A Song of Ice and Fire
Religion in Westeros
“What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger.” (A Clash of Kings, ch 11)
Ironborn Baptism ritual performed by a priest
The Drowned God is a deity worshipped only by the Ironborn, the inhabitants of Westeros' Iron Islands. It is a small, rocky, unforgiving area home to a people and religion much the same as the land. Modeled after Norse mythology and the Vikings, the Ironborn have a dualistic world view and a belief system that supports their culture of seafaring and piracy. It is one of the oldest religions known, dating back to before the Andal invasion.
Beliefs
The Ironborn believe in two deities; The Drowned God, aka He Who Dwells Below the Waves, and the Storm God, his eternal enemy. They believe that the Drowned God is constantly locked in an eternal struggle with the Storm God, and that he pulled fire from the sea and once sailed the world. The Drowned God is said to reside in watery halls below the sea, where followers will go to feast in the afterlife. The Storm God's halls are said to be in the sky, and ravens are under his control. The Ironborn believe that stormy seas are a result of the gods doing battle, and that the Storm God will send rough seas to destroy ships of the Drowned God's followers. This story is very similar to the Norse myth of Njörðr, found in Prose Edda, a compilation of Norse myths and legends. Njörðr is a god who was said to reside among the sea, associated with seafaring, fishing, wealth and fertility. He was married to the goddess Skaði, associated with winter, mountains, and hunting. The story goes that Njörðr wanted to live among the sea, while Skaði wanted to live in the home of her father, called "Thunder Home". Eventually the two could not agree, and split, with Skaði returning to the clouds and Njörðr returning to his home in the sea.
"The Lovesickness of Frey" depicting Njörðr, Skadi, and his son Freyr.
The hall of the Drowned God and the Ironborn depiction of the afterlife is also taken from the mythology of the Norse. They believed in Valhalla ("Hall of the Slain"), which was the great hall of the god Odin. Norsemen killed in combat were selected by Odin to either feast with him in Valhalla, or be sent to the goddess Freyja's Folkvangr. In the hall, they will meet with other gods and legendary heros and prepare for the apocalypse, Ragnarok, in which the world will be submerged in water (drowned) and eventually renewed and repopulated by two survivors. The Ironborn and Norse also share a belief in a mythological sea-serpent creature. According to Ironborn legend, Nagga was the first sea dragon, possessing the power to destroy entire islands. The Grey King, with the assistance of the Drowned God, is said to have battled and slain the dragon on the shores of Old Wyk, and the Drowned God took Nagga's bones to construct his great halls. The halls were lost when the Grey King died, as the Storm God used his power to flood the hall & throne of the Drowned God. Norse mythology tell us the tale of Jörmungandr, also found in Prose Edda, the child of Loki, the Norse god of mischief. Odin is said to have cast Jörmungandr into the sea around Midgard, where the serpent grew in size until he was large enough to wrap himself around the entire planet. When Jörmungandr lets go of the planet, Ragnorok (apocalypse) will occur, as he will come out of the ocean to "poison the sky". Thor and Jörmungandr will then do battle, eventually leading to the death of both.
Practices
The Ironborn are known throughout Westeros for being fierce warriors, and having the best navy in the world. Although ruled by House Greyjoy, they do not believe in a strict king, as each man or woman may be a king on his/her own ship. The sigil of House Greyjoy is the Kraken, a mythological sea creature, and their house motto is "We do not sow", meaning the Ironborn do not farm and instead survive by pilaging and raiding. This is the main practice of the Ironborn, who describe their way of life using the term the "Old Way", meaning a culture based on raiding. The Ironborn also take slaves during their raids, who may be taken to the Iron Islands to toil in mines, as this kind of labour is seen as being below Ironborn. An Ironborn man may also take several "salt wives", slave wives, in addition to his one true Ironborn "rock wife".
Viking longship
They traditionally travel in wooden longships which allow them to mount raids on the coast, as well as further inland through rivers and streams. They practice a version of baptism referred to as "drowning", in which a priest of the Drowned God exchanges holy words with and pours sea water over the head of the follower. A more extreme version of this baptismal rite is also practiced, during which the Ironborn will be literally drowned and revived through a crude version of CPR. This is symbolized in the Ironborn saying "What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger." Much like the Ironborn, for a significant period of time, Norse and Viking culture was also based around the practices of raiding and pilaging. From the 8th-11th centuries, the Vikings raided and travelled across large areas of northern and central Europe, sailing in wooden longships similar in description to those of the Ironborn. Both men and women could take part in the raids, as in Ironborn culture, warriors were judged merely on their abilities. The Vikings took anything they could fit onboard during their raids, including slaves, and like the Ironborn they took women as wives, but still maintained one true Norse wife. Both also share the belief that it is a privlege to be killed in battle, and that it is the only way one may join their gods and feast in their halls.