Spoiler Alert
You should not go ahead and read this article about Jon Snow's mother if you are just beginning with George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire novels, or if you're currently watchingGame of Thrones season two on HBO- the article includes some information and Jon Snow theories that you will not yet have come across, and it would be a huge pity to ruin any of the surprises or story developments that you're going to relish deicovering while you read or watch this amazing work.
Jon Snow in HBO's Version of Game of Thrones
Jon Snow
One of the main characters in George R R Martin's Song of Ice and Fire sequence of novels, Jon Snow is the illegitimate son of Lord Eddard Stark, also known as Ned Stark of Winterfell. He is unfailingly morally correct and decent, even when he has to make impossible choices, and this as well as his courage, unwavering dedication, considerable conscience and prowess in battle tends to endear Jon Snow to the reader all the way through the books. Jon Snow's parentage is withheld from the reader all the way through the series of novels, indeed it is unkown even by the character himself; since Ned Stark is executed at the close of A Game of Thrones, he appears to take the tantalising secret of who Jon Snow's mother is with him to the crypts beneath Winterfell. This leaves the reader pondering over many Jon Snow theories. So what is Jon Snow's lineage? Who is Jon Snow's mother? The Song of Ice and Fire books leave the reader desperate to know, and there are several Jon Snow theories around that might help us hazard a guess.
Morally staunch and decent in all he does, Ned Stark's begetting of an illegitimate child so quickly after his wedding to Catelyn Tully is decidedly out of keeping with his character, which surely increases the intrigue concerning Jon Snow's parentage. Whenever he is asked the question concerning Jon Snow's mother, Ned Stark refuses to discuss the matter at all. The reader is left to wonder what kind of woman Jon Snow's mother must have been: who on earth could have tempted such a conscientious and honourable man as Ned Stark to stray so far from his habitual path, particularly so early into his marriage and while his young wife is already expecting their first child. Given Jon Snow's prominent role in the sprawling narrative and the huge impact had on his prospects in life by the factor of his illegitimate birth, it's easy to wonder whether Jon Snow's mother might not be some important, noble Lady, possibly one who has since died.
There are a number of potential mother candidates among the huge number of characters and the detailed back story of the Song of Ice and Fire series, and the many fans of the books are desparate to develop their own theories as to who is Jon Snow's mother.
Ashara Dayne
We are told that Jon Snow was conceived during the period that Lord Eddard Stark was away on a campaign in the South of Westeros during Robert Baratheon's coup. At that time, Ned spent a while staying at castle Starfall down in Dorne. We learn that closely following Ned's departure from Starfall, Ashara Dayne, the daughter of the Starfall family, killed herself. Is this perhaps because she was desparately in love with Ned? Or because she had handed over her son to leave with him perhaps? So far, as with all the many Jon Snow theories out there, all we can do is speculate.
Wylla
Another possible mother of Jon Snow, Wylla was a wet nurse working for the Dayne family at Starfall. We first hear of Wylla early in the first novel, a Game of Thrones, when the King Robert Baratheon asks Ned Stark if she was Jon Snow's mother. When Robert mentions Wylla in his typically lewd style, Ned is unwilling to be drawn on the topic, neither confirming nor denying that Wylla is Jon Snow's mother.
Subsequently, Ned Stark's younger daughter Arya comes across the heir to the Dayne family, Lord Edric Dayne. He is working as squire to the rebel hero Beric Dondarrion when Arya is their prisoner. In their conversation, Lord Edric announces that he and Jon Snow are "milk brothers" since Jon Snow's mother, Wylla, worked as Edric's wet nurse. Arya makes a mental note to pass on to Jon this nugget should she ever see him again, but besides that the discussion goes almost unnoticed.
This Jon Snow theory has it that if a "patsy" were required, somebody who could be passed off as Jon Snow's mother in order to hide the identity of his true parents, both as function of the narrative and as a catspaw in some noble scheme, Wylla would be a perfect candidate- she was beautiful and worked in high service, she was in the appropriate location at the right time, but was not so noble as to be denigrated by the implication that she was the mother to a bastard child. It is significant that at no point before his untimely demise does Eddard Stark, who it seems rarely if ever lies, say that Wylla is Jon's mother. It also seems unrealistic that such an intriguing secret as Jon Snow's parentage would have such a softly whispered and relatively dull solution: one which is announced in an off-hand manner, third hand, to a character (Arya) who is not even all that concerned.
Robb Stark's Crown
Robb Stark is Ned Stark's eldest child and the lawful heir to the Winterfell seat. After Ned's demise Robb is announced by his clansmen to be the King in the North, a title that the Starks were entitled to in Westeros' ancient past. Briefly before Robb Stark dies in book 3 of the Song and Ice and Fire series, he declares Jon Snow to be heir to the throne of the King in the North, and asks that all of his attendant lords accept Jon Snow's claim to the throne, in writing. However, when Robb Stark does eventually pass away his force is disintegrated and his lords are either killed with him or eventually forced to yield to the Lannisters and make their own separate peace with the Iron Throne of Westeros. However, the revealing of royal parentage for Jon Snow and the washing away of the taint his bastardy, coupled to Robb Stark's naming him as the heir to his throne, would perhaps provide the needed impetus to re-unite the North and provide a focal point for a force that could once again attack the Lannisters' hegemony over Westeros and possibly eventually unseat them from the Iron Throne. This re-dressing of the political situation within the nation is something that the narrative arc seems to demand as well as something that seems especially unlikely at the end of the fifth novel, thus suggesting the need within the story for the kind of rallying point that Jon Snow could become. It would also suit plot well to see Jon Snow on the throne of Westeros.
Is Ned Really the Father?
One of the Jon Snow theories discussed by readers of the Song of Ice and Fire novels is that Ned Stark is not Jon Snow's real father, and that he has instead taken on the dishonour and notoriety of philandering and has raised Jon as his son in a bid to conserve the honour of someone else, or more likely to protect someone else's memory. This would explain Ned Stark's affair being so out of character, with it turning out that he didn't really have an affair after all. This possible explanation could also help to account for the exceptionally nurturing and inclusive upbringing Jon had at Winterfell. If Jon isn't Ned's son this additionally raises the chance that Jon perhaps isn't illegitimate at all, opening up the possibility that he could inherit some important noble (or possibly even royal) role as the series of books continues. This may be unlikely given Jon's position as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, which demands of him that he set aside all inheritances and any claims to land or title, but it would definitely make it easier for him to assume a more prominent role in the story that, given his central position in the narrative, seems to be required structurally.
There is of course the matter of Jon's physical likeness to Ned Stark: it's commented upon by the narration and a number of the characters, including Catelyn Stark's internal thoughts, that Jon Snow very much resembles his supposed father, Ned Stark. In order for Jon Snow not to be Ned Stark's child, therefore, he must instead of this be the child of somebody closely related to Ned. The candidates here include Ned's older brother Brandon, who really died too long before Jon's birth to be his father; Ned's younger brother Benjen, who doesn't seem to be prominent enough within the story to be a realistic candidate, and Ned's sister Lyanna. Lyanna is a quietly shadowy yet hugely important figure in the recent past of Westeros- she died some years before the first novel began, yet seems to have been the major cause of the battling that unthroned the Targaeryns and raised Robert Baratheon to their place.
Lyanna Stark
So we come to the Jon Snow Targaryen theory: Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, but, we're informed, kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen before they could get married. It's therefore possible that Jon is either the bastard child of this couple, or that we will at some point be told that Lyanna ran away with Rhaegar of her own accord and that Jon is therefor legitimate progeny of their wedding. If this is true, Jon Snow would be the legitimate heir both to throne in the North, through Robb Stark's nomination, and also the true heir of the Targaeryen's throne, as the only still living descendant of Arys II Targaeryen's firstborn son, Rhaegar. Oddly, this would not only make Jon Snow a Targaryen, it would also make him Danaerys Targaryen's nephew, but it would allow him to reunite Westeros under one legitimate and, frankly, worthy and benficent ruler.
Vital to the Jon Snow Targaryen theory is this: with her last breath, we are told that Lyanna extracts a promise from her brother Eddard. To date it hasn't yet been disclosed what exactly this promise entailed. It's possible however, and this is speculation, obviously, that she was asking him to take care of her newborn baby: Jon Snow. Since Robert Baratheon despised the Targaryens in general and hated Rhaegar in particular, and given Ned's close relationship to Robert, it seems possible that Lyanna would ask her brother to protect her baby from the man who would soon be crowned as King. If Ned were going to do this, the safest and easiest way would be for him to make otu that Jon Snow was his own bastard son. This is the crux of the Jon Snow Targaryen theory which is setting so many GRRM fans speculating the world over.
What Do You Think?
Do comment below and let me know what you think- who is Jon Snow's mother? Is Jon Snow really Ned Stark's son or is George R R Martin trying to sneak something by us? Are you sold on the Jon Snow Targaryen theory? Or do you have a Jon Snow theory of your own? Do let me know...
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