The end of Game of Thrones Season 6 confirmed a long running fan theory about Jon Snow: His real parents were not Ned Stark and a mysterious lowborn woman, but rather Ned’s dead sister Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, which gives him the most legitimate claim to the Iron Throne. And the first batch of seemingly innocuous Season 7 photos might confirm another major theory about Jon.
In the set photo of Jon Snow, he appears to be in the Winterfell crypts. Now, because there isn’t much background except a glimpse of a dark tunnel, Jon could be in the dungeon area where Sansa fed Ramsay to his dogs in Season 6’s “Battle of the Bastards.” But Jon is looking slightly up, which indicates that he is not looking at any prisoners housed in Ramsay’s old kennels, but rather that statue of Lyanna Stark housed in the crypts.
According to this fan on Reddit, one theory posits that Rhaegar Targaryen’s infamous harp is concealed inside the statue of Lyanna.
Jon Snow in 'Game of Thrones' Season 7
The theory posits that when Lyanna Stark said “promise me Ned,” as she died giving birth to Jon, the “promise” was not to raise Jon. Because Ned was a decent guy, that was obvious. The “promise” was to preserve Jon’s birthright, which involved Rhaegar’s harp. The evidence supporting this theory is that it’s highly unusual that Lyanna even has a statue, as only Lords of Winterfell and Kings of Winter are typically depicted in stone. Secondly, Rhaegar’s harp is referenced often enough that it’s probably not just a simple instrument. Petyr Baelish even once said, “A harp can be as dangerous as a sword, in the right hands.”
“If Jon or someone retrieves this evidence from the tomb, it seems likely that it may amount to the completion of the prophecy regarding waking dragons out of stone,” writes the fan. “This could imply that Jon is Azor Ahai, or instead the person who retrieves the harp.”
This innocuous photo of Jon alone could therefore be confirming two related, game-changing theories: First, that Jon is The Prince That Was Promised, and second, that Rhaegar’s harp is significant and secretly buried at Winterfell.
Game of Thrones Season 7 premieres July 16 on HBO.
