Game of Thrones: The History Behind Jon Snow’s Longclaw, Explained

In Game of Thrones season 1, episode 9 “Baelor,” Jon Snow visits Lord Commander Jeor Mormont in his chamber and receives his ancestral Valyrian steel sword – Longclaw as a reward for saving his life from a Wight. “It’s called Longclaw. Works as well for a wolf as a bear, I think,” Lord Commander says. While Jeor Mormont hails from Bear Island in the North and is fondly called the Old Bear, Jon is known as Ned Stark’s bastard and, a wolf, owing to House Stark’s sigil. Mormont replaces his sword’s old pommel and has the new one designed in the shape of a wolf, and proudly passes on House Mormont heirloom to Jon.