So, here's my question. Can other races by normal means actually thu'um? I know it is magic like any other thing, but is it not possible that a magic granted by a god be race specific? They believe Kyne breathed them into the world, and that their breath even before Skyrim is their vital essence. The Children of the Sky book makes it seem like only nords can naturally and the game (yes I know, the game isn't necessarily lore) gives nords battle cry, which seems a lot like a pre Skyrim thu'um before we knew words were used.

The only people in history to shout besides dragonborn, the Ebony Warrior who I think is some kind of aspect of either Ebonarm or Zenither (Tsun), or Mankar Camoran possibly who often does things that defy reality, were nords. And then there's Ulfric's dialogue that says "any nord" with the talent can learn the voice. So, is it possible that only nords can learn the thu'um through normal means? Or at the very least any man?

Discuss.

Thu'um uses the power of one's own spirit or soul to form Shout that may shape/reshape reality. I don't think the soul of a Nord is distinguishable from the soul of an Argonian. All souls are the same from the recycle of the dreamsleeve.

By normal means here might be only adapting a certain kind of way of thinking, by which the power of one's soul is released.

Generally, I am more interested in the Nord's value of the Breath and the Battlecry, than who can and can't use the Thu'um. Seems to be a powerful non-Thu'um shout.

I don't think it's that other races can't, but as you said Colonel, it's something that's powered by belief. Nordic myth goes that they're Kyne's Children and she gifted them the Thu'um. An Imperial or Breton wouldn't necessarily adhere to that belief as fervently as a Nord would. Because of it Nords would be more inclined to study the Thu'um than other races as well have greater facility at grasping it's basics.

Besides, I think every race has their own specialized form of magic. The Imperials have the Emperor Voice which like many things in Cyrodiil is a watering down of the Nordic version. Altmer have Dawn Magics. Redguards have the Sword-Singing and the Shehai. Dunmer excel at Destruction, Conjuration, and Mysticism. You get the idea...

Yea this makes sense. So if nords aren't in fact 100 percent the only ones who can shout, then would you say they likely have an easier time doing so, or are more talented at it because of their belief?

@What Tdroid said, battlecry sounds a lot like the shout the nords used to instill fear in their enemy's hearts in lore. What do you think of that ability in its relation to the thu'um?

The way of thinking is important. Normally different races tend to have different ways of thinking on different matters. To many from other races the philosophy of the Greybeard is either nonsense or hard to understand, and their meditation might lead to a totally different path from those of general mages or other magic users. It is like a good mathmatician might not be a good biologist, though both use logic. The Nord are more used to their own certain way of thinking, which is more familiar with the philosophy of the Way of Voice.

I'd say Kyne's Divine Blessing defines the general philosophy of the Nord, thus in a sense makes the Nord easier to master Thu'um than other races. If you ask a Nord apprentice how he could master a Thu'um reletively so fast, he may answer you as "How can you not to? It happened so naturally."

Heh, all that makes good sense. If I posed this question anywhere else, It'd be 7 pages in talking about how Nords R dumb, and neck deep in a civil war thread because I mentioned Ulfric in the op. Thanks for the clear answers.

I agree with you on the Battle Cry being an instinctual form of Shouting. So is the Voice of the Emperor Imperials get. It's like using Dismay and Kyne's Peace, but without having meditated on the actual words.

Wasn't "Kyne gave the Nords the Thuum" basically "Kyne sent Paarthunax to teach the Nords the Thuum". Which means that the blessing is nothing more than the knowledge of doing the Thuum.