I have realized something for a while. Here is the Dragonborn, the Dragon of the North (Ysmir), the chosen one of Akatosh, and the one who can take a dragon's soul....TAKE a dragon's soul. The fact that he/she can do this, and use the souls to unlock shouts....the Dragonborn is a LIVING SOUL GEM.

Did anyone ever think or realize this?!?!?

The act of using a soul to unlock a shout is a game mechanic. In actuality, the absorption of the soul is more like Highlander, where the absorber gains the others knowledge and memories.

I say this because using dragon souls to unlock shouts is awfully similar to using soul gems to enchant weapons. And using soul snare spells/weapons to absorb an individual's soul into a soul gem is like the Dragonborn defeating a dragon and absorbing THEIR soul.

When the game was released a number of people pointed out that the DB was like a soul gem in a way. Personally I think it's more like the DB collected knowledge from the soul, by "expending" the soul they gain knowledge of the Dragon's voice.

Like I said, the act of unlocking a shout with a soul is 100% pure game mechanics.

Realistically, the dragonborn is absorbing the dragons knowledge and memories. Upon reaching a word wall, you see the word and basically think, "Do I know what this word means?" If so, bam, a new shout. Of not, the dragonborn just remembers the word till he absorbs a new soul. There is no "Unlocking" to be had here, just memory collection and word association in the Dragonborns head.

Example. If I tell you the word "blippityboppityglooper", you have no idea what it means. Then, later on, you read in a book that the word meas "Tacos are yummy and everyone should love tacos", you now know what the word "blippityboppityglooper" means, and can use it in your conversations properly.

You know, the mechanic is pretty illogical. A flame dragon knows three words of flaming insult, yet we will still have to find the words for those.

I have a feeling the current mechanic either isn't the best idea or the lore needs to be updated about the whole absorption thing