Lore:Religions

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Religion is a common, but not universal, aspect of life in Tamriel and neighboring lands and planes. Religions usually center around a being of worship, and normally focus on one or several specific Aedra and Daedra. However, religions and cults sometimes focus on a demigod, saint, or even a mortal being (particularly their ancestors).

Many faiths are polytheist or henotheist, but there are examples of monotheist practices in Tamriel's history. The most notable one is the Alessian Order, which centered around a singular god known as The One. The divine beings of other religions became saints and spirits of the Order, to allow for easier sycretism and adoption of their faith structure.

Among the most prominent religions in Tamriel include various branches of faiths dedicated to the Divines, with the largest division in that faith centering around the Eight Divines and Nine Divines. However, many localities will have their own variant on this faith structure. For example, the Green Pact includes strict guidelines around diet and lifestyle, and involves numerous living beings as direct conduits. The Nordic Religion has Kyne as the head of their pantheon in the absence of the dead god Shor, and has gone through numerous religious upheavals surrounding Akatosh and Alduin. The Redguard Religion features a notable divide based off of political affiliation, with the Crowns practicing a more traditional variant of their religion from Yokuda, while the Forebears practices are more aligned with Tamrielic orthodoxies. Despite this, both factions still share multiple deities. The Breton Religion includes the Eight Divines alongside deities they inherited from their Aldmer and Nedic ancestors such as Sheor, Phynaster, Y'ffre, and Magnus, as well as several other minor gods from the Iliac Bay region.

Daedric worship is the other most common religious practice in Tamriel. Many Daedric religious institutions are henotheist cults dedicated to a specific Daedric Prince, although there are faiths focused around lesser Daedra.

A particularly notable example of a religion comes from the Tribunal Temple of Morrowind. Their religious structure has switched between worshiping three Daedric Princes; Azura, Boethiah, and Mephala; for three living gods; Almalexia, Sotha Sil, and Vivec; before ultimately switching back to the Daedric Princes after the death/disappearance of their living gods. Their religious structure also incorporates a pantheon of saints, ancestor worship, and includes the four Testing Gods – the Daedric Princes Malacath, Mehrunes Dagon, Molag Bal, and Sheogorath – collectively known as the House of Troubles.

Khajiit Religion has evolved considerably over the years. Its most major adaption came from the Riddle'Thar Epiphany, an adaption of their traditional faith structure into its more modern form by the prophet Rid-Thar-ri'Datta.

Argonian Religion centers around worship of the Hist.

The Eight Pantheons

Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College provided a basic summation of the overall belief structure of the major regions of Tamriel into eight pantheons, with the exclusion of one covering Argonian beliefs due to issues with research in that area. These are:

CYRODIIL: Akatosh, Dibella, Arkay, Zenithar, Mara, Stendarr, Kynareth, Julianos, Shezarr, Tiber Septim, Morihaus, Reman

SKYRIM: Alduin, Dibella, Orkey, Tsun, Mara, Stuhn, Kyne, Jhunal, Shor, Ysmir, Herma-Mora, Mauloch

ALTMER: Auri-El, Trinimac, Magnus, Syrabane, Y'ffre, Xarxes, Mara, Stendarr, Lorkhan, Phynaster

BOSMER: Auri-El, Y'ffre, Arkay, Z'en, Xarxes, Baan Dar, Mara, Stendarr, Lorkhan, Herma-Mora, Jone, Jode

DUNMER: Almalexia, Vivec, Sotha Sil, Boethiah, Mephala, Azura, Lorkhan, Nerevar, Molag Bal, Malacath, Sheogorath, Mehrunes Dagon

YOKUDA: Satakal, Ruptga, Tu'whacca, Zeht, Morwha, Tava, Malooc, Diagna, Sep, HoonDing, Leki, Onsi

BRETONY: Akatosh, Magnus, Y'ffre, Dibella, Arkay, Zenithar, Mara, Stendarr, Kynareth, Julianos, Sheor, Phynaster

ELSWEYR: Alkosh, Khenarthi, Riddle'Thar, ja-Kha'jay, Mara, S'rendarr, Lorkhaj, Rajhin, Baan Dar, Azurah, Sheggorath

The Theology

One of the most important theological questions among the Tamrielic religions is the schism in the mortal's relationship to the divinity. Humans believe that they were created by the immortal forces, while the Aldmer claim descent from them. It is a distinction that colors the rest of their diverging mythologies. All Tamrielic religions begin the same. Men or Mer, things began with the dualism of Anu and Padomay, the Elven personifications of the primordial forces of stasis and change respectively.

Though the details vary with each culture and religion, all known legends of the beginning of existence speak of two entities who appeared in the Void and soon found themselves in conflict. Yokudan legends view these forces as Satak, the First Serpent, whose scales all worlds to ever be rested upon, and Akel, the Hungry Stomach that answered the call for help from these worlds.. Dunmer view Anu as Nothing, as Stasis demands nothing occur, while Sithis is the original creator, who sunders Nothing and allows existence. Khajiit refer to Anu as Ahnurr, who is a "littermate" to Fadomai.. Even the All-Maker worshipped by ancient Nords faced a twin force, the Adversary. Other dichotomies include Ak-El, Light and Dark, Good and Evil, Bird and Serpent, and Order and Chaos. Anuiel is the Everlasting Ineffable Light, while Sithis is the Corrupting Inexpressible Action. In the middle is the Gray Maybe (‘Nirn’ in the Ehlnofex).

In any case, from these two beings spring the et'Ada, or Original Spirits. To humans these et'Ada are the Gods and Demons; to the Aldmer, they are the Aedra and Daedra or 'Our Ancestors' and 'Not Our Ancestors'. All of the Tamrielic pantheons draw from these et’Ada, though divine membership often differs from culture to culture. However, like Anu and Padomay, every one of these pantheons contains the archetypes of the Dragon God and the Missing God.

The Time Dragon is universally understood as the First God after the twin forces, whose birth allowed other spirits to form and take names. Yokudan legends saw Satakal as a fusion of the dual forces Satak and Akel, caused by Satak shedding his first skin due to Akel's influence. Some Argonian tribes share the same view as the Yokudans with their Atakota (Atak and Kota). The Dunmer view the law of Time as the fusion of Stasis and Change as well, which they call "Static Change". Altmer view Auriel as the pure Soul of Anuiel, although the Psijic reject this view, claiming Auriel was born of Padomay's influence as well. Khajiit claim that Alkosh (or Akha), was born as the First Cat, child of Ahnurr and Fadomai.

The Missing God is universally understood as the dead Creator God of the Mortal Plane, whose demise involved a separation from his Divine Spark. Yokudan Legends view Sep as born from the remains of previous dead Satakal, and so he carries the Hunger of Akel within. Sep would then go on to instigate the creation of the Skin-Ball, an alternative to the Walkabout. Argonians view the Shadow of Atakota having been born shortly after Atakota. The Shadow taught Spirits many things, but in doing so taught them how to be temporary, and thus death. The Ayleids view Lorkhan as the Shadow of the Time God, who saw possibility within the Void, and sought to utilize it. The Dunmer view Lorkhan as the Son of Sithis, sent to destroy the universe and trick the Aedra, who had enslaved everything. They also view him as tied to the Psijic Endeavor, a means by which they may transcend the Gods that created them. Khajiit view Lorkhaj as the last son of Fadoami, who offered to make space for Nirni. Because he was born in the Great Darkness, his heart was filled with it. Altmer view Lorkhan as a spirit of Limitation, who offered the Gods a way to Self-Reflect and make a soul for Aurbis. The Altmer view this was a trick by Lorkhan, who created a realm far more of Sithis than Anu. Reachfolk view Lorkh as a a teacher, who created Nirn as a realm that taught through suffering. A key divide in views of Lorkhan is his motivation for making Nirn, and the differing goals of mortals. Many believe they should return to the Spirit Realm of before, and so Lorkhan is an evil deity who upsets this attempt at escape from the Prison of Nirn. Others hold the view that the Spirit Realm was already a prison, and through Nirn, Lorkhan offers an opportunity for true escape.

Imperial Religion

The Imperial Religion primary focuses on the Eight Divines, or the Eight and One which includes the ascended Talos. The Imperials have a lot of cults dedicated to various religions within Cyrodiil, but the Imperial Cult is the main religion of the Empire and traces its origins back to Saint Alessia's institution of worship of the Eight Divines as a synthesis between the Aldmer pantheon and the Nordic pantheon. This fusion has its origin in the remnant Aedric worship done by the Aylied's of Cyrodiil. Though by Alessia's time the Cyrodiilic Aylieds had been effectively banished their Aedra worshipping counterparts, the Aedra remained popular amongst the Nedic slaves as an antithesis to the ever-present worship of Daedra by their Aylied overlords. The Aedra aided Alessia in her uprising, crafting the Crusaders relics for her ally Pelinal Whitestrake. Upon her death as Empress Akatosh forged her soul into the Amulet of Kings, which would prevent future invasions of Nirn by the Daedra.

The fundamentalist Alessian Order would seize hold of the First Empire, introducing numerous changes to both the religion and society. Founded by the Imga Prophet Marukh, they abhored all forms of Elven influence, and venerated a monotheistic worship of the One. Originally the One was an aspect of Akatosh as the God of Time, but over time the One took on increasingly obscure and unknowable aspects as different polytheistic elements were attributed to them. The Alessian Order saw no division between the spiritual and political world, and within two centuries of the Alessian Empire's founding they had completely overtaken it, where they then began to initiate pogroms against the remaining Aylied populations of Cyrodiil. The Alessian Order also enjoyed much influence within Skyrim, but their anti-Elven bias would indirectly lead to the dissolution of the First Nordic Empire as High King Borgas traveled to propose a joint invasion of Valenwood, only to perish in a Wild Hunt. The Alessian Orders distaste for Elves was so great that they conspired to rid Akatosh himself of all remaining elven aspects, something that then resulted in the thousand and eight year long Dragon Break, the Middle Dawn. Despite this, the Alessian Order would persist until 1E 2321 when the War of Righteousness broke out. Over a ten year period the Alessian Order dissolved, bringing with it the end of the First Empire. Elements of the Alessian Order would persist though in the form of Temple Zero Society, considered conspiracy theorists and persecuted under the Second Empire.

Although known as the Imperial Cult in the provinces, strictly speaking this term refers the missionary arm of the religion, present in provinces such as Morrowind. As the main religion in Cyrodiil, it is more commonly known in that province simply as the Church or the Chapel. After the apotheosis of Tiber Septim, Imperials began to spread belief in the Nine Divines, incorporating worship of the Empire's god-hero Talos. Similar cults were made around other Emperor's, such as the Cult of Emperor Zero surrounding Cuhlecain who was never formally coronated.

However, the accession of Talos to divinity never settled well with the Altmer, who remembered his brutal conquest of the Summerset Isles bitterly. Certain segments in particular took offense at the concept of a human, rather than an elf achieving divinity. When the Thalmor seized power and formed the Aldmeri Dominion they outlawed Talos worship within their territory, and it became a point of contention between them and the Empire. On the eve of the Great War, the Thalmor delivered an ultimatum where among the cessation of large tracts of land and the disbanding of the Blades, Talos worship would be outlawed. Though the resulting war was ultimately a standstill, the Third Empire was still forced to sign the White-Gold Concordat in 4E 175, which outlawed Talos worship. Initially the ban was only loosely and tokenly enforced, but the ban nevertheless severely weakened the Emperor's legitimacy, particularly in Skyrim. This came to a head in the Markarth incident- where Ulfric Stormcloak crushed the short-lived Kingdom of the Reach, reincorporating them into Skyrim. Ulfric then demanded that Talos worship be reinstated, and the Jarl of the Reach was forced to comply. However this brought the attention of the Thalmor who then accused the Empire of being in violation of the treaty, and demanded the ability to hunt down Talos worshipers within Skyrim, to which the Emperor complied further damaging his reputation. The issue of Talos worship came to a head with the Skyrim Civil War.

Each major city in Cyrodiil has a chapel devoted to one of the Nine Divines. Akatosh is represented in two cities: the Imperial City and Kvatch. In contrast to the other Nine Divines, Kynareth has no chapel in the great cities of Cyrodiil, but a shrine in the Great Forest, as it is believed a temple of stone in an urban environment would displease her. All traditional chapels contain ten altars: one for each of the Nine Divines and a tenth central altar devoted to the chapel's main Divine. The staff at each traditional chapel consists of at least three people: the Primate, who is in charge of all administrative duties; the Healer, who provides healing for the citizens of the city; and the priest or priestess, who presides over services. There are several non-traditional chapels in Cyrodiil as well - the Temple of One is the main temple in the Imperial City and is dedicated to the official worship of Akatosh. The Divines also have numerous wayshrines throughout Cyrodiil.

There are too many cults in the Empire to mention, particularly among the Nibenese, as well as thousands of cults operating in the Imperial City alone, hence its namesake as the City of a Thousand Cults. Some of the most famous cults in Cyrodiil are the Alessian Order, the Cult of the Ancestor Moth, the Cult of Heroes, the Cult of Tiber Septim, the Cult of Emperor Zero, the Cult of Reman, the Cult of the One and the Cult of Shezarr to name a few.

Another aspect of the Imperial Religion is the Imperial Saints, pious individuals venerated by the Church. Devotions are often made to them as a group, known collectively as the Communion of Saints.

The last religious institution of note is the Templar Knightly Orders. All Chantry have their own militant arm, sworn to protect its temples with their lives and enforce divine will.

Nordic Religion

The Nordic Religion has its origins in Atmora and revolved around the worship of totem animals. Eventually, the animal-totem gods transformed into the eight gods they worship today. Their gods are as cyclical as the world itself, so they also remember the Dead Gods who fought and died to bring about the current world, the Hearth Gods who watch over the present cycle, and the Twilight God who ushers in the next cycle. As well as these are the so-called Testing Gods, who they do not worship but instead protect the hearth against.

Dead Gods: Shor the Fox, Tsun the Bear

Hearth Gods: Kyne the Hawk, Mara the She-Wolf, Dibella the Moth, Stuhn the Whale, Jhunal the Owl

Twilight God: Alduin the Dragon

Testing Gods: Orkey the Snake, Mauloch the Old Knocker, Herma-Mora the Woodland Man

Whereas Akatosh is considered chief of the Imperial Pantheon, Kyne as Shor's Widow is the head of the Nordic Pantheon. Mara's role is also reduced as that of one of Shor's concubines. Stuhn is remembered as teaching Nords the value of taking hostages. Orkey is seen as an enemy god, who shares some connection to Orcs, a myth relates that he once cursed Nords, who were previously as long-lived as elves, down to their current lifespans.

The Nords co-ruled with Dragon Priests, powerful sorcerers who governed on behalf of the Dragons. However over time the Dragon-Priests rule became increasingly tyrannical and eclipsing that of kings. This prompted the Dragon War, where early Nords fought against Dragons and Alduin. However the Dragons shouts beat them down until Paarthunaax taught them the art of the Thu'um. Alduin was banished through time with the use of an Elder Scroll at the Throat of the World. Remnants of the Dragon Cult would persist until the reign of High King Harald who discovered the last bastion in the monastary of Forelhost. A lengthy siege ended when everyone in the monastery committed suicide, having poisoned the drinking water.

During the time of the First Empire of the Nords Alessian's uprising in Cyrodiil gave a chance for new plunder. The Alessians swiftly allied the Nords and soon the Aylieds had been overthrown with the Nords granted large portions of the Nibenay Valley. Alessia then attempted to fuse the Elven pantheon with that of the Nords, promoting a multicultural empire. While the Alessian reforms spread through Skyrim, in large parts they remained controversial. The largest source of contention was the role of Kynareth or Kyne, where the Nordic Kyne has a much stronger warrior aspect than that of Kynareth.

When the Imperials arrived, they brought with them their southern religion and worked to unify the worship of the Eight Divines, resulting in the construction of the Temple of the Divines in Solitude. Whiterun, Riften and Markarth also have temples devoted to each of the Hearth Gods; Kynareth, Mara and Dibella respectively. Most cities have a Hall of the Dead, the Nordic term for mausoleums where bodies are interred, overseen by a Priest of Orkey or Arkay, depending on the era, who ensures that corpses are properly consecrated and cared for. Most famous of these Halls is the Heroes' graveyard in Falkreath, where great battles took place here for centuries, and where countless warriors were buried.

The spiritual relationship between the Nords and the Thu'um is crucial to understanding Nordic beliefs and motivations. They believe Kyne breathed life into them at the Throat of the World, the highest mountain in Skyrim.. They view the Thu'um as a gift from Kyne, and those with the talent to wield it are called "Tongues". The ancient Greybeards, masters of the Thu'um, still sit atop the 7000 steps leading to High Hrothgar, near the summit of the Throat of the World, where they practice the Way of the Voice. Their leader, Jurgen Windcaller, brought about a ban on the use of the Thu'um outside of times of "True Need", following the Nords overthrow at Red Mountain. Tiber Septim established the Imperial College of the Voice in Markarth in an attempt to turn the Way of the Voice to warfare. Today the High Hrothgar is a common pilgrimage destination and only a few are granted access to its halls as they must be deemed worthy by the Greybeards first. Most are then trained in the Way of the Voice.

Another major pilgrimage site is the Eldergleam Sanctuary, which is sacred to the worshippers of Kyne. It is said to be the oldest living thing in Skyrim, perhaps all of Tamriel, older than metal, from a time before men or elves which makes it impervious to regular weapons. . The Gildergreen, another holy tree found in Whiterun and great importance to the city's Temple of Kynareth, was planted during the early days of the settlement using a seed taken from the ancient Eldergleam.

The afterlife awaiting Nords is Sovngarde to all who die nobly in battle. A realm of Aetherius, the Hall of Valor is ruled over by Shor, and where Nords drink, feast, sing songs, and do battle. Entry to the Hall of Valor requires that one test their might against the Shieldthane God Tsun who guards the whalebone bridge connecting to it. However so long as Tsun sees courage in those who seek entry he lets them go past.

In the time of the Last Dragonborn, Alduin had retreated from the living world, seeking entrance to Sovengarde through a portal in Skuldafn. There he cast Svongarde in a thick impenetrable fog and devoured upon the souls of the dead to gain strength. However the Last Dragonborn, accompanied by Dragonborn hero's of old, were able to defeat Alduin once and for all, and prevent the end-times he was prophesized to usher in and devour the world. The Hero's of Sovngarde then vowed that the Last Dragonborn would always have a place in the Hall of Valor. As for Alduin's defeat, it was pondered by the Greybeards if he was truly gone forever, or if he would still reappear when the end-times truly came.

Breton Religion

The Breton Religion is a melting pot of faiths inherited from the Bretons' Nedic and Aldmer ancestors. The earliest Bretons, the Manmer, inherited a form of nature worship from their Nedic ancestors, but this faith split into two separate subcultures. The witches of the Wyrd became their own entity due to the elves, and these witches continue to worship "old gods of the ancient past" in the modern day. On the other hand, Druidism arose as a distinct identity shortly after the Bretons first came about, and their Y'ffre-centric religion survived in the Systres Archipelago after their exodus. Druidism would later be reintroduced to mainland Tamriel, specifically around Iliac Bay. Most Bretons transitioned to the Eight Divines under the First Empire. The Eight Divines are worshipped widely in mainstream Breton culture, but other traditional deities still persist nonetheless. Sheor, Phynaster, Y'ffre and Magnus have significant cults in High Rock.

The first druids of High Rock are referred to as the Druids of Galen by retroactive nomenclature, and they were the Nedes of High Rock (or proto-Bretons) that intermingled with the Aldmer for centuries during the Merethic Era. They are practitioners of Y'ffre's True Way (also known as Druidism), in which one is to lead a life connecting with, valuing, and stewarding the growth of the natural world referred to as the Green. A religious schism brought about the Wyrd's separation from their druid brethren. The Wyrd abandoned civilization in favor of living in the wilds,, believing that they were nature itself: the forest, the plants and beasts within it, and even the weather. In contrast, the druids accepted what they interpreted as their "proper place" as people, and embraced the idea that civilization can coexist alongside nature. Once a singular entity, the Wyrd split into subgroups by the time of the last Druid King's voyage to the Systres. These sisterhoods remained behind on the mainland to safeguard the forests of High Rock, with some of the dozen or so covens even spreading throughout Tamriel.

The details of the influence of Aldmeri religion among the earliest of Bretons is sparse. Evidence of peaceful cultural diffusion of religion between men and mer exists in the form of unearthed ancient idols of Mara as depicted in the elven pantheon. Interestingly, Sheor, or his Aldmeri pantheon equivalent Lorkhan, is depicted positively in a lovers embrace with this elven Mara figure, while Sheor is demonized in modern Breton religion, as is Lorkhan. Worship of the elven gods still exists in modern Breton culture, such as among Bretons that emphasize their elvish blood, who are often drawn towards Phynaster. The gods Magnus and Y'ffre are traditionally associated with elven pantheons. Though Breton's Nedic ancestors knew of Y'ffre's presence in their hearts and channeled his power, his name was not known to them until the daughters and sons of Anuiel introduced them to the name Y'ffre.

Redguard Religion

The Redguard Religion originated from an ancient Yokudan creation myth. It centers around the idea of Satakal the World-Snake consuming the current world to begin another. This continuous cycle prompted the birth of spirits that could survive the transition. One such spirit was Ruptga, a Yokudan god and the first who learned how to do so. Ruptga set the stars in the sky to show lesser spirits how to do this, and these spirits ultimately became the Yokudan pantheon. Yokudan creation myth holds that mortals are doomed to mortality because they are very far away from the real world of Satakal, and the safe haven of the Far Shores is too far away for them to jump to from the mortal world. It is believed that Sep, the Yokudan variant of Lorkhan, tricked the other spirits into creating the mortal world, claiming this would make it easier for more spirits to survive Satakal's inevitable onslaught. However, the mortal plane acted as a trap which made apotheosis even harder. In this way, the Redguard view of creation has more in common with the Elven tradition than that of other humans, who view the mortal plane as a blessing.

Crowns tend to worship the old Yokudan pantheon, while Forebear beliefs have more modern Imperial influences. Many Crowns are nomadic tribesman who mainly travel around the Alik'r Desert, and though they adhere to traditional Yokudan beliefs, they have also developed a deep, spiritual attachment to their adopted land. They venerate deities and spirits of all kinds, from Pixies (or faeries) to Satakal the Worldskin, the god of everything. The Forebears include several of the Divines recognized by other cultures. However, it is often unclear if they have the same understanding of these deities that others possess, as they often use a name of one of the Divines when referring to a Yokudan deity.

The Silverhoof Horsemen tribe of High Rock have substantially different religious beliefs than their brethren. They venerate a divine animist spirit they call the Herd Mother. Their tradition holds that they left Yokuda in order to freely worship this equine deity.

Additionally, the Redguards also revere their departed ancestors. The origins of Redguard ancestor worship is unclear. Some believe this ancient tradition began after the Yokudans settled in Hammerfell. They noticed that corpses decomposed very slowly in the desert, and over time the people assigned a spiritual significance to the process and declared that the remains of their ancestors were sacred. Other sources claim Ancestor Worship was the most sacred law and tradition of the ancient Yokudans.

Redguards are famous not just for their many religious rituals surrounding the dead, but also for the elaborate necropolises they build to house them. At these sacred sites, supplicants give prayer not just to their own direct ancestors, but also historical Redguard kings and the untold number of Yokudans who perished when the continent sank.

Altmer Religion

The Altmer originally practiced a form of holistic ancestor worship, carried over from their days as Aldmer. After the discovery of the Adamantine Tower, the Crystal Tower was built by the Aldmer in its honor, and was initially a place of Ancestor Worship.

Over time however, the ancestor spirits of the nobility were prioritized over the other ancestor spirits, leading to the emergence of the modern pantheon of Aedra (lit. Our ancestors) and the Daedra (lit. Not our ancestors), with the Aedra forming the Altmeri pantheon and Daedra worship being strictly banned. The worship of the Aedra introduced a more hierarchical element to the previously communal Aldmer, where Aedra worship came to mean revering the ancestors of the nobility in particular, given time most modern Altmer would come to claim direct descent from one of the believed spirit ancestors of the nobility, Auri-El. A number of Elders rebelled against this religious shift however, deeming themselves 'The Keepers of the Old Ways' of Ancestor Worship, and they formed thePsijic Order of Artaeum. They hold that both the Aedra and Daedra were nothing other than "the spirits of superior men and women whose power and passion granted them great influence in the afterworld", and who in turn had once worshipped their own ancestors, the Acharyai, while living.

Still, mainstream Altmer religion honored the Gods Auri-El, Mara, Dibella, Stendarr, Xarxes, Xen, as well as Y'ffre the first of the Earth Bones, Syrabane and Phynaster, Elves who had achieved Apotheosis, and Trinimac the Elven God of War. This Pantheon served as the basis for Elven settlers in the rest of Tamriel, including Valenwood, Cyrodiil, High-Rock, and Skyrim. However the strictness of religious rulings, in particular the outlaw of Daedra worship, fed discontent for many Elves. Daedra worship became initially permitted in Cyrodiil, far from the direct rule of Alinor, where it grew over time to eventually supplant Aedra worship entirely. Though at first both the Aedra and Daedra were worshipped in equal measure. One of the most climactic events in religious history came with the Prophet Veloth and the consumption of Trinimac. While the Aylieds worshipped all Daedra, Veloth focused on the trinity of Azura, Mephala, Boethiah as 'the Good Daedra'. In legend, Trinimac and his followers opposed the Velothi movement and tried to stop it. In response, Boethiah somehow decieved and consumed Trinimac, taking his form. Boethiah-as-Trinimac then deceived Trinimac's followers, 'giving lie to the Aedra', and when Trinimac was expelled his weakened form had become Malacath. Trinimac's most ardent worshippers in turn changed becoming the outcast Orcs. With Trinimac and his followers dealt with, the Velothi exodus to Morrowind continued. Despite this, Trinimac continued to hold a position in the Altmer and Snow Elf Pantheons.

With the coming of the Third Empire, many Altmer resented the apotheosis of Talos, bitterly remembering Tiber Septim's brutal conquest of the Summerset Isles. However religious controversy did not occur until the Thalmor seized control of the Summerset Isles in the early 4th Era. They stipulated that no human man, not even Tiber Septim, could possibly achieve Apotheosis, and outlawed the worship of Talos in their territories. In the leadup to the Great War the official outlawing of Talos Worship was made part of the demands the Aldmeri Dominion made against the Empire, though these demands were merely a pretext for an invasion that was already in place. While the war was fought to a standstill, Emperor Mede still acceded to the ban on Talos Worship in the White-Gold Concordant that ended the war. Following the Markarth Incident in Skyrim the Thalmor demanded the right to hunt down and prosecute Talos worship within Imperial territories in the name of upholding the peace-treaty, even though they were planning for renewed conflict.

Ayleid Religion

Settling in the modern-day province of Cyrodiil, the Ayleids, or Heartland Wild Elves, initially practiced a form of Aedra worship similar to that of the Altmer colonists that originally settled the province. After the discovery of the Adamentine Tower, and the settlement of the Imperial Isles the Elven settlers built the White-Gold Tower in its honor. It may have been a center of ancestor worship similar to the Crystal Tower within the Summerset Isles, ten statues of meteoric glass named the Ten Ancestors were kept within the Temple of the Ancestors within the White Gold Tower, and these statues would remain culturally important to the Ayleids up until the dissolution of their Cyrodiilic Empire.

However far removed from the direct rule of Alinor and its strict religious laws, many settled in Cyrodiil for the religious freedom the relative remoteness that the region provided. Daedra worship in particular was repressed in the Summerset Isles, and so many Daedra worshippers left for Cyrodiil. At first they were merely tolerated, but over time they became accepted, and then even celebrated within Ayleid culture. The Aedra and Daedra were at one point worshipped in equal measure, but over time a rift emerged between the Daedraphiles and the Aedraphiles (dubbed the Barsaebics). This became known as the Narfinsel Schism, and would break out into open warfare. The conflict came to a head with the Scouring of Wendelbek in 1E 189, the last Aedraphile stronghold in Cyrodiil. Surviving Barsaebic Elves fled to Argonia where they founded major cities, such as Gideon, Stormhold, Archon and Thorn, conquering land from the native human and beastfolk races. However despite their worship of the Aedra, the Barsaebic Ayleids still performed atrocities against enslaved populations, and ruled with the use of Necromantic arts.

However the end of the Narfinsel Schism is credited with greatly weakening the Ayleid Empire, helping aid their downfall fifty years later. The remaining Ayleids exclusively worshipped the Daedra, and in contrast with the contemporary Chimer they made no distinction between the 'Good' and 'Bad'. Many of the Deadra are known by alternate names, including Merid-Nunda, Mola Gbal, Hyrma-Mora, and Blood-Made-Pleasure. They also worshipped Ithelia prior to her banishment by the other Daedra. Daedric Lords would also pit Ayleid city-states against one another, such as a war between Abarglas and Deolidiil, instigated by Merdia and Molag Bal. However in exchange for the Ayleid's worship and sacrifices of slaves (the Daedra having fomented 'art-tortures' and 'flesh-sculptures') the Daedra granted the Ayleid Kings armies of Daedra and the undead, and many Ayleids prowl ancient ruins as undead wights. There was also an unknown 'Insect-God' worshipped by the Flower-King Nilichi.

The Ayleids believed the world to be composed of four elements, the traditional water, earth and air, but they believed that the fourth and strongest element was light, with fire being a weaker corruption thereof. And Starlight was the purest expresion of light from which all magic flowed. As such the head of the Ayleid Pantheon was Meridia, otherwise seen as one of the more benevolent or at least neutral Daedra. A similar reasoning was likely the reason why many Ayleids had included Magnus in the Aedric pantheon. Meteoric Glass was seen as crystalized starlight, and used to make Varla and Welkynd stones.

Despite the shift to staunch Daedra worship, the worship of Aedra remained popular amongst the Nedic slaves of Cyrodiil who saw them as a preferable alternative to the Daedra who further oppressed them. The Aedra are said to have personally intervened on behalf of the Nedes appearing to Saint Alessia at Sancre Tor and inspiring her slave-rebellion. They also sent the wandering hero Pelinal Whitestrake, and Morihaus the divine half-bull to aid her, granting Pelinal the Crusaders Relics. The slave-rebellion also swiftly allied the First Empire of the Nords promising them territory within the Nibenay Valley. At the same time several Ayleid city-states also allied Alessia, many were discontent witht he outlaw of Aedra worship, while others were mere political opportunists looking to attack their enemies. Together this coalition managed to overturn the Ayleid Empire within the span of two years.

Umaril the Unfeathered was a Demiprince who claimed parentage from the world-river of the previous world's kalpa and ruled over the White-Gold Tower in the Ayleid's twilight. Meridia granted him armies of Aurorans from the Colored Rooms. His duels with Pelinal Whitestrake were seen as an extension of the battle between the Aedra and Daedra. Pelinal Whitestrake was finally slain after Umaril tired him out using waves of enemies, though at the expense of Umaril's apparent death. Afterwards the remaining Ayleid kings cut Pelinal's body was cut into eighths as a mockery of the Eight Divines. But with Umaril's death, the White-Gold Tower had essentially been won, and the Ayleids could not seriously challenge control of Cyrodiil.

Last ditch attempts were made to defeat the slave-rebellion, among them the hunt for the Wrathstone, however Meridia bestowed one half to the city of Garlas Matatar proclaiming the Ayleid Empire would soon fall. Ultimately the defeated Ayleids were exiled from Cyrodiil. Some attempted to integrate into the Barsaebic Ayleids of Argonia, but they were rebuffed, the Barsaebic elves believing their brothers reaping a just punishment. The Ayleid populations instead fled to join the Elven populations of High-Rock and Valenwood, however the King of Valenwood stipulated that the Ayleids must submit to the Green Pact, diminishing the strength of their culture.

The allied Ayleid city-state of Alessia submitted to vassalage status, reinstating Aedra worship and banning Daedra worship, and they lived peaceably with their newly freed Nedic neighbors for a time, with Ayleid tutors becoming popular amongst human lords. However the fundamentalist and anti-Elven Alessian Order soon overtook the Empire of Alessia within two centuries, and pushed for the stripping of Elven land-rights, the dissolution of Elven lordships, and eventually Elven pogroms. The remaining Elven City-States were given the option of choosing exile, or being put to death. Eventually all remaining Ayleids in Cyrodiil were reduced to a tribal nomadic states and were increasingly rarely spotted, originating the term 'Wild Elves'.

The Ayleids eventually disappeared entirely from Tamriel, with leading theories that they completely integrated into other Elven populations, but with the end of their culture came the end of their religious practices.

Bosmer Religion

Much of Bosmer Religion centers around the Green Pact, a strict code upheld by many Bosmer in order to preserve the Green, the natural world on Nirn. It forbids the Bosmer from harming Valenwood's forests or plant life and or killing wastefully, among other things. However, despite its apparent simplicity, there are some aspects of the Green Pact that cause confusion, particularly to outsiders, but aspects of the Green Pact are debated even among the Bosmer. Despite the tenet "eat no plants", consuming fallen fruits is not considered a breach of the Green Pact, and according to the Green Lady Gwaering, the tenet would be better rephrased as "harm no living plants". It is widely accepted for Bosmer to consume items such as dairy, honey, mushrooms, and insects, and only the most zealous of Pact Bosmer consider this a breach of the Green Pact. Another tenet of the Green Pact requires Bosmer to eat all fallen enemies within three days. This is known as the Meat Mandate - however, this faded out of common practice by the Second Era, only being adhered to in the most remote villages.

The Green Pact also forbids the felling of lumber within Valenwood which has impacted the provinces architecture. Wood Elf Cities are grown using magic to manipulate the trees into the shapes of houses. However foreigners are not considered subject to the Green Pact, and thus more traditional cities of stone and sawn wood have been constructed by other cultures in their border regions. Many Aylieds fleeing persecution by the Alessians built such cities as one example, however the Ayleids were forced to submit to the Green Pact to garner the protection of the Valenwood King, further diluting their culture. There is also no prohibition on Bosmer importing and using lumber from other provinces that do not follow the Green Pact.

Bosmer creation myth says that before everything, there was only primordial Ooze, constantly shifting chaos. The god Y'ffre shaped and ordered the chaos by telling their stories, creating the Green, giving the Bosmer their physical forms, and most importantly establishing the Green Pact between the Green and the Bosmer. As long as the Bosmer respected the Green, they could ask the Green for shelter and sustenance and it would obey. However, when Y'ffre was finished, there was still leftover Ooze, so Y'ffre gave the remaining Ooze a purpose, letting it serve as a warning to the Bosmer that any who violated the Green Pact in any way would be condemned and return to the formlessness of the Ooze. To this day, the Bosmer recognize Ooze to be a spiritual prison for those who break the code of the Green Pact.

Despite having influences from the Eight, The Bosmer Religion includes many other deities, including Aedra such as Auri-El, Arkay, Mara and Stendarr, Daedra such as Hircine, and spirits unique to Valenwood like Baan Dar and Selene. The Wooded Eye cult in the Drowned Coast worshiped a malicious trickster spirit by the name of Herma-Mora, although they insist their Mora is different from the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora. Other Bosmer openly admit that the two are the same. Other notable deities in the Bosmer pantheon include Xarxes, Z'en, and the Wilderking/Wilderqueen, a living god worshiped by tribal Bosmer.

Falmer Religion

The Snow Elves of Skyrim had religious beliefs apparently very similar to that of their Altmer cousins, worshipping a pantheon that included at least Auri-El, Trinimac, Syrabane, Phynaster, and Jephre. However the Snow-Elves placed a much greater emphasis on Auri-El as the head of the pantheon then even the Altmer, where he possessed an aspect relating to the Sun, as opposed to that of the God Magnus. Each of the Gods had a temple dedicated to them, though the greatest and most elaborate was the Chantry of Auri-El located within the Forgotten Vale. The veneration of the Elven Gods continued even as the Snow Elves were driven from Skyrim, in fact the Chantry of Auri-El would not be completed until the early first-era, and would persist for centuries thanks to its isolation. Pilgrims would perform an arduous pilgrimage, taking the Initiates Ewer and filling them with the water of the wayshrines of Illumination, Learning, Radiance, Resolution, and Sight before they were allowed entry into the Chantry proper.

Most Elves were forced to make an uneasy alliance with Skyrim's Dwarves as the Nords drove them out. While some Snow Elves may have integrated with other Elven populations in Tamriel, and others found refuge in obscure Enclaves in places like the Forgotten Vale, most were forced into accepting enslavement by the Dwemer, who further went on to permanently blind the race using a toxic fungus. It is unknown if there were any attempts by the Dwemer to 'convert' their slaves from their Aedra-worshipping ways. Despite this the Snow Elf slaves looked for ways to preserve their culture, and ultimately waged a war of rebellion for several centuries, dubbed the War of the Crag. A war the Snow Elves won by the default when the Dwarves mysteriously disappeared in 1E 700. Despite this, for unknown reasons the Snow Elves had devolved into bestial creatures lacking their former grace and intelligence for reasons unknown (the blinding of their race seemingly an inadequate cause). These corrupted Snow Elves are commonly dubbed 'Falmer' have lost any connection to their former culture, including by all appearances the worship of their old gods. The Falmer however do seem to maintain shrines to the mysterious God Xrib.

Unfortunately the fate of free uncorrupted Snow Elves fared little better. The leader of the Chantry of Auri-El, Arch-Curate Vyrthur, would be infected with vampirism by a fellow initiate. This event caused him to lose faith in Auri-El, and as revenge against the God he intentionally spread the Prophecy of the Tyranny of the Sun with the hope that a Daughter of Coldharbor could come to him and reclaim Auriel's Bow, fulfilling the prophecy and blotting out the Sun, one of Auri-El's greatest means to influence the world. In addition he also turned many of the corrupted and devolved Falmer that stalked Skyrim's underground with Vampirism and led an assault against his own Chantry, slaughtering all other known uncorrupted Snow Elves. The only survivor was Vyrthur's brother, Knight Paladin Gelebor. Gelebor in turn was granted an expanded lifespan he credited to the will of Auri-El, and stood guard over the entrance to the Forgotten Vale, tasking adventurers with slaying his brother. In 4E 201 the Last Dragonborn completed this quest, with much of the Chantry damaged in the fight, but with Vyrthur slain and his treachory revealed, Gelebor mused that perhaps other uncorrupted Snow Elf enclaves may persist, and that the corrupted Falmer are growing in intelligence and may return to the worship of Auri-El some day in the future.

Dwemer Religion

The Dwemer are unique of the races of Nirn for their militant atheism. While they did not deny the existence of the Aedra, Daedra, or presumably other major spirits, they do not consider their divinity to be noteworthy. They believed that the Aedra and Daedra were simply very powerful beings whose powers could be rationally understood and even recreated. It is said that the Dwarves instead worshipped the twin gods of 'Logic and Reason', but it is unclear if this was a turn of phrase, or to be taken more literally.

The Dwarves atheism was a point of contention between them and the Daedra-worshipping Chimer of Morrowind, with the Dwemer viewing the Chimer as superstitious and the Chimer viewing the Dwemer as blasphemers. While peace was achieved between the two factions in Morrowind was achieved with the Council of Resdayn, this created enough controversy that Clan Rourken chose self-imposed exile in Hammerfell. Even then, religious tension was not completely eliminated, an original Dwemer tale concerns a Dwemer who through his friendship with a Chimer Priest of Azura to summon the Daedra with the intent of beating their omniscience. The tale ends with Azura cursing both the Dwemer and Chimer.

The religious tensions exploded once it became revealed that the Dwemer of Vardenfell had obtained the Heart of Lohrkhan, and were using it to attempt to create their own God, Numidium the Walk-Brass Tower. When this was revealed to the Chimer, they confronted Dumac Dwarfking the leader of Vardenfell who vehemently denied the accusations (though he may have been genuinely unaware of the experimentation being done). What resulted was the War of the First Council which dissolved the Chimer-Dwemer Alliance, as the Chimer believed that the attempts to harness the Heart of Lorkhan and create a new god was the highest blasphemy. The war reached its climax with the Battle of Red Mountain. An alliance of Nords and Orcs was also present for the battle, in some versions to reclaim lost territories, but in the Nordic version they were informed the Dwarves held the Heart of Lorkhan and sought to reclaim it from the Dwarves, even temporarily summoning the ghost of Shor. In other versions the only partially completed Numidium was activated in the Battle, which some attribute to a possible Dragon Break, an event that has occurred with every known activation of the Numidium. Nevertheless all the Dwemer had vanished all at once from the face of Tamriel following the Battle's end, leaving only spirits and dust. The exact causes of this disappearance remain debated and theorized upon up to the modern day, but it is strongly believed that the tampering of the Heart of Lorkhan was responsible. Whether the Dwarves disappeared as a form of divine punishment, or as the result of a species-wide apotheosis, or some other explanation is unknown.

Despite the religious outrage of the Chimer, their top leaders went down to the Red Mountain and had access to the Heart of Lorkhan, and amongst themselves made the decision to claim that divine power harnessed by the Dwemer for themselves. Dagoth Ur was destroyed to become the False Dreamer, while Almalexia, Sotha-Sil, and Vivec attained godlike power, and for this blasphemy Azura turned all the golden-skinned Chimer into the dark ashy-skinned Dunmer. These three new Gods would then reform Dunmer religion into the Tribunal.

Dwemer architecture and craftmanship would fascinate scholars for millennia hence, but their disappearance is largely remembered as a moment of ultimate hubris by most of the Gods fearing cultures of the world. Some Dwarven ruins would be reclaimed by other races, and chambers would be repurposed as altars of worship for a number of Gods.

Orsimer Religion

The Orsimer are fundamentally tied to the Daedric Prince Malacath. According to legend, the Orsimer were the most devoted Elven followers of the God of War, Trinimac. However Trinimac and his followers opposed the Velothi movement, and the Prince of Plots Boethiah planned his downfall. According to the Orsimer, when Trinimac confronted Boethiah he was stabbed in the back by the Daedric Prince Mephala, and then 'consumed' by Boethiah, taking his form. Then Boethiah-as-Trinimac and 'gave lie to the Aedra' to Trinimac's followers, causing them to 'act foolishly'. After Trinimac was tortured in Boethiah's 'belly' she 'excreted' him and the 'dung' that remained was the twisted Malacath, neither truly Aedra or Daedra and thus spurned by both. Malacath himself confirms this story, though he considers it too 'literal' minded. While several versions of the story exist, the major elements remain consistent. Trinimac's most ardent worshippers were transformed with him to become the Orsimer, the 'Pariah Folk', also commonly referred to as Orcs. Owing their origin to Malacath, Orcish religion is largely Monothiestic in nature.

The Orcs were shunned by the rest of Elven society, and fared little better with human kingdoms, nevertheless the Orcs spread throughout Tamriel adopting a tribal shamanistic culture, and thriving in parts of the continent too brutal for others, such as the Wrothgar Mountains and Hammerfell. Malacath introduced 'Malacath's Code' to the Orcs that informs the basis of strong-hold culture that the Orcs follow stringently. The Code is passed down orally, and varies from Stronghold to Stronghold, and some moderation is tolerated based upon circumstances. The Code stipulates that only a Chieftan, the strongest Orc, has the right to marry, with all other men serving as soldiers, and he is to rule until one of his sons grows strong enough to challenge and kill him, becoming the new chief. In fact it is believed that it is shameful for an Orc to grow old, and after a certain age Orc men should seek honorable deaths in battle, something they believe Malacath may send them. It is unknown why Orcs lack the same lifespans as other Elves, though a Nordic myth says that Wulfharth threw off a curse by Alduin that had reduced all Nords down to only six years of age onto the Orcs.

All women that are not the Chief's his blood relatives are to be his wives, forming a polygamous society. Daughters are often traded amongst strongholds to maintain alliances, and different wives have differing responsibilities based on what order the Chief married them. The most prominent female position however is that of the Chief's mother, who acts as Wise-Woman and Shaman to the tribe. However unions between Orcs that are not the Chieftan are still permitted, they are simply not recognized as legal marriages. The founding of Orsinium required moderation of Malacath's Code to accommodate such a large urban population. Orcs were allowed to freely marry, as it would have been unfeasible to enforce traditional marriage laws on such a scale.

Breaking Malacath's Code demands a blood-price, to be paid in gold or blood. For outsiders this doesn't extend to religious rulings, only to criminal acts like theft or assault. Malacath himself will enforce the Code, and communicate with strongholds following rituals. He punished Lagarshbur sending relentless attacks of Giants to punish their Chieftan's cowardice and weakness. He tasked the Chieftan with retrieving the giants hammer, but when he died from either weakness or duplicitousness, Malacath ended the attacks and named the new Chieftan. Malacath also looks kindly upon revenge and encourages Orcs to sustain long grudges.

While mainstream Orcish religion emphasizes the role of Malacath, there is a notable contingent of Orcs who draw a distinction between Malacath and Trinimac. While some believe that Malacath in fact stole some of Boethiah's Daedric strength to make the Orsimer stronger, others believe that Malacath in fact usurped Trinimac and tricked his followers. Others still believe that the aspects of Malacath and Trinimac can be reconciled as two aspects of the same deity. The emphasis of Trinimac in Orcish religion has twice coincided with the politics of Orsinium, as emphasizing the Aedric Trinimac leads to better relations with other Aedra worshipping civilizations, something the Orcs typically lack, but both times this was done it was brief and controversial. During the second era however fundamentalist Trinimac cultists even attempted to forcefully convert all Orcs in Orsinium to Trinimac worship, but this attempt failed.

Orcs perform cremation on their dead, occasionally keeping them in Mausoleums, but traditionally they are placed in cairns, spread in a field, or the open sky. High-ranking Orcs may have their ashes reforged into a weapon or armor, a practice known as 'beskar-nor'. It is believed that Orcs go to Malacath's domain of the Ashpit, where they will reside in the Ashen Forge, a massive longhouse where Ors are promised abundunt food, drink and constant battle. There every Orc is a Chief with a thousand wives, and every wife has a thousand servants. Grudges in life are forged in by Malacath into mighty weapons that strengthen the Orcs, amassing a massive army. However some believe that more gentle Orcs are taken into Aetherius by Trinimac, where they likewise engage in food, drink, and battle, but with a greater emphasis on spending time with their family.

References

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.