Shezarr (or Shezzar),[UOL 1] also known as the God of Man,[1] is a Cyrodilic version of Lorkhan whose cultural importance suffered when Akatosh came to the fore of Nibenay religion. Shezarr was the spirit behind all human undertaking, especially against Aldmeri aggression. He is sometimes associated with the founding of the first Cyrodilic battlemages. In the present age of racial tolerance, Shezarr is all but forgotten.[1] He is believed to be a thinly-disguised version of Shor, and even in the Colovian West of Cyrodiil, they recognize Shezarr by the name of Shor. One of the thousands of cults in the Imperial City is dedicated to worship of him.[2]
"Shezarr's Song" is a creation myth of Cyrodiil. It says that Shezarr brought the idea to the other gods of becoming mothers and fathers, being responsible, and making great sacrifices, with no guarantee of success. It involved cutting off parts of themselves to create a world, sacrificing power and control. It was a new and strange idea, but Shezarr spoke beautifully to them, and moved them beyond mystery and tears. Thus the Aedra gave free birth to the world. It took a great toll: they were no longer young, and strong, and powerful, as they had been from the beginning. The Daedra mocked Shezarr and the other Aedra, and decided to make their own worlds within themselves where they wouldn't have to sacrifice control, though they came to envy the Aedra's creation, and often sought to steal from Shezarr and the others. Some Aedra were disappointed, bitter, and angry with Shezarr, and with all creation, for they felt Shezarr had lied and tricked them. These Aldmeri gods, led by Auri-El, decided to seek vengeance on Shezarr for reducing them to their "disgusting" selves. But the gods of men and beast folk, led by Akatosh, were pleased with creation despite their great sacrifices.[3]
Also called the "Missing Sibling" of the Eight Divines, Shezarr appeared in the earliest Cyro-Nordic stories of the Heartlands fighting against the Ayleids on mankind's behalf. Then, for some unknown reason, he vanished from the stage (presumably to help other humans elsewhere), and, without his leadership, the Ayleids conquered the humans and enslaved them.[2] Saint Alessia believed that "freedom" was just another name for Shezarr,[4] while the Marukhati Selective, monotheistic in some other respects, considered Shezarr "the missing sibling" of Akatosh, "Singularly Misplaced and therefore Doubly Venerated".[5] It was speculated that Alessia's champion Pelinal Whitestrake was the Shezarrine, clearly bearing some relation to the god, though The Song of Pelinal asserts that one person who referred to him as such "was smothered by moths".[6] To appease Alessia's allies, his reputation as a bloodthirsty warrior was watered-down.[2] Alessia agreed to adopt Nordic Shor into the Imperial pantheon as Shezarr, the Missing God. Theologians considered this appropriate, as it both recognized the importance of Shezarr and emphasized his absence.[7]
Shezarr was a prominent figure in ancient Nedic oral traditions, where he is depicted as a teacher, advisor, and unifier of tribes that might otherwise have been in conflict. Unlike the warrior-ruler Shor, Shezarr inspired others to fight for themselves. In Duraki legend, Shezarr is known as "the one who stole stoneworking from the Dwemer and taught Zinfara to call nirncrux from the mountain-roots." The Perena tell of the Cult of Stars learning soul magic from a "white-bearded stranger." The Nedes of Cyrod speak of "Shezarr of the Snowy Beard," who is said to have revealed the secrets of Ayleid battle-magic to them, teaching them how to turn their enemies' arts against them. A stone tablet in the ruins of Sedor,[8] associated with the people known as the Thousand-Strong of Sedor,[9] depicts a bearded figure referred to as "the Shezzarine, Shor-Who-Lives, Teacher of Men." Shezarr inspired many different Nedic tribes to resist Ayleid oppression. Although later Nedic sagas do not mention him, it is speculated that whatever role Shezarr played ended in the middle of the Merethic Era. Nevertheless, the hope he instilled sustained ancient Men through centuries of enslavement by the Ayleid Empire.[8]
Notes
- A breed of chickens named after Shezzar were found in Cyrodiil's Heartlands. Beyond a mere name, some argued that these fowl share a profound connection with Shezarr. This assertion is often rooted in their reputation as escape artists, frequently finding themselves "misplaced" with remarkable regularity.[10]
- Shezarr is connected to Hero prophecies, his shade said to shroud the Hero's Doom.[11]
See Also
- The Footsteps of Shezarr by Sister Priscia Stolvo — A look at mentions of Shezarr in Nedic oral traditions
- The Monomyth — A theological book containing the common creation myths
- Shezarr and the Divines by Faustillus Junius — The relationship between the god Shezarr and the other Cyrodilic deities
- The Song of Pelinal — The life of Pelinal Whitestrake, assembled from various old fragmentary texts
- Varieties of Faith... by Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College — An expansive list of the pantheons and associated divine spirits of Tamriel's dominant cultures
References
- ^ a b Varieties of Faith... — Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
- ^ a b c Shezarr and the Divines — Faustillus Junius
- ^ The Monomyth
- ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 2
- ^ The Exclusionary Mandates
- ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 5
- ^ Artorius Ponticus Answers Your Questions — Bishop Artorius Ponticus
- ^ a b The Footsteps of Shezarr — Sister Priscia Stolvo
- ^ The Song of Pelinal, v 4
- ^ Shezarr's Chicken's description in ESO
- ^ Shezarr Stone message in Oblivion
Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.
- ^ The Eye of Argonia — Shmij-Tei