I have to ask: what happened to it? How has Skyrim been so thoroughly Imperialized?

I mean, after reading Varieties of Faith, The Five Songs, etc, it seems like the Nords are a separate culture, with their own view. But even the Graybeards seem to revere Akatosh, with only a few noises about Kyne. I also find it hard to accept that Talos has replaced Shor and Ysmir so completely. They don't even act like he is a stand in: to them he is an ascended Tiber Septim.

So, Loremasters, can you explain this?

In game: Imperialization. You can still find the old pantheon if you look, and I assume many still worship them, just under mostly Imperial names.
Out of game: attempts to not confuse the masses.

Consider that even the leader of the die-hard traditionalist movement is ex-legion. Coming off of a major war, the culture of the empire is largely homogenized by propaganda. Imagine a horde of Heimskrs pouring out of Colovia into the provinces to encourage people to keep faith.

Indeed. I don't know if you've finished the main quest yet, Mr. Fear, but along with Kyne there are large references to both Shor and Tsun, along with Alduin too, of course.

In the very first minutes of the game you hear Shor's name, and there's also Shor's Stone, a town in the Rift. Shor is mentioned other times as well. Some are never mentioned - Orkey and Jhunal - and others - Mara and Dibella - were also already in the Cyrodiilic pantheon under the same name. Herma-Mora and Maloch are just Nordic names for Hermaeus Mora and Malacath.

That leaves Stuhn, who I believe is mentioned at least once or twice. I just can't remember where.

EDIT: And it makes sense that Orkey and Jhunal are missing. Orkey was something of an antagonistic/enemy deity, and Jhunal worship hasn't been popular in a while. Even Varieties admits that.

Stuhn is at least referenced in mention of Ysgramor's son Stuhnaltir.

And there is also the quest with Froki (lots of walking). It just bothers me that I have to look for the Nord gods in Skyrim. I think this is a major problem, but that it is also a wasted opportunity. For instance, the Stormcloak Rebellion could have been as much cultural as it is ideological.

That's only in MK's Five Hundred. The Songs of the Return says this:


Mind, they still fit the Stuhn/Tsun duo, even if their names don't outright reveal it. Yngol/Stuhnaltir/Stuhn/Stendarr is the strategist-leader, and Ynglar/Tsunaltir/Tsun/Zenithar is the strong warrior-labor god.

A lot can happen in 200 years. Especially after Akatosh appears on Nirn in the flesh. I could see how many cultures would become more Imperialized for a while after that. Skyrim has always been strongly pro-Empire until very recently, anyhow. I believe that even when Varieties of Faith was written the Imperialization had already begun.

As for Talos, his worship probably got stronger after Martin's Apotheosis, too. What Nord wouldn't be proud that a member of a dynasty founded by a Nord saved all of Tamriel - even if in all likelihood Martin had no true Septim blood at all. Talos is also someone the Elves hate. Hell, he'd might as well be the new Shor. He certainly occupies the same space in Nordic culture.