Theories
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There are many still unanswered questions in A Song of Ice and Fire. Here we try to piece together answers from what we already know.
Contents
Parentage
Aegon Targaryen
Is Young Griff really Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar, heir apparent to the Iron Throne?
Ben Plumm
Does Ben Plumm have Targaryen blood?
Hodor
Is Hodor descended from giants, Ser Duncan the Tall, or the Freys? Why does he keep saying 'Hodor'?
Jon Snow
It remains unclear who Jon Snow's mother is, and possibly even if Eddard Stark is in fact his father.
True Identities
Alleras the Sphinx
It seems very likely that the novice Alleras is actually Sarella Sand, one of Oberyn Martell's illegitimate daughters.
Azor Ahai
Melisandre claims Stannis Baratheon with his magic sword is Azor Ahai come again, the prince who was promised. Maester Aemon remarks that his magic sword bears no heat though Lightbringer is supposed to be warm to behold and so believes someone else to be the prince who was promised.
Coldhands
While it seems clear Coldhands was, in life, a member of the Night's Watch, it's unclear who exactly he was.
Gravedigger
It is very possible that the novice gravedigger that Brienne encounters at the Monastery on the Quiet Isle is in fact Sandor Clegane.
Knight of the Laughing Tree
A mystery knight named The Knight of the Laughing Tree fought at the Tourney at Harrenhal and defended the honor of Howland Reed. His true identity remains unknown, but he could have been played by Lyanna Stark, Howland Reed, or one of the younger Stark brothers.
Septa Lemore
Septa Lemore's belly shows stretch marks suggesting she has given birth before, which is in stark contrast to the celibacy of septas. This gives to rise to theories about her former identity as well as that of her possible offspring.
Patchface
Patchface has a remarkable if largely unnoticed prophetic capability. His past and Lord Steffon Baratheon's reasons for bringing him to Westeros are known only in very broad strokes. Could there be more to him than meets the eye? What is the origin and nature of his predictions?
Perfumed seneschal
Quaithe warns Daenerys Targaryen about the "perfumed seneschal", but who or what is it?
The prince that was promised
Who is the prince?
Robert Strong
Little is known of Robert Strong, but evidence suggests he is either Ser Gregor Clegane, or a kind of Frankenstein's Monster created from Clegane's corpse.
Roose Bolton
Is Roose Bolton an immortal?
The Sailor's Wife
It's possible the Sailor's Wife is actually Tysha, Tyrion Lannister's first wife.
Valonqar
Who is the 'valonqar' destined to kill Cersei?
Unexplained Imaginings
Sansa Stark
Why does Sansa think the Hound kissed her in her bedroom during the Battle of the Blackwater?
Unexplained Murders
Balon Greyjoy
The people of Westeros are willing to believe Balon Greyjoy was simply swept off a bridge into the sea, but this may not be what truly happened.
Rhaegar, Symond and Jared Frey
It seems likely that Lord Manderly murdered three Freys and had them baked into the pies he presented at Ramsay Bolton's wedding feast.
Whereabouts
Benjen Stark
Benjen Stark has been missing for some time. In A Clash of Kings the Old Bear and Jon Snow discuss the empty wildling villages, realising that if Benjen found the villages empty, he would search for the reason.
Horn of Winter
Where is the true Horn of Winter?
Howland Reed
Howland Reed has also been missing for some time. In A Clash of Kings, he sent his teenaged children, Jojen and Meera, to pledge the Reeds to Robb Stark and defended the Neck against invaders from House Lannister to Ironmen. Despite being the Stark family's most loyal friend and the sole remaining survivor of the Tower of Joy, he has been notably absent. Given the Crannogmen's small stature, could Jojen actually be Howland? Is Howland a warg operating through animals/people to aid the Starks behind the scenes?
Jaqen H'ghar
Tracking a man who can change his identity at will is a bit difficult, but not impossible.
Jeyne Westerling
Conflicting descriptions by Catelyn Stark and Jaime Lannister suggest perhaps Jeyne Westerling has an imposter.
Loras Tyrell
Loras Tyrell may not have been grievously injured at Dragonstone, and may either be there for different reasons or elsewhere entirely.
Stonesnake
Stonesnake has been missing since Qhorin Halfhand's group was sent to scout the Skirling Pass prior to the Battle of the Fist of the First Men and may or may not be alive.
The bones of Eddard Stark
After Eddard Stark's execution in King's Landing, Ser Cleos Frey brings his bones to Riverrun. Catelyn Tully asks Hallis Mollen to carry them north to be buried at the Stark crypt at Winterfell, not knowing that Moat Cailin has fallen to the ironborn, blocking the only viable road. Since that time, Mollen's whereabouts, and Ned's bones, are unknown. When Barbrey Dustin and Theon Greyjoy investigate the crypt in A Dance with Dragons, no evidence of them is found, implying that Mollen has not yet made it to Winterfell.
The fingerbones of Davos Seaworth
Davos Seaworth lost his bag of fingerbones after the Battle of the Blackwater, making frequent reference to this afterwards, as his lost luck. In ADWD, when explaining the glamour used on Mance Rayder, Melisandre makes specific mention of a bag of fingerbones as the sort of trinket that might strengthen an illusion. Could she have somehow acquired them after Davos lost them, and be planning to create a false Davos?
Future events
The Brotherhood without banners
The "Red Wedding 2.0" theory states that the Brotherhood without banners will carry out a massacre of Freys and Lannisters during the wedding of Daven Lannister to his Frey bride.
Friends in the Reach
Randyll Tarly and Mathis Rowan will go over to Aegon VI Targaryen.
- Randyll's insistently denies the identities of Jon Connington and Aegon.
- Resentment over Brightwater Keep being awarded to House Tyrell instead of House Tarly, to which his wife, Melessa Florent, has a claim.
- Mathis Rowan appers upset when Tywin Lannister talks about conceding justice to Doran Martell over the deaths of Elia Martell and her children during the Sack of King's Landing.
Other
Bastard Letter
Are its contents true, or was the letter even written by Ramsay?
Lightbringer
Where is Lightbringer? Does it still exist? Is the account of its creation precise or metaphorical?
See Also
While not actually theories, the following pages provide additional information concerning the following topics:
- House Estermont/Family Trees: Discrepancies on the information of House Estermont exists, causing confusion as to whether Eldon Estermont is the brother, father or uncle of Cassana Estermont (the mother of Robert, Stannis and Renly). The linked page contains all possible family trees and the information they are based on.
- Years of Birth and Death: Containing calculations of the years of birth and death of various characters, with as much detail as they can possibly be given in.