维斯特洛大陆的主流信仰是七神信仰,只有北境(旧神)和铁群岛(淹神)的人民的主流信仰不是七神,所以七神信仰在维斯特洛可以简称为“教会”。对于君临来说,七神信仰是其统治的良辅。
七神,实际上是一个神祗的七种不同形态,每种形态代表一种德行或需求,七神的信仰者会根据自己所求之事向某一形态祈祷。七神分别是:
天父(Father):代表正义与审判。拿着天平
圣母(Mother):代表母爱、仁慈和养育。微笑妇女
战士(Warrior):代表勇气和胜利。手持长剑
少女(Maiden):代表纯洁和真挚。
铁匠(Smith):代表劳作和工匠。手持锤子
老妪(Crone):代表智慧。手持灯笼
陌客(Stranger):代表死亡与不确定。有一张死亡之脸。这个神祗被视为兼具男女两性,或者并无性别。一些雕像把陌客塑成人形,另一些则把他或她雕成半人半兽。陌客引导新逝者从这个世界前往下一站,并兼任判官,裁决他们的灵魂在七层地狱中是获得褒赏还是遭受惩罚
上图可知,处于右下的那个就是陌客,而陌客的眼睛是不是跟那俩石头一样?其实就是为了向陌客祈祷死者得到安息。
维斯特洛七神信仰还有一个叫静默姐妹的女性组织。该组织的女性以禁欲和静默为誓言,她们的任务就是服务死者的尸体以完成葬礼,静默姐妹并不是修女,服装以灰色长袍和兜帽遮盖全身只露出眼睛,也被称为“陌客之妻”。
冰火地图上的陌客
百度贴吧里总结的一些葬仪。做个参考吧。
When a man is laid in his grave, a septon usually says some prayers for him (THK: 458)
Dead bodies are given over to the silent sisters for ritual cleansing (II: 46. BNC)
When someone of the Faith is buried, a crystal is left on their grave (II: 61)
The prayer for the dead begins with, “Father Above, judge [person] justly” (III: 684)
The Stranger is thought to lead the newly dead to the other world (III: 699)
Six silent sisters might attend the bones of a great lord as they travelled in a funeral procession to their place of burial (IV: 226)
Silent sisters remove bowels and organs, as well as drain blood, from corpses in their care. They may also stuff the body with fragrant herbs and salts to preserve it and hide the smell of decomposition (IV: 241)
When someone of the Faith is buried, a crystal is left on their grave (II: 61)
Burial or entombment are customary in the Seven Kingdoms, although some houses send their dead into the sea. The Targaryens always cremated their dead (THK: 529)
Clothes for mourning are always black (I: 455)
A grand funeral for a Hand of the King might include morning services for the deceased with nobles in attendance, afternoon prayers for the commons, and evening prayers open to all (IV: 100)
A dead Hand might be shown in full armor on the stepped marble bier of the Great Sept, with knights standing vigil (IV: 101-102)
The funeral procession of a great lord might include an escort of fifty knights, a number of vassal lords, a hundred crossbowmen, three hundred men-at-arms, and drummers to beat the funeral march. Six silent sisters would ride attendance on the wagon containing his bones (IV: 226-227)
In embalming a body, the bowels, internal organs, and blood are removed and replaced with salt and fragrant herbs. The silent sisters often carry out such tasks (IV: 241)