Wylla and her role in the plot

[jentario]

Most fans believe Howland Reed will be the one to unveil Jon's parentage. I personally disagree, and think Wylla (whoever she may be) will play an incremental role in the reveal. Why? She is a woman that pretends to be Jon's mother (she says so to Ned Dayne) and who Ned pretends is the mother (to Robert, at least). She must know something, she MUST, and she also must show up somewhere at some time in the next two books. Given her knowledge, I think whoever finds her along their path will instantly learn the truth (likely that R+L=J).

Who is Wylla?

We know she is a woman(!) and we know that after the war she worked as a wet nurse (to Nedayne). We know, or are lead to believe, that Nedayne and Jon are milk brothers. When Ned Stark heads to Starfall, with baby Jon in his hands, to return Dawn to the Daynes, he must have stopped to find a wet nurse, one that would feed baby Jon up until the moment Ned leaves Starfall and possibly farther down the road to Winterfell. We know he does not reach Winterfell with Wylla, but with another wet nurse for Jon. Maybe they parted ways in King's Landing.

Why would this Wylla agree to hold on to this secret? Why say she is the mother of a baby that is not hers? Why did Ned not create a non-existent character as Jon's "Mother"? The answers seem to imply this Wylla may have been more than a wet nurse to Ned (though not a lover, obviously). Ned knew this woman, and she knew him- enough for him to trust her with the lie (and with it, the secret).

Something here is fishy...

Anyway, where is she? Maybe she's still in Starfall. It is a long way from Starfall to the Wall, so I don't think Wylla will unveil the secret to Jon, or at least not face to face. So who would carry the message? A crow- Samwell Tarly is close to Starfall, and so is Areo Hotah. One of them will get there sometime, and maybe they'll run into a certain wet nurse.

Combined with Darkstar and the mystery of Ashara Dayne's baby and her 'dead' child too, I think there is a whole story to tell at Starfall, maybe even worthy of a prologue.

So what do you guys and gals think Wylla's relevance to the plot will be, and where do you think she'll pop up?

[Vaxis]

Good effort here, but I personally think she's not that important, and is probably dead. Howland is the last survivor of the Tower of Joy scene, and that is a vastly important fact. I think the reason Wylla exists in the story and is mentioned is for us to see how fishy it is, so we start asking questions about Ned and Jon.

[Florina Laufeyson]

My crackpot is that Septa Lemore is actually Wylla.

[Stan the Man Baratheon]

My crackpot is that Septa Lemore is actually Wylla.

Yeah i believe the same

[WeaselPie]

Wylla is nothing more than a wet nurse, whose name Ned pulled out of a hat to get Robert off the trail. Sure, she nursed "Jon Snow" and later Edric, both of Dorne.

[LovinRC]

My crackpot is that Septa Lemore is actually Wylla.

I like this, but knowing Jon was R&L's, would she still support Aegeon? Or, have loyalties to Jon.

[WeaselPie]

I like this, but knowing Jon was R&L's, would she still support Aegeon? Or, have loyalties to Jon.

She would not necessarily know Jon's parentage, and her loyalty is moot.

[Florina Laufeyson]

Septa Lemore's age and Wylla's hypothetical age matches up if you think about it. Wylla could have been a servant to Ashara, hence her presence at Starfall. Its not impossible that she could have been the source of the leak to Ned on where Lyanna was.

Now, why would Wylla be on Team Aegon? Probably because she could easily have been his wet nurse. That and shes pretty used to covert missions by now lol. Posing as a Septa since Ned allowed the spread of "Wylla is likely my bastard's kid" would make sense if she wants to operate on this mission without scrutiny. JonCon seems to know shes not really a Septa.

She would not necessarily know Jon's parentage, and her loyalty is moot.

Oh if Septa Lemore = Wylla, she would know Jon's parentage. I just dont think it matters too much to her because Ned claimed that kid as his own. Pretty much putting Jon out of the running. (and likely thought it wouldnt matter anyway cuz if R+L=J, in her eyes, he'd still be a bastard.

[LovinRC]

Septa Lemore's age and Wylla's hypothetical age matches up if you think about it. Wylla could have been a servant to Ashara, hence her presence at Starfall. Its not impossible that she could have been the source of the leak to Ned on where Lyanna was.

Now, why would Wylla be on Team Aegon? Probably because she could easily have been his wet nurse. That and shes pretty used to covert missions by now lol. Posing as a Septa since Ned allowed the spread of "Wylla is likely my bastard's kid" would make sense if she wants to operate on this mission without scrutiny. JonCon seems to know shes not really a Septa.

Oh if Septa Lemore = Wylla, she would know Jon's parentage. I just dont think it matters too much to her because Ned claimed that kid as his own. Pretty much putting Jon out of the running. (and likely thought it wouldnt matter anyway cuz if R+L=J, in her eyes, he'd still be a bastard.

I guess I am interpreting her role as Jon's wet nurse wrong. I thought she was the wet nurse since his birth and would know that R&L were his parents and may have known he may have been legit.

For some reason, I think Aegon is being set up to fail or be fake. Too many different people invested in making him king material and they all have their own agenda.

The only agenda I see for Jon is keeping his secret and Ned seems to be the only one involved.

[Florina Laufeyson]

I guess I am interpreting her role as Jon's wet nurse wrong. I thought she was the wet nurse since his birth and would know that R&L were his parents and may have known he may have been legit.

She very well could be for all we know. She very well could have been at the Tower of Joy (and leaked that info to Ashara who then, leaked it to Ned) because Arthur could have summoned a wet nurse from Starfall (his sister's...) to care for Lyanna's child. Theres so many variables here.

As for Aegon's identity and the Septa Lemore = Wylla, yeah i think she could be the one who can reveal who Rhaegar's true child is. Im not sure if shes there on Team Aegon for that purpose though.

[Addam of Hull]

I wonder if her purpose isn't to make the reveal to whoever's in charge of Dorne when Dance 2.0 finishes. I generally think Aegon will probably perish, leaving Dorne without a candidate to support and enmity against Daenerys. Perhaps revealing it to the Daynes who consequently tell whatever Martell's left. What happens from there, who knows? But if Wylla isn't Lemore, she's likely somewhere in Dorne still. Probably Starfall.

[LovinRC]

I wonder if her purpose isn't to make the reveal to whoever's in charge of Dorne when Dance 2.0 finishes. I generally think Aegon will probably perish, leaving Dorne without a candidate to support and enmity against Daenerys. Perhaps revealing it to the Daynes who consequently tell whatever Martell's left. What happens from there, who knows? But if Wylla isn't Lemore, she's likely somewhere in Dorne still. Probably Starfall.

A Jon reveal at the end would be would make for a good read. Everyone is expecting this to be a pivotal part of the series. It would be an answer without it ever being played out in Jon's POV or playing out without him ever knowing.

[Addam of Hull]

A Jon reveal at the end would be would make for a good read. Everyone is expecting this to be a pivotal part of the series. It would be an answer without it ever being played out in Jon's POV or playing out without him ever knowing.

Well, Martin's stated before that Jon will find out who his parents are and I suspect that it's going to happen during his... timeout at the start of Winds. I meant more that Wylla can be a method for GRRM to give some legitimacy to Jon's heritage by revealing it to the Martells... although, they may not be thrilled with the idea of supporting the offspring of Lyanna.

[Ruby Chevrolet]

We also know that she has a "mystery child" who is older than Edric Dayne, hence the milk. And that for some reason Edric did not mention to Arya that Jon Snow has another sibling -- suggesting that Wylla's child for some reason did not grow up living with Wylla.

There is every reason to believe that she is the wetnurse who was in Winterfell with Jon Snow when Catelyn first arrived. Why would Eddard have two different wetnurses for the same baby?

And there are good reasons to think that she is the fisherman's daughter who helped Eddard Stark cross the Bite at the beginning of Robert's Rebellion.

Meaning there are good reasons to think (gasp) that her "mystery child" is ... Jon Snow.

[Lady Gwynhyfvar]

1. We also know that she has a "mystery child" who is older than Edric Dayne, hence the milk. And that for some reason Edric did not mention to Arya that Jon Snow has another sibling -- suggesting that Wylla's child for some reason did not grow up living with Wylla.

2. There is every reason to believe that she is the wetnurse who was in Winterfell with Jon Snow when Catelyn first arrived. Why would Eddard have two different wetnurses for the same baby?

3. And there are good reasons to think that she is the fisherman's daughter who helped Eddard Stark cross the Bite at the beginning of Robert's Rebellion.

4. Meaning there are good reasons to think (gasp) that her "mystery child" is ... Jon Snow.

1. Mystery child = Wyl, a young guardsman in Ned's retinue.

2. There are actually zero reasons to believe this and at least one good reason (Edric Dayne) to believe she never left Starfall

3. What would be these good reasons? Please let us not go into the regional name theory again, as I believe that has been firmly debunked. As has the convoluted camp follower timeline.

4. And this explains Ned's lies and the price he paid to keep them how? Also see #3 above

[Dany Girl]

There is every reason to believe that she is the wetnurse who was in Winterfell with Jon Snow when Catelyn first arrived. Why would Eddard have two different wetnurses for the same baby?

And there are good reasons to think that she is the fisherman's daughter who helped Eddard Stark cross the Bite at the beginning of Robert's Rebellion.

There is no reason to believe Wylla ever set foot in WF, especially since Cat does not know who she is. Add the fact that Edric Dayne is only approximately 2 years younger than Jon, how does she get all the way back to Dorne in time to nurse Edric when Jon was almost a year when Cat gets to WF? Just no.

[orm irian]

My crackpot is that Septa Lemore is actually Wylla.

I don't think so. There are hints in A Dance with Dragons that Lemore is Tyene's mother. Lemore is referred to as a 'ruined' septa and she has blond hair and blue eyes like Tyene.

[Florina Laufeyson]

I don't think so. There are hints in A Dance with Dragons that Lemore is Tyene's mother. Lemore is referred to as a 'ruined' septa and she has blond hair and blue eyes like Tyene.

Pretty sure Lemore has dark hair.

[Ruby Chevrolet]

1. Mystery child = Wyl, a young guardsman in Ned's retinue.

2. There are actually zero reasons to believe this and at least one good reason (Edric Dayne) to believe she never left Starfall

3. What would be these good reasons? Please let us not go into the regional name theory again, as I believe that has been firmly debunked. As has the convoluted camp follower timeline.

4. And this explains Ned's lies and the price he paid to keep them how? Also see #3 above

1. That is possible, but there is not much evidence for it. And why in the world would Wyl leave his mother in Dorne to go to Winterfell to serve the Starks?

2. This starts with Occam's Razor. In Game of Thrones, Catelyn says Jon's wet nurse was at Winterfell. Later, Edric Dayne says Jon's mother was a wetnurse named Wylla. The simplest explanation is that the wetnurse in Winterfell and Wylla are the same person. Or else Jon would have been nursed by two different women -- the original wetnurse followed by a traveling wetnurse. That doesn't make any sense.

3. This also starts with Occam's Razor. In Game of Thrones, Eddard says Jon's mother is Wylla. Later, we are told that Jon's mother is a fisherman's daughter from the White Harbor area. The simplest explanation is that Wylla and the fisherman's daughter are the same person. The name issue (Wylla is a name used in the region where she grew up -- see Wylla Manderly -- etc.) just provides additional support for this conclusion.

4. You are making the assumption that the promise relates to Jon's parents. I think it doesn't, and there are other possibilities, eg that Lyanna's child is Young Griff and Eddard promised to smuggle him out of Westeros, not to take him to Winterfell.

[Viserio]

Always thought of Wyalla as just another clue since she does come from Starfall.

We know that after the Tower of Joy Ned goes to Starfall, but does he arrive with a child or does he find the child waiting for him? Wyalla would just be a wet nurse that Ashara grants to Ned once she sees the Baby or grants to Ned when he sees Ashara with his child and decides to take Jon back with him to raise him in Winterfell.

I know a lot of people are Jon being a Targaryen which would make a lot of sense, but for some reason I like the idea of Jon being Ashara's child.

First post by the way! New member! Still on book AFOC! Looking to finish ADWD before The Winds of Winter releases! Hoping for Prequel season detailing Roberts Rebellion on HBO, giving GRRM an extra year to finish his books before the show catches up!