Did Catelyn Stark know about Jon's parentage ?

[LissyTargaryen]

On 01/07/2016 at 9:12 PM, illinifan said:

She did not know.  Cat in the books would have argued for throwing Jon out into the cold because it would have endangered her kids and blah.. blah.. inheritance.  TV show Cat would have been sympathetic.  There was that beautiful monologue by Cat in Season 3 about how all the ills that have befallen her family came about because she could not love a motherless child.  However, Ned thought that the secret was too dangerous to tell even TV Cat.

I remember that bit in the show when she was making the protective ornament. That was a good speech. 

Thanks 

[LissyTargaryen]

19 hours ago, Sir Matthis Light said:

In the show the only people to know about Jon's parentage is Ned, Howland Reed, Bran, and those two nursemaid's who I'm guessing one of them is Wylla.

In the books during Ned's Fever Dream he mentions he was holding on to is sister's body until "They" came. I'm guessing "They"= Howland, and Wylla and how many nursemaids were there with Lyanna.

 

 

 I personally like to believe she might have treated Jon a little better had she knew his mother was Ned's little sister, but I think she would have been a more fearful and paranoid women, mainly for her kids safety. Technically Ned was committing treason by harboring a half breed Targaryen claimant to the Iron Throne. Had she knew who his real parentage was, she would have been in fear for her own children's safety.

I'd like to think that Cat would have treated him better as well. However, Jon being "different" and cast out played a big part in his development. 

[Nymeria's pack]

Firstly Cat's attitude towards Jon needed to be completely natural.  Ned couldn't risk anyone wondering why she was so accepting of her husband's bastard.  

But even apart from that, I suspect the knowledge wouldn't have made Cat like Jon any better. I doubt she would have any liking for Lyanna.  They probably never met but Cat would surely have heard about Lyanna's wildness.  And if it's true that Lyanna ran off with Rhaegar rather than being abducted, and Ned told her that, Cat would utterly resent Lyanna's lack of duty which brought about the death of Cat's own fiancé and started a war.  Lyanna would be the 'other woman' that Ned put before her, albeit without betraying her.  Add to that the possibility of Targaryen madness, the constant fear she would be in that someone would find out and the consequent threat to her family...I think Jon's situation might even be worse. Cat is not someone who can separate all of her negative feelings and worries and treat the child as blameless. She has shown that.

[AvengerofWinterfell]

On 7/1/2016 at 3:00 PM, Lurid Jester said:

She definitely didn't know.  If she had she probably wouldn't hate him with every fiber of her being.  

Which would have been suspicious. 

Her hatred was necessary in order to keep Jon safe and secret. 

exactly.  if she knew Jon wasnt Neds bastard she wouldve likely treated him warmly or at least with civility.  That wouldve raised the question of how she could be so accepting of a daily reminder of her husbands infidelity which was scrutiny Ned didnt need.

[Slaysman]

No she did not. For all his faults Ned was a man of his word. I believe it is in the first book when Cat is thinking about Ned and Jon that the only time book wise that Ned referred to Jon as his son was when he presented him to the court at Winterfell. After that he refers to Jon as my blood. I would not be surprised if there are bodies buried because people began asking and speculating about Jon. If I recall correctly the servant who began discussing a rumor about Jon's mother disappeared. Not dismissed or left just gone.

[Adam_Up_Bxtch]

The only person I could see Ned telling that wasn't present at the ToJ would be Benjen, seeing as Lyanna was his sister as well. Maybe Maestar Aemon seeing as he'd be Jon's Kin but I doubt it Aemon probably would of already mentioned it to Jon if he knew.

Cat certainly didn't know and I doubt Ned was ever gonna tell her. Though TV Ned was eventually gonna tell Jon himself, after he has joined the Nights Watch of course, wanting to wait until Jon has already forsaken all claims and inheritance. I'm not sure if he was ever going to tell him in the novels.

[Runaway Penguin]

Aemon might have suspected from contact with Rhaegar. All those hints about Targaryen alone in the world - or even revelation of his lineage to Jon...