Andals

The Andals are a historical group of humans in the world of Westeros who arrived from across the Narrow Sea and played a central role in shaping the continent’s early medieval era. They began settling in Westeros during the Dawn Age, roughly six thousand years before the events of A Song of Ice and Fire, and over many centuries they established control over large parts of the land. Their arrival coincided with the decline of the indigenous First Men, and through conquest, intermarriage, and assimilation, the Andals and First Men helped form the basis of the Seven Kingdoms. The Rhoynar later joined the southern kingdoms to form Dornish culture, while the North largely preserved its ancient traditions.

Culture and religion: The Andals spoke the Andal language and introduced the Faith of the Seven, which became the dominant religion in most of Westeros. They organized society around a feudal system with noble houses and lords, and they built many urban centers and fortifications that shaped the political map of the realm. The Andals also contributed to the development of the Common Tongue, a blended language that emerged from Andal speech and other tongues; the Old Tongue, spoken by the First Men, persisted in the North.

Legacy and context: In modern Westerosi history, most people are descended from a mix of Andal and First Men ancestry, with regional variations in cultural and religious practice. The term “Andals” is primarily used in historical and genealogical contexts, as a distinct ethnic identity is rarely claimed in daily life. The Andals’ influence is evident in the realm’s legal traditions, religious institutions, architecture, and the feudal order that defines much of the Seven Kingdoms.