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a song of ice and fire - Was Howland Reed the Knight of the Laughing Tree?


In A Storm of Swords, Jojen and Meera tell Bran the tale of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. They do not identify the Crannogman in the story, but both seem surprised that Eddard Stark has never told this story to Bran.


Is theCcrannogman in the story Howland Reed? Is it ever identified if he (the Crannogman, whether or not it is Howland Reed) was truly the Knight of the Laughing Tree?



Answer



None of the "players" of the story have ever been identified officially. Although it does seem obvious that the "Wolves" were the Starks, and it is heavily implied that the "Crannogman" was indeed Howland Reed, given Reed's strong loyalty to the Starks later on (actively joining them in their rebellion, and sending his two children to serve Winterfell). The "Mystery Knight" is a tougher nut to crack. Both Reed and Lyanna Stark have been put up as possible candidates. Both are small in stature, and both had a lot to prove. Personally, I'm leaning towards the Mystery Knight being Lyanna, who has a stronger case of needing to hide her identity in the lists. We also know (from flashbacks) that she was probably martially trained to some extent. OTOH Reed is a Crannogman, who are not exactly known for their equestrian skills.



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