Parallels Between Rhaegar & Lyanna, Jon Snow & Ygitte

[KingofSothoryos]

This builds on my previously stated Crackpot Theory: Aerys Commanded Rhaegar to Kidnap Lyanna: http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/100141-crackpot-theory-alert-aerys-commanded-rhaegar-to-abduct-lyanna/#entry5165739

But to summerize, Rickard Stark was plotting with the Arryns, Baratheons, Tullys and Lannisters, and Varys finds out, tells Aerys and he has Rhaegar take Lyanna hostage then they fall in love after the abduction. This explains why Rhaegar would piss off 2 Great Lords for love and why Lyanna would abscond with Rhaegar when she knew it would mean war. The only possible explanation is that it was all at the command of the King and only later was complicated by Rhaegar and Lyanna's love/prophesy of PtWP.

Jon Snow and Ygritte is another tragic love story which unwittingly matches the wildling "abduction" fantasy, where a man steals off with a woman from another tribe and makes her his woman. Bael the Bard is the archetype for this tradition, where the brave man steals a woman from a rival tribe and they fall in love. Jon Snow steals Ygitte, teaching him respect for the wildlings and leading him to make a peace foreshadows Rhaegar stealing Lyanna and then falling in love bringing the Song of Ice and Fire together.

Jon Snow parodies this tradition as he never intends to make Ygitte his woman, as he is a brother of the NW and only "steals" her because he cannot bring himself to kill her. The story is further twisted as it is Ygitte who steals Jon away after he is cornered by Rattleshirt and Jon is commanded by the Halfhand to infiltrate the wildlings. Unwittingly, the Halfhand commands Jon to fall in love with Ygitte, as this is the final proof the wildlings require to accept Jon. Jon and Ygitte in the grotto is where there love flourishes and they are tempted to forget the problems of the world and wallow in their love. Much like Bael the Bard with the Stark daughter in Ygitte's story.

If Rhaegar was commanded to take Lyanna hostage, he too would have unwittingly fallen into the "abduction" fantasy motif, much like Jon Snow, at the behest of a commanding officer. Much like Jon Snow, Rhaegar wouldn't have intended to fall in love with Lyanna, only keep her as a hostage to stay the hand of her father. The traditional story is also parodied when Lyanna outwits Rhaegar and evades him as the Knight of the Laughing Tree, when he is unwittingly ordered to capture Lyanna the first time.

This is why Rhaegar crowns Lyanna, Queen of Love and Beauty, as a sign to let her know, he knows she was the Knight of the Laughing Tree and she did not evade him. This mutual respect they gain for each other during the Tourney at Harrenhal is the basis for their blossoming love during her captivity at the Tower of Joy. Much like Jon and Ygitte's love builds from their time together alone after Jon's failed attempt to "steal" Ygitte. Rhaegar probably had to wed Lyanna in a polygamous ceremony with his KG as witnesses much like Jon has to bed Ygitte in view of the other wildlings in order to prove his legitimacy.

Of course the grotto and the Tower of Joy are easy allusions. The part that is interesting is the parallels in the extreme melancholy in the joy the lovers share in all instances. They all know there is a war going on because of their love, but for this one time and place, all is well and good and perfect, but temporary unless they abandon all their responsibilities. And we know what happens after they leave their happy place. Jon betrays Ygitte and she is killed while attacking the Wall and Rhaegar dies on the Trident and Lyanna dies from childbirth. Much like Bael the Bard was killed by his own son, all the stories seemingly end in tragedy. But Jon and Ygritte's love leads to the peace Jon Snow forges with Tormund after the Battle at the Wall and hopefully Rhaegar and Lyanna's love will bring about a peace in the war with the Others through Jon Snow, the Prince Who Was Promised, after Robert's Rebellion and the WoT5K.

Thoughts?

[Jon Weirgaryen]

A beautiful fairytale, I absolutely love it.

That said, it takes only one link of the chain out of the southron ambitions plot. It need explanations why not Cersei Lannister and the Tullly ladies were summoned to court in some wildling fashion, too. Still, I love it.

[grand old duke of stark]

Interesting, but rather a stretch. The doomed love between enemies goes back to Romeo and Juliet and probably back to the works of Homer.

The key differences here are 1) that one romance left a child and the other did not, and of course the other left a survivor. 2) As Jorah says "Rhaegar fought valiantly, Rhaegar fought nobly, Rhaegar fought honorably. And Rhaegar died." Jon lives. So far.