House Greyjoy

House Greyjoy of Pyke is one of the Great Houses of Westeros. It rules over the Iron Islands, a harsh and bleak collection of islands off the west coast of Westeros, from the castle at Pyke. The head of the house is the Lord Reaper of Pyke.

Following the extinction of House Hoare, the ironborn elected House Greyjoy as Lord of the Iron Islands, an administrative region of the Seven Kingdoms, as vassals to House Targaryen. During Robert's Rebellion, House Greyjoy declared for House Baratheon. During the Greyjoy Rebellion, Balon Greyjoy declared sovereignty as the Kingdom of the Iron Islands and seceded from the Seven Kingdoms, but the rebellion was put down. House Greyjoy bent the knee to Robert Baratheon, and the Kingdom of the Iron Islands became defunct.

During the War of the Five Kings, Balon Greyjoy declared himself King of the Iron Islands and the Iron Islands independent once more, restoring the Kingdom of the Iron Islands and seceding from the Seven Kingdoms. House Greyjoy's sigil is traditionally a golden kraken on a black field. Their house words are "We Do Not Sow," although the phrase "What Is Dead May Never Die" is also closely associated with House Greyjoy and their bannermen, as they are associated with the faith of the Drowned God.
 * Following his assassination and the election of his brother and murderer, Euron, as the new King of the Iron Islands, House Greyjoy was divided between Euron and his followers, and Balon's surviving children, Yara and Theon, and their followers. During Daenerys Targaryen's war for Westeros, Euron allied with Cersei of House Lannister, while Yara and her followers allied with Daenerys Targaryen, who Euron originally intended to ally with. After being set free by Theon, Yara retook the Iron Islands in Daenerys's name. Theon died at the Battle of Ice and Fire while Euron died at the Battle of King's Landing, leaving Yara firmly as the head and last living member of House Greyjoy.