- "Anu encompassed, and encompasses, all things. So that he might know himself he created Anuiel, his soul and the soul of all things." —The Monomyth
In the Altmer tradition, Anuiel (or Anui-El) is the soul of Anu the Everything and of all things.[1][2][3] He is seen as Order, the Everlasting Ineffable Light, and is dichotomically opposed to Sithis, who represents Chaos, the Corrupting Inexpressible Action.[2] And though Anuiel is often described with such terms, Sithis worshippers regard him as a demon as he represents the stasis of Anu, which in their eyes is unchanging nothingness.[4] The interaction of these two opposing forces is the Gray Maybe, Nirn (though the entirety of the Aurbis is also used in this context), and from this interaction spring the et'Ada, or Original Spirits.[2]
Anuiel is said to be responsible for the time-law established within Nirn.[5] Similarly, it is also said that the soul of Anuiel is Auri-El, who infused the Aurbis with time.[1][2]
MythologyEdit
The Heart of the WorldEdit
"The Heart of the World" is the Altmeri creation myth presented in The Monomyth.
Anu (the Everything) created Anuiel so that he might know himself through self-reflection. Doing so required the creation of Sithis, the "sum of all the limitations" Anuiel needed for such an endeavor. Anuiel, the soul of all things, thus became multiple things, and this is known as the Aurbis.[2]
The early Aurbis was a chaotic place, and eventually its aspects asked for a means to "enjoy themselves a little longer outside of perfect knowledge". So Anu created Auriel to be Anuiel's soul, and time began. The aspects took names, and some became the beings now recognized as deities. One of these aspects, Lorkhan, tricked many other spirits (the et'Ada) into creating the Mundus. When they began to die and after Lorkhan created armies of Men from the "weakest souls" to attack them, the et'Ada pleaded to Anu for help. Anu refused. However, Anuiel granted his Bow and Shield to Auriel to protect the Aldmer from Lorkhan's hordes of Men.[2] Ultimately, the et'Ada convened at the Adamantine Tower, Lorkhan was killed, and the Aurbis of Anuiel finally stabilized as linear time began.[2][6]
See AlsoEdit
NotesEdit
- The Aka-Tusk is a particularly "old and needed" version of the Time Dragon from the days of the Ehlnofey, and Alduin was shed from him by "Heaven itself".[UOL 1][UOL 2]
- The daughters and sons of Anuiel introduced Y'ffre's name to Druids of Galen.[7]
- Personifying Anuiel is considered a cardinal error as they are the essence of order, a cosmic principle that pervades the Aurbis and the orderly esence of all the Aedra. Altmeri temples are dedicated to Anuiel through this correlation.[8] Although the Altmer aim to 'advocate the will of Anuiel',[UOL 3][8] it is often considered a flowery language term for "making up new rules for others to follow".[8]
- The name of Anuiel is present in various Altmeri exclamations, such as "By Anuiel's grace",[9] "Anuiel's clarity",[10] and "Anuiel's fury".[11]
- According to Bosmer Spinners day, night, and the places between are the manifestation of Y'ffre's interpretation of the time-law Anui-El is said to have established within Nirn.[12]
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b Varieties of Faith... — Brother Mikhael Karkuxor of the Imperial College
- ^ a b c d e f g The Monomyth
- ^ The Alduin/Akatosh Dichotomy — Alexandre Simon, High Priest of the Akatosh Chantry, Wayrest
- ^ Sithis
- ^ Girnalin's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Before the Ages of Man — Aicantar of Shimerene
- ^ Wyrd and Druid — Archdruid Barnabe's Discourse with Mainlanders, 2E 553
- ^ a b c Phrastus of Elinhir Answers Your Questions — Phrastus of Elinhir
- ^ Seaman Ambaran's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Valrendil's dialogue in ESO
- ^ Ambient Dialogue in reaction to assault in ESO
- ^ Girnalin's dialogue in ESO
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.