If Time can be assumed to start at Alduin's snout and end at the tip of his tail, with the world constantly being created (from the tail) and then eaten (from the mouth), then from an outsider's perspective, Creation's residents are moving backwards through Time.

Right?

So a time Ouroboros?

Well we can see the past, but we can't see the future, therefore we must be travelling backards, (or at least be facing backwards)

wtf are we talkin about here?

Well, we are moving 'forwards' through time, as we are progressing to the future, but we are facing 'backwards' as we can only see behind us, but eventually the past dissapears when completely devoured

Wait,how is the past being devoured?

By the present; by notions of place and when.

I've never liked this idea. If he was eating himself from his tail, then he would chomp all the way through himself until his mouth is eating his mouth. Leaves no room for creation.

I think an image of a circle not entirely completed by the serpent would fit better. think of it like a clock - normally with the snout of the mouth at one side of 12 'o clock, and the tip of the tail at the other side of 12 'o clock. If the tail started at 12 'o clock, and the mouth reached around to, say, 3 'o clock, and everything continuing from 3 to 12 being 'creation', then that allows the dragon to keep moving in a circle, devouring creation as he goes, and leaving a trail of new creation behind him (up to you to imagine where that might come from).

But meeting his own tail with his mouth means he's only eating himself. So he either kills himself, or doesn't eat anything in order to stay alive. Or, he can't quite reach far enough to actually take a chomp out of himself, and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe9KaCy_jGE. But to eat himself while still retaining his whole self... doesn't make sense.

Just my random thoughts on the image

I have no idea what you guys are talking about.

I wish I wasn't so dumb... :sadvaultboy:

Does that mean the events of the loveletter couldn't have taken place?And if I were to travel to the future,would that mean I could not go back and have sped up the devouring?

And Darkstone,maybe his tail regenerates? *shrug*

But since his head would have moved up from his tail, since he's eaten it, it would have to regenerate in his throat or stomach. Makes no sense

The iconic figure of the mouth biting the tail could only work if he never actually ate anything. Which defeats the point of the message.

Huh? :huh: If the time begins at the snout and ends at the tail, than the snout is in past and the tail is in future, so we are moving towards the future, or not? :wacko:

I would say that the present is moving backwards on Alduin. Or rather, the present stays in place and the future is comming for it.



The Yokuda myth has it that there was no room to be and that the eating makes place for it.

The Ourbouroes doesn't make much sense. Though I'm thinking of his head as a train moving on tracks that are removed from the back of and put in front again. Or in this case, his tail becomes his neck right behind his head.

Must be fun being a metaphysical creature.

It is.

Ouroboros actually make sense, the "eat his tail" is an idea not a reality. It just mean that time is self re-creating: that new kapla start from the digested remains of the precedent one.

For the confused:

Ok, so the TES metaphor for Time is a Dragon, Akatosh. Now imagine him stretched out before you. He eats a creation (at the beginning of time), and then digests it and then out pops another creation (at the end of time, from his tail). The time of creation is nonlinear/not within the Dragon. That's the Dawn Era. Then we become apart of Akatosh and time becomes linear again. Then the world ends and Akatosh eats it, from his mouth, presumably. So if Time begins at his mouth and the world ends at his mouth, then we must be travelling backwards through Time. Right?

Hmmm, so Time is actually reckoned through periods between digestion, with Dawn Eras taking place inside Alduin's stomach, he then poops out creation, then circles back around for another bite. That circling is Time. Yeah, that makes much more sense than (meta)physically moving along a dragon's back. Though, then what are Dragon Breaks in this context?

In this context.

"Hey look mom I'm controlling time!"

"That's lovely dear! Don't break anything"

"[censored] I'm hungry lets eat some world"

"You can't eat me, I say you're not happening yet!"

*CHOMP NOMNOMNOM*

I... I don't know how to respond to that. I know exactly what your saying, but its just... aw screw it: :rofl: