Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender-based discrimination and religious discrimination/trauma.

The nature of faith is one of the primary elements of the novel and the central component of Tenar’s internal conflict. The narrative portrays a complex culture and religion grounded in darkness, isolation, and the subjugation of women under the guise of respect. While the Kargish Empire’s religion includes several gods—the Godking/emperor, the Twin Gods, and the Nameless Ones—it is apparent from the outset that the Nameless Ones are the primary power in the faith. Belief in the supremacy of the Nameless Ones is paramount in this religion. Meanwhile, several characters, including Kossil, Penthe, and Ged, seem to understand that the Godking is not truly a god, but merely one ruler in a long succession of rulers who have stylized themselves as living gods. Even Tenar, who is blindly devoted to the Nameless Ones, suspects the Godking is not as powerful or sacred as he claims. Where the Nameless Ones are concerned, however, the faith takes on a cultlike quality, in which any sign of doubt or resistance is met with severe punishment or death.

As the cultlike devotion to the Nameless Ones suggests, faith can also become a weapon of control.