Myths in TES are never without basis.
And we all know Nords (or proto-Nords, right?) came from Atmora to Tamriell - it's just that there were men in Tamriell allready that's the "new" version.
I'm sorry if I come of as nit-picky, I just want to clarify for people reading the thread.

Something someone said struck me as odd, when they spoke of the Wild Elves, transforming, birds, etc.

It made me think -

The elven armour and ayelid artifacts: They represent birds in almost every feature. Every piece of the armour set and weaponry set has a bird/eagle on it. Or, at least, that is what I see when I study the images/etc.


Of course I am by no means saying this is what the author of previous stated sources are referring to this. I am simply pondering - What if it was the "Wild Elves" or perhaps a more "ancient" version of them the author(s) saw, who, infact, could transform into birds.'' (Since it seems people are questioning the location of the W.E. during those specific times of the author.)

It just seems odd to me the Wild Elves themselves, and Elves, as well, have so many items and etc which resemble and reflect an eagle. (I think I remember reading somewhere the elven armour in OB is created/modeled after the Wild Elves')

BTW, after reading all of this, do please make a note that I am extremely tired and cannot form complete thoughts. So, wait, I just did, didn't I? Ah, anyways... Forgive my ignorance and lack of coherence.

http://www.imperial-library.info/fsg/prowelerarticle3.shtml. The article was linked to in the very first answer of the thread. In short, the bird symbolise (the ascension to) Aetherius, and thus, the gods - Auriel in particular. That is what the armour/weaponry/art represents.

And by the way, Wild Elves does not equal Ayleid, even though they "technically" are Ayleid. The people who built the ruins, and ruled Cyrodiil, were Heartland High Elf-Ayleid, not Wild Elf-Ayleid. Wild elves are the remains of that civilization - as was sated earlier in the thread, "Ayleid gone feral".
"Ancient" Wild Elves would therefore be Heartland High Elves.

Of course, what is interesting with the "birdmen" is the connections you can make to later, Ayleid, symbolism. If we combine the elven belief that they come from the gods, and the bird symbolism, with the fact that the islands are described more or less Paradisial in the text, you can easily find some intriguing results. A bit far fetched, however, since we doesn't really have any other, more reliable, sources.
And then there's the thing about the "birdmen" being described as stereotyped "natives", "uncivilized", and so forth - less "intelligent" than the Elves, if you wish. It doesn't go well with the "missing link to the gods"-stuff.

edit: I completely forgot where I was going with that stuff while writing, it seems. Aah well, too late now..

Infamous D&D "Rod of Seven Parts" adventure rip off, if you ask me.

I can't fathom how the Song of Pelinal and the Nu-Mantia Intercept could possibly be boring when compared to a world populated by only the descendants of Vikings, Noldor, and trash mobs.

Hrmm...a world of Noldor...Will Melkor make a return?

Please don?t attack the Silmarilion... just don?t

fanboyism?

I'm a Silmarillion fan, but I prefer it when it stays at home.

Damnit, Paws, stop stealing my thunder! I was gonna explain.



Well, maybe if that was all there was to the model, that'd be true. But, contrary to what Gez said offhand, the old myths (particularly that of Aldmeris) were not dismissed out of hand as irrelevant but, rather, were given a new relevance as symbolic metaphors for the nature of Creation in the fictional universe. Given the way that myth is a reality in Tamriel, this lends those myths extra importance.

So, instead of representing a long-lost landmass, Aldmeris has come to represent the former cultural unity of the elves -- a time when they all had the same worldview. Thus, the splitting of Aldmeris was the cultural split that lead to the creation of individual cultures and worldviews between various groups of Elves that, in turn, led to the creation of polydox constructs (or Towers) that utilized raw creatia from the Aether in order to make those cultural worldviews a tangible physical reality.

This all being significantly more interesting than Atlantis and Vikings.

Sources:

http://www.imperial-library.info/obscure_text/nu-hatta_nu-mantia.shtml
http://www.gamesas.com/bgsforums/index.php?showtopic=482103&st=120

As a Altmer voice-acted by Vin Disel wearing the generic necro robe? hell-[censored]-yes.

but anyways, yea, as much as i love the silmarillion, and i do, generic elfs dont have a place in TES. it may have been cool and original for Tolkein, but its been overdone and has become a cliche for fantasy.

the lady speaks the TRUTH.

Mer are no more "elves" than the Dwemer were "dwarves". That's how it should be.

Tolkein's awesome, but if I want a Tolkeinesque setting, I'll play Greyhawk... with dice. D&D belongs on the table, not on my computer screen.

And speaking of D&D and generic elves... The moment that dunmer become drow, I'm leaving. LOL. (yes, I'm aware that pre-MK they weren't really that different. it's a joke.)

Bedamn the writers...I wish there was more on these Feathered Folk. Ancient texts of theirs, that they wrote with their feet? Something?

This is simply too tasty a morsel to gobble at the moment. I pray that more comes to light.





Quick thought, but can anyone else imagine a Sylvester and Tweety moment for the Khajiti and the Feathered Folk? I can't get that out of my head now.

I think your on to something

Dose anyone remember the story of the english men who sailed to america, but couldent make it though the winter but the nice red indians helped them survive though it by giving them shelter,food,drink.

I belive this the same thing. I belive Tople and his crew sailed to the imperial island, but had no food, shelter or anything to help them survive. So the nice bird folk gave them shelter, food and helped them in their time of need. Later on the birds are gone. Prehapes the kajjit or the tople's crew killed them, i dont know, But they rememberd their kindness.

Later on tople's people become the alyieds, and in respect to the race that helped them survive they built them statues and prehapes even worshipped them like gods. As aylied culture expanded they used the theam of birds on loads of things e.g. Armor, bulidings, wepons and so on.

so in conclution i belive that the bird people were a primitive culture that helped the early aylieds in their time of need, so the aylieds gave tribute to them by building statues in there honor. Over time the meaning of the statues was forgotten so the aylied's worshipped them as gods. And thats why aylied culture revolved around feathered men .

Well thats my two cents please read though it and tell me what you think :spotted owl:

P.S. sorry for bad spelling and grammer its very late :snoring: