Is the All-Maker Shor?

[The Woolly Viking]

I have always been interested in the Skaal since they are so distinct from any other group of Nords, resembling less a cross between Norse and generally northern European people, such as Scotts and Rus.

The Skaal resemble most obviously the Inuits of North America and the Sami people who live in the Northern most areas in Scandinavia.

What's interesting is that like the Sami people. The Skaal may live close to other Nords who typically worship the Nine Gods, the Skaal only worship one, the All-maker. However, their religion isn't strict Monotheism, as they acknowledge the existance of the Daedric Lords. It would seem they know the other gods most likely exist but that they choose to only worship theirs exclusively, but why?

I have reason to beleive that the people we would come to know as the Skaal broke off from the larger group of Nords after the Dragon Cult fell, and decided to live a peacful lifestyle exclusevly worshipping Shor, who they refer to as the All-Maker.

So let's see if we have anything to work with in this Theory, for starters, who in Talos' name is Shor?

Well, Shor is the Nordic name for Lorkhan, he is the Hero god of mankind and to the Nords is the God who they meet in Sovngarde upon an honorable death. He is basically like if you took Ymir (since his body formed the Earth), and Odin (since he is associated with War, Death, and the Afterlife).

Ok, so that's what we know about Shor, but what about the All-Maker? Well, we don't know that much, all we know is that he is the sole deity of the Skaal and that he plays the role as one who reshapes life after something dies, and that he has an adversary, the greedy man.

Well, the Norse belived in the concept of ciclical time and rebirth, the Nords show belief in this with Talos worship, as they believe that Talos had been reborn a god, and the Skaal exibit this belief given our information of the All-Maker.

In books regarding the ancient Nords, there is no mention of the All-Maker, it's almost as though this monotheistic religion had roots in the original polytheistic religion the Ancient Nords followed.

Another intersting point by Storn Craig-Strider is that the Nords of Skyrim used to worship the All-Maker until interaction with the Imperials and their religion. An odd point since we know Skaal like groups never existed in Skyrim, unless he is saying that the God the Skaal worship is the same as one the Nords used to worship, unitl the worship of the Eight (later Nine) became the predominate religion in Skyrim. And the only god that the Atmoran pantheon has that the Nine lack is Shor, the hero god of man. Is that one of the secrets of the Skaal? That after the Dragon Cult fell, they decided to exclusevly worship their most favored deity?

So, what do you think? Do you agree or do you think I missed something? Tell me what you think.

[alexander_dougherty]

Only the all maker knows. He might be Anu, or another deity, or even just an idea, nobody knows.

[pedantic_roc]

I skip it myself, although I quite like the idea, and roughly equate the All-Maker to the Aboriginal creation and dreamtime beliefs that, afaik, encompass a whole host of, um.. beings hailed as gods. I just wonder if the All-Maker is more than one entity all rolled in to one - then I keep right on playing. Interesting read, Lord...

[Hyena]

Inuit? All of the humans in TES are based on the old world..why would all of a sudden some norsemen be based on the new world? They are based on the Sami..not Inuit.

[jreese46]

Shor, why not? (Ba-dum tsss.)

[Ihateeverybody]

I always thought the gods were different beings playing a role depending on the audiance. Tonight the part of the All maker will be played by Anu, The Adversary will be lokaran and special guest tonight will be Joe Izuzu.

Next night the Allmaker is played by Kynareth, The Advasary by Meridia and special Guest Merv Olsen as the Chosen one.

The people change but the roles stay the same. And it never ends. Just like Cats on Broadway.

[alexander_dougherty]

Messaggio originale di Ihateeverybody:

I always thought the gods were different beings playing a role depending on the audiance. Tonight the part of the All maker will be played by Anu, The Adversary will be lokaran and special guest tonight will be Joe Izuzu.

Next night the Allmaker is played by Kynareth, The Advasary by Meridia and special Guest Merv Olsen as the Chosen one.

The people change but the roles stay the same. And it never ends. Just like Cats on Broadway.

Not quite, the Divines each embody aspects of reality, each one has several aspects, but those aspects are unique to the individual. Which is why Auriel/Akatosh is the god of the Sun, Time and Dragons.

Some aspects might seem identical to mortals, but are technically different.

Which also applies to the Daedric Princes, each one embodies several unique aspects. Several Deadric Princes may appear to share an aspect, but on some level there are differences, even if a trifle complicated and nuanced for mortals to appreciate.

We do not know who the all maker is, it could be a new deity (or technically an old one), it could be a fusion of Shor and Akatosh, it could even be a fabrication of the Skal that they nevertheless believe in. WE JUST DON'T KNOW.