The Timeline Between Lyanna Giving Birth to Jon and Ned Finding Her at the Tower of Joy

In George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, Lyanna Stark gives birth to Jon Snow in the Tower of Joy during the Rebellion of the Jade Falcons. The exact duration between Lyanna delivering Jon and Ned Stark finding her is a subject of much discussion among fans. While there is no definitive answer, reasonable estimates can be made based on the context and events of the series.

Contextual Clues

The Tower of Joy scene is set during a rebellion that lasted approximately one year. It is suggested that Lyanna died shortly after giving birth to Jon. This implies that the timeline between these two events is crucial. Given the dire circumstances, we can hypothesize a short time frame.

Ned's Journey

Ned arrives at the Tower of Joy during the rebellion, in a setting where urgency is paramount. It is implicitly suggested that he finds Lyanna shortly after she gives birth, although the precise timeline is not clearly defined in the text.

Based on the narrative, a reasonable estimate might be a few hours to a couple of days between Jon’s birth and Ned finding Lyanna. The urgency and the state of Lyanna suggest that the duration was likely quite short, as she was in a dire state and wanted to ensure Jon's protection.

Television Adaptation

In the television adaptation, Game of Thrones, Bran Stark, traveling with the Three Eyed Raven, witnesses the events at the Tower of Joy. In the first vision, Lyanna is shown giving birth, and shortly after, Ned arrives. The second vision shows Ned approaching the steps of the Tower and entering Lyanna's room, indicating that Jon was likely not more than an hour old when he was handed to Ned.

Medical Plausibility

Assuming Lyanna died from puerperal fever, as some analysis suggests, the timeline would be very short. Puerperal fever is a severe infection that can occur postpartum, and if this is the cause of her death, it would have taken only a matter of days, not weeks or months, for her to succumb to the infection. Even with rudimentary medical care in the real world, the time frame would realistically be a week or even less.

Accepting the Author's Intents

George R.R. Martin's broad window for Jon's birth puts it at around the time of the Sack of Winterfell, within a month of Ned arriving. However, some aspects of Ned's travel might look hinky. But in general, the events align reasonably well if we accept that Martin tends to place his characters in the right place at the right time.

In summary, while we cannot pinpoint an exact duration, the consensus suggests that the time between Lyanna giving birth to Jon and Ned finding her was very short, likely only a few hours to a couple of days. This conclusion is supported by both the narrative context and the plausibility of real-world medical situations.