Game Of Thrones: 7 Fan Theories About Jon Snow 's Parents (That Aren't R+L=J)
Think you've sussed who Jon's parents are? You know nothing.
So, who are Jon Snow's parents? It's a mystery that's plagued viewers for the last few years, and readers for a couple of decades.
It was the question that George R.R. Martin posed to Dan Weiss and David Benioff, and their answer led to them getting the go-ahead to bring his A Song of Ice and Fire saga to the screen. The only problem is we don't know what they said.
The most popular theory is R+L=J, which as you probably know by now posits that Jon is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, son of the Mad King, and Ned's sister Lyanna Stark (you can read more about it here and here).
That theory has been widely accepted, and now dominates the conversation, but what if it isn't true? George R.R. Martin loves to subvert expectations, and this would be a huge way of doing that. There's the fact that Ned Stark isn't the type to lie, that Jon doesn't look anything like a Targaryen, that the 'hidden prince' is a well-worn trope, and Martin enjoys playing with and twisting those.
Because of this, there are alternative theories as to who exactly Jon's true parents are, and even if they aren't as popular as R+L=J, they're at least worth considering, and these are the ones you need to know about.
7. The Books Are Telling The Truth
To some people the huge question mark hanging over Jon Snow’s head might seem rather confusing, as taking the books at face value the answer is outright presented to us there in the text.
It’s revealed in A Game of Thrones, in a conversation between Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon, that the name of the woman who fathered his bastard was Wylla, although no other information is given about her. Later, Arya meets Edric Dayne who tells her the same story, that it was Wylla, now revealed to be a wet-nurse at Starfall who is Jon’s mother.
Naturally, because this is what the book actually tells us, it’s the one no one really believes. However, there is evidence to support it, not least the fact that the honourable Ned says as much. She’s also able to produce milk, so she has given birth to a child before. There’s also a chance that Ned spent a prolonged period of time in Starfall. It doesn’t quite have as much to support it as others, but it’s the story being put out there, and Wylla certainly seems to be crucial to the truth.