The Seven

The Father's face is stern and strong,

he sits and judges right from wrong.

He weighs our lives, short and long,

and loves the little children.

The Mother gives the gift of life,

and watches over every wife.

Her gentle smile ends all strife,

and she loves her little children.

The Warrior stands before the foe,

protecting us where e'er go.

With sword and shield an spear and bow,

he guards the little children.

The Crone is very wise and old,

and sees our fates as they unfold.

She lifts her lamp of shining gold,

to led the little children.

The Smith, he labors day and night,

to put the world of men to right.

With hammer, plow, and fire bright,

he builds for little children.

The Maiden dances through the sky,

she lives in every lover's sigh.

Her smiles teach the birds to fly,

and give dreams to little children.

The Seven Gods who made us all,

are listening if we should call.

So close your eyes, you shall not fall,

they see you, little children,

Just close your eyes, you shall not fall,

they see you, little children.  

So, with a nursery rhyme, Gorge R. R. Martin introduce us the Seven, the gods venerated by the Andals, the second population that settled in Seven Kingdoms after the First Men and who wiped out the Children of the Forest.

The rhyme speaks about only of six divinities, the seventh is the Stranger, who symbolizes death.

It’s curious noticing that the words “Stranger” and “Other” have very similar meanings, and in English (the original language of the saga) they are almost synonyms.

It seems probable that in Seven Kingdoms’ mythology the concept of “Death = Other” was born in the ancient war between men and Children of the Forest against the Others. Effectively, if the Stranger symbolizes death, and the Others use corpses of dead beings as troop, there must being a correlation, which through centuries should has been forgotten like the Others themselves.

Talking about the Seven in generically we can assert that they are venerated in temples scattered everywhere in the Seven Kingdoms, being this the most common religion in the continent, even if it’s been supplanted by the cult of R’hllor. The Seven have in their sanctuary wooden statue that represent them, and which believers make offers (but not sacrifices of living beings). Theirs religion is very peaceful, with no blood and from what can be seen by the rhyme oriented more to defense that attack, even if it isn’t really so, since in Seven Kingdoms flow rivers of blood… (but don’t forget that even real religions of our world preach pace but many adherents are in any case in favor of some wars). The last strophe of the rhyme ensures us that these Gods are “listening to” in time of need, but they don’t intervene at all, their statues are burnt, their temples are deconsecrated, their believers are slaughtered and they do nothing. Considering the power that other gods and demons of Martin’s world show there are few explanations: or the power of these divinities is weak and is manifested only at the coming of the Others in the continent or they simply don’t exist.