Some of these may be considered 'overmighty' bannermen. The Starks in the North, the Arryns in the Vale, the Tullys in the Riverlands, the Greyjoys on the Iron Islands, the Tyrells in the Reach, Lannisters in the Westerlands, Baratheons in the Stormlands, and the Martells in Dorne with Baratheon of KL's as the Royal house/simultaneously being the default Great House of the Crownlands.Īnd GRRM gives ample evidence, in addition to outright writing it in places, that other houses outside the 'Great' houses are very powerful, to varying degrees. GRMM makes it clear at the outset (and canonically) who the Great Houses are. Given that the former Seven Kingdoms were really always 8 ( II not counted usually, for whatever reason, amongst the Seven (North, Vale, Riverlands, Westerlands, Stormlands, Reach, Dorne), and the Crownlands were created administratively, there are nine constituent regions of Westeros south of the Wall.
