Join US
Do you want to build the fantasy world you’ve always dreamed of?
Subscribe to receive notifications when a new post is out and for our monthly newsletter!
You can always unsubscribe anytime.
The Sunlit Hearth: The Important Role of Fantasy Religion in Worldbuilding
Sunfire
CONTENTS
Introduction
The fantasy genre takes many cues from the real world, allowing creators to tell stories that have a touch of realism, making it easier for their viewers to immerse themselves in them. One of the cornerstones of the genre is that of fantasy religion, which doesn’t come as a surprise, considering the majority of tales and worlds take place in settings where it plays a dominant role in how people live their lives.
Religion in fantasy is largely derived from its real world counterpart. Should you decide to incorporate it into your own, there are a few vital things to know. One of which is that you have to build it up from scratch, meaning you have to think about places of worship and both their exterior and interior appearance and what people do there. The goal here is to create something that your audience feels is a seamless fit in your own world.
Fantasy religion is an important driver in people’s lives. It doesn’t just dictate how they perceive the world and each other, it influences them to perform actions that may or may not necessarily be in their self-interest, depending on who they are at heart. For instance, a good-natured person will go out of his way to help his fellow citizens whereas a bad person will think of ways to enrich himself at the expense of others.
Religion in an imaginary world doesn’t just occur on a small scale, it plays a key role in the grand scheme of things. This is especially true when there is one dominant religion that permeates virtually everything within. It affects how people from different areas interact with each other.
This is the fourteenth article in The Sunlit Hearth series. If you like this article and are curious to see what else we have, there are many more you can find on our blog page!
The Essential Components of Fantasy Religion
The best systems of religion across the genre weren’t just thought up at a moment. They are the result of deep commitment to creating something that imitates that of the real world but with elements of fantasy sprinkled in to make it unique for the world. Thus, it is imperative that you have a good understanding of what goes into building such a system.
Fantasy religion can be broken down into several essential components. The first of which is the pantheon of deities people believe in. Some worlds are monotheistic, meaning they worship only one god who created everything, and others are polytheistic, meaning people believe in multiple deities — each one has his or her own powers and they all collaborated to create the world they live in. The route you choose dictates everything that comes afterward.
Next up is the place of worship. There’s an incredible variety of structures across the genre you can use — temples, churches, cathedrals, among others — so be sure to go with the one you feel works the best for your religion. These holy sites enable the faithful to deepen their relationship with their patron deity and they help them live in and navigate a hostile world.
Within the hallowed halls of these places of worship walk the clergy, which is another key element of constructing a fantasy religion. They provide guidance and gospel to the faithful. They wear ceremonial robes to highlight their spiritual connection to their god and work to strengthen their relationship with the local community.
What services and functions do these places of worship provide? Besides holding mass and preaching their weekly sermons, the clergy use them for community outreach. They hold charity drives where they collect food, clothes, and toys for people who are having difficulties making ends meet. They also help people with whatever problems they’re having with, from troubled youths who are vandalizing properties to those who are wrestling with moral issues.
How Fantasy Religion Influences People
Like in the real world, religion is a key driver in how people live their lives. It influences many of, if not all, the major decisions they make throughout their lives such as getting married, moving to another city, or questioning whether their life has any meaning. Incorporating this in your story is a superb way to showcase the reasons why people make the choices that will shape their destiny, for good or ill.
While religion was dominant in the Middle Ages or during medieval times, it is still relevant regardless of the era an imaginary world is in, whether it be in ancient times or a high futuristic society. One way it affects people is by pushing them to be good, decent people willing to help each other with no expectations of anything in return. Essentially, they must put the well-being of other people ahead of theirs first.
There are countless examples of how fantasy religion gets its inspirations from its real-world brethren to motivate people to help each other other. For instance, churches and other religious institutions regularly hold food drives or charity events where people can donate either goods, food, or their time in assisting the needy or those down on their luck. Additionally, they also encourage people to get involved in their local communities by having them volunteer to clean up parks or work with the youth to instill good values that help pave the way for a better tomorrow.
While it is a great external driver, religion too is also a powerful internal driver. When people are wrestling with a moral issue, they look to it for help. They pray to their deity, asking for guidance and counsel on how best to solve it. Sometimes the answer comes swiftly though it might be subtle whereas it might come at a later time or a time when he isn’t actively searching for it.
The Role Fantasy Religion Plays in the World
On the world stage, religion is one of the greatest forces that affect whole countries and their people. In some cases, it can serve as a basis on which multiple nations form alliances since they share the same religion. In other cases, it can hinder the relationships of countries who have differing religions, putting them on a collision course that could very well end in war.
Typically the leaders of the realms of the world have the same beliefs as their fellow citizens since they are members of the same fantasy religion. Thus, the actions they take on the world stage are designed not to just put the interests of their people but of the religion they believe in. They are more likely to seek cooperation and good deals with other countries that have similar religious beliefs and eschew allying with others who they view as heathens.
Countries that have wholly different religious systems require more work in order to have good relations with one another. Unfortunately, due to their stark religious differences they are more likely to view each other with suspicion and plan accordingly. This is notably more prevalent in worlds set in medieval times where religion reigned supreme since people loathed heresy with contempt and punished those who dared criticize the religious system they adhered to.
In worlds that contain just one fantasy religion, people do not need to worry about a competing religious force that could upend what they believe in. Instead, they are content, taking comfort in that everyone they cross paths with believe the same thing they do. This makes it easy for countries to form alliances and work with each other to create a world more suitable for their children to grow up in. With religion acting as an unifying force, they can turn their attention to more pressing issues instead of splitting into hostile factions due to a difference in their belief systems. Of course, this only lasts as long as there is just one dominant religion in the world. Should a challenger arise, it could pose perhaps the greatest threat to it, leading to turmoil engulfing the land…
Of all the storytelling instruments, fantasy religion is one of the most potent for it isn’t just an external driver but an internal one as well. It forms the basis on which people live their lives by and how they interact with each other. If used correctly, it strengthens their bonds of friendship and pushes them to be the best version of themselves.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. (Note: this is an account-exclusive feature).
If you don’t have one, you can register here. It only takes a few moments of your time!
Liked this article and want to subscribe? All you have to do is fill out the form below and that’s it!
Thanks for reading this and until the next time,
Sunfire
DON'T MISS A POST!
Subscribing means you receive:
- notifications when a new post’s up!
- our monthly newsletter!
You can always unsubscribe anytime.
Share
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Print
Subscribe
Login
Please login to comment
0 Comments
Most Voted
