2. The Sparrows Were Inspired By The Catholic Church
Shame... shame... shame... The Sparrows are responsible for some of the most memorable moments of Season 5, and have seriously disrupted the balance of power in King's Landing. They're basically a religious movement that is substantially more political than spiritual, imprisoning Ser Loras Tyrell, Margaery Tyrell and Cersei Lannister and seizing control of the Iron Throne by manipulating Tommen. The ruthless religious fanatics, alongside the power of the Faith Militant, are based in reality. Specifically, Martin cites the medieval Catholic Church as providing more than enough inspiration. Martin states the Catholic Church has something of a storied history (to put it lightly), regularly acting more like a power-hungry political organisation than a spiritual refuge. As well as that, the middle ages saw many periods of religious revival and reform, complete with schisms and various denominations denouncing each other's legitimacy. The same thing, Martin says, is occurring in Westeros.
