A Source of Inspiration for Walder Frey
Let’s talk about Lord Walder Frey!
In the vast and complex universe created by George R.R. Martin in A Song of Ice and Fire, few characters manage to rival the old lord Walder Frey in antipathy. Frey is a fiery, mythomaniac, and self-centered character who thinks only of his needs. When he does concern himself with the needs of others, he does so only if they serve his own interests. But is there a historical figure who could inspire this detestable character? Is it possible that Lord Walder Frey is a fanciful incarnation of a 14th-century nobleman, Ralph Neville? This article explores the fascinating similarities between the two, shedding light on historical details that could explain the influences behind one of Westeros’ most hated lords.
First, old Lord Walder Frey seemed to rival Joffrey Lannister in public dislike. The two of them appeared to be in a sort of competition regarding who demanded more slaps. The old Lord Frey was a surly, bigoted, self-centered, interested only in his needs. Well, he’s only interested in the needs of others insofar as they serve his own interests. So, asking whether Lord Frey resembled a historical figure was natural. Perhaps so, although at first sight, we might be tempted to say that most historical figures have a dose of wit and impertinence. But let’s not generalize.
Walder Frey may be the fanciful Ralph Neville (1364–1425),
a 14th-century English lord immortalized by William Shakespeare as the Duke of Westmoreland in Henry V. As usual, George R.R. Martin didn’t follow history precisely but rather embroidered around the edges. But even so, we cannot say that Ralph Neville isn’t an interesting character from the perspective of the War of the Roses, Martin’s favorite historical period. There are plenty of arguments for that. So, let’s go over a few story threads together:
You remember how Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, and their retinue consulted on how to ask Lord Frey for permission to cross a river to save Eddard Stark. At the time, Ned Stark was still alive and a prisoner of King Joffrey. Discussing who should negotiate with the tyrannical Lord Frey, Catelyn said she would go, reasoning:
Known Lord Walder since I was a girl. He would never harm me.
Let it be Lord Frey, from Martin’s fantasy, Ralph Neville, father of Cecily Neville (a historical figure who may have inspired Catelyn Stark herself. We talked about that here.)?
Like Walder Frey, Ralph Neville himself had many children (23, to be precise). Lord Frey had 29. Like Lord Frey, Neville was famous in his day for the treachery and trickery he resorted to seeing his plans through. Ralph Neville was heir to the Baron of Raby (barons were the lowest-ranking nobles in England), meaning he was heir to the second most influential family in the North. Ralph Neville must have suffered from the fact was less important in the North than another, the Percys. When Henry Bolingbroke rebelled against Richard II, Ralph Neville sided with Bolingbroke (the half-brother of Ralph’s second wife, Joan Beaufort).
Another connection between Walder Frey and Ralph Neville is that they violated the code of honor. Lord Frey violated the laws of hospitality, which were very important in medieval communities. In medieval times, the laws of hospitality were sacred, and breaking them was considered a grave offense. In contrast, Ralph Neville violated the code of honor in a negotiation, a meeting between two combatants to agree to the terms of an armistice. Here are the details:
Members of the Percy family associated with Thomas Mowbray
and archbishop Scrope, in May 1405, to rise up against the king. Ralph Neville was at the head of the king’s army. However, the rebel army outnumbered the king’s. Only Neville defeated them through cunning. He came up with the idea of a negotiation between them (the king’s representatives on one side, Mowbray and Scrope on the other). Neville seemed to agree with the rebels’ wishes when they met and consequently asked them to demobilize their men. Left unprotected, Mowbray and Scrope were very easily captured by Neville’s men, handed over to the king, and beheaded. This kind of behavior was indeed a trick that seriously violated the knightly code of the time. Negotiation meant a promise that both negotiating teams would be left alive. Mowbray and Scrope were taken prisoner and subsequently killed, and breaking one’s word is not part of the accepted tricks of warfare. It was true then, and it is true today. And today, as in the old days, the rules by which wars are fought are broken in the most murderous way possible.
Ralph Neville betrayed his enemies on the battlefield and his own children. Because he disinherited his children from his first marriage in favor of those from his second. Ralph had two wives, Margaret Stafford and Joan Beaufort.
Ralph’s love story
is like a soap opera. Margaret Stafford, his first wife, bore him 8 children, including two sons who were supposed to secure his inheritance, then did what some nobles expected of their wives, died. Like Walder Frey, Ralph Neville didn’t mourn her much. Five months later, he married Joan Beaufort for the second time. The new wife was the daughter of John de Gaunt, a wealthy and powerful nobleman. John de Gaunt was at one point the 16th richest man in history.
Unlike Lord Frey’s last wife, Joan Beaufort married at 12, had three children, and was widowed at 15. She then married Ralph Neville at 17–18, and they had 9 sons and 5 daughters together.
Ralph Neville’s primary concern was to secure advantageous marriages for his children, much like Lord Frey. His second wife, Joan Beaufort, shared this ambition. Three of her daughters, for instance, married dukes, and at one point, five of her sons were in the House of Lords. This testament to the success of their children is a striking parallel to Lord Frey’s own ambitions and the achievements of his numerous offspring.
Joan Beaufort most likely advised Ralph Neville to disinherit his children from his first marriage to Margaret Stafford in favor of children from his second marriage. Neville did this by elaborate and borderline legal maneuvers.
The Stafford branch was disinherited but never forgot it. The resentment between the two branches of the family created great conflict. The disinherited branch, for example, so hated the Warwick family (the offspring of the Beaufort branch) that it fought on the opposite side. Ultimately, this disinherited branch of the Neville family laid a fatal trap for Warwick’s ally, Richard of York, at the Battle of Wakefield. This is the battle in which Richard of York and his son Edmund lost their lives. I’ll tell you about them later.
Whether or not Lord Walder Frey is a fanciful representation of Ralph Neville, it is clear that George R.R. Martin has borrowed liberally from history to create memorable and complex characters. Neville’s betrayals and ambitions, along with his large family and political alliances, are mirrored in the life and actions of Lord Frey. By studying these parallels, we deepen our understanding of the characters in A Song of Ice and Fire and rediscover the complexity and nuances of medieval intrigue. Regardless of the source of inspiration, it remains fascinating how history and fantasy interweave to give birth to such compelling and profound stories.
Further readings:
Luminarium, „Ralph Neville”: http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/ralphneville.htm
Alexander Rose, Kings in the North: The House of Percy in British History, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1176253.Kings_In_The_North
Here are two simple ways you can help me out:
- Like, comment and share this story with friends who might enjoy it.
- Hit the follow button to stay connected!
