Gregor of House Clegane was born to a family of Landed Knights serving as bannermen to
the Lannisters of Casterly Rock. House Clegane was founded by Gregor’s grandfather, a low
born Kennelmaster, who saved the life of Lord Tytos Lannister, rescuing him from a lioness
attack. The Kennelmaster lost a leg and three dogs in the fight, but was rewarded by Tytos
with lands and a Towerhouse. Gregor proved hostile and aggressive from
a young age, once holding his brother Sandor’s face above a brazier, burning and scarring
him for life.* *The Hound
Gregor’s father, the Lord of House Clegane, made up a story about Sandor’s bedding catching
fire, to protect his eldest son from consequences. Rumors would go on to suggest that Gregor
killed his youngest sister, then his father inheriting the position as Lord of their House,
then even going on to kill his first two wives. It has been suggested that much of Gregor’s
hostility came as a consequence of terrible headaches that haunted the man throughout
his life, causing him to drink great amounts of Milk of the Poppy to dull the pain.
Eventually earning the nickname The Mountain that Rides, Gregor became one of the most
feared warriors in the realm, nearly eight feet tall and 420 pounds. His near inhumane
strength, allowed him to wear thick plate armor, covered from head to toe, with only
a narrow slint at the eyes to see. He then wielded a six foot tall 2 handed great sword
in one hand, while carrying a heavy shield with the other.
This protection, coupled with his strength, size and warrior’s skills made him near
impossible to kill. A man without humor or joy, Gregor Clegane
rarely left his Keep, except for tournaments, or under orders from his liege Lord Tywin
Lannister. Gregor’s skills as a warrior, and fearsome brutality proved useful tools
for the Head of House Lannister, and so Clegane soon became one of Tywin’s principle bannerman,
eventually even sitting on his war council. Nearing the end of Robert’s Rebellion, when
House Lannister sacked King’s Landing in the name of Robert Baratheon. It was Ser Gregor
Clegane and Ser Amory Lorch who found Prince Rhaegar’s wife Elia Martell, and their children
Aegon and Rhaenys. Ser Amory would repeatedly stab young Rhaenys
to death, while Gregor bashed baby Aegon against a wall, then raping and killing Elia with
her child’s blood and brains still on his hands.
The savagery of these killings would make Gregor Clegane an eternal enemy of House Martell,
and created great animosity and hatred between House Martell and Lannister, as many blamed
Lord Tywin for the Mountains actions. Though many condemned the horrific murders,
The Mountain faced no immediate repercussions and continued to his brutal tactics under
Lord Tywin throughout King Robert’s reign. Many years later at the Tourney of the Hand
in King’s Landing, Ser Gregor competed, killing Ser Hugh of the Vale by purposely
aiming his lance at a weak point in the man’s helmet. He went on to defeat all opponents
reaching the finals of the Tournament. Yet in the last bout, Ser Gregor was defeated
by Ser Loras Tyrell of the Reach, who rode a Mare in heat, which distracted the Mountain’s
horse. Enraged by the loss, Gregor killed his own horse and attacked Ser Loras, whose
would have died if not for Sandor Clegane who defended the man against his brother.
In the days leading up to the outbreak of the war, and in response to the arrest of
Tyrion Lannister by Catelyn Stark at the Crossroads Inn. The Mountain was ordered to raid the
Riverlands and ambush the troops sent out in response from King’s Landing at the Battle
of the Mummer’s Ford. It would be in this battle that he killed
Ser Beric Dondarrion* leading to his resurrection, and the foundation of the Brotherhood without
Banners.
Throughout the War of Five Kings Gregor would kill a great number of men, women and children,
fighting at the Battle of the Green Fork, the sack of House Darry, the Battle of the
Fords and the Capture of Harrenhal, where he tortured Vargo Hoat of the Brave Companion,
cutting him into pieces, and cooking the meat to serve to his prisoners, including a still
living Vargo Hoat. Nearing the end of the war, the Mountain was
named as champion of Queen Cersei Lannister, who had accused her brother Tyrion of poisoning
her son King Joffrey Baratheon.
The Viper, Prince Oberyn Martell, brother of Doran Martell, ruler of Dorne, saw this
as an opportunity to avenge his sister and nephew, and so volunteered to by Tyrion’s
champion, facing the Mountain in a trial by combat.
The fight was close, with Oberyn managing to wound the Mountain a number of times with
his spear, but ultimately dying, at the hands of Ser Gregor who admitted to his guilt for
the murder of young prince Aegon and the rape and murder of Princess Elia, as he crushed
Prince Oberyn to death.
Despite the Mountain’s victory, the Viper had coated his spear in poison, which would
cause the mountain to suffer many weeks in pain before dying.
Cersei’s advisor, a former Maester called Qyburn was then given the man’s still living
body for magical experimentation, which many believe led to the creation of Ser Robert
Strong, a mysterious knight covered from head to toe in white armor. Qyburn claimed he had
taken a vow of silence, refusing to speak until the land is purged of evil.
But in truth many suspect this is the reanimated corpse of Gregor Clegane.
With the Martells having received a large man’s skull, told it was the head of the Mountain
as a gift of appeasement from Lord Tywin,
many have theorized that beneath Ser Robert strong’s helm, there may be another
man’s head or possibly nothing at all.