The religion of The Old Gods is the oldest religion in Westeros. It has been practiced since before the arrival of the First Men. Prior to the arrival of the First Men the Old Gods were worshipped by the Children of the Forest, a race of humanoids that at the beginning of the events in the novel is thought to be lost or simply be a myth. According to legend in the days before the First Men the religion of the Old Gods was spread throughout all of Westeros, from the southern coast to the farthest north. When the First Men arrived however the persecuted the Children and those who believed in the Old Gods. Over time the First Men made peace with the Children and they all came to worship The Old Gods. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Andals, who brought The Faith, that the Old Gods faced a serious threat of losing power in Westeros. The worship of the Old Gods is almost entirely wiped out in the south of Westeros, with most of their sites of worship being destroyed by The Faith. It is from the followers of The Faith that this religion gets its name. The followers of the Old Gods have no name for them. They are called the Old Gods to contrast the New Gods of the Faith, The Seven.

         

 

 

 

 

                The worship of The Old Gods is a less defined religion than the Faith or some religions of Essos. There are very few rituals, ceremonies, and practices related to worshipping the Old Gods. There is no holy text with teachings of the Old Gods. Instead most of the information regarding the Old Gods is passed down through folk traditions such as storytelling, seen clearly early on in the novels when is telling the Stark children stories. The Old Gods are not strict Gods either in the sense that the Seven are with their clearly defined roles and names. Instead they are made up of the weirwood trees who are spirits of the former children of the forest, who believed they could ascend into godhood on their deaths. Worship largely take place in a godswood in the presence of these weirwood trees. In every godswood there is at least one heart tree, a special weirwood tree with a face carved into it. The Old Gods can see through the eyes of these heart trees therefore all ceremonies take place in front of a heart tree so that the Old Gods can see it.  Godswoods are common in northern communities and this is where followers of the Old Gods can go to pray and seek guidance.
      

 

 

 

 

                Those who worship the Old Gods can occasionally hold some magic. The Children of the Forest for example live for much longer than humans and become part of the earth when they die. Some worshippers, called greenseers, can see the future. Other worshippers, such as the Stark children, can skin change and take control of animal, and occasionally human, bodies. These types of magic that are associated with the Old Gods are stronger Beyond the Wall where almost everyone believes in them and there is more nature.

 

            

 

 

                 The religion of The Old Gods are similar to real world animistic religions.  In these religions animals, plants and inanimate objects are the subject of worship. Animism is a term coined by anthropologists to describe the belief system of some indigenous tribal people. It is a term that is used mainly to describe a belief system that existed before organized religion. The Old Gods were believed in by indigenous people (the Children of the Forest) and have a strong connection with worshipping the earth, animals and plants.