Game of Thrones

Religion in TV, Movies, Books, etc.

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Game of Thrones

Post #1

Post by Furrowed Brow »

Game of Thrones depicts a fantasy world but one that almost looks historical. Game of Thrones appears to be very popular. As an atheist I have no problem with the fantasy, magic, black magic, the depiction of different religions. There are the old pagan gods and the newer monotheistic Lord of Light. Anyone here have a problem with Game of Thrones because of these themes and the world it depicts.

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Re: Game of Thrones

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Post by Dantalion »

Furrowed Brow wrote: Game of Thrones depicts a fantasy world but one that almost looks historical. Game of Thrones appears to be very popular. As an atheist I have no problem with the fantasy, magic, black magic, the depiction of different religions. There are the old pagan gods and the newer monotheistic Lord of Light. Anyone here have a problem with Game of Thrones because of these themes and the world it depicts.
I'm sure you'll find a few.
Gods in ASOIAF are prett interesting, in that their existence isn't really established.
You have some people with supernatural powers, claiming to serve a theistic god, natural spirits or deified concepts like death, but all we know is that some powers seem to be genuine, but that doesn't mean there are actual deities at work.

(Also technically, R'hllor isn't a 'new' god, and neither is this a monotheistic belief, it's dualistic, with the lord of light and fire on one hand and the lord or ice and death on the other.
It's just not a faith that originated in Westeros, unlike the belief in the old pagan gods and the dominating belief in the seven new gods.)

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Post #3

Post by Wootah »

Are the game of thrones characters, focussing exclusively on family and blood ties right? Should we be that way in our world?

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Post #4

Post by Dantalion »

Wootah wrote: Are the game of thrones characters, focussing exclusively on family and blood ties right? Should we be that way in our world?
I don't think so.
GoT socio-political world is based on feudal Europe, it's fantasy of history, I don't think anybody would want that system back.

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Molly
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Re: Game of Thrones

Post #5

Post by Molly »

Just to add to Dantalion:

A brief history/explanation of the gods in ASOIAF is as follows:
  • - The Old Gods of the north originally belonged to the children of the forest. They were eventually adopted by the First Men.
    - The Seven are worshipped by the Andals (now the "Southron" people) after they invaded Westeros. Also called "The New Gods" but they really aren't new, just newer to Westeros.
    - The Drowned God is worshipped by the Ironborn. Their god's enemy is the Storm God. Supposedly this was around longer than the Andals in Westeros, but I don't know more than that. Ditheistic, not monotheistic (though the show presents it as a mono).
    - The Red God (Lord of Light/R'hillor) isn't new, just new to Westeros. He comes from Essos. Like Dantalion says, this is a ditheistic faith, with R'hillor's opponent being a god of ice and death (the Great Other).
    - There is also the Many-Faced God. This religion could be argued as monotheistic. Basically, it is the worship of death. Again, a religion found mostly in Essos, though some argue that the Stranger comes from him. The Faceless Men and Syrio Forel are the only ones mentioned in the show thus far who worship the Many-Faced God (Death). (Serio mentioned that the only god is Death.)
    - There are also the The Great Shepherd, The Great Stallion, the Graces, The Father of Waters, the Moonsingers, and other various faiths of Essos.
As you can see, there is really only one arguably monotheistic one that is detailed, and that is the worship of death.


I don't have too much of a problem. I adore both ASOIAF and Game of Thrones (TV) If you look carefully, "magic" by humans appears to be non-existent/conjuring tricks/cognitive biases/lack of science/etc until the dragons are born. It is the dragons that bring the magic back.

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Post #6

Post by Beth1 »

I do not have an issue with it. I have never watched it but my sisters do and they think that once I watch I will be hooked.

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Post #7

Post by Pavel1972 »

The “introduction� of "Game of Thrones" consists of view of a “fiery Sun� with pictures of beasts on its metallic neighborhood, then the view goes down with two “blinks� (such a “jump� of picture can remind the “flicking� of Hellish people) all the way up to the picture of a horny creature (and some circle turns about it).

Here are the ends that contain “reminder of Hell�:

"Game of Thrones", Season 1, episode "Fire and Blood" (the last one). End: Woman in flames which are in two circles (+ people lying on the ground, squatting, someone's legs and smoke) who is then squatting (with the head bent down and somewhat raised hand), having three little dragons on herself (even with red color + people on all four with the head bent down). The "red dragon" then screams and raises his wings.

"Game of Thrones", Season 2, episode "Valar Morghulis" (the last one). End: (Fall to the ground next to the basket that has the shape of a circle and then sitting on the ground and then) Horse's legs, piece of red (meat), looks up and down, blue eyes of a monster (every of them is differently shaped), a head bow (with the closing of eyes) and a raised hand (with the spear and scream).

"Game of Thrones", Season 3, episode "Mhysa" (the last one). End: (Firstly please notice a slightly Hellish combination of colors on the clothes and hairs of "Mother of dragons") Raised hands around the "Mother of dragons", there is a circle around her made of people and those who carry her turn her around (which can perhaps remind a whirl). There are also three dragons flying up, whereas it ends with the one that is highest and that has a red color (+ there is some smoke).

"Game of Thrones", season 4, episode "The Children" (the last one). End: Arya rides next to the waterfall and shortly after it she goes down the stairs to see the captain (who has the rolls of paper like small circles) and at their bottom she gives a little jump down. He emphasizes one finger by means of the coin and then he raises two fingers (there are heard words "Valar morghulis"). Shortly after it Arya is in the ship, she takes a look at a smoldering village (so a bit of smoke and fire also), she runs to the ship's bow (everybody around her is bent down) where is a sculpture with a raised hand with two raised fingers (and at the back of the ship somebody is turning the helm; at this point the "reminder of Hell" ends, but maybe what is next belongs to it, too, which is that that on the receding ship someone points his hand with raised finger and the sailors are cleaning the floor).

As we know from “Whirl As A Hellish Indication�, it can be indicated by more things not excluding those that have the shape of a circle. “Reminder of Hell� in the end of all the four last episodes of all the four so-far-produced seasons of “Game of Thrones� consist of such a “circular thing� (S1 flames in two circles, S2 basket of a circle-like shape, S3 people wear Khaleesi and turn her round, S4 circular rolls of paper + maybe also the turning helm on the ship).

Image

As a bonus, here is one little "reminder of Hell" from season 4, episode 4:

The fight stops for a moment, “Kingslayer� smiles, “Bronn� takes his artificial hand off and “Kingslayer� takes a look down. Then he is knocked down and falls by the face toward the ground, then there is heard word “Hell�, there is a position “down and up� and “Bronn� raises “Kingslayer's� artificial hand. Then he throws the hand back to the “Kingslayer�, who takes a look down at it, being on his knees (= emphasis on direction down).

Image

This article is a part of "Conspiracy of Hellish People: https://www.mediaspam.com/?zk..k8q98f2aqae

Enjoy.

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Post #8

Post by Danmark »

Pavel1972 wrote:
This article is a part of "Conspiracy of Hellish People: https://www.mediaspam.com/?zk..k8q98f2aqae

Enjoy.
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Pavel1972
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Post #9

Post by Pavel1972 »

I would love when I could attach the articles to my posts, but it seems to me that this forum does not enable attachments. Therefore the external link. I am sorry.

enviousintheeverafter
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Re: Game of Thrones

Post #10

Post by enviousintheeverafter »

Furrowed Brow wrote: Game of Thrones depicts a fantasy world but one that almost looks historical. Game of Thrones appears to be very popular. As an atheist I have no problem with the fantasy, magic, black magic, the depiction of different religions. There are the old pagan gods and the newer monotheistic Lord of Light. Anyone here have a problem with Game of Thrones because of these themes and the world it depicts.
The only problem I have with HBO's Game of Throne's is that they've inexplicably ruined the story and great template provided by the novels. The way they removed all the emotional dynamics from the Tyrion/Jaime, Tyrion/Shae, Tyrion/Tywin situation RE Tyrion's trial at the end of book 3 (season 4 in the show, IIRC) was just criminal.

As far as religion in the world of GoT though, I've always liked the pluralistic ambiguity; there are lots of believers, with different gods/religions, and its largely left up in the air which, if any, are factual/true, and to what extent. As others have mentioned, some characters, like the priests of R'hollor, have supernatural powers that would maybe suggest that there's some genuine divine power behind them- but then again, not necessarily. Each set of believers thinks they're right, and Martin never confirms or disconfirms this, which lends a sense of realism to it- and this consistent realism is obviously one thing many people like about the GoT series.

Its just too bad they had to **** up the show so badly.

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