Elder Scrolls Deep-Dive #1: Religion
This is just an intro post :)
This intro will help to set the stage for the collection of essays that I will be posting sometime after this one. I will define the criteria I will look for and explain why I have set them. I want to stress that this is more or less a fun project for me, and I want to share it with other people who would like to read more about the Elder Scrolls universe. Unlike other lore blogs on here, I will not take on the role of a character that exists in-universe. Instead, I will take on the role of an outsider looking into the universe of the Elder Scrolls, so be prepared for some meta-ness as I step in and out of fantasy and reality.
Throughout this collection, I will be referring to all things spiritual as ‘religion’. However, this makes it difficult for me to determine whether something should be filed under religious or under something else. Because of this, I will use the definition of religion that the early-twentieth-century sociologist Emile Durkheim used. Durkheim defines religion as a set of beliefs, practices, and institutions within a society that are used to unite members of that culture (Perspectives: An Open Introduction to Cultural Anthropology, pg.288). This definition will broaden the scope of these essays to not only include the Divines and the Deadra, but also other forms of worship that might not include god(s), such as ancestor worship.
I would like to note that this broad definition that I am using could potentially make magic usage count as religion, but I will not be including them, as, unlike our world, magic on Nirn is very evident and tangible (i.e., levitation). This tangibility would make the relationship differ in comparison to our Earthly relationship with magic. Continuing with the levitation mention, the Levitation Act of 3E 421 restricted the usage of levitation magic (Levitation Act, UESP). As far as I am aware, here on Earth, our current governments do not have any anti-levitation legislation, as we humans have never had the ability to levitate. Also, talking about magicka in any capacity means I would have to address the cosmology of the Elder Scrolls, which would be too lengthy to include for context without leaving out critical information. Maybe another time, I will dedicate a whole topic to the magika system. I should note that I will be mentioning cosmology somewhat, but nothing too crazy.
So, with that out of the way, back into religion!
Because religion is influenced by the culture in which it exists, and how the culture is influenced by its religion, I will be going through each religion through the culture(s) to which it is connected. In the case of pantheons that are spread to multiple diverse cultures (i.e, the Nine Divines), I will make an effort to showcase how these cultures that adopted the new belief practices were influenced by this adoption, and how their culture shaped the practice. Throughout these essays, I will be pulling from real-world parallels in order to better support my writing.
I should note (and I will constantly be reiterating this) that what I write is my own writing, so I will be implementing my opinions and biases consciously or subconsciously. If you read my writing and disagree with a point I make, comment about it, but please be respectful!
Now, if I break down each religion to the culture that practices it, I should also look into how the differing species that inhabit Nirn are involved with religion. I will be using the word ‘species’ rather than ‘race’ or ‘races’, as it does not accurately reflect the necessary information. It is also a bit outdated and, in the fantasy sense, has ties to real-world ‘race theory’ and white supremacy.
If you want to look into this further, I recommend you learn a bit about Gary Gygax and how his biological determinism and racism influenced D&D, along with this link here to a thesis that covers this more in-depth than just a paragraph.
From a species, I will narrow the scope even more to each ethnic group and its twists on religious practices. Basically, this means a lot of work and research for me, but in a fun way, because it is the Elder Scrolls!
I will be leaving the Nine Divines and the Deadra for last, as they are the most well-known and the most prominent within the games and in the fandom, but currently, I do not know exactly what religion I should start with first. If anyone knows of any niche cult/religion within the Elder Scrolls, lemme know!
Anyways, hope this is just as exciting to everyone else as it is to me :) Please let me hear feedback! It will help my writing much more.
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