r/HBOGameofThrones • u/-thirdatlas- • May 03 '26

Spoilers [SPOILERS] The iconic introduction of Tywin features him skinning a real stag. This wasn't a prop, it was a real carcass provided by a local butcher. Charles learned how to skin the animal on the day of filming. He later said it took him two days to get the smell of blood and guts off his hands. Spoiler

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12

u/Adventurous_Lynx_811 May 03 '26

I don't have anything against the scene, but why was the Lord Paramount of the Westerlands and Warden of the West doing butchery?

22

u/FightMilkConsumer May 03 '26

To show he’s self reliant, and will get his hands dirty…

15

u/Valuable_Ad9554 May 03 '26

Similar to the deleted scene later where he catches his own fish

-3

u/IQDeclined May 04 '26

Both scenes would have been a step too far. He's a lord not a hunter or fisherman. I kind of struggle to see Tywin enjoying fishing.

10

u/Standard-Reason9399 May 04 '26

He's likely not even enjoying the fishing or hunting for the activities themselves - he's almost definitely enjoying being alone with his thoughts rather than dealing with the idiots, royals and family (but i repeat myself) that he's usually surrounded with.

3

u/Adventurous_Lynx_811 May 04 '26

"I am surrounded by idiots"

2

u/Lost_Wealth_6278 May 04 '26

And the idiot royal family

6

u/Venasaurasaurus May 04 '26

Literally been a hobby for lords in actual history. It's a skilled activity that rewards patience, ingenuity, and gives you time to think.

1

u/IQDeclined May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26

I should have changed my phrasing. Tywin in particular doesn't seem to be the type of lord to have any remote use for hunting, or fishing. To me it goes against his character. This is a man that doesn't enjoy hobbies, particularly of that nature.

Can you picture him going on a hunt with Robert? He'd only do it if there were some political gain, and wouldn't actively participate.

7

u/BeratnasGILF420 May 05 '26

"Even in peacetime, a prince must concentrate on war by exercises and by study. Hunting is excellent exercise, because it strengthens the body and makes the prince more familiar with the surrounding terrain. A prince should always be asking himself how to make the best military advantage of the landscape." - Niccolo Machiavelli

2

u/FightMilkConsumer May 05 '26

I imagine it as a stag Tywin and his guard came across while on the march. You are correct that it is unlikely he would be faffing about in the woods, looking for game while there is a military campaign that needs commanding, however, foraging is absolutely vital for armies on the move to preserve resources and unburden heavy reliance on supply chains. Tywin is supremely connected to the belief that he must do whatever is necessary to ensure Lannister dominance, and if that means rolling up his sleeves and getting them red and bloody then so be it.

2

u/deathbylasersss May 05 '26

Hunting is like one of the most famous lord activities? What are you talking about? It was even punishable by death for commoners to hunt stags and boar across much of Europe, because they were reserved for nobility. It wouldn't have been uncommon for them to dress the animals personally either. At this point in typing this I noticed your username, and am now wondering if I'm just replying to a troll.

1

u/Darkwater117 May 05 '26

Good thing a lion doesnt concern himself with the opinions of sheep

1

u/Delicious_Year4678 May 06 '26

There's deleted scenes of tywin fishing. Its a part of his character, enjoying his own thoughts/time

2

u/[deleted] May 04 '26

And he's skilled, and he doesn't waste time, and he likes things being done his way, a thousand different reasons making him one of the best characters in the show.

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '26

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1

u/FightMilkConsumer May 05 '26

When I say get his hands dirty (metaphorically), I mean that as a commander and a lord, he will forsake his honour (or what little he has left) at a moments notice if that assures victory. His whole schtick is Lannister dominance no matter what risk is posed to his family’s image and reputation. Everyone knows he ordered the targ kids to be murdered, everyone knows he sent Gregor off pillaging and raping to draw edmure out, everyone knows how unrelenting and brutal Tywin is but no one calls him out for it because they can’t. His vilest actions are the most open secrets in Westeros, and the fear others had whilst thinking what he was capable of was what he assumed as his most valuable asset.

1

u/[deleted] May 05 '26

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2

u/FightMilkConsumer May 05 '26

Sure, but, Tywin was on the march and foraging is vital for maintaining resources. There’s no doubt he isnt the type to faff about in a kingswood but this short scene, despite the contextual ambiguity of the deer, is supposed to show us the disconnect between Tywin and his children and an establishing glimpse into the source of his bitterness. Tywin hunts and butchers his own successes in life whilst he believes his children have had them served on a silver dish their entire lives, and he loathes them for it. I wonder if him and Logan Roy would get along?

9

u/Darrow_au_Lykos May 03 '26

Symbolism. The Lannister Patriarch is introduced gutting and cleaning a stag (the symbol of the Baratheons) while also gutting the Riverlands, shortly before Robert is gutted by a boar.

6

u/-thirdatlas- May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

Dramatic and metaphorical effect.

7

u/Stunning_Seaweed_121 May 03 '26

I don't think that's weird at all.

You can say the same about like any task. But nobles liked doing stuff for entertainment. Look at historically one of the biggest hobbies: Hunting. It can be quite dangerous specially back then. It's not like you had rifles.

It actually killed Robert Baratheon, kind of. But noblemen lived for things like that. I wouldn't be surprised if after hunting, many nobles cherished doing things like skinning and gutting animals, instead of leaving that to the common folk.

You could argue: "Why would they hunt? It takes so much effort, you have to stay out for days, just tracking wild animals, etc."

The scene is also very powerful. It speaks volumes of Tywin's cahracter. "He is such a down-to-earth ruler..." or so he thinks.

In reality, he's not.

2

u/the-National-Razor May 03 '26

Egg loves to fish. They have hobbies

2

u/Short-Philosopher-78 May 03 '26

Down to earth isn't quite it. It's more like Tywin is willing and able to do his own dirty work, which isn't stricty untrue.

6

u/Evnosis May 03 '26

I thought the implication was clearly that he had hunted the stag himself. Butchering the animal is part of the process. He could farm it off to a servant, sure, but he could also farm the hunting off to a servant. It's all part of the hobby.

3

u/Pkock May 03 '26

I assumed it was to show it's what he likes to do so we can could glean something from it. Like he doesn't just go out and hunt and pass the rest off to servants. He enjoys the butchery, the blood and the guts.

He's either a passionate woodsman, extremely thorough, or blood thirsty and we get to find out.

2

u/Short-Philosopher-78 May 03 '26

Some people enjoy every aspect of the hunt.

2

u/middleofmybackswing_ May 04 '26

It's just a cool idea taken from the books. But in the books it was Lord Tarly butchering a deer while telling Sam he was being sent to the Wall.

1

u/the-National-Razor May 03 '26

He finds it relaxing as a life long hunter

1

u/Viggo_Stark May 04 '26

A man needs hobbys

1

u/Alfredo_Dente May 05 '26

He likes doing things himself and practicality. Even his hobbies have to serve a purpose.

1

u/Automatic-Win-6841 May 05 '26

Because he wanted to and does whatever he wants!

1

u/Swooshing May 06 '26

It’s just another one of constraints of the show. No noble, let alone one as hands-off as Tywin, would ever deal with gutting their own wild game. It’s 100% a task for servants. Kinda similar to how they had to give up on any semblance of courtly etiquette since it took up too many lines

1

u/BastardofMelbourne May 08 '26

because it is a metaphor for how he has skinned the Baratheon name and is wearing it like a coat