The Problem
As any good historian knows, no matter how careful you are, you cannot completely separate your biases from your writing. No, I'm serious about this, you really cannot. This applies to your views on religion as well. It applies whether you are writing an historical essay, or the most brilliant piece of high fantasy that will ever exist. Your beliefs, you viewpoint, and your biases will inevitably impact upon how you depict religion in your work, how your characters interact with religion, and how important religion is to your narrative.
This, then, is the problem the writer faces. They must attempt to conceal their own prejudices and depict a 'real' view of religion. Or should they? More on this soon.
What does NNB CLARKE mean by 'Religion'?
That is a big question.When speaking or writing about religion, I am not speaking just about gods. I am referring to any spiritual belief system. Whether it is an organised group that meets once a week to talk to the invisible beard in the sky, or a band of nudists who occasionally do a dance for the very real succubus in the nearby forest doesn't matter, either way it is religion.
Therefore, when I talk about religion within fiction I am talking about a broad spectrum of institutions, superstitions, and beliefs. On the occasion where I refer to specific forms of religion, don't worry, I will make it clear.
Further, bear in mind that religion in fiction should rarely, if ever, be exclusively monotheistic, or polytheistic. After all, the real world isn't solely one or the other.
Religion in Fantasy
I have my thoughts on religion in fantasy. Too many, if that is possible. I will try and make them as lucid and coherent as possible through a number of subheadings.
NO RELIGION - I am always very edgy about this, particularly in fantasy settings. Sentient races - yes, that includes us - seem to have a pathological need to explain the inexplicable, and to justify their existence. Ergo, we create a system of beliefs, and so religion is born. In fantasy most, if not all, authors will be writing about sentient beings. It is, to my mind, unreasonable to assume that these races do not have beliefs. Remember, you don't need a deity to have religion. While there may be some atheists in the world you create, it is unlikely that they would be the dominant 'belief system'.
MONOTHEISM - Monotheism has hung on determinedly for millennia in the 'real world'. The notables are, of course, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. While one might argue that Christian Saints are an echo of a polytheistic world, that is perhaps best saved for another day. Monotheism revolves around the idea of there being ONE deific being, gender optional, that presides of the universe. It is up to the writer to define this being's limitations, and status. Even in a universe with many heavenly beings, monotheism can occur, as one culture may choose to worship one being, ignoring all the others.
POLYTHEISM - Pantheons. Lightning wielding giants with snowy beards. Buxom women with magical bows. Babies strangling snakes. You get the picture. Polytheism is we often associate with the Classical Past. "Old Europe" as it were. This form of religion is often very popular in fantasy fiction. It works well, is versatile, and is often a more 'active' form of religion.
ANIMISM - No, not the worship of anime, though I totally understand if you do. Animism (which derives its name from the Latin animus, 'soul', or 'life') is a belief system that believes that the natural world has a spiritual essence. Often considered to be 'less developed' than organised religion, it is popular when writing tribal groups. I personally find animism fascinating, and very enjoyable to have incorporated into a narrative.
THE WORX - My personal preference is to take the lot, with a post-mix coke and a side of fries. When building a world, I like to take cues from the only world I know, the real world. Our world is made up of all of the these belief systems, and more. Why shouldn't a fantasy world be? Even under the heel of imperialist religious oppression, the mind is still free to wander, to wonder, and to belief what it will. A diverse world is a believable one.
My final thoughts on the matter are this: Just as you are entitled to your own beliefs, so are all the characters in your world. Religion helps to define an individual, even in the absence of personal belief. Countless novels have done this well, and I have to shout out to the excellent work done by BioWare in the Dragon Age series. While monotheism takes centre stage in Dragon Age, every encounter with a religious character, piece of doctrine, artefact, or animistic Avvar, does an excellent job of fleshing out an already wondrous world.
Apologies for the brevity of today's discussion, I hope to return to this topic in greater detail in the future. I hope you have enjoyed reading, and thank you for your time.
As always, questions and comments are welcome!
NNB CLARKE
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