Faith

The Faith of the Seven was brought to Westeros by the Andals. It holds tremendous power in the South, where it is embedded into the laws and customs of the land. Knighthood as well is based on the Faith and its religious mores. It maintains a small presence in the North, where the Old Gods still live in the minds of the people.

The number seven is quite prominent in the Faith. It holds that there are seven hells and seven gods. In the naming of a child, seven oils are used to anoint the infant. The Great Sept of Baelor has seven crystal towers. They hold the custom of a trial of seven, wherein seven champions each for the accuser and the accused, fight to the death. They hold seven constellations in the sky as sacred. As punishment, one of the faithful would serve as a begging brother for seven years. Even grace is taught to have seven aspects.

The Faith has a great many moral teachings. It frowns on gambling, preaches against bastardy, and curses as criminal things like incest and kinslaying. Its central book of teachings is titled 'The Seven-Pointed Star.'

The Seven Gods are said to be seven parts or faces of one God by Septons and other learned members of society. The Seven are taught to the Commoners and all children as the Maid, the Mother, the Crone, the Father, the Warrior, the Smith, and the Stranger.

Each identity is attributed to certain aspects of the human condition. The Maid represents innocence and virtue, and is prayed to usually by unwed maidens, mostly. The Mother represents motherhood and nurturing, and is prayed to by all women of childbearing capacity, and by those seeking divine compassion. The Crone represents wisdom, and is prayed to for guidance. The male representatives of this simple pantheon are geared towards the occupations of men. The Father is prayed to for vengeance and justice. The Warrior is the patron saint of footmen, knights and commanders all, and his divine influence on the field of battle is more often than not sought by those on both sides of the field. The Smith represents all the crafts and trials of men, whether farming, smithing, or construction; anything done by hand is usually done after a quick prayer to him. The Stranger represents the unkown, but especially death. Those who find themselves ostracized by society often find solace in praying to this entity, easily identifying with the divine 'outcast.'

The Hierarchy of the Faith is as elaborate in structure but simplistic in practice as its practice. A High Septon oversees the organization, which trains and places Septons and Septas throughout the land. Brown brothers travel between the villages to keep the smallfolk faithful, while Begging Brothers walk the city streets to maintain a presence there. Silent Sisters tend the dead in the name of the Stranger, and help maintain the larger septs.

The Faith worships in Septs and Septries built or cobbled together throughout the land of Westeros. The Great Sept of Baelor, located in King's Landing, is the most-visited in the series, and home to the High Septon. It is lavishly decorated, with huge statues of each of the Seven, and it is girdled by seven towers. The Starry Sept, built from black marble, is located in Oldtown. It was the seat of the High Septon until Aegon the Conqueror. The Sailor's Sept, the Lord's Sept, the Seven Shrines are also located in Oldtown. Most castles have a Sept built in, and most villages have at least a septry. Representations of the Seven range from the beautiful statues of the Great Sept of Baelor to wooden panels in poor villages.