Valyrian Steel A Song of Ice and Fire – Longclaw Sword of Jon Snow

For five centuries the Valyrian steel sword Longclaw was carried by the Lords of Bear Island in the service of the Starks of Winterfell. Passed from father to son, the hand-and-a-half sword – called a bastard sword by the uncouth – had a great history while in their possession. That came to an end, however, when the last lord of the House, Jorah Mormont, was disgraced and fled Lord Stark’s justice. Jorah went into exile, but left behind the sword which then found its way back to his father, Jeor, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch. Longclaw was kept out of sight, until the fateful night came when a wight – a dead man brought to life by creatures out of nightmarish legend – sought to throttle the Old Bear in his sleep. It was his steward, Jon Snow, and Snow’s albino direwolf Ghost who rescued him by setting the wight ablaze. Though part of Lord Jeor’s apartments were burned down following this, the fire would need to have burned a hundred times hotter to harm the blade that was forged in old Valyria before the Doom. The ancient silver bear’s head pommel and the hilt was burned, but these were replaced at the Old Bear’s command with something befitting Snow. Given the sword, now adorned with a wolf’s head pommel, and the opportunity to rename it as a gift. Jon Snow responded that wolves have claws just as bears do, and kept the proud name as it was.