The Truth of Tysha: Was She Truly in Love With Tyrion or Just a Liar Like Shae?

Just judging based on what is presented to us in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, there is nothing concrete either way regarding Tysha's true feelings for Tyrion Lannister.

Initial Misinformation

Initially, Tyrion tells us that Tysha was a liar, hired by Jaime Lannister to make Tyrion a man. Pyrrah, Jaime's mistress, reveals this after Tywin discovers Tyrion's secret marriage with Tysha and then has her gang-raped, forcing her away. Tyrion himself never questions this information.

The Truth Revealed

However, in Tyrion's final chapter, Jaime clears up this misconception. It turns out Tysha wasn't hired and was merely a chance encounter. This means she wasn't a mere prostitute seeking payment. Yet this alone doesn't rule out the possibility that she was still motivated by gold.

Unmasking Tysha

Some compelling theories suggest Tysha is indeed the Sailor's Wife mentioned in A Feast for Crows. The Sailor's Wife's story aligns in several ways with Tysha's:

The Sailor's Wife has a 14-year-old daughter named Lanna, fitting the age of a hypothetical daughter from Tyrion and Tysha. Lanna is a Lannister, pointing to resemblance or genealogy. The Sailor's Wife takes multiple husbands for a day, similar to Tysha's apparent lifestyle. The Sailor's Wife knows the Common Tongue, as does Tysha.

Moreover, GRRM emphasizes the importance of the Sailor's Wife in the narrative, suggesting she is more than a minor character. Her story shares striking parallels with Tysha:

“He sings a pretty song” she murmured softly in the Common Tongue of Westeros. “The gods must have loved him to give him such a voice and that fair face as well.”

This indicates a deep emotional connection, suggesting Tyrion and Tysha shared a genuine bond, despite the initial deception.

Connecting the Dots

The Sailor's Wife and Tysha share several key details:

Losing a true husband at sea. A love that seems to be fading or dead.

While these details don't perfectly align, GRRM's style allows for some creative interpretation. Tysha's claim about losing her true husband at sea might be a metaphor rather than a literal truth. Considering Tysha's financial circumstances and her banishment, it’s plausible that she sailed away, never to return to Westeros. This would explain her lingering in Braavos, waiting for Tyrion.

The Sailor's Wife's love for her lost husband being dead could be interpreted as a reflection of Tyrion as a character. He had become a gargoyle long before this point, a term used throughout the series. This reinforces the idea that the Tyrion Tysha fell in love with was long gone.

Additionally, characters like the Sailor's Wife are often symbolic rather than strictly literal, adding another layer of complexity to the theory.

Therefore, based on these connecting details and creative interpretation, it appears Tysha truly loved Tyrion, despite the initial deception.