Soo....for the most part I've been avoiding any mention of religion in my fantasy novel, with the exceptions of "by the gods!" or "Gods, you scared me" and stuff like that. I just feel like it's not a big part of my story and not really a part of my MC's life. I imagine there is a pantheon of gods/goddesses in my fantasy world, but they are more of a background thing for this particular story. So I guess my question is...do I bother mentioning them, naming them, describing temples as part of city descriptions, or can I just leave religion out entirely (with the exception of swearing, etc).
If mentioning/describing the gods and their temples is important to the story, or even to a scene here and there, then go for it! I know that I sometimes mention things in my stories that aren't at all a focus of the story but just help give the world some "flavor", if you get what I mean. And if religion isn't important to some of the characters, someone could bring up one of the gods/goddesses while the character in question just rolls their eyes; in other words, you could use it as a way to show something about the characters, too.
I do get what you mean. I guess I'm just being wishy-washy on how much flavor I want to put in. Like, do readers expect religion in a fantasy world? I think it would be odd to have no mention of it entirely, but...it's such a convoluted topic and can have possibly a lot of impact on my characters, and I'm just not sure how much I want to delve into it.
If the gods aren't real active in your story, perhaps you could think of your characters as "Christmas and Easter" Christians. I knew quite a few of those growing up who would go to church a few times a year, get married and buried in the church, but otherwise not have much religion in their lives. Not to say that they were bad people, but perhaps Grod (your barbarian warrior, I assume), upon entering the new city seeks out a shop where he can get his native fermented yak's milk. He asks the proprietress where the local temple of Bugrat is, she laughs and pulls aside a curtain revealing a small statue of the god. "This is it, boy, make your offering?" Grod eyes her suspiciously, tosses a couple of coins at the feet of the idol, and heads out the door. Other than that and "By Bugrat!" religion doesn't figure in his life. My 2 yen.
If you have a large amount of magic as a craft, then I recommend exploring religious elements to it. And I don't mean like 'water power from the water god'. I mean more like 'being one with the elements'. A lot of historical mythology relates magic to a sense of spiritual connection, attuning oneself to the order of things, and honestly I think this aspect of magic is not portrayed often enough. Religion could also be good to provide greater cultural diversity and tension. It's a very important part of real history.
In my novel, religion is very important for the MC, as he thinks during the second half of the story that his gods have given him a quest. The 3 main gods of his culture represent the values that he aspires to live by (Courage, justice and wisdom). Now, the gods themselves never do anything directly, and their existence is never 100% clear, so for him it's amatter of faith. Then there's the new dominant religion that's taking over the continent (Akin to how christianity took over Europe, thanks to one specific roman emperor) and this new religion means bad news for the wizards (Like the MC's daughter), so that's also something to take into account. Both religions influence the cultures that appear in the novel. The paganism represents the old values that people are losing (Just as the MC sees himself in a world where his principles are getting rarer by the minute), while the new one represents the wool over people's eyes (As it was implemented by an emperor who didn't actually believe in it, and wanted to use it to control the populace and get rid of the wizards). So, to answer the question. Is the MC's religion (If they have one) relevant to explain how they behave? Is it relevant to explain any aspect of their culture? If not, then there's no point mentioning specific points of the religion. P.S: I also use myths about the gods to create parallels with the plot of the novel itself. That way I can worldbuild and at the same time create little hints of plot points that are yet to happen, and also reinforce the novel's themes.
It's whatever the story demands. I'm an atheist, but that part of my being has very little say-so in the story I'm writing. It's 1792; the French Revolution is boiling over and a band of outlaw nuns aim to do something about it. The three protagonists are young girls who'll take a blood oath in jest; while drinking apple cider (that is in fact brandy) they cut their thumbs and mix blood... but God is watching and listening, and he means to hold them to their word. Those supernatural events that take place from time to time, are left to the reader's fancy. My only advice, is that if you choose to bring religion into your story, don't do it by half. It should play an integral part in the lives of your characters, and it needn't be stuffy or predictable. _____________________________ “I’m so relieved my prayers were answered and you’ve come back to us, but it can’t be safe for you, not the way things are now. My uncle is very worried you’ll be found out.” “Rose, what do you believe in?” “What do you mean?” “It’s a simple enough question. Indulge me — what rules your stars?” Valerie caressed the locket that hung from her neck, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger, then in a lilting voice, began anew. “Are you moonstruck by the pagan ways, searching the constellations for omens and boiling entrails on Solstice Eve to curry favor with the goat god? Or are you smitten by the meddling gods of antiquity, we creatures great and small moved like pieces on a chessboard, mere amusements in a parlor game? Perchance you’ve met the new god who tinkers not in the affairs of Man, a convenient deity invented by a cult of impotent men that meet in secret and plot great mischief? Such men put their faith in divine reason, but do they tally the cost? No, I think not. I know the God you pray to, the Lord of our hopes and fears, his Son, our Savior — ” Valerie arched her back and thrust her arms out, face and palms lifted heavenward in mock crucifixion. “We try best we can to walk in his footsteps. But these are bad times. They’ve made it a crime to mention Him in a certain light, and now, God leaves us only breadcrumbs to follow.” “You’re toying with me again. I would appreciate it if you didn’t treat me like a child,” Rosemarie said, her chin high and shoulders back.
I feel like religion is an underused tool in fantasy. It gives depth and verisimilitude to the worldbuilding, and makes for a ripe source of conflict. That said, I think I'd rather see it done thoughtfully, or not at all. I find religion really interesting so I naturally spend a lot of time on it when I'm worldbuilding, and it usually factors into my plots as well, but not every story has to be like that. Cookie-cutter fantasy Christianity with the serial numbers filed off? Yawn. Just skip it if you're not into developing your own. If you do decide to flesh it out, though, I really like Iain A's suggestion of making them Christmas and Easter religious. I think that's a great way to inject a little cultural flair without having to go all-out, if religion isn't key to the plot.
Firstly, it depends on the tone of the novel and world. If it's a light-hearted adventure story, then no. You're not really aiming to build a realistic world, more one that facilitates the narrative. However, if you are going with a more in-depth tone, then religion is going to be a massive part. While not the force that began the stratification of society, it is the force that for so long explained why the world was the way it was. The king had the divine right to rule. The emperor had the mandate of heaven. The pharaoh was the living embodiment of a god. The Kshatryia rule because that is what the gods intended. We see religion justifying authority time and time again, throughout history. Beyond that churches and temples were also centers of communities, and religion was placed onto children at a young age. All of this assumes that your fantasy world is pre-renaissance in terms of culture however.
Religion is such a massive part of human civilization I don't think you can leave it out entirely. Codes of morality, naming conventions, everyday language, cultural rites (weddings, funerals, rites of passage), attire, architecture, art, individual motivations, so many things are going to be deeply influenced by it. How exactly you go about employing it is really a case by case thing. Maybe a character only casually deals with religious matters, like in Iain's "Christmas and Easter" example. On the other end of the spectrum, maybe you have a very devout character, and it's their prime motivating factor. The focal character of the first setting I worldbuilt is like that; she's very concerned with proving to her god that she's changed for the better. Maybe you have a character in a foreign land and they end up causing grave offense. I seem to recall this happening in one of the old Conan stories. He was in Stygia, killed a serpent, and because the Stygians worship a snake god he ends up getting pursued by an angry mob. Lots of potential for conflict. Or maybe it's the reason behind big events that form the focus of a story. Religious conflicts like the Maccabean Revolt, Islamic Conquests, the Crusades, Aztec Flower Wars, or the Thirty Years' War. Socio-cultural shifts like the Protestant Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, the Great Awakening, or a society's widespread conversion. Even if you don't go for anything as major as these, I'd still name gods and major prophets and briefly mention temples or priests on the street in passing. That would make the religion seem a bit more real, a bit more present.
I write historical fiction so my religions have to exist, but they also have to play a role in my story, and perhaps be interesting and educational to the reader, without being pedantic. One of the more interesting religions I encountered was Tengri, the Sky God of the steppes, from Siberia to the Urals among the horse nomads of 2000 years ago, rather similar to the somewhat stereotyped Great Spirit of the Americas, and even possibly the ancestor of its contemporary faiths in Europe and the Middle East. It was a monotheistic religion, though there were good and bad spirits subordinate to Tengri. He played a big role in the life of my female character, a warrior among the Xiongnu. She sought his guidance to make key decisions in her life. "If this happens, then Tengri wants me to do A, otherwise, I must do B." This happens in Eagle and the Dragon when the key decision she must make is whether to keep her lover, and perhaps lose her status asa warrior when she becomes pregnant, or to keep that status, her identity, and have to give up her lover. Not because he won't share her life, but because whatever she does, she will do 100%, that is how she became a warrior, and that is how she will be his "mate" if that is her course, she holds nothing back. In book 2 she faces a similar choice, she is in Turfam on the edge of Mongolia, seeking Chinese medicines that might cure a disease devastating her Xiongnu clan, when she finds that it is too late, a handful of survivors show up to tell her it is no more (it appears to be some sort of smallpox, followed by infighting). By chance, people she knew from the Eagle and the Dragon are there heading west to Rome. She seeks a sign with her "mate" (still mated after ten years and three children) and some survivors. She sees a shooting star heading west - her sign from Tengri. Other religions I dealt with are Zoroastrianism, and the Bactrian king gets to invoke this as part of his invocation of divine blessing. In the sequel, I got to celebrate the very important feast day of Nowruz, "New Light" in which all fires and lamps are extinguished on the evening of the Vernal Equinox, March 21, hearths cleaned out, and the "New Light" rekindled in the morning. So it should fit the story.
The official Popeified title for this is Chreastors. @X Equestris Seeker Pentaghast! Is that you? It's me, Cole! Onto the actual question at hand. As a whole, I'm a firm believer in the idea that nothing should be added to a story because it's "expected" to be there. If religion doesn't play a big role in the story you're trying to tell, you can disregard it completely. However, as many others have said, if religion plays a big part in how your protagonist, or any other major characters, act, it's important to give a brief overview of why they're acting in the way that they are, therefore going into the religion that's influenced them.
Religion (and ideology in general) plays a major role in my writing. One of the main themes I want to explore is how religion influences the world (both the good and bad), and what people ultimately want from it. It's been a part of human existence in one form or another pretty much since we evolved the brain capacity, so it's kind of hard to separate it. One theory I read suggests that religion came about because the way humans evolved lead to them giving agency to phenomena that they couldn't explain otherwise (lightning, fire, and things like that). There's more too it than that, but I can't find the article at the moment (it's a shame, cause it's a fascinating theory).
Can't speak for others, but I'm more likely to read something without or as little religion in it as possible, fantasy or not! The more religion you'd put in it the more off-putting I'd find it... If there is no real reason to mention any gods I wouldn't go further than you've done. Maybe add the name of a specific god if needed for a specific thing where it make sense, but unless you have an idea and reason, don't force it in there.
If it doesn't contribute to the story and you don't want to, I don't see why you should. Don't try to force it.
I think this, without any elaboration, would bother me in a story--it would feel generic. If there's no religion in the story, I think it would be better to find another source for exclamations/curses.
I agree with this. Our curses tend to be based on our values, and while there are certainly societal values that aren't shared by every member of that society (like, I'm an atheist but still use societal swear words like "Jesus!" or whatever), it doesn't make sense, I don't think, to have religious swear words in a society that isn't religious. So even if your characters aren't religious, if their society is there'd probably be some mention of religion in the story. I don't think it needs to be a big thing, and if you're deep in your character's POV you can filter the religious stuff through your character's cynicism ("The shopkeeper had a little altar by the fire, and I snuck a good gulp of the sacrificial liquor while he was burrowing through the trunk looking for the herbs") or disinterest ("The town was full of pilgrims wailing about the sacrifices of The Holy Larinia, who'd apparently done something pretty exciting on this day five hundred and twenty-three years ago, so the square was more crowded than they'd hoped") or whatever. TLDR: If religion is important to a significant number of people in your society, I'd expect there to be at least some mention of the religion in the text. If it's not important, I'd expect them to have different swear words.
I'll like to add there is a difference between religion and faith. One of the definitions of religion is a particular system of faith and worship. While one of the definition of faith is strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion... That can be a excellent source of conflict between individuals and systems.
Don't forget that in the past the church had real political power (and still has in some countries). This can be the case in your world as well, so you (and your MC) have to deal not only with the "pantheon of gods" lurking in the background but also real and powerful people who act in their names.
This is one of the big focuses of my own story, where the entire society revolves around one religion, and therefore the troubles do, too. The country's rulers are chosen by their god, but the temple has a lot of sway as well. And in my story, problems arise from the king losing his faith, and heretics causing trouble in the background. So in this case, it's more of a problem of the king NOT properly acting in his god's name. His inaction is almost dangerous. Long story short, there are so many ways that religion can play a role in a story. It can be looked at from many angles.
I'm taking the lazy route with what I'm writing. I'm very very poor at writing as it is, and I wanted to do some alt history dieselpunk but OMG too much research involved to do a plausible 1930s era without the new world being conquered (trying to extrapolate Aztec and incan culture into the 20th century? Mesoamerica was a nightmare of research, let alone north America and South america!). So i am trying to put together my own world. They're Christian in some areas with minor alterations (Yezu Krís, not Jesus christ; Sein Canopus, not saint Christopher, etc) because it's much much easier than the amount of research it would take to build my own thing from the ground up, not to mention cultures from the ground up. Now I can do 1920s era diesel fantasy and use the era as my guideline. It may not be the best way of doing it, but I'm terrible at this writing stuff as it is haha and any shortcut helps.
Given how important religion is in the real world, I think there's going to be a big God-shaped hole in your story since I have a hard time imagining a fantasy-world of all places being just as atheistic as a non-magical world (and in this non-magic world, most people are religious). The value of religion, however, is less in its mythology and more in its values, how they're taught, and whether or not they're taken seriously. A good fictional religion ought to be like the real ones: embodying a handful of declared virtues and valuing them over others. Having two religions (for example) embodying similar but significantly different values can create some interesting conflicts. Like Church A prioritizes selflessness and charity. Church B prioritizes struggle and self-improvement. It's not hard to tell where they contrast: Church A is outward-focused, Church B is inward-focused. And depending on a bunch of other things, these differences in values could well be enough for them to not get along and war with each other.
Of course, a magical world could present a strong argument for monopantheonism. If prayers to, say, Zeus regularly resulted in thunderbolt smitings of enemies...
Lol yeah. Nothing says empirical proof of gods quite like prayer and then suddenly thunderstorm! But it's the values that matter more and are more interesting. Religions tend to be think tanks of a given culture as that's where a lot of the country's smart people go to debate morality and ethics, and from there teach/persuade those who don't care as much or aren't as good at arguing, or simply don't have the time to do lots of studying and debating, etc etc.
And it doesn't have to be two different religions. Some of the most bitter religious conflicts have been between different sects of the same religion (Protestant & Catholic, Sunni & Shia), which appear largely identical to outsiders. Religions that are nominally the same will be interpreted differently depending on the secular values of different societies--a good fictional example is Dragon Age, where the teachings of Andraste are interpreted as "mages must serve mankind, and be kept far away from temporal power" in one place, and as "mages must serve mankind by taking on the burden of rulership" in another.
