Ice

Ice is the greatsword of House Stark, a blade of legendary Valyrian steel that embodies the north's ancient traditions of justice and honor. Forged in the fires of Valyria before the Doom, it is described as being as wide across as a man's hand and taller even than Robb Stark, its dark, smoke-like metal holding an edge like no other. The name itself is older than the sword, a legacy from the Age of Heroes when the Starks were Kings in the North, and it has been passed down through generations as both a weapon and a symbol of the family's authority.

Appearance and Forging

Ice is a true two-handed greatsword, massive and imposing. Its blade is Valyrian steel, spell-forged and dark as smoke, with rippling patterns visible deep within the metal where it was folded back on itself a hundred times. Catelyn Stark, who has no love for swords, cannot deny its beauty, noting that it was forged in Valyria before the Doom came to the old Freehold, when ironsmiths worked their metal with spells as well as hammers. The blade is four hundred years old and as sharp as the day it was forged, a testament to the enduring quality of Valyrian steel.

Role in Justice and Execution

Ice is the instrument of Lord Eddard Stark's justice, wielded by the man who passes the sentence. Eddard Stark holds to the old way of the First Men, believing that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. When he executes the deserter from the Night's Watch, he uses Ice, lifting the greatsword high above his head before taking off the man's head with a single sure stroke. The blood sprays out across the snow, as red as summerwine, and the snows around the stump drink it eagerly. Afterward, Eddard cleans the blade in the black waters of the godswood pool, a ritual that underscores the solemnity and weight of the act.

Symbol of Northern Honor

Ice is more than a weapon; it is a symbol of House Stark's honor and the north's ancient traditions. When Eddard Stark is forced to execute Lady, Sansa's direwolf, he chooses to do it himself with Ice rather than let a butcher do it, declaring, "She is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher." The act is a painful duty, but one he undertakes to preserve the dignity of the animal and the honor of his house. The sword is also a link to the past, a reminder of the Starks' long history as Kings in the North, and it is kept in the crypts of Winterfell, where an iron longsword is laid across the lap of each Lord of Winterfell to keep the vengeful spirits in their crypts.

The Final Act

Ice's most devastating appearance comes at the end of the book, when it is used to execute Eddard Stark himself. After Eddard is betrayed and arrested, Ser Ilyn Payne, the King's Justice, draws the greatsword from its scabbard on his back. As he lifts the blade above his head, sunlight ripples and dances down the dark metal, glinting off an edge sharper than any razor. Arya Stark, watching from the crowd, recognizes the sword and screams, "Ice, he has Ice!" The blade that once served as the instrument of Stark justice is turned against its master, a brutal and ironic end to the story of the sword and the man who wielded it.