Comparing The Lord of Light with Zoroastrianism
In the medieval period religion dictated the daily lives of individuals; it can account for their actions and how they viewed the world. In much the same way, religion in George R. R. Martin’s world of Game of Thrones can account for the actions of various characters in the show and books, no matter how foreign they may been to the modern audience. As such, Game of Thrones presents an opportunity to see into the medieval mindset, or at least how a modern audience perceives the medieval mindset, which is known as medievalism. While the parallels between the faith of the seven in Game of Thrones and Medieval Christianity are evident (and examples can be found elsewhere), this post will address religions that are less known in both the medieval period and the Game of Throne world. The greatest example of this would be the evocation of Zoroastrianism or Manicheanism in the religion of the Lord of Light (or the worship of R’hllor) in Game of Thrones. George R. R. Martin himself has stated that the religions in his universe have real world evocations, and this can be seen in the Slate article . The article states that Manicheanism focusses on the duality between the goodness of light and the evil of darkness, however, this is false. Manicheanism focusses instead on the duality between the goodness of spirituality and the evilness of matter. As such, Manicheanism has been linked to the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism due to its dualistic nature. However, Zoroastrianism does not view a division between the spiritual and the material world, more so, followers of this religion look at the goodness of light and the evil of darkness. Similarly, they do not see their religion as dualistic, rather this is a title placed on it by other monotheistic religions. This is paralleled in the worship of the Lord of Light and their shunning of the darkness. While there are parallels between Manicheanism and The Lord of Light, this post will instead focus on the parallel with Zoroastrianism and how these can be taught side-by-side to gain a greater understanding of medievalism.
In presenting this material in the environment of a classroom it is important to give a very good introduction on both the religion of Zoroastrianism and on the religion surrounding the Lord of Light in Game of Thrones. Fortunately, there is a wealth of knowledge on both subjects. A good, yet brief, introduction to Zoroastrianism can be found in Michael Stausberg’s Zarathustra and Zoroastrianism. This book presents an excellent introduction on the topic because it encompasses both the modern practices of Zoroastrianism as well the ancient roots of the religion, which is important to keep in mind when addressing medievalism. Much like Stausberg’s work, a slightly more in depth introduction to the topic can be found in Jenny Rose’s Zoroastrianism: A Guide for the Perplexed. Both of these books present sections which would prove useful as an assigned reading to students learning about Zoroastrianism. Similarly, a much more involved look at Zoroastrianism can be found in R. C. Zaehner’s The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. This could be seen as a reading for a more advanced group or for an educator that may not know much on the subject. The main points to remember when discussing this religion is that it came from and still exists in the east (namely India and around Iran), that it presents dualistic tendencies although it is not considered dualistic by its practitioners, and that it focusses heavily on the goodness of light (and subsequently fire), and the evilness of darkness.
Keeping this in mind, and having been thoroughly introduced to the topic, students can turn to the religion of the Lord of Light in Game of Thrones, both in the novels and the television series. Besides the Slate article mentioned above there are other sources for learning about this religion. To gain an understanding of who worships the Lord of Light in George R. R. Martin’s world a very useful reading would be the chapters on “The Quarrelsome Daughters: Myr, Lys, and Tyrosh” as well as “Braavos” from The World of Ice and Fire. These readings give an indication of where the Lord of Light is worshipped and how widespread the religion was and is becoming in this world. In order to gain a greater understanding of how the religion fits into the wider world and narrative, there is a Youtube video entitled, “Histories and Lore: The Lord of Light” narrated by a priest of the Lord of Light, Thoros of Myr. This video also explains the beliefs and practices of the religion that can be compared to the introductions on Zoroastrianism. Another Youtube video, a clip from the show, shows how different practitioners express their beliefs and how their god interacts with them. Thoros of Myr and Melisandre are both a priest and priestess of R’hllor respectively, Thoros had lost his faith and was shown the light, whereas Melisandre has always clearly been guided by her Lord.
In comparing the worship of R’hllor and Zoroastrianism side-by-side the parallels become abundantly clear. However, the goal in comparing the two is to show the ways in which this is applicable to teaching about the medieval people and modern perceptions of that time. As such, taking the background information presented here, students should be encouraged to discuss the parallels and as well as what this means for the study of the medieval period and medievalism. Some possible guidelines would be to ask about where both religions came from, how they are viewed by their practitioners, and, if there is an interest in Christianity compared to the Faith of the Seven in Game of Thrones, see how these religions differ within their society. Therefore, this discussion does not have to stop at the parallels, rather looking at the big picture of how these religions function in their surroundings will give the students an understanding of the medieval mindset when it comes to religions outside of Christianity, and how we as a modern society view these religions.
So shed some light on the past, for the night is dark and full of terrors.
Resources
Martin, George R. R. et. al. The World of Ice and Fire. United States: Bantam Books, 2014.
Rose, Jenny. Zoroastrianism: A Guide for the Perplexed. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011.
Stausberg, Michael. Zarathustra and Zoroastrianism. London: Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2005.
Zaehner, R. C. The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1961.
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