Author of the Pink Letter

[DanStark]

Okay so sorry if this have been covered a million times but I'd like to talk about who could have wrote the pink letter. This is my first post so I apologise if these points have been made.

In my opinion all the evidence points to it being written by Mance Rayder.

First of all I want to point out why it couldn't possibly be Ramsay or Stannis that wrote the fatal letter.

To start with, the way the author constantly refers to Jon as 'bastard' really convinces me that Ramsay didn't write the letter as we are constantly told in Theon POV chapters, that Ramsay hates the word bastard and I can't imagine Ramsay writing the word and being forced to see it as he wrote the letter reminding him of his birth.

Also the fact that the author knows the identity of Mance is a big plot hole in the 'Ramsay wrote the pink letter' idea as Mance Rayder, the King-beyond-the-Wall, hardened soldier that has climbed the Wall countless times, told Ramsay who he was, even under torture, is laughable.

Finally the threats the author makes are not in line with those that Ramsay would make. He says he has the heads of Stannis's men 'upon the walls of Winterfell' and that if Jon does not meet his demands he will 'cut out your bastard's heart and eat it' which flies in the face of Ramsay's prefered method of flaying, which he says he has done to the 'six whores' that accompanied Mance to WInterfell, despite the fact that one of these has escaped with Theon.

Stannis is obviously not the author (despite some fan speculation), as there is just far too much details that Stannis doesn't know. Now most theories suggest that Stannis may have wrote the letter to call for aid to Jon, but it's not Stannis's style to be sly like this. Stannis has no idea that Mance is alive, and that Jon has sent him to rescue 'Arya', which really puts a stop to the idea Stannis wrote the letter.

Now to my prime suspect, Mance Rayder. For a start, the letter references the Brothers of the Night's Watch as 'black crows', a term that we see used only by wildlings throughout the entire series of ASOIAF.

The author also refers to Stannis as 'the false King', to Mance, King-beyond-the-Wall, Stannis would be a false king trying to rule over the free folk that Jon and Stannis have allowed to live in The Gift.

The anger of the author toward Mel and Stanniss' family would be understandable from Mance who lost his own bride Dalla during Stannis's attack, and for enslaving him with the ruby.

As to why Mance may have written this letter, I have two theories. I think Mance wrote the pink letter to :

a) Subtly ask Jon for help in escaping Winterfell as his escape plan was compromised in the last Theon POV chapter, and he is now stuck inside the castle walls with a battle about to ensue.

b) Have the wildlings march south beside Jon to put further distance between them and the Others, thus fulfilling his promise as King-beyond-the-Wall.

'But how did Mance know that the wildlings would march with Jon and how did he know Jon would march?'

Mance knew the wildlings would march, because he organised it through Val. Val, aunt to his child who was sent to meet with Thormund Giantsbane. Mance had planned the pink letter before he left the Wall and had instructed Val, who in turn instructed Thormund, that if Jon proposed to march South, for the wildlings to encourage and support this idea. We have proof of this as the wildlings instantly agree to march with Jon, and for what? to stop Ramsay? Jon never mentions that Mance will die if they don't march South so why should the wildlings give a f**k about Ramsay unless they had been told to agree to escape the Others.

As for how did Mance know Jon would march. Well to put it simply, Mance knows Jon and knows that when provoked, Jon will attack as he tested whilst pretending to be The Lord of Bones. He provoked Jon and Jon stepped up to the challange.

So thats my theory on the Pink Letter

[SunflashJT]

As you stated, this topic has been done to death.

Here you go.

[Sansa's Bad Memory]

I think your post will be attacked by the veteran forum followers soon. But I agree with you. I just read another theory about Mance being the author and it wasn't well received by some. Something that bears to be mentioned, and that haven't seen mentioned yet is that Ramsay wants his Bride and his Reek. But he says that Stannis is dead from the battle. But in the Theon chapter at the end of ADWD, we see that Theon is with Stannis and that Jeyne is somewhere in camp.

Can someone tell me how this could happen if Ramsay was the author and the Bastard Letter was true?

Great first post! This is mine too. ;)

[DanStark]

Well Mance had talked to Theon and I'd believe that most of the men of the Dreadfort would refer to Theon as Reek. Yea I thought that too from the sample chapter from WoW at the end of DwD. I don't think Stannis will die in the battle for Winterfell, there's been too much put into him being the KIng for him to die before the final book. Also if Stannis dies, I can't imagine how Theon or Asha would escape and that'd kill off 2 major POV's that surly will have an impact on the Iron Born Story arc

[redriver]

Just to clarify,Theon didn't jump or escape with any of the spearwives.They are either dead,or alive in Winterfell.

[oursisthefury69]

The issue that comes with this discussion is (and no offense by this) that people feel the need to entirely discount every other possibility of who could have wrote it besides the person they're suggesting.

The letter definitely came from Mance or Stannis. Recently after picking up on a few things im also leaning more towards Mance (i.e To Mances knowledge bastardy upsets Jon even more than it actually does, and only wildlings have ever used the phrase "black crows"), but don't tell me its an "impossibility" for Stannis.

First of all Stannis has Theon captured and knows that he is "Reek" and that he escaped with Ramsays bride to be. Secondly and more importantly, I've never understood how people just entirely discount that Stannis knew about Mance; There's plenty of small points in the text that show that Stannis probably knew about the whole Rattleshirt switch, but from a much broader perspective its also entirely out of line with Mel's character to be keeping the glamor switch a secret from Stannis. Its frankly mind-blowing that so many people take for granted that she would just blatantly play Stannis like that and not seek his approval before doing such a thing.

It would benefit both Stannis and Mance for the son of Ned Stark to march south with a band of wildlings at this point, and I think that's why it makes for such a good mystery

[Sansa's Bad Memory]

I was wondering if Stannis/Mance wrote the Bastard Letter because "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell." I mean, there are so many things that the NW and Starks have forgotten about the old ways that it seems to me that there is a reason why Stannis/Mance are working to get Jon back to Winterfell. And that seems to fit.

[redriver]

I was wondering if Stannis/Mance wrote the Bastard Letter because "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell." I mean, there are so many things that the NW and Starks have forgotten about the old ways that it seems to me that there is a reason why Stannis/Mance are working to get Jon back to Winterfell. And that seems to fit.

I agree with this completely.Mance is the "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell guy.he knows the lore better than anyone as a bard who sings in the old tongue.We're also made aware of his Winterfell fascination.

Stannis,as we know,wants Jon there for political reasons.But yes,ultimately they want the same thing.My thinking is that Mance wrote the letter under the supervision of Stannis after Winterfell has been taken.

[Mithras]

To start with, the way the author constantly refers to Jon as 'bastard' really convinces me that Ramsay didn't write the letter as we are constantly told in Theon POV chapters, that Ramsay hates the word bastard and I can't imagine Ramsay writing the word and being forced to see it as he wrote the letter reminding him of his birth.

Welcome to the forums.

I should say this is not a good start because Ramsay uses the word bastard. He can't abide being called a bastard, that is a difference.

Reek tried to lift the head up by the ear. It was no good. The flesh was green and rotting, and the ear tore off between his fingers. Little Walder laughed, and a moment later all the other men were laughing too. “Oh, leave him be,” said Ramsay. “Just see to Blood. I rode the bastard hard.”

Here, he called his horse Blood a bastard.

“Can’t think why,” Theon said, smiling. “Do you always smell so bad, or did you just finish fucking a pig?”

“Haven’t fucked no one since they took me, m’lord. Heke’s me true name. I was in service to the Bastard o’ the Dreadfort till the Starks give him an arrow in the back for a wedding gift.”

Here he was posing as the original Reek and he referred to himself as the Bastard of the Dreadfort.

[Lord of Nutella]

i dont think mance is the author, or at least not for the reasons of

a) "there must always be a stark in winterfell" . i dont think this is more than a familiy credo.

b )some kind of betrayal of the wildlings against jon. i mean, they already are south of the wall, and stannis is dealing with bolton, so they definetly could wipe out the NW if they wanted to. if they want to betray jon, no need for them to go to winterfell first, they can just do it.

[Narvi]

Just don't call Ramsey a bastard but he has no problem using the word bastard. I've read all the theories assuming someone else wrote the letter but they have no merit. The wording of the letter is exactly how Ramsey would have written it. Ramsey would believe that Theon and Jennie would head to Jon. It's just not Stannis style to wright the letter. Maybe Mance but it makes no sense.

[redriver]

i dont think mance is the author, or at least not for the reasons of

a) "there must always be a stark in winterfell" . i dont think this is more than a familiy credo.

b )some kind of betrayal of the wildlings against jon. i mean, they already are south of the wall, and stannis is dealing with bolton, so they definetly could wipe out the NW if they wanted to. if they want to betray jon, no need for them to go to winterfell first, they can just do it.

a)-Thanks for clearing that up for us.

b)-Agreed, neither Mance or the wildlings are betraying anyone.

[have mercedene]

Just don't call Ramsey a bastard but he has no problem using the word bastard. I've read all the theories assuming someone else wrote the letter but they have no merit. The wording of the letter is exactly how Ramsey would have written it. Ramsey would believe that Theon and Jennie would head to Jon. It's just not Stannis style to wright the letter. Maybe Mance but it makes no sense.

I agree with this. Especially now that he's been legitimized, even if he had an aversion to using the word before, he certainly wouldn't now that HE'S not a bastard. He'd probably take a lot of pleasure in rubbing it in that someone else is a bastard since he technically no longer is one, and carries on as if he never was.

[oursisthefury69]

Not sure why people always feel obligated to get sidetracked into debating whether or not Ramsay could have sent/written it, obviously he could have sent it, that's not the point of the Pink Letter discussion.

If it was so clearly not Ramsay in story, then Jon never would have never gotten himself stabbed for it; and if it so clearly wasn't Ramsay for readers, then we would have been given at least some cause to question if Ramsay actually did it, or if somebody different did do it. You definitely cant definitively figure this one out after 5 books, nor are you supposed to be able to. (the series is far from over) So don't give me nonsense like "Ramsay wouldn't address another bastard as bastard" and "Ramsay is above threatening too and or actually following through on cutting out Jons heart because of his penchant for flaying.," As a means of attempting (poorly) to entirely discount one of the few possibilities as a means of trying to come to/propagate a unanimously logical conclusion with extremely questionable/debatable notions

[Disputatious]

If Mance wrote the letter, how would he know which raven to use to send it to Castle Black? Are we supposed to assume that he suborned one of the Maesters present, who just happened to have a bird trained to fly to the said location? And that Maester would, no questions asked send the bird off without checking with his Lord? Or even Ramsey or Roose? Remember that Mance is posing as a singer, not a nobleman.

[Sansa's Bad Memory]

Maestros serve the place not the person, I believe. If Mance overtook Ramsay, he would be the "Lord" so to speak. And, who is to say that the cages aren't marked "The Wall"?

[Sansa's Bad Memory]

***maesters

[redriver]

If Mance wrote the letter, how would he know which raven to use to send it to Castle Black? Are we supposed to assume that he suborned one of the Maesters present, who just happened to have a bird trained to fly to the said location? And that Maester would, no questions asked send the bird off without checking with his Lord? Or even Ramsey or Roose? Remember that Mance is posing as a singer, not a nobleman.

Mance was raised in the Night's Watch.He would probably have been taught raven-craft.Given he can speak in old tongue he can probably communicate with them directly.

Check out his helm.

[Disputatious]

Mance was raised in the Night's Watch.He would probably have been taught raven-craft.Given he can speak in old tongue he can probably communicate with them directly.

Check out his helm.

Mance was a Ranger, not a Steward. I agree that he might speak some of the old tongue. I remain to be convinced that he has any ravencraft.

[redriver]

Mance was a Ranger, not a Steward. I agree that he might speak some of the old tongue. I remain to be convinced that he has any ravencraft.

Rangers,or at least some of them,are required to be literate and handle ravens.That is how they send news back to the Wall.It's in the books.

That Mance ended up a ranger does not discount that he was taught his letters in case he was seen as a potential steward.I doubt Maester Aemon was sitting around scratching his balls when young recruits needed to be taught.It's his job.