The identity of Jon's Snow's mother remains one of the greatest mysteries in Game of Thrones. Here are 4 characters who might be Snow's mother.
Wylla
Nothing is known about Wylla except that she used to be a wet nurse in Starfall. In A Game of Thrones, King Robert Baratheon tried to bring up the issue but Lord Eddard Stark brushed him off after saying: “Her name is Wylla.” In A Storm of Swords, Edric Dayne told Arya Stark that his wet nurse was named Wylla and that he and Jon Snow are milk-brothers.
Ashara Dayne
This was a popular rumor among the Houses in Westeros and both Catelyn Stark and Cersei Lannister heard it. Ned Stark was said to be attracted to Lady Ashara before Robert’s Rebellion (he even danced with her during the Tournament in Harrenhal), and she was with child by the time it was over. It was rumored that Ned killed her brother, Sir Arthur Dayne, in single combat and brought the knight’s sword to his pregnant sister at Starfall. Lady Ashara committed suicide not long after.
Ashara with Brandon Stark?
Art by blackroseofsummer.deviantart
Since Lord Eddard Stark was known for being a man of honor, his fathering an illegitimate child seemed unlikely. In A Dance with Dragons, Barristan Selmy recalled that Lady Ashara was bedded by a Stark during the Tournament at Harrenhal, although he didn’t say whether it was Ned or his older brother, Brandon, who was also at the festivities during that time.
The Fisherman's Daughter
As told to Davos Seaworth by Lord Godric Borrell, Ned was smuggled from the Vale to Winterfell by a fisherman and his daughter during the earlier years of Robert’s Rebellion. The fisherman died during the journey but the daughter managed to get Lord Stark to shore. Ned rewarded her for her troubles and left her pregnant.
(Art by myszowor.deviantart)
Lynna Stark
Art: Speculation on what promise Ned gave. By Cris Urdiales ©
Many fans believe the theory that Jon is not Ned Stark’s son, but is the offspring of his sister Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen. The prince apparently kidnapped her, igniting Robert’s Rebellion in the process. A year later, she was found and rescued in a place called the Tower of Joy by her brother Eddard and his companion Howland Reed after a skirmish with Arthur Dayne and two other knights who were guarding the tower. They were too late, however, as they found Lyanna dying in a “bed of blood.” Before she died, she made Ned promise her something. Nobody but Ned and Howland knows what this promise is, though Lyanna’s last words would continue to haunt her brother for the rest of his life.
Who do you think is Jon Snow's mother? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.