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Cat Stark's Uncle Has An Interesting Nickname

by Leah Marilla Thomas

There were even more returns on Sunday's Game of Thrones, but this time not from the dead. Still, it doesn't hurt to refresh a bit on their history. Why is Brynden Tully called The Blackfish on Game of Thrones ? Cat's uncle has an interesting backstory.

The story behind the nickname is actually pretty simple — he's the black sheep or goat of the family, but House Tully's sigil is a silver trout. Get it? Brynden actually gave himself the nickname, joking that it would be more appropriate to consider himself a member of a school of fish. What's interesting is that he is considered the Blackfish partially because he refused to enter into a marriage of alliance. Who else made that choice? Robb Stark. He chose love (just like Robb's aunt Lyanna Stark, if you subscribe to the R+L=J theory) over politics. It must run in the family.

Truly though, the fact that he has such an ominous name for a pretty chill thing is impressive. It's a good example of the lesson that Tyrion tried to impress upon Jon Snow in Game of Thrones Season 1. Own your weaknesses and let them define you in a positive way. Therefore, nobody can use it against you. The Riverlands have, all of a sudden, become the heart of a lot of action on Game of Thrones. I like the Blackfish a lot, even more now that I know where his name comes from, and I'm interested in where all this is going.

Image: courtesy of HBO