So who told Brandon Stark that Lyanna was getting raped?

[House Cearl]

I've read a neat Littlefinger theory saying he was behind it via anonymous letters, to Aerys and Brandon Stark to get Brandon Stark killed but then a friend of mine squashed the theory saying it's more likely Varys who did it since it he already spitting poison in Aerys' ear and had one of his birds inform Brandon of Lyanna's "kidnapping and rape".

What do you guys think?

[Dementia]

Why would Varys tell Brandon (and why not tell Rickard?) that Lyanna was abducted?

[FaSome]

Why would Varys tell Brandon (and why not tell Rickard?) that Lyanna was abducted?

I dont exactly think it was Varys, but I would assume that whoever it was knew Brandon was the hothead of the Starks and would overreact.

Edit: They probably also considered how paranoid Aerys had become and knew it could only end in a bad way...

[ab aeterno]

Do we know that someone intentionally set this up at all? I had always assumed that Rhaegar and Lyanna ran off and Robert and Brandon just assumed that Rhaegar must have abducted her etc.

[FaSome]

Do we know that someone intentionally set this up at all? I had always assumed that Rhaegar and Lyanna ran off and Robert and Brandon just assumed that Rhaegar must have abducted her etc.

Me as well, but now that I think about it...

It would be crazy if someone intentionally started the war.

[Mikkel]

Yeah I always thought it was simply Brandon (who was never known as a deep thinker) jumping to conclusions.

[Gar Weg Wun Sygerrik]

I remember reading that Brandon was returning from Riverrun after visiting Catelyn when he heard the news. If this is the case he may have heard the rumors at an Inn, in which case the information would probably be inaccurate and could lead to his brash decision to confront the prince in Kings Landing.

[Dementia]

Do we know that someone intentionally set this up at all? I had always assumed that Rhaegar and Lyanna ran off and Robert and Brandon just assumed that Rhaegar must have abducted her etc.

That's why I asked the OP. Why does he/she think Varys would tell Brandon?

[Men in their cups say...]

I remember reading that Brandon was returning from Riverrun after visiting Catelyn when he heard the news. If this is the case he may have heard the rumors at an Inn, in which case the information would probably be inaccurate and could lead to his brash decision to confront the prince in Kings Landing.

He was on his way TO Riverrun from Winterfell. He may have gotten the news from the Freys or the Reeds since he would have been around their lands at the time.

[ab aeterno]

That's why I asked the OP. Why does he/she think Varys would tell Brandon?

Yeah, definitely not sold on it being Varys. It doesn't seem to fit with Varys' attempt to keep Tywin out, etc.

[Mikkel]

Incidentally, where was Lyanna when she "went missing" - I don't remember? (Yes I know where she ended up, but where was her last known position prior to ToJ)

[Rose of Winterfell]

He was on his way TO Riverrun from Winterfell. He may have gotten the news from the Freys or the Reeds since he would have been around their lands at the time.

We don't know for a fact that he was en route from Winterfell... who's to say he wasn't travelling from somewhere else? I'm inclined to think he was, since I don't understand why he'd be travelling alone to Riverrun for his wedding-surely some of his family would have been coming with him? Lyanna probably shouldn't have even been in Winterfell at the time Rhaegar took her, you would expect her to be going south with a Stark party to attend her brother's wedding...

[Lady Sansa Stark]

What's wrong with that Brandon just heard about Lyanna getting carried off at swordpoint (presumably), and then him jumping to conclusions? I mean I would jump to a certain conclusion as well. Maybe not my sister getting raped immediately, but I would conclude that my sister apparently got abducted by the crown prince who was already married and had two kids. Brandon, being the hot-head, drove to King's Landing immediately. I can't fault him for that.

I don't think Varys or someone else had a say in this. Littlefinger was just 15 or 16 years old by then. Varys can think of other numerous ways, I'm sure of that. Remember, Varys whispered in Aerys' ears about the Tourney of Harrenhal and that Rhaegar would conspire against him, causing him to go there. Varys could spark a war simply by not telling Aerys of the conspiracy. He doesn't need Brandon Stark for that. Besides, how could Varys know Rhaegar would 'abduct' Lyanna, some time later?

[TheCrannogDweller]

Incidentally, where was Lyanna when she "went missing" - I don't remember? (Yes I know where she ended up, but where was her last known position prior to ToJ)

Here's what the wiki has to say about that:

Shortly after the tournament, Lyanna was apparently kidnapped by Rhaegar.

Which is ambiguous at best. My best guess is that they disappeared from Harenhal together.

[Men in their cups say...]

True, its possible that Lyanna's abduction and Brandon hearing about it happened very shortly after the tourney at Harrenhal and that they were both already somewhere in the Riverlands.

[Winter's Knight]

Incidentally, where was Lyanna when she "went missing" - I don't remember? (Yes I know where she ended up, but where was her last known position prior to ToJ)

It is speculated that she was fostering with the Whents, of whom Rhaegar was a frequentish guest.

[Lady Sansa Stark]

We don't know for a fact that he was en route from Winterfell... who's to say he wasn't travelling from somewhere else? I'm inclined to think he was, since I don't understand why he'd be travelling alone to Riverrun for his wedding-surely some of his family would have been coming with him? Lyanna probably shouldn't have even been in Winterfell at the time Rhaegar took her, you would expect her to be going south with a Stark party to attend her brother's wedding...

Maybe not from Winterfell, but he was travelling to something. To Riverrun, most probably indeed. He was travelling with his party - those guys got killed as well when they got in King's Landing. Lyanna wasn't in Winterfell when Rhaegar got to her, she was travelling as well. You don't expect Rhaegar to take her out of Winterfell, surely?

[Mikkel]

What's wrong with that Brandon just heard about Lyanna getting carried off at swordpoint (presumably), and then him jumping to conclusions?

Depending on what information he was given, perhaps nothing at all wrong with it - if he was indeed told that the Crown Prince has carried her off at swordpoint, well, then it's understandable (if still not wise) to go banging on his door at King's Landing. It all comes down to what information, if any, he had to go on. Of course, we as readers have the benefit of knowing just how paranoid, unstable and mad Aerys was at this point, but it probably wasn't common knowledge - so maybe faulting Brandon for that isn't really fair, either.

[Erudain]

Yes there's some theories ruuning around that Lyanna stayed with the Whents at Harrenhalll after the tourney, since she had to go to Riverrun shortly later for Brandon's wedding (no sense in going back to WF), and that's when she "was kidnapped"

[ab aeterno]

Depending on what information he was given, perhaps nothing at all wrong with it - if he was indeed told that the Crown Prince has carried her off at swordpoint, well, then it's understandable (if still not wise) to go banging on his door at King's Landing. It all comes down to what information, if any, he had to go on. Of course, we as readers have the benefit of knowing just how paranoid, unstable and mad Aerys was at this point, but it probably wasn't common knowledge - so maybe faulting Brandon for that isn't really fair, either.

To be fair, in this specific scenario, the only thing that Aerys seems to have done wrong is to name "fire" as his champion rather than Arthur Dayne or Barristan Selmy or Gerold Hightower.