Why i think Stannis wrote the Pink Letter

[Flayer]

Im a huge believer that Stannis wrote the pink letter and here's why....
well say the Theon Sample chapter is before the end of Dance
Stannis would have all the info about Mance and the spearwives from Theon, he has FArya,
He has his "magic sword", He knows about Val (wildling princess)
He has the wax from the Dreadfort Maesters and the Maester himself
Stannis has shown before he can adapt as a king the battle at the wall is a good example of it
instead of continuing the fight from Dragonstone he basically abandoned it and went for the wall to defend the realm plus all the men of different religion in his army so writing the letter wouldn't be out of his comfort zone.

He wanted Jon to come south to be Lord of Winterfell so getting Jon angry and getting him to ride south to fight Ramsay and breaking his vows so the Watch wouldnt take him any more leaves him open to be forgiven by Stannis and take the name Stark because there's no other place for Jon to be the watch won't take him anymore. He knows about the up coming battle against the Freys and Manderlys because of Theon so saying there wasn't a battle isnt a lie.

[Balerion the kitten]

I never actually thought about this but I'm now convinced stannis wrote the letter, but this would depend on wether Mel told stannis about her plans

[Arrow of the Morning]

Some believe that the Pink Letter was write by Ramsay, but the events described in the letter did not happened and all of this is the result of a plot of Lorde Wyman Manderly to defeat the Boltons and take Winterfell beside Stannis forces.

[foreign675]

Stannis is a character characterized by his own 'mental rigidity'.

Something as manipulative and out of the box as sending a forged email is well beyond the scope of his own imagination.

I would only believe him the author of the letter if he had somebody else pushing him to do such thing. But right now all his counsellors are far away from him.

[Mikkel]

It's so far away from everything Stannis has done so far, and everything he stands for, that it's as good as impossible that Stannis is the author of the letter.

[FranklynFowler]

I don't believe Stannis would ever risk Shireen or Melisandre. If word got out that Bolton's wanted them or the Night's Watch would be destroyed, Bowen Marsh and his cronies would give them up in a heartbeat. Also he refers to the Night's Watch as crows, only wildlings do that.

Also if it was Ramsay he would have sent some of that skin he got off the spearwives and certainly wouldn't be threatening to behead everyone he flays people that's what he does.

I don't know who it was, but Shireen is all Stannis has left should he die the Baratheon line is over and what does that letter achieve him.Whether it's someone plotting on Stannis' behalf like Asha or Theon maybe as they know Ramsay well enough, but i don't think it's Stannis

[The Drunkard]

I find it much more compelling that Stannis used the Karstark ravens, which only fly to Winterfell, and that Arnolf had used to send Roose a map in a prior chapter, to send Winterfell misinformation. Ramsay, when writing the Pink Letter, is basing it off the inaccurate information he received from Stannis. The 'Stannis secretly wrote it' theory is too speculative, is contrary to how Stannis has acted towards his allies in the past, and doesn't make much sense for Stannis to do.

[Quwertzuiopp]

He does not need Jon that desperatly as the Lord of WF, I am 120% sure Manderly has eiter turned cloaks by now or has put some distance between himself and the battle and is now giving out intel to both sides to help him in his own game. If Manderly told Stannis about Davos and his mission, Stannis will know he does not need Jon as his Lord of WF. Also, they could have just eradicated all Freys and send some of the Manderly men home and it will seem like Manderly won the fight with some casualties. If he brings Lightbringer with him, there will be little doubt in Ramsay that Stannis is dead, but Stannis will have the surprise on his side. While Ramsay writes the letter, and Roose may feel a bit more safe, the northeners can rise up more easily, now that the freys are gone and take WF with way lower resistance. After that, they can either help Stannis or do what ever else. Make Rob's will public and declare Jon King in the North. Wait for Rickkon and/or declare for Stannis. Or what ever else they are planning.

[Flayer]

Im going off the two chapters that i have....In Theons chapter the Manderlys are still against Stannis... Stannis has been spending time with Wildlings and Mance (back when the Watch was picking a commander) so he knows how they speak that explains the "crows" why would Ramsey call the watch crows ??. How does Manderly know about Val and Little Monster....???.. Putting Shireens life at risk i would say he would Jon wouldn't let anything happen to Shireen he's just not that person. You have to remember all of this was done before Jons "murder" at the watch so he is still Lord Commander what he says goes well at that point at lease :p. Stannis being characterised as mental rigidity i believe he grinds his teeth so much cos he contemplates all his options he is the most diverse king out of all 5 he has changed the way he acts with his own commanders to the way he fights his battles to ever where he is in the realm he gave up storms end his families home since the conquest to go to the wall. Mel didn't need to tell Stannis because mance tell Theon everything at Winterfell So theon knows. You all have to remember the Manderlys won't switch till Rickon is found if Rickon is found by Davos dead the Manderlys will stay with the Boltons

[Flayer]

"The wolf will prove the boy is who we say he is, should the Dreadfort attempt to deny him. That is my price, Lord Davos. Smuggle me back my liege lord, and I will take Stannis Baratheon as my king." So until Wyman sees Rickon and the Shaggy he won't take stannis as his king

[Flayer]

You can't look at it from the perspective that we know what happens at the wall you have to see it from who gains the most from the letter. Stannis gains a Lord ( he thinks Rickon is dead) if Jon rides south and a Stark. He gains a bunch of angry Wildlings at the wall to come south and with everyone thinking he's dead he can move around a lot easier if need be and his daughter and wife with there Guard might leave Castle Black and head to Bravoss or something go into exile so that puts them out of danger. Mel has basically abandoned Stannis for Jon at the wall she doesn't really have much interest in Stannis after her chapter or even after he leaves she has a lot more interest in Jon cos in her dreams all she sees is snow. Stannis is on his own really if Mel wanted to contact him i think she could that's why he spends so long looking into the fire.

[ser_duncans_heir]

Stannis and Theon wrote the pink letter , pretty obvious if you read theons sample chapter .

The didn't do it alone and I guess mance helped them out in some ways but I think most of it is from theon and stannis .

I will try break it down to who would know what .

''Your false king is dead'' - could be a few people including theon mance and stannis

''I have his magic sword , tell his red whore'' - stannis would know these details aswell as mance

''You told the wolrd you burned the King beyond the wall'' - mance would know these details but its debateable if stannis knew.

''if you want mance rayder back come get him , hes in a cage for all the north to see , proof of your lies ,the cage is cold , but I have made him a cloak of the six spearwives who came with him'' - theon knows about mance and his spearwives , and theon knows he likes to flay

''I want his wildling princess , I want his little prince , the wildling babe '' - mance and stannis would know.

''I want my reek'' - theon and mace would know .

'' I want my wife back '' stannis mance and theon know shes escaped.

next up I would like to provide textual support of my claim .

''lord ramsey will not be far behind them. He wants his bride back , he wants his reek'' - convenient how theons line ends up part of the letter when he is engaging in conversation with stannis .

The dreadfort master is there with stannis also and we know jon and stannis has a route of communication because of the letter with the black seal which Is clearly a letter from jon snow warning of the karstark treachery .

[ser_duncans_heir]

anyone who thinks stannis isn't the sort of person to pull a fast one clearly forgets clash of kings when renly expects to fight him on the field only to hear stannis has captured storms end from under his nose.

[Bluetiger]

anyone who thinks stannis isn't the sort of person to pull a fast one clearly forgets clash of kings when renly expects to fight him on the field only to hear stannis has captured storms end from under his nose.

From his point of view he is taking his own castle.

[Bluetiger]

I wander what Renly would have done if he defeated Stannis and captured him.

[Good Guy Garlan]

I'll say this till I'm blue in the face, but if Stannis or anyone wanted to provoke Jon to go south, then they would've written, "Bastard, I have your sister and I'll flay her and rape her", not "I want my bride back" because it means Ramsay no longer has her, thus diminishing the threat

I also agree with what's been mentioned upthread about risking Shireen, Mel, etc. Yeah, Jon was alive but that point, but why was he stabbed in the first place? Because of the pink letter. If Stannis wrote it backfired incredibly

[The Santa of House Claus]

It is an interesting theory, but I am not holding myself to any theory at this point in the series. The North especially is wide open and I am continually wrong about what GRRM is doing.

[Clegane'sPup]

At first I thought Mance wrote it, then I thought Thorne wrote it and now after reading what ser duncans heir wrote I'm considering Stannis & Theon. I like reading the pink letter discussions.

[UtherSnow]

What bastard would waste an uncal..... bastard amount of bastard time to write a bastard letter to a Bastard? You'd be a bastard to write such a bastard letter in the first bastard place!

Did anyone consider this? Jon wrote the bastard letter.

It's as crazy as some out there. Everyone points the finger elsewhere but not at Jon. Actually, I don't think it really matters. That's one red herring GRRM planted? Why introduce it and not use it?

Jon did. He read it out.

Before that, why spend so much time discussing this letter with an illiterate? He's not reading the damned letter over and over again to make sure someone gets the message. They weren't comparing dick size either, despite a tendency to be drawn into that subject.

Why would the wildings volunteer so readily? When Jon announced an intention to march on Winterfell, they were there before any protests from Night Watch men.

What's the betting on Tormund standing ground over Jon? "Ha! Your members aren't big as mine after all." He takes Jon to the ice cells, to preserve and protect. Meanwhile, Jon as Ghost can have some fun! How about Ghost dashing off to Winterfell? How about along the way..... Nymeria!

Meanwhile, back at Castle Black.....

Jon mysteriously disappears from the ice cells. Wildlings? They'll scream it's Wights come to claim him, like they always do!

Melissandre declares it's a sign in her flames. Stannis needs her. She must fly. Val tags along, just to make sure no funny business.....

The so-called Pink or Bastard Letter becomes a means to an end. Jon wrote the letter.

One did arrive from Winterfell. It mentioned a runaway bride and a runaway Reek. Also, it contained information about capturing wildlings. It'd be like Ramsey to be smug about Jon being so lax as LC for allowing wildlings to slip through. Plus, rub it in where he is and where Jon's at.

Jon fleshed the letter out, to be more than that.

Return to Jon talking to Tormund. Why take a good deal of time to read a straightforward letter to an illiterate? Tormund was sceptical of this letter's contents. Why sit with someone for a length of time? Does it make sense they've hatched a plan?

Look at some clues - Jon visits the ice cells. Aemon leaves Jon with a passage to read, and some words of advice. Melissandre takes an interest in Jon.

You can add a falling star with blood spatters, from the guy Wun Wun smashes to pieces. Bowen's tears. Smoke from a wound. All things Mel wouldn't miss. So what if they're pre-mortem. She'll use anything.

Stannis won't be so stupid as not to let people know how things are. He's had a tough journey to reach where he's got to. Plus, there will be a battle, maybe more of a skirmish, outside of Winterfell. What comes after that?

Get some reinforcements down to Stannis ASAP. The sooner Winterfell's business is wrapped, the sooner people can get on manning The Wall with seasoned fighters. The Nights Watch is a spent force. It's lost track of its purpose.

Wildlings can travel through snow faster than any other available force. That's how they existed on the other side before they came south. (We've read the words in the books - it's been depicted on-screen too.)

The Pink (Bastard) Letter is a means to an end, to release Jon to lead a large force of Wildlings. How many times do you need to hear it?

Stannis did not write this letter. Ramsey didn't author it. Neither did Roose or Melissandre. Forget anyone else. Jon wrote it.

Use Arthur Conan Doyle's words.... re-shaped. Eliminate the obvious, what's left?

[NOT A TARG I SWEAR]

Did anyone consider this? Jon wrote the bastard letter.

It's as crazy as some out there. Everyone points the finger elsewhere but not at Jon. Actually, I don't think it really matters. That's one red herring GRRM planted? Why introduce it and not use it?

Jon did. He read it out.

Before that, why spend so much time discussing this letter with an illiterate? He's not reading the damned letter over and over again to make sure someone gets the message. They weren't comparing dick size either, despite a tendency to be drawn into that subject.

How did Jon know about Reek escaping?