Everyone loves a hidden Targ theory, right?

I want to go over the popular, the accepted and the contentious tinfoil theories about whether various characters are knowing or unknowing hidden descendants of House Targaryen and its offshoots. Some of these has been touched on previously, when discussing “Aegon”/Young Griff.

TL-DR: There’s a lot of hidden Targ theories, but only a handful are credible – Jon Snow, Varys, and fAegon the hidden Blackfyre.

First up: the classic. R+L=J

Jon Snow or Jon Targaryen?

Theory is well accepted and supported by hints in main text – elaborated in another blog

Suggest Jon is not Ned Stark’s son, but his nephew: Lyanna and Rhaegar’s son

Lots of debate around whether Lyanna ran off realising she would be a royal mistress or whether they wed under a heart tree as it was Twoo Wuv

Equal levels of debate around whether such a marriage would make Jon legitimate and heir to the Iron Throne after Rhaegar or not. I don’t believe Westeros would accept Targaryen polygamy, given that the last Targaryen with multiple wives was Maegor the Cruel.

Presence and determination of 3 Kingsguard at the Tower of Joy, where Ned found dying Lyanna and Jon was most likely born, suggests that Rhaegar persuaded at least them that Lyanna’s child was the next king for Westeros, or the mythic Prince That Was Promised.

Actually, there are way more interesting questions around the Tower of Joy than the almost too obvious R+L=J – why were there 3 Kingsguard guarding Lyanna, including the Lord Commander? Shouldn’t they have been at the Red Keep, or Dragonstone, or with Rhaegar at the Trident? And what did Ned promise Lyanna?

Status: you know nothing Jon Snow. Hopefully the mystery will be revealed in S6/TWOW.

Next up: the curious case of Varys the eunuch

We don’t know much about Varys. He’s a talented and ruthless spymaster, who grew up as a street kid thief in Lys after he was castrated by a Mage. So he says: it’s hard to know how much of what Varys tells Tyrion of his origins is true. But I think this much is true. Illyrio confirms these details and adds some more to Tyrion when Tyrion is roped into their Aegon plot, indicating that when Varys was a teen, he and Illyrio (then a braavo) combined their talents to run rings around the other crims and plotters in Pentos.

I subscribe to the Brightflame theory : Varys is the son of Maegor Targaryen or Maegor Brightflame, son of Aerion Brightflame. Assuming Varys is around mid 30s-40s in the current events, and knowing that Maegor disappeared from westerosi history as an infant, the ages match up. Previously discussed and dated

: Varys is the son of Maegor Targaryen or Maegor Brightflame, son of Aerion Brightflame. Assuming Varys is around mid 30s-40s in the current events, and knowing that Maegor disappeared from westerosi history as an infant, the ages match up. Previously discussed and dated Aerion was exiled to Lys for some years after his misconduct at the Tourney of Ashford. He has bastards there.

We have known clue at all as to what happened to Maegor or his mother after Aerion’s death and Maegor being passed over in favour of Aegon V. It’s possible he went to Lys or the free cities

The lack of information on Maegor Targaryen (or Maegor Brightflame) is intriguing – the absence of info in TWOIAF suggests there is more to tell, but revealing it in TWOIAF would spoil either D&E or ASOIAF.

From the beginning of AGOT Varya is described as “bald as an egg” – some argue that this is just an ordinary phrase but I think it’s a clue. GRRM has been pottering around with Westeros for a long time. The only other character described in this way is Egg, young Prince Aegon V, who shaved his head to avoid his Valyrian silver blonde locks giving away his importance when he was traveling as squire to Ser Duncan the Tall.

I think Varys is similarly hiding his Targaryen features with a razor.

But why?

I feel that the only reason it makes sense for Varys to be disguising his Targaryen features, and to have engaged in the spymaster tactics he has for the Mad King and the Baratheons, and his spiel to Kevan Lannister in ADWD, is that he is helping Illyrio and Serra Blackfyre put a previously passed over Targaryen scion on the Iron Throne – revenge for his father Maegor being passed over by the Great Council in favour of Egg.

The Lannister connections – or lack thereof

So far I’ve discussed the 2 hidden Targ theories that I think are true. The rest…. nope.

Plenty of fans love the idea that one, two or all of Tywin Lannister’s children are a result of the Mad King’s infatuation with Joanna Lannister, Tywin’s cousin/bride, and the alleged affair she had with Aerys before her marriage.

What we know:

Aerys made inappropriate jokes and comments about Joanna Lannister’s beauty and boobs as a Prince and as King, before and after her marriage to Tywin

Rhaella dismissed Joanna Lannister as one of her handmaidens after rumours about her supposed affair with Aerys circulated the Red Keep – but TWOIAF notes that Joanna was one of many women dismissed from the Queen’s service on the basis of rumours and allegations, without evidence that these rumours were supported by facts. No smoke without fire? Or is the smoke due to Aerys’ groping Joanna non-consensually?

women dismissed from the Queen’s service on the basis of rumours and allegations, without evidence that these rumours were supported by facts. No smoke without fire? Or is the smoke due to Aerys’ groping Joanna non-consensually? Aerys “took liberties” with Joanna’s person at the bedding. Some people have interpreted this as rape, but seriously? The Mad King thought he was untouchable, but he wasn’t so untouchable that he could rape a women in the presence of dozens of lords stripping the bride and taking her to the bed chamber during Tywin and Joanna’s wedding. And had that happened, people wouldn’t be obliquely referring to it as ‘taking liberties’…

Shortly after the wedding, Joanna (dismissed from Queen Rhaella’s service) went to Casterly Rock. Joanna rarely returns to King’s Landing after this. Tywin travels between King’s Landing and Casterly Rock at unspecified intervals to work as Hand of the King and perform his duties as Lord Paramount in the Westerlands, and lord husband to Joanna.

Cersei and Jaime were born about 3 years after the wedding – HIGHLY unlikely, nigh impossible to be a result of an affair (willing or not) with the Mad King, despite the parallels between Cersei’s deepening madness and Aerys.

The royal court was based at Casterly Rock for a time in the year before Tyrion’s birth and Joanna’s death.

Tywin adored Joanna.

While TWOIAF knocks the wind out of the sails of A+J=C+J, there are those who say it helps support A+J=T. I don’t think so.

In the YEAR prior to Tyrion’s birth, the Royal Court was based in Casterly Rock for about 6 months. But that also means Tywin, Hand of the King, was in residence in his home, with his wife, every day for 6 months, rather than travelling back and forth from King’s Landing.

Personally, I think far too much is made of the supposed connection between Tyrion’s dwarfism and the Targaryen propensity for stillborn deformities, like Daenerys experienced with Rhaego. That’s a very long bow to draw between dwarfism and magical reptilian deformed babes in dragonriders.

We also don’t know if the Royal Court was in residence before Joanna announced her second pregnancy, or during it. If before, and Aerys did act on his often spoken attraction for Tywin’s wife, then it’s possible that Tyrion is a secret Targaryen.

But frankly I think it cheapens Tyrion’s arc enormously if he is not Tywin Lannister’s trueborn son. Of all three of them, Jaime the irresponsible knight, Cersei the narcissist Mad Queen, and Tyrion the bitter, shrewd diplomat, Tyrion is (as noted by their aunt Genna Lannister Frey) the most like Tywin. He is Tywin’s truest son.

Tywin might have suspected Tyrion was a result of Aerys’ interference in his marriage, and he says as much to Tyrion, repeatedly in ASOS:

“Magnificent.” Even in hands as unskilled as Tyrion’s, the blade felt alive. “I have never felt better balance.” “It is meant for my son.”

No need to ask which son. Tyrion placed Jaime’s sword back on the table beside Joffrey’s.

But this could have been down to what Tyrion previously thinks about – that his father punishes him, the freakish dwarf, who took his beloved wife from him in childbirth. But then this we have this stinger:

Tyrion rose on unsteady legs, closed his eyes for an instant as a wave of dizziness washed over him, and took a shaky step toward the door. Later, he would reflect that he should have taken a second, and then a third. Instead he turned. “What do I want, you ask? I’ll tell you what I want. I want what is mine by rights. I want Casterly Rock.” His father’s mouth grew hard. “Your brother’s birthright?” “The knights of the Kingsguard are forbidden to marry, to father children, and to hold land, you know that as well as I. The day Jaime put on that white cloak, he gave up his claim to Casterly Rock, but never once have you acknowledged it. It’s past time. I want you to stand up before the realm and proclaim that I am your son and your lawful heir.” Lord Tywin’s eyes were a pale green flecked with gold, as luminous as they were merciless. “Casterly Rock,” he declared in a flat cold dead tone. And then, “Never.” The word hung between them, huge, sharp, poisoned. I knew the answer before I asked, Tyrion said. Eighteen years since Jaime joined the Kingsguard, and I never once raised the issue. I must have known. I must always have known. “Why?” he made himself ask, though he knew he would rue the question. “You ask that? You, who killed your mother to come into the world? You are an ill-made, devious, disobedient, spiteful little creature full of envy, lust, and low cunning. Men’s laws give you the right to bear my name and display my colors, since I cannot prove that you are not mine. To teach me humility, the gods have condemned me to watch you waddle about wearing that proud lion that was my father’s sigil and his father’s before him. But neither gods nor men shall ever compel me to let you turn Casterly Rock into your whorehouse.”

Here, Tywin displays his staggering arrogance and narcissism: he refuses to accept that Ser Jaime Lannister, his eldest son and sworn knight of the Kingsguard since he was 15, cannot be his heir in the laws of Westeros. Tyrion, the second born dwarf, despised by his father, is the lawful heir to Casterly Rock, but has never been allowed to live up to this. But he has not be allowed to do anything else: take a tour through Essos, travel Westeros, go to the Citadel or the Wall – all of those vows would be beneath a Lion of the Rock in the eyes of Tywin Lannister, but he cannot bring himself to acknowledge that Tyrion is his trueborn son. His lawful heir.

It’s unclear if this is just because Tyrion is a dwarf, or if Tywin would have treated Tyrion as poorly as he did if Tyrion had been born a full sized, healthy child that still led to Joanna dying in childbirth? It’s a big question, and one we will probably not get the answer to – but y’know, next time there is a chance to ask GRRM, someone should ask this: is Tywin’s hatred of Tyrion down to the fact Tyrion “killed” Joanna, the love of Tywin’s life, or is it because he is disabled and thus bringing “dishonour” to House Lannister, or is it because Tywin suspects Tyrion is actually the bastard son of Aerys Targaryen?

My money is on the first one: Tywin would have been as big an arsehole to his younger son even if there was no possible doubt over his paternity (and frankly I’m not convinced there is) and Tyrion was 100% able bodied and the embodiment of knightly chivalry like Jaime, just because Tyrion’s birth led to Joanna Lannister’s death.

Prove me wrong in the comments 🙂