How do you think jon snow's parentage will be reveled?

[Dragonstar]

I hope Howland but I think Weirnet FaceTime with Bran who will find out through his own tree quest.

[Booknerd2]

The info about Jon's parentage is out there. Howland, the Dayne wetnurse Wylla, possibly Ashara if one believes she is alive might know, and the Reeds, Bran, etc. can access this info through their powers. Reeds probably know from Dad or Jojen's dreams or whatever.

I never thought the crypt is the reveal, maybe a place with info to back it up.

Lyanna and Rhaegar were at the TOJ. Rhaegar leaves. A pregnant woman is hanging out there for awhile. She gives birth and dies. Is that place not a stockpile of long term evidence of daily life, personal possessions, and items that were necessary for the circumstances?

The point is that Ned did not want anyone to know what happened to protect Jon. Isn't that why the Tower was taken down/destroyed, etc. But what about what was in there? Because stuff had to be in there for Lyanna''s every day living. That has always boggled me. Even if you take down the tower, how do you hide what went on in there? Ned destroyed the contents or took it with him? These are the things I feel have a shot at being in the crypt. Either for safe keeping, or sentimentality, or something. Not sure Ned ever held stuff to prove Jon's parentage at a later date. But knowing Ned, when he promised Jon to have that mother discussion with him later, maybe he was going to give him something too?

[TheTowerOfJoy]

My guess is that we'll get a Bran chapter in early tWoW with the info, then a dream sequence with Jon (while unconscious from the Ides of Marsh) where Bran shows him Rhaeger and Lynna in the crypts beneath Winterfell holding a crown. He'll eventually march there and find the crown, and who knows, maybe Howland Reed will be there to meet him with all his Crannogmen ready to fight.

[Roadside Rose]

I hope Howland but I think Weirnet FaceTime with Bran who will find out through his own tree quest.

I was hoping for something on similar lines.

[Le Cygne]

I never thought the crypt is the reveal, maybe a place with info to back it up.

Yeah, the crypt is for later, I think.

[Night'sQueen]

Hoping it is never revealed to Jon.

[Ghost's Shadow]

Jon has every right to know who his parents were, and that they likely loved each other and that he was wanted, and stuff. (Please don't over-drama his reaction to it, though. He's got a few accomplishments of his own, now, and growth. That should mean something.)

If he were to keep the information to himself and not spread it out to the North/rest of Westeros, so to speak, I won't hold it against him.

I don't think Wylla or the Daynes will tell anyone, that's up to the ones up in the North (meaning Ned, which will turn into Jon later?)

Howland shouldn't say anything to anyone either. I mean, what can he say? You're in the line of succession anyway?

[Widdle Liddle]

I don't know why, but if there is info in the crypts, I have this feeling that Mance Rayder might discover it. I feel like he's tricksy enough to figure shit out somehow and conspire to some end. Plus I'm still not sure entirely why he's at Winterfell (to outmanuever Boltons & Freys? to serve Mel? save fArya?)

Kind of a crackpot theory though, just comes from a "wiser-than-thou" vibe I got from Mance.

[mcb]

I think there'll be a big stone somewhere, with a sword stuck in it... you guys know the drill.

[Kahl Trollo]

I think it will be revealed by Bran.

Bran's injury and subsequent coma like state was when he was visited and given knowledge. Jon, now likely in a similar state could be open to the same thing (no, I'm not going with Jon dying and warging to ghost as a 'soul vessel' - simply very very injured and recovering).

So you have to consider how would Bran find out? Jojen telling him... hmmm doesn't really work for me - it implies that Howland told him, which doesn't seem right. Does Jojen dream of the past or only the future? I'll have to reread to find out.

Bran, however, DOES see into the past through the trees. Ned came across as one of the more religious characters in the books, often going to the weirwood at Winterfell - whether he prayed just meditated or enjoyed his 'alone time' , it's not out of the bounds of possibility that he vocalized his concerns (even if only to himself).

Bran was close to his father, and misses him, it wouldn't be out of character for him (once he could control this power) to seek times he could share with his father vicariously through the tree.

*shrug* maybe not enough crazy in there to be taken seriously, but if it were to happen it seems one of the more appropriate ways.

[Aderyn the Sly]

I think that if you look at Bran's chapter in GoT where he has his dream of his father in the crypts you see some forshaddowing. He was saying his father was sad "something to do about Jon, I think" a dream that he describes as "deeply distrubing, more so than any of the other crow dreams" then Hordor wouldn't go down there because he was scared, then Summer refused to move from the steps even with Bran calling after him, it wasn't until Shaggydog attacked that he came.

So Ned was sad, possibly because he never told Jon? And the crypts, why are they so omnious now, when we've seen them before and herd tell of them before that they were peaceful, and that the children would play there? With Rikon yelling "You leave him be." at the Maester and Bran suggests that Ned's "spirit" is already there waiting the entombment of his body. The swords are said to "keep the spirits in the tombs" so to speak. Now, we never know what happened to Ned's body after Cat sent the grey sisters north, as of DoD they still haven't arrived. If Jon is near death (or in a coma) at the end of DoD, and he has now come into his Warg/Seer powers, wouldn't it make sense to see a vision of Ned?

Now, what Jon will do with this knowledge is another question. If the NW stands (as I believe it will) and Jon lives I don't see him breaking his vows. If anything, knowing who his parents were would make him want to protect the realm even more, and how better to protect it than at the wall? And if the NW "kicks him out" as it were, I don't think he would stake a claim. If you look at Jon's chapter following Ned's death it has one of my favorite passages:

Tyrion Lannister had claimed that most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it, but Jon was done with denials. He was who he was; Jon Snow, bastard, and oathbreaker, motherless, friendless, and damned. For the rest of his life-however long that might be-he would be condemned to be an outsider, the silent man standing in the shadows who dares not speak his true name. Wherever he might go throughout the Seven Kingdoms, he would need to live a lie, lest every man's hand be raised against him.

Jon also reflects on Aemon, who choose three times to be honorable and refrain from breaking his vows. It was said that "even now Jon could not decide whether the maester had stayed because he was weak and craven, or because he was strong and true." That might be possible forshaddowing, three times must Jon also choose. And although he left once after Ned died, he ultimitly chose to remain true, and I think that even if his friends had not caught up to him, he might have returned on his own, he was showing doubts the whole way.

If someone else tried to "reveal" Jon and try to place him on the throne (I don't see anyone doing this) then it would have to be someone who is both respectible, and would have been either at the ToJ or with Rhaegar before he died. Howland Reed was there, but would he really be a "respectable character" that everyone in the SK would listen to? The only other ones there are (possibly) servants, although if Rhaegar wanted secrecy why would he bring them? And it is believed that all the Kingsguard were slain, and if Dayne or any of the others survived how would their identitied be vouched for? And why would they be in hiding to begin with?

In short, I think Jon will find out and it will affect him, but he will not try to claim the throne.

[TheTowerOfJoy]

In short, I think Jon will find out and it will affect him, but he will not try to claim the throne.

I agree, however, I think he'll end up on the throne anyways when Dany dies at the end...

[LuisDantas]

I'm not holding my breath for it to ever be revealed. The story works fine, arguably best, if it is not.

[Lord Tyrion's Whore]

I want a Howland POV. I know I probably won't get it, but it would be so awesome.

[Balerion06]

Wylla.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

Martin's Last Will and Testament? j/k

[King in the North Carolina]

I'd laugh my ass off if he just put it in an appendix in the back of the next book without any fanfare.

[Valandui]

Right after the end of ADWD, Rhaegar swung in on a rope with Ser Arthur Dayne backing him up and saved Jon from his attackers. He then revealed to Jon that he was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.

[profilebegone]

I'd laugh my ass off if he just put it in an appendix in the back of the next book without any fanfare.

+1

In greater detail, this is really two questions:

1) Will this be revealed?

2) Will it be revealed to Jon?

3) By what mechanism?

Basically, as far as I'm concerned, this is as good as fact and unless the information becomes important to the narrative going forward I don't know that we need to have this exposed diagetically. But really, unless someone we think is dead turns out to be alive - not impossible - the only person we know who knows this is Howland Reed. So the question is - what are the odds that we meet Howland Reed?

My guess is that we do, if only because there's so much dramatic potential, not just in the revelation of Jon's parentage but also in the fate of the Reed children, stuck in the North with Bran, Hodor, and Bloodraven in Tim Burton's The Keebler Elves. Not to mention he has a MOVING F@#$ING CASTLE.

Perhaps Greywater Watch will come to Winterfull like Birnam Forest coming to Dunsinane.

[vivatforx]

At this point it's fairly likely that Bran knows. Why wouldn't Bloodraven know the truth? One would assume he has used his powers of observation for more than keeping an eye on the Night's Watch.

I vote for the kinslaying idea. It's too important in the story.

Probably near the end of WoW to set up the final confrontation.