IIRC, Reed is gamboling about in the swamps of the Neck and is almost impossible to find. I recall Robb drawing up the documents to name Jon his heir, but completely forgot him sending Maege Mormont anywhere.
I am all for alternative theories, and I’m willing to admit the possibility that the theory I like is totally wrong. If it turns out Jon’s backstory is something different, I will stand up and applaud because I totally didn’t see it coming. But I have never met a book reader who wasn’t behind the R+L=J theory, so I’m fascinated.
It never occurred to me while reading; I was completely unaware of the possibility until I started reading A Wiki of Ice and Fire and other sites to refresh my memory when the TV series started.
The believers have certainly done their homework though. There must be tens of thousands of words out there analyzing every phrase in the books related to Lyanna and/or Rhaegar for clues. If for no other reason than shear volume I can see why people find it convincing.
Yeah, Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover were sent off to Seagard to catch a boat and try to get to Greywater Watch as envoys to the Crannogmen, to get them to help out in the attack against Moat Cailin. She also carried Robb’s letter naming Jon his heir in case the attack failed.
The Tower of Joy wasn’t in the middle of the war; it was far from the war. And the Kingsguard defending the Tower were defending her – against her brother and his buddies; none of them had any reason to injure her.
Furthermore, Ned explicitly states that she is in her bed of blood when she makes her dying request of her. Bed of blood = childbirth; that’s reinforced elsewhere in the books. Had Lyanna died of being stabbed by someone else there, Ned surely would have mentioned avenging her.
Now, it’s possible that Lyanna died of complications from a stillbirth that Ned never bothered to recall (which he would have noticed… since he was there). But mostly we’re left with the inescapable conclusion that Lyanna went off with Rhaegar, who left her behind pregnant (by someone) and guarded by Kingsguard, and she then died in childbirth just as Ned showed up… leaving Ned and Howland to do something with the baby.
None of that is inescapable, which you even acknowledge by saying it’s mostly inescapable. It could just as easily be speculation. But we’re not going to get an answer for a few years at a minimum, if ever.
I read somewhere that when the showrunners first sat down with Martin they asked him “who is Jon Snow’s mother?” - a natural question for a book reader. Doubtlessly, as showrunners, they had 100% series wide spoilers and plot point discussions, so I’d like to imagine Martin replied, “You really should be asking me who his father is.”
The speculation is only about whose baby she had, and what Ned did with it. Who knows, maybe you’re right and Ned dashed the baby’s brains against a stone wall or something and went merrily on his way to knock up some wench in celebration.
Or maybe the conclusion that GRRM has so obviously set up is the conclusion he’s writing to.
Try reading the Old Testament. Just because a god is brutal doesn’t disqualify people from regarding the god as good.
R’hllor, the god of light and life, is supposedly in an eternal struggle with the god of ice and death in Martin’s world. That’s a pretty standard good versus evil trope. I’m not saying I mind, I just think you overemphasize Martin’s defiance of tropes.
Maybe he is building this one up to tear it down, and I even hope so to some degree, but someone or something has to be the hero and rescue the world from the Others unless they turn out to be 1) good or 2) the winners or 3) some other ending like “there has to be balance between light and dark”.
I heard it the other way around. He wanted to test them to see if they knew the material well enough to let them adapt it. He asked who Jon’s mother is, they got it right, and the rest is history. So at least 3 people know the answer, and the answer is guessable from the books alone.
Sorry, I don’t remember where #1 is explicitly stated in the book. Please refresh my memory in what chapter this is stated. I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assuming you’re not stating this as an unquestionable certainty based on your speculation about what a “bloody bed” refers to. Obviously there are many ways a bed can get bloody, so there is no way #1 is “inescapable” based solely on that.
Please indicate what post I said this in. I don’t remember saying that, and I don’t believe it, but again I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt here. If you claim I said it, I must have said it.
p424 of Game of Thrones, Ned is dreaming/remembering of the Tower of Joy: “… and Lyanna in her bed of blood.”
How do we know what that means? p674, Daenerys asks Mirri Maz Duur what she knows of birthing: “I know every secret of the bloody bed, Silver Lady, nor have I ever lost a babe”
I’m not going to be playing the game where you keep on insisting that GRRM must say the exact words ‘Lyanna had a baby’; if you’re not able to connect these (and other) clearly connected dots, then I think you’re better off reading a different series. A substantial portion of the story that GRRM is telling is contained in references like this.
Yes, I think I included that as a possibility and in at least one of my posts. I still think that’s not standing a trope on its head unless neither side is good, which I suspect is a real possibility. Unfortunately, judging by the book progression I also think Martin may not be sure yet himself or may change his mind because too many people guessed his plans. I think this may also happen with regard to Jon’s parentage (and I know others here have posted the same).
It’s pretty clear to me that if fire is the Red God and ice is the White Walkers, then neither side is good. I don’t think those are the two sides, however.
