The theory is that Jon is not Ned's son. Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark (Ned's sister) and Rheagar Targaryen (Daenery's brother). Ned adopted him to protect him, because Robert was hellbent on killing off every Targaryen in the world.

Going off of what is in the books, it's about 99.99% likely to be true, and is basically universally accepted by book readers. There are actually a lot of things in the book that don't make sense if it's not true. I don't know that the show has really touched on it at all.

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Jon_Snow/Theories

Sorry on my above post, I forgot we were in the spoiler-free thread. There is a large speculation on something hinted in the books...and in the show as far as I am concerned, that Ned is Jon's uncle, not father.

There are a lot of vague hints in the show, and it is pretty much the same in the book...but more detailed. Theory is that Ned's sister loved Rhaegar Targaryen and ran away with him and married, and Jon is their son. She died birthing Jon, and Ned was there and promised to take him as his own to protect her baby from King Robert. Rhaegar was already dead in the war at that time, and with her death, Robert would kill the baby because he would not accept that she didn't love him.

Some hints are how Rhaegar was described a good guy, not a kidnapping rapist. Ned mentioned making a promise I think...need to find details. All the vagueness about how Layana died, and how it didn't fit well that honorable Ned would cheat on Cat. And he was always quiet about who the mother would be.

Why doesn't he have Silver Hair?

The Stark blood in him was the dominant hair color trait. If you look closely, he is also a tongue roller....also a Stark thing...oh and detached earlobes. Kidding on those last two....but I think it was a sign of the Targaryen inbreeding to keep that silver hair...and introducing other bloodlines take out some of the traits.

I always thought the silver hair was the dominant trait. I probably misunderstood.

So support for the theory that Jon is the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna (at least those that I remember):

1. First, Ned Stark himself. He gave in and had an affair? Really? Ramrod backbone Ned? Cheated on his wife?

2. Ned would never say who the woman/mother was, nor what happened to her. If Jon was a bastard that would shame Ned, why not just leave him with the mother?

3. Lyanna died "awash in blood on a bed". Something like that. err...why? No mention of who killed her, or why anyone would want to kill her, so more likely it was in the process of giving birth.

4. Ned promised something to Lyanna when he sat by her side as she died. What was it? Obvious answer, to take the baby and protect it. How could he do that with Robert chopping off the head of every other possible claimant to the throne? Deny that it was a Targaryen baby at all.

5. Ned and his allied had to fight through members of the King's Guard to get to her. Why would King's Guard be there? Rhaegar was off dead or dying at the Trident. Mad Aerys was in King's Landing. Well, what if potential new royalty was being born? Unclear if the claim to the throne would have been good, of course, since arguably Jon was still a bastard.

6. Bottom line is there is ONE GUY who definitely knows everything about Lyanna's death. Howland Reed, the father of Jojen and Maera (the two people who accompanied Bran north with Hodor. Howland was Ned's very good friend, and only Ned and Howland survived the fight to get in and see Lyanna.

Bottom line -- book readers think "R+L=J", that Ned never cheated on his spouse, and that there need to be three Targaryen riders for Dany's dragons. Dany is one, Jon is another, and the third is someone in the books, but not (yet) in the TV show, and not likely to be in the TV show, so some confusion around that.

Note the colossal joke on the Seven Kingdoms if Lyanna ran off with Rhaegar willingly, instead of her being kidnapped, as Robert (and perhaps Ned) assumed.

The "kidnapping" of Lyanna is the root cause of Robert's rebellion, which leads to war, the ouster of the Targaryens and Robert becoming King. Because he is king, he is betrothed to Cercei Lannister, and on and on it goes.

All because of a mistake. Lyanna was Robert's love, but she didn't love him back. On the mistaken belief that she was kidnapped, Robert goes into full rebellion, topples a dynasty, has a traitorous, cheating wife who bears incestuous, illegitimate children to succeed him on the throne and ultimately arranges for his death after too many people start getting too close to the truth.

Christ, missed one -- the biggest -- Ned's promise!! I will edit and add to the list

Anyway, quotes from the book:



He dreamt an old dream, of three knights in white cloaks, and a tower long fallen, and Lyanna in her bed of blood.


"I was with her when she died," Ned reminded the king. "She wanted to come home, to rest beside Brandon and Father." He could hear her still at times. Promise me, she had cried, in a room that smelled of blood and roses. Promise me, Ned. The fever had taken her strength and her voice had been faint as a whisper, but when he gave her his word, the fear had gone out of his sister's eyes. Ned remembered the way she had smiled then, how tightly her fingers had clutched his as she gave up her hold on life, the rose petals spilling from her palm, dead and black. After that he remembered nothing. They had found him still holding her body, silent with grief. The little crannogman, Howland Reed, had taken her hand from his. Ned could recall none of it. "I bring her flowers when I can," he said. "Lyanna was . . . fond of flowers."Eddard POV, AGOT

Here's the full quote. THREE members of the King's Guard. Ned is wondering why they aren't in ALL THE OTHER PLACES THEY SHOULD BE.

He dreamt an old dream, of three knights in white cloaks, and a tower long fallen, and Lyanna in her bed of blood.
In the dream his friends rode with him, as they had in life. Proud Martyn Cassel, Jory's father; faithful Theo Wull; Ethan Glover, who had been Brandon's squire; Ser Mark Ryswell, soft of speech and gentle of heart; the crannogman, Howland Reed; Lord Dustin on his great red stallion. Ned had known their faces as well as he knew his own once, but the years leech at a man's memories, even those he has vowed never to forget. In the dream they were only shadows, grey wraiths on horses made of mist.
They were seven, facing three. In the dream as it had been in life. Yet these were no ordinary three. They waited before the round tower, the red mountains of Dorne at their backs, their white cloaks blowing in the wind. And these were no shadows; their faces burned clear, even now. Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, had a sad smile on his lips. The hilt of the greatsword Dawn poked up over his right shoulder. Ser Oswell Whent was on one knee, sharpening his blade with a whetstone. Across his white-enameled helm, the black bat of his House spread its wings. Between them stood fierce old Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
"I looked for you on the Trident," Ned said to them.
"We were not there," Ser Gerold answered.
"Woe to the Usurper if we had been," said Ser Oswell.
"When King's Landing fell, Ser Jaime slew your king with a golden sword, and I wondered where you were."
"Far away," Ser Gerold said, "or Aerys would yet sit the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells."
"I came down on Storm's End to lift the siege," Ned told them, "and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dipped their banners, and all their knights bent the knee to pledge us fealty. I was certain you would be among them."
"Our knees do not bend easily," said Ser Arthur Dayne.
"Ser Willem Darry is fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him."
"Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell.
"But not of the Kingsguard," Ser Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee."
"Then or now," said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm.
"We swore a vow," explained old Ser Gerold.
Ned's wraiths moved up beside him, with shadow swords in hand. They were seven against three.
"And now it begins," said Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning. He unsheathed Dawn and held it with both hands. The blade was pale as milkglass, alive with light.
"No," Ned said with sadness in his voice. "Now it ends." As they came together in a rush of steel and shadow, he could hear Lyanna screaming. "Eddard!" she called. A storm of rose petals blew across a blood-streaked sky, as blue as the eyes of death.
Eddard POV, AGOT

Given Ned's reaction to Robert's yelling about Rheagar, it's pretty questionable that he thought Rheagar kidnapped Lyanna.

In reality, Brandon (with a notoriously hot temper) got second-hand information about Lyanna's "abduction" and demanded a duel with Rheagar. Everything went downhill from there.

It's also a little funny that you list 'cheating' as a negative aspect of ROBERT'S wife.

Cloth dragon from Dany's vision. Basically, Varys' story about switching babies was not true.

They both cheated, so they had that going for both of them. But one of them birthed false heirs, which led to murder of Jon Arryn, then murder of the king, the beheading of Ned, the insanity of Joffrey, and into the morass that is A Song of Fire and Ice.

Not to forgive Robert, but he didn't cause all that, except to the extent that his lack of ability to be affectionate toward Cercei perhaps drove her back into Jaime's arms.

Nah, too easy0! :p

In the tombs with Sansa recently they were talking about how her aunt actually really loved the Targaryean guy and that it wasn't that she was forced into being with him. I think that was kind of the first possible hint at itin that there is more to yet be revealed. Also, Ned was always an honorable person, so it always seemed odd that he would have a child with another woman. Really from there it is probably just pure speculation but there may be some other clues I am not recalling at the moment that helped frame that thought.

Actually, Jon Arryn was murdered by Lysa at Littlefinger's direction, and he also had her falsely accuse the Lannisters, all of which started the whole mess between the Starks and Lannisters. Littlefinger was the ultimate evil mastermind behind it all as revealed by Lysa in the books and in the show right before Littlefinger kills Lysa.