I wouldn't trust anything an old perv like Barristan Selmy says about any Stark "dishonoring" Ashara at Harrenhal in his PoV in TDwD. The tin-foil crowd use this one chapter to say that it was Brandon, and not Ned, who hooked up with her cuz Ned would never "dishonor" anyone and at the same time ignoring all the other testimony in canon from "less reputable" sources like Edric Dayne, Harwin, etc. Like how would Barristan's testimony be any more reputable unless he was looking through a peephole or something lol? Nevertheless, Ashara's physical description does have a striking resemblance to Jasnah Kholin, just saying. 😉

I personally like the Ashara = Jyanna Reed theory, with the Stark whom Ashara looked to being Lyanna who was matchmaker for Ashara and Howland, and Ashara's supposedly stillborn child being their daughter Meera, who is heir to Greywater in the Dornish fashion rather than her brother. With the Daynes being grateful to Ned because he warded off Robert's anger by attesting to the deaths of all the Rhaegar loyalists. It should be noted that, while Ashara spent the night in Ned's tent, Howland was staying in his tent. And Meera's story of the knight of the laughing tree pays an unusual amount of attention to Ashara.

Thumbnail caught my attention for sure. The likes of House Dayne and Hightower having "Valyrian" features always intrigues me. Likely they are the descendants of Dragonlords as well, much like the Valyrians were. Part of the "Great Empire of the Dawn", I take it.

N+A=J & R+L=A 🙌🏻

Had no idea young Ned was such a badass. This secret must have really eaten away at him over the years. He seemed so worn out, so tired and so resigned in the first book. I wonder if he kept other treasonous secrets from Robert. For instance, was he in any way involved in the rescue of Dany and Viserys? He seemed awfully touchy about that subject as well, and I have a feeling that it wasn't just about his high sense of honor.

Very perceptive! You are on to something here! Ned definitely has past grievances with the Mountain. One thing to remember is that The Knight of The Laughing Tree story is most likely a "how I met your mother" story, told by Howland, to Jojen and Meera. This makes Ashara the most likely candidate for Meera's mother, at least. So poor old Ned never got with Ashara, it was his best friend Howland who got with her in Ned's tent. Ned's sympathy for Elia and her children stems from his friendship with Ashara, who was Elia's lady-in-waiting.

You’re close but I believe he repeated that scene because of Gilly, not the baby swap. Ned had the same conversation with ashara, convincing her to go with lyannas baby (young griff) to keep him safe and he took Jon.

Personally, I believe every baby in this story has been swapped upwards of two times at minimum. All seriousness though, keep up the great work!

Good video. It’s moot if you don’t asume that R+L= J. George’s wife was told that theory and she laughed out loud stating “That’s far too simple for George”

Jon Snow's bid to save Mance Rayder's son by swapping him with Gilly's son may backfire for two reasons 1) by the time Melisandre will be looking for a sacrifice Jon Snow would already be dead and unable to stop her and 2) Gilly's son by Craster may have King's Blood after all as a current prevalent theory is that Craster is the descendant of a bastard son of House Stark and thus has King's Blood going back to the Stark King's of Winter and Kings in the North.

If NED had known that…. Nothing would’ve stopped him to behead the Mountain…so is only a theory without a shred of evidence

“Ned, Ser Barristan has been acting super pervy” - Ashara, probably

I don’t think Ned killed Arthur Dayne and the other Kings guard. I think they went North of the Wall to prepare for the wars to come. Mance. Tormund. Qhorin half hand. Spitting images of the ToJ Kings men.

The timeline doesn't add up for Jon to be Lyanna and Rhaegars son. Lyannas "Promise Me Ned" was her pleading to be buried in the crypts at Winterfell.

Ashara married Howland Reed, howland was wearing stark clothes and the last greatborn bastard of the starks was a cragmen who had red/orange hair. most northerns never traveled south so they would have thought howland was just a another stark bastard thats how she got dishonored by a stark. (or a stark might mean a northern..) 2. another theory is that wildling princess is her daughter. and they switched meera with her. 3. the reeds are the house of green and the daynes are the house of purple.

I personally do think Aegon is the real deal. And now that you say it I want Ashara to have been the one to make the switch between babies. It also would explain why Varys did so much to try and help Ned. Because they had no time to save the baby before he was killed.

Your videos are so complete, thank you!

Love the video! I agree that Young Griff as a Blackfyre is not canon despite how much people talk about it, but how is Jon being Lyana's son canon? As far as the books go, we don't know yet.

The order of the green hand has a good video series about this. I think aegon slash young Griff was actually rhaegar and lyanna son and Jon is ashara and Ned's.

Love this theory. It definitely makes sense. This is one of my favorite mysteries in the books. I hope we do find out more about Ned and Ashara at some point.

I completely agree...Aegon is not a Blackfyre and it is spoken of as canon, which I find a bit strange.

I’m way more into the Cosmere currently but always enjoy your stuff. Saw I could get in early enough to juke the algorithm. Hope it Eli’s the channel achieve the next step. Always the next one.

Ashara was sent away to Starfall after her pregnancy became a thing. And although George admitted that she wasn't nailed to the floor during the Rebellion, I simply cannot see her travelling with an infant and no one noticong. Her Harrenhall baby would've been too young to be mistaken for Aegon even if the boy did come out with pale hair and violet eyes. If the stillbirth story was fake, I am more inclined to believe that Allyria Dayne was her child who was adopted as a sister. Allyria is much much younger that the rest of her siblings (being only betrothed to Beric in canon events; and he has time gallivanting around instead of claiming his bride). George also confirmed that Brandon Stark left no male bastards, but a girl is an option. Jon Snow being Ned's son with literally anyone wouldn't warrant such a secrecy. Even if Ned told only Jon. The silence makes sense only if telling Jon of his mother would open a Pandora Box of unknown proportions. Also, when Ned and Ashara made a baby for the ages to match up? It took Ned months to come down from the North with his banners. His soldiers gossiped about him and Ashara but he did go to Starfall after ToJ, so that would be enough for gossip fodder. And Dany has to be a Targaryen because she rides a bloody dragon. Daynes are not the blood of Old Valyria, not dragon riders. And there is no reported intermarriage that could inject such ability into the Dayne line. So she was definitely not a part of any baby swaps going on.

loved this video! your theory is more plausible. please do more biography videos on jaehaerys and alysanne’s children!! 😭

Waiting for the book ! WTH! Definitely love Ashara! I'm not so sure about the Howland theory myself but . . . I can get on board with Ash and Ned!

I'm a new sub I love your videos keep them coming!

Fantastic job!

Ok then B4, pretty good theory 👌 I've been in the Fandom so long, I've heard just about all of them. So it's nice to hear something new!

I tend to think you’re wrong on almost all your points, but you are damn smart and incredibly entertaining. I have more respect for you than anyone else that I disagree with anywhere near as often 😂

Another good one Bridge.

Nah. Y’all are going to be displeased whenever the story ends. I doubt Grrm will reveal Jon Snow’s identity but honestly common sense says he’s NOT Rhaegar’s son. People love to ignore information and cherry pick. And in the ASOIAF world, there’s only ONE piece of information that says Jon isn’t Ned’s that’s valid, and that’s the time when Brandon Stark say him in front of the Tree asking for Jon and Robb to grow up as brothers. And even that doesn’t disprove that he is Ned’s son. Other than that, it’s not possible. Why? Ask yourselves some common sense questions. 1) Why has Ned Stark in 15 + years NEVER thought about Rhaegar if he’s raising his kid? Especially the kid that almost cost his house it’s EXISTENCE? 2) Jon has absolutely no dragon symbolism. None. He has more references to House Dayne than he does anything. And it’s obvious he’s NOT the Prince that was Promised, Daenerys is. Jon Snow is more likely the next Sword of the Morning

Oh Hell Yeah.... Bridge4 ASOIAF video!!!!

The Daynes and specifically Ashara also have the signature Targaryen purple eyes so if Ashara and Ned’s child had those same purple eyes it might be easy to trick the mountain into believing that the baby with purple eyes that he killed was Aegon.

Ashara- Great name!!!!!

Thanks for this Bridge 😌

Like it. Like the new image, as well.

"I don't want it."

🙌🙌🙌 Sooo glad you are doing videos about asoiaf!!!!

Somethin's up with your audio. Hitting a lot of high frequencies. Love your vids!

Ned was probably even more angry when Catelyn mentioned Ashara Dayne, who if we go by theories is Howland Reed's wife. Ned would be so angry. To have someone think he had an affair with his best friend's wife but that Jon Snow was a result of that affair. Ned's facial features must have darkened and Catelyn seeing this for the first and only time would shake as the Ned spoke quietly to never mention that name again due to the danger it brought towards Jon, he made sure Catelyn would never ask again. Howland Reed saved Ned's life at the Tower of Joy, we just don't know how he did.

bridge4 just found your channel and love your handle man however this theory could use some work. First of all your Ashara Dayne pregnancy timing. She didn’t get pregnant at Harrenhal. The Tourney took place in the last two Months of 281 AC. If we recall AGOT Dany 1 Dany says “Viserys was 8 when he fled King’s Landing”. Viserys was born in 276 according to The World of Ice and Fire. That would mean that Viserys fled KL in 284. Since the war lasted a year that means it didn’t start until 283. That’s over a year in between Harrenhal and the start of the Rebellion. Since Ashara served as a Lady Companion to Eila Martell in the first few years of her Marriage and was the most beautiful woman in Westeros to boot there is no way that there wouldn’t be talk of her Pregnancy in that intervening time. So she absolutely did not get pregnant at Harrenhal. Second is your assertion of RLJ. This is Mathematically Impossible according to new information given to us in the form of the iBook Versions that were released most recently. These versions come with Annotations in various Chapters directly from GRRM. These coming from the Author mean they are absolutely Canon and can not be argued against. In ADWD Davos 1 we get an Annotation that reads that “(Jon Snow) was born around or slightly after the Sack of King’s Landing, with Dany being Nine Months After”. If we subscribe to Ned finding Lyanna Alive right before she passed away this makes it impossible for RLJ to be true just by the shear amount of things Ned had to do around and after the Sack. He had to pacify KL, wait on Robert, head to Storm’s End to lift the Siege with a Full Army, deal with the Reacher Lords, and then travel to wherever Lyanna was. If RLJ were true Ned would have found Lyanna’s Corpse not her “In her Bed of Blood”. There’s simply not enough time to do so. So… definitively… RLJ is not true. However you did hit the nail on the head of both the Baby Swap and Aegon being a Targaryen. You just have to remember this phrase. Tyrion Lannister did in fact meet the Son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. He simply met him on a Fishing Boat on the Rhoyne River in Essos and not at Winterfell…

yeah there is a great fan fiction story that Lemore is Ashara.

*Literally dies waiting on stormlight content*

4 years later

You are baaaackkkk

I was thinking Faegon would be Ned’s and Ashara’s from watching the video

Excuse me, but damn. This is good stuff.

I tend to agree with Young Griff being the Targaryen prince.

You really need to do an "abridged" series lol

I always suspect Aerys snatched up Ashara at HH. Like she looked to Stark when Aerys showed up cuz she was afraid of him. If she was getting all the other guys attention that would definitely get the king's notice

Wow...

I love this theory. There's a theory proposed by The Order of the Green Hand channel that is exactly the same as this one except for one detail. the baby swap was between Ashara and Lyanna not Ashara and Elia. They think that like Bael the Bard, R=L never left Winterfell and were hiding in the crypts. In this theory, the ToJ was a meeting place and the King's Guard are still alive. When Ned gets back to Winterfell he finds Lyanna in a bed of blood with Aegon. Ned then swaps Jon(N+A=J) with Aegon(R+L=A) and sends Aegon and the Winterfell Maester with Ashara and keeps Jon. But this one is super cool and I dig it.

Did Catelyn suspect that war, and winning battle would make a shy Ned Stark bolder around beautiful young women ??? Or maybe women would just throw themselves at a victorious knight general to win merciful favor, and shy Ned would be too overwhelmed to resist them far from home ???

I thought and think Septa Lemore is Tyene's mother.

If I remember, Tyrion describes Septa Lemore as "handsome" and while he does try to reconstruct her as a younger woman, he concludes that she was not a great beauty (like Ashara). However, what young Griff is Ashara and Ned's kid? Also, it does not matter which or whose children The Mountain murdered, the story would be that they were Targaryens to wipe out any future claimants (same effect as Theon killing the farm boys and saying it was Bran and Rickon).

Damn, Bridge4! You bring up a lot of compelling theories! I not a big fan of idea that Ashara is Septa Lemore. Books said she had striking violet eyes. Everyone including Tyrion would notice that. Tyrion noticed stretch marks on belly of Septa Lemore so she is someone’s mother. She also told Tyrion that he’s not the only one who needs to hide. I honestly have no idea who she could be. I think when Ned went to Starfall to return Ser Arthur Dayne’s sword, Dawn, he told Ashara who Jon Snow really is. He needed a plausible explanation for him having a kid when arriving back at Winterfell and mother not being Caitlin . Ned gets back to Winterfell and doesn’t say Jon is his son, he tells Catelyn he is his blood. Not a lie. But not telling the whole story. He is hostile towards Catelyn mentioning Ashara because his wife’s honor is wounded and knowing he has to live with idea of ppl thinking he cheated on his wife and Ashara is woman who fathered Jon. Hopeful we get next 2 books(I’m not holding my breath!), and these mysteries are answered.

Personally I like that you’re not conforming 100%, but I don’t see ashara or ned being ok with leaving their child for a baby swap. It would just make more sense that Jon is ashara’s and aegon is aegon by rhaegar and Lyanna

Well, if this is true then it's almost a certainty that Faegon isn't Faegon but instead Aegon

Nope. I think In Deep Geek is the only one that has this all correct, in this video: -kzfaq.info/get/bejne/orF4kraHq7-qcac.html Howland Reed and Ashara were lovers. People saw Ashara go into the Stark tent to see Howland who was staying with the Starks. Meera is their child. Ashara disappeared to Greywater Watch with Howland to have a family and hide from Robert. The Daynes love Ned because he saved their family from Robert. They were big supporters of Raegar and Robert would have wiped them out.

I've another theory Jon might be real son of Ned stark & lady Ashara Dayne & Young Griff is son of last dragon & Lyanna stark (in short, he is nephew of Ned stark)

do you think jon is actually a Targaryen? that could easily be just a series thing

Jon's mother is ashara Dayne, Lyanna's son is Aegon (young griff)

Did the Mountain kill Ned's first child? I like a different take...but no.

One day, probably when I have long since shed this mortal coil we'll find out which, if any of the theories are true😉

I find this as one of the more compelling of the "tin foil hat" theories.

No she had child with the Brandon Stark!!!! not the Ned Stark

Bran and ashara had John Martin told me…it’s logical

I usually am in line with your thinking and theories, but this one seems way off. Although, i can see Ashara actually killing herself if it was her child Gregor killed. But i dont think Ned and Ashara had anything more than a friendship. Also, theres far too many symbols stating young griff is not a targaryen. Its openly talked about as fact because its verified almost as much as R+L=J.

Ohh yeah, N+A=J

Why was ned dayne named after ned stark?

NOPE. Aegon is Faegon. Or he is a Blackfyre or a blond kid of Lysene descent. There is not always a baby swap - this is fantasy horror, not a comedy by William Shakespeare!

Ashara Dayne is married to Howland Reed, Meera and Jojen are their children.

I’d start a war for Ashara . Tbh

B...

Makes no sense. Just like Jon being Rhaegar and Lyanna's son makes no sense. Aegon is Rhaegar and Lyanna's son and Jon is Ashara and Ned or Brandon's son.

Ashara's alleged stillborn child was a girl, though...

Ashara Dayne is Arya's aunt??

NOPE.

Holy hell, this is nonsense and people in the comments are agreeing? And they say Preston has crazy theories and sheep fans lmfao

I like your approach, but I have to disagree with couple of things: 1) Ashara’s baby is mentioned to be a stillborn daughter, not a son, and nowhere else there is a statement of a potential son 2) it is ironic that Jon is the mastermind behind baby swap for Mance and Gilly’s babies, because he was born in Dorne as Aegon Targaryen, and left it as Jon Snow, which suggests to me that Ned masterminded a baby swap of his own at Starfall in conspiracy with the Daynes, therefore, not long time after both Ashara and her baby are rumored to be dead to cut the trail leading to them 3) since we know that the show and the books are two different entities, it is not confirmed in the books that Ned did kill Arthur Dayne, and the reason for their fight might not have to do with Jon at all, it made no sense for Ned to harm his own nephew given his reputation. The fact that Ned slept with Ashara prior, got her pregnant and then by circumstances married Catelyn instead might have been the real reason why Arthur clashed with Ned at Tower of Joy, and Ned’s memories in the books of the events are confirmed bu GRRM to be not narratively accurate, he is remembering it not the way it happened, and there is no one single sentence stating that Ned killed Arthur, but again, it is debatable. If you ask me, most likely after faking her death, the most natural thing for Ashara and her baby to do is to seek sanction and shelter with the Martells, as she was one of Elia’s close companions. As she could not stay longer in Dorne due to her recognizable features, she most likely fled further to Essos. What happened further is a speculation, however, hear me out. If she is indeed Septa Lemore, then she got recruited by Illyrio for his “Aegon” project. And anyone fleeing Westeros and getting in contact with Illyrio is supervised by Varys. What if undisclosed part of discussions between Jon Arryn and Doran Martell during visit in Dorne was to transport Ashara via Varys’ help to Essos, and since Jon Arryn was the second father figure to Ned and most likely aware of the romance between the two, promised to take care of her for Ned? That’s how she would end up in Aegon’s camp, if she is indeed Septa Lemore. However, Ashara’s daughter had to be left behind in the care of the Martells due to unsafe travels and future uncertainty of Ashara’s journeys. And that bastard daughter of Ned and Ashara with speculative description (unknown hair color, eye color, height, build, pure speculation) might have been raised for a little bit in Dorne and further transported and used in the games of the Martells, Varys, Illyrio, etc.? Daynes themselves are a mystery in the fandom since so little is known about them, but their resemblance to the Valyrians, even if they arrived much earlier in Westeros, and possible links to the Great Empire of the Dawn (first dragonlord civilization, or proto-Valyrians, as many fans dub them) tells me that GRRM is hiding them deliberately because even their house words are spoilers for the endgame according to the author. …now, who that daughter might be in the current story? Who even sees the visions of her mother’s ancestors, the gemstone emperors, just like her baby-swapped counterpart Jon sees the ancestors of his mother’s side, the dead Starks, in Winterfell crypt dreams? Who that girl might be?

N+A=J

Sorry. You’re wrong. Ashara told Ned that Aerys raped her during the search for the KOTL.

Nope…

I still think Danny is Ned and Ashara's child.