Did Bloodraven Convert to the Old Gods?

[mindchap]

A more basic question: Are the old Gods actually Gods that can be followed? There is not much in form of theology, no priests, no rituals, no holy texts, just a bunch of spirits with arcane knowledge, the occasional warg and the very rare greenseers. The magic seems to be rooted in bloodmagic and thus fundamentally similar to Valyrian magic despite the obvious ice-fire difference. The three taboos against incest, kinslaying and slavery are not unique to the followers of the old gods either as the followers of the seven have them as well. So again we face the difficulty to distinguish whether that's just a universal value common to many people in Planetos or whether it's something inherently tied to the "Old God" magic.

If you assume that Bloodraven never was a devoted follower of the seven and that his blackwood family taught him how to use his magic talents which are - due to First of Men/Old God backstory - commonly referenced in the OId God setting does that make him a follower of the Old Gods? Or just an atheist who's using his arcane talents? Does talking to greenseer spirits that live in weirwood trees make you a follower of the Old Gods or just someone who's interacting with a "real", arcane phenomenon?

George puts no "Gods" in his story, so in that sense they're all atheists to one degree or another. As for the "Old Gods" their priests, texts, rituals etc are within the trees themselves, "The Trees Remember". And we have just glimpsed the tip of the CotF iceberg so it's possible that they do have a more self taught structure like the seven or our own RL religions. But the magic itself certainly doesn't seem exclusive to the old Gods more like it's tied to the earth(planet) and the elements themselves.

[KingofSothoryos]

I think it's a good bet that Bloodraven observed the Old Gods. Whether he followed the path of the Night King or how he got to the Greenseer throne is unknown. Especially since he was Lord Commander of the NW, did he just disappear like Benjen one day? I'm sure if he had deserted, that would have added to the infamy of Bloodraven's story in the time of the novels, so I'm curious how he gets away from the NW.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

House Blackwood follows the old gods, so he was probably raised believing in them

[Free Northman]

The old gods are not real, it was the greenseers that saw through the eyes of the weirwood trees. So I guess Bloodraven himself is the only remaining Old God. And now there is Bran too.

That is not correct. Dead greenseers live on in the Trees too. And have some influence over the natural world. So the Old Gods are not just living greenseers, but dead greenseers from past generations too.

[Tall-Talker]

Perhaps he had some knowledge of them given his mother's lineage.

What I'm more interested to know is if he was "called" to seek the CoF just like he told Bran to or did he seek the CoF by himself due to something he read?

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

That is not correct. Dead greenseers live on in the Trees too. And have some influence over the natural world. So the Old Gods are not just living greenseers, but dead greenseers from past generations too.

:agree: Just the fact that there are greenseers it's obvious there is a power, a godly one

I think all gods are real in ASOIAF, like an Olympus

even the Faith of de Seven

there was a topic maken here you see that Arya met all aspects of the gods

Eddard = Father

Catelyn = Mother

Sansa = Maiden

Gendry = Smith

Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr etc = Warrior

The Ghost of High Heart = Crone

The Hound, Jaqen H'ghar = Stranger