Maesters of the Citadel
The Maesters are a fictional order of scholars, healers and scientists in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Their central institution is the university-like Citadel, in the city of Oldtown.
Organization
The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult. Males of any age may begin training as a maester; females are not permitted to study or join the order. Noble families in Westeros sometimes send their younger sons to the Citadel. The maesters, like the brothers of the Night's Watch, are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and advisor, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties.
Traditions and Culture
The maesters all begin their training in the Citadel, a domain of House Hightower, bannermen to House Tyrell, where they begin as novices. Once they begin their study and have been seen as proficent in a particular course of study they are tested and awarded a link of a certain metal to reflect their skill and knowledge. A student with a link is known as an acolyte until he has a full chain; it is not until he has completed extensive study in various subjects and has earned enough links to form a chain (to be worn around the neck) that he is considered worthy of advancement to the title of Maester, no longer a student but a peer. These chains are formed from every metal known to man, but almost no maester will ever wear them all. These metals include platinum, copper (history), Valyrian steel (magic and the occult), brass, bronze (astronomy), lead, pewter, steel, pale steel (smithing), tin, silver (medicine and healing), iron (warcraft), black iron (ravenry), gold (economics) and red gold. The perceived "master" of any area of study is given a mask, ring or rod and the title Archmaester in the corresponding metal to signify his expertise. The Grand Maester wears many interwoven chains to indicate his office as advisor to the King, but these do not reflect his true studies.
A Maester may be made into an archmaester, a senior member of the Order, and given the right to sit on the Conclave. The Conclave is the governing body of the Citadel and is the same body that elects the Grand Maester, the senior member of the Order and its representative to the King. All the meetings of the Conclave are confidential in nature and conducted behind closed doors at the Citadel only. There have been whispers that the maesters have held much more power and sway than they are ready to admit, including the suspicion by some that they had a role in the demise of House Targaryen's dragons. Some consider most maesters to be categorically opposed to magic and its influence on Westeros. This is reflected in the fact that the study of magic is looked down upon by most Maesters; only one in one hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel.
Notable Maesters to appear in the books
- Grand Maester Pycelle, head of the order and confidant to the King, however he has more loyalty to House Lannister.
- Maester Luwin, Maester of Winterfell and trusted advisor to House Stark. Killed during fighting in Winterfell between House Greyjoy and House Bolton.
- Archmaester Marwyn, the order's leading researcher into the occult and magic.
- Maester Aemon, Maester of the Night's Watch, one of three living members of House Targaryen. Died of a chill after crossing by sea to the Free Cities in the company of his student, Samwell Tarly.
- Maester Harmune, a maester for the Night's Watch at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
- Maester Mullin, a maester for the Night's Watch at the Shadow Tower.
- Novice Samwell Tarly, Brother of the Night's Watch and student of Maester Aemon.
- Maester Cressen, Maester at Dragonstone and advisor to Stannis Baratheon. Drank from the cup of poison that was meant for Stannis' red priestess, Melisandre. The poison did not affect Melisandre, but Cressen was still killed.
- Maester Pylos, successor to Cressen at Dragonstone. Aided Davos Seaworth in smuggling out Edric Storm, [...] of Robert Baratheon in order to spare him from being burned as a sacrifice by Melisandre.
- Qyburn, advisor to Queen Cersei. Former Maester stripped of his chain and title by the Citadel for conducting immoral research.