R+L=J

English

Proper noun

R+L=J

1. (fandom slang) The theory that the character Jon Snow, initially presented in A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones as the bastard son of Ned Stark by an unknown woman, is actually a secret child born of the union of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.
   • 2015, Andrew Howe, "The Hand of the Artist: Fan Art in the Martinverse", in Mastering the Game of Thrones: Essays on George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire (eds. Jes Battis & Susan Johnston), page 250:

     This is particularly true of the “R+L=J” phenomenon, the theory that Jon Snow is actually the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, which is commonplace on “Westeros.org,” “Tower of the Hand,” and other sites of online fandom.

   • 2015 March, Ford Maddox Brown, “The Hand of the King”, in Starburst Magazine, page 21:

     R+L=J: This is a heavily supported theory that has been referenced in the books.

   • 2017, Rowan Kaiser, 100 Things Game of Thrones Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die, page 102:

     Still, this evidence was strong enough that R+L=J was the default theory for most readers, to the point where some believed that the strongest evidence against it was that it was too obvious.

Further reading

• Parentage of Jon Snow on Wikipedia.Wikipedia