I'm not talking about the contention over magic balance in Skyrim (that's another matter entirely). What I'm asking is why do Nords seem to fear and revile mages in Skyrim?

Or to put it in other terms: why is it considered better to fell your opponent with a melee weapon than a "witch weapon" (as one book puts it)?

Nords are proud people. And sometimes a bit nationalist,puritan,conservative guys.
Do you know that for centuries Japanese ignored gunpowder guns and only used swords because they thought guns where for cowards ?
Well,Nords ignore magic and only use swords because they think magic is for cowards.

By that anology the Nords should be getting their ass handed to them by a magic wielding race sometime soon, if the Japanese are anything to go by...oh right the Thalmor...

But the Nords do have magic just they do not trust what they would probably call witchy magic. They like shout magic though. Or dragon magic in a basic sense.

MINOR PEDANTRY: The Japanese adopted firearms almost immediately after the Portuguese introduced them in the islands in the 16th century.

Anyways, the magical arts as taught by the College of Winterhold and the Jarl's Court-mages is Merrish in origin. And of course, all red-blooded, non-milk-drinking nords worth their girth in salted horker meat despise all things Elven.

Whereas Thu'um is practically a sacrament to them.

Also the Great Collapse thing would probably have a little to do with it.

Winterhold used to be a bustling city, a real gem of Skyrim... until The Great Collapse. It's hardly not even a town anymore, just the college, an inn, and a grumpy jarl, who isn't doing much.

Magic is for the elven pansies. Damned elves and their pansiness.

It's mentioned that the Oblivion Crisis, the Great Collapse, and then the Great War all contributed to the Nords' dislike for magic.

Fix'd.

Is it just the Nords that are stuck up about sorcery? The Imperials and Dunmer certainly didn't seem too bothered by magicka.

They can be perhaps a little too caveman-like when it comes to Magika but use your Thu'um around a Nord and they'll practically look up to you like your Royalty.

Edit: Formatting problems

^^

Redguards don't like magic either.

There is honor in taking down a opponent with the strength of your arm, rather than utilizing the petty magic of the Mer. The Thu'um is a different story. There's something a little more manly about shouting to the heavens commanding nature to bend to your will rather than waving your arms like your doing some stupid dance, or spending your time reading books when you could be smashing some faces in (Preferably Merrish). Redguards aren't too fond of magic either (possibly worse than the Nords). I remember running into a place where one Redguard told his daughter "Magic is for Daedra worshipers." Imperials overall are pretty accepting to a lot of things, so its not something they'd make a big deal out of.

Edit: Almost forgot about enchantments. To me it would seem like a easy way out of a fight, but according to a mage over at the college Nords don't seem to mind it so much.

Because enchantments bring more smashy smash, and lots of fabled items are also enchanted with great power.

Trayvond got it down pat. If you use magic, you're either weak or evil. A puppymuscled spellsvcker under a voidlord's sway. Though, I also think the Nords have had a long history focused on war and survival and elf-hate, so there's some explanation.

Then again, it could go the same backwards. Honor is for fools stuck up on appearances, too blind to see the knife at their back.

(As for dunmer, talk about the dead, and they become grammarnazis on what is and isn't necromancy. They categorize their bad magicks. They've got their own flavor of magehate, just like everyone else. Granted, Dunmer invented paranoia.)

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edit, clarity.

Like http://uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Wuuthrad*cough*.

I'd think the Nords should be expected to hate mages, considering that they're constantly cursing them and stripping them naked, if Morrowind is any indication.

Yet another missed opportunity in the radiant story mechanic.

There seem to be a fair number of references to Nord mages. It's not that Nords particularly hate mages, it's just less common. The College of Winterhold had a reputation for being a center for magical research before TES V. The study of magic seems to have begun with the Altmer, to have been formalized with the Psijic Order, and to have been popularized by the Mages Guild in the Third Era, which reached throughout Tamriel. Basically, Skyrim is the farthest point on the trip out from Artaeum.

The Nords still don't fancy it as much as say, a warrior. Its more like a father wanting his son to go and join the football team, but the kid opts to play chess when we talk about Nordic mages. They do encourage the use of the school of restoration, for its obvious benefits (Curing diseases and healing wounded soldiers.) while revile the other ones. I think Necromancy is pretty high on the list, especially if one decides take their ancestors bodies for their own devious purposes. For the College of Winterhold, the Nords aren't exactly thrilled with it being around. Hell, some are just waiting for them to blow themselves up, and what remains of Winterhold with them.

Im wondering if the nords were okay with magic in the past because in the college of winterhold questline they mention the nords using special magic on their burials, perhaps they used magic somewhat and were okay with it until they met the elves and wanted to establish a completely opposite identity then them.

That sounds about right. It fits with the story of Odmund at the College of Winterhold, for instance.

Somewhat off-topic:

So it's just a matter of leftover tradition?

As I have understood it, it isn't magic in general since the nords seem to respect healers and have little against destuctionists(based on the banter and reactions in Skyrim), but they are very distrustful of manipulating minds, trafficing with daedra, raising the dead and temper with souls.
I think this might be because healing is used to help people and destruction is used to deal with obsticles directly, wheras illusion and conjuration decive and disrespect. As you might have noticed I have no mentioned alteration and that is because I have no idea how they feel about it.

Semantinazis, qrsC, they'd be semantinazis.