On the authorship of the Pink Letter

[thewingedwolf]

Until recently, I always pretty much took for granted that the pink letter was written by Ramsay Bolton and never really questioned it. However I kept reading threads and posts that suggested other potential authors, amongst others, Stannis.

I did some research online and found a pretty interesting treatise on the matter which can be read here.

It got me to question myself on who the actual author of the letter is and, quite frankly, I really don't have an answer yet.

Therefore, I am curious to know the opinions of the forum on this matter and hear some different points of view.

Thank you for your participation.

[Jessica Rogers]

I think Stannis sent it to get that very rise out of Jon Snow.

Also, he told Justin Massy to go to Braavos with the iron banker and hire sell swords, lots of them, even if he hears rumors of Srannis's death, he is to bring the Sell swords back anyway.

[thewingedwolf]

I think Stannis sent it to get that very rise out of Jon Snow.

Also, he told Justin Massy to go to Braavos with the iron banker and hire sell swords, lots of them, even if he hears rumors of Srannis's death, he is to bring the Sell swords back anyway.

Good points, but how could Stannis have known about Mance Rayder and the spearwives in Wintefell?

[Chaircat Meow]

I've never seen any compelling reasons to think it was not from Ramsay, and I tend to assume any oddities in terms of motivation can be smoothed out when we consider the fact that we don't know the exact circumstances in which it was written. Like, I presume Jon XIII happens after the last Greyjoy POVs in DWD, so we won't know the full facts of the composition. Very possibly the Boltons have tortured Mance, or plan to work with him in some way, explaining the demands for the wildlings.

[WeaselPie]

Thoros.

[thewingedwolf]

I've never seen any compelling reasons to think it was not from Ramsay, and I tend to assume any oddities in terms of motivation can be smoothed out when we consider the fact that we don't know the exact circumstances in which it was written. Like, I presume Jon XIII happens after the last Greyjoy POVs in DWD, so we won't know the full facts of the composition. Very possibly the Boltons have tortured Mance, or plan to work with him in some way, explaining the demands for the wildlings.

I tend to agree with you on this point, however my belief was a lot stronger before I read the essay I linked to in the OP. The case for Stannis writing the Pink Letter is somewhat circumstantial but it is nonetheless worth looking at.

[Drexyon7]

There was a post explaining Mance's mannerisms in speech by analyzing his conversations as Rattleshirt. This lead me to believe that Mance is involved in some way...most likely as Ramsay's prisoner/partner.

[jarl the climber]

Ramsey wrote it, I've heard the other theories and they do not make sense ecspecially the one about Stannis. The interesting thing is why Roose did not write Jon the letter, he is Warden of the North not Ramsey.

[thewingedwolf]

The interesting thing is why Roose did not write Jon the letter, he is Warden of the North not Ramsey.

I'd bet you a shiny penny that Roose does not know Ramsay did it. Remember that relations between Roose and Ramsay deteriorate considerably towards the end of the books.

[Jessica Rogers]

Good points, but how could Stannis have known about Mance Rayder and the spearwives in Wintefell?

Maybe Mel told him.

[thewingedwolf]

Maybe Mel told him.

Mel stays at the Wall when Stannis marches south. They are seperated at the time Jon receives the PInk Letter so its very unlikely that she communicated with him.

[Facebookless Man]

It would be WAY out of character for Stannis, and that's just the beginning of why the stannis theories don't make any sense.

Ramsay wrote the letter after getting info from Mance Rayder or the spearwives.

[Jon of the Dead]

Just a couple of things:

1. There is a way Stannis knows about Mance and the spearwives: Asha or Theon could've told him off-stage. And Asha knows because Theon told her when he starts telling her a bunch of stuff at once, which included the spearwives that weren't spearwives (but now that I think about it, Theon doesn't seem to know Abel is Mance, since he keeps calling him Abel)

2. There's a thing that bugs me about the letter: Ramsey asks Jon for Jeyne and Theon back, but how does Ramsey know Stannis sent Jeyne to the Wall and why does he think Theon was with her? Sure, maybe the Karstarks told Ramsey, but again, Stannis only sent Jeyne to the Wall and the Karstarks didn't seem to know about Theon, judging from their reaction in the gift chapter. So that's odd.

[Arthur Dayne's Honor]

I'm guessing in order of likelihood

1. Mance

2. Ramsay

3. Roose

4. Stannis

[Petyr Patter]

The simplest explanation is Ramsey captured/tortured a spearwife (or for the optimistic was fed information by a super sneaky Mance), lied like a rug, and wrote the letter thinking Jon Snow was some push over like Theon. Even if Jon doesn't hand over his bride and his Reek, Ramsay will think he still has the numbers to storm Black Castle. Only, he might not since Jon has been making common cause with the wildlings.

Most other theories just can't account for the inclusion of Reek in the demands. Who else would bother to ask for Reek knowing Jon probably has no idea who "Reek" is? Also, why write the letter? For Ramsay, its easy, to be jerkass. Roose would never give up the element of surprise if he thought the had to attack the Night's Watch. He'd just show up in force, make his demands, promise fair treatment for prisoners (honest or not), and that would be that. The Night's Watch is undoubtedly to far away to help Stannis.

So, yeah, Ramsey. The real mystery is not the author, its figuring out where he is lying, and where he is being honest.

[LordToo-Fat-to-Sit-a-Horse]

In my opinion, Ramsay wrote it with the information he has at hand.. He tortured the Spearwives for the true identity of Mance, their mission, and Melisandre´s deception at the wall whilst burning Rattelshirt.

Stannis defeats the Frey host at the frozen lake with the help Wyman. Stannis sends Manderly back to Winterfell with the magical sword (and a couple of heads) to tell Bolton they have defeated the rebel in 7 days of battle (they were 3 days away from winterfell, 3+1+3=7)

So Stannis prepares Massy for the eventual news of his death, ordering him to carry on with his mission. Stannis knows Massy would hear about his death at the wall, but wants him to get the sellswords all the same.

Ramsay is the one writing the letter (as lord of winterfell), because Roose might have fallen into the trap, leaving the safety of winterfell, back for the dreadfort.

[Lord of 311]

I, for the longest time, was convinced Mance was the author of the letter, but now I find myself leaning more and more towards Stannis.

I think the Theon gift chapter is a dead giveaway for this, as others have mentioned. I don't know how to do spoilers but is one quote spoiler worthy? If it is, I will immediately edit my post.

Paraphrasing here, but Theon says something along the lines of how Ramsey will want his bride back and he'll also want his Reek back. To me, that sounds an awful lot like the pink letter.

Hell, perhaps Stannis had Theon help him write the letter to make it sound authentic.

[jarl the climber]

In my opinion, Ramsay wrote it with the information he has at hand.. He tortured the Spearwives for the true identity of Mance, their mission, and Melisandre´s deception at the wall whilst burning Rattelshirt.

Stannis defeats the Frey host at the frozen lake with the help Wyman. Stannis sends Manderly back to Winterfell with the magical sword (and a couple of heads) to tell Bolton they have defeated the rebel in 7 days of battle (they were 3 days away from winterfell, 3+1+3=7)

So Stannis prepares Massy for the eventual news of his death, ordering him to carry on with his mission. Stannis knows Massy would hear about his death at the wall, but wants him to get the sellswords all the same.

Ramsay is the one writing the letter (as lord of winterfell), because Roose might have fallen into the trap, leaving the safety of winterfell, back for the dreadfort.

I actually agree that Roose has abandoned him. Without the girl he has no claim and Roose has told him its his problem to get her back as well as Theon who knows a lot of their secrets. I think Roose has actuially retreated South towards Barrowton. He has a strong well supplied garrison at the Dreadfort that threatens the rear of any force that marches against him plus he is closer to his allies in the South at Barrowton. The Ryswells and the Dustion forces have gone with him as well.

[Lord of Beyond the Wall]

I think Stannis wrote the letter as some Hail Mary to get two things: 1-That Jon save his ass and 2-Jon effectively resign from the NW and in consequence have to accept Stannis offer of turning him in the Lord of Winterfell. Why would Lord Stannis do that? well is the only way to unify the north with a Stark that could fight with him, fArya could not possible do that (see the Kastark treason).

How we know Stannis wrote the letter? only Stannis and his clowns call Vall Princess, she is mention as that in the letter. Stannis should know about Mance Ryder and after Theon tell him about the speasrwives he could piece things together (I'm assuming he isn't as dumb as usurper King Robert or Victarion).

This letter play with Jon Snow insecurities very well, the first thing it does is sign the letter to the Bastard, as a bastard who rise to legitimacy and lordship I highly doubt that Ramsay Bolton would look down to someone who has done the same thing. the Pink Letter push Jon's pride to the point of leaving the NW and marching to the south: the other thing the letter do is using Arya the person Jon love more in the world.

Stannis trick worth too well, so well that backfired and end with the intent of murder on Jon Snow.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

I think it will bear out that Ramsay ultimately wrote the letter, but with poor/missing information. My thought process is, the Boltons send the Freys and Manderlys out together. The Manderlys turn on the Freys and join Stannis, and Stannis pulls a Nevsky to successfully finish off the Frey host. Using some form of subterfuge (e.g. stealing Frey banners/uniforms), Stannis's men go back to Winterfell carrying his sword and saying that he's been defeated. This is what compels Ramsay to write the letter, thinking he's won and embellishing the details (e.g. Stannis's severed head on the wall) to rub it in harder. Meanwhile, with the Boltons' guard down, the Trojan horse troops open the gate, and the rest of Stannis's forces go in and, joined with the northerners already inside, finish off the Boltons and any Frey men who are left. I can also get behind the ravens idea -- Stannis sends a false report to Winterfell with the Karstark ravens and pulls off his subterfuge that way.

Having said that, I'm still open to the idea that someone else (Mance or Stannis, with Mance being likelier to me) wrote the letter. I just find my explanation above to be pretty simple and straightforward, but I admit that this is still very much a mystery and anyone who claims to know for certain who wrote the letter is overly confident. The main issue I have with Stannis as the author is that, unlike the other two, I have a hard time seeing any plausible motive.

The only thing I believe for sure about the letter is that at least some of it is false.