Your Opinion of the High Sparrow

[Lord Damian]

The high Septon is much like the early millenium/Crusade popes. Whoever wants to take the throne from now on will be wise to seek the faith's support. The original Conqueror did just that as welll as having his dragons.

[Scipio Africanus]

The high Septon is much like the early millenium/Crusade popes. Whoever wants to take the throne from now on will be wise to seek the faith's support. The original Conqueror did just that as welll as having his dragons.

Even in medieval times earthly rulers largely ignored Il Papa and the ignoring got worst as centuries past and religious wars flared up within Christianity.

[Lord Damian]

Even in medieval times earthly rulers largely ignored Il Papa and the ignoring got worst as centuries past and religious wars flared up within Christianity.

True but in the first Crusades, the pope was very powerful and had a great influence on the masses. The high septon is not a king maker but anyone wanting the crown is better having him on their side rather than against him or her.

[Mulled Wino]

Another thing to keep in mind is that whatever this guy had planned pretty much went down the drain when Kevan was killed. I think people have a tendency to underestimate Pycelle. People constantly refer to him as looking old and decrepit but most of his advice to Cersei was absolutely correct. I beleive that the Citadel through Pycelle in alliance with this new High Septon plotted out Cerseis downfall and Kevans elevation. If you parse Pycelles statements throughout the books he is well aware of the power Bravos has. Settling this debt with the Iron Bank is crucial. Jon Snow is a 16 year old kid living on the edge of the world and even he realises the effects of Cerseis descision instantly.

Having the Bank behind Stannis, it could split the Citadel as well as the Faith, which is subject to local concerns. This High Septon has all ready forgiven the crowns debt. He could end up having a big money problem which undermines his goals to feed and protect his people. Some think he might seize power through Tommen, I can not say for sure that he would not do that. Hes probaly the only faction Cersei can turn to if she breaks with then Tyrells. Still hes subject to the same realities as everybody else, which is an existential crisis brought about by an attack from another species in the midst of a looming winter falling in the middle of a devastating war.

Iirc cersei isnt absolved of everything in the high septon's eyes

[Scipio Africanus]

True but in the first Crusades, the pope was very powerful and had a great influence on the masses. The high septon is not a king maker but anyone wanting the crown is better having him on their side rather than against him or her.

Well that's more due to Cercei's genius idea of re-arming the Faith rather than that the Faith itself has so much influence on earthly rulers in Westeros. Cercei made the Faith into a player-faction rather than a powerless appeasement for the masses which can be bribed.

As for Il Papa, it's true the Catholic church did have prestige and sometimes influence (such as with HRE Henry IV's walk to Canossa) but in the end I find that earthly rulers more often than not meddled with church politics (such as the Babylonian Captivity) rather than the other way around, even in medieval times, and they certainly ignored Il Papa whenever they could even if it meant excommunication.

[Fire Eater]

He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows as he scrubbed, but below the knees the cloth was soaked and sodden.

His clothes are described as soiled beneath the knees, a hint at his own weakness.

I seldom feel so close to god as when I am being whipped for mine own wickedness

He must commit some grievous to whip himself. The only other person we hear of who whipped himself for his sins is Septon Utt of the Brave Companions/Bloody Mummers after he killed his latest boy.

We met another traveling septon in the riverlands, Meribald, who deflowered maidens when he visited villages. He walked barefoot as penance for those sins. The HS may have performed self-flagellation after sleeping with village girls as a form of penance.

He is a religious fanatic although to be fair he does seem to care about the horrors the smallfolk suffered in the riverlands from the Wo5K.

[HouseHarrison]

He's awesome and I love him. He is totally immune to Cersei's bullshit, and just didn't give a shit about her machinations. His bringing Cersei down was delicious. The fact that he represented just about everything Cersei disrespects: Not of high birth, religious, humble, poorly dressed, old, just makes it better.

He's through and through a man of principle, and we don't have many of those in King's Landing. In addition, while a bit warped at times he genuinely is concerned about the plight of the common people and believes strongly in charity.

[Sword of the Mid-Afternoon]

He is very, very dangerous and someone who could shape the rest of the War

[Pinkie Baelish]

He's an extremely dangerous man, given that he has the majority of the smallfolk and septons in the palm of his hand. He gave off this aura of mistrust when he was first introduced. I immediately saw him as someone who Cersei will quickly make a foe out of. The fact that he can imprison the goddamn Queen Regent and the Queen, and then make Cersei subject to a humiliating punishment in front of the entire population of KL shows that he is not someone you'd want to mess with.

I just hope the One True King eventually seizes KL and puts him to death as punishment for believing in false gods. Death by fire is the purest death :D

[The Sleeping Lion]

I'm incredibly interested in where Martin is going with the high sparrow. A lot of real-world equivalents have been brought up on the forum for him and it just makes him more enticing. I'm not going to say he's a good man though.

[Pinkie Baelish]

I'm incredibly interested in where Martin is going with the high sparrow. A lot of real-world equivalents have been brought up on the forum for him and it just makes him more enticing. I'm not going to say he's a good man though.

If Aegon can win him over, which I presume he will, he should be able to seize KL in no time. The Faith Militant + Golden Company = Lannisters and Tyrells being fucked.

[Babeldygob]

As others have said: a force to be reckoned with. I think GRRM is luring us into a trap by making Cersei his first victim. He makes us think that the High Sparrow is doing what is right (at least to some extent). He lulls the reader into a wrong sense of comfort that there's at least one powerful person in King's Landing fighting for the common people.

I believe it's a disguise. He reminds me of Blessed Baelor who commited atrocious acts all in the name of the Seven. The common people loved him and they were his shield.

If Cersei loses the trial (maybe she escapes with her life somehow) then we can only conclude that the High Sparrow is going to order the executions of the abominations that are Tommen and Myrcella. The Faith Militant has been known for hunting down 'abominations' and 'monsters' back in their day of glory.

He may be the one fulfilling Cersei's prophecy.

[Florina Laufeyson]

Hes a scum. While it was clever to trick Cersei into rearming the Faith, hes still a scum. Punishing Cersei for being a wanton and not her actual crimes really pissed me off. Cersei's trial is for her actual crimes and shes likely to win that. D: So instead of punishing her for murder, treason, and torture, the High Septon is all "Yer a woman! Walk the plank!" Wut.

He is also very dangerous like others said. He will use the Faith Militant and i shudder to think on how. D:

[HouseHarrison]

Hes a scum. While it was clever to trick Cersei into rearming the Faith, hes still a scum. Punishing Cersei for being a wanton and not her actual crimes really pissed me off. Cersei's trial is for her actual crimes and shes likely to win that. D: So instead of punishing her for murder, treason, and torture, the High Septon is all "Yer a woman! Walk the plank!" Wut.

He is also very dangerous like others said. He will use the Faith Militant and i shudder to think on how. D:

Cersei's wantonness is the only crime he had evidence for, not like he didn't care about the other stuff she has been accused of. But he actually believes in a concept of due process (albeit with evidence derived from torture) so can't go very far with the other charges)

[Prince of Dragonstone]

It's interesting to note that the Faith of the Seven is the only religion we've seen thus far to not have any actual celestial powers. The power of the Red God has been demonstrated at length by Melisandre, Thoros of Myr and Moqorro. We've seen the Old Gods at work through warging and the weirwood trees. Even the religion of the Drowned God has been displayed through the revival of Aeron Damphair. It has also been described in unflattering terms considering that several of the Septons and Septas are shown to be either hypocritical or down right corrupt.

[SnowyJon]

I knew this guy was trouble the second Cersei was going to let him have an army. I'd rather the debt than letting that wackjob have an army. I think later on he wanted to be able to conduct his own trials. Yikes ... that's hinting at someone about to hint Melisandre territory of fanaticism.

[R'hllor the Fabulous]

He kicked my most hated character's ass... I love him.

[Castellan]

Just another male shit in charge of a church hierarchy. I would like to see him fall down a long flight of stairs.

[giant snake]

Obviously he is nobody's pawn. I think after years and years of being able to manipulate the whole religious order, the powerful lords simply got used to it. I don't know how the story is going to turn out, but Cersei's blunder in reinstating the faith militant will change the status quo even further. I think it'll be a typical reaction to simply try and kill him, and then there'll be a martyr and it turns into a real can of worms.

Also, seriously people: is it really fair at all to consider a (fictional) chief religious authority a religious fanatic? That doesn't make any sense.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Obviously he is nobody's pawn. I think after years and years of being able to manipulate the whole religious order, the powerful lords simply got used to it. I don't know how the story is going to turn out, but Cersei's blunder in reinstating the faith militant will change the status quo even further. I think it'll be a typical reaction to simply try and kill him, and then there'll be a martyr and it turns into a real can of worms.

Also, seriously people: is it really fair at all to consider a (fictional) chief religious authority a religious fanatic? That doesn't make any sense.

I imagine most people who say that are either religious folk who think they can tell the difference between themselves and a fanatic or they're atheists who are against religion anyways.