#nord lore

[jag-rat]

Merethic Era Falmer (snow elves)

I was thinking of doing a mini project about Merethic Tamriel and a documentation of the people that were living there in a sort of semi-historic way.

Of course most of it would probably not be entirely lore accurate and there will be a lot of headcanoning but it's fun regardless. So enjoy the first addition to this series.

Falmer: The falmer during the Merethic era were the tallest mer race on Nirn growing on average between 6 - 7 feet. They were also the hairiest and bulkiest on average due to the cold climate. Their culture and practices during this time were very similar to modern day nordic ones due to the cultural overlap and assimilation on the atmorans end when they first arrived to Skyrim.

They valued strength and honour. Their original gods are long lost now however historians speculate the modern nordic gods could share traits with the Falmer's old gods.

In the early Merethic era the snow elves invaded and seized what is currently the Summerset isles. This is how it is assumed Auri-El (An Altmeri/Aldmeri God) was introduced to Skyrim and later would become the primary god in the snow elven pantheon.

Furs, beards, and long hair was the norm in terms of falmer fashion for a long time due to the extreme weather however the shorter hair and beardless look though impractical in such weather was popularised in later years. Again influenced by the fashion trends on the much warmer summerset isles.

Generally speaking when the Falmer weren't invading distant lands or declaring wars with other clans they were a prospering civilisation and in the early days were much like the nords not particularly interested in magic. This was partly due to the fact Skyrim has large iron deposits meaning smithing and weaponry were the most practical but that didn't mean there was no magic at all.

Healers generally could manipulate the weave and tell or even change the future. But when Auri-el was popularised magic become a much larger part of the Falmers lives being combined and assimilated into what they already had. For example enchanting among smiths and manipulation of elements specific to Skyrim (Ice magic mostly).

These changes didn't come fast of course, the falmer were quite stubborn. But over time a cultural shift did happen going from axe-wielding barbarians (As the Aldmer called them) to a slightly more tame society that we know a little bit today.

This didn't come without its challenges however as while the falmer were changing the Atmorans living there were not and in fact had taken on a lot of the cultural aspects or even gods of the traditional falmer. This inevitably was the beginning of the end as tensions got higher with these cultural and religious differences it ended the only way it could, in a war. And well, you know the rest.

Currently the ancestors of the Merethic snow elves thrive in cave systems below ground. While the nords toil above ground, the nords frost resistance of course being a product of falmer and atmoran ancestors. Regardless both societies still hold the values the early Snow elves held. Strength and Honour.

#the elder scrolls #Merethic era #tamriel #digital art #falmer #falmer lore #tes #skyrim #tes headcanons #nords #skyrim art #tesblr #tes fanart #elder scrolls #snow elves #digital sketch #snow elf #Oh boy this hyperfixation got me again #This is a more detailed version of my other falmer post #tes theories #Viking elves go brrrrr #The falmer really were the og nords #Hc the real reason altmer are out for blood in skyrim #Is because they got bullied by every other mer nation in the Merethic era #Pass it on

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Concept Lore and art for an unused illustration for "Pocket Guide to the Empire" in The Elder Scrolls: Redguard

Art by Michael Kirkbride

#michael kirkbride #art #the elder scrolls #concept art #lore #nord #morrowind #tes #redguard

[monsterforge]

Khajiit doll w/steel stop motion style armature. My first one. I love her so much. I want to improve my costuming skills to include armor.

#khajiit #the elder scrolls #elder scrolls #eso #tamriel #altmer #bosmer #dwemer #dunmer #nord #redguard #lore #art doll #stop motion #mothfeathers

[chrismien]

Let's explore the negative association of milk in Tamriel's Nordic culture.

So, basically, from the dialogue and other sources, we know that drinking milk within Nord cultures is associated with a number of negative perceptions, such as:

Milk is for children.

Milk is associated with weakness.

Milk is not a manly beverage.

This is evidenced by the lines from numerous NPCs in Skyrim.

If you have a disposition of -1 or lower with an NPC, they may say to you: "What do you want, milk drinker?"

There is also the Taunting Adventurer NPC in Skyrim, who is a randomly encountered warrior in the wilderness or in an inn. He says: "What's a milk drinker like you doing out here? Go home to your mother."

But it is worth noting that some Nords such as Rigurt the Brash from ESO oppose the concept behind the insult saying: "Milk-drinker. Why did that become such a terrible Nord insult, I wonder. Milk is good for you! I love the stuff! Not as much as I love mead, but it's a close second. Maybe third."

With that, it is reasonable to assume that some Nords avoid drinking milk to prevent being perceived as a cry-baby or a weakling by other Nords, and potentially even by themselves.

As we know, even in real life, milk is important for bone growth. When we delve into medical aspects, calcium is an essential extracellular cation required for muscles to surpass the action potential threshold, enabling contractions and therefore movement.

Skyrim, the homeland of the Nords, also experiences limited sunlight in certain regions. UV radiation from the sun is essential for the activation of Vitamin D from cholecalciferol to calcitriol. This fat-soluble vitamin is crucial for maintaining bone strength and a healthy immune system.

Basically, calcium is important for nerve conduction, blood clotting, muscle contractions, immune functions, and healthy bones.

But how would a race centered around strength and possessing a strong warrior culture maintain their constitution?

Skyrim is abundant with cheese, which is directly made from milk and is also rich in calcium. Digesting cheese breaks it down into its components, facilitating the absorption of calcium into the body.

There is also a thriving fishing culture in Riften and Windhelm. Access to the Sea of Ghosts allows access to marine resources like fish and shellfish which could act as substitutes for calcium sources.

I understand that it's a fantasy world, but creating a believable fantasy world can indeed enhance the enjoyment of the experience. By grounding elements of the world in reality, it becomes more relatable and allows us to better connect with the characters and settings.

We can now conclude that Nords are able to maintain their warrior culture despite the cultural bias against milk, which is essential for numerous bodily functions.

#Tamrielic Tales #Gaming #the elder scrolls #the elder scrolls v: skyrim #tesv #skyrim #elder scrolls online #tes online #nords #lore #milk drinker #deep dive

[uesp]

With a Nord's death, fallen in battle, Warrior Goddess, guide us through shadow.

--Excerpt from a Hymn to Kyne.

#UESP #Lore #The Elder Scrolls #Skyrim #Elder Scrolls Online #Nord #Kyne

[reagan-the-saunders]

Soooo I may have just added to another one of my Oc's lore.

Again.

While I'm supposed to be writing about Vyeshna.

Anyways, yeah Marina is part Nord and part Altmer, in addition to her like 80% Bosmer blood. Gotta think of how a conversation about her Altmeri blood would go over with Cary, and Tally come to think of it. Hmm...

#oc: marina green #original character: marina green #bosmer #altmer #nord #mixed race oc #tes races #oc tes lore: #tes oc #tes lore #oc lore #skyrim taliesin #skyrim caryalind thallery #reagan ramblings

[makosgotmoxie]

Introducing Nordus Ze Magnificent 

#jfc sam #critical role #nord vpn #nord vpn lore #critical role spoilers #sams ads #cr c3e56 #cr campaign 3

[sinfullapis]

The Skyrim Border Skirmish

Sort of forgot to share this piece WAY sooner; I finished an older piece depicting my Khajiit OC Ardene Marquet as her tale as the Dragonborn of Skyrim begins...~ ... ... ... Past the border between Cyrodill and into Skyrim, it's cold but the weather has been forgiving with a bright warm sun to contrast the blanket powdery snow coating the Tundra landscape A lone Khajiit wakes up from a deep slumber, cozily rolled up in her furs and blankets in a worn, meager tent. its small but comforting, and it sure kept her warm overnight the campfire before her still smoulders with embers, as this awfully short Cathay, still bundled up in her thick fur linens stumbles out with a groggy look in her eye, rubbing the sleep out her face as she looks to add more firewood to the flame its a bright and sunny morning, and so while the cat wakes up, she begins to prepare two pots; one full of snow looking to be melted down into a boil, and another with what looked like bits of travelling pot soup, ready to be properly reduced into a warm hearty soup~ the hungry Khajiit had caught a fish the night before and left it hanging to dry a bit, and her stomach growled in anticipation as she looked forward to her day~ Nude underneath her fur wraps, the Khajiit patiently waited for the first pot to boil some, and once it warmed up nicely, she let the water cool a small bit before bathing in its soothing warmth, contrasting the brisk tundra snow as she let the steaming hot water soak her thoroughly any aches in her bones melted away, and she quickly dried off before the moisture that clung to her fur could freeze and turn a pleasant evening very sour by the time she wrapped herself in some simple tunic, the other pot already began to simmer, and the frozen forest filled with the smell of pleasant soup, as she began to prepare the fish for a boil. She hummed to herself as she worked; it was lonely out here but all things considered, the Khajiit was pleased. Certainly, she was having a much better time than how she was long ago... with the fish prepared and now stewing in a pot full of travel soup, the Khajiit waited and waited. her stomach growled some, so to take her mind off it, she decided to wander around the nearby thicket while her breakfast cooked~ As she hopped from conveniently placed stones and overturned logs, she caught whiff of... something else in the air burning? it couldn't be her food, she was careful in her preparation; then what was it?... The smell intensified, burning, it agitated her nostrils; there were many flames. She knew she couldn't linger there, so she retreated as briskly as she could to her camp she'd be safe here... Right?... The lone Khajiit waited in her tent, she didn't dare move, didn't dare try to leave her tent. There was a deep silence, cut by the nearby bubbling of fish stew, and the occasional wind that pierced the evergreen trees near the camp One breath... Two breaths... Three... A loud, ear-splitting thunk shatters the silence as an arrow whizzes past the leather canopy of the tent, embedding itself into the sturdy bark of the tree the tent was propped up on. More came, like a deadly rainfall that pierced the tree's, the smell of smoke and burning grew and grew, there was shouting. The Khajiit dare not peek from her tent, though her cowardice need not matter. Towering Nords, like frightening wolves barreling towards the camp, clad in silvers and blues, many of them wounded and bleeding They flooded the camp, shouting and screaming, they tore through like a terrible storm, fierce blizzard winds toppling everything and anything as the poor Khajiit's tent was torn asunder There she saw, a violent skirmish, blood spattering the once glistening white snow Soldiers clad in blue, clashing against warriors in sturdy leather and greens Arrows filled the silence in between shouts, swords clashed as warriors fell, staining the ground red, a bloody battlefield as soldiers fell like flies to swords and great hammers and piercing arrows She couldn't find it in her to scream, her body froze as she curled further into herself, breath losing control fear all she knew was fright and terror She tried to stumble to her feet, regaining some of her senses as a fireball quaked the ground and scorched the earth and snow, alongside two soldiers now screaming blood-curdling cries as their skin and flesh singed, bubbling and molten from the violent flames Stumbling, unable to keep her balance, she tries to reach for her bow but as she regains her footing a Nord crashes into her shoulder, knocking both to the ground "Out of the WAY Cat!!" he shouts, spittle and blood flinging from his lips as he pushed the helpless Khajiit head-first into the snow, clambering back to his feet before sprinting off into the woods; his once azure blue robes now stained with the blood of his enemies and comrades seconds, then minutes For all she knew, hours could've passed The cries seemed to stop at some point... though she couldn't say when She stayed huddled there in the freezing snow, unmoving, shivering madly, not from cold, but from a deep, festering terror that clung at her soul with a vice. Was she going to die? Will this be over soon? She's forced to her feet by some brute hand, dragging her into the air by her hair as she yelps; there, she can finally see the forest around here no longer welcoming embers and smoke filled the air around them, it was difficult to breathe, and all around them were now freezing pools of blood, smelling of heavy iron that brought the cat to her senses "What do we do about this one?" exclaimed a voice, likely the Imperial still holding her in a crushing grip "We'll bring what we can, anyone still alive, we'll take them to Helgen and judge them there" shouted another voice. "We have the Bear of Markarth, round up any other stragglers and let's get a move on." Hyperventilating now, she'd have likely passed out anyways were it not for the sudden blunt force at the back of her head. Her world became darkness... ... ...... Falling in and out of conciousness. It was cold. Everything hurt, her head especially, like an iron ball resting upon her shoulders threatening to cave in her skull The world was fuzzy still all around her, but as she stirred still, a voice sang to her in the confusion. "You... You're finally awake?..."

Posted using PostyBirb

#TESV #Skyrim #TheElderScrolls #Khajiit #Nord #Cat #Feline #OC #Lore #Backstory #Ardene #Cathay #Furstock #Colored #Scene #War #Skirmish #Imperials #Stormcloaks #Civil War #Tragic

[yewphoric]

Day seven: alchemy!

Wasn't feeling the best when I drew this, so no background ^^;

This is my OC Eriod (they/them), an alchemist in Markarth!

#tesinktober2022 #multifantober2022 #not a big fan of this but i was hungover so fbfnfjdk #yews art #yews ocs #eriod honeytrotter #tes #the elder scrolls #skyrim #dunmer #nord #(they are mixed bc i hate the lore) #alchemy #inktober

[merethicera]

i get that oblivion lorebooks (notably shezzar and the divines) and nord dialogue both refer to the original nordic pantheon having been phased out in 1e (indicating that the nord pantheon wasn't nerfed by bethesda for skyrim's development specifically and the "old ways" being Old was already established canon) but it still feels like an enormous waste for them to be homogenized fantasy catholics in the Nord Game. like they made up the cool shit only to immediately retcon it

#im not well versed on the lorebooks in morrowind on nords so if the old ways were present in mw and got retconned for oblivion i guess it #isnt an Immediate tossing of the Actual Cool Shit but yknow what i mean #sorry this is my millionth post bitching about lore retcons in tes especially skyrim but i #just now got enough free time to read uesp regularly again for the first time in abt a year so im back on my shit #also like nuts deep in the special interest again hi hello i will organize the blog's tags again soon

[imogenkol]

Anyone else? Just me?

#ocs #original characters #Skyrim oc #Skyrim #this is why I usually give my ocs one sibling MAX if they aren’t an only child #but no I had to be like ‘I never give my ocs a big family why not switch it up’ #cut to me at 2am sifting through lists of names/doing math/and researching every bit of Nord lore and history I can find #my solution was to kill a couple of them off… #but that actually makes Yrsa deserting the Stormcloak have a bigger impact #cause her whole family is in way too deep with the rebellion/Ulfric #despite her family’s nationalist beliefs she still very much loves them #especially her older brother Amund #anyway I’m having fun #even if it’s just me #my ocs #Yrsa Gunnr

[earl-grey-love]

I appreciate my husband for responding to my 1am thought of "What if the Thalmor were the ones who caused the great collapse of Winterhold?" with full seriousness.

#my evidence? #none. #other than the fact that destroying the city of magic would've greatly weakened skyrim's defenses #especially since its the biggest contributor to the nords' suspicions against magic #alongside the oblivion crisis #like if I wanted my enemies to be weak against me - an empire heavily founded in magical prowess - Id undermine their magical studies #but maybe I'm thinking too deep here tbh #its elder scrolls lore afterall #but my husband took it with full seriousness and discussed it with me #even tho i defo had my 1am tinfoil hat on lol #sunny speaks

[colonel-killa-bee]

Jarl Bardok Red-Snow, descendant of Barfok, Maid of Planes.

#tes #tes lore #Fashion Scrolls #Nords #eso

[uesp]

"Some people are born dumb. Like me, for instance."

--A possible idle comment from male Nords in Solstheim.

#UESP #Lore #The Elder Scrolls #Morrowind #Bloodmoon #Solstheim #Nord

[nientedenada]

Ancient Atmoran Animal Totems: True Names and Taboo Deformations

Originally posted on r/teslore.

I've a theory to float with y'all. It arose out of an old discussion between /u/emerson44 and /u/misticsan over whether the Ancient Atmoran Animal Totems were named and/or anthropomorphized as the Divinities.

Emerson: There is evidence in the "ancient Nordic" architecture that the totemic animals all represented an anthropomorphic deity. Take for instance the relief of the hawk etched into the corridor prior to every puzzle door:

http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Ancient_Nordic_Pantheon?file=HallmuralHawk.png

Even granting the hypothesis that these etchings reflect a final phase of development in the totemic religion, why shouldn't this final phase have occurred before the days of Ysgramor, such that the name "Kyne" and all she represents would be known and cherished by the Companions?

"Certain scholars believe these primitive people actually worshipped the divines as we know them, just in the form of these totem animals..." (The Dragon War)

Misticsan: That's indeed a good point: the Hawk totem might have been called "Kyne" too. We see a similar example in Fragmentae Abyssum Hermaeus Morus, where the Fox appears before Ysgramor and tells him "Know thou, mortal, that I am Shor".

There are other sources that suggest the opposite, though. For example, the last remnant of the Totemic Cult in Skyrim was the Ternion Monks, who literally call their Old Gods "Fox", "Bear" and "Wolf". Also, the monks complain that the current Nords call them "cult", "zealots", "fanatics", "worshipers of false gods".

I'm not certain we can take the engravings in the puzzle door corridors as images of the Totem animals as gods. If I saw these images in an real-world archaeological context of a totemic religion, I'd interpret them as shamans. They're humans dressed in animal skins. This interpretation for me is strengthened by the fact that the image for the Dragon totem is dressed like a dragon priest.

But, anyhow, back to the names of the Totems. I was wondering, could this discrepancy between 'Fox' or 'Shor' be an example of Taboo Deformation?

To quote a very entertaining write-up of the theory from an Atlas Obscura article

“Taboo deformation is one possible way for a word to change its meaning,” says Andrew Byrd, a professor of linguistics at the University of Kentucky who specializes in Indo-European languages. Basically, we are scared of the true names of certain beings or concepts, because to use them might mean we summon them, which we don’t want, or anger them, which we definitely don’t want, or simply make other humans mad at us, which is slightly less bad but still not ideal. The true name is powerful, and we normal humans can’t handle that power. So we avoid using the true name, but sometimes we still need to communicate with each other about those beings or concepts. That means we have to figure out a way to talk about something without using the actual word for it.

A great example of this is the word “bear,” in English. “Bear” is not the true name of the bear. That name, which I am free to use because the only bear near where I live is the decidedly unthreatening American black bear, is h₂ŕ̥tḱos. Or at least it was in Proto-Indo-European, the hypothesized base language for languages including English, French, Hindi, and Russian. The bear, along with the wolf, was the scariest and most dangerous animal in the northern areas where Proto-Indo-European was spoken. “Because bears were so bad, you didn’t want to talk about them directly, so you referred to them in an oblique way,” says Byrd.

H₂ŕ̥tḱos, which is pronounced with a lot of guttural noises, became the basis for a bunch of other words. “Arctic,” for example, which probably means something like “land of the bear.” Same with Arthur, a name probably constructed to snag some of the bear’s power. But in Germanic languages, the bear is called…bear. Or something similar. (In German, it’s Bär.) The predominant theory is that this name came from a simple description, meaning “the brown one.”

In Slavic languages, the descriptions got even better: the Russian word for bear is medved, which means “honey eater.” These names weren’t done to be cute; they were created out of fear.

Is it possible that the ancient Atmoran/Nord true name for the fox was Shor, and "fox" is the taboo deformation? In that case, shamans would speak the true names of those animals: Shor, Kyne, Dibella, Mara, Tsun, Stuhn, Jhunal, Ald/Alduin, Orkey in need (such as during the most sacred rituals), but would refer in common speech to the fox, hawk, moth, wolf, bear, whale, owl, dragon, and snake.

My theory is that this reticence about the true names of the animals receded with the creeping Anthropomorphization of the gods, which must also be influenced by the Nords' neighbours with their freely named gods. The animals' "true names" became the names of the gods, while the animals' taboo deformations became the ordinary animal names.

Further Discussion from Comments:

Misticsan replied: I like that explanation. After all, it's also the same reason that Abrahamic religions tend to use words such as "god" or "lord" (or their many, many translations) rather than a proper name like Yahweh. The very word "god" is theorized to come from an ancient Proto Indoeuropean root meaning "that which is invoked", after all.

I may even suggest an idea about where the taboo came from: the Dragon language.

We know from examples such as the Greybeards' speech at the end of The Horn of Jurgen Windcaller that there were names for the gods in the Dragon language. "Shor" is exactly the same as its Nordic name, for example. While it could be blamed on external influences, we also have "Kaan", which is different from "Kyne" but close enough that it could be its etymological ancestor.

Since we know that Draconic language had huge ceremonial importance, it could be that the names of the gods were reserved for texts and speeches in that language, while being taboo in the vulgar tongue of the masses. Unsurprisingly, after the Dragon Cult ended, the taboo lost its importance and Nords started using the names of the gods more freely, with the occasional linguistic evolution.

This of course doesn't change my argument regarding The Songs of the Return: that it's very likely that they were written long after the events they describe, just like how the Iliad was written long after Greece's Bronze Age.

I replied: Agreed. I'm not sure how it can be argued otherwise, since Songs of the Return has the elves of Skyrim wiped out by the end of Ysgramor's life, and we know they weren't till Harald's reign.

#tes lore #tesblr #Skyrim #Nords #Dragon Cult #niente lore

[sinful-sketches]

Click for better quality!

Uhhhh so take this bastard man. He is Terrible™. He basically experiments with magic and using Zidaren for that, his spell backfiring and making him half Falmer but not Falmer like Zidaren is, rather the state most are in. He's sensitive to sunlight now, starts dying without Zidaren, and becoming more Nord without her presence. Essentially, killing him via lifespan. He's spent awhile trying to find Zidaren and when he finds her, he has no intention to let her go again

Loosely based off Nothing by Emilie Autumn.

#fenix art #my art #yes i know i didnt follow skyrim lore or whatever #but meh #making ocs for me is for fun #who cares about The Lore™ #skyrim oc #nord oc #nord #falmer #falmer oc #snow elf oc #snow elf #elf #elf oc #skyrim #tes #tes oc #tes art #the elder scrolls oc #the elder scrolls #the elder scrolls art #oc: nyastbi frozenshield