Ahira's Hangar

Jon's parentage is one of the great unsolved mysteries of ASOIAF. In the eyes of Westeros he is Ned Stark's bastard child, yet when Lady Cat confronts Ned he only says "He is of my blood". Is he Ned's? Or does he belong to one of Ned's siblings? Benjen certainly seems to respect and love Jon and says he wishes that Jon were his son. Or does he belong to long lost Lyanna, who died in a bed of blood, clutching the blue roses given to her by a prince?
Martin gives plenty of hints, but no where definitively states who Jon's parents are.
The only one of Ned's generation who cannot be a suspect is the eldest brother, who was murdered by a cruel king. Jon's father is Ned StarkJon's father is Benjen StarkJon's mother is Lyanna StarkI don't know which Stark is his parentShow results Our lives are the songs that sing the universe into existence.~David Zindell
****Tavern Wench of DOGMA, the Defenders of George Martin's Art****<i></i>

I voted Lyanna. Didn't Ned say that she said to him on her deathbed simply Promise me, Ned? Could she have been referring to Jon? And if so, who is Jonny's father? Rhaegar Targareyn? After all, Robert said that Rhaegar raped Lyanna....Maybe it wasn't rape at all? Further up, and further in!

Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage!- The Smashing Pumpkins <i></i>

2 cents! he's Lyanna and Rhaegar's son! <i></i>

All I can say is that it'd be par for the course for Cat if she ended up causing so many problems over her jealousy of Jon if Jon turns out to not even be Ned's bastard. ________________
I wanna feel the metamorphosis and cleansing I've endured within my shadow. Change is coming. Now is my time. Listen to my muscle memory. Contemplate what I've been clinging to. -Tool, "Forty-Six & Two"<i></i>

Good point! I can understand her coldness towards Jon though...sort of Further up, and further in!


"Come to Elfhand," the troll said.
The child thought for a while....
"N-no" said the child
"Why not?" said the troll.
"Mother made a jam roll this morning," said the child.
-the King of Elfhand's Daughter<i></i>

I don't understand how she could be so cold toward Jon. After all, he is just a child! (Or was when he came to live with them!) It isn't his fault. I think that is one of Cat's personality flaws.

Then again, I'm awfully partial to Jon! <i></i>

Well, if your husband came home and said "While I was away, I had this child with another woman," would you welcome him into your home? I dunno if I would..hard to say, though, no? Further up, and further in!


"Come to Elfhand," the troll said.
The child thought for a while....
"N-no" said the child
"Why not?" said the troll.
"Mother made a jam roll this morning," said the child.
-the King of Elfhand's Daughter<i></i>

I think I'd be pretty upset with my husband -- but I hope that I would not take it out on the baby. Nothing would be the baby's fault. <i></i>

Well, there are certainly plenty of stories around - GRRM's making it as hard as possible to be sure, but we *can* be sure that either Ned or Lyanna was a parent...
The options:
Ned, with Ashara Dayne - Ned met Ashara at Harrenhal, and they fell in love, but then Brandon was killed and he had to marry Cat in Brandon's place. After the Tower of Joy, Ned went to Starfall where he fathered Jon on Ashara.
Ned, with Wylla - Read as above. When Ned went to Starfall, he fathered Jon on Edric Dayne's wet nurse, Wylla. This version is told by Ned Dayne himself, and in aGoT Eddard says Jon's mother was called Wylla.
Rhaegar and Lyanna - Rhaegar did not kidnap and rape Lyanna, they were in love, and he took her away to the Tower of Joy so they could be together. When Ned found her, she was giving/had just given birth. She makes him promise to keep Jon safe. Ned takes Jon to Starfall when he returns Dawn, and Wylla agrees to pretend she was his mother.
And the last - *spoiler* (can't completely hide this, but at least it won't stand out)In aFfC Davos is told that Ned fathered Jon on a fisherman's daughter on the Sisters.

Wylla and R+L=J are the most likely (the spoiler one isn't even on the right timescale) - We've been told outright that Wylla was the mother from several sources including Ned, but because the Wylla story can be said to support the Rhaegar/Lyanna cover-up, I have no idea which is right.

I'm not gonna vote until we get more clues. <i>Edited by: Murrin a at: 1/31/04 2:14 pm
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this poll is now fixed!