The Many-Faced God: Primary Antagonist?

[Helikzhan]

 Jaqen H'ghar made mention in Harrenhal about the Red God being owed a debt when Arya released him and the other two from their prison. It's understood that this debt was owed to R'hllor because the men would have died by fire had they not escaped. Though it's understood that Faceless men worship the Many-Faced God so this is interesting to me and I think I understand it now. I mention this in the breath of what a Faceless Man represents: The assassin's masquerade. A dance is conducted with the sole purpose of taking a life. It may be by fire, by frost, by love, etc.

In the house of Black and White there are 30 statues of Gods taken to be the many faces of the one true God of Death. The name of the house is a clue to what the house stands for. The duality of light and dark brings contrast to the shape of things, the world and with that many impersonations. Impersonations excite and draw in viewers. In this sense the Gods are but hand puppets on a wall operated by the same creator. Could this be? That R'hllor and the great Other are the latest hand puppets of the Many-Faced God to bring death to Westeros? 

I'm also reminded of the Warlocks of Qarth. Specifically their illusions. What if the magic of Westeros was all an illusion generated by the Many-Faced God and servants? From Dragons to White Walkers? It does make me wonder which of the 30 other faces does R'hllor pretend to be opposing? As well as the Gods specifically playing Varys, Dany, Baelish and all the other serious movers that have killed many? I've mentioned before about the external influences that shape man and I think we've reached a literal point here. 

 

Thoughts? I'm sure it's probably been asked before and I don't think GRRM would ever explore this in much depth but in the back of his mind, maybe? 

[Lucius Lovejoy]

I've thought along the lines of the story ending in either certain characters finding enlightenment in a sort of Universalism religion or perhaps the entirety of what's left of humanity.  In this sense, it is either the Many Faced god who is triumphant, or no gods really exist and the idea of honoring "mother nature" or whatever you want to call it manifests itself in the form of people worshiping as they wish but understanding they area worshiping the same thing.

Nice catch highlighting the duality of the House of Black and White - I hadn't thought about it.  I have been thinking a lot about how the religion of R'hllor and the religion of the Drowned god are the same thing in part based on their duality, and this might be where it emanates from - whatever truth is found the Many Faced god and nature of duality which is expressed in the house of black and white.  In other words, the red and iron born religions are regional bastardizations of the truth that is the Many Faced "god."  I started a thread but didn't get many hits regarding this.  

What I'm trying to do is, under the hypothesis that the red and Iron Born religions converge to the same thing, is figure out how this helps predict the end game.  No advances on that yet.

[Helikzhan]

@Lucius Lovejoy

 

It's tough to say how it affects the end of the story. Even if it were true there's no current threads in the fabric to suggest the great Other isn't an aspect of the Many-Faced God or that the White Walker army is immortal. Though if either are true then the great Other has profaned the will of the Many-Faced God by evading death. Then it raises (pun intended) other questions such as: are the White Walkers conscious? When wights are brought back to life are they merely puppets or also conscious? If we can assume both are true then the great Other is diametrically opposed to the Many-Faced God. 

The story suggests to me the forms the White Walkers take are temporal. Like formed of the elements and then when slain, returned to someplace in the north. Also how they traverse great distances easily would require something like this. If true, then Sam never killed the White Walker. He just slew its physical form and it returned far north.