The True Nature of Orcs says...
Is that random mistaken nonsense, or is there actually some link between Malacath and Orkey? Since Orkey is the Nordic version of Arkay... how in the world would that work out?
Additionaly, considering the origin of Malacath, is he technically a Daedric Prince?

And one more thing, while I'm intruding upon your time - What's the source of that myth about Orkey cursing the Nords to have briefer life spans? I've never seen it in-game.

Varieties of Faith

Orkey is not Arkay, Orkey is Mauloch.

Orkey is Arkay. Michael Kirkbride himself said as much on these forums last year. That aside, the links between them (spheres, names) are obvious enough by themselves.

I found nothing, but the spheres are similar. An example the nords' overcoming the anguish of the Dawn.

Trinimac returning to life created a sphere that wasn't (Arkay).

Orkey is an Orc-y god. He's the god of the Orcs. Something kind of Orc-y about Orkey.

The names are the only things that make them similar. How are their spheres at all similar? Arkay is the preserver of the cycle and Malacath is a god of outcasts. Furthermore, Trinimac and Arkay were seperate entities.

Trinimac is "eaten" by Boethia, transformed in his stomach, and "pooped" back out as Mauloch. Taken literally, it makes no sense. Figuratively, it's an example of soul recycling, which gave Arkay his modern sphere. He was the god of nobody-really-cares, before becoming the god of the cycle of life and death. This is that cycle.

Plus, the story of Orkey, robbing the Nords of their days (introducing death to the new world). A classic case of the nords synthesizing their gods, which is counter to the yoku philosophy.

Orkey is Arkay, and Mauloch is Malacath

Now that you mention it, I remember that that's what MK confirmed. Orkey is the Orcish Arkay, also present in the Nordic pantheon. Presumably the Nords assumed that Malacath is the only god the Orcs recognize and conflated him with Orkey.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-five-songs-old-knocker

So Orkey is still Arkay, and the nords mistake him for Mauloch, believing the daedroth is their only god?

The quote would be nice.

I looked for it but the cut-off for old posts has nuked it. I found another post linking to it and the link is dead now, it just gives a board error message. Probably lost forever now unless MK comes along again and repeats it.

I sent him an email, asking about the relationship. He'll probably see this topic, before he checks his email...

Maybe there was some connection between Arkay (who is "son of Akatosh") and Trinimak (who is "champion of Auriel")?
And in "Old Knocker" Orkey fights Wulfharth (Shazzarine) mirroring the fight between Shor and Alduin...

It's Brilliant!

from the five songs of King Wulfhart.

Orkey is referred to as the "time eater" and Alduin is the "world eater" and Nords see him as the god of time.

Triminac is closely related to Alduin, as they both defeated Shor and removed his heart, and one of them (it varys which one) cast it into the sea that would become Vvardenfell.

Trinimac became Mauloch, and his followers either physically changed to be Orcs or his followers stopped following him and he was adopted by the Orcs. However, Orcs are called "Orkey's folk." Perhaps Timinac represents two different things?

Akatosh only has daughters. Where did you see that Arkay might be a daughter of Akatosh?

If you consider Trinimac, by taking the heart of Lorkhan, became responsible for the gods living through "children," then he becomes the god of life and death. Perhaps Trinimac recycled as Mauloch solidified Arkay's sphere.

The Mer and Nords - they grieved Sarthaal's loss - scorn Arkay as Malacath, the god whose sphere cordoned Time with generations, so the spirits couldn't live forever.

Where did you see that Jills are daughters of Akatosh, ?
And Akatosh is Arkay's father in "Varieties of Faith".

I think maybe Trinimac wasn't completly digested by Boethiah, so some his remains could pop up in humble shopkeeper... And maybe in Phynaster (who seems to be antithesis of Orkey as he prolonged life of mers) and maybe even in Nerevar (who is "son of Boethiah" and he also deals with Heart of Lorkhan).

Akatosh: god of time.
Arkay: god of the cycle of life/death, i.e. a cyclical progression of time as expressed through mortality.

To understand how the Nords view Orkey as a malevolent deity, you have to look at their religious philosophies.

They seem to hate the gods that the Aldmer revere and vice-versa. For example, the Aldmer revere Arkay for preserving the Cycle. Why would they have an issue with the Cycle with their long life-spans? They have Lorkhan to hate for that and not Arkay (and incidentally, the most hated Aldmer deity is the most revered Nord deity, Shor). On the other side of the coin, the Nords view Orkey negatively for the exact same reason the Aldmer love him, the Cycle. They see him the same way the Aldmer see Shor, as an ender of life, a grim reaper who cuts life short. His nick-name is Old Knocker, like an old man (Time) who knocks on your door and calls you to your coffin and then knocks upon that.

I wonder if it could have any connection to how dying in battle seems to be the preferred method of death for Nords.

Arkay is scorned for making generations, in both theologies. The mer are discontent with the cycle, except the Bosmer.

Well, at least there's Mannimarco whose giving Arkay the finger, so that should, in theory, make the nords happy.

Most of Mannimarco's ghoul friends were Nords.