Eagles are birds of prey that can be found across Tamriel and carry cultural significance across the major races. Frost Eagles live in snowy regions like Skyrim and the Wrothgarian Mountains.[1]
The Eagle carries a lot of significance in elven cultures.[2] The Aldmeri Eagle (also called the Golden Eagle[3] and the Eagle of Summerset)[4] represents many things. Firstly, as a totem of the Altmer religion[5] the eagle represents their ancestors, the Aedra, who descended from Aetherius and became trapped on Nirn.[6] The eagle is also associated with Auri-El,[7][8] the chief divine of the Aldmeri pantheon.[9] Though they are mostly daedric worshippers, the Ayleids also built statues of Auri-El with the eagle behind him.[9][10]
The eagle also represents the First Aldmeri Dominion,[11] who are sometimes called the eagle,[12][13] and the royal Aldmeri family from Alinor.[11] They say that on the night Princess Ayrenn disappeared and began her travels across Tamriel, an eaglet landed on Topal the Pilot's statue, among other auspicious signs.[14] As a symbol of the Aldmeri Dominion it also features in a variant of an ouroboros, a symbol associated with the Three Banners War.[15][UOL 1]
Present in Orcish myth is the great eagle Zylvara, Trinimac's companion mount who brought him to battle against the man-demon, Quarvish. Light armor pauldrons crafted by the Trinimac Cult have a winged motif meant to represent Zylvara.[16] Sapiarch axes have an eagle claw motif across the blade and inspired its three-pointed edge.[17]
The town of Eagle Vale is located between the cities of Haven and Southpoint on the southeastern coast in Valenwood.[18] In Morrowind, there was a town southeast of Ebonheart called Eagle Moor.[19] The village of Eagle's Brook is located in western High Rock near Camlorn.[20] The eagle is present in the ancient Nordic totem religion,[21][22] though unlike most other animals, it does not correspond to a specific divine. The hawk on the other hand, a visually similar totem, represents Kyne.[23]
The Reachmen who live in northwest Tamriel in the eponymous region venerate the legendary First Era king of the Reach, Faolan, whose name translates to "Red Eagle" in the Reach-tongue. He was named as such for the screeching bird call that greeted his birth.[24] A similar legend exists for the Second Era warlord that became Emperor of Cyrodiil, Durcorach. Propaganda from that time explained that during Durcorach's early youth, he gained wisdom from surviving in the wilderness. The eagle taught him to hear tidings from faraway lands and to see into a man's heart with a single glance.[25] The Eagleseer Clan are an ancient and powerful tribe in the Reach that is named after the animal.[26]
The Eagle's Gaze is a type of enchantment that enhances the wielder's vision.[27] A similar alchemic trait is used in a potent potion rumored to be used by Altmer archers.[28]
GalleryEdit
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Eagle statue
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Auri-El and the Golden Eagle
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The Banner of Alinor
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An Atmoran eagle totem medallion
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A nesting eaglet on Topal's statue
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Zylvara's eagle wings on their back (left)
See AlsoEdit
- For game-specific information, see the Elder Scrolls Online article.
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Frost Eagles in ESO
- ^ A Child's Tamriel Bestiary — Shane gro-Orath (Clever, no? Ha, ha!)
- ^ Dominion Envoy's Official Security Pouch treasure text in ESO
- ^ Crafting Motif 25: Aldmeri Dominion Style — Aicantar of Shimmerene, Sapiarch of Indoctrination
- ^ Eagle Plume Flurry Body Tattoo body marking description in ESO
- ^ Elder Scrolls Online - Knowledge Base
- ^ Crafting Motif 89: Ancestral High Elf Style — Raven Direnni
- ^ Driftwood Idol treasure text in ESO
- ^ a b Winged Auri-El treasure text in ESO
- ^ Garlas Malatar in ESO: Dark Brotherhood
- ^ a b Regal Eagle Wing Face Tattoo head markings description in ESO
- ^ The Eagle and the Cat — Lord Gharesh-ri, Speaker for the Mane
- ^ Fang of the Sea Vipers — Telenger the Artificer
- ^ Ayrenn: The Unforeseen Queen — Headmaster Tanion of the College of Aldmeri Propriety
- ^ Alliance War card back in Legends
- ^ Crafting Motif 22: Trinimac Style — the Venerable Uugus, Priest of Trinimac
- ^ Crafting Motif 62: Sapiarch Style — Artuudawen Thousand-Shoes, Sapiarch of Apparel Analysis
- ^ Eagle Vale in Arena
- ^ Eagle Moor in Arena
- ^ Eagle's Brook in ESO
- ^ Atmoran Eagle Totem Medallion in ESO
- ^ Notes on Yngol Barrow
- ^ The Song of Gods
- ^ The Legend of Red Eagle — Tredayn Dren
- ^ The Crowned Dragon — Auguthan Corovel
- ^ Eagleseer Clan in ESO: Markarth
- ^ Eagle's Gaze Monocle treasure text in ESO
- ^ An Archer's Archive — Sabarid the Seeker
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.