I was thinking about Brienne the other day, and that got me wondering about her father. What do we know about Selwyn Tarth from the books? According to you, what kind of an influence has he had on her life?
We don’t know that much about Selwyn Tarth, but what we know is… mixed. Some good stuff, very good, but some stuff that’s sort of questionable too. Anyway, some details:
“Selwyn of Tarth, by the grace of the gods Lord of Evenfall,” is called the Evenstar, the traditional title of the Lord of Tarth, a title that goes back to the Dawn Age and the First Men (although the Tarths themselves became Andalized during their invasion). The Tarths have blood connections to the Baratheons, Durrandons, and recently to the Targaryens. (Not explained how, to our frustration.)
Tarth is called the Sapphire Isle, although it has no sapphires – it’s named because of the beautiful blue of the waters surrounding the island. It’s a pretty large island, about as large as the Arbor. Galladon of Morne was a legendary knight from Tarth during the Age of Heroes, who bore the magic sword the Just Maid – the Tarths (and others) claim descent from him.
Selwyn is 54, in 300AC. That means he would have been born in 245 or 246, and was about 13 years old at time of the Tragedy at Summerhall. If he does have a Targaryen connection, that means either he didn’t attend (too distant to be considered the blood of the dragon that Aegon V summoned for the ceremony), or was one of the few survivors. (Perhaps one of those rescued by Dunk? Ah god GRRM, oh my heart.) Selwyn would have been about 14 during the War of the Ninepenny Kings, and so probably was a squire to someone there.
Selwyn had 4 children – Galladon, his son who died from drowning when he was eight, Brienne, and Arianne and Alysanne who died in infancy.
Brienne doesn’t remember her mother, who must have died when she was very young. Selwyn instead had female companions, a new one every year. What’s up with that, I don’t know – maybe avoiding attachment to mistresses who might want to move above their station? Maybe avoiding love? *shrug* But he’s never remarried, even though he could have (especially because he only has one daughter).
Brienne used to believe that all men were as noble as her father. While her opinion of men changed, her opinion of her father didn’t. It’s also said that Selwyn is a good man, quoted by Randyll Tarly (whose judgement is highly suspect, but as he’s only repeating what he’s heard, we can’t consider it wrong).
Selwyn had two employees who shaped Brienne’s life – Septa Roelle, who broke her self-confidence and told her that men who complimented her were lying, the truth was in her mirror; and Ser Goodwin, who trained Brienne at arms, even sending her to butcher piglets and lambs to harden her for battle (“the lambs screamed like frightened children”, thanks Thomas Harris GRRM), and taught her that men would underestimate her abilities. Having a septa for his daughter is normal, but Selwyn allowing his daughter to learn to fight is very unusual, even with her size and build and inclinations, which tells us he must love her very much to break standards like that.
Selwyn also regularly had singers at Evenfall Hall throughout Brienne’s childhood, whose songs of knighthood and honor and heroism she memorized, also shaping her life.
Selwyn tried to find matches for Brienne, for her status of the future Lady of Tarth. First, a younger son of Lord Caron, but when she was 9, he died of illness along with his immediate family. Then when she was 12, Ser Ronnet Connington (from a formerly lordly family who should have jumped at Tarth), but he broke the betrothal when he saw her. And lastly when she was 16, an elderly knight, Humphrey Wagstaff, who wanted her to give up her martial studies and dressing in men’s clothes – when she beat him in a fight, she broke the betrothal, his collarbone, and two ribs. Regarding Selwyn, while the first two matches were pretty good, the third smacks of desperation, alas. However, after the last one, he stopped trying to marry her off. Again, Selwyn must love Brienne more than Westeros standards of behavior would consider normal.
Renly Baratheon, the liege lord of the Stormlands, visited Tarth on his lord’s progress when he was 16 and came of age. Brienne was 13 and had just had the trauma of Ronnet throwing a rose at her and calling her uglier than a sow to break their betrothal – but Selwyn wouldn’t let her hide in her room and commanded her to attend at Renly’s welcoming feast. There Renly danced with her, making her feel beautiful and graceful, and other men followed his example.
When Brienne was about 17-18, Selwyn sent her to Storm’s End to serve Renly. He must have been effusive with praises of her skills, as Renly told her (after she won the great melee at Bitterbridge), “You are all your lord father claimed you were.”
Selwyn declined to support Stannis Baratheon, although he did at least meet Davos (in a grove, at midnight) to tell him that. (Many lords refused to meet Davos at all.) He was not one of those who went over to Stannis after Renly’s death. (But Tarth men aren’t mentioned to have joined the Tyrells and Lannisters, either.)
After Brienne was captured by Vargo Hoat and the Brave Companions, Selwyn offered a ransom of 300 gold dragons, “a fair ransom for a knight”. However Hoat refused it and demanded sapphires instead (because of Jaime’s lie to save Brienne from being raped). That was something Selwyn could not provide. :(
As far as we know, Brienne has not been able to contact Selwyn since Renly’s death, nor since her rescue from Harrenhal. Perhaps she was able to get a message sent while she was confined in the Red Keep, but nothing mentions it. (And considering she’s been accused of murdering Renly, god knows what he’s heard about her.)
Aegon Targaryen and the Golden Company’s invasion of Westeros has landed on the coast of the Stormlands. According to fishermen, Tarth has fallen. What that means for Selwyn, we don’t know.
To sum up – by all accounts, Selwyn Tarth is a good, honorable man. (His relationship with his many mistresses is questionable, though.) He raised Brienne extremely atypically, allowing her to learn to fight and receive a knight’s training. His employment of Septa Roelle is not spectacular though, but many parents don’t seem to know the kind of things their septas are teaching their daughters (see Septa Mordane and Arya). He did his duty as a father with Brienne’s betrothals, if somewhat well below her status by the end, but allowed her to break that one and hasn’t pressed her since. He sent her with pride to Renly, and did his best to save her from Vargo Hoat. I think Selwyn loves Brienne and does all that he can with such an atypical child, far more than any typical Westerosi lord would do. (The fact that he hasn’t even remarried to have another child is very telling.) And Brienne loves him, she deeply wishes that she could be the daughter her father needs, to sing to him and give him grandsons, or a brave son to bring him honor, and is heartbroken that she can’t be either for him.
