"You won't be so cocky when I send you TO ANOTHER DIMENSION!!!"

Yeah they look pretty similar.


P.S. My best friend is Hindu.

Many Hindu gods do

Yes, but when you consider that Dagon is a god of destruction and involved with kalpas, it makes him more Shiva-like. He's nothing like, say, Vishnu or Brahma or Ganesh, except for the arms, but he has more similarities with Shiva.

Possibly. Many aspects of the entire series derive from actual sources. For example, the Dwarven culture and style was most likely based off of that of the Mesopotamians. It's quite simple to draw parallels between things in the game and things in real life.
Although many people seem to think that Shiva is a destroyer of good things (i.e. the source of earthqueakes, monsoons, etc.), they are mistaken. Shiva is called the Destroyer because he is the destroyer of evil. He is, in truth, regarded as the lord of compassion and mercy and purges his worshipers of evil sins such as lust, greed, and anger. He is not evil himself - quite the contrary.
Mehrunes Dagon, however, is widely regarded as an evil Daedric Lord. Although he and Shiva are both destroyers, they are both destroyers of completely different things. So, to answer your question, no I don't think they're that related at all. (Aside from the arms)

Maybe the Hindus just weren't very original when they recorded the nature of Shiva. :frog:

This is off topic, but now that I think of this, Mephala bares a similar theme to the Fates in Greek Mythology. They weaved a cloth that represented the lives of every human and when they plucked a thread a human would die. Mephala weaves these "webs" and whenever she pulls them apart she causes strife among mortals.

Many of the Daedric Princes can be compared to Greek Gods and Goddesses. It's quite interesting, for me.

That's part of it.

But Mephala now, she's the temptress you were looking for.

Deception, manipulation, six and murder have little in common except that people may derive pleasure from the knowledge that doing it is wrong.

And the Dunmer were definitely, unquestionably, most certainly, indubitably based on the Scots.

/sarcasm?

Shiva doesn't just destroy evil, he destroys everything for without destruction there is no creation. Brahma cannot create if there is something already there, and Vishnu must maintain or else that creation is meaningless. People don't give Hinduism the create it deserves, its not just some tribal religion from India, its a very advanced metaphysical doctrine.

Dagon is not "evil" either, as non-canonical as it is, I like to think that the Dagon in the Seven Flights is how Dagon should be viewed- a very real result of the cycle of time and an essential element to mortal existence. Dagon serves a very vital service, and though at first glance is just a mindless killer, he is actually a symbol of degradation brought on my linear time and a foil by which creation can have value.

So what you're saying is Alduin is Shiva now? Dragons sometimes have four limbs...

Dagon was cursed by Alduin to destroy for eternity. Linear time changed the "Leaper Devil King" (one who assisted Shor in sparing pieces of the universe from destruction) to a destroyer, hence the time connection.