Jon Snow - Doesn't know much.
"Game of Thrones" fans, we thought we had George R.R. Martin figured out, but now it turns out we know even less than Jon Snow.
The theory about Jon Snow's parentage is the most popular one out there. At this point, everyone pretty much accepts and expects R+L=J to happen, meaning Snow's parents are actually Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. The show even hinted at it in Season 5.
But now, thanks to one new theory, everything we thought we knew is about to change:
The theory (Part 1): Lyanna Stark had twins.
Image: gifatron
Whaaaaaaaattttt!!!????? (Warning! This post may contains many more spontaneous "Whaaaaaaaattttts.")
Redditor ghostchief recently offered an interesting prediction for the opening scene of Season 6, thinking it could be a flashback featuring Ned Stark and his sister Lyanna as she dies giving birth. It's a scene that's already expected in the upcoming season, but the Redditor's interpretation of it is more shocking than the Red Wedding:
The dialogue swells and clarifies to [Lyanna's] voice, "Promise me, Ned."
Her eyes slowly close.
Ned begins to sob.
He raises his head to sound another high pitch noise coming from the foot of the bed.
A baby girl.
Whaaaaaaatttttt!!!!????? (Sorry, we warned ya.)
What if R+L= twins? But wait, is that even possible?
It turns out, yup.
Jon would obviously be one of the twins -- the boy twin for everyone keeping track at home. But who could be the other? Dany? Probably not. She's Daenerys Stormborn, aka her birth is a well-known story where her mom died during a great storm. What about someone who hasn't been introduced yet? Sure, that could be a possibility ... if there wasn't another character who already fits the role nearly perfectly:
The theory (Part 2): Jon Snow's twin sister is Meera Reed. (R+L=J+M)
Not a lot is known about what happened at the Tower of Joy, the place where, according to R+L=J, Lyanna made Ned promise to take care of Jon. Supposedly, Ned Stark and six of his main dudes fought three Kingsguard whom they found guarding the tower. From that fight, only two men survived: They were Ned Stark and his homie Howland Reed, aka Meera's "dad."
Oh. Shiz.
If Lyanna did have twins, the safest plan would be to split them up. According to the twins theory, one went with Ned, and the other went with Howland. And it turns out there's actually evidence to support this.
The Evidence: Looks
Meera Reed and Jon Snow.
First, just take a look at Jon Snow and Meera. The pair obviously use the same shampoo and conditioner. Meera's description in the book of brown hair and a slim build reminds you of Arya's, and Arya is also said to look like Jon. But like, is everyone seeing this? Put a beard on her, and they might as well be the same person. Case closed, right?
The Evidence: Age
Wait! Not so fast. In order to be twins, they have to be the same age. Isn't Meera way younger?
Nope.
According to a Wiki of Ice and Fire, and the appendix of Martin's second novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings, Meera and Jon are the exact same age.
Whhhhhaaaatttt!!!!????
Meera is described in the book as being several years older than her brother Jojen. A Wiki of Ice and Fire lists Meera and Jon's birth year as 283 AC, the same year Lyanna died, and the appendix of the book lists them both as 15 years old. Interestingly enough, many of the Stark kids have their ages next to them in subsequent book appendices, as well. Jon Snow's age, however, is conveniently removed, while Meera's age is changed in later books to 16. Could this be because we would notice their ages changing at the same time? Seven hells! That makes sense to us.
The Evidence: History
OK, this is all great, but what would really put this over the top is if there was some story from history or a legend resembling this in some way. You know Martin likes drawing inspiration from some of his favorite stories and material.
Well, sure enough there is: the story of Romulus and Remus in the myth of Rome's foundation.
The legend goes that after the king's brother seized power of Alba Longa, he wanted to wipe out his bro's bloodline by killing his heirs and forcing the king's daughter Rhea Silvia into chastity. Well, of course, Rhea gave birth to the twins, Romulus and Remus, who survived by being carried down a river and getting suckled by what incredibly symbolic animal? A damn she-wolf.
Romulus and Remus suckling from a wolf.
The twins grow up ignorant of their true birth until finally learning about it, killing the king's brother, restoring the king to the throne and founding a new city.
There's more symbolism here than gold in all of Casterly Rock: The twin's mother's name Rhea seems oddly similar to Rhaegar, the king's brother who's hellbent on wiping out the heirs would be Robert Baratheon, growing up ignorant of their birth is a common theme and, c'mon, a she-wolf? You might as well have called it Mrs. Stark.
We call the theory new, but it has popped up before on Reddit and A Forum of Ice and Fire, though some have dismissed it as "Way. Too. Star. Wars." But you can't deny the evidence.
If true, this changes the entire series. Meera could be the prophesized third head of the dragon, or she could be the reborn Azor Ahai, a figure in Melisandre's faith who is supposedly going to save everyone from the White Walkers. In other words, Meera could be the chosen one. She's the Neville Longbottom to Jon Snow's Harry Potter.
In A Clash of Kings, Sir Rodrick tells Bran, "Howland Reed was a great friend to your father," but a few paragraphs later, Bran recalls how his father would send letters to Howland, but none of the "crannogmen (the people Reed holds dominion over) had ever called at Winterfell."
Wouldn't Howland want to strengthen the Reeds' alliance with the Starks through a marriage to his eligible daughter? Or, at the very least, if they were such great friends, why not pay a visit once in a while? Unless, perhaps, he was staying away for a reason. Unless perhaps that reason was a promise Ned made to Lyanna. Unless perhaps Meera Reed is Jon Snow's sister.
Is Winter coming? Because we just got the chills.
Khaleesi mic drop.
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