Gilly

Gilly

Wildling woman; daughter and wife of Craster

House / Order	None (free folk)
Race / Culture
Status	Alive (in the novels)
Origin	Beyond the Wall; the Wall; later Oldtown
Born	282 AC (approx.)
Died	—
Weapon
Fate	Rescued from Craster's Keep by Samwell Tarly; cares for an infant swapped to protect Mance Rayder's newborn son
Portrayed by

I named him Aemon, for the old man, but I'm so afeared.

Gilly is a young wildling woman, one of the many daughter-wives of the cruel wildling Craster, who lived beyond the Wall. Gentle, frightened, but quietly brave, Gilly becomes bound to Samwell Tarly of the Night's Watch, who helps her flee her father's keep, and the two form one of the saga's tenderest relationships amid the horrors of the north.

Background

Gilly was born at Craster's Keep, the squalid homestead of the wildling Craster, who took his own daughters as wives and fathered children upon them. Craster gave his daughters as brides to no man and, it was whispered, sacrificed his newborn sons to the cold gods of the wood, the Others. Gilly grew up in fear within this grim household.

Meeting Samwell Tarly

When the Great Ranging of the Night's Watch under Lord Commander Jeor Mormont sheltered at Craster's Keep, the heavily pregnant Gilly begged Samwell Tarly to take her away before her child could be born, terrified that if it were a boy Craster would give it to the cold gods. Sam, timid and self-doubting, was moved by her plight, though he could promise nothing at the time.

Flight from Craster's Keep

After the disaster of the ranging and the mutiny in which Craster and Lord Commander Jeor Mormont were killed, Sam fled the keep with Gilly and her newborn son through the snow. On the harrowing journey south to the Wall, Sam slew a wight and, later, an Other with a blade of dragonglass, becoming "Sam the Slayer," and the two grew close, with Sam coming to love her.

Oldtown

At the Wall, Gilly's circumstances took another wrenching turn. To protect the infant son of Mance Rayder and the wildling Dalla from Melisandre's fires, Jon Snow arranged a secret swap: Gilly was sent away by ship to safety, ordered to take Mance's child as her own while leaving her own baby behind at Castle Black under another name. Heartbroken at the deception, Gilly nonetheless obeyed. She traveled with Samwell Tarly toward Oldtown, where Sam was to train as a maester, by way of the home of his harsh father, Lord Randyll Tarly, and the two finally became lovers along the journey.

Character

Gilly embodies innocence and maternal courage in a brutal world. Unschooled and timid, she nonetheless shows steady bravery in defense of her child and an unwavering loyalty to Sam. Her bond with Samwell Tarly gives both characters strength, drawing out his hidden courage and offering her the first kindness she has ever known.

In the television series

In HBO's Game of Thrones, Gilly is portrayed by Hannah Murray. Her rescue by Sam, their growing love, and their journey toward Oldtown follow the novels, though the show simplifies the swapped-baby storyline.

Appearances

• A Storm of Swords
• A Feast for Crows
• A Dance with Dragons