A Song of Ice and Fire
Religion in Westeros
"The war has been waged since time began, and before it is done, all men must choose where they will stand. On one side is R'hllor, the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow. Against him stands the Great Other whose name may not be spoken, the Lord of Darkness, the Soul of Ice, the God of Night and Terror." -Melisandre (A Storm of Swords, 288)
Melisandre, a Red Preistess, burns the Seven in effigy for the Lord of Light, R'hllor
The Lord of Light, R'hllor, is the prominent God of an unnamed religion popular in the eastern continent of Essos (Middle East/Asia relative to Earth). Traditionally, R'hllor is not worshipped in Westeros, although a few followers have been introduced on the continent. Followers have attempted to bring the religion west, most notably Thoros of Myr attempting to convert former King Aerys II Targaryen. This faith is based on Zoroastrianism, one of the world's oldest and, at one time, most powerful religions which existed as far back as 5th century BCE in present-day Iran.
Beliefs
Followers of R'hllor have a dualistic view of the world. In other words, they believe in two separate deities. The god they worship is called R'hllor, who is the god of fire, heat, and life. In contrast to R'hllor is The Great Other, the god of darkness, ice, and death. According to their beliefs, the two are locked in an ultimate struggle for domination of the world which cannot end until the second coming of the messianic figure Azor Ahai, who is prophecized to return to the world wielding Lightbringer, a magical sword with the power of fire, to raise dragons from stone. A final battle or judgement day will occurr, and it is believed that he will defeat the darkness once and for all, casting the light of R'hllor over the world. In the series, Red Priestess Melisandre believes Stannis Baratheon to be Azor Ahai reincarnate, and backs his claim to the Iron Throne through her belief in the prophecy and the Lord of Light.
"There will come a day after a long summer when the stars bleed and the cold breath of darkness falls heavy on the world. In this dread hour a warrior shall draw from the fire a burning sword. And that sword shall be Lightbringer, the Red Sword of Heroes, and he who clasps it shall be Azor Ahai come again, and the darkness shall flee before him." (A Clash of Kings, Ch. 10)
This same type of fire worship can be found in Zoroastrianism, where followers turn towards a flame or other source of light while praying. At the heart of a Zoroastrian temple is a fire, often left continuosly burning to represent the spiritual flame within us. Followers of R'hllor are often found to have multiple sources of fire around them any time they are performing a religious ritual, such as blood sacrifice to their god. They are also shown to gaze into flames, hoping for a vision of the future, or that R'hllor will speak to them through the fire. Zoroastrians believe that there is one supreme god, named Ahura Mazda ("The Wise Lord"), who is responsible for creation and represents truth, order, and justice. All things good are said to be the work of The Wise Lord. The antitethis of Ahura Mazda is Angra Mainyu, known as the 'destructive spirit'. They believe that the two are locked in eternal conflict, with truth and order battling against falsehood and disorder. The battle will end in a final judgement, or 'renovation' of the world, when the savior Saoshyant arrives to banish the wicked to hell and lead the righteous to triumph. We can see very clearly that the basic theology of both religions are nearly identical, and even the name of the fictional messiah Azor Ahai is taken from Zoroastrian theology (Ahrua Mazda). Followers of either religion are generally passive towards nonbelievers, but maintain the
Azor Ahai faces off against the forces of the Great Other
Organization
Temples
Followers of the Lord of Light come to worship and pray in temples, known as Red Temples. The temples often also house clergy members, and are common sight on the continent of Essos, where at least six Red Temples are found. They are located in Pentos, Braavos, Lys, and Selhorys, with the main temple found in Volantis. There is also a small temple in Oldtown of Westeros, although it was constructed mainly for visiting sailors from Essos. The Temple of the Lord of Light is described by Tyrion Lannister as being about three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor (The Seven). Similarly, Zoroastrians traditionally worship in fire temples, three of which supposedly derive directly from Ahura Mazda. It is said that miracles involving fire took place at these temples, similar to the miracles claimed to be performed by followers of R'hllor (prophetic visions, etc).
Priests
Clergy members in the R'hllor religion are known as Red Priests, named for the colour of their robes, and can be male or female. In the east, children are often given to temples of R'hllor to become priests, as was the case with Thoros of Myr, who was given to the red priests at a young age. Red Priests are known to be able to evoke and control fire at will, and perform other miracles such as resurrection. In Zoroastrianism, priests may only be males, and were often seen as community leaders, serving followers in the community in a multitude of ways. Within the faith, there were several types of priests, some of whom were responsible for composing sacred scriptures, while others were responsible for fire rituals and accompaniment with chants. A special class of priest, known as Magi, were said to be endowed with magical powers, such as the ability to interpret dreams and perform rituals to predict the future.
Rituals
Both Zoroastrianism and the religion of R'hllor put fire at the centre of their rituals and practices. In both religions, fire is seen as a purifier, although in Zoroastrianism fire is said to be derived from water, which is also viewed as purifying. Zoroastrians beleive the day is divided into five parts, or gahs, and are expected to pray during each of the five divisions. Prayers must be performed facing a fire or other type of light source, and often involve an act of cleansing. Followers of R'hllor perform all of their rituals in the presence of fire. We haven't been shown any religious text used by R'hllors followers, and similarily,
Zoroastrian priests are expected to know and perform prayers and texts from memory.