Who are the Seven?

[Seaworth'sShipmate]

As we all know, there are Seven Gods/ Goddesses that are worshipped in most of Westeros.

They all seem to represent mythological archetypes that are found in cultures/ countries around the world.

Martin definitley got his inspiration for them from mythology/folklore/religion.

Here is my list of what I believe are their inspirations.

1. The Father: God the Father of the Holy trinity. He is the just judge, and the God who seems to be "in charge" of the other six.

2. The Mother: The Virgin Mary. Both in the middle ages and to this day, Catholics saw in Mary a merciful mother figure. I believe "mother of mercy "is one of her titles actually. Given that she seems to specialize in motherhood/protecting mothers, I believe this is an accurate inference.

3. The Maiden.  I am not sure. There were many goddesess of virginity in antiquity. I might say aphrodite, but the Maiden isn't really a goddess of sexual passion. She is about sexuality, but in a chaste way, that of finding a girl a good, respectable husband, and helping keep her "pure" before her wedding day. Maybe Persephone or pre-Annunciation Mary? I am not sure.

4. The Warrior:  Any of the warriors of mythology. Chuchulain, Perseus,Lancelot, King David, etc. He is not so much a "God of War" like Ares or Thor. He does not seem to like war necessarily or be "war-like" but is there to protect and inspire warriors in battle. No deity inspiration really, but just the legendary warriors of myth/religion?

5. The Crone. The Goddess of wisdom, of mysterious knowledge. Perhaps Hecate or Athena? She is similar to the tarot card of "The Hermit" which features a wizened old man carrying a lamp.

6. The Smith. Probably Hephaestus, Greek God of Smithery?

7.The Stranger. Angel of Death, or more likely Hades. He does not rule the realm of the dead like Hades, but like Hades he (she?) is associated with death strongly. The Greeks feared Hades and rarely sought his intercession, and thus it is with the stranger.

 

Thoughts?

[FuzzyJAM]

The Father is a standard head of a pantheon; Mother, Maiden and Crone is a pretty typical representations of womanhood; Smith and Warrior represent the "important" jobs; Stranger is a fairly standard god of the underworld.

I don't think there's any real direct imitation.  I guess the Christian trinity for the fact that they're seven gods in one, but the rest are all very standard archetypes that don't have anything distinctive to match with any particular real god.  

Hades is indeed a he.  The she you're thinking of may be his Norse equivalent Hel.

[Daniel Niemietz Braz]

Maiden: Demeter/Ceres/Isis (all the same)

[LiveFirstDieLater]

The Father's face is stern and strong,

he sits and judges right from wrong.

He weighs our lives, the short and long,

and loves the little children

 

The Mother gives the gift of life,

and watches over every wife.

Her gentle smile ends all strife,

and she loves her little children

 

The Warrior stands before the foe,

protecting us where e'er we go.

With sword and shield and spear and bow,

he guards the little children.

 

The Crone is very wise and old,

and sees our fates as they unfold.

She lifts her lamp of shining gold

to lead the little children.

 

The Smith, he labors day and night,

to put the world of men to right.

With hammer, plow, and fire bright,

he builds for little children.

 

The Maiden dances through the sky,

she lives in every lover's sigh.

Her smiles teach the birds to fly,

and gives dreams to little children.

 

The Seven Gods who made us all,

are listening if we should call.

So close your eyes, you shall not fall,

they see you, little children.

Just close your eyes, you shall not fall,

This formatting is unbearable

they see you, little children.

 

 

 

[LiveFirstDieLater]

Sorry for two posts... Copy and paste mess up the formatting horribly on this website when using my phone...

3 men - Judge, Soldier, and Builder

3 women - Birthgiver, innocent, and wise woman 

And the stranger, death.

The many faces of Mankind...

but that last paragraph always weirded me out... Reminds me of those creepy little children under the hill with Bloodraven.

close your eyes you will not fall is sooooo reminiscent of Bran's three eyed crow dreams... But he clearly closed his eyes and was falling

the heart of the faith of the seven's proximity to the Maesters Citadel has also bothered me given the grey rats apparent disdain (and/or active campaign against) magic.

I've toyed with the idea that they are sort of a humanist post magic interpretation of the elemental powers as well... That each is the embodiment of how an element would be beneficial to mankind. For example:

Smith - Fire - Valyria built an empire of roads and cities using fire magic

Crone - Ice - Ice preserves and there is wisdom in old age, also the lamp lighting the way makes me think of the northern lights

[Walda]

Pretty much as Seaworth's Shipmate has it, but I would have Artimis (moon goddess) as a pick for the Maiden, Baba Yaga and Elli (goddess of time, won a wrestling match against Thor) for the Crone. and also Atrophos, of the three Greek Fates.

Also the Holy Ghost for the Stranger, and Hermes, the messenger God, and Charon.

It is interesting that the Mother seems to be devoid of any erotic element - Venus, both the Grecio-Roman version, and the stone-age fat-arsed kind, are fecund and lusty. In Westeros, all the sex goes to the chaste maiden, which seems a little odd. Also, there doesn't seem to be a homely old-maid type aspect (like Hestia/Vesta) to the maiden.

Even odder, there doesn't seem to be any cherubin/sweet baby jesus/ supreme innocent element associated with the mother - the mother gives the gift of mercy, and of life, and watches over wives, but this mother doesn't seem to carry a child. She does, however, weep for lost children, and regard all those who pray to her as her children.

The father seems to like corporal punishment - he has a scourge, and the confession room where they hang men naked from the ceiling and whip them is in his area of the Sept. No penance without pain. He isn't as big on creating the world as some father-gods are, but he did give Hugor of the Hill a starry crown. His crown also lends him associations with the Kings Justice and the state in this world. He seems to share judgement with the Stranger as well as the King, but the golden feast-hall of the afterlife is all his own.

Theres some confusion of demarcation when it comes to strength. The High Septon at Kings Landing, Lancel and Jaime, and Arrianne, pray to the Warrior for courage and the Smith to lend strength to their arm. Mace Tyrell, Margary and therefore Tommen, Septon Utt, Septon Cellador, Ser Bonifer the Good, and Barristan Selmy, pray to the Warrior for strength. Davos seems to have been taught to pray for the warrior for courage, but as an adult prays to the warrior for strength. The quote Tyrion remembers from the Seven Pointed Star puts strength into the Warrior's court.

Protection seems to be shared by the Warrior and the Mother.

The stranger has no gender, but does have wives. Favourite colour Grey.

Then there are the symbols:

Father: crown, beard, scourge

Crone: lantern, light, lamp, possibly raven

Warrior: Sword, shield, (and spear and bow, according to the song)

Smith: Iron Hammer (and plow and fire according to the song.) Horse.

Mother: Robes (costly robes)

Stranger: Hooded mantle

Maiden: Margary gives her paper flowers, and Daenarys associates her with the High Harp.