Even though some references are more obvious than the others, the majority of such connections are subjective. Therefore, when listing a fact which you see as a real-world reference, please try to avoid definitive wording, e.g., "It was inspired by..." or "It is derived from...". Instead, use phrases that demonstrate an uncertain nature of such facts, e.g., "It has parallels with" or "It visually resembles...". Unless a reference is supported by an interview with developers, for instance, information on this page is in the territory of original research and should be presented as such.
| Elder Scrolls universe concept |
Real-world reference |
Wikipedia/Interview Link |
|---|
| Alchemy |
Real-world alchemy was a protoscientific field of study whose core concepts parallel those of the magical alchemy seen in TES. |
Alchemy |
| Birthsigns |
Both are constellations with artistic depictions that are believed to affect the characteristics of those who are born when the constellation is visible from the night sky. |
Astrological Signs |
| Bird Men |
Both are indigenous people who lived at the future sites of some of the largest cities in the world until their island was purchased by a foreign explorer. The description of the "feathered men" is similar to the use of feathers in Lenape clothing. |
Lenape |
| Confessions of a Skooma-Eater |
This book seems to be a parody of the real-world book Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, which concerns the drug Laudanum. |
Confessions of an English Opium-Eater |
| Conjuration |
The summoning of supernatural forces can be seen in many real-world beliefs. |
Conjuration |
| Daedra |
The daedra of Oblivion share many parallels with the demons that exist in many real-world beliefs. |
Demons |
| Dawn Era |
The concept of a primordial state of the universe before creation is present in many real-world beliefs. |
Chaos |
| Dragons |
The dragon is a legendary creature present in much real-world folklore. |
Dragons |
| Dwemer |
The brass-like dwarven metal and steam constructs visually resemble the retrofuturistic aesthetic seen from the steampunk genre. |
Steampunk |
| Enchanting, Illusion |
Many real-world beliefs hold that items and people can be influenced by magical charms. |
Enchantments, Bewitchery |
| Gods |
The broad concept of gods and deities can be seen in most real-world beliefs and cultures. |
Gods |
| Hermaeus Mora |
Yog-Sothoth is an Outer God in the Cthulu Mythos who appears as a conglomeration of mass and sometimes tentacles and concerns itself with knowledge. |
Yog-Sothoth |
| Housecarls |
In medieval Scandinavian cultures, the term "housecarl" referred to bodyguards for lords and kings, very similar to the housecarls of Nordic culture. |
Housecarls |
| Imperial Legion |
The Imperial Legion of the Empire of Tamriel shares several similarities with the legions of the Roman Empire. |
Roman Legion |
| Interregnum |
The period of overall decline of the state of Tamriel may have taken inspiration from the real-world epoch with similar characteristics. |
Dark Ages |
| Kalpa |
The idea that the universe ends in a climactic event is present in many real-world beliefs. |
End Times, Kalpa |
| Magic |
The broad concept of real-world magic holds many parallels with the magic seen in TES. |
Magic |
| Molag Bal |
The name "Molag Bal" might be a reference to the two Canaanite deities, Moloch and Baal, both notably evil figures, who often required human sacrifices. |
Moloch, Baal |
| Necromancy |
The concept of bringing using magic to a corpse back from the dead exists in many real-world beliefs. |
Necromancy |
| Nords |
The Nords of Skyrim bear a resemblance to the Vikings of Scandinavia in culture, stereotypes, architecture, and even somewhat in history. |
Vikings |
| Numidium, Talos |
In Greek mythology, Talos was a giant bronze automaton who protected the island of Crete from invaders |
Talos |
| Nymic |
The concept that to someone's true name can be used to hold power over them exists in real-world folklore. |
True Name |
| Oghma |
The term "Oghma", usually taken to mean "book", comes from the Celtic god of the same name who was attributed with creating the Ogham alphabet. |
Ogma |
| Oghma Infinium |
The symbols on the second page of the Oghma Infinium are visually similar to the symbols on an Icelandic magical stave, Vegvísir. |
Vegvísir |
| Rellenthil theater |
The Aldmeri Rellenthil theater is based off the architecture of Roman theaters, having a generally circular performance space (orchestra) surrounded by viewing area made from stones (theatron). |
Roman theatre |
| Satakal |
The Ouroboros is a serpentine symbol of the death and rebirth present in many real-world beliefs, paralleling the Yokudan depictions and beliefs about Satakal consuming the world to begin a new one in TES. |
Ouroboros |
| Scar Desert |
The name, environment, and Khajiiti ruins of the Scar take artistic inspiration from the Indian subcontinent's Thar Desert and its temples. |
Thar Desert |
| Skeleton Key |
A real-world skeleton key is intended to open many locks. |
Skeleton Keys |
| Sorrow |
Both are the deadliest of the tallest mountains in their respective worlds. |
K2 |
| Soul Gems |
The appearance of soul gems are very similar to variations of Aura Quartz; special quartz crystals that are put in a high temperature vacuum and have had either gold, titanium, iron or other metals fused on in powdered form. |
Aura Quartz |
| Sovngarde |
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a hall where those who die in combat can spend their afterlife. |
Valhalla |
| Thalmor |
The Thalmor have a very similar history, and, especially in TES V: Skyrim, some similar ideals, to the Nazis of Germany. They also use an eagle as their logo, which resembles the Nazi Hoheitszeichen. |
Nazism, Hoheitszeichen |
| Thane |
In Anglo-Saxon England and early medieval Scandinavian cultures, a "thane" or "thegn" was an aristocratic retainer in military service to a king or nobleman, very similar to the relationship between a thane and jarl in Nordic culture. |
Thegn |
| Tiber Septim |
Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy. Legend says Tiber was the river twin brothers Romulus and Remus, founders of the city of Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire (of which the Imperial Legion is heavily based on), were abandoned near. |
Tiber |
| The Towers |
The concept of cosmic focal points exists in many real-world beliefs. |
Axis Mundi |
| Topal the Pilot |
Topal is an Aldmer explorer who purchased the Eight Islands from the Bird Men before it became the site of the Imperial City, which draws heavy parallels to the Dutch merchant Peter Minuit who purchased Manhattan from the Lenape before it became the site of New York City. |
Peter Minuit |
| Vampire |
TES vampires parallel much of the appearance, behavior, and ideology behind real-world vampires. |
Vampire |
| Zombie |
The concept of a reanimated corpse is present in many real-world beliefs. |
Zombie |