A compelling fan theory suggests that Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju) was the biological father of Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) in Game of Thrones. Whereas Tormund was a fierce wildling from Beyond-the-Wall, Lyanna was a pre-teen who served as the head of House Mormont. Both were fan favorites of the HBO series and each bravely fought during the Battle of Winterfell as Jon Snow’s (Kit Harington) ally. Unfortunately, young Lyanna didn’t make it out alive, bringing an end to House Mormont. In George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, in which the show was based, Lyanna is alive and well. She might also have a secret connection to the Free Folk through Tormund.
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Tormund was first introduced during Game of Thrones season 3 when the wildlings encountered Jon north of the Wall. At first, Jon was an enemy of the wildlings until he convinced the group to form an alliance with the Night’s Watch. Tormund was extremely loyal to those he fought beside and when the group encountered White Walkers and wights, he formed a bond with Jon. The wildling showcased his warrior reputation as well as his habit of sharing wacky stories. He also claimed he was the father to multiple sons.
According to a theory made popular on YouTube, Tormund may have also had a daughter, more specifically, Lyanna of House Mormont. In the series, Tormund told fellow wildling Ygritte (Rose Leslie) a story about his brief romantic relationship with a “she-bear.” He didn’t elaborate but it connected to the fact that House Mormont resided on Bear Island. Not much was revealed about Lyanna’s parents in the TV series. The identity of her father remained unknown and her mother, Maege Mormont (Elizabeth Barrett), briefly appeared but died when she fought for Robb Stark‘s (Richard Madden) army. In the books, Maege was also known as ”the She-Bear,” but that was just the first amount of evidence in Martin’s novels.
If Maege’s nickname wasn’t convincing enough, Tormund himself carried an array of aliases, including “Husband to Bears.” In the books, Tormund elaborated on his she-bear story, claiming that the woman he had a fling with had a short-temper. Coincidentally enough, Maege was known for issues surrounding her temper. After their fling, Tormund added that the she-bear was later seen with a pair of cubs. As part of the House Mormont lore, the women were described as skin-changers but it might not be literal. According to the books, groups of wildlings were known to travel to Bear Island so it would be plausible that secret romances could have occurred resulting in various children.
If Maege was the she-bear in Tormund‘s story, there was a chance that he impregnated the women, leading to Lyanna‘s birth. The series didn’t make any type of indication of this event, nor did it provide convincing evidence. Even though Game of Thrones has come to an end, the book series has yet to conclude. Martin’s tale still has the opportunity to build a connection between Tormund and Lyanna. Based on Lyanna’s fierce demeanor, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Tormund’s genes boosted her strong Mormont upbringing.
