All about 'GoT's iconic swords Widow's Wail and Oath Keeper
Even years after the ending of HBO's Game of Thrones, we fans cannot stop getting fascinated by the iconic scenes and moments from the series. If you are one of the geeks who cannot stop reading or knowing facts about the series, we have come up with an explainer of two of the iconic swords seen in the series—Widow's Wail and Oath Keeper.
A quick recap about the swords' origins
For those who need a little recalling, during the tragic (read satisfying) wedding episode of Joffrey Baratheon, his grandfather and the Hand of the King, Tywin Lannister gifted him a sword, which the King named Widow's Wail. The other sword, Oath Keeper, is gifted to our beloved Ser Brienne of Tarth by Jaime Lannister as a mark of honor for her loyalty.
Oath Keeper was originally gifted by Tywin to Jaime
Oath Keeper was originally given to Jaime by Tywin to release him from his vows as Lord Commander. Later, Jaime honored Brienne with the sword when he sent her to rescue Sansa Stark and protect the Stark lady with her family's reforged sword.
Why were they named Oath Keeper and Widow's Wail?
Ser Brienne named her sword Oath Keeper to honor her oath to King Renly Baratheon and later to the Lady of Winterfell, Catelyn Stark, which ultimately got her involved in the story. On the other hand, Joffrey named his sword Widow's Wail to remember the wails of Catelyn Stark after she learned about the demise of her husband, Ned Stark.
Where did the swords come from?
The swords were made with the orders of Tywin by a Volantene blacksmith, who melted one of the largest swords of Westeros—Ice, owned by the Stark family. The melting of the sword happens in a rather emotional way in Season 4. As it's melted, the theme song of the Lannisters was played in the background implying how Tywin doesn't care about Starks' legacy.
Tyrion Lannister has a part in the sword, too
Before it was melted, Tyrion Lannister sent Ice to Catelyn along with Ned's remains as a mark of apology. But following the death of Catelyn and her son Rob in the Red Wedding, it was sent back to the Red Keep.
Where did the swords end up?
Oath Keeper remained with Brienne, using which she fought the White Walkers during The Long Night. The whereabouts of Widow's Wail are unknown. But it's anticipated that after Joffrey's demise, it would've been passed on to Tommen Baratheon. And after his subsequent demise, it would be kept at the Red Keep, and King Bran Stark would've identified its origin and kept it for himself.
