How can Jon now ever find out who his parents are?

[LastCitizenOfGhis]

It might have been covered before but I can't find anything linked to it.

Assuming R+L=J, how will Jon Snow find out? Most obvious answer is of course in a dream or Melisandre, but how will that prove anything?

Howland Reed is the last survivor from Lyanna's deathbed, and the word of the Reeds is hardly well regarded in Westeros.

Jon can hardly turn up at King's Landing or Dany's welcoming party and go: yeah, guys, I know everyone said I'm a bastard, but I just a had a dream where the woman who I thought was my aunt came and told me I'm Rheagar Targaryen's last true heir. So just, give me the Iron Throne whenever you're ready.

Surely some kind of proof will be necessary? Even if he will just get off with Dany, she will require some convincing too, and literally no proof exists outside Howland Reed.

Am I forgetting something important from the flashback chapters?

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I think there has to be some evidence of it somewhere, and other people besides Howland who are alive and could vouch for it.

As far as Jon himself finding out, I wonder if he won't do so when he's under from the assassination attempt. He's long had dreams of the Winterfell crypts. If you look at the monomyth framework, part of the hero's journey is the descent into the underworld or the catabasis. If the crypts represent, in Jon's mind, the line between life and death, then him finally going into the crypts fully would then represent him journeying to the symbolic underworld. The hero gets a "boon" of some sort in this journey, and that might well be Jon gaining the knowledge of who he really is. It could be Bran and Bloodraven telling him, or Lyanna and/or Rhaegar confronting him the way Joanna did with Jaime.

As for other people believing it, that really only matters if you think the main purpose of Jon's parentage is so that he has pedigree to sit on the throne. And not everyone thinks that.

[LastCitizenOfGhis]

Well that's true, but if Jon's main purpose is to fight the others, surely having a claim to the Iron Throne and then being able to call others to service with his pedigree, then it would be very beneficial to prove he was Rheagar's son.

Still, however he emerges I assume he will also require certain physical enhancements, as if he is to fight the others in the literal sense he will require much better swordmanship given that there are at least twenty I could name better than him at fighting pre-assassination

And Jon (if his arc works the way we imagine it will) really does remind me of Gilgamesh, the hero of ancient Ur, and the first King in history who actually existed

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Well that's true, but if Jon's main purpose is to fight the others, surely having a claim to the Iron Throne and then being able to call others to service with his pedigree, then it would be very beneficial to prove he was Rheagar's son.

Jon already has a pedigree to fight the Others with authority, given that he's the lord commander of the Night's Watch, the single entity in Westeros whose entire existence is, in theory, predicated on protecting the country from the Others.

[JoeyBanana]

How Jon will find out? Probably Bran. I'm not sold on HR doing anything but a cameo at this point.

[Robb_Warged]

Ned will show up as a force ghost and give him the whole story

[Lion Of The Night]

Via DEUS.......EX........MACHINA.....!

[Darksnider05]

Not like there's a guy who can give people dreams of the past or anything.

[Bright Blue Eyes]

Howland Reed or Bran Stark.

As to who will believe it or care? Nobody. Not even Jon, not in a political sense.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

How Jon will find out? Probably Bran. I'm not sold on HR doing anything but a cameo at this point.

I sort of agree with this. I think Howland will get more than a cameo, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if he's been given all of this build-up as The Guy Who Knows Who Jon's Parents Are, and the eureka moment comes from some other source.

[Julia Martell]

I rooting for him never finding out. As long as we do.

He doesn't have to know who his parents are to fulfill his destiny.

[Trickrs]

Why Jon needs to be king?

Being Rhaegar's son is just to be in Aerys II's lineage and be TPTWP.

[Ser Charles of Rosehaven]

Jon is dead accept it he we will never know, no one will tell him, his watch is ended and he wont return to that existential plane

[The Sand Snakes]

Jon will most likely find out by Bran's dreams, and also I believe it will be proved by the High Sept. AKA Howland Reed. The faith will support Jons claim as well as the north, vale and riverlands.

[sj4iy]

I rooting for him never finding out. As long as we do.

He doesn't have to know who his parents are to fulfill his destiny.

Martin's already said that Jon would find out who his parents are:

SSM:

I have a million questions, but the one that I really am most wanting to know is .... will Jon ever find out about his parentage?

Eventually, yes.

And I absolutely disagree that Jon doesn't need to know who his parents are to fulfill his destiny. His blood is very, very important. We see how important his Stark side is to him, and the powers he has through his mother's side. Jon needs to know his father's side in order to really understand what he's capable of.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

Jon will most likely find out by Bran's dreams, and also I believe it will be proved by the High Sept. AKA Howland Reed. The faith will support Jons claim as well as the north, vale and riverlands.

1. This theory is still the biggest load of bunk I may have ever seen. It shocks me how many people seem to take it at all seriously.

2. The Faith is going to support Aegon, not Jon.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/115712-the-cheering-crowds-dragon/?hl=%2Bvarys+%2Baegon+%2Bfaith

[MyLittleFinger]

Maury Povich

[Warrewal Halfaxe]

(R+L=J)=\= Automatic right to throne, or anything makor happening.

[Fire Eater]

I think there has to be some evidence of it somewhere, and other people besides Howland who are alive and could vouch for it.

As far as Jon himself finding out, I wonder if he won't do so when he's under from the assassination attempt. He's long had dreams of the Winterfell crypts. If you look at the monomyth framework, part of the hero's journey is the descent into the underworld or the catabasis. If the crypts represent, in Jon's mind, the line between life and death, then him finally going into the crypts fully would then represent him journeying to the symbolic underworld. The hero gets a "boon" of some sort in this journey, and that might well be Jon gaining the knowledge of who he really is. It could be Bran and Bloodraven telling him, or Lyanna and/or Rhaegar confronting him the way Joanna did with Jaime.

As for other people believing it, that really only matters if you think the main purpose of Jon's parentage is so that he has pedigree to sit on the throne. And not everyone thinks that.

Plenty of heroes in fiction have visions when they have near death experiences like Paul in Dune and Simeon Snowlock in Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Jon may receive a slew of visions about the past, present and future, including possibly snips of his parents.

The mention of dreams reminded him. “I dreamed about the crow again last night. The one with three eyes. He flew into my bedchamber and told me to come with him, so I did. We went down to the crypts. Father was there, and we talked. He was sad.”

“And why was that?” Luwin peered through his tube.

“It was something to do about Jon, I think.” The dream had been deeply disturbing, more so than any of the other crow dreams.

I think Ned would be the one to tell Jon in that instance about his heritage, given Bran dreams of visiting the crypts, and seeing Ned down there, having something disturbing to say about Jon. Also there is this little tidibt:

I would sooner let Jon enjoy these last few days. Summer will end soon enough, and childhood as well. When the time comes, I will tell him myself.

I do agree Jon would meet his mother as well given Ned saw her in his crypt dream. Jon would finally meet his mother, although I don't know if it would be the happy reunion he wanted.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

I do agree Jon would meet his mother as well given Ned saw her in his crypt dream. Jon would finally meet his mother, although I don't know if it would be the happy reunion he wanted.

In movies and tv shows when these kids meet their parents that died young, they still age them up so that it isn't awkward. Jon's mom was like 15-16 when she died. He's already physically older than her. I wonder how GRRM will handle this.