Pyke is the ancestral seat and home of House Greyjoy. It’s located on the island of the same name. The castle is the regional capital of the Iron Islands. It’s unclear that the castle got its name after the island or the island after the castle. It’s not known either what is the relationship between the castle and the Ironborn bastards’ given name “Pyke”.

Appearance of the Castle

Pyke is a very ancient castle and no one knows who actually built it and when. It was built on a cliff standing out of the sea but thanks to the erosion, nowadays there are only stone stacks which the towers stand on. These towers are connected by bridges and crossing them can be dangerous when the weather is stormy. It’s not suitable for ships to dock near the castle, so they have to use the harbour of Lordsport on the other side of the island.

The castle has four great parts, these are the Great Keep, the Kitchen Keep, the Guest Keep and the Sea Tower. All of them have their own islands. The stables, kennels and livestocks are on the mainland and a massive stone bridge connects them to the first larger part of the castle, the Great Keep.

The Great Keep is a large and stable part of the building. It sits on the largest stone stack. The Great Hall of the castle is located here. It’s a long hall and its walls have a smoky grey colour. The famous Seastone Chair is found in the Great Hall.

The next part of the castle is the Guest Keep which is called the Bloody Keep. It got its name because the sons of the river king, Bernarr II Justman, were killed here when they stayed at Pyke. It’s one of the largest parts of the castle. The islet that it sits on is further from the coast than the Great Keep. It has bigger and more comfortable chambers with high ceilings. The Guest Keep is connected to the Great Keep by a walkway covered with stones.

The Kitchen Keep is the next part of the castle. Its name is self-explanatory, the kitchen of the castle is found here. The residents of the castle eat here. The most common foods served at Pyke are fish stews, black bread and onion pies.

The Sea Tower sits on the furthest stack. It is the oldest part of the castle. Three rope bridges connect the Sea Tower to other parts of the castle. The bedrooms of the of House Greyjoy are found there. The Lord has his own solar. At the top of the tower the kraken banner flies from an iron mast.

History

Before Aegon’s Conquest

The origins of Pyke castle are lost in history. Once it was much bigger and located on the island called Pyke but many cliffs fell into the sea and it caused its today appearance. The surviving structures of the building are built upon stone stacks.

There is only a little information about the early happenings in the castle but Qhored I Hoare, King of the Iron Islands murdered the sons of Bernarr II Justman, King of the Trident while they were his hostages at Pyke.

After Aegon’s Conquest

After Aegon’s Conquest, Lord Vickon Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke became the Lord of the Iron Islands. He ruled over the islands from the Seastone Chair, located at Pyke. He was succeeded by his son and House Greyjoy has kept the title that they got from Aegon.

During the Dance of the Dragons, Lord Dalton Greyjoy was the Lord Reaper of Pyke and ruled over the Iron Islands. Aegon II Targaryen offered him a position in the Small Council as the Master of Ships if he brought the Iron Fleet around Westeros to fight against Corlys Velaryon. Rhaenyra Targaryen also sent ravens to Pyke and asked him to attack her enemies. Dalton decided to help Rhaenyra and attacked the Westerlands. He died in 133 AC at Fair Isle. Next year the westermen attacked the Iron Islands and captured Rodrik Greyjoy, brother of Lord Toron Greyjoy.

Lord Quellon Greyjoy tried to reform the lifestyle of the Ironborn and integrate them to the Seven Kingdoms. He freed the thralls, forbade the reaving, brought maesters to the Iron Islands, discouraged the practice of keeping salt wives and ed marriages between Ironborn and ladies from the continent. He also married a lady from the Green Lands: Lady Piper of Pinkmaiden. He died at sea in the battle at the Mander’s mouth while ing Robert’s Rebellion against the Mad King. He was succeeded by his eldest surviving son, Balon.

The Balon Greyjoy Era

Lord Balon Greyjoy rejected most of his father’s reforms and returned to the Old Way. When he returned home after the war, he killed the maester of Pyke because he failed to heal his younger brother Urrigon. However, he requested a new maester from the Citadel. Aeron Greyjoy used to sing reaving songs on the top of the Great Keep’s tables.

The most important event of the reign of Balon Greyjoy is the Greyjoy Rebellion. It happened in the year 289 AC. It was an unsuccessful try to get independence to the Iron Islands. The final battle was the siege of Pyke led by King Robert I Baratheon himself. Many lords of the Seven Kingdoms including Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell ed the King. They used siege engines to bring down the southern wall of Pyke then they captured the castle. Lord Balon’s eldest son, Rodrik was slain in an earlier battle in Seagard and his second son, Maron was crushed to death by the Southern Tower when it collapsed. Balon’s youngest son and heir, Theon was taken by Lord Eddard Stark from Pyke to Winterfell as a ward.

After losing her sons, Lady Alannys Greyjoy took five boys to Pyke as wards. One of them, Tristifer Botley was sent away after Maester Qalen saw him kissing Asha Greyjoy. Lady Alannys seemed to lose her mind after her two elder sons died and searched for them in the chambers of Pyke. Eventually, she moved to Ten Towers. Asha finds Pyke less homelike than Ten Towers.

In the books

A Clash of Kings

Ravens are sent to Lord Balon Greyjoy to inform him that his son Theon was sent to Pyke as a messenger of King Robb Stark but he doesn’t reply.

Theon returns to Pyke for the first time since he was taken away from there. His uncle, Aeron Greyjoy, now the priest of the Drowned God escorts him from Lordsport to Pyke. Instead of staying in the Sea Tower where he slept as a child, he gets a room in the Bloody Keep. Balon is staying in the Sea Tower when he rejects Robb’s offer of alliance. He hosts a feast for the captains in the Great Keep then he shares his plan with his family about invading the North and getting independence.

A Storm of Swords

The captain of the ship Myraham says that Balon Greyjoy fell to his death from a bridge of Pyke and soon after his brother Euron returned from exile and claimed the Seastone Chair.

A Feast for Crows

Aeron Greyjoy calls for a kingsmoot on Old Wyk because he doesn’t want Euron to rule. He fails because the captains choose Euron as the King of the Iron Islands.

A Dance with Dragons

Erik Ironmaker serves as the castellan of Pyke and Lord Steward of the Iron Islands.

In the TV show

Season 2

Theon Greyjoy arrives in Lordsport and is taken to Pyke by his sister Yara whom he doesn’t recognize. He reunites his father in the castle but Balon isn’t happy to see his son and rejects Robb’s offer. He has his own plans which is conquering the North. Balon gives thirty ships to Yara the task of taking Deepwood Motte but only one ship to Theon to raid fishing villages. He doesn’t trust his son. Theon writes a letter to Robb to inform him that he failed and Balon wants to attack the North but eventually he chooses his father and instead of sending the letter to his friend, he burns it.

Season 3

Balon and Yara receive a letter from Ramsay and a box with a part of Theon. Ramsay threatens the King of the Iron Islands to flay every Ironborn in the North if he doesn’t surrender. Balon rejects him and rejects Theon as his son and heir. Yara doesn’t agree and decides to save her brother but she fails because Theon behaves like Reek and doesn’t want to go with her.

Season 6

The Ironborn lost the North. Yara suggests her father to surrender and make peace with the Northerners. Balon refuses her and threatens her to find another heir to the Iron Islands. Later when he’s crossing a bridge between two towers, he sees a man wearing a cloak. He introduces himself as Euron Greyjoy. They have a short conversation, then Balon tries to stab his little brother with a knife but Euron throws him off the bridge. Balon dies and his body is found the next morning. Following the funeral, Yara tells her uncle Aeron who is a Drowned Priest that she will succeed her father on the Salt Throne. Aeron warns her that the kingsmoot will decide who will be the new ruler of the Iron Islands.

Season 8

Yara successfully retakes the Iron Islands from Euron. Her seat presumably remains at Pyke.

Notable residents

House Greyjoy from the ancient past have lived in Castle Pyke. In the show Queen Yara Greyjoy lives there currently. In the books, Erik Ironmaker lives there as the castellan of Pyke because all of House Greyjoy are staying away: Theon and Asha are staying in the North, Victarion is on his way to Meereen, Euron is currently raiding the Reach and Aeron stays on his ship as a captive.

Household

The household under Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands:

:droplet: Helya, an old woman who has the role of a steward since the late steward Sylas died

:droplet: Maester Wendamyr

:droplet: Dagmer Cleftjaw, the master-at-arms.

:droplet: guards

:droplet: thralls act as servants.

The household under King Euron III Greyjoy:

:droplet: Helya

:droplet: Maester Wendamyr

:droplet: Erik Ironmaker, the castellan of Pyke

:droplet: guards

:droplet: thralls act as servants

There’s no information about who belongs to the household of Queen Yara Greyjoy in the TV show but she presumably keeps guards, a steward, a maester and some servants.