Power comes through many channels in Game of Thrones. The easy way is to attain a seat by birthright. Knights, lords, and kings frequently earn their station as a consequence of their birth. Others have to prove themselves on the battlefield or at the debate table to ascend. There is an option for the particularly pious. Though the usual method involved schooling, prayer, and a fair election, the Sparrows demonstrate a new way to wield faith.
Game of Thrones is a fascinating adaptation. While it stays faithful to the lion’s share of plot points and dialogue, the last seasons ran out of source material. These ill-fated episodes prompted many fans to forget or ignore previous deviations by comparison. However, not every change made for the series was to the story’s detriment. The fascinating rise of the Sparrows sees improvements and new horizons on the small screen.
How did the Sparrows form?
The Sparrows are a religious group that formed within the Faith of the Seven. The Seven represent the most powerful clerical order in Westeros. The invading Andals conquered the continent in a mad rush of violence, spreading their religious beliefs to the unwilling First Men. The Faith of the Seven became a center of power in Westeros. The High Septon led the church, and though they wielded no official power, control over the faith allowed the Septon immense social influence. Unfortunately, the Faith of the Seven remained vulnerable to the ravages of war. The War of the Five Kings placed countless innocent people in harm’s way, despite its outcome having little weight in their lives. Many smallfolk became incensed as armies from all sides razed villages to the ground. Their protest movement evolved and reached legitimacy through the church. They took the name of a common bird and dubbed themselves the Sparrows. One traveling Sparrow described his movement like this:
The sparrow is the humblest and most common of birds, as we are the humblest and most common of men.
What did the Sparrows accomplish?
The Sparrows set out with admirable goals. They despised the senseless violence that plagued innocent smallfolk throughout the Seven Kingdoms. Some offenses bothered them more than others. The Red Wedding was a massive loss of life, but it was also a violation of the sacred Guest Right, prompting disgust. Soldiers of various armies frequently destroyed houses of worship and murdered clerics. The Sparrows led pilgrimages to King’s Landing to seek audiences with the King. They carried the bones of their martyred friends to make their point. King Tommen I Baratheon’s small council acknowledged their presence, noting at least 2,000 Sparrows within King’s Landing. The show states Tywin Lannister’s leadership as a factor in their sudden appearance, suggesting that his death allowed the Sparrows to run free.
The Sparrows’ first major action involved dragging a church official out of a brothel. The books mention Septon Ollidor, a High Septon candidate, but the show depicts them punishing the High Septon. Either way, the group answers to a High Sparrow. The books cover a brief exchange in which the Sparrows bring their leader to the Great Sept of Baelor to anoint him. The show sees Cersei imprison the High Septon for his corruption, then place the High Sparrow in his position to curry favor. The Sparrows militarize after Cersei overturns a rule against holy men bearing arms, leading many to join a chapter of the Faith Militant. The last mention of Sparrows in the books sees them safeguard orphans by placing them under the protection of the brotherhood without banners.
What happened to the Sparrows?
The Sparrows continue their growth in King’s Landing. Since Cersei put them in charge of the Faith of the Seven, the Faith’s actions become Sparrow decisions. They arrest Loras Tyrell and his sister Margaery for their illicit sexual activities. The High Sparrow announces Cersei Lannister’s punishment when she must make her walk across King’s Landing. The High Sparrow and his followers manipulate King Tommen, arranging events to place Cersei in mortal peril. When she intends to survive through trial by combat, the High Sparrow pushes Tommen to render that option illegal. The Sparrows’ newfound authority threatens to develop a shaky theocracy with a young puppet king at its peak. Cersei, one of fiction’s finest practitioners of vengeance, arranges events to land her political enemies and the Faith Militant in the Great Sept of Baelor. She then enacts part of the Mad King’s wildfire plot, firebombing this universe’s Vatican and claiming the throne.
The Sparrows are a fascinating study in power. While the books depict them dethroning corrupt officials and using their newfound position to provide safety to the afflicted. They would be the moral paragon of the franchise if they stayed on that path. Their attacks on nobles are understandable, but handing too much power to the church runs the risk of establishing new laws. The Sparrows could still turn around in future books, but their current form tells a story of good intentions and bitter failure.
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