Re: Religion & Faith
Almost all inhabitants of Westeros are religious in one way or another. The Faith, the worship of the Seven, is by far the most common religion, but those who live in the North still revere the nameless and countless gods of the First Men, lodged in their godswoods. Other faiths are of minor importance in Westeros, though some are outposts of religions that are very strong in other lands.
Westeros has relatively few significant religions. They are listed below in this post and appears in order of most common in Westeros:
The Faith of the Seven, the dominant religion in the Seven Kingdoms, is built around symbology of the number seven, the seven facets of the one god. Its many institutions and priesthood structure closely mirrors the way Christianity operated in the Middle Ages.
The Old Gods, tied to the earth, are the gods of the forest, mountains and streams. They are nameless deities worshiped by the Northern population of Westeros, symbolized by weirwood trees. They are the oldest religion in Westeros, worshipped by the magical children of the forest before the First Men came to the continent and later adopted the religion.
The Drowned God and The Storm God are the gods of the ironborn. The Drowned God is a harsh deity and his religion is a harsh one, favouring reaving and plundering in its name. Children are initiated into the faith by being drowned in sea water and resuscitated.
R'hllor, the Lord of Light, is a foreign faith from Essos and is little known in Westeros, though it has gained support in recent times. It holds a very black-and-white view of the world, with R'hllor being the one true god and the rest being demons that must be destroyed. Worship of fire is a key component.
The Mother Rhoyne is worshiped by the remnants of the Rhoynar practicing along the river Greenblood in Dorne. The religion has other, lesser gods as well, one of which is the Old Man of the River, a turtle god who fought the King Crab to gain dominion underwater.
The Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies were worshiped on the Three Sisters prior to the Seven.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:42, Sat 20 Sept 2014.