I'm not sure if this theory has been discussed before. I've just recently been getting really into the Lore.

Anyway....

It seems to me that what we call "Talos" is really just Lorkhan returned to form. If the Arcturian Heresy is to be believed, Wulfharth, an avatar of Shor (Lorkhan) mascaraed as the young General Talos in order to help the general and further his own ends of achieving revenge on the Tribunal. If avatar's of Shor are really just Lorkhan in his weakened and earth-bound form and if Wulfarth was finally allowed true death, couldn't it be that the soul of Lorkhan was finally released from its bounded state and returned to full power/godliness?

By this theory, there is no need to consider Talos a combination of mortal Talos/Tiber Septim, Zurin Arctus, and Wulfrath. It could be that he is actually just Lorkhan and only Lorkhan.

If this were true, the Aldmeri Dominion and the Empire would actually be right in outlawing the worship of Talos. TIber Septim would have been a only somewhat remarkable mortal who used the help of a god to achieve prominence. I'm not sure he ever truly ascended to godhood. He merely facilitated the return of Lorkhan, through betrayal.

The one they should be worshiping is Lorkhan.

Is this possible? What do you think?

I think you need to consider what you just said, through the eyes of a citizen of Tamriel.

We're privy to more information then they are.
So Talos probably doesn't seem in any way connected to Lorkhan.

No I get that. If my theory were right it would basically make the mortal Tiber Septim a big liar. He's deceit led to him being labeled a god.

It's been said about all Aedra that they are lairs and deceivers and rightfully so. The funny thing about Tamriel is that believes shapes the gods.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/daggerfall-light-and-dark describes the proto-idea and http://www.imperial-library.info/content/morrowind-varieties-faith-empire enumerates the results. You'll notice that different cultures give a different view on roughly the same eight gods.

Tiber Septim became a god just so. You've read the Acturian Heresy so you'll know Ysmir and Tiber Septim were pretending to be one person. As a result when people think of Ysmir, they think of Tiber Septim. This thought shapes the divines and is what makes Talos, that is Tiber Septim and Ysmir. The deceit doesn't lessen this, it is the underpinning of his divinity.

It is to "walk like them until they must walk like you." as http://www.imperial-library.info/content/nu-hatta-sphinxmoth-inquiry-tree puts it.

Ya, Ysmir and Tiber Septim were pretending to be one person. But what I'm saying is that maybe the God-Talos is actually just the return of Lorkhan. Not the combination of some ascended mortals.

Combine with that, that Lorkhan is the god of trickery (well what a trick to play eh?) and I do believe you have hit the nail on the head NordJitsu. Lorkhan got himself back "in" you might say

Yes, Ysmir was Wulfheart was an avatar of Shor. Without Ysmirs background there would be no Talos.

Interesting non-lorey fact:
When the graybeards annoint the Player Character a Dragonborne; they call the PC Ysmir; Dragon of the North. What that means for the whole Lorkhan affair, I wonder...

They also say that is the traditional greeting for the Dragonborn, so presumably, they have called every Dragonborn (that went to high hrothgar) Ysmir.

Prowler... I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding what you're saying or if you're misunderstanding what I'm saying (are we agreeing or disagreeing?)

Traditional view- Talos (god) was a single human who conquered Tamriel and then ascended.

Heretical view- Talos is a combination of Wulfarth, a mortal named Hjalti (later called Talo latter called Tiber Septim), and Zurin Actus.

My view/proposition- Wulfarth was a bound piece of Lorkhan. When he achieved true death, Lorkhan's sould was free to ascend again. I'm not suggesting that the Aedra are liars. I am suggesting that the Mortal Emperor Tiber Septim is a liar. Talos should not be called Talos at all. He is simply Lorkhan returned.

Does that clear things up? I'm not suggesting removing Wulfarth from the equation. I'm suggesting removing the other two.

What I'm objecting to is the idea that Tiber Septim is not part of Talos.

What I'm objecting to is the idea that Lorkhan's soul was ever captured in a mortal body.

What I'm not objecting to is the idea that Talos is Lorkhan is Shor is Shezarr is Ysmir.

They ARE worshiping Lorkhan. Talos worship is Lorkhan worship. And THAT is precisely why the Thalmor outlawed it; it has nothing to do with that whole "it ain't proper to venerate a mortal man" malarkey. That's just a front. Their real reason was that they want Lorkhan in all his forms cast down.

If Nords changed the name on all their Talos shrines to Lorkhan, the Altmer would be even more averse to it than they are now.

This.

Its easier for the Thalmor to say 'hey common don't worship this guy, he's only mortal'.

Than for them to 'Don't worship Talos pl0x, he's Lorkhan'.

Sort of what I was getting at.

The elves hate Lorkhan. But I suppose outlawing Talos worship makes sense if he's a mortal (Tiber Septim) a combination of mortals and Lorkhan (Ysmir, Talos, Zurin Actus) or just Lorkhan.

Talos is a Frankenstein-y mantling, not an incarnation.

sorry to go on a tangent but given the views of Dunmer that Aedra were undeserving of immortality would they also not support Lorkhan (even though he's the patron saint of men?) or were such views lost when the chimer changed into Dunmer?

From the Songs of King Wulfhaert and the Heracy, Lorkhan hates the Tribunal more than he hates the Aldmer, for messin' with his heart and all. Of course, the Tribunal is gone now...

Aedra is Altmeri word meaning our ancestors. Noself respecting altmer would claim to be descendent of Lorkhan. So he is not Aedra.

However Lorkhan did participate in the creation of the world. What sets him apart is that he has essentially an Padomaic nature compared tot he Anu nature of the Aedra. He prefers constant-change over stasis. For this this, the Altmer despise him and the Dunmer venerate him (some what indirectly).