The Herd MotherEdit
A divine animist spirit venerated by the Horsemen of Silverhoof Vale, who they claim acts as their tribe's guiding and protective deity. Young Horsemen must commune with this equine deity on a vision journey that acts as a rite of passage to adulthood, which they must embark by themselves. These rites are described as being similar to the Redguard tradition of Walkabout. The Horsemen also claim that the Herd Mother gave them a flotilla of "swimming horse-ships", which they used to cross seventeen seas before reaching Tamriel. The Horsemen's worship of the Herd Mother was endangered in Yokuda, which is what caused them to leave.[1]
Hermaeus MoraEdit
Hermaeus Mora (sometimes spelled "Hoermius", "Hormaius", "Herm'us", or "Herma" Mora), the Daedra Prince of Forbidden Knowledge, the Demon of Knowledge, the One Who Knows, the Master of the Tides of Fate, Gardener of Men, Prince of Fate, Lord of Secrets, the Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge, the Golden Eye, the Great Eye, Ur-Daedra, the Abyssal Cephaliarch, Old Antecedent, Scryer, He Who Records All Knowledge, Inevitable Knower, Lord of Fate and Knowledge, also known to the ancient Atmorans and Bosmer as Herma-Mora, the Woodland Man or "that which speaks in the wastes," to the Ayleids as Hyrma Mora, and to the Khajiit as the Tide King and Hermorah, is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is forbidden knowledge, hidden shoals, whirlpools, and sudden squalls, destiny, and the scrying of the tides of Fate, weaving his way through the past and future as read in the stars and heavens, and in whose dominion are "the treasures of knowledge and memory". His curiosity is insatiable and he seeks all knowledge, and not to change but to observe, so that all becomes known. He "weeps cold tears" at the plague of ignorance, where knowledge is forsaken out of fear of misuse, and seeks to enlighten all to all mysteries that have ever and will ever exist. One follower of Mora stated that the ultimate purpose of the Daedra lords is to instruct and improve the "generally deplorable" character of mortals. This benevolence presented by his followers may be a facade, as Mora is said to hoard his knowledge and give nothing away for free. Like all Daedric Princes, he's not to be trifled with, but he is subtler than most of his ilk and ensnares mortals with his secrets. He may seem cruel at times, but he's not irrational. Mora hoards and safeguards any knowledge that could potentially endanger reality.
Always lurking, he is the void and the ever-seeing eyes. Mora has been called the wisest of the Daedric Princes, with a mind as old as Tamriel and a body of slime, though he describes himself as "the riddle unsolveable. The door unopenable. The book unreadable. The question unanswerable." Unlike most Princes, Hermaeus Mora typically does not take on a humanoid form, manifesting instead as black clouds of varied, grotesque assemblages of eyes, tentacles, and claws, or a featureless purple vortex known as the Wretched Abyss, though according to some sources he occasionally took on a form resembling that of a mortal. He speaks with a thundering bray.
He resides everywhere and nowhere but takes glee in tormenting mortals from his realm in Oblivion, the plane called Apocrypha, an endless library where the infinite pages of countless books containing all forbidden knowledge are found. Each book sports a black cover without a title, and the realm is reported to be haunted by ghosts forever searching for knowledge. His servants include Daedra such as Seekers, Lurkers, and Watchers, but he is known to have mortal worshipers too. Sailors and seafaring folk refer to Herm'us Mora as the Tide King, master of the seas and One-Whose-Tentacles-Rise-From-the-Deep, a being who lurks in the oceans and pulls vessels down into the abyss. Similarly, the Khajiiti Hermorah controls the tides and lives in a vast library under the sea.
Hermaeus Mora is tangentially related to the origins of the Morag Tong by association with his sibling, Mephala. Mora's enemies are said to be Ebonarm and Vaermina, and his summoning day is the 5th of First Seed.
For more information, see the main lore article.
HircineEdit
Hircine, known as the Huntsman, Lord of the Hunt, Master of Beasts, and the Master of the Chase, is a Daedric Prince whose sphere is the Hunt, the Sport of Daedra, the Greatest Game, and the Chase and Sacrifice of Mortals. His realm of Oblivion is the Hunting Grounds, an endless forest where the Prince and his Huntsmen hunt great beasts, people, and even other Daedra. Hircine is typically portrayed with a great spear and either the head or skull of an elk, the latter of which Khajiiti myths say belonged to Y'ffer's champion, the Graht-Elk.
Hircine is one of the more widely worshipped Daedric Princes in Tamriel, despite never actively seeking worship or reverence. His appeal lies in his sphere, which encompasses the thrill of the hunt, though this can be taken to extremes. His advocacy for sportsmanship is another lure, as the Law of Fair Hunt which he holds to prohibits cheating prey (referred to as "the Hare") out of a genuine chance at escape. He admires the Hare that overcomes whatever is thrown against them, no matter the odds. For example, one who turns the game on its head by hunting the hunters may earn the Prince's respect. Finally, he is straightforward in his desires; he often seeks people out, tests them, and rewards those who prove themselves worthy with a boon.
As the progenitor of lycanthropy, Hircine is recognized as the Father of Manbeasts. He serves as the guardian of were-creatures, which are often referred to as his "children". The condition is called Hircine's Gift by those that view it as a blessing, and Hircine's Curse to those that consider it an abomination. Hircine is quite prideful of lycanthropy, and resents those that received it willingly but have come to regret it; he's known to have ingrates slain to rid them of their misery. Regardless of whether they worshipped him or not, Hircine will typically claim the souls of skinshifters, and they will spend eternity in the Hunting Grounds.
The Demiprince Dearola is Hircine's daughter. There is a belief that Hircine is allied with Mehrunes Dagon, though Lyranth the Foolkiller claims that if such an arrangement exists, it would be obscure outside their own circle. Hircine has Daedra Lords that manage some of his sub-spheres and report to him, such as the Lord of Fishing. He may also be associated with the Daedra Lord Hollowjack. Ebonarm is an enemy to Hircine. Hircine's summoning day is the 5th of Mid Year.
For more information, see the main lore article.
HoonDing, the Yokudan Make Way GodEdit
The HoonDing, also known as Hoonding or The Make Way God, is the Yokudan spirit of 'perseverance over infidels'. The HoonDing has historically materialized whenever the Redguards need to 'make way' for their people.
House of TroublesEdit
The House of Troubles (also known as the Bad Daedra, Rebel Daedra, Adversaries, and Testing Gods) is the Dunmer (and before that, Velothi) term for four of the Daedra Lords: Mehrunes Dagon, Sheogorath, Malacath and Molag Bal. These Princes are the Bad Daedra as introduced to the Chimer by the teachings of Saint Veloth. Rebels whose purpose it is to test the resolve and faith of mortals, they are also known as the Four Corners of the House of Troubles. Ancient, alien temples dedicated to their worship can be found across Morrowind.
The Four Corners are known as enemy gods to the Dunmer. Molag Bal is a primary source of obstacles for the Dunmer people and their Chimer predecessors. He attempts to upset the Houses' bloodlines or ruin Dunmeri "purity". In the days of old Resdayn, Molag Bal was not worshipped so much as he was placated. Malacath tests the Dunmer for strength, Sheogorath tests for mental weakness and tempts Great Houses to treachery, while Mehrunes Dagon represents the dangerous terrain of Morrowind.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ The Horse-Folk of Silverhoof — Doctor Nabeth al-Gilane, Khefrem Academy of Yokudan Heritage