

Jeor's son Jorah is also an accomplished knight in his own right.

#A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE TV TROPES FREE#
They actively play on the Mama Bear trope as a cultural anchor: on the gate of House Mormont's keep is an old carving of a bearskin-clad woman with a suckling baby cradled in one arm and a battleaxe held ready in her free hand. You'll also find jokes about skinchanging into and/or mating with bears both used by and against the family.

Animal Motifs: Bears - Jeor is called the "Old Bear" and Alysane the "She-Bear." Dany also refers to Jorah as her bear several times.Ancestral Weapon: One of the few houses to have one they have a Valyrian steel bastard sword named Longclaw currently in Jeor Mormont's possession.Special mention to Dacey Mormont, specifically a member of Robb's guard, and Alysane "She-Bear" Mormont. Unlike with Brienne, their Island's history makes them far more comfortable with the fighting alongside whatever other traditionally "female" or "male" roles they best perform.
#A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE TV TROPES HOW TO#
Action Girl: The women of House Mormont have a long warrior history, learning how to use weapons and wage war to defend themselves against raiding Ironmen while their brothers, husbands and sons are away at sea more recently, since Jeor Mormont took the black, Jorah was outlawed and Maege was left with the hot seat with only daughters to follow her, the Mormont women have become, both de facto and de jure, the heads of the House (one of the few Houses outside of Dorne to have such an arrangement).The Mormonts are the owners of the ancestral Valyrian steel sword Longclaw, given to Jon Snow by Lord Commander Jeor Mormont having received it from his son Jorah, who surrendered it when he fled Westeros. Up until the War of Conquest, Bear Island was part of the Kingdom of the Isles and Rivers under the Ironborn rule of House Hoare of Orkmont, having been given back to the Mormonts and placed once again under the wardenship of House Stark. Another theory is that the Mormonts were distaff Woodfoots from the female side. It's not known whether the Mormonts are originally from Bear Island in the first place or whether they coexisted with the Woodfoots at the island. Previously, Bear Island had been ruled by the Woodfoots, who had been exterminated by the Ironborn. Legend states that King Rodrik Stark won Bear Island after he defeated the then Ironborn ruler at the time in a wrestling match, then awarding the lordship to the Mormonts. The pine tree in the Hoare coat of arms signified the other side of Bear Island. Fittingly, their sigil is a black bear on a green field. It is also often attacked by Ironborn raiders and the occasional band of Wildlings, prompting the women to learn how to defend themselves from all these threats. Their seat, Bear Island, is an island in the Bay of Ice that is described as consisting mainly of mountains, forests and bears. Maege has five daughters, and her current heir is the oldest, Dacey.

Currently, their lady is Maege Mormont, ruling after her brother Jeor Mormont joined the Night's Watch (he's Lord Commander at the beginning of the series) and his son Jorah went into exile, currently serving under Daenerys Targaryen, leaving the house in an impoverished state to his aunt Maege. The Mormonts are old, proud Stark bannermen descended from the blood of the First Men.
