Aegon Targaryen, after his conquest of Westeros, initially granted the immense castle of Harrenhal to his bannermen of House Qoherys.
The Troubled Legacy of Harrenhal's Keepers
After the fiery downfall of Harren the Black and the destruction of Harrenhal, King Aegon I Targaryen saw fit to grant the vast, albeit ruined, fortress to a new house. He chose House Qoherys, one of his bannermen, to take stewardship of the massive stronghold. However, the tenure of House Qoherys was not to last, as they eventually met their end, becoming extinct.
A Succession of Ill Fates
The unfortunate demise of House Qoherys set a grim precedent for Harrenhal. Over the centuries, the castle gained a sinister reputation, believed by many to be cursed due to the consistent fate of its ruling houses. Each family that claimed Harrenhal after Aegon's conquest ultimately died out, ensuring the castle's dark legacy persisted.
The succession of houses that held Harrenhal after Aegon's initial grant to the Qoherys family illustrates this pattern of extinction:
| Order | House Name | Fate After Holding Harrenhal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | House Qoherys | Became extinct |
| 2 | House Towers | Died out |
| 3 | House Harroway | Died out |
| 4 | House Strong | Died out |
| 5 | House Lothston | Died out |
This recurring tragedy for its lords, from the Hoares and Qoherys to the Towers, Harroway, Strong, and Lothston, cemented Harrenhal's status as a profoundly cursed place within the history of Westeros.
