This is a listing of deities and religions in A Song of Ice and Fire.
For the main character index, see here
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The Old Gods
The Gods of the Forest
"What do the trees remember?"
"The secrets of the old gods."
"The secrets of the old gods."
A collection of nameless gods worshiped by the Children of the Forest, and later adopted by the First Men and their descendants: the Northmen and the Free Folk. This faith predates the Faith of the Seven by many thousands of years, but has been largely eclipsed by the Andal's seven-faced god.
They seem to be very informal in regards to worship: some basic tenets are described (opposition to incest, kinslaying, and slavery, and a great respect for guest right), and there is very little in the way of ritual beyond silent meditative prayer before weirwood trees. Weirwoods themselves have white bark and red leaves, and are believed to be functionally immortal. The Children of the Forest carved faces into the weirwoods in ancient times, and modern worshipers will occasionally do this to other trees as well. In his Dance chapters, Bran becomes a "greenseer", accessing the memories of any weirwood tree still standing. How (or if) this relates to Faith of the Old Gods has not yet been revealed.
- Crystal Dragon Jesus: As the highly structured Faith of the Seven (the "new gods") resembles Catholicism, the worship of the Old Gods evokes a decentralized, unorganized folk religion, paralleling the displacement of druidic religions in Europe by Christianity.
- Dark Is Not Evil: In the words of the Last Greenseer, darkness hides and protects you from enemies. Contrast with the intolerant Dark Is Evil attitude R'hllor cultists have, and wonder.
- Elemental Powers: It is not elaborated on very much, but during the first migrations of humans into Westeros, the Children of the Forest were said to have brought "the hammer of the waters" down onto the Arm of Dorne, smashing the land bridge asunder to try and halt humankind's advance (it slowed the migrations but they didn't stop). They attempted it again at the Neck, but the magic didn't work as well this time and they succeeded only in turning the region into the nearly-impassable swamp it is at the time the books take place. These could have been coincidental natural disasters, but the legends say that the chief greenseers of the Children commanded them.
- Good Old Ways: The Northmen view "keeping the Old Gods" as a cherished ancient tradition.
- Human Sacrifice: In one of Bran's visions of the past during his training to become a greenseer, he sees a prisoner sacrificed before a weirwood, his throat slit with a ceremonial knife. There's also mention of Northmen disemboweling invading Sistermen and giving their entrails to the weirwood at the Wolf's Den.
- No Name Given: The Old Gods are specifically mentioned as being nameless as a point of contrast between them and the Seven.
- The Old Gods: Downplayed. They're called this and are an older religion that has often been displaced by the Seven, but the Seven aren't considered to have overthrown the Old Gods within either religion's actual theology and the Old Gods aren't described as actually being older or stronger entities than the Seven.
- Revenge: Taking vengeance for wrongs is seen as acceptable and morally right by this faith.
- Sacred Hospitality: One of their tenets is that once a person has come into your home and eaten at your table, they are under your protection while they are staying with you, and breaking that trust is one of the vilest crimes one can ever commit. In the old legends, this pretty much guarantees the offender will meet a Fate Worse than Death due to divine retribution.
- Speaks Fluent Animal: The greenseers were said to be able to do this. This may not be entirely magical either, as we are told that ravens originally delivered messages verbally and everyone could understand.
The Great Other
"Gods? There is only R'hllor, and the Other."
An entity which serves as the diametric opposite to R'hllor. The Great Other is a being of ice and darkness, as opposed to the fire and light represented by R'hllor. It's heavily implied that the Great Other is the god worshiped by the Others, and possibly even the leader of the Others itself, and as such is the ultimate enemy of all mankind. The servants of R'hllor are all sworn to combat the darkness and death the Great Other plans to visit on the world. Melisandre in particular has dedicated her life to fighting it directly.
- The Anti-God: He's the equal and opposite of R'hllor, dark where the Red God is bright and hateful where the Red God is protective.
- Bad Powers, Bad People: Maybe. According to Melisandre Bran is on his way to becoming the Great Other's version of her.
- Dark Is Evil: Others as a whole are prominently associated with the long, dark winters during which horrors occur, and the Great Other is this on steroids. So, yes.
- The Dreaded: The Others themselves are The Dreaded for Westeros (and Essos) writ large. If the Great Other has anything to do with them, consider this written permission to crap your pants.
- Eldritch Location: The Land of Always Winter where his influence is supposedly most greatly felt. Take a wild guess what it's predominantly like.
- Eldritch Abomination: Its implied to be this, and is at the center of number of theories involving the Weather Dissonance of Westeros, namely the multiple-year-long winters.
- Evil Is Deathly Cold: The temperature takes a dive either just before normal Others show up, or because they've shown up. It's unclear which. Either way, you're in trouble far beyond what wooly gear can get you out of. Now, multiply that into affecting a whole swathe of continent in one go.
- God of Darkness: The Great Other is the god of darkness, cold, and death. He is the enemy of R'hllor with whom he constantly battles for the fate of the world.
- God of Evil: Along with The Anti-God and Satanic Archetype. He's implied to be the god of The Others, and in R'hllorism he is the opposite number of the Lord of Light.
- Good Hurts Evil: According to Melisandre, the only way to defeat the Great Other is through a bond of true love... and lots of fire.
- Greater-Scope Villain: Possibly for the ultimate Big Bad for the series... or maybe not.
- Kill It with Fire: One of the ways to make sure one of them or their wights is truly out of your hair is to resort to this by any means necessary.
- The Legions of Hell: If the Great Other is connected at all to the Others, then they are its legion.
- The Night That Never Ends: This appears to be its ultimate goal — a permanent winter night.
- Snow Means Death: He's usually associated with winter, cold, and death.
- Satanic Archetype: He's diametrically opposed to R'hllor in his religion, ruler of The Legions of Hell, acts as a tempter and The Corrupter to Bran. His association with cold and darkness also mirrors some interpretations of Hell, where Hell is actually icy cold and dark because it's the furthest place in existence from Heaven and the light of God.
- You Know the One: He's referred to as "the Great Other" or just "the Other" by the followers of R'hllor, who are forbidden from using its true name.
- Zombie Apocalypse: The likely instigator and architect of what looks to be a stonking big one, once they all cross into the Seven Kingdoms. The Others have already caused havock beyond the Wall just gathering recruits.
The Moonsingers
A widespread religion, originally from the Plains of the Jogos Nhai. They were instrumental in the founding of Braavos and theirs is the greatest temple in the city.
- Founder of the Kingdom: Among the slaves who would found Braavos was a group of Moonsingers that led the escaped slaves to the northwest of Essos, where they would found Braavos.
- The Ghost: This religion is mentioned several times but none of its practitioners has made an appearance in the story or been identified as such. We don’t even know what god or gods they worship.
- Seers: The Moonsingers apparently have clairvoyance. Originally they led escaped slaves to Braavos after they took control of slave ships carrying them. Because of it they are still highly revered in the city.
- Solar and Lunar: The Temple of the Moonsingers is all white and silver, decorated with the phases of the moon.
- Wholesome Crossdresser: Men who want to become Moonsingers must dress and live as women. In many cases, it's said outsiders cannot tell if the moonsinger is a man or woman at all due to this.
Boash
Boash
The Blind God
A monotheistic sect born in the Valyrian Freehold. They abandoned Valyria and settled in the then-deserted Lorath. Boash'i priests were eunuchs that wore eyeless hoods as they believed only in darkness would their third eye open so they could see the "higher truths" of creation.- Corrupt Church: As the worship of Boash fell away, the remaining priests grew fat, rich and decadent off of the taxes extracted from the citizens.
- Strange-Syntax Speaker: Boash'i followed an extreme abnegation of the self, even putting aside their names and referring to themselves as "a man" or "a woman" instead of "I". Even though the religion is now extinct, this manner of speaking endures among the noble classes of Lorath.
- The Teetotaler: Boash'i drank no wine.
- Third Eye: Priests hoped to achieve this to learn the higher truths of creation.
Rhoynar Gods
Also known as the Mother River, Mother Rhoyne is believed to the personification of the Rhoyne River, along which the Rhoynar city-states were built. When the Rhoynar fled to Dorne, most of them took up the Faith of the Seven, but a devout few still worship her from afar. They call themselves Orphans of the Greenblood because they have been "orphaned" from their mother and live along the Greenblood, a major river in Dorne.
The Old Man of the River is a minor god who is believed to be the son of Mother Rhoyne. Because he takes the form of a giant horned turtle, the giant turtles native to the Rhoyne River are called the old men of the river in his honor. His enemy, the Crab King, battles him for dominion over all life below the water.
- Crystal Dragon Jesus: Mother Rhoyne is similar to the goddess Ganga from Hinduism. Both are the personification of a major river that is the vital to the livelihood of the people who near it, the Rhoyne River and the Ganges River respectively.
- Death of the Old Gods: Most Rhoynar people and their descendants converted to the Faith of the Seven, but a handful still worship Mother Rhoyne.
- Nature Spirit: Mother Rhoyne was a river goddess.
- Top God: Mother Rhoyne was the most important deity to the people of the Rhoynar because they depended on her waters for their way of life.
The Lord of Harmony
A god worshipped on Naath. He is said to have made the moon, stars, earth and all living creatures. He depicted as a laughing, naked giant with a beard, attended by women with butterfly wings.
- Actual Pacifist: His followers, the Naathi, must vow to never harm another living being, not even in self-defense.
- Animal Motifs: He is associated with the unique butterflies of Naath.
- Gentle Giant: The Lord of Harmony is depicted as a laughing giant, naked and bearded. He forbids his followers from committing any form of violence.
Gods of the Dothraki
The gods of the Dothraki religion.
- Cool Horse: The horse god worshiped by the Dothraki, which is sometimes prayed to for strength.
- Cryptic Background Reference: Not much information is given about the Dothraki religion, aside from a few cursory mentions of their gods.
- Male Sun, Female Moon: In the Dothraki religion, the moon is a goddess, wife of the sun.
The Lady of Spears
The Lady of Spears
The Bride of Battle, The Mother of Hosts
A goddess worshipped by the Unsullied.
- Groin Attack: After a boy who is to become an Unsullied is gelded, his manhood is burned at the altar of the Lady of Spears.
- I Have Many Names: The goddess commonly known as the Lady of Spears has many more names, including the Bride of Battle and the Mother of Hosts. Only the eunuch warriors who worship her know her true name, but they are forbidden to share it with outsiders.
- War God: She is a goddess worshiped by slave soldiers.
The Black Goat
A deity worshipped in Qohor.
- Gruesome Goat: Its religion involves daily blood sacrifice — of calves, bulls, horses, criminals, and sometimes even highborn children.
- Human Sacrifice: The Black Goat of Qohor demands daily sacrifice. While this usually comes in the form of animals, on holy days it is criminals who get the knife. In times of great danger, the high nobles may even go far enough as to sacrifice their own children.
- In the Hood: The Black Goat's priests are said to wear cowls.
- Would Hurt a Child: Followers of the Black Goat sometimes sacrifice their own children to gain his favor, especially in times of great danger.
Gods of the Great Empire of the Dawn
The gods who created and ruled over the Great Empire of the Dawn, predecessor of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti.
- Divine Punishment: After the Bloodstone Emperor slew his sister, the Amethyst Empress, the Lion of Night came forth to punish the wickedness of humanity.
- God Couple: The Lion of the Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light are paired together and birthed the God-on-Earth.
- God-Emperor: The God-on-Earth, first ruler of the Great Empire of the Dawn, was believed to be the son of the Lion of the Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light.
- Have You Seen My God?: The Maiden-Made-of-Light turned her back on the earth and humanity, after her descendant the Bloodstone Emperor murdered his sister the Amethyst Empress.
- God of Darkness: The Lion of Night. Apparently, he does the dirty work in the YiTish pantheon and created "demons" to punish the wickedness of men. The ensuing conflict was called The Long Night, which makes him similar to The Great Other.
- God of the Dead: The Lion of Night is believed by the Faceless Men to be one of the faces of the Many-Faced God, implying he holds power over death in the YiTish pantheon.
- I'm a Humanitarian: The Bloodstone Emperor is said to have done many terrible things during his reign, including feasting on human flesh.
- Long-Lived: The God-on-Earth ruled for 10,000 years before ascending into the stars and passing rule to his son, the Pearl Emperor.
- Rock Theme Naming: Each of the Emperors descended from the God-on-Earth is named after a gemstone, including the Pearl Emperor, the Jade Emperor, the Tourmaline Emperor, the Onyx Emperor, the Topaz Emperor, and the Opal Emperor.
- Royal Harem: The God-on-Earth is said to have had a hundred queens who carried his palanquin, which was carved from a single pearl.
Other Minor Gods
- The Alcoholic: There's mention of a Drunken God with a statue dedicated to him in Tyrosh.
- Cat Girl: Pantera, a six-breasted cat goddess from Lys.
- Church Militant: The Bearded Priests of Norvos, who are famously armed with double-headed axes.
- Crystal Dragon Jesus: The Lhazareen worship the Great Shepherd, who considers the whole world his flock; similar to the depiction of Jesus as a peaceful shepherd who accepts everyone.
- Death of the Old Gods: The Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies were worshiped on the Three Sisters until the Andals brought the Faith of the Seven to the islands.
- Eldritch Abomination: Some of the stolen statues in Vaes Dothrak, most likely from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai, are in the shapes of gods so misshapen and terrible that Daenerys can hardly bear to look at them.
- Gender Bender: Yndros of the Twilight, a Lysene deity who is male by day and female by night. Acolytes of this deity are thought to be able to change their gender during sex.
- In the Hood: The Hooded Wayfarer, who carries a staff and is the preferred god of poor men.
- "Just So" Story: Durran Godsgrief, the first Storm King, warred against the parents of his wife Elenei, the god of the sea and the goddess of the wind, who forbade their union. The gods sent massive storms to destroy his castles, until the seventh, Storm's End, withstood their efforts.
- Lord of the Ocean: The Merling King, the Father of the Waters, the god of the sea (father of Elenei), and the Lady of the Waves. The Moon-Pale Maiden is not explicitly stated to be this, but Arya notes that she's commonly worshiped by sailors.
- Lunacy: The Moon Mother, a goddess worshiped in Essos.
- Nature Spirit:
- The Merling King is a sea god commonly worshiped by sailors.
- The Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies.
- The parents of Elenei, wife of Durran Godsgrief, were the god of the sea and the goddess of the wind.
- The Father of the Waters, whose temple in Braavos is rebuilt each time he takes a new bride.
- Rule of Three: Trios, a god with three heads worshiped in Essos. One head eats the dying, and one head spits them out reborn. We never learn what the third head does. A tower in Braavos dedicated to him has three turrets. Penny recalls that an old dwarf in Tyrosh was cut into three pieces, one for each mouth.
- Satanic Archetype: The Lord of the Seven Hells.
- Sibling Team: Semosh and Selloso, brother gods worshiped in Braavos.
- The Speechless: The Silent God.
- Tender Tears: The Weeping Lady of Lys, also known as the Weeping Woman, is commonly worshiped by old women.
- The Theocracy: Norvos is ruled by its Bearded Priests, who strictly control every part of its citizens lives. Bell tolls tell them when they must pray, eat, work and even have sex (this last is said to be infrequently, as the Bearded Priests believe in it only for reproduction-not that everyone obeys).
- War God: Bakkalon, the Pale Child, isn't explicitly stated to be such, but Arya notes that it's the preferred god of soldiers.
- Would Hurt a Child: The people of King's Landing blamed Saagael, worshiped by Larra Rogare, for the disappearances of children.
