Faith of the Seven

The Faith of the Seven is the dominant religion of Westeros, worshipped throughout the south of the Seven Kingdoms and brought to the continent by the Andals thousands of years ago when they crossed the Narrow Sea and conquered much of the land. Its faithful worship a single god in seven aspects or persons, known collectively as the Seven, or the seven-faced god -- a unity in seven, much as a man wears many roles in one life.

The seven aspects are the Father, who judges; the Mother, who nurtures and shows mercy; the Warrior, who grants courage and strength in battle; the Maiden, who guards innocence and chastity; the Smith, who governs labor and craft; the Crone, who carries the lamp of wisdom; and the Stranger, who represents death and the unknown, and whose face the faithful are loath to look upon.

Organization

The Faith is led by the High Septon, its supreme voice, sometimes called the Father of the Faithful. Its clergy are the septons and septas, who preach and teach, and its holy houses are the septs, crowned with seven-sided crystals that scatter the light into rainbows. Devout men and women may join holy orders as brothers and silent sisters, the latter sworn to silence and the care of the dead.

The great sept of the realm is the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, where the High Septon resides and where kings are anointed.

History

In earlier centuries the Faith maintained two militant orders -- the Faith Militant, comprising the Warrior's Sons and the Poor Fellows -- but these were disbanded under the Targaryen kings after rising against the crown. The Faith long resisted the Targaryens' custom of incestuous marriage and their dragons, before an uneasy peace was reached.

The religion stands in contrast to the older worship of the old gods, kept by the First Men and still honored in the North before the weirwood hearts.

Significance

The Faith of the Seven shapes the law, custom, and morality of southern Westeros, from the sanctity of guest right to the anointing of kings. In times of upheaval, when the smallfolk suffer and the highborn falter, the power of the Faith -- and the fervor of its faithful -- can rise once more to challenge the throne itself.