Ramsay Bolton

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Ramsay Snow is the bastard son of Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort and head of House Bolton, and is known as the Bastard of Bolton and the Bastard of the Dreadfort. Ramsay has a group of men-at-arms who are highly placed in his favor and follow him loyally, though their true loyalty lies with Lord Roose. They are called the Bastard's Boys, though they are never within earshot of him or Ramsay, and are as depraved as Ramsay. Ramsay's personal steed is named Blood, and he keeps a pack of female hounds. In the television adaptation Game of Thrones, Ramsay is portrayed by Iwan Rheon. Pseudonyms: The Bastard of Bolton Stench (II) The Bastard of the Dreadfort Red Helmet Ramsay Bolton Titles: Lord of Hornwood Lord of Winterfell Castle of the Forte do Pavor Loyalties: Dreadfort Bolton House House: Greyjoy (pretend) House: Bolton of Winterfell Culture: Men of the North Born: or before 282 BC North Father: Roose Bolton Mother: Wife of unknown miller Spouses: 1st: Lady Donella Hornwood 2nd: Lady "Arya Stark"

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Ramsay is an ugly young man, even when well dressed. He is large-boned and stooped in the shoulders, with a fleshiness that suggests he will be fat later in life. Ramsay's skin is pink and blotchy, his nose broad, and his hair long, dark, and dry. Although his mouth is small, Ramsay's lips are wide and full, worm-like, and he smiles a wet-lipped smile. His characteristic eyes resemble Roose's—small, close-set, and strangely pale, like two shards of dirty ice. Ramsay sometimes wears a grenade cut in the shape of a drop of blood in his right ear. Ramsay's attire includes calfskin boots, a velvet doublet, a sword belt with silver trim, and a sable cloak. He also sometimes wears a black leather doublet over a pink velvet doublet with dark red satin stripes, along with black boots, belt, and scabbard. For battle, Ramsay wears dark armor with a red helmet and a light pink cape. His rounded helmet and gorget resemble the face and shoulders of a skinned and bloodied man whose mouth is open in a silent scream. Ramsay's weapons include a scimitar, a dagger, and a flaying knife, all with yellow bone hilts. Ramsay considers himself a true Bolton despite his birth, and deeply resents his bastard status, proudly referring to himself as the true descendant of the Dreadfort and violently correcting those who refer to him otherwise. Ramsay is a sadist; he is cruel, savage, and savage, taking pleasure in torturing others. He greatly enjoys the ancient House Bolton custom of flaying their enemies alive.

APPEARANCE AND CHARACTER

Ramsay is a cunning and capable manipulator. He is particularly good at thinking on his feet, though less experienced when it comes to long-term consequences and intricate politics. He openly enjoys abusive practices, such as having young women stripped naked and released into the forests of Bolton, before hunting them with a pack of wild dogs. He gives women who give him good sport a quick death (after raping them first), then skins their corpses. He likes to name his dogs after the women he likes the most to "honor" them. Women who do not give him good sport are raped and then skinned alive. The skins of their kills are brought back with him to the Dreadfort as gruesome trophies. The women's bodies are fed to his dogs. Ramsay's father, Lord Roose Bolton, rebukes him for his "amusements" and encourages him to incorporate his creed of "a peaceful land, a quiet people" into his own if Ramsay hopes to rule. Roose claims that Ramsay is fearless, which is a bad thing, as fear keeps a man alive in a treacherous world. Ramsay, though savage in battle, has never been officially taught at arms. His tutor in martial prowess is Reek, his valet, who has never received any sword training. Ramsay's swordplay style is vicious and highly aggressive, wielding his sword as if it were a butcher's cleaver.

HISTORY

Ramsay is the product of a rape between Roose Bolton, Lord of the Dreadfort, and a miller's wife. While hunting along the Weeping Water, Roose saw the miller's wife and decided to illicitly practice the forbidden tradition of the first night, in which a lord had the right to sleep with the commoner's bride. He hanged the miller under a tree for failing to inform his lord of the new marriage, and raped the bride beneath his swinging body. A year later, the woman arrived at the Dreadfort with the newborn Ramsay. Roose nearly killed her and the baby, but when he saw that the child had his eyes, the taboo of kin murder stayed his hand. The woman claimed that her husband's brother had robbed the mill and driven her away. Angered by this, Roose had the man's tongue removed so that he would not spread tales to Roose's liege lord, Rickard Stark, Lord of Winterfell. Roose then gave the woman the mill along with a pig, several chicks, and a bag of stars every year, on the condition that she never reveal to Ramsay the truth about who his father was. Ramsay's mother arrived at the castle years later claiming that she needed help raising Ramsay, who grew up wild and unruly. Roose sent Ramsay a servant known as Reek. Reek, despite taking constant baths, always smelled bad due to some "unknown birth condition" that made his skin smell bad, hence his nickname. Handing him over to Ramsay and his mother was actually a cruel prank by Roose, but Ramsay and Reek became inseparable. Roose would later ponder whether Ramsay had corrupted Reek or if Reek had corrupted Ramsay, though Reek followed Ramsay's orders faithfully; Ramsay once mentioned that Reek knew better than to deny him.

HISTORY

Despite Roose's instructions to Ramsay's mother, either she or Reek eventually informed him of his true parentage. Roose believes that both Reek and Ramsay's mother were encouraging Ramsay, and constantly reminding the increasingly violent bastard of his "rights". In 297 AC, Roose's heir, Domeric Bolton, attempted to forge a brotherly connection with his younger half-brother, despite Roose's orders not to do so. Domeric soon died of an intestinal disease, according to Maester Uthor, though Roose believes his heir was poisoned by Ramsay, making the bastard a kinslayer. Ramsay also earned the enmity of House Dustin, as Barbrey Dustin, Lady of Barrowton, was fond of her late nephew. Roose took Ramsay to the Dreadfort, as he had no other children, legitimate or otherwise. Ramsay no doubt learned to read and write while there. Ser Rodrik Cassel is unaware that Roose has already acknowledged his bastard son. Ramsay is accompanied by men from Dreadfort called the Bastard's Boys, such as Sour Alyn, Luton, and Skinner. However, they are tasked by Roose to spy on Ramsay on the Lord of Dreadfort's behalf.

RAMSAY QUOTES

"Take off your skins. Lord Bolton, he used to say that a naked man has few secrets, but a flayed man has none." —Ramsay as "Reek" to Theon Greyjoy "Ramsay. Snow, my wife called me before she ate her fingers, but I say Bolton." —Ramsay to Theon Greyjoy "You are not a man, Reek. You are merely my creature." —Ramsay to Theon Greyjoy "Roose: By the king's decree, you are now a Bolton. Try to act like one. Stories are told about you, Ramsay. I hear them everywhere. The people fear you. Ramsay: Good. Roose: You are mistaken." — Roose Bolton and Ramsay

QUOTES ABOUT RAMSAY

"Tainted blood is always treacherous, and Ramsay's nature was cunning, greedy, and cruel. I consider myself quite free of him. The trueborn children my young wife promised me would never be safe while he lived." — Roose Bolton writing to Edmure Tully "Wylla: He will never be my lord! He made Lady Hornwood marry him, then locked her in a dungeon and made her eat her fingers. Locke: The maid speaks the truth. Roose Bolton is cold and cunning, yes, but a man can handle Roose. We've all seen worse. But this bastard son of his... they say he's mad and cruel, a monster." —Wylla Manderly and a Locke "The Boltons have always been as cruel as they are cunning, but this one seems like a beast in human skin." —Robett Glover to Wyman Manderly "His blood is bad. He must be leeched. Leeches suck bad blood, all the anger and pain. No man can think so full of anger. Ramsay, however... his tainted blood would poison even leeches, I fear."—Roose Bolton to Theon Greyjoy "Beneath the Dreadfort, he had learned that there were things far worse than death. Ramsay had taught him that lesson, finger by finger and toe by toe, and it was not a lesson he would ever forget." —Theon Greyjoy's thoughts "Stannis: Ramsay Snow, you mean. The Bastard. Theon: Never call him that! Ramsay Bolton, not Ramsay Snow, never Snow, never, you have to remember his name, or he will hurt you. Stannis: He is welcome to try. Whatever name he uses."—Stannis Baratheon and Theon Greyjoy