Religion is critical to the societal trends and forces in Game of Thrones. Westeros's dominant form of worship throughout the story is the Faith of the Seven. They pray to one of the seven faces of the same deity, each representing an aspect of life or death. Though the Seven isn't the only god on the continent, it was forced upon the people of Westeros thousands of years after the First Men arrived. Before that, the Old Gods of the Forest reigned supreme.
The history of Westeros is shrouded in mystery before a certain point. The First Men and local indigenous species lacked written languages and kept records only through story and song. Subsequently, substantial elements of the continent's past are publically considered fairy tales with scant traces of truth. The ancient religion of Westeros partially feels that absence.
What were the Old Gods of the Forest?
The Old Gods of the Forest are the innumerable and unnamable spirits who occupy every natural thing. Every rock, tree, stream, and plant has a living soul within it worthy of worship. These nature gods speak through the wind or rain to communicate their whims or enact their judgment. The Old Gods closely resemble the spiritual concepts found in Animism. The endless Old Gods have no distinct personality or individual wants, but they accept prayers from their followers. To hear the believers tell it, they have very few rules. The Old Gods object to incest, kinslaying, and illegitimacy. Family bonds are critical to the Old Gods. Hospitality is valued highly by the Old Gods. Worshipers observe the guest right, perhaps more strictly than followers of other religions. The guest right demands that once a person, regardless of social standing, is welcomed into a host's home to share their food, neither party may harm the other. Beyond those rules and general respect for nature, the Old Gods demand nothing from their adherents.
Who Worshiped the Old Gods of the Forest?
The Children of the Forest and giants worshiped the Old Gods. Those indigenous species wordlessly obeyed the messages they felt on the wind. Their most prominent tradition was carving faces into the beautiful white bark of weirwood trees. They became known as heart trees, and the locals believed they could see through their hand-carved eyes. The First Men, early humans who invaded Westeros 12,000 years before the story's events, angered the Children by cutting down their sacred weirwoods. After 2,000 years of war, the indigenous species and First Men signed the Pact, guaranteeing peace. The First Men's culture grew alongside the remaining Children, leading them to adopt their worship of the Old Gods. The people of the North and Neck keep the traditions their ancestors learned. Catelyn Stark was raised in Riverrun and married into House Stark. She's the only family member who doesn't hold the Old Gods in her heart. She mentioned the difference in A Game of Thrones:
For her sake, Ned had built a small sept where she might sing to the seven faces of god, but the blood of the First Men still flowed in the veins of the Starks, and his own gods were the old ones, the nameless, faceless gods of the greenwood they shared with the vanished children of the forest.
Modern worshipers of the Old Gods keep their faith in more minimalist ways. The Faith of the Seven uses holy texts, massive rituals, and towering structures. Followers of the Old Gods prefer silent prayer. They worship in godswoods, small forested areas within a castle's walls. Most keeps in Westeros had a godswood. Their invaders chose not to destroy them to avoid angering the First Men. The godswood in Winterfell is one of the few still in active use. The Northmen frequently swear oaths in their local godswood, securing a binding agreement. The only notable ceremony among worshipers is the marriage rite. Northern brides are brought before the weirwood tree in their godswood to ask the Old Gods' blessing in their marriage. The worship of the Old Gods is broadly seen as more permissive than the Followers of the Seven. Though somewhat outdated, the Old Gods are more progressive than their replacements in many ways.
The Old Gods of the Forest are less common in modern Westeros, but their worshipers remain scattered across the continent. Though many ancient traditions and stories have been lost to time, the Old Gods remain in the hearts of the First Men. The innumerable spirits of the woods, rocks, and streams still call to the people of the North. The Children of the Forest may have been wiped out, but their unique faith lives on. Those who choose to worship the Old Gods might get some strange looks from people of other groups, but at least they don't have to follow all the rules. The Old Gods of the Forest are straightforward, silent, and socially acceptable.
