Lord Wyman Manderly got widowed about eight years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire. He remained a widower, not getting any wives or children after his wife’s passing. Though unknown to many, Lord Wyman Manderly is fiercely loyal to the Starks and his liege lord, Lord Eddard Stark. However, Eddard moved to King’s Landing to become the Hand of the King. When the War of the Five Kings began, Wyman used his wits and intentional persona of being stupid to prevent himself from declaring loyalty to anyone besides the Starks. He also uses Ser Davos Seaworth to get his son, Ser Wendel Manderly, back.
Wyman Manderly Personal Details
- Name: Wyman Manderly.
- Allegiances: House Stark, House Manderly.
- Year of Birth: Between 239 and 242 AC in White Harbor.
- Titles: Lord of White Harbor, Warden of the White Knife, Defender of the Dispossessed, Lord Marshal of the Mander, Knight of the Order of the Green Hand, Shield of the Faith.
- Aliases: Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse, Lord Lamprey, Lord Lard, Lord Pig.
- Culture: Northmen.
- Religion: Old Gods of the Forest.
- Children: Ser Wylis Manderly and Ser Wendel Manderly.
- Eye Color: Pale Blue.
Appearance and Personality
Wyman has massive sausage-looking fingers and a pot belly. He is old, nearing sixty, and appears to have more than four chins. He has a beard and pale blue eyes, but his size is so much that he cannot ride a horse; this led to him getting called ‘Lord Too-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse.’ Wyman wears flashy clothing adorned with many precious jewels. One of his most prominent attire is a blue-green velvet doublet embroidered with gold threads. He uses a golden trident to pin his mantle to his shoulder.
Lord Manderly is jovial and has a voluminous appetite. He has a peal of loud laughter enhanced by his size. Due to his shape, he gets mocked by his people, who call him Lord Lamprey. Though Wyman acts foolish and incompetent, he is secretly cunning, decisive, and calculating. He uses his naivety as a front to make others underestimate him so he can act decisively. Wyman loves eating. Being a large man, he has a great appetite and enjoys eating boiled eggs, eels, lampreys, sausages, porridge, capons, and pork pies. He sits on a cushioned throne in the Merman’s Court to aid his weight.
Biography
Early Life
Lord Manderly was born in White Harbor. As a boy, he loved riding horses, participating in competitions, and winning awards. However, as he aged, he began excessively eating and soon became so fat that he could no longer ride a horse.
During Robert’s Rebellion, Wyman supported his liege lord, Eddard Stark. He fought in the Battle of the Trident and gave Wolf’s Den, an ancient Castle in White Harbor, to Ser Bartimus after the knight saved his life.
Relevance in A Song of Ice and Fire
A Game of Thrones
After Lord Eddard Stark becomes the Hand of the King, he moves with his daughters, Sansa Stark and Arya Stark, to King’s Landing. While in King’s Landing, he instructs his wife, Lady Catelyn Stark, to tell Lord Wyman Manderly to increase the defenses of White Harbor.
After Catelyn arrests Tyrion and frees him upon winning his trial by combat, she travels from the Eyrie to White Harbor, where she meets Lord Manderly. Ned learns of Queen Cersei Lannister’s children’s illegitimacy and confronts her about it. Before Robert Baratheon learns of the truth, Cersei plots his death. Upon Robert dying, she arrests Eddard.
When Robb Stark, Ned’s son, discovers his father’s arrest, he calls his banners, and Lord Wyman sends his sons, Ser Wylis and Wendel, while he remains in command of White Harbor’s defenses.
A Clash of Kings
When Winterfell hosts the harvest feast, Lord Manderly attends, bringing a host of entertainers, retainers, knights, and food. He offers to mint new currency for Robb Stark to Bran Stark, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Maester Luwin. He proposes creating a new fleet for the North and marrying himself or his oldest son to Lady Donella Hornwood.
When Ramsay, Lord Roose Bolton’s bastard, kidnaps Lady Hornwood and forcibly marries her, Wyman seizes Hornwood to prevent the Boltons from having it. Ramsay Snow gets captured and killed, although it was his servant, Reek.
When Theon Greyjoy captures Winterfell, Wyman sends a dozen barges with artillery and knights to stop the incursion of the Castle. The retinue meets Ser Rodrik’s army up the White Knife, a river in the North, and marches to Winterfell. Rodrik then gets betrayed by Ramsay Snow and an army from Dreadfort.
A Storm of Swords
After Bran and his friends escape the capture of Winterfell, he reminisces on how Lord Manderly did not look down on him as other lords had. With his brother, Rickon Stark, and Osha headed towards White Harbor, he begins feeling unsure, doubting if the port city is safe from the Boltons.
During the fighting at the fords of the Trident, Ser Wylis Manderly, Wyman’s heir, gets captured by Ser Gregor Clegane. When Robb stark and his entourage attends Edmure’s Wedding to Lord Walder Frey’s daughter, Roslin, at the Twins, House Frey violates the guests’ rights by killing Robb and his men. During the conflict, Wyman’s second son Wendel Manderly gets killed by a crossbow. The event becomes the famed Red Wedding. Ramsay Snow becomes Ramsay Bolton as the Boltons become the Wardens of the North.
A Feast for Crows
When Lord Davos Seaworth travels to White Harbor to seek Wyman’s support for Stannis Baratheon, he gets arrested. Lord Wyman orders his cousin, Ser Marlon Manderly, to execute the Onion Knight. However, Davos gets transported to a safe cell. When Queen Regent, Cersei, learns that Wyman executed Davos, she orders Ser Jaime Lannister to free Ser Wylis from Harrenhal.
A Dance with Dragons
When Stannis Baratheon sends a letter to White Harbor demanding its fealty, Wyman responds by not paying attention to the details of the letter. Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, tells Stannis that Val, Mance Rayder’s wife sister, will refuse to marry Lord Wyman.
When Robett Glover tries to get some men from White Harbor, Lord Mander refuses, stating the port city is weary of war. With support from the Iron throne, Symond, Jared, and Rhaegar arrive in white Harbor with Ser Wendel’s bones. To get his son, Wylis, back, he pays a ransom of three thousand dragons and agrees to marry his granddaughters Wynafryd and Wylla to Rhaegar and Little Walder.
When Davos reaches White Harbor, Lord Manderly orders his execution but uses someone else. He then meets Davos and apologizes for how he treated him in public. He tells him about how his son got killed even after sharing Lord Walder’s bread and salt. He tells Davos that his jape with Symond and the promise of his granddaughter’s hand in marriage is a front. He reiterates his stance as a Stark loyalist and tells the Onion Knight he plans to have revenge once the mummer’s farce is over.
Wyman tells Davos he is creating a secret fleet of warships and hiding them up the White Knife. He also reveals that Wex Pyke, a survivor of the Sack of Winterfell, stated that Ramsay Bolton was the one who destroyed the Castle. Lord Manderly then promises to join Stannis’s cause if Rickon Stark gets retrieved from Skagos.
Lord Wyman leaves White Harbor to attend Ramsay’s wedding to a fake Arya Stark. Before leaving, he gives the Frey guests who visit him palfreys, signifying their guest protection has ended. When the Frey entourage disappears, Ser Hosteen and Ser Aenys, Walder’s sons, try to investigate the envoy’s disappearance.
Roose Bolton changes his son’s wedding venue from Barrowtown to Winterfell. For the ceremony, Wyman brings a lot of food but no hostage; this makes Roose unsettled. At the event, he asks Abel to sing of the Rat Cook. After the ceremony, a blizzard hits Winterfell. Hosteen and Aenys accuse Lord Wyman of their envoy’s disappearance. However, he pleads innocence. When Little Walder gets killed, Wyman gets charged again but denies having anything to do with it. He insults House Frey and almost gets killed by Hosteen. Roose then orders Wyman to have his men march on Stannis from Winterfell’s east gate.
Appearance in Adaptation
In HBO’s Game of Thrones, Lord Wyman Manderly got portrayed by Sean Blowers. He appeared in season 6 and starred in one episode. When House Stark and Bolton call House Manderly to war, Lord Wyman refuses the summons. He later tries treating Jon Snow but gets scolded by Lyanna Mormont.
Lord Wyman Manderly: The Wise Lord
In A Song of Ice and Fire, Wyman Manderly exhibits loyalty and wisdom. Though his son got killed, he skeptically planned revenge against the Freys who betrayed the North. Wyman showed that revenge is a game best played skeptically.
FAQs
Who is Lord Wyman Manderly?
Lord Manderly is the Lord of White Harbor, a port city that serves as the primary hub for importing goods into the North. He was known as Lord Lamprey and served the Starks.
Is Wyman Manderly a good man?
Yes. Lord Manderly is a good man. He answered the call of his liege lord, Robb Stark, and supported him during his campaign against the Lannisters. Even after Robb died, Wyman continued serving the Starks secretly.
Why is Wyman so popular?
Wyman is loved because he is one of the wisest people in Westeros. He is a cunning lord who expertly remains loyal to the Starks without anyone suspecting him. Using the guise of being stupid, he tries to help the Starks by asking Davos to smuggle young Rickon from Skagos.
Does Wyman Manderly die in ASOIAF?
No. Wyman is alive in the books. After the death of his son, Wendel, he promised vengeance on those who had a hand in the Red Wedding. When Davos reached White Harbor, he pretended to kill him and secretly began conniving to recover Rickon Stark.
