Olenna Tyrell
| House / Order | House Tyrell (born House Redwyne) |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Westerosi (of the Reach) |
| Status | Alive (as of A Dance with Dragons) |
| Origin | The Reach; King's Landing |
| Born | c. 228 AC |
| Died | |
| Weapon | Her tongue |
| Fate | One of the secret architects of Joffrey's poisoning; returned to Highgarden |
| Portrayed by | Diana Rigg |
Olenna Tyrell, née Redwyne, called the Queen of Thorns, is the sharp-tongued widow of the late Lord Luthor Tyrell and the matriarch of House Tyrell. Grandmother to Margaery and mother to the pompous Lord Mace Tyrell, she is the true political mind of her house, a cunning old woman who hides her ruthlessness behind a façade of doddering frankness.
Though never a viewpoint character, Olenna is among the most memorable figures of A Storm of Swords, and is revealed to be one of the secret hands behind the assassination of King Joffrey.
Background
Born to House Redwyne of the Arbor, Olenna was famously clever and sharp-witted in her youth. She married into House Tyrell and, by force of personality, came to dominate the family long after her husband's death. She holds her own son Mace in open contempt, regarding him as a fool, and steers House Tyrell's ambitions from behind the scenes, most of all the elevation of her beloved granddaughter Margaery.
Biography
A Storm of Swords
Olenna comes to King's Landing for Margaery's wedding to King Joffrey. Behind her witty, indiscreet public manner, she has taken the measure of Joffrey and judged him a vicious monster unfit to wed her granddaughter. In a private conversation she gently interrogates Sansa Stark about Joffrey's true nature. Conspiring with Littlefinger, Olenna arranges for Joffrey to be poisoned at his own wedding feast: the strangling poison is taken from a hairnet that Olenna herself plucks while fussing over Sansa. Margaery is thereby freed to marry the gentler Tommen, and the crime is pinned on the innocent Tyrion.
A Feast for Crows
With her schemes advancing, Olenna returns to Highgarden, her work in the capital done. Her absence leaves Margaery exposed to the machinations of Cersei, who manipulates the Faith Militant into imprisoning the young queen. The Tyrells, with Olenna's guidance, marshal their considerable power, the host and the navy of the Reach, to protect their interests and free Margaery.
Character
Olenna is wickedly intelligent, blunt, and unsentimental, a survivor who has outlived friends and enemies alike. She conceals lethal cunning beneath the guise of a harmless, gossiping old woman, freely insulting her own family and the great lords of the realm. Fiercely protective of Margaery, she is willing to commit regicide to spare her granddaughter a cruel marriage. Few in the realm are her equal in the game of thrones, and almost none suspect it.
Relationships
Olenna's devotion to her granddaughter Margaery is the mainspring of her schemes. She holds her son Mace in contempt and overrules him at will. Her conspiracy with Littlefinger kills Joffrey. She regards Cersei as a dangerous fool and Tywin as a worthy adversary.
Quotes
Once the cow's been milked, there's no squirting the cream back up her udder.
All these kings would do a deal better if they would put down their swords and listen to their mothers.
In the television series
In HBO's Game of Thrones, Olenna was portrayed by Diana Rigg. Her arc follows the novels, then continues beyond them: she allies with Daenerys Targaryen, and after Highgarden falls to the Lannisters she is forced to drink poison, but not before confessing to Jaime that she was the one who murdered Joffrey. This confrontation and death have not occurred in the books, where Olenna lives.