What is the Ice Sword?
If you are still watching or finishing Game of Thrones, please know that there are spoilers in this article.
In the Game of Thrones, written by author George R. R. Martin, Ice is one of the major weapons. It is not only because it was made of scarce material, but because it was once used by a respectable nobleman, Eddard ‘Ned’ Stark. In fact, Ice was House Stark’s ancestral weapon. This has been passed down through decades, but sadly, it ended with Ned.
Unlike most of the weapons used by important characters in the Game of Thrones, Ice is one of the few great swords in the story. It is made even rarer by the fact that it was forged from Valyrian steel. This type of steel was said to be forged with dragon fire, infused with magical spells. By wielding the sword Ice, it emphasized how strong Ned Stark was.In addition, this could also mean that it takes someone with incredible strength to be able to use the sword Ice efficiently; because Ice is massive and heavy. It is so big that if it was re-forged, two smaller swords could be made out of it. In the Game of Thrones settings, Valyrian steel weapons usually played a huge part.
However, while Ice was a valuable weapon, some would consider its fate to be as grim as the last Stark that had wielded it.
What does the sword Ice Look Like?
Eddard Stark would usually use Ice for ceremonial purposes. Although, as first seen on the show, Ned Stark used the Ice to cut off the deserter’s head from the Night’s Watch. Unfortunately, even his own death would be by his own sword, too.
Ice falls into the category of a great sword that is massive in size. Although there were no official dimensions of the sword, there were references to how it looked like in the books.As Bran, the second son of Ned, described the sword in the books, Ice was as wide across as a man’s hand and even taller than Robb, Ned’s eldest son. Also, Ice is a straight, double-edged sword with a very simple design.
If it is not for the distinctive features of Valyrian steel, it may be mistaken as an ordinary weapon. Like all other Valyrian weapons, Ice has ripple patterns along its blade. The appearance of Ice, though, differs in the books and in the show. Ice had a metallic silver color on the show. However, it was mentioned in the books that its blade seemed dark and smokey. Moreover, like a greatsword, Ice has a long handle, enough to use two-handedly. It also has a brown grip and a semi-round pommel.
Who made the Sword Ice?
It’s never been mentioned who made the sword Ice. Also, little has been revealed about how this sword ended up in the House of Stark. While much of the history of this weapon is unknown, it has been mentioned that only one race was able to forge all the Valyrian weapons, and this was the Valyrians. However, there’s no specific name that has been mentioned, although it is certain that the Valyrians were the ones who forged the Ice sword into existence. They were the only ones who had the expertise to deal with rare metals, which they often imbued with magic.
After the destruction of Valyria, the knowledge of forging weapons with Valyrian steel was lost. This meant that Valyrian’s steel had become scarce because Valyrian was the only one who could forge these steels. However, the knowledge of recasting Valyrian steel weapons was not yet lost, although there were only a few blacksmiths who knew how to recast Valyrian steel. This reaffirmed how rare Valyrian steel weapons are.
What Happened to Ice after Eddard Stark’s Death?
Ice was stored in King’s Landing after Ned’s death. Subsequently, sometime later, Tywin Lannister had melted the sword Ice, and re-forged it into two smaller swords, the Widow’s Wail and the Oathkeeper.
Oathkeeper was given to Jaime Lannister, while Widow’s Wail was given as a present to Joffrey Baratheon during his wedding. As the tale progressed, Jaime handed Oathkeeper to Brienne of Tarth, and the Widow’s Wail was given to Jaime after Joffrey’s death.