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by Brother Hetchfeld
Editor's Note: Brother Hetchfeld is an Associate Scribe at the Imperial University, Office of Introductory Studies
Gods are commonly viewed by the evidence of their interest in
worldly matters. A central belief in the active
participation of Deities in mundane matters can be
challenged by the evidence of apathy on the part of Gods
during times of plague or famine.
From intervention in legendary quests to manifestations in
common daily life, no pattern for the Gods of Tamriel
activities is readily apparent. The concerns of Gods in
many ways may seem unrelated or at best unconcerned with the
daily trials of the mortal realm. The exceptions do exist,
however.
Many historical records and legends point to the direct
intervention of one or more gods at times of great need.
Many heroic tales recount blessings of the divinity
bestowed upon heroic figures who worked or quested for the
good of a Deity or the Deity's temple. Some of the more
powerful artifacts in the known world were originally
bestowed upon their owners through such reward. It has also
been reported that priests of high ranking in their temples
may on occasion call upon their Deity for blessings or help
in time of need. The exact nature of such contact and the
blessings bestowed is given to much speculation, as the
temples hold such associations secret and holy. This direct
contact gives weight to the belief that the Gods are aware of
the mortal realm. In many circumstances, however, these same
Gods will do nothing in the face of suffering and death,
seeming to feel no need to interfere. It is thus possible to
conclude that we, as mortals, may not be capable of
understanding more than a small fraction of the reasoning
and logic such beings use.
One defining characteristic of all Gods and Goddesses is
their interest in worship and deeds. Deeds in the form of holy
quests are just one of the many things that bring the
attention of a Deity. Deeds in everyday life, by conforming
to the statutes and obligations of individual temples are
commonly supposed to please a Deity. Performance of
ceremony in a temple may also bring a Deity's attention.
Ceremonies vary according to the individual Deity. The
results are not always apparent but sacrifice and offerings
are usually required to have any hope of gaining a Deity's
attention.
While direct intervention in daily temple life has been
recorded, the exact nature of the presence of a God in daily
mundane life is up to great speculation. A traditional
saying of the Wood Elves goes "One mans miracle is another
mans accident." While some gods are believed to take an
active part of daily life, others are well known for their
lack of interest in temporal affairs.
It has been theorized that gods do in fact gain strength from
such things as worship through praise, sacrifice and deed. It
may even be theorized that the number of worshippers a given
Deity has may reflect on His overall position among the
other Gods. This my own conjecture, garnered from the
apparent ability of the larger temples to attain blessings
and assistance from their God with greater ease than smaller
religious institutions.
There are reports of the existence of spirits in our world
that have the same capacity to use the actions and deeds of
mortals to strengthen themselves as do the Gods. The
understanding of the exact nature of such creatures would
allow us to understand with more clarity the connection
between a Deity and the Deity's worshipers.
The implication of the existence of such spirits leads to the
speculation that these spirits may even be capable of
raising themselves to the level of a God or Goddess. Motusuo
of the Imperial Seminary has suggested that these spirits may
be the remains of Gods and Goddesses who through time lost all
or most of their following, reverting to their earliest
most basic form. Practioners of the Old Ways say that there
are no Gods, just greater and lesser spirits. Perhaps it is
possible for all three theories to be true.
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