How will Jon Snow learn about his lineage

[Jessica Rogers]

If Benjen Stark is still alive, I think he knows something and when he see what's happened in his appearances, he will tell him or help him figure it out and I'm pretty sure John Snow no longer in the NW so he's free to do whatever he wants.

Or

I kinda like greenseer Coma idea, it could be a BR thing, showing him the events or somehow hooking him up with his dad.

[JPJK79]

is it possible or even probable that barristan selmy knows of r + l = j..assuming this is true

Very possible Barristan knows in my opinion. I don't think he will be the one to tell Jon, but he will be the one to tell Dany that unlike (f)Aegon, Jon is truly Rhaegar's son.

I also believe Bran is very close to finding out about it and I think there is a possibility that when Jon is warged into Ghost he will connect/dream with Bran/Summer. This will then lead him to the crypts of Winterfell. I am assuming that either Bran or Jon will have further dreams of Lyanna's crypt. Once Jon finds out and accepts his lineage the dragon within Jon will be woken, and he will wake the dragon out of stone.

[Florina Laufeyson]

I think Barristan knows fuck all to be honest. He was a wee bit preoccupied with mooning over Ashara at Harrenhal and trying to keep Aerys from getting stabbed by his own chair. Besides hes on Dany's team right now so he'd probably be all "nah."

Bran actually might be the one. Hes got that wonky ass dream/warg connection with Jon and Ghost. I said in another thread that his communicating with Jon in ACoK isnt there for laughs. It has to mean something.

[Sansa_Stark]

I don't see how Bran doesn't know for certain.

Ned prays to the Weirwoods all the time.

He pretty much confessed that last time.

[gwyn]

I honestly don't think it will be through a dream/vision - GRRM uses those a lot, but only to hint at things and mostly people don't understand or misinterpretate them anyway... I can't see him going with a Harry Potter-like scene where Jon meets his Mum and Dad and they pat his shoulders and tell him to be strong. And I highly doubt he would know Lyanna/Rhaegar when he sees them - even Dany didn't recognize Rhaegar in her vision, it's just our interpretation that it was him and Lyanna she saw.

I think it will be through Howland Reed or Benjen Stark - it would also have to be someone who a) Jon trusts so much that he will believe them or b ) has hard evidence. We all suspect/know/are sure that R+L = J, but in the books no one knows (as far as we can tell), so it wouldn't be just like "Oh, yeah, thank you random stranger/vision/acquaintance, THAT's my mum and dad. Yeah!" ;-)

[Ser Jon Flowers]

Hmm, I like the idea of Bran or something to do with a Weirwood telling Jon. But I think it will likely be a Reed who tells Jon. probably Howland when he sides with Stannis or declares for Jon Snow/Stark/Targ.

That's IF we are told at all, knowing Martin, he may leave it up to speculation and never explicitly state that R+K=J. Especially considering most fans seem to accept this theory as cannon anyway.

[Mithras]

Bones remember. I bet the roots of the heart tree in WF goes down to the crypts. When Bran is trained enough, he will be able to summon the spirits of dead Starks, including Lyanna. Of course these will al happen in Jon's dream since the spirits always seem to communicate with the living in their dreams.

[chrisdaw]

Dany will tell him.

[Arthur Dayne's Honor]

I'm guessing it will through his comatose state. Jon has alot of parallels to the Story of King Arthur, will likely either be warned into ghost and find a way into the Crypts of Winterfell or wander a dream world where he will speak to Ned and possibly Lyanna who will tell him about it and to go to the Crypts in real life to find proof. Though seriously just ask Fire Eater

[Jô Maltese]

1. Howard Reed popping out at some point is a popular theory for a start.

2. Another wide belief (that I share) is that Jon (or someone else) will find a telling clue in Lyanna's tomb: a crown, a Targaryen cloak - I personnaly think it could be Rhaegar's Harp.

3. IMHO, it's possible that Varys knows through a letter Ned Stark gave him to send to Jon before his execution, but Varys kept it (as he said he would if he deemed it not serving his own game) - and I think he is behind Jon's assassination as it seems to coincide with Aegon's landing in the South and his own revealing move of killing Kevan. Now convinced Jon is dead, he might let the truth slip out when he thinks victory is close...

4. Wylla, the milkmaid, if she is still alive, probably knows the truth (ref. Edric's Dayne chat with Arya - and Edric does never speak of her as a late woman) and I sense she has told it to someone important: Darkstar? A Maester from the Citadel?

5. The old man from the Quiet Isle might also know the truth IMHO: I do not believe Rhaego is one of the 7 rubies, so if six have been found, Jon could be one descendant found and the 7th someone else (Tyrion?)

6. Last, but not least, I think Tyrion will piece it all together at some point and will be the one telling Jon.

EDITED - SPELLING

[Jon's Queen Consort]

Ι think that he will be informed during his coma by Bran and Bloodraven and when he will woke up HReed will also tell him (and the rest of the world).

[arthur_dayne_went_insane]

I think personally that i finds the truth in the crypts of winterfell how he will get there is a strong possibility with stannis, i remember a giant smashing a snow castle as a referance to winterfell......and wildlings.

[Blackfyre87]

I strongly disagree with Howland Reed. In my opinion he seems to much like a fifth ace. Suddenly appearing and then...

He couldn't bestir himself to save Eddard Stark's trueborn Children, to actively help save Winterfell and the North from Ramsay and the Ironborn, save the wall from the Wildlings, why would he give a whit about the bastard child of a man he helped destroy and a woman he knew for a few short weeks? I agree that he might appear to help save the realm from the others, but that's about it. I don't hate the reeds. I just think that going from seeming Apathy to being a prime plot mover is somewhat poor.

Maybe in the Crypts. Maybe from Bloodraven. Maybe from the Warlocks or Melisandre or someone.

.

[Dornish Whine]

I think it is a good possibility that Meera and Jojen know the truth from their father and will tell Bran at some point, who will then communicate with Jon. During the Knight of the Laughing Tree story they keep saying things like "Are you sure your father never told this story?" So they clearly know who that story is about, yet they with hold that information from Bran. It doesn't seem unlikely to me that there are other truths they could be with holding so that Bran focuses on his Old God training and doesn't get distracted by the game of thrones.

[Sansa_Stark]

I think it would be a great subversion if he didn't but it was still kind of confirmed in a way.

[Fire Eater]

Ι think that he will be informed during his coma by Bran and Bloodraven and when he will woke up HReed will also tell him (and the rest of the world).

"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "I’m walking down this long empty hall. My voice echoes all around, but no one answers, so I walk faster, opening doors, shouting names. I don’t even know who I’m looking for. Most nights it’s my father, but sometimes it’s Robb instead, or my little sister Arya, or my uncle." The thought of Benjen Stark saddened him; his uncle was still missing. The Old Bear had sent out rangers in search of him. Ser Jaremy Rykker had led two sweeps, and Quorin Halfhand had gone forth from the Shadow Tower, but they’d found nothing aside from a few blazes in the trees that his uncle had left to mark his way. In the stony highlands to the northwest, the marks stopped abruptly and all trace of Ben Stark vanished.

"Do you ever find anyone in your dream?" Sam asked.

Jon shook his head. "No one. The castle is always empty." He had never told anyone of the dream, and he did not understand why he was telling Sam now, yet somehow it felt good to talk of it. "Even the ravens are gone from the rookery, and the stables are full of bones. That always scares me. I start to run then, throwing open doors, climbing the tower three steps at a time, screaming for someone, for anyone. And then I find myself in front of the door to the crypts. It’s black inside, and I can see the steps spiraling down. Somehow I know I have to go down there, but I don’t want to. I’m afraid of what might be waiting for me. The old Kings of Winter are down there, sitting on their thrones with stone wolves at their feet and iron swords across their laps, but it’s not them I’m afraid of. I scream that I’m not a Stark, that this isn’t my place, but it’s no good, I have to go anyway, so I start down, feeling the walls as I descend, with no torch to light the way. It gets darker and darker, until I want to scream." He stopped, frowning, embarrassed. "That’s when I always wake.

This time he won't be able to wake up until after BranRaven do their work, and they will have him go down to the steps into the crypts for Ned to tell Jon the truth.

As for the parallel of Jaime's dream with his mother, asking how can he know someone he never knew, and this will be the same for Jon who never knew his mother.

[the_one_who_was_promised]

3. IMHO, it's possible that Varys knows through a letter Ned Stark gave him to send to Jon before his execution, but Varys kept it (as he said he would if he deemed it not serving his own game) - and I think he is behind Jon's assassination as it seems to coincide with Aegon's landing in the South and his own revealing move of killing Kevan. Now convinced Jon is dead, he might let the truth slip out when he thinks victory is close...

I haven't been a proponent of the "Varys knows" theory but this is an interesting idea and makes sense! The only thing I would question is, is there any proof that Ned wrote and handed the letter over to Varys?

I'm of the view that a myriad of things will occur before Jon finally confirms to himself that he is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna.

Jon being told through the weirnet via Bran and/ or Bloodraven as a starting point with the matter being corroborated by Howland Reed in the second instance. He may then find proof lying about somewhere or at least a clue hidden in the WF crypts. I also think that if Jon and Dany meet, she may have a hand in discovering who he really is.

Dany seems to have hitherto thought that all prophecies relating to the PtwP relate to her, however I think these will be small subtle clues that might enable her to make sense of who Jon really is later on, and she will eventually recall these visions and they may finally make sense to her when she puts "two and two together" so to speak.

[Opa Tywin]

We, the readers, will be told about R+L=J at some point in the books, but I believe Jon will never find out at all.

[Jô Maltese]

The only thing I would question is, is there any proof that Ned wrote and handed the letter over to Varys?

No. But the fact that both the TV series and the novel include this possibility makes me think it did happen.

[Bushido]

Then what's the point of his heritage if it isn't going to be revealed and contribute to the story?

Agreed.

Although I find it devious that GRRM never said - Jon will find out about his mother eventually - or anything except that we, the readers, will know... Can you imagine that, we know but Jon never finds out? Cruel :D