Game of Thrones is a very dense fantasy series. The franchise covers countless characters, families, and events in astounding detail. Fans know every decision made in the Battle of the Blackwater or the Red Wedding, but the period before Robert’s Rebellion or even Aegon’s Conquest is more challenging to understand. Westeros’s history typically begins when humans reached its shores, but the books offer Garth Greenhand as its first human resident.
Among iconic fantasy universes, Game of Thrones is considered more grounded. Magic elements are kept to a minimum, with the few characters capable of casting spells relegated to the background. When the books start, dragons are things of the past, and most problems are solved with weapons. Further examination proves that the more fantastical days of Westeros are in the distant past.
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When did humans come to Westeros?
Some 12,000 years before Aegon’s Conquest, humans crossed a natural land bridge from Essos to the land that would become Dorne. Essos is a tremendous continent to the East, several times larger than Westeros. No one knows why humans chose to come to Westeros. Historians suggest that the First Men originated in an area known as the Dothraki Sea. Despite its name, the Dothraki Sea is an expansive grassland of steppes and plains. They would have had to travel thousands of miles to reach the Arm of Dorne on the western end of Essos. The First Men then had to cross the Arm into Westeros.
The land wasn’t unoccupied. The indigenous species of Westeros was called the Children of the Forest. Humans waged war against them for over 2,000 years. The Children of the Forest destroyed the Arm of Dorne with a magical assault called the Hammer of the Waters. Though they couldn’t stop the invasion, they halted human movement across continents for millennia. The First Men and Children eventually forged a peace treaty. This era of peace allowed the First Men to propagate the land. New invaders supplanted them, but the First Men determined much of the ethnic identity of Westeros.
Who was Garth Greenhand?
Garth Greenhand was the High King of the First Men and, according to some legends, the first man to step foot in Westeros. The distant past of Game of Thrones is consistently shrouded in mystery. George R. R. Martin takes great pains to describe the Age of Heroes as vaguely as possible. He keeps details in the dark, but some stories are regularly retold. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said,
I’m trying to reflect real-life things that a lot of high fantasy doesn’t reflect. In the Bible, it has people living for hundreds of years and then people added up how long each lived and used that to figure out when events took place. Really? I don’t think so. Now we’re getting more realistic dating now from carbon dating and archeology. But Westeros doesn’t have that. They’re still in the stage of ‘my grandfather told me and his grandfather told him.’
Narratively, the life of Garth Greenhand is disputed, but he’s the only name offered as the potential first human in Westeros. Whether he came before the First Men or not, he is usually the monarch above their invasion. The First Men marched in his name. Some legends imagine a figure called only the First King, but those stories may fold back into Garth’s legacy. Greenhand is sometimes depicted as an old god. He’s said to have taught humans how to farm. Some describe him with green hands, hair, or even skin. Others add details like a crown of flowers or a set of antlers to his distinct look.
Garth Greenhand is critical to Westeros’s history in another way. He’s claimed as the progenitor of many Noble Families. The most direct claim is House Gardener, tied to Garth the Gardener, Greenhand’s first son. At least 13 Noble Houses claim relation to the High King of the First Men. Most of these families are lesser known because the First Men were supplanted by the Andals, who claim ethnic ownership over the Lannisters, Baratheons, and Targaryens. House Tarly, Samwell’s awful family, ties back to Greenhand. House Tyrell also traces their lineage to Greenhand. The most contested possible descendant of Garth Greenhand was Brandon of the Bloody Blade. Brandon’s son was Bran the Builder, the progenitor of House Stark.
Garth Greenhand is a figure of legend that could occupy many levels of importance. Being the first human in Westeros marks him as a fascinating historical figure, but his utility in the series is more archival. Noble Houses claim their status from history and genetic birthright. Egalitarianism is thought of as a foreign concept. Power is secured through heritage. Even a rebellion against a corrupt monarch must come from a family with status. Tying the family name back to the first man to see the continent establishes prestige and longevity. Garth Greenhand is more than a theoretical person or even an ancient god. He’s a symbol that nobles use to argue that their bloodline has owned their land since the beginning.