I am a little puzzled at the lack of learned septons in Westeros. We have Barth and the Winterfell one who kept the library. But there's no one else? No learned men and women in the clergy. We Have the maesters yes. But I miss the lack of cultural clergy.
Hi there!
I think GRRM sort of separated the prototype of medieval clergy to get a religious branch (septons) and an educated branch (maesters), who are nevertheless not adherent to the faith. In the Early and High Middle Ages it is not possible to differentiate the clergy in that way - because scholars were both. But that changed when the universities evolved. In the Late Middle Ages we have people who went to school and university without ever becoming full priests. So you could have a member of the clergy who knew nothing but writing, reading and some basic Latin and you could have someone university trained a highly specialized lawyer e.g. who would nevertheless not be able to say mass because he never became a priest.
So, it maesters and septons sort of fit the Late Middle Ages situation (as many other things do), the only difference is that the maesters don't have any religious affiliation, meaning that the university in Old Town developed independently of religion. This is of course not impossible but unlikely especially if you think about the fact that the faith of the Seven seems to be the only religion in Westeros that actually values books.
So, in a way it is not entirely consistent.
Thanks!
