[Ash]

Post your thoughts and speculation about Alduin here!

Here's my long, random and probably lore unfriendly theory on the Alduin-Akatosh relationship.

So Akatosh was one of the original Gods, and was rumored to have mingled with dragons sometime before they disappeared from Nirn. Alduin is "the world eater" who the Nords believe both created and destroyed the world. I believe that these two beings were once separate, but became the same during a conflict between them.

My theory is that Akatosh was originally a purely human God like the other eight Divines, and Alduin was just an immensely powerful dragon whose strength was great enough to destroy the world. Akatosh, being the patron of invincibility and endurance, took issue with Alduin, the bringer of destruction, but was unable to destroy him. Instead, he fused with Alduin and, being a God, subdued the powerful dragon and sealed him within himself.

Since that time, crisis after crisis has weakened Akatosh, who aided humans in battling many powerful threats. His power finally faced it's greatest decline when Martin Septim shattered the Amulet of Kings and used Akatosh's strength to defeat Mehrunes Dagon. With Akatosh weakened, Alduin has become dominant over him, and has returned to Nirn with his dragon army to finish the destruction of the world.

If you've seen images of Akatosh (like the one below) you know that the God is usually depicted as being about 90% human, except for that weird vestigial dragon head linked to his own. That head is Alduin, subdued and weakened, but still in a sort of parasitic relationship with Akatosh. In Skyrim, perhaps the appearance is reversed: a massive dragon with a tumorous human head growing out of it.

Perhaps they even speak simultaneously, which would explain Todd Howard's comment that some dragons speak English: it's just Alduin speaking through Akatosh's human head.

http://images.uesp.net//thumb/2/22/OB-Window-Akatosh.jpg/250px-OB-Window-Akatosh.jpg

Anyway, it's a long crackpot theory, but I like it. I'm sure Bethesda has something cool in store, and I hope Alduin is as terrifying as I imagined him being here.

[Arnold Wet]

I know you are just speculating and that is cool, but if you want to know the lore, go to UESPWiki and read up on the lore in depth, every aspect of it if you so choose, there are pages and pages of it, all done nicely by people who truly love TES

[Elisha KIng]

I know you are just speculating and that is cool, but if you want to know the lore, go to UESPWiki and read up on the lore in depth, every aspect of it if you so choose, there are pages and pages of it, all done nicely by people who truly love TES

The lore is a good read,can be confusing to some,but nonetheless very interesting. But i have to say,the OP's post was a good little read and it's an interesting take on it.

[John N]

Man created Akatosh as we know him today.

Originally, he was known Auri-el to the Elves, and Alduin to the Nords/Men. Time was cyclical during those periods(Creation->Destruction->Creation->etc...) until Marukh and the rest of the Marukhati selectives broke the dragon. During this time they changed Auri-el and gave him more men favorable traits and turned time linear, creating the new god of time, Akatosh. Alessia made the pact with him and man overthrew the previous elven rule and tamriel has been dominated by man since. With the shattering of the Amulet of Kings, the old covenant is broken. Old beliefs are shaping Akatosh back to his previous nature.

[Sunny Under]

Well, yes, your speculation is very very lore-unfriendly, but hey, speculation is a fun and good mind exercise!

[Gavin boyce]

TROGDOR!!!!!

[Neliel Kudoh]

TROGDOR!!!!!

What?

[Inol Wakhid]

He is a moody dragon that needs to be pwned by the dragonborn

[Ice Fire]

I think Hellmouth said it best when he said that Akatosh's role at the end of Oblivion was nothing more than a political move. Alduin is the real deal, Akatosh is just the Imperial view of Alduin. It's not quite a good/bad, two-sides-of-a-coin thing.

I know you are just speculating and that is cool, but if you want to know the lore, go to The Imperial Library and read up on the lore in depth, every aspect of it if you so choose, there are pages and pages of it, all done nicely by people who truly love TES

Fixed.

[Jenna Fields]

What?

Trogdor was a man

I mean, he was a dragon man

Or maybe he was just a dragon

But he was still Trogdor! :rock:

[no_excuse]

So Akatosh was one of the original Gods

And right off the bat you are wrong. Alduin/Auriel was the original time god (same being, different perspective). Akatosh was invented by Alessia after being liberated by the nords, and Pelinal and co. This was purely a political move by Alessia, who wanted to continue worshiping the merish pantheon, but not piss off the nords at the same time. So, she made a merrish pantheon, with human elements sprinkled in, and created Akatosh to be the champion of man, and isn't anti-Mundus.

In addition to some changes, Shezarr is a neutered version of Shor, as the space god had to be put in a positive light, but Alessia also didn't want a huge anti-mer god in the pantheon. So Shezarr came into being, who is more of a god of human achievement through adversity, as opposed to the creator of Mundus who tore off (or got torn off) his own heart as an act of Divine Mercy to allow mortals to become closer to the Godhead, and is INCREDIBLY anti-mer.

Also, the Marukhati selectives who broke the dragon and tried to change him happened after Alessia. Whether they succeeded, failed, or somewhat succeeded is still up in the air.

[Anna Kyselova]

Alduin may be similar to Akatosh but I believe that they are two seperate entitys. Akatosh is just a part of the 9 divines where as Alduin is something different.

I'm hoping for Skyrim that Alduin has a Human type avatar that he can transfer his soul or spirit into and also possibly retransform into a dragon if necessary.

[Chris Duncan]

Yeah...no. I'd rather see him as some sort of Galactus than some random human.

[Heather M]

ALDUIN!! YOU KILLED MY FATHER
no dovahkiin .... I am your father *commence epic final battle*

[Amanda Furtado]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Man created Akatosh as we know him today.

Originally, he was known Auri-el to the Elves, and Alduin to the Nords/Men. Time was cyclical during those periods(Creation->Destruction->Creation->etc...) until Marukh and the rest of the Marukhati selectives broke the dragon. During this time they changed Auri-el and gave him more men favorable traits and turned time linear, creating the new god of time, Akatosh. Alessia made the pact with him and man overthrew the previous elven rule and tamriel has been dominated by man since. With the shattering of the Amulet of Kings, the old covenant is broken. Old beliefs are shaping Akatosh back to his previous nature.

Is this your interpretation, or a fact? It seems like a pretty interesting scenario, thanks for sharing it!

And right off the bat you are wrong. Alduin/Auriel was the original time god (same being, different perspective). Akatosh was invented by Alessia after being liberated by the nords, and Pelinal and co. This was purely a political move by Alessia, who wanted to continue worshiping the merish pantheon, but not piss off the nords at the same time. So, she made a merrish pantheon, with human elements sprinkled in, and created Akatosh to be the champion of man, and isn't anti-Mundus.

In that case, someone should edit the wiki, which says "[Akatosh] is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place; after his establishment, other spirits found the process of being easier and the various pantheons of the world emerged."

At the very least, the inaccuracy of the general perception of Akatosh should be noted.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Akatosh

[Aman Bhattal]

You should read the books, as they're the correct source. You can use UESP, but I find http://www.imperial-library.info/ to be easier and much more lore consistent. Also, check around the http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/forum/16-elder-scrolls-lore/ here for lore discussions. And Cecilff2 is correct. You got to read the books, it's all in there. As for the Ammy being shattered causing this, it is speculation, but it has a solid foundation from what is understood with the books and what has been going on in the last portions of the 3rd era.

[Shianne Donato]

In that case, someone should edit the wiki, which says "[Akatosh] is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place; after his establishment, other spirits found the process of being easier and the various pantheons of the world emerged."

At the very least, the inaccuracy of the general perception of Akatosh should be noted.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Akatosh

Correcting the blasphemous orthodoxy of the uesp would be an arduous edit war that ultimately few of our forumites have the time or patience to fight. They are possessed by falsehoods, lies of a previous age, and fan-fiction. For many, it is easier to guide to the Imperial library then to wage war on the UESP and their folly.

in short, wiki edit wars are a pain in the ass, and the people who run the site probably also believe the lore innacuracies in the UESP's articles.

[Jani Eayon]

I'm banking that I'm the Alduin.

GStaff asked me in my modders interview what I'd like to see in the next elder scrolls game, and I answered with "a quest called throttlekitty wins a million dollars". I figure by now they're just one-upping it.