Religion in Medieval Fantasy

Religion in Medieval Fantasy

The medieval era was a time of piety, plague and war – usually one leading to another.  Religion and the church played a role in politics, culture and social economics.  It started wars, took sides, and gave a reason to invade and conquer.  Christianity ruled across Europe for much of the period, with saints and heretics.  Modern medieval fantasy fiction uses religion as a plot device, a back ground and some times the driving force behind a quest.  But why?

Worlds such as Forgotten Realms are full of deities, pantheons for each race guiding and controlling them.  Elminster has a plot based almost solely around the pantheon of Gods and Goddesses.  An ally and lover of Mystra, a servant who even goes into the Nine Hells on her quest in the aptly named “Elminster in Hell” by Ed Greenwood.  While the Dark Elves, under demand by the Goddess of Spiders, continuously hurt the hero of R. A. Salvatore's main series.

Why does George R. R. Martin include not only the “old Gods” but also a set of “new ones” and even a third who's all but unheard of on the main continent of Westeros?  (Hell, there might even be more but I haven't read the books yet!)

Tolkien... Actually, I'm not even going to pretend I understand Tolkiens' religion.

Over all, religion in medieval fantasy has a role, a purpose – driving characters forward, forcing them to realize past mistakes, creating in the hero a new god or goddess.  Despite trying I could not find any medieval fantasy series where the God(s) played no role or didn't exist.