The maesters are an order of scholars, healers, postmen, and scientists who are trained at a school called the Citadel. House Hightower was integral in the Citadel's foundation, and continues to patronize the order. As advisers to the Westerosi nobility, the maesters have largely supplanted the Alchemists' Guild. They are sometimes called "the knights of the mind."
The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult. Males of any age may begin training as a maester; females are not permitted to study or join the order. Noble families in Westeros sometimes send their younger sons to the Citadel. A bastard may study at the Citadel and become a maester. The maesters, like the brothers of the Night's Watch, are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and adviser, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties. Maesters begin their training as novices in the Citadel. Once they begin their study and have been seen as proficient in a particular course of study they are tested and awarded a link of a certain metal to reflect their skill and knowledge. A student with a link is known as an acolyte until he has a full chain; it is not until he has completed extensive study in various subjects and has earned enough links to form a chain (to be worn around the neck) that he is considered worthy of advancement to the title of Maester, no longer a student but a peer. The night before the acolytes swear their vows to become maesters, they must stand a vigil in a vault with a black Glass candle. He is allowed no lantern or any other source of light. Unless he can light the candle, he will spend the night in total darkness.There have been whispers that the maesters have held much more power and sway than they are ready to admit. Archmaester Marwyn suspects that they had a role in the demise of House Targaryen's Dragons. Some consider most maesters to be categorically opposed to magic and its influence on Westeros.
The collar signifies that maesters do not serve themselves, but are instead servants of all of Westeros. The collar consists of several links of different types of metal. These chains are formed from every metal known to man, but almost no maester will ever wear them all. Maesters do not remove the chain ever, not even when sleeping. According to semi-canon sources, it is possible to earn multiple links of the same metal. These metals include: Black iron (Ravenry) Brass Bronze (Astronomy) Copper (History) Electrum Yellow Gold (Economics) Iron (Warcraft) Lead Pale steel (Smithing) Pewter Platinum Red gold Silver (Medicine and healing) Steel Tin Valyrian steel (Magic and the occult) - Only one in one hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel; the study of magic is looked down upon by most Maesters.
The current Grand Maester, maester is Grand Maester Pycelle
The maesters are scholars, scientists, learned advisors to the nobility, and occasionally pseudo-religious researchers in the occult. Males of any age may begin training as a maester; females are not permitted to study or join the order. Noble families in Westeros sometimes send their younger sons to the Citadel. A bastard may study at the Citadel and become a maester. The maesters, like the brothers of the Night's Watch, are considered to be servants of Westeros and all its people and in theory have no political allegiance. After finishing his course of study, a maester is assigned to a castle, keep or other holding, and is loyal to the people of that place as a mentor, healer and adviser, regardless of changes in control of that holding. To this end a man who earns his chain is stripped of his family name and from that time on is known only by his title and first name. In practice some maesters hold over old allegiances and loyalties.
Maesters begin their training as novices in the Citadel. Once they begin their study and have been seen as proficient in a particular course of study they are tested and awarded a link of a certain metal to reflect their skill and knowledge. A student with a link is known as an acolyte until he has a full chain; it is not until he has completed extensive study in various subjects and has earned enough links to form a chain (to be worn around the neck) that he is considered worthy of advancement to the title of Maester, no longer a student but a peer. The night before the acolytes swear their vows to become maesters, they must stand a vigil in a vault with a black Glass candle. He is allowed no lantern or any other source of light. Unless he can light the candle, he will spend the night in total darkness.There have been whispers that the maesters have held much more power and sway than they are ready to admit. Archmaester Marwyn suspects that they had a role in the demise of House Targaryen's Dragons. Some consider most maesters to be categorically opposed to magic and its influence on Westeros.
The collar signifies that maesters do not serve themselves, but are instead servants of all of Westeros. The collar consists of several links of different types of metal. These chains are formed from every metal known to man, but almost no maester will ever wear them all. Maesters do not remove the chain ever, not even when sleeping.
According to semi-canon sources, it is possible to earn multiple links of the same metal.
These metals include:
Black iron (Ravenry)
Brass
Bronze (Astronomy)
Copper (History)
Electrum
Yellow Gold (Economics)
Iron (Warcraft)
Lead
Pale steel (Smithing)
Pewter
Platinum
Red gold
Silver (Medicine and healing)
Steel
Tin
Valyrian steel (Magic and the occult) - Only one in one hundred holds a link of Valyrian steel; the study of magic is looked down upon by most Maesters.
The current Grand Maester, maester is Grand Maester Pycelle