mournholdlore

[mournholdlore]

I see I'm not the only one who's been temporarily kicked out of Tamriel...

Why Wise Women Take No Husbands

As dictated by Nimasi Almashi-nummu of the former Erabenimsun tribe

In the earliest days of time a Velothi tribe called Ch-papsi roamed Vvardenfell and all of Morrowind. In this time a Wise Woman was expected to take a husband and bear children for her tribe. So when a Ch-papsi huntress began to receive dreams from her ancestors, her Father and Ashkhan insisted she must marry. 

“Father,” said the huntress, “I will travel the land and I will find a husband who is worthy of my hand. If I am to marry it will be on my will only.” So the huntress took her three shield-maidens and set off to seek a spouse in the lands of the settled mer.

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[mournholdlore]

Greetings Muthsera, I am a Dunmer of the New Temple and a devout follower of the ancestor cults of my grandsires. I have reason to travel in an extended capacity beyond the borders of Morrowind and I intend to bring a small family shrine as I do not wish to forsake my daily religious practices. I have heard that many in the provinces of Cyrodiil and Skyrim do not look favorably on the Reclamations, and may view ancestor worship as necromancy. What resistance can I reasonably expect to encounter?

Five fold venerations, sera! 

First, allow me to say how happy I am that my little blog hasn’t yet been forgotten. My past year’s absence by order of the New Temple has been very difficult for me thanks to a long stay in a Blacklight dungeon, and it soothes my heart to not have been abandoned. 

Now, as for your question, the good news is that necromancy laws in Skyrim and Cyrodiil are far more lenient than you’ll be used to. It’s an open secret that necromancer covens dot the wilderness of these lands, and so long as they leave the tombs of the locals undisturbed they’re usually accepted and left alone. So, as long as you don’t go digging through any cemeteries and keep your practice to yourself, you should be left free of persecution. 

(I will, however, advise that you warn your ancestors that you intend to move their remains beforehand. I once heard a story of a young dunmer man who attempted to move his family shrine with him when he emigrated to Skyrim-- one of his ancestors was so offended at being relocated that she set about haunting the neighbors until she was sent her back to Morrowind. If any of your ancestors are renowned for killing Nords, it might be prudent to leave them behind and beg their forgiveness later.) 

As for the Reclamations (Blessed Be They Three)... tragically, most westerners are ignorant to the holy truths that Veloth (Praise Unto Him) once preached, and since the Oblivion Crisis (And The Downfall of the False Tribunal, Three Thousand Curses Upon Their Lying Hearts) daedra worship has been met with utmost hostility. While you may get away with revering Azura (Praise She Who Deposed The False Tribunal) in some parts of Skyrim, you’re likely to be confronted by the Vigilants of Stendarr if you make a grand show of your worship of the True and Holy Three. I would advise you to make your shrine to them innocuous, hiding as Mephala (Praise Unto the Cunning Web-Spinner) taught your kind, and use extreme caution in your worship of the Reclamtions (Benevolent and Exalted Are They). It would certainly make your journey a bit easier. 

Good luck, and safe travels! 

[mournholdlore]

Hello, followers! Sorry for the year-long absence. I ran into a bit of... trouble. But, now I’m back and happy to share with you the fruits of my research, regardless of any silly political drama. :-) Stay tuned! 

[mournholdlore]

A Treatise on Ulfric Stormcloak’s Murder of Skyrim’s High King

((credit to @cthonius and @penoffen for ideas; Senne belongs to @penoffen))

As all of you will know by now, Morrowind is my hearth and my home. But any true historian will occasionally be forced to turn their heads to other provinces, and pay attention to what is happening around us today-- for what is politics if not simply living history? 

Today I bring you something relating to the current Civil War in Skyrim. Graciously delivered to me courtesy of Senne the Poet, this document is a treatise on Ulfric Stormcloak’s murder of High King Torygg, allegedly distributed among the citizens of Windhelm. The author has since disappeared and most copies have been confiscated (my source denied to tell me how she procured this edition). It’s listed in full here: 

Look, I'm as much a Nord as any Nord's ever been. I grew up on a farm, I've done my share of sword-fighting, just last evening I picked up one of them grey-skins and tossed him right out the window during a brawl. But I ent so sure about this whole 'murdering the High King' thing everyone seems to be so proud of Jarl Ulfric for these days.

I heard it that Jarl Ulfric walked into Solitude and challenged High King Torygg for the crown. Then he just Shouted Torygg to bits! And everyone in Windhelm seems to reckon he's some big hero for doing it. Like he's returning us to our past traditions or something.

But the way I see it, he's gone against everything any true Nord should stand up for. Torygg was just a wee lad, not some Tongue from the First Era that's even worth conquering. The Imperials were the ones that stuck him on the throne in the first place. Look, maybe it ent right we got to be ruled by 'some Imperial pup' as he's been being called. But I don't understand why we're celebrating Jarl Ulfric for murdering someone who couldn't even defend himself. 'But Torygg let them outlaw Talos', I bet you'll be saying to yourself. I say to you, ent Stendarr the God of Mercy also a divine? Why didn't Ulfric show the kid some mercy? We all know you're allowed to do that in a duel. Torygg didn't have to die. He was MURDERED!

You know, my grandpa could use the thu'um. He trained with the greybeards for years and got real good at it. And I'll never forget what he told me when I asked to see him fight with it like the Tongues of old. He said: "The Voice ent meant for fighting, wee one. The Voice is meant for the glory of the Gods, and the glory of the Gods alone." I ask you, people of Skyrim, how's murdering a child done for the Glory of the Gods? Jurgen Wind-Caller would be shaking his head at all of you.

So my message to the people of Windhelm and all my brothers and sisters of Skyrim is this: Ulfric Stormcloak is a dishonourable man, a coward and a brute who killed a child in cold blood just to make a point. No true Nord would challenge someone to a fight they had no chance of winning, no true son or daughter of Skyrim would use his or her Voice like a tyrant. Ulfric Stormcloak is a disgrace to all our ancestors, and if you call yourself a Stormcloak, well, you're a disgrace to them too!

[mournholdlore]

Cloaks of Ashland by nadmoremtumana

[mournholdlore]

A fond hello to all my new followers! I’d like to remind you that I’m always open to questions and would be more than happy to tell you anything you wish to know. 

[mournholdlore]

i love your falmer ideas on communication because it got me thinking, physical contact is probably more intimate and different ways and places to touch have lots of different meaning and even the simplest thing could speak volumes. god. i love it

all the falmer have heightened senses too, so even the smallest brush can convey a LOT. anything from ‘wait here’ to 'chirs being attacked by a rogue chaurus reaver over in the slave pens’ can be communicated with just a few meaningful touches.

also, relationships are IMPORTANT. kinda like wolves, they need to stay very closely in tune with one another, to the point where they can estimate each other’s actions and reduce the need for direct communication. so during down time there’s a lot of bonding activity, tons of touching and cuddling, be it conversation or just good ol friendship

also names! falmer names are a single gesture, usually against a specific part of the body. a little like argonians, they usually call each other by what they’re most known for. a falmer name might translate to something like 'egg-brain’ or 'three-toes’.

vocal communication is considered immensely rude and threatening. grunting or hissing in falmer is a definitively aggressive act.

[mournholdlore]

Fishing with Sothas

Although it’s not uncommon for coastal Chimer villages to tide themselves over by fishing, how the mer of Ald Sotha go about it make them a true oddity. 

Fishing parties typically consist of fit young men and women who don’t show the House’s trademark aptitude for magic. At the commencement of a fishing trip, the mer will strip themselves of their clothes. They proceed to thoroughly cover their skin in a layer of dreugh wax. The wax insulates them and keeps their skin waterproof, allowing them to spend prolonged periods of time in the water. 

Next, these mer will don enchanted amulets that cast a constant waterbreathing spell upon themselves. Many also don swift-swim amulets. Aside from the amulets they equip goggles similar to those used in ashstorms. The only clothing worn is a loincloth in order to reduce physical burden.

Thus prepared, the mer pick up their spears or staffs and set out into the ocean. They ignore the shallow Ald Sotha lagoon and instead make the longer trip to the depths of the Inner Sea. These intrepid hunters will often spend several days underwater in pursuit of Inner Sea whales and have been known to travel as far as Kemel-ze before they return home with their generous catches in tow. 

Of course this pursuit is not without danger. Unwary fishermen often fall to the spears of the dreugh if they stray too close to the underwater citadels. Many regard the dreugh as little more than animals. Any mer of Ald Sotha will tell you better: the dreugh are as cunning as any Altmer and have been engaged in bloody strife with the Sotha clan since the days of Veloth. However, the allure of precious dreugh wax makes this challenge a tempting one, and so sometimes these fishermen can more aptly be described as guerrilla raiders. 

So, next time you feel like an aquatic dinner, consider paying a visit to Ald Sotha for a week or two. Perhaps you’ll even score some valuable dreugh wax as a souvenir. 

Note: This was originally part of a travel guide, probably of Telvanni origin, promoting various tourism sites among Vvardenfell. It was originally published in the early First Era. The work has been retranslated and reprinted several times since for historical reasons only; Ald Sotha was destroyed in 1E416 and the traditions described in this text were lost with House Sotha. This edition is printed in 3E401. Sotha Sil (Thrice Blessed Be He) could not be contacted for comment on the work. 

[mournholdlore]

A fond hello to all my new followers! I’d like to remind you that I’m always open to questions and would be more than happy to tell you anything you wish to know. 

[mournholdlore]

Why Wise Women Take No Husbands

As dictated by Nimasi Almashi-nummu of the former Erabenimsun tribe

In the earliest days of time a Velothi tribe called Ch-papsi roamed Vvardenfell and all of Morrowind. In this time a Wise Woman was expected to take a husband and bear children for her tribe. So when a Ch-papsi huntress began to receive dreams from her ancestors, her Father and Ashkhan insisted she must marry. 

“Father,” said the huntress, “I will travel the land and I will find a husband who is worthy of my hand. If I am to marry it will be on my will only.” So the huntress took her three shield-maidens and set off to seek a spouse in the lands of the settled mer.

Three months later the huntress and her shield-maidens returned, but they returned alone. Her father was outraged and asked where her husband was. The huntress told him: “I have married a spouse that I find worthy, but who cannot come to live among us, for their soul is often-changing like the dusk and dawn. I have married as you asked me and you cannot punish me for disobedience.”

But her father insisted that she must take another husband, and that this one must meet their tribe and know the people of Veloth. So the huntress set out once more with her shield-maidens, and three months later they returned, though they were again alone. Her father was again outraged, but the huntress said to him: “I have taken another spouse, as you commanded, who has traveled far and wide and in their travels has met the people of our tribe, and their memory lingers here like cobwebs in crates. I have taken a spouse familiar to our people and you cannot punish me for disobedience.” 

This time her father thought long and hard before he spoke. He told the huntress that she must take a husband known to the Velothi, and he must come with her, and live with their people until the end of her days, and provide her with many children. So once again the huntress and her three shield maidens set off. For three months, then six months, they did not return. But when nine months had passed the huntress and her shield-maidens returned. The huntress wore a suit of ebony armor, and wore a sword at her hip, but no husband stood at her side. Her father demanded explanation and she told him: “I have taken a warrior for a spouse. We fought together and bore many children in the form of deeds, and the memories we forged will remain with me until my death. I have taken a spouse that will live with my people and I to the end of my days and you cannot punish me for disobedience.”

“Daughter,” said the huntress’ father, “This cannot do. You are to be a wise woman, but here you act like a fool!” 

“It is you who is the fool, for you see not the wisdom in my words.” replied the huntress. The three shield-maidens removed their helms and they bore the likeness of the Three Good Daedra. “Here are the spouses I have taken, my Three Great Ancestors, whom the Wise should love and devote themselves to above any man. My first spouse is Azura, who teaches us the arts of Change so that we may move with the herds and live wherever we need. My second is Mephala, who shows us how to weave words for our own end, and how to linger unseen wherever we tread. My third is Boethiah, who honors deeds above words and action above tradition, and whom we must honor with every movement of our bones. I am to be a Wise Woman, so I have taken three spouses, but who may call wise a Velothi that places mortal matters before the wisdom of our Great Ancestors?” 

And so the huntress became the first true Wise Woman of the Velothi tribes, and soon all heard her sacred wisdom, and from that day on a Wise Woman never took a husband, and the father who forced his daughter to marriage was known for a fool. 

Note: This legend was taken from a member of the now extinct Erabenimsun tribe, one of the four Ashlander tribes of Vvardenfell. Despite what the tale would suggest, it seems to have originated no earlier than the late First Century, post-Tribunal. It should be noted that the custom for Wise Woman to remain without a spouse is by no means unanimous across all Ashlander tribes, or ever has been. This custom is most prominent among the Vvardenfell tribes, so it is my opinion that this legend is mainly restricted to those groups, though it would certainly be interesting to see whether similar tales could be found in Mainland tribes. 

[mournholdlore]

What do you know about Dunmer gem-lore? That is, the magical powers and legends attributed to precious stones.

Hello again, Triskaidekathon’s maw. My apologies for the late reply, I’ve been rather busy with a personal project, which you may get to see the results of soon. ;-)

As far as gems are concerned, there’s little in the way of magical properties attributed to gemstones, outside of the obvious alchemical ones. There’s far more mythology attributed to metals and practical substances. Remember that Veloth wanted to liberate the Chimer from Altmeri decadence– although things have certainly changed, customs errs on the side of shunning opulence rather than glorifying it. That said, gemstones have always been useful alchemical ingredients here, and since the beginning of the Third Era they’ve gained popularity as sacrifices and currency as well! 

You may be interested to know that gemstones actually have a certain association with the House of Troubles. As the tales go, many unwary adventurers have fought their way to the depths of a Daedric shrine, only to be slain when they attempt to pocket a cursed gemstone. There’s also a folk legend which claims that gemstones attract evil Daedric spirits. Children who stash jewels, particularly emeralds, are often carried away by Dremora– or so the stories go! I also recall one Ashlander poem that recounts the tale of an ashlander child who accepted a gift of diamonds from an outlander, only to be turned invisible for their greed and never seen again. So, generally, gemstones aren’t the treasure that westerners consider them, at least to the more traditional Dunmer.

The obvious exception to this is the glowing purple gemstones that occur naturally in Vvardenfell and some parts of mainland Morrowind. Only those of House Telvanni have historically utilized them, so I’m afraid that I know little myself. However, I contacted an old contemporary, who had this to say on the subject:

The Telvanni claim by tradition that their glowing gems are the original soul-gems, bastions of natural energy that accumulate over time. They ‘focus’ the power of existence and channel it to a tangible source from which the experienced mage may draw power. It’s no coincidence that all mushroom towers spring from a clutch of crystals. As for the legends behind these soul-gems– I’m afraid they died with the majority of House Telvanni. 

I hope this answers your question to satisfaction. If you’re further interested, I would recommend looking into the history of Ebony, Adamantium and Glass in Dunmer culture and history. 

[mournholdlore]

On the Merish Disposition of the Guild of Shouts

Source: Originally from a letter to Morrowind military historian Ules Mandour, repurposed for this archive. 

The Guild of Shouts was formed in a direct response to the War of Succession. In a nutshell: any Nord who didn’t want to be in Morrowind used the war to get the hell out of here, while those that remained were born and raised in the province and considered themselves loyal to it. This posed a problem for first era Mournhold, since they were left with their forces so diminished that lawkeeping became a major challenge. To counteract this, the Jarl permitted House Indoril to resume its law-keeping activities using its own forces, as it had before the invasion.

However, the Chimer were still incredibly scornful of their ‘outlander’ rivals, and those Nords that remained in the Mournhold Guard felt slighted by House Indoril’s encroachment upon their duties. In response to the competition the Guard rebanded, reorganized, and renamed itself a Guild that likened itself to Skyrim’s Companions. In honour of their distinctly Nordic makeup, the members adopted the traditional title of Shouts, ‘soldiers that issue from the Tongues’. Thus the Guild of Shouts was born.

For all intents and purposes, the Guild of Shouts functioned the same as any Imperial guard. Authority fell to a First Commander, who answered directly to the Jarl (or, later, Almalexia). There was a Second Commander, a record-keeper, Officers, Barracks-overseers. New recruits would be trained by senior members and were scouted for loyalty as much as martial talent-- The Shout’s initial membership policy can be summed up as “Those who aren’t elves but love this damned place anyway.”

This policy created an interesting culture-- one that, whilst decidedly Nordic, nonetheless remained open and affectionate of its adopted homeland in a way that was nearly unheard of at the time. Visitors to Mournhold would be shocked to overhear two palace guards discuss, in strong Northman accents, their wife’s netch herd or the latest Great House scandal. It was perhaps this culture that lead to their later devotion to Lady Almalexia, who, by all accounts, had an affinity for Nord culture herself.

[mournholdlore]

Hey Marsha what's generally known about the history of vampirism in Morrowind?

Hello, Triskaidekathon’s maw. I’m afraid I know very little about vampirism in Morrowind-- it’s not very popular over here, you see! 

The legend I heard as a child was that the first vampire was created by Molag Bal near the dawn of time, in a rather gruesome way which I shan’t elaborate on. There are, however, several sources to suggest that other lineages of vampires received their powers from dealing with the King directly. It’s my professional opinion that the first vampires of Morrowind came from the former source. Molag Bal is one of the Four Corners of the House of Troubles, and so I cannot imagine many of the Chimer or their Dunmeri descendants feeling very inclined to deal with him directly. 

What you must understand, serjo, is that ancestor worship has been prolific among the Velothi people since the very first days of the province. Ancestors are so revered here in Morrowind that any form of the undead which violate their holy code are utterly despised and pursued relentlessly. There’s evidence to suggest that Veloth himself participated in the persecution of vampires-- perhaps you’ve heard of Veloth’s Judgement? It’s a hammer that’s been titled the ‘essential weapon of a vampire slayer’, or something along those lines. 

My point here is that vampires have been aggressively hunted in Morrowind ever since Veloth’s arrival, and as such whatever history they may have here has been kept a very closely guarded secret by them. So, to answer your question-- very little is known, generally or otherwise! Vampires are the enemy and most of the public leaves it at that. 

As for whether vampirism ever occurred among the Dwemer... that is a far more interesting question, albeit one I cannot even begin to answer.  

A fun fact for you, serjo: did you know that a Buoyant Armiger once claimed to have been cured of vampirism? The Temple didn’t take kindly to his rumors, and pressured him into retracting it. As I said, we aren’t very fond of vampires here in Morrowind.