegon III inherits from Rhaenyra, not from his brother Aegon II or his grandfather Viserys. It’s relevant that Qhorin Volmark’s claim is ultimately stopped because he claims to be king of the Iron Islands during Aegon’s Conquest, not because he claims an inheritance through a woman, or even a member of House Hoare. Hundreds of years later, in preparation for the Kingsmoot, Victarion considers the claim of Maron, the current Lord Volmark- "Volmark is a callow boy, but he has Black Harren's blood in him through his mother." (The Reaver AFFC) Even traditionalist Victarion does not inherently disagree with the legality of matrilineal inheritance, reflecting Islander traditions.

There is another woman in the Islands who has a similar case to Rhaenyra.  One less obvious connection is that of Rhaenyra and Gwynesse Harlaw.

“"I will only stay until my grief has passed," [Gwynesse] had told her brother, famously, "though by rights Ten Towers should be mine, for I am seven years your elder."- The Kraken’s Daughter, AFFC

“"After you," Aegon answered. "You are the elder."

"I am pleased to know that you remember that," Rhaenyra answered.”- Fire and Blood, Rhaenyra Overthrown

Both women are the eldest children of the family, and as such, claim they are the heirs to their family’s inheritance. Rhaenyra was in fact named heir by Viserys, and while we do not know if Gwynesse was ever officially named heir to Ten Towers, her conviction is strong, and it’s not unlikely she was named heir, as Balon named Asha.

“Her uncle sighed. "You will not want to hear this, Asha, but you will not be chosen. No woman has ever ruled the ironborn. Gwynesse is seven years my elder, but when our father died the Ten Towers came to me. It will be the same for you. You are Balon's daughter, not his son. And you have three uncles."-The Kraken’s Daughter, AFFC

This, to me, does not necessarily imply or confirm Rodrik was actually named heir by the previous Lord Harlaw. His comparison to Asha’s situation does not align with his point given that Balon did in fact name Asha as his heir and considered her as such for years. The passive statement in “the Ten Towers came to me” is also notable. A writer as experienced as GRRM certainly knows that usage of the passive voice is often intentionally evasive. The fact that Gwynesse’s often referenced mental health is not brought into this statement, but her being a woman is, shows that this was not the true issue with Gwynesse inheriting, not her being "mad".

So here we have two cases of a woman claiming her inheritance as the eldest child, while the younger brother claims the inheritance for themselves, based on their manhood. Rhaenyra, as we know, is called unfit to rule since she is a woman.  Gwynesse’s mental state is called into question, and it seems implied that her mental health was never stable in the first place. She remains in her brother’s custody, essentially confined to a tower. This seems very convenient for Rodrik. He has successfully gotten his sister out of the way, but avoided the bloodshed of the Dance of the Dragons, which we know culminated in Aegon killing Rhaenyra.  

Gwynesse’s defiance and insistence on her rights while being confined to a tower for about a decade are reminiscent of Rhaenyra’s defiance. Rhaenyra never once gave up her claim. Rodrik, of course, is not like Aegon, and from what we know of him, he would never murder someone he considers family. Rodrik seems to be genuinely concerned for Gwynesse, and from what we know he cares about her in a brotherly way, but his actions still keep her a prisoner in her own home, her own castle, no less. His paternalism is not murderous or intentionally hateful, but it is paternalism and misogyny no less, and he ensures he will benefit from her loss. He willingly makes use of misogyny, even if he does not do it because he maliciously hates Gwynesse. Gwynesse is still easily and unquestionably discarded. If Aegon was more fearful of the kinslaying taboo or simply could not bring himself to kill Rhaenyra, he may have kept her prisoner in a situation similar to Gwynesse.   

Another additional parallel is that of a third sibling – Helaena, the third child of Viserys, and Alannys, the third and youngest Harlaw. Both are considered to be mad from grief induced by the loss of their children in war. And both are queens – consort, not regnant. While historically – in asoiaf and in the real world – the position of queen consort is far from inconsequential, and there have certainly been queens consort more influential than the reigning kings of their time, the position does not carry the same authority, responsibility, and security that the position of regnant does. Helaena was on Aegon’s council but had little personal or political influence or power, and while it’s suggested that Alannys had greater political influence in the past, she has none in the current day. Yet Alannys, as a queen consort, still outranks Gwynesse, as supporters of Aegon’s claim would consider Helaena, as a queen consort, to outrank the “usurper” Rhaenyra. Both pairs of Targaryen and Harlaw sisters illustrate the contradictions of what it means for a woman to have status under a patriarchal system.