In the world of Westeros, there are many fantastic structures. However, the locations that truly define the main continent are its many castles, and few have as terrifying a reputation as the Riverlands castle known as Harrenhal. Built upon the backs of slaves, Harrenhal stands as the biggest fortress in Westeros, its size only dwarfed by the horror it took to make it. This same horror has also seemed to curse the structure, for no one who possesses Harrenhal in Game of Thrones or House of the Dragon can do so for very long.

It might interest fans to know that despite its towering reputation, Harrenhal is relatively young when compared to the lifespans of other castles such as Winterfell or Casterly Rock. It was a the dream of a tyrant, a monument he wanted built to honor himself. He did not get to enjoy his hubris long before Aegon the Conqueror ended his line though. Harrenhal might be one of the first instances in which the Conquest was a force for good in Westeros, and understanding its history, and how others have faired in the castle, can give greater context to its role in the world going forward.

The Passion Project of a Tyrant

• Harrenhal was built by Harren the Black as a monument to himself.
• He built it using slave labor from the Riverlands.
• The castle, Harren, and his entire family, were burned by Aegon the Conqueror.

The construction of Harrenhal took about forty years. It was the dream of a man known as Harren the Black of House Hoare. An Ironborn family, the Hoares had control over the Riverlands and the Iron Islands. Harren, not satisfied with his family's original dwelling, decided to build Harrenhal as a monument to himself. To do so, he bankrupted the Riverlands, and even worse, turned most of its occupants into slave labor to build the massive castle. It would be bigger than any other fortress in Westeros, with walls twice as high. The amount of work required to build it was unceasing, and many laborers died in the course of its construction.

It is said that Harrenhal is cursed, and there are many reasons why this could be. One story states that Harren would mix the mortar of the building with human blood, perhaps enacting a form of blood magic. Whether this is intentional or not is unknown. Of course, the very walls of Harrenhal have been witness to countless atrocities before it was even completed, with many of its builders dying due to the extreme conditions of their labor. The biggest reason might be how Harren got his timber: by cutting down weirwood trees. He used them to provide beams and rafters. Since weirwoods have magical properties, this might have impacted how supernaturally charged the area was.

By the time Harren was ready to step into his fortress, Aegon the Conqueror had landed in Westeros. When he eventually reached the Riverlands, he offered Harren a choice: bend the knee and retain ownership of Harrenhal as Aegon's vassal or die with his entire family. Harren, either due to arrogance or foolishness, refused, believing that his newly built fortress was capable of shielding him even from dragonflame. Of course, he was wrong. Aegon flew his dragon, Balerion, up into the air before diving down and bathing the entire inner structure with fire. Harren, his entire family, and everyone inside the castle died that day. Since then, Harrenhal has become a burden for the crown to deal with, and a curse for anyone unlucky enough to be granted the seat.

The Unfortunate Owners of Harrenhal

• Harrenhal would be given to various families, all of whom died off in the end.
• It later hosted a Great Council to decide on King Jaehaerys' heir.
• Harrenhal would become a contested castle during the Dance of the Dragons.

Following the Conquest, Aegon was left with the difficult problem that was Harrenhal. He could not reasonably destroy the castle, as it could prove tactically advantageous to have in the future. However, maintaining it and garrisoning men there was not only extremely expensive, but ultimately pointless when there was no real reason to do so. As such, he decided to foist the problem upon other lords who would take the castle as a place of honor. Indeed, ruling Harrenhal meant that the lord in question was one of the most powerful people in the realm, in command of a mighty fortress that only a dragon could truly assault.

If Harrenhal is truly cursed though, then part of its maliciouness is that it cannot truly be owned by anyone for long. House Qoherys was the first family to own Harrenhal, but their family died out thanks to the rebellion of Harren the Red, an outlaw claiming to be a grandson of Harren the Black. From there, it fell under the stewardship of House Harroway, but they too were destroyed, this time by Maegor the Cruel, who they ironically supported when he seized the Iron Throne for himself. It was around that time that the people began whispering that the castle was cursed. House Towers took control of the castle after them, until even they died out as well. There was even a Targaryen who retained ownership of Harrenhal, Rhaena Targaryen, the older sister of King Jahaerys Targaryen. She would live out the rest of her days there before dying peacefully and being interred within the castle grounds, one of the few souls who was not troubled the ghosts of Harrenhal.

It was later used in 101 AC to host a Great Council to choose the next heir for King Jaehaerys, as the line of succession had become unclear by then, resulting in Prince Viserys being named the next king. By the time of the Dance of the Dragons, House Strong had been granted the castle. As House of the Dragon demonstrates though, this is clearly not a blessing. Lord Larys Strong had his father and brother killed within its walls to make way for his own ascension, and as demonstrated by Alys Rivers, there is a supernatural power running through the shattered halls. Harrenhal itself would become a source of contention during the Dance, changing hands many times before the war was over. After which, it resumed its tradition of passing from owner to owner, each meeting an unfortunate end sometime after getting the castle.

Harrenhal Was the Site of Several Important Events During the Modern Era

• Harrenhal was used to host a tourney in 281 AC.
• It may have been secretly used for a hidden Great Council by Prince Rhaegar.
• Harrenhal was later given to Littlefinger.

The most notable events at Harrenhal in recent years were actually major sources of entertainment. In 281 AC, a great tourney was held at the castle. Lords from all over the Seven Kingdoms attended, and it was here that a certain mysterious figure known as the Knight of the Laughing Tree, speculated by many fans to be a disguised Lyanna Stark, first potentially met Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, beginning the forbidden love story that would trigger Robert's Rebellion. Of equal significance was the induction of Jaime Lannister to the Kingsguard, furthering the rift between Tywin Lannister and Kign Aerys Targaryen, all but ensuring the future downfall of House Targaryen.

What is interesting to note here is that some who attended the tourney theorize that Harrenhal was used for more than just idle entertainment. The family in control of the castle did not have the wealth necessary to support such an event, leading many to suspect that Prince Rhaegar organized the tourney as a pretense to gather all the great lords of Westeros and discuss potentially removing Aerys as king due to his rapidly decking mental health. This would have made it the second Great Council to occur at Harrenhal if true, even if it was an informal one. If such a thing did happen, it never got the chance to begin. King Aerys arrived and threw everything into chaos with his paranoid behavior.

By the present day, Harrenhal has become a stronghold used by the Lannisters during the War of the Five Kings. Petyr Baelish, better known as Littlefinger became its acting lord, even though he has never set foot in it once in all his life. Regardless, the status that came with it elevated him enough to be able to marry Lysa Arryn, furthering his ambitious social climbing as he strived to become an even greater lord. Overall, Harrenhal has a long and sordid history, but its place as Westeros' largest castle makes it unforgettable, no matter how much the people of Westeros would prefer otherwise.