Marriage Ceremony

Gathering at the Shore

• The ceremony takes place on a clifftop, shoreline, or beside a moored longship.
• The sea must be visible and audible.
• The families of both houses attend.
• The groom stands armed (sword or axe at his side).
• The bride wears house colors, often with iron jewelry rather than gold.

No flowers. No sept. Only wind and salt.

Procession of the Drowned Priest

A Drowned Man enters last, barefoot or in sea-worn robes, hair damp with saltwater.

He carries:

• A bowl of seawater
• Possibly driftwood or a length of net

He begins with invocation:

“We stand before He Who Dwells Beneath the Waves.”

Call to Witness

The priest raises saltwater toward the sea:

“Drowned God, look upon these two. Let the sea bear witness.”

The crowd answers with the Ironborn response:

“What is dead may never die.”

Joining of Hands

The couple kneels or stands facing the ocean.

• Their right hands are joined.
• The priest pours seawater over their hands.

This represents:

• Shared hardship
• Shared fate
• Death and rebirth together

The Iron Oath

Instead of exchanging gold rings, they may:

• Exchange iron bands
• Grasp the same sword hilt
• Lay hands upon a blade

The groom speaks first:

“I take you as my rock wife, before salt and storm.”

The bride responds:

“I stand with you in iron and in sea.”

The vows focus on:

• Loyalty
• Bearing strong heirs
• Standing firm in war

Declaration of Rock Wife

The priest declares:

“By salt and by iron, before the Drowned God, this woman is your rock wife.”

This is the legally binding moment.

Children from this union are legitimate heirs.

Offering to the Sea

An offering is cast into the waves:

• A carved token
• A splash of ale
• Sometimes a coin thrown away in rejection of the “gold price”

The sea must take something.

Blessing of Strength

The priest may conclude:

“Let storm not break you. Let the sea not claim you before your time.”

The crowd again answers:

“What is dead may never die.”

Feast and Proving

After the ritual:

• Drinking
• Boasting
• Tests of strength
• Possibly mock combat

Ironborn weddings celebrate endurance, not romance.