Trial of Seven in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Explained

In the episode "Seven," Dunk is jailed after defending Tanselle from Prince Aerion and then accused by Prince Daeron of kidnapping Aegon "Egg" Targaryen. Refusing to accept the punishment, Dunk demands a trial by combat, and Aerion presses for an older, harsher custom: the trial of seven.

The trial of seven is a variation on the standard single combat, rooted in Andal tradition and the Faith of the Seven. It calls for seven "champions" on each side—so, six knights for the accused and six for the accuser—and rests on the idea that the gods will deliver judgment through battle.

If the accuser is defeated or yields, the accused is cleared; if the accused dies, guilt is presumed. Failing to marshal six supporters for the accused results in a pretrial declaration of guilt. The last recorded trial of seven in Westeros involved Maegor the Cruel during the Faith Militant uprising, when Ser Damon Morrigen challenged his rule and a common man named Dick Bean stepped forward to support the king.

Westeros

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