Why do they not hate/fear swords maces and axes and whatnot because of the amount of bad things caused by sword/mace/axe/whatnot users?

I think he's referring to things like the Oblivion Crisis. Brought on by magic users. Things like that and the great collapse are on a whole different level, clearly.

Probably because the Nords can deal with that. They are a warrior culture after all.

They can do little IMO against magic users.

The Nords sometimes exaggerated. It's also possible, since we see a general decline of such things among all races, that as the races get further away geneaologically from the Ehlnofey, there's a devolution in their traits. Our pal Hasphat talked about Ysgramor being an amalgamation of different guys because no one person could have done all that he did, but maybe they could if they lived for 200 years or 300 or whatever.

Look, there's this thing about human (elven, whatever) nature. If a group over there does something that you don't normally do, it's normal- not necessarily good, but normal- to think of that thing in negative terms or to view it as suspicious. Very few cultures in Tamriel are open-minded. Before anyone says it, the imperials have their scruples with certain kinds of magic and daedra worship in a way the Nords don't appear to share- compare shrines of Azura, for instance.

Most Nords aren't big magic users, so they talk about "those damn mages" as a general way to express suspicion of the outsider. People who don't like Nords or who are trying to make a point come along and exaggerate this into some kind of rabid hatred, when it's just as harmless as your parents complaining about the neighbors just because they're different and that's what people do. All this beside the fact that mages can get up to some very destructive things.

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yes and the great war.

That's just an opinion but due to the Dwemer being the smartest race Tamriel has seen, I'll roll with it for now.

Possible, maybe but it seems a bit unlikely. Maybe by fifty years, but not hundreds, unless we're talking about those who had giant blood like what I think MK hinted at.
But they are descendants of them. Still, by the time they were fighting snow elves, they were said to have short lifespans compared to them already, so in question of learning the thu'um before most of your life is gone, I don't think it applies.

edit: Actually, we don't know how long they generally could live? Snow elves I mean, so you may be right. How did that one snow elf live for so long in the hidden Veil? Magic user? If they live generally that long, then the nords may have had longer lifespans back then, but shorter compared to elves.

Skorm Snow-Strider's journal makes me think that even in the first couple of centuries of the 1st Era, mastery of the Thu'um was something uncommon. An elite sect among the rulers and military. Percentage of the population would be small, but still make a notable effect. I mean, Ulfric only studied for ten years and he can shout down city gates. I think some common and weaker shouts would be more normal, which I'd say is supported by the shout-like racial ability the Nords have in Skyrim(with stagger and everything), but not enough to make a serious difference for most people.

I'd like the Tongues to return to Skyrim, instead of having a small group of them sit on the top of a mountain, hoard the knowledge and not act to the benefit of anything below the mountain. The Greybeards would be more than powerful enough to recreate the peace in Skyrim in a short period of time. If they want to study it peacefully, they should be allowed to do that. However, I hope non-Greybeard traditions of teaching it emerges as a result of the Dragons being back. Maybe some dragon seeks asylum with a group of Bron, offering to act as teachers in the Thu'um as a reward for their protection

That's how you know you're a Nord fan. When you know draconic for Nord, lol.

To be fair, there's actually a fair bit of dialogue evidence in support of the Nord's current distrust of magic. For example Onmund, the Nord mage apprentice at the college:

"The College is a bit of an oddity in Skyrim. Magic isn't something that's looked upon fondly here.", "Nords don't trust magic, or those that use it. Made it difficult for me growing up.",

"Thanks to you, the people of Skyrim will continue to have a place to study magic. Even if most of them resent you for it.",

And of course Tsun himself:

"Well met, mage of Skyrim. The Nords may have forgotten their forefathers' respect for the Clever Craft, but your comrades throng this hall. Here in Shor's house we honor it still."

Or avatar of Auriel. Anyway I think it more likely that the Greybeards are lying about how long it takes to learn a thu'um, or they're talking about how long it takes to do it on their terms in the Way of the Voice, with all the mystical mumbo jumbo they incorporate. Similar to how Arngeir hints that he knows more about the dragonborn's role than he's telling you because "you're not ready."

Simple to explain. First, anyone's opinion of Nords as a whole would be colored by the area they are in, which Winterhold is the most distrusting obviously.

Next, Tsun's dialogue shows what I said, which is they don't respect it or favor it over warriors and skills at arms. But not respecting it isn't the same as fear, and it doesn't point to cultural distrust. Moreso than, say Imperials, sure but its not enough to say Nords as a whole distrust it. They just don't value it as much as other races and have bigger pockets of those who really distrust it.

Skorm Snow-Strider does http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Skorm_Snow-Strider%27s_Journalthere was a young voice master who brought down the outer walls of Forelhost. I don't think mastery of the voice is something learned easily, same as other forms of magic, but there seems to be possible to become rather powerful with it even at a young age.

No argument here. The direct download into your brain they do as you mentioned would speed things up a lot. You can still learn the safety measures and dangers of using it recklessly without having to learn their philosophy as well. I think its their meditating techniques on the words and staying silent that makes their voice so potent, not this semi pacifist attitude.

In Oblivion it is revealed that they are quite fond if destruction magic

I'll have to agree to disagree with you on that point, then. Not being honoured may not be the same as fear, but to my mind it is precisely the same as cultural distrust.

Thats fine, lets agree to disagree. To me its cultural disinterest mostly.

I may have missed why this is even an issue. This isn't the Dragon Age universe where mages are stolen away as children and locked up in towers. Who cares if the Nords don't trust mages? It's a cultural attitude that has shifted, it can shift again, but in the meantime so what.

Its not, Shadow titan just made a comment about them being wimps now because they dont respect everything (exaggerated statement, ask the snow elves, lol) like ancient nords who used magic more. I just felt a need to point out that its not nearly as bad as people make it.

Not really an issue, I was just reading through the thread and saw a comment I disagreed with and hopped in. Didn't mean to derail the conversation. No worries.

Speaking of distrust of magic, I've recently made a pretty bad roleplay mistake on my Redguard.

I couldn't decide on what long range skill I wanted to give him, but definitely not archery since it takes forever to master.

I haven't made up my mind yet, but I think it is bad enough that I had him learn a few conjuration and destruction spells, though I never use the former and rarely the latter.

My idea is to have him stick to Yokudan tradition and just the act of taking interest in learning those spells already clashes with that.

I think there is a distrust of magic to be sure(a fairly recent development, since the reasons given by people like Onmund start with the Oblivion Crisis and then lists a few other things that happened in the 4th Era). However, I don't think it is as all-encompassing as some might believe. To begin with, almost every city in Skyrim has a healer tied to the temples and http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Guard_Dialogue#Reactions_to_Player.27s_Skill_Levelactively encourages the usage of healing magic. We also have the http://cs.uesp.net/index.php?game=sr&formid=0x0009028dof a "battle maiden" joining the Stormcloaks, using her healing skills(learned from her Priestess mother) to help the rebels.

It is hard to get any specifics on other schools, other than that the summoning of undead and daedra is highly discouraged outside the College by the Conjuration trainer there. Guards seem to be fine with most magic, when not used against lawful citizens.

To me, it seems that th distrust of magic comes from the general idea that magic was a part of some bad things that happened, more than the actual specifics of magic themselves. Looking at the innkeepers very general comments compared to the more specific things the guards say certainly gives me this impression.

Wow... I just noticed the tags... Oh you... Tahrodiis Bron...

They were especially for you, too.

It's one thing to have knowledge of something & another to actually use it. They frown upon the use & open practice/study; who knows how many Redguards know how to use magic but instead use their swords out of tradition.

Although I avoid the use magic when playing a Redguard, you have to remember that the shout is a form of magic in itself.