Lann the Clever
| House / Order | House Lannister |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | First Men / Andal |
| Status | Deceased (legendary) |
| Origin | The Westerlands |
| Born | The Age of Heroes |
| Died | The Age of Heroes |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Won Casterly Rock by trickery; founded the Lannister line |
| Portrayed by |
Lann the Clever was a legendary trickster of the Age of Heroes, credited in the songs of Westeros as the founder of House Lannister and the man who won the great fortress of Casterly Rock through cunning rather than conquest.
The Winning of Casterly Rock
According to legend, Casterly Rock was held by House Casterly, and Lann the Clever took it from them by trickery rather than force. The tales differ: some say he smuggled himself into the Rock and crept through its halls by night, whispering and rattling until the Casterlys believed the place haunted and fled; others say he extorted gold from the Casterlys or wooed and won the heir. By one story or another, the Rock passed to Lann, and the Casterlys were dispossessed.
Founder of House Lannister
From Lann descended House Lannister, the golden-haired lords of the Westerlands who came to rule from Casterly Rock and to control the richest gold mines in the realm. Their wealth and the proverb that "a Lannister always pays his debts" trace, in legend, to the cunning founder. The fair hair of the Lannisters is sometimes attributed to Lann himself, said in jest to have been so bright he stole gold from the sun.
Myth
As with many figures of the Age of Heroes, the maesters regard Lann the Clever as more legend than history, a folk hero onto whom many tales of cleverness were heaped. Yet he remains the proud mythic founder of one of the greatest houses of Westeros.