This is my formal spoiler warning for anyone reading this blog <3

Hello and welcome to my blog discussing the function of religion in A Song of Ice & Fire by George R. R. Martin.  This website has been designed as a term project for RELS 2812 with Dr. Jennifer Porter, a course on religion in popular culture at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. (click Read More to see full post)

For my research, I will examine the use of religion in George R. R. Martin’s series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF) and its television adaption Game of Thrones by HBO. Both the novels and television show have developed a massive, comprehensive universe that includes numerous well-realized religions and faiths. A number of these faiths are significant to the main plot of the novels and show, while others exist to accent certain characters’ cultural contexts and behaviours.

Specifically, there are Christian values and characteristics exemplified through several main characters in the series such as Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryan and Ned Stark. In my research, I will explore these values and their implications to both the series’ plot and the real world. While the latter characters are regarded as the protagonists of the series, Martin is renowned for the use of grey characters in his works. That is to say, his characters tend to be difficult to define as simply good or evil. They behave as real people would, and their sense of morality is based upon their upbringing and motives rather than whether they are an archetypal hero or a villain. As such, we see different religions and the characters representing them play the role of hero, villain, and many other morally ambiguous positions. This raises the question of how Martin feels about religion both throughout history and in today’s society. Does a negative, villainous depiction of a religion explicitly inspired by early forms of Christianity imply that Martin thinks Christianity is evil? Or do clear comparisons between his protagonists and Christian figures prove the opposite?

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, religion is a significant plot device utilized by Martin throughout the story. As ASOIAF is primarily a political drama disguised as epic fantasy, we see various faiths intertwined with political agendas over the course of the series. For the most part, ASOIAF is a story of ‘players’ vying for power in Westeros, and each player is motivated by something slightly different. Whether the players’ campaign for power is based on birth-right, bloodlust or honour, there is almost always some sort of religious influence behind a candidate for the Iron Throne. As a result, ASOIAF depicts one of the most gruelling interactions between politics and religion in the history of pop culture, and this interaction will be another focus of my research.

My research will be broken into four sections:

1. An overview of the major religions of Westeros & Essos to provide context for my later arguments and to describe the extent at which the series is based on religion.

2. A brief examination of the existence of Christian values in A Song of Ice & Fire and whether or not these are truly necessary in a westernized story rooted firmly in religion. This section will draw heavily from Ned Stark and his code of honour as well as the character arc of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen.

3. A discussion of how the influence of religion intertwines with political agendas throughout the series. Here we will discuss the effect of religious fanaticism on Stannis Baratheon’s quest for power and the real-world statements Martin makes with the Faith Militant story line as it compares to the Protestant Reformation. 

4. An in-depth analysis of the character of Sandor Clegane, as his arc exemplifies how religion can positively influence a character without ignoring this character’s core values.

It should be noted that my project will draw from both Martin’s novels and HBO’s television show. However, many of the story lines I will be referencing are further ahead in the show than they are in the books so to avoid confusion, I will reference the show only for these cases.

Enjoy!