When adapting the novels to the small screen, shorthand for these different religions is almost purely visual: rituals are heightened, and imagery is emphasized, whether it be the Silent Sisters of the Faith of the Seven caring for the dead, the glowing red necklace and monstrous shadow birth of Melisandre, priestess of the Lord of Light (Carice van Houten), or the faces of the Old Gods carved into the weirwood, weeping blood-red sap.
The saga is fraught with conflict, but this is inspired by power struggles, rather than religious preference likewise, there is no apparent narratorial or authorial preference as to the “correct” religion to which the characters should be adhering (thus no doubt revealing Martin’s own atheism). Indeed, A Song of Ice and Fire is notable for its representation of a relatively peaceful co-existence of various religions. Martin’s series of novels A Song of Fire and Ice 1 is well-known for its world-building: the epic scope allows for various cultures, with their attendant political, ideological, and religious systems.
