Each race on Tamriel is utterly distinctive with its own unique flavor,
and while it may come as no surprise that these races are inspired by our own world,
you may be unaware of all the parallels. Take the Orcs for example. Tribal by nature,
the Orcs boast a proud nomadic warrior culture, while being feared and often hated by the
other races. Many believe Bethesda drew on inspiration from the Huns of Central Asia
when creating the Orcs. This is most readily seen in their armor and weapon design- where
their helmets especially bear a striking resemblance to those worn by the Huns.
Next, take the elven Thalmor. Yes, everyone knows they mirror the Nazis with their feelings
of superiority, but you’re most likely missing
the bigger picture here. The Thalmor mirror the Nazis in more ways than one. As a matter
of fact, their stories are strikingly similar. Like the Nazis, the Thalmor started as a minority
political faction in their homeland - there they were tolerated, but mistrusted. Then,
both were elevated to power during a time of crisis; the Nazis during the economic crisis
in Germany, and the Thalmor during the Oblivion Crisis in the Summerset Isles. Once in power
both annexed genetically similar races nearby- for the Nazis it was Austria- for the Thalmor
it was their Wood Elf cousins in Valenwood. Both the Nazis and Thalmor went on to attack
their powerful neighbors and succeed, in the beginning.
The list goes on and on. The closer you look at a game like Skyrim, the closer you’re
looking at the pages of real life history, literally. For example, complete a certain quest for
the Daedric Prince Hermaeus Mora, and you’re awarded with the Oghma Infinium- a very sinister
looking tome. Turn to the second page and you’ll spot a runic wheel that is uncannily
similar the Vegvísir. The Vegvísir is a real world Icelandic sigil that traces its
origins as far back as the 17th century. As a matter of fact the Oghma Infinium may have
a connection to Gaelic mythology as well: Oghma is one of the twin gods of wisdom and
enlightenment. It makes sense this tome of forbidden knowledge would bear his name.
The historical tidbits don’t stop there. Alduin, the main antagonist of Skyrim, is
said to be inspired by Níðhöggur, a dragon found in Norse mythology. Níðhöggur is
a dragon that feasts on the dead, much like Alduin feeds on the souls of the dead in Sovngarde.
Legend depicts Níðhöggur as a symbol of death and destruction, and he was often pictured
gnawing at the roots of the world tree Yggdrasill. Similarly, Alduin is known as the “World
Eater” and the “Nordic God of Destruction”. Skyrim isn’t the only game in the series
that likes to borrow from history. Those who played Elder Scrolls: Oblivion might remember
the Thieves Guild quest line in where the player character had to find the boots of
Springheel Jak, which gives a permanent boost to the player’s Acrobatic skill along with
the ability to fall long distances without being injured. Spring-Heeled Jack is actually
a very popular figure of English folklore. During the Victorian era the legend of Spring-Heeled
Jack spoke of a bizarre man with the ability to make extraordinary leaps, falling great
distances and walking away unharmed. Speaking of falling great distances, you probably
weren’t playing Morrowind for very long before this happened. A wizard falls from
the sky and dies right before your eyes. On his body you find the Scrolls of Icarian Flight,
which if used, allows the player to soar through the air right before falling to their death.
The Scrolls of Icarian Flight are actually named after Icarus, a character in Greek mythology
who attempted to fly using wings made from feathers and wax. In the story, Icarus flew
too close to the sun, which melted the wax causing him to plunge to his death, not unlike
a certain wizard…
Do you know some historical or literary references
found in the Elder Scrolls that we didn’t cover here? Share them in the comment section
below and we might include it in a future episode. If you liked this show and its format,
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I've been Josh. We'll catch you later.