cursed castle Harrenhal is an important part of both game of Thrones and House of the Dragon , long before those two shows existed. It appears in many episodes of Game of Thrones and first appeared in Game of Thrones Dragon House In Season 2, Episode 3.
Tracing the history of Harrenhal Castle
The castle was originally built by Harron Hall, a king nicknamed “Black Harron” for his cruelty and brutality. To show off his power, he decided to build the largest castle in Westeros, a project that took up most of his forty-year reign, and named the castle Harrenhal. Such an ambitious undertaking did not come without a cost, however, and Harren greedily drained the wealth and resources of the realms under his rule in order to finance the construction of Harrenhal. This resulted in many deaths from starvation, dehydration, and disease.
Although Harren claimed that his castle was impregnable, it did not last long. He forgot about the dragon factor when building Harrenhal. So when Aegon the Conqueror and his dragons invaded Westeros, he unleashed the powerful dragons upon the castle, resulting in the death of Harren and his entire family, and the destruction of the castle.
Why is Harrenhal Castle cursed and haunted?
Harrenhal was rebuilt, but the death and bloodshed of its birth still haunted it. Anyone who rules the castle dies quickly, often followed by their families. From Quinton Kohrys to Rhaena Targaryen, the castle has seen countless deaths, leading many to believe it is cursed.
In Game of Thrones, Daemon Targaryen rules Harrenhal. Before the War of the Five Kings, it was used as a base for House Lannister. Daemon also often fights in the castle during the Dragon Dance. In Game of Thrones Season 1, King Joffrey gave the castle to Janos Slynt as a reward for his betrayal of Eddard Stark, despite Tywin Lannister announcing Genos never obtained it before planning to invade the castle and use it as an army headquarters.
Harrenhal first appeared on screen in Season 2, when the Lannisters captured Arya Stark and Gendry Baratheon. Immediately afterwards, Tyrion offers Littlefinger control of the castle and the riverlands in exchange for his assistance in rescuing Jaime Lannister. Littlefinger later received Harrenhal from Joffrey as a reward for his help in securing the alliance between the Tyrells and Lannisters, although Littlefinger was not grateful as he knew of the curse on the castle.
In Season 3, the Northern Army invades, but Harrenhal remains under the control of Robb Stark. He left the castle to Roose Bolton, and the Lannisters soon regained control of the castle. The castle was not mentioned until season seven, when Littlefinger was executed for his crimes and, like so many other rulers, fell victim to the Curse of Harrenhal.
In House of the Dragon, Harrenhal is the seat of the Great Council, and King Jaehaerys asks the Great Council to help decide his successor. The castle was also where Viserys I was crowned, although by that time the castle had already been given to House Strong. The castle’s ruler, Sir Bywin Strong, then gave it to Lionel Strong. Both Lionel and his successor Harwin eventually died in a fire, and Larys became the next ruler of Harrenhal. Like Littlefinger, Larys was aware of the castle’s curse, and did not object when Simon Strong took over the castle in revenge for orchestrating his brother’s death.
Tracing the history of Harrenhal Castle
The castle was originally built by Harron Hall, a king nicknamed “Black Harron” for his cruelty and brutality. To show off his power, he decided to build the largest castle in Westeros, a project that took up most of his forty-year reign, and named the castle Harrenhal. Such an ambitious undertaking did not come without a cost, however, and Harren greedily drained the wealth and resources of the realms under his rule in order to finance the construction of Harrenhal. This resulted in many deaths from starvation, dehydration, and disease.
Although Harren claimed that his castle was impregnable, it did not last long. He forgot about the dragon factor when building Harrenhal. So when Aegon the Conqueror and his dragons invaded Westeros, he unleashed the powerful dragons upon the castle, resulting in the death of Harren and his entire family, and the destruction of the castle.
Why is Harrenhal Castle cursed and haunted?
Harrenhal was rebuilt, but the death and bloodshed of its birth still haunted it. Anyone who rules the castle dies quickly, often followed by their families. From Quinton Kohrys to Rhaena Targaryen, the castle has seen countless deaths, leading many to believe it is cursed.
In Game of Thrones, Daemon Targaryen rules Harrenhal. Before the War of the Five Kings, it was used as a base for House Lannister. Daemon also often fights in the castle during the Dragon Dance. In Game of Thrones Season 1, King Joffrey gave the castle to Janos Slynt as a reward for his betrayal of Eddard Stark, despite Tywin Lannister announcing Genos never obtained it before planning to invade the castle and use it as an army headquarters.
Harrenhal first appeared on screen in Season 2, when the Lannisters captured Arya Stark and Gendry Baratheon. Immediately afterwards, Tyrion offers Littlefinger control of the castle and the riverlands in exchange for his assistance in rescuing Jaime Lannister. Littlefinger later received Harrenhal from Joffrey as a reward for his help in securing the alliance between the Tyrells and Lannisters, although Littlefinger was not grateful as he knew of the curse on the castle.
In Season 3, the Northern Army invades, but Harrenhal remains under the control of Robb Stark. He left the castle to Roose Bolton, and the Lannisters soon regained control of the castle. The castle was not mentioned until season seven, when Littlefinger was executed for his crimes and, like so many other rulers, fell victim to the Curse of Harrenhal.
In House of the Dragon, Harrenhal is the seat of the Great Council, and King Jaehaerys asks the Great Council to help decide his successor. The castle was also where Viserys I was crowned, although by that time the castle had already been given to House Strong. The castle’s ruler, Sir Bywin Strong, then gave it to Lionel Strong. Both Lionel and his successor Harwin eventually died in a fire, and Larys became the next ruler of Harrenhal. Like Littlefinger, Larys was aware of the castle’s curse, and did not object when Simon Strong took over the castle in revenge for orchestrating his brother’s death.
