Winterfell is the largest and most formidable castle in the North and the ancestral seat of House Stark. It has been under siege and sacked throughout Game Of Thrones, with Sansa Stark emerging from the controversial season finale as its true ruler and monarch.
Much of Winterfell’s history has been omitted from the show due to budget and time constraints, but there is a plethora of additional knowledge about the Stark castle to be found in the A Song Of Ice And Fire book series. It is one of the oldest and most fortified castles in the Seven Kingdoms and has connections to the magical and mystical. Here are ten hidden details about Winterfell you probably never noticed.
10 It’s Bigger In The Books
The Winterfell set in the show is impressive, but Game Of Thrones’ incarnation of House Stark’s ancestral home is a fraction of the size of its book counterpart. In A Song Of Ice And Fire, Winterfell is over twice the size, spanning several acres and surrounded by two huge walls.
The difference can be attributed to budget, as a bigger Winterfell would have cost more to film. It is far easier in the books to describe the vast size of the formidable castle as well as its surrounding grounds.
9 It’s Built Over Hot Springs
Winterfell may be the capital of the North, but it is one of the warmest castles in the Seven Kingdoms. The seat of House Stark is built atop hot springs and the warm water flows through the walls of the keep.
Because of the hot springs, Winterfell is more comfortable than other Northern castles and is built to withstand the devastating seasons of Westeros that can span years. It is a fitting palace for the Kings of Winter.
8 There Could Be Dragon Eggs In The Crypts
House Stark has allied with House Targaryen in the past. During the infamous civil war the Dance of Dragons, Lord Cregan Stark sided with Queen Rhaenyra after her son Prince Jacaerys Velaryon flew to Winterfell to treat with him. And, according to the court fool Mushroom, his dragon Vermax laid eggs in the crypts.
Mushroom’s claim was documented in George RR Martin’s encyclopedia The World Of Ice And Fire. It remains a possibility that one of the Starks could unearth a secret dragon egg in a future book.
7 It Was Built By Giants
In the books, Old Nan often tells Bran stories about the Seven Kingdoms, including the fabled origin of Winterfell’s structure. According to Old Nan’s stories, the ancestral seat of House Stark was constructed by Brandon the Builder, who was assisted by giants.
Giants were once native to Westeros before mankind forced them and the Children of the Forest beyond the wall. It speaks to the supernatural origins of House Stark that they were able to co-operate and live together for a time.
6 Two Targaryen Queens Have Visited
Daenerys Targaryen is not the only Targaryen queen to have visited Winterfell. In the Targaryen history book Fire And Blood, it is revealed that Queen Alysanne Targaryen flew to Winterfell on her dragon Silverwing over a hundred years before Drogon and Rhaegal defended the castle.
Alysanne was a beloved monarch who won over the frosty Northmen with her charm. After staying in Winterfell she continued to tour the north, helping the men of the Night’s Watch by giving them more land and resources.
5 Lyanna Stark Is The Only Woman Buried In The Crypts
The crypts of Winterfell are the burial place of the Kings of Winter and former Lords of Winterfell, reserved for the head of the house. Lyanna Stark is likely the only woman who is buried there.
This speaks volumes to Ned Stark’s love for his sister. He commemorates her with the other great members of House Stark and is forever haunted by her death.
4 It Was Built After The Long Night
According to myth, Winterfell was built by Brandon the Builder with the help of the giants and the Children of the Forest after the first Long Night ended. It is theorized that its name indicates that it is where the White Walkers were originally defeated – where winter fell.
This furthers the connection between the Starks and the White Walkers. The prophesied savior known as Azor Ahai could have been a Stark themselves, foreshadowing another encounter between the northern house and the mythical ice zombies.
3 It Has An Impressive Library
The Citadel of Oldtown, home of the Maesters of Westeros, dazzled Samwell Tarly in season six with its incredibly vast library. The only other fortress in the Seven Kingdoms whose library rivals it is Winterfell’s, though it was largely destroyed by fire in the opening of A Game Of Thrones.
The Winterfell library houses several rare books and volumes that are mostly unknown to the world. It is rumored to hold the only surviving copy of Armyidon’s Engines Of War, amongst other collections.
2 It’s A Lot Older Than King’s Landing
The grounds of Winterfell are a lot older than the city of King’s Landing. King’s Landing was first constructed after Aegon the Conqueror invaded Westeros from Dragonstone three hundred years ago, but Winterfell was built after the first Long Night over eight thousand years ago.
Winterfell has stayed standing despite the struggles that House Stark has faced. The castle was destroyed by the Ironborn and then Ramsay Bolton, before withstanding the battle against the Night King and the Army of the Dead.
1 It Has Supernatural Connections
Winterfell is steeped in mythology and mysticism. The Godswood is over ten thousand years old and connects the Starks to the Old Gods, as they follow a different religion from the Faith of the Seven which the rest of Westeros predominately practices.
The weirwood tree is particularly powerful, and it is believed that the Children of the Forest carved faces into them. Bran Stark utilizes their power for warging whilst training with the Three-Eyed Raven, particularly in the books.
