How will Jon's parentage be discovered?

[plectrum]

This is only conjecture, but I think Dany will be telling Tyrion about her family, and things will sort of fall into place for him. He's always been the cleverest of all the characters, and she'll have some second-hand, but still non-public knowledge, of the rebellion passed on to her by Viserys. I can picture the wheels turning and the light bulb going on as they speak on the subject. I actually think that might be the main point of his going to her.

The only thing still up in the air if that's how it goes down is this: who will actually tell Jon? Assuming he ever finds out, that is.

[bb1180]

I adhere to the theory that there's something in the WInterfell crypts that will effectively prove it and that, some how, some way, Howland Reed is going to play a major role in Jon finding it.

[hiemal]

My money wouild be on a dragon's egg in the crypts with the Crown of the North on it.

Back up guess is same place, but Rhaegar's harp and a crown of blue roses.

I wonder if anyone is actually taking odds? Knowing the internet...

[KozySauce]

Through Bran, or through something in the Winterfell crypts. Or both. Howland Reed might also provide some useful info on the matter.

[ShelbySmythe]

Assuming he survives, I'm not even sure that he'll find out. Unless Howland Reed, who I think will definitely reveal Jon's parentage, whether it be the woman Ned shared a bed with or whether it be R + L = J, finds his way to Castle Black, I don't see any other way.

[Lord Reaper oOo]

Weirnet.

[Fire Eater]

BranRaven shows him while he is out from the Ides of Marsh.

"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "I’m walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I don’t even know who I’m looking for. Most nights it’s my father, but sometimes it’s Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle." The thought of Benjen Stark saddened him; his uncle was still missing. The Old Bear had sent out rangers in search of him. Ser Jaremy Rykker had led two sweeps, and Quorin Halfhand had gone forth from the Shadow Tower, but they’d found nothing aside from a few blazes in the trees that his uncle had left to mark his way. In the stony highlands to the northwest, the marks stopped abruptly and all trace of Ben Stark vanished.
"Do you ever find anyone in your dream?" Sam asked.
Jon shook his head. "No one. The castle is always empty." He had never told anyone of the dream, and he did not understand why he was telling Sam now, yet somehow it felt good to talk of it. "Even the ravens are gone from the rookery, and the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. It’s black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don’t want to. I’m afraid of what might be waiting for me. The old Kings of Winter are down there, sitting on their thrones with stone wolves at their feet and iron swords across their laps, but it’s not them I’m afraid of. I scream that I’m not a Stark, that this isn’t my place, but it’s no good, I have to go anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream." He stopped, frowning, embarrassed. "That’s when I always wake.

Jon mentions in specific detail a dream he has. He was always scared of what is waiting down there in the crypts, and he wakes up before he can finish it. Now that he is comatose, he has no choice but to complete the dream.

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

From Bran's dream, we can infer that what is waiting down in the crypts for Jon is Ned to tell Jon the truth of his heritage.

[Tyrus Martell]

If it's not through supernatural means as elaborated upon above, I think the most obvious answer would be Howland Reed finally making an appearance within the books. There are few people left alive in the books that know for certain, not counting those smart enough to deduce it.

Maybe that mysterious party of companions that accompanied Rhaegar when he went to see Lyanna in the Riverlands (as mentioned in TWOIAF) might be more privy to the information as well (Richard Lonmouth wasn't named but he's most likely one of them, and is one of the only survivors we don't know what happened to), along with Wylla (if she was there, but I doubt she'd meet Jon) and whatever other household staff were unmentioned but present at the Tower of Joy.

[Arrow of the Morning]

Howland can tell Jon what happened in the Tower of Joy. Would be interesting if Jon goes south in a quest to discover about his parentage and find Howland or even go further and go to the Tower of Joy.

[Mithras]

who will actually tell Jon? Assuming he ever finds out, that is.

Ned's ghost in Jon's crypt dream. Jon was never able to complete that dream till the end but now he will be in a coma and he will not wake up before the dream is completed.

[TheOne-EyedHound]

Something in the Crypts, or Bran seeing it.

[Knight Of Winter]

My best guess is weirnet, as well. BR and/or Bran have used, or will use it to uncover the truth.

The other option is Howland Reed.

[SevasTra82]

Bran will be the first to know, via Howland Reed.

From what I gather, Bran's next destination with Jojen and Meera is to Greywater Watch (more then likely via the tunnels). Jojen is to lose his life when he returns (according to his green dreams), and chances are we'll finally meet Howland Reed, who will then reveal all to Bran (whether it's through a green dream, a vision, or just telling him, I have no idea).

How this information gets to Jon, and also how he gets Jon to believe it, i haven't the slightest idea. But it will definitely be discovered by Bran via Reed, IMO.

[Balerion the kitten]

Winterfell crypts. Jon (much to my annoyance) seems to have likely odds, along with dany, to be azor ahai. One of the checklists for that is waking a dragon out of stone.

Daenerys has done this, her dragons were in stone eggs.

Jon could do this by discovering his ancestry in Lyanna's tomb, something that will confirm his parentage.

Waking a Dragon out of stone, recognizing his targaryen background through the crypts?

Maybe R+L=J will already be suggested to the characters but it will be confirmed through this. Maybe Jon finishes his dream, or Bran finds out through the heart tree. Maybe he sees Lyannas death and promise.

[Lord Reaper oOo]

BranRaven shows him while he is out from the Ides of Marsh.

"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "Im walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I dont even know who Im looking for. Most nights its my father, but sometimes its Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle." The thought of Benjen Stark saddened him; his uncle was still missing. The Old Bear had sent out rangers in search of him. Ser Jaremy Rykker had led two sweeps, and Quorin Halfhand had gone forth from the Shadow Tower, but theyd found nothing aside from a few blazes in the trees that his uncle had left to mark his way. In the stony highlands to the northwest, the marks stopped abruptly and all trace of Ben Stark vanished.

"Do you ever find anyone in your dream?" Sam asked.

Jon shook his head. "No one. The castle is always empty." He had never told anyone of the dream, and he did not understand why he was telling Sam now, yet somehow it felt good to talk of it. "Even the ravens are gone from the rookery, and the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. Its black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I dont want to. Im afraid of what might be waiting for me. The old Kings of Winter are down there, sitting on their thrones with stone wolves at their feet and iron swords across their laps, but its not them Im afraid of. I scream that Im not a Stark, that this isnt my place, but its no good, I have to go anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream." He stopped, frowning, embarrassed. "Thats when I always wake.

Jon mentions in specific detail a dream he has. He was always scared of what is waiting down there in the crypts, and he wakes up before he can finish it. Now that he is comatose, he has no choice but to complete the dream.

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

From Bran's dream, we can infer that what is waiting down in the crypts for Jon is Ned to tell Jon the truth of his heritage.

I like this.

[Trigger Warning]

Jeremy Kyle.

[The Prince Of Tatters]

Think the winterfell crypts calling to him are a bit of a give away.

However I do hope that Bran tells Jon after they reunite.

[juggbigt]

Assuming John and Bran ever see each other again. I don't see that as happening. The crypts are the best bet for sure. Reed is an obvious nod. I believe GRRM said we haven't seen him yet because he knows too much. Bran/Raven giving John the rest of his dream seems obvious.

But I know I'm not the only one that feels that LF knows something. Yeah, the show might have tipped me off to this and they might be combining characters into his for the show. But having him have seen Rheagar and Lyanna running off together isn't out of the realm of the poss. He was in the area and on his way to the Twins just like Lyanna was for Brandon's wedding. It's the inn at the crossroads man. that place is heady.

[plectrum]

The Winterfell crypts always just made me think he was simultaneously drawn to and repulsed by the place because of his father's death. Now, we all know that Ned's bones are elsewhere, but Jon would have no way to know that at Castle Black.

I never considered that his parentage might be confirmed by something in Lyanna's tomb.

Now that I think on it though, Ned hasn't been laid to rest yet. I wonder if there's any chance that someone else discovers the secret after retrieving his bones and taking them back to his ancestral home. Someone like Stannis, for instance.

I'll be the first to admit that this is all BS and unsupported conjecture, so I'm just looking for what would thicken the plot the most.

[VicAndTheSquidSquad]

I've never understood how could the crypt prove R+L=J.

Everyone knows about rhaegar and lyanna. Why would a harp or a crown prove anything?