The first inhabitants of Westeros were known as the Children of the Forest. Their origins dated back to the earliest times, known as the Dawn Age. No larger than modern children even at their full height, they were dark skinned and beautiful. They built no cities, preferring to live in forests or caves; some lived in hidden tree villages while others dwelt in crannogs (fortified dwellings built within a lake or marsh). The children did not work metal, but wore shirts of woven leaves and bark leg-bindings. They used weapons of dragonglass, now known as obsidian. They worshipped the gods of forest, stream, and stone, whose names are hidden.

Male and female hunted together with weirwood bows and flying snares. The wise men of the children were called greenseers, whom legends say possessed powerful magic. Attributed to these wise men were prophetic dreams, power over animals, the ability to wear an animal’s skin, and the skill to create music so beautiful as to bring tears to the eyes of any who heard it. It was they who carved the faces on the weirwoods to keep watch over the woods.