Original artwork, not a still
A Game of Thrones ‧ 1996
The Night’s Watch oath, A Game of Thrones
Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. …
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The repeated declarations make the speaker’s identity inseparable from the watch. The vow’s force comes from committing an entire future before knowing what that future will demand.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for A Game of ThronesShow the scene
Jon and Sam swear the Night’s Watch vows before the old gods beyond the Wall in A Game of Thrones. The oath gives up family succession and private loyalties in favour of a lifelong collective duty. The full vow exceeds the card limit, so this excerpt stops at “watcher on the walls”; the ellipsis marks the remaining promises.
Sources (2)
- Jon swears the vows in the godswood (AWOIAF chapter 48; repeated in A Clash of Kings ch. 68) — reference 1Jon swears the vows in the godswood (AWOIAF chapter 48; repeated in A Clash of Kings ch. 68); selected line and sceneReference checked
- Jon swears the vows in the godswood (AWOIAF chapter 48; repeated in A Clash of Kings ch. 68) — reference 2Jon swears the vows in the godswood (AWOIAF chapter 48; repeated in A Clash of Kings ch. 68); selected line and sceneReference checked
Context reviewed
