#the aedra

[the-college-of-whispers]

I was wondering if you had any ideas for how one could approach worshipping the Aedra. Since we don't have as much information on them in the lore as the Daedric Princes + they're canonically nerfed because of cosmology stuff, I seem to be having trouble connecting with them despite wanting to incorporate them into my practice.

Do you have any tips or ideas?

First thing's first, *slides my Aedra tag over to you*. Secondly... Man, I dunno. We may not get as much lore on them as we do with the Daedric Princes, but they're worshiped more than the Daedric Princes in-universe. They play key roles in the creation of Nirn/Mundus depending on the religion, and there's so much freaking lore to these guys.

If in-universe research and worship don't appeal to you, perhaps you could look at similar deities in our world's religions? For instance, Mara is a goddess of agriculture, fertility, and love. While a lot of people would look at that last one and take a cue from Aphrodite's worship, I would personally look at Demeter instead. Julianos, meanwhile, might draw from the worship of Athena and Apollo for a base. (I am using Greek gods as an example because my primary background is in the Greek pantheons.) It all depends on how much effort you wanna put in on the ground floor and how willing you are to change on the go.

I don't know how much you usually feel the presence of deities, but I'm a person who struggles with that sort of thing. So instead, I just kind of...trust that the deities I call out to are there. Gotta have a little faith and belief in my beliefs, ya know?

Anyway, I hope this gives you a place to start, anon!

~Jasper

[vaerminasteponme]

The daedra being the Elder Scrolls pagan gods is so funny to me, cause they are part of the same pantheon as the Divines. They are all Original Spirits. They are depicted as evil when like that’s not really what they are about, don’t get it twisted they do some evil stuff, but they also have a capacity for good. They are just the extremes of the ideals they embody, like the divines. The Dibellan arts can be depicted as vulgar and overly sexual but that’s what Dibella is about, she is beauty and sex and desire in its purest form. Some cultures even conflate the deities. The Forsworn see Mara and Namira as the same goddess and in a way they aren’t even far off. Mara is the Goddess of love and Namira is the goddess of revulsion but they both exhibit a desire to embrace those shunned by society. Mara wants them to be changed by love while Namira wants them to be consumed by it. Honestly I don’t even think there is a right answer, at least not if they are looked at figuratively.

Mara wants people to become their best selves from love and views it as transformational, love is something to be projected outward onto others. Namira turns love inwards, an unconditional love for the self. If we take the cult of Namira as a figurative example they represent people who have to ‘wear a mask’ to fit into society. To be themselves would be to face ridicule and even danger. There are a lot of examples of disenfranchised people who fit this role, queer people, nonwhite groups that follow different cultural norms or even express their ties to their native culture and people who are neurodivergent. More than this Namira is excepting of all the wretched and unsightly of the world in Tamriel. She embraces people because of their imperfections and differences.

Tl:dr Mara can be interpreted as radical love and tolerance being externalizer and Namira represents radical love and acceptance of the self. They are two sides of the same coin and equally important.

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

If we’re in trouble, just throw a Dragonborn at the problem and hope for the best.

Akatosh, often, definitely

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Talos

Concept art for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Art by Ray Lederer

[arcturite]

Suggestober 3: Meridia vs Kyne

“One rained forever because he was gone. One said, no I will wait until he comes back”

[iamnotshazam]

Dipping my toes into Elder Scrolls lore for the first time: we know about Meridia and the Magna-Ge, yeah, but I feel like Azura has - or had - something to do with Akatosh/Auri-El.

He's literally Time incarnate. Azura gives prophecies. She's also Lady of Dawn and Dusk, and her symbols are a moon and star. The star - and her literal Star item - has pointed rays that could just as easily be a sun design. The Snow Elves worshipped Auri-El in Skyrim with a heavy sun theme. In Morrowind, the Nine Divines are implied to be cool with her major goals at that point, or at least cool with the idea of a Nerevarine enough to show up in person (?) along the way in side quests.

Then I just looked up her role in the Khajiit religion, in which she literally has Auri-El's role cutting the heart from Lorkhan.

Does anyone know . . . what her deal is?

[shapelytimber]

A Taste of Faith

[PRINT] - [COMMISSIONS]

Ok so the concept for this piece was : historical gay nuns, and 70s lesbian vampire movies meets tes (don't ask me why- I just had a vision at 3 am)

Because I think Serana should have been meaner<3 I love women's wrongs and when vampires do the suck <3

Btw of you want to see more gay Serana art, go check out @gay-of-waterdeep, their art is wonderful, and I can't say this was not a bit inspired by what they do :))

Process (and me rambling about some of my favorite 70s lesbian vampire movies (because I have a problem)) below vvv

Additional details about this drawing ! 1) I used the same Mara design than the one from my tarot deck :)) and 2) the other woman is one of the priestess in the temple in Riften lglggigkglgl her name is *check wiki* Dinya Balu

And now......... Some movies I enjoy because my house my rules, you came this far so why not hear about niche european movies :))))))

Disclaimer for a majority of the films in this genre : the male gaze is very fucking obvious in these movies... they were made by men for men, and the message is often "lesbianism is a dangerous temptation for women". It's a glairing flaw nearly all of them share and that sucks (and frankly it's a flaw Serana's writting kinda has in my opinion, minus the lesbianism part, but let's not dwell on that)- so if you can't get past it, it's completly understandable, be on your way and have a nice day <3

- Daughters of Darkness ! A toxic man is returning to london with his newly wed wife, but they get stuck in Belgium and are forced to stay in a luxurious hotel. Don't worry about the 10/10 smokeshow countess seducing his wife :). Completely unrelated, this movie has, in my opinion, the most beautiful lesbian kiss I've ever seen- but I might not be very objective because Delphine Seyrig is there lglglflflllglm The best one in the list ! So if you want to whatch one, whatch this one <3

- The blood spattered bride ! This is more of... an aquired taste let's say- but I really like it ! A quite effective horror movie, with goofy ass scenes (shoutout to the vampire lady buried in the sand naked with only a diving mask that is not the screenshot because tits), and emasculation being a recuring theme <3 (but if you want to watch it, please check the content warnings beforehand, it has a lot of very shocking and frontal scenes, and it's the 70s so it's not done very tactfully. Also pretty intense flashing lights)

- The vampire lovers ! Ok so this one is a lot less fun compared to the other two because it's made by the Hammer BUT... 1) Ingrid Pitt hello and 2) it's such a intriging thing to see a very christian/conservative studio make a film like that. I know a lot of people don't like the Hammer movies from the 70s, because the studio had a lot less money, and were making wild decisions. But I love them, because they tend to be much more fun bloody and sexy ! I'm a simple woman mjllkklhkhlhlho case in point with the vampire lovers (although if you want a fun vampire hammer movie from the 70s, Dracula ad 1972 is way better). And Peter Cushing is there (i love this man so much-) !

And now I shall resume my quest to find Vampire Lesbos by Jésus Franco and have a probably mid experience watching it xoxo

[a5tr0n0m1cal]

Just trying to admire my new character and then I got possessed 😔🙏

[helga-ackerman]

💒 Mara is a goddess of the Nine Divines. She is also known as Mother-Goddess and Goddess of Love.

Mara says: Live soberly and peacefully. Honor your parents, and preserve the peace and security of home and family.

[alonetogether]

how i look clicking on yet another page on the elder scrolls wiki knowing fine well i know all this shit already

[coyote-ralyn]

Dibella❤

[the-college-of-whispers]

Daedra, Divine, and Undeath

by Palel Jorian, Necromancy Master of the College of Whispers and Fasti Silver-Tongue, Scholar of the College of Whispers

It is very much worth noting that being undead is generally frowned upon in wider Tamriellic society, regardless of whether you’re a shambling zombie, a flesh-less skeleton, or a suave vampire. There are a rare few post-expired persons who have been able to blend more seamlessly into society.

Having said that, most of the Eight Divines are very anti-undead – or, in some cases, more specific in their detestation. There are also many fascinating notes about the undead when compared to different Daedric Princes. This paper hopes to shine light on such a dark topic.

Molag Bal, as the originator of vampirism, is naturally noted as very pro-undead. Beyond being the Daedric Prince of Domination and Rape and the Father of Vampires, he is also the patron of the Order of the Black Worm, an order that wields necromancy in his name. This cult was once led by the Aldmer lich known as Mannimarco, who has also been worshiped as a god (though whether or not he was is a matter of great debate).

An unexpected entry is the Daedric Prince Sheogorath. Despite not being traditionally associated with necromancy, it has been documented that his Gatekeeper of the Fringe – a series of gigantic guardians that protect the Gates of Madness in Sheogorath’s realm of the Shivering Isles – is a powerful undead known as a Flesh Atronach.

The Daedric Prince Sanguine appears in this list of pro-undead Daedra, but only in the form of the Khajiiti god Sangiin. The Blood Cat, as he is known, was the one that gave vampirism to the Khajiit as a form of temptation. Khajiiti vampire clans worship Sanguine as the giver of their dark natures.

Namira, Daedric Prince of Ancient Darkness and the Lady of Decay, has been historically known to favor vampires. It’s unknown if she has any further connection to the undead of Nirn beyond that.

Clavicus Vile is the Daedric Prince of Trickery and Bargains. It is said that he fulfilled a deal with vampires to help them blend into society better. There is also a story of him turning a tribe of Kothringi into undead and has “cured” vampire worshipers (with death). It’s pretty ambiguous about whether or not he cares about the undead just because they’re undead – rather, the interest seems to be in the usual thing he worries about, that being how he can make a deal that he wins in the end.

Similarly, Hircine has been known to use undeath as a revenge curse. The Daedric Prince of the Hunt is believed to be connected to the Noxiphilic Sanguivora strain of vampirism, but this theory originates from a piece of fiction known as “Seventeen Tastes of Infamy” and was popularized by Cinna Scholasticus, who is infamous for his sensationalism.

Finally among the ambiguous Daedric Princes is Peryite, the Daedric Prince of Natural Order and Pestilence. A recipe for summoning incense includes vampire dust. It’s unknown if this is because he favors vampires as the spreaders of disease or dislikes them for another reason.

Continuing the theme of Daedric Princes but pivoting into the list of gods that detest the undead, we have Meridia, the Prince of Life and Lady of Light. She has a well-documented hatred of the undead and is known to give the Daedric Artifact Dawnbreaker to mortals to vanquish the undead in her name. She is also the patron of the Purified, immortals (or undead, it’s very unclear) who serve her unquestioningly to carry out her will.

Azura, Daedric Prince of Dusk and Dawn and the Goddess of Twilight, has historically had her vampirism-afflicted followers killed to bring them the peace of death.

Finally, Vaermina (the Prince of Dreams and Nightmares) has ordered liches killed and is rumored to have a cure for vampirism. Admittedly this report comes from barely-preserved records of the Nerevarine in 3E 427 and is severely lacking in detail.

None of the Eight Divines are known to favor the undead, and four specifically detest the undead: Arkay, Dibella, Stendarr, and Zenithar.

Arkay is the God of the Cycle of Brith and Death whose priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and the undead alike. The teachings of Dibella, Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Affection, agree with the teachings of Arkay that vampires have impure spirits, and discourages love between the living and the undead.

Stendarr’s faithful are known to hunt down four Abominations defined by Vinicius Imbrex, Archbishop of Chorrol between 1E 1051 and 1E 1087. These four Abominations are the Daedra, lycanthropes, the undead, and vampires (despite vampires already being covered by the category of “undead”). The history of Stendarr’s faithful and their battles with these four Abominations is as long and bloody as the rest of Tamriel’s history.

To a far lesser extent than the other Divines, the God of Work and Commerce, Zenithar, is also put in the position of being anti-undead. He is attributed the Mace of the Crusader (also known as the Mace of Zenithar). This Crusader’s Relic is known to turn the undead and make them flee battle for a short period of time. No further information about Zenithar’s teachings on the undead are available to the College of Whispers at this time.

While we here at the College of Whispers do not outlaw the study of necromancy or the act of being undead, it’s very important to choose a patron wisely, if you must deal with the Daedric Princes and the Eight Divines.

Sources

UESP Lore pages on the following Daedric Princes:

Azura

Clavicus Vile

Hircine

Meridia

Molag Bal

Namira

Peryite

Sanguine

Vaermina

UESP Lore pages on the following Divines:

Arkay

Dibella

Stendarr

Zenithar

Other UESP Lore pages:

Crusader's Relics

Gatekeeper of the Fringe

Mannimarco

Necromancy

Order of the Black Worm

The Four Abominations

[mywitchcultblr]

Akatosh when his other children *breathe*

Akatosh when the last dragonborn wreck havoc

[nerevar-quote-and-star]

Alduin: How can you find what you make annoying? You made it.

The Last Dragonborn: Akatosh made you and he finds you annoying.

Paarthurnax: *chokes on his mushrooms*

[elderscrollsconceptart]

Remember, TES religion isn't like reality.

There are very very real tangible dangers of pleasing aedra/daedra and there are very real *benefits* as well.

Essentially, this isn't a popularity poll! Please consider your answer honestly and carefully!

Winner of this poll will influence the next poll topic.

[devout-of-the-elder-scrolls]

Kynareth Quick Start Guide

A guide for beginning with Kynareth, intended to help you begin your practice, but not to serve as the only information you use.

Keep in mind most of this post is UPG versus just based on the fictional canon, based on my personal experiences with this entity. It may directly contrast fictional canon and the experiences of others.

KYNARETH

kin-ah-reth aka. Kyne ◦ Kaan ◦ Kin ◦ Khenarthi ◦ Tava kigh-nn ◦ kah-nn ◦ kin ◦ kay-narr-thee ◦ tah-vah prns. she domain. The Holy Roost date. May 23rd

Kynareth is mostly known as the Goddess of the Elements and Nature. Though, She is also the patron of travelers, of sailors, and of so many more people. 

She can function as the Chief Goddess of the Nine Divines, albeit She is not equal to Akatosh. She is simply very, very important, especially to the Nords. 

Within Nordic tradition, as Kyne (or Kaan within Dovahzul) She is depicted as the Sister Hawk, is the widow of Shor, the Blessed Warrior-Wife, and a favored god of warriors. She’s one of the Hearth Gods, and considered the Chief Deity of the Nordic pantheon. Kyne is known as the Mother of Men and Beasts, as Nords believe the sky exhaled onto the land at the Throat of the World to form them; and as the Kiss at the End, as it’s believed She leads their dead to Sovngarde.

Within Khajiiti tradition, Khenarthi is the most powerful of the Sky Spirits. It’s Khenarthi who guides their soul to Azurah for judgment, or to Llew’er, the Sands Behind The Stars. It will be Her clarion call that will summon the eternal united spirit of all Khajiit to defend creation at the end of time. She’s most often depicted as a great hawk.

Within Redguard tradition, Tava has dominion over the elements of the sun and storm, except for the stars who belong to Ruptga. She led the Yokudans, early Redguards, to the isle of Herne after the destruction of their homeland. The redtail hawk is sacred to Tava, as is the goshawk.

🜚 terms of respect . . .

Term – Goddess Prefix – Lady • Queen Titles – Lady of Nature • Queen of the Elements • Patron of the Travelers • Mother of Men and Beasts • Kiss at the End • Sister Hawk • God of Winds • Gatherer of Waters • the Elder Spirit of the Heavens • Widow of Shor • Mother of Nords

🜲 rulerships . . . the sky and heavens • the winds • the elements • the unseen spirits of the air • rain, storms, and other weather • the sea • good fortune • sailors • travelers • the verbal craft • sun • warriors . . . HELPS WITH . . . ptsd and trauma • watching over and guiding warriors

🝰 commandments . . .

Use Nature’s gifts wisely. Respect her power, and fear her fury.

⛯ main tarot cards & other signs and associations . . .

Tarot Cards — 

II the High Priestess • III the Empress • VII the Chariot • IX the Hermit • X Wheel of Fortune • XII the Hanged Man • XIV Temperance • XXI the World

II of Cups • IV of Cups • VI of Cups • X of Cups

II of Swords • IV of Swords • VI of Swords • King of Swords

VI of Pentacles • VII of Pentacles • IX of Pentacles

III of Wands • Page of Wands

Other Signs & Associations — 

large, tall trees • natural materials • friendly animals, esp if they’re wild or feral

birds

❂ devotional acts . . .

go exist in nature for a little bit. it doesn’t have to be grand, sometimes it’s just your backyard! 

keep and tend to bird feeders, bird baths, etc. squirrel feeders too

cloud gaze, perform divination with the clouds

wear Her amulet

take a bath or shower

understand how nature is within everything, and utilize nature in everything

cook with fresh food

doodle a little birdie

meditate in nature

sit out in the rain (be safe!)

drink sterilized rain water

talk to Her while out in nature

bird-watch

collect feathers (check for mites and etc!)

make a pendulum with a rock / gemstone or use a pendulum with a rock / gemstone

protect nature

donate to nature preservation efforts

donate to zoos

visit a zoo and learn as much as you can about the animals there

pick an animal and study it

watch nature documentaries

devote travel time to Her

. . . offerings ❦

↘ natural ; 

rainwater or stormwater

leaves from plants

naturally felled branches

bird feathers

birds of paradise flowers

opal

↘ foodstuff ; 

freshly cooked meals

any fruits and/or vegetables

beef

oranges

apples

Note: Not a big fan of sweets or sours.

↘ items ; 

bird iconography

windchimes

fake feathers

ornate cups

those little… bird water things?

↘ music ; 

melodic music

things with bird sounds in it

↘ etc ; 

anything collected from nature

the sound of falling rain

sky blue candle

🜾 altar building . . .

This is all suggestions. Please build it however you can, if a physical altar is even possible.

As always, you can use offering items to build an altar.

near a window. open it often for Her

a windchime. make sure it’s hanging and the wind can push it

fake pine garland

a bird statue of some form

a small bowl / cup to hold rainwater / stormwater

🝊 identity . . .

Kynareth is a gentle but commanding force. She shows kindness and sweetness, though has great power and rage that She will show if properly provoked. She is much like nature itself, having a very multifaceted identity, representing all ways that nature can be. 

She can be nurturing and protective, She can be destructive and cruel, She has great power and has earned a certain amount of healthy, respecting fear.

Kynareth usually presents Herself as a tall woman, with long brown hair with bright, grassy green eyes. She dresses in either long, flowy dresses which move like water; or in clothes more befitting for a hike or travel through woodlands.

Kynareth has a middle-pitch feminine voice, and She speaks very strongly and with powerful, grand cadence and tone. She speaks with authority, properly encouraging all to listen to Her and abide by Her.

☘ aspects . . .

. . . Kyne / Nordic ] Kyne is the Chief Goddess of the Nords, especially said to control the storms – rain and wind – even when it brings misery. She leads the dead to Sovngarde, the Warriors afterlife. She also has the power of thu’um, the storm voice – having either taught it to the Nords herself, sent her “daughters” to do so, or sent Paarthurnax to do so. Totemically, She is the Great Hawk. Nords refer to themselves as the “sons and daughters of Kyne”.  Some Nords see Kynareth as a “pale shadow” of Kyne, whereas others do believe Kyne and Kynareth are one and the same.  They also see Mara as Kyne’s handmaiden.

. . . Khenarthi / Khajiiti ] This aspect is specific to the Khajiit people. Born to the first litter of Anhurr and Fadomai, alongside Alkosh, Mara, Magrus, and S’rendarr.  She is responsible for finding the pieces of Alkosh in the event of a dragon break, piecing Him back together. Khenarthi is also seen as a hawk.

. . . Tava / Redguard ] Not much is known, other than this aspect is especially related to sailors and protecting them.

☉ domain . . .

The Holy Roost is Kynareth’s domain, being full of trees and a broad expanse of sky. 

It is welcome and open to all who wish to visit.

⛮ working with . . .

Kynareth is often treated like a “lord” above you, sometimes as a teacher and sometimes even as an Empress, depending on who is worshiping Her.

She is not very keen on being pampered, preferring to more be a casual part of your life. 

Working with Kynareth often involves and includes the honoring of nature and living well alongside nature.

She doesn’t actually request that much being given Her way, as long us followers are still devout to Her and provide nature its proper reverence. While you are still called to give some, it’s nowhere near as much as the others.

The benefits of working with Kyne are that She will guide your hand lovingly and with great respect towards you and for you. She is a very giving woman, who believes that natures bounty should be shared by all. 

However, should one happen to earn Kaan’s ire, which isn’t that easy of a task, She is a blaze of fury. Khenarthi will stop at nothing to deliver a just punishment upon the follower, and will only settle once a lesson has been learned.

Things that slight Kynareth:

disobeying Her commandments

disrespecting nature and animals

using your words for harm on purpose

⚜ holidays & festivals . . .

May 23rd is Kynareth’s day.

My preferred ritual is to greet the morning at dawn by sitting outside with Her. I spend most of the day with our windows open if the weather allows for it, welcoming Her and nature into my day.

♡ prayers . . .

⛤ 01 . . . O Kynareth, blessed be, You of nature and of the Thu’um. I welcome You and Your voice into me and my life, to guide me and nurture me.

⛤ 02 . . . Great Kynareth, great Kyne and Khenarthi and Tava, Goddess of the Storm and of the Rain, of the Thu’um and of the sky, I call upon You now, to join me in this moment, (for Your aid on xyz).

⛤ 03 . . . Blessed Kynareth! Great Kynareth!  I profess now my love and my adoration for You! You, wonderful Kynareth, lady Kynareth!

⛤ 04 . . . Lady of Nature, Queen of the Elements, powerful Kynareth. I ask of You now, humbly and sweetly, for (xyz).

⛤ 05 . . . O Kynareth, please bless my journey. I have need of Your kindness and of Your love for me.

⚿ evoking, invoking, summoning . . .

EVOKATION &&° 

wear loose clothing that the wind can move

leaf patterns

feather jewelry (note: be respectful of Native Cultures in doing so)

— ☆ — 

Things in [] are for making it a summoning.

WHY AND WHEN &&° 

when you’re about to travel a long distance

when you’re wanting to connect more with nature

INGREDIENTS AND OTHER TOOLS &&° 

blue candle, [with a bird carved into it. the v shaped birds count]

bird feathers (fake count)

[opal]

[apple]

IDEALS &&° 

Time – anytime

Location – near a window

STEPS &&° 

[Carve the bird into the candle.]

Dress the area around your candle with the feathers [and opal].

Light the candle.

Say the following while offering the apple: Lady Kynareth, Great Kyne, Khenarthi, and Tava, I call upon You here and now, to join me in this moment. I welcome You into my home and into my space.

Say or do whatever it is you have to do.

Blow out the candle.

NOTES &&° 

Kynareth comes pretty quickly once She notices you even lighting the candle.

𝌁 other vettable information . . .

When meditating on Her presence and name, Kynareth brings:

visions of: birds • falling feathers

smells of: freshly cooked food

sounds of: flapping wings

feelings of: intense wind

❡ notes . . .

Kynareth is best revered outside, by an open window, or by something from nature such as houseplants.