They are descendants of the First Men who originally occupied the Vale during the Age of Heroes and before. They were driven into the hills by the Andal invaders. The hill tribes are also sometimes derisively referred to as "wildlings", but out of context the term is usually understood to refer to the peoples living beyond the Wall, who refer to themselves as the "Free Folk" ("wildlings" in this sense is used as a generic synonym for "barbarians" or "savages").