The Sphinx is the riddle.....but why?

Bend the Knee: A Song of Ice and Fire Podcast

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Joined by Ser Ezra the Watchfull!

Will Sarella Sand be the one to uncover Jon Snow’s parentage at the Citadel?

One of the big mysteries in A Song of Ice and Fire is the identity of “the Sphinx.” In his dying words, Maester Aemon urges Samwell Tarly to “seek the Sphinx at Oldtown… the Sphinx is the riddle.”

Many fans believe the Sphinx is Alleras, a young Dornish “boy” studying at the Citadel — who is actually Sarella Sand, one of Oberyn Martell’s Sand Snakes, in disguise. The Alleras = Sarella theory is one of the most widely accepted in the fandom… but it raises a key question: why is the Sphinx so important in the first place?

What if the answer is that Alleras is the one who uncovers Jon Snow’s true parentage?

In the show, Sam learns about Rhaegar and Lyanna’s marriage when Gilly reads it from an old book at the Citadel. But in the books, maybe Sam learns it through Alleras, who’s been investigating the mystery as well. Sarella — being from Dorne — would have far more personal interest in the truth. She would want to know why her aunt, Elia Martell, was set aside for Lyanna Stark… and why Rhaegar sent members of the Kingsguard to protect Lyanna at the Tower of Joy instead of fighting beside him at the Trident.

This revelation could have huge ripple effects in the books that the show never touched. We know Dorne will play a much bigger role in The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. The show more or less abandoned the Dornish plot when it became unpopular, but George R.R. Martin has been building something much more important.

If Alleras uncovers the truth, she could use it to rally Dorne behind Daenerys instead of Young Griff — knowing he’s a pretender — and push Daenerys toward seeking out the real Targaryen heir.

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