Varieties of Faith in the Empire Content . Varieties of Faith in the Empire by Brother Mikhael Karkuxor in the Imperial College This is my best attempt at a listing of the pantheons and associated divine spirits of Tamriel ' s dominant cultures . This list is by no means complete ( the Imperial City of Cyrodiil alone boasts a vast host of saints and holy spirits ) . It only includes the most important spirits revered by native members of the culture . Other et ' Ada , especially Daedra , are often familiar known to many cultures , though specific names are included here only when they possess a particular cultural significance . The omission of any reference to the worships of the Argonian s of Black Marsh is a result of my complete inadequacy in reconciling the obscure and contradictory accounts available to me on that subject . The Eight Pantheons . CYRODIIL : Akatosh , Dibella , Arkay , Zenithar , Mara , Stendarr , Kynareth , Julianos , Shezarr , Tiber Septim , Morihaus , Reman SKYRIM : Alduin , Dibella , Orkey , Tsun , Mara , Stuhn , Kyne , Jhunal , Shor , Ysmir , Herma - Mora , Maloch ALTMER : Auri - El , Trinimac , Magnus , Syrabane , Y ' ffre , Xarxes , Mara , Stendarr , Lorkhan , Phynaster BOSMER : Auri - El , Y ' ffre , Arkay , Z ' en , Xarxes , Baan Dar , Mara , Stendarr , Lorkhan , Herma - Mora , Jone , Jode DUNMER : Almalexia , Vivec , Sotha Sil , Boethiah , Mephala , Azura , Lorkhan , Nerevar , Molag Bal , Malacath , Sheogorath , Mehrunes Dagon YOKUDA : Satakal , Ruptga , Tu ' whacca , Zeht , Morwha , Tava , Malooc , Diagna , Sep , HoonDing , Leki , Onsi , BRETONY : Akatosh , Magnus , Y ' ffre , Dibella , Arkay , Zenithar , Mara , Stendarr , Kynareth , Julianos , Sheor , Phynaster ELSWEYR : Alkosh , Khenarthi , Riddle ' Thar , ja - Kha ' jay , Mara , S ' rendarr , Lorkhaj , Rajhin , Baan Dar , Azurah , Sheggorath Notes on the Divine Spirits of the Pantheons . Akatosh ( Dragon God of Time ) : Akatosh is the chief deity of the Nine Divines ( the major religious cult of Cyrodiil and its provinces ) , and one of two deities found in every Tamrielic religion ( the other is Lorkhan ) . He is generally considered to be the first of the Gods to form in the Beginning Place ; after his establishment , other spirits found the process of being easier and the various pantheons of the world emerged . He is the ultimate God of the Cyrodilic Empire , where he embodies the qualities of endurance , invincibility , and everlasting legitimacy . Alduin ( World Eater ) : Alduin is the Nord ic variation of Akatosh , and only superficially resembles his counterpart in the Nine Divines . For example , Alduin ' s sobriquet , ' the world eater ' , comes from myths that depict him as the horrible , ravaging firestorm that destroyed the last world to begin this one . Nords therefore see the god of time as both creator and harbinger of the apocalypse . He is not the chief of the Nordic pantheon ( in fact , that pantheon has no chief ; see Shor , below ) but its wellspring , albeit a grim and frightening one . Alkosh ( Dragon King of Cats ) : Pre - ri ' Datta Dynasty Anaquine deity . A variation on the Altmeri Auri - El , and thus an Akatosh - as - culture - hero for the earliest Khajiit i . His worship was co - opted during the establishment of the Riddle - T ' har , and he still enjoys immense popularity in Elsweyr ' s wasteland regions . He is depicted as a fearsome dragon , a creature the Khajiit say ' is just a real big cat ' . He repelled an early Aldmer i pogrom of Pelinal Whitestrake during mythic times . Almalexia ( Mother Morrowind ) : Most traces of Akatosh disappeared from ancient Chimer legends during their so - called ' exodus ' , primarily due to that god ' s association and esteem with the Altmer i . However , most aspects of Akatosh which seem so important to the mortal races , namely immortality , historicity , and genealogy , have conveniently resurfaced in Almalexia , the most popular of Morrowind ' s divine Tribunal . Arkay ( God of the Cycle of Life and Death ) : Member of the Nine Divines pantheon , and popular elsewhere as well . Arkay is often more important in those cultures where his father , Akatosh , is either less related to time or where his time aspects are difficult to comprehend by the layman . He is the god of burials and funeral rites , and is sometimes associated with the seasons . His priests are staunch opponents of necromancy and all forms of the undead . It is said that Arkay did not exist before the world was created by the gods under Lorkhan ' s supervision / urging / trickery . Therefore , he is sometimes called the Mortals ' God . Auri - El ( King of the Aldmer ) : The Elven Akatosh is Auri - El . Auri - El is the soul of Anui - El , who , in turn , is the soul of Anu the Everything . He is the chief of most Aldmeri pantheons . Most Altmer i and Bosmer i claim direct descent from Auri - El . In his only known moment of weakness , he agreed to take his part in the creation of the mortal plane , that act which forever sundered the Elves from the spirit worlds of eternity . To make up for it , Auri - El led the original Aldmer against the armies of Lorkhan in mythic times , vanquishing that tyrant and establishing the first kingdoms of the Altmer , Altmora and Old Ehlnofey . He then ascended to heaven in full observance of his followers so that they might learn the steps needed to escape the mortal plane . Azura ( Goddess of Dusk and Dawn ) : Azura was the god - ancestor that taught the Chimer the mysteries needed to be different than the Altmer . Some of her more conventional teachings are sometimes attributed to Boethiah . In the stories , Azura is often more a communal cosmic force for the race as a whole than an ancestor or a god . Also known as the Anticipation of Sotha Sil . In Elsweyr , Azurah is nearly a wholly separate entity , yet she is still tied into the origins of Khajiiti out of Altmeri stock . Baan Dar ( The Bandit God ) : In most regions , Baan Dar is a marginal diety , a trickster spirit of thieves and beggars . In Elsweyr he is more important , and is regarded as the Pariah . In this aspect , Baan Dar becomes the cleverness or desperate genius of the long - suffering Khajiit , whose last minute plans always upset the machinations of their ( Elven or Human ) enemies . Boethiah ( Prince of Plots ) : Heralded by the Prophet Veloth , Boethiah is the original god - ancestor of the Dark Elves . Through his illuminations , the eventual ' Chimer ' , or Changed Folk , renounced all ties to the Aldmer and founded a new nation based on Daedric principles . All manner of Dark Elven cultural ' advances ' are attributed to Boethiah , from philosophy to magic to ' responsible ' architecture . Ancient Velothi allegories are uniformly heroic successes of Boethiah over enemies of every type , foundation stories of Chimeri struggle . Also known as the Anticipation of Almalexia . Diagna ( Orichalc God of the Sideways Blade ) : Hoary thuggish cult of the Redguard s . Originated in Yokuda during the Twenty Seven Snake Folk Slaughter . Diagna was an avatar of the HoonDing ( the Yokudan God of Make Way , see below ) that achieved permanence . He was instrumental to the defeat of the Lefthanded Elves , as he brought orichalc weapons to the Yokudan people to win the fight . In Tamriel , he led a very tight knit group of followers against the Orcs of Orsinium during the height of their ancient power , but then faded into obscurity . He is now little more than a local power spirit of the Dragontail Mountains . Dibella ( Goddess of Beauty ) : Popular god of the Nine Divines . In Cyrodiil , she has nearly a dozen different cults , some devoted to women , some to artists and aesthetics , and others to erotic instruction . Herma - Mora ( The Woodland Man ) : Ancient Atmoran demon who , at one time , nearly seduced the Nord s into becoming Aldmer . Most Ysgramor myths are about escaping the wiles of old Herma - Mora . Also called the Demon of Knowledge , he is vaguely related to the cult origins of the Morag Tong ( ' Foresters Guild ' ) , if only by association with his brother / sister , Mephala . HoonDing ( The Make Way God ) : Yokudan spirit of ' perseverance over infidels ' . The HoonDing has historically materialized whenever the Redguards need to ' make way ' for their people . In Tamrielic history this has only happened three times - - twice in the first era during the Ra Gada invasion and once during the Tiber War . In this last incarnation , the HoonDing was said to have been either a sword or a crown , or both . Jhunal ( Rune God ) : The Nordic god of hermetic orders . After falling out of favor with the rest of that pantheon , he became Julianos of the Nine Divines . He is absent in modern Skyrim mythology . Jode ( Big Moon God ) : Aldmeri god of the Big Moon . Also called Masser or Mara ' s Tear . In Khajiti religion , Jode is only one aspect of the Lunar Lattice , or ja - Kha ' jay . Jone ( Little Moon God ) : Aldmeri god of the Little Moon . Also called Secunda or Stendarr ' s Sorrow . In Khajiti religion , Jone is only one aspect of the Lunar Lattice , or ja - Kha ' jay . Julianos ( God of Wisdom and Logic ) : Often associated with Jhunal , the Nordic father of language and mathematics , Julianos is the Cyrodilic god of literature , law , history , and contradiction . Monastic orders founded by Tiber Septim and dedicated to Julianos are the keepers of the Elder Scrolls . Kyne ( Kiss At the End ) : Nord ic Goddess of the Storm . Widow of Shor and favored god of warriors . She is often called the Mother of Men . Her daughters taught the first Nords the use of the thu ' um , or Storm Voice . Kynareth ( Goddess of Air ) : Kynareth is a member of the Nine Divines , the strongest of the Sky spirits . In some legends , she is the first to agree to Lorkhan ' s plan to invent the mortal plane , and provides the space for its creation in the void . She is also associated with rain , a phenomenon said not to occur before the removal of Lorkhan ' s divine spark . Leki ( Saint of the Spirit Sword ) : Goddess daughter of Tall Papa ( Ruptga ) . Leki is the goddess of aberrant swordsmanship . The Na - Totambu of Yokuda warred to a standstill during the mythic era to decide who would lead the charge against the Lefthanded Elves . Their swordmasters , though , were so skilled in the Best Known Cuts as to be matched evenly . Leki introduced the Ephemeral Feint . Afterwards , a victor emerged and the war with the Aldmer began . Lorkhan ( The Missing God ) : This Creator - Trickster - Tester deity is in every Tamrielic mythic tradition . His most popular name is the Aldmeri ' Lorkhan ' , or Doom Drum . He convinced or contrived the Original Spirits to bring about the creation of the mortal plane , upsetting the status quo - - much like his father Padomay had introduced instability into the universe in the Beginning Place . After the world is materialized , Lorkhan is separated from his divine center , sometimes involuntarily , and wanders the creation of the et ' Ada . He and his metaphysical placement in the ' scheme of things ' is interpreted a variety of ways . In Morrowind , for example , he is a being related to the Psijiic Endeavor , a process by which mortals are charged with transcending the gods that created them . To the High Elves , he is the most unholy of all higher powers , as he forever broke their connection to the spirit plane . In the legends , he is almost always an enemy of the Aldmer and , therefore , a hero of early Mankind . Lorkhaj ( Moon Beast ) : Pre - ri ' Datta Dynasty Anaquinine deity , easily identified with the Missing God , Lorkhan . Magnus ( Magus ) : The god of sorcery , Magnus withdrew from the creation of the world at the last second , though it cost him dearly . What is left of him on the world is felt and controlled by mortals as magic . One story says that , while the idea was thought up by Lorkhan , it was Magnus who created the schematics and diagrams needed to construct the mortal plane . He is sometimes represented by an astrolabe , a telescope , or , more commonly , a staff . Cyrodilic legends say he can inhabit the bodies of powerful magicians and lend them his power . Associated with Zurin Arctus , the Underking . Malacath ( God of Curses ) : Malacath is the reanimated dung that was Trinimac . A somewhat weak but vengeful Daedra , the Dark Elves say he is also Malak , the god - king of the orcs . He always tests the Dunmer for physical weakness . Malooc ( Horde King ) : An enemy god of the Ra Gada . Led the goblins against the Redguard s during the first era . Fled east when the army of the HoonDing overtook his goblin hordes . Mauloch ( Malacath ) : An Orc ish god , Mauloch troubled the heirs of King Harald for a long time . Fled east after his defeat at the Battle of Dragon Wall , ca . 1E660 . His rage was said to fill the sky with his sulphurous hatred , later called the " Year of Winter in Summer " . Mara ( Goddess of Love ) : Nearly universal goddess . Origins started in mythic times as a fertility goddess . In Skyrim , Mara is a handmaiden of Kyne . In the Empire , she is Mother - Goddess . She is sometimes associated with Nir of the ' Anuad ' , the female principle of the cosmos that gave birth to creation . Depending on the religion , she is either married to Akatosh or Lorkhan , or the concubine of both . Mehrunes Dagon ( God of Destruction ) : Popular Daedric power . He is associated with natural dangers like fire , earthquakes , and floods . In some cultures , though , Dagon is merely a god of bloodshed and betrayal . He is an especially important deity in Morrowind , where he represents its near - inhospitable terrain . Mephala ( Androgyne ) : Mephala is the Webspinner , or the Spider God . In Morrowind , he / she was the ancestor that taught the Chimer the skills they would need to evade their enemies or to kill them with secret murder . Enemies were numerous in those days since the Chimer were a small faction . He / she , along with Boethiah , organized the clan systems that eventually became the basis for the Great Houses . He / she founded the Morag Tong . Also called the Anticipation of Vivec . Molag Bal ( God of Schemes , King of Rape ) : Daedric power of much importance in Morrowind . There , he is always the archenemy of Boethiah , the Prince of Plots . He is the main source of the obstacles to the Dunmer ( and preceding Chimer ) people . In the legends , Molag Bal always tries to upset the bloodlines of Houses or otherwise ruin Dunmeri ' purity ' . A race of supermonsters , said to live in Molag Amur , are the result of his seduction of Vivec during the previous era . Morihaus ( First Breath of Man ) : Ancient cultural hero god of the Cyro - Nordics . Legend portrays him as the Taker of the Citadel , an act of mythic times that established Human control over the Valley Heartland . He is often associated with the Nordic powers of thu ' um , and therefore with Kynareth . Morwha ( Teat God ) : Yokuda n fertility goddess . Fundamental deity in the Yokudan pantheon , and the favorite of Tall Papa ' s wives . Still worshipped in various areas of Hammerfell , including Stros M ' kai . Morwha is always portrayed as four - armed , so that she can ' grab more husbands ' . Nerevar ( Godkiller ) : The Chimeri king of Resdayn , the Golden Age of old Veloth . Slain during the Battle of Red Mountain , Nerevar was the Herald of the Triune Way , and is the foremost of the saints of Dunmeri faith . He is said to have killed Dumac , the Last Dwarven King , and feasted on his heart . Onsi ( Boneshaver ) : Notable warrior god of the Yokudan Ra Gada , Onsi taught Mankind how to pull their knives into swords . Orkey ( Old Knocker ) : A loan - god of the Nords , who seem to have taken up his worship during Aldmeri rule of Atmora . Nords believe they once lived as long as Elves until Orkey appeared ; through heathen trickery , he fooled them into a bargain that ' bound them to the count of winters ' . At one time , legends say , Nords only had a lifespan of six years due to Orkey ' s foul magic . Shor showed up , though , and , through unknown means , removed the curse , throwing most of it onto the nearby Orcs . Phynaster : Hero - god of the Summerset Isles , who taught the Altmer how to naturally live another hundred years by using a shorter walking stride . Rajhin ( Footpad ) : Thief god of the Khajiit i , who grew up in the Black Kiergo section of Senchal . The most famous burglar in Elsweyr ' s history , Rajhin is said to have stolen a tattoo from the neck of Empress Kintyra as she slept . Reman ( The Cyrodiil ) : Culture god - hero of the Second Empire , Reman was the greatest hero of the Akaviri Trouble . Indeed , he convinced the invaders to help him build his own empire , and conquered all of Tamriel except for Morrowind . He instituted the rites of becoming Emperor , which included the ritual geas to the Amulet of Kings , a soulgem of immense power . His Dynasty was ended by the Dunmeri Morag Tong at the end of the first era . Also called the Worldly God . Riddle ' Thar ( Two - Moons Dance ) : The cosmic order deity of the Khajiit i , the Riddle ' Thar was revealed to Elsweyr by the prophet Rid - Thar - ri ' Datta , the Mane . The Riddle ' Thar is more a set of guidelines by which to live than a single entity , but some of his avatars like to appear as humble messengers of the gods . Also known as the Sugar God . Ruptga ( Tall Papa ) : Chief deity of the Yokudan pantheon . Ruptga , more commonly ' Tall Papa ' , was the first god to figure out how to survive the Hunger of Satakal . Following his lead , the other gods learned the ' Walkabout ' , or a process by which they can persist beyond one lifetime . Tall Papa set the stars in the sky to show lesser spirits how to do this , too . When there were too many spirits to keep track of , though , Ruptga created a helper out the dead skin of past worlds . This helper is Sep ( see below ) , who later creates the world of mortals . Satakal ( The Worldskin ) : Yokudan god of everything . A fusion of the concepts of Anu and Padomay . Basically , Satakal is much like the Nordic Alduin , who destroys one world to begin the next . In Yokudan mythology , Satakal had done ( and still does ) this many times over , a cycle which prompted the birth of spirits that could survive the transition . These spirits ultimately become the Yokudan pantheon . Popular god of the Alik ' r nomads . Sheogorath ( The Mad God ) : The fearful obeisance of Sheogorath is widespread , and is found in most Tamrielic quarters . Contemporary sources indicate that his roots are in Aldmer i creation stories ; therein , he is ' born ' when Lorkhan ' s divine spark is removed . One crucial myth calls him the ' Sithis - shaped hole ' of the world . Sheor ( Bad Man ) : In Breton y , the Bad Man is the source of all strife . He seems to have started as the god of crop failure , but most modern theologians agree that he is a demonized version of the Nordic Shor , born during the dark years after the fall of Saarthal . Sep ( The Snake ) : Yokudan version of Lorkhan . Sep is born when Tall Papa creates someone to help him regulate the spirit trade . Sep , though , is driven crazy by the hunger of Satakal , and he convinces some of the gods to help him make an easier alternative to the Walkabout . This , of course , is the world as we know it , and the spirits who followed Sep become trapped here , to live out their lives as mortals . Sep is punished by Tall Papa for his transgressions , but his hunger lives on as a void in the stars , a ' non - space ' that tries to upset mortal entry into the Far Shores . Shezarr ( God of Man ) : Cyrodilic version of Lorkhan , whose importance suffers when Akatosh comes to the fore of Imperial ( really , Alessia n ) 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 . Shor ( God of the Underworld ) : Nordic version of Lorkhan , who takes sides with Men after the creation of the world . Foreign gods ( i . e . , Elven ones ) conspire against him and bring about his defeat , dooming him to the underworld . Atmora n myths depict him as a bloodthirsty warrior king who leads the Nords to victory over their Aldmeri oppressors time and again . Before his doom , Shor was the chief of the gods . Sometimes also called Children ' s God ( see Orkey , above ) . Sotha Sil ( Mystery of Morrowind ) : God of the Dunmer , Sotha Sil is the least known of the divine Tribunal . He is said to be reshaping the world from his hidden , clockwork city . Stendarr ( God of Mercy ) : God of the Nine Divines , Stendarr has evolved from his Nordic origins into a deity of compassion or , sometimes , righteous rule . He is said to have accompanied Tiber Septim in his later years . In early Altmeri legends , Stendarr is the apologist of Men . Stuhn ( God of Ransom ) : Nordic precursor to Stendarr , brother of Tsun . Shield - thane of Shor , Stuhn was a warrior god that fought against the Aldmer i pantheon . He showed Men how to take , and the benefits of taking , prisoners of war . Syrabane ( Warlock ' s God ) : An Aldmeri god - ancestor of magic , Syrabane aided Bendu Olo in the Fall of the Sload . Through judicious use of his magical ring , Syrabane saved many from the scourge of the Thrassian Plague . He is also called the Apprentices ' God , for he is a favorite of the younger members of the Mages Guild . Tava ( Bird God ) : Yokuda n spirit of the air . Tava is most famous for leading the Yokudans to the isle of Herne after the destruction of their homeland . She has since become assimilated into the mythology of Kynareth . She is still very popular in Hammerfell among sailors , and her shrines can be found in most port cities . Tiber Septim ( Talos , the Dragonborn ) : Heir to the Seat of Sundered Kings , Tiber Septim is the most important hero - god of Mankind . He conquered all of Tamriel and ushered in the Third Era ( and the Third Empire ) . Also called Ysmir , ' Dragon of the North ' . Trinimac : Strong god of the early Aldmer , in some places more popular than Auri - El . He was a warrior spirit of the original Elven tribes that led armies against the Men . Boethiah is said to have assumed his shape ( in some stories , he even eats Trinimac ) so that he could convince a throng of Aldmer to listen to him , which led to their eventual Chimer i conversion . He vanishes from the mythic stage after this , to return as the dread Malacath ( Altmeri propaganda portrays this as the dangers of Dunmeri influence ) . Tsun : Extinct Nordic god of trials against adversity . Died defending Shor from foreign gods . Tu ' whacca ( Tricky God ) : Yokuda n god of souls . Tu ' whacca , before the creation of the world , was the god of Nobody Really Cares . When Tall Papa undertook the creation of the Walkabout , Tu ' whacca found a purpose ; he became the caretaker of the Far Shores , and continues to help Redguards find their way into the afterlife . His cult is sometimes associated with Arkay in the more cosmopolitan regions of Hammerfell . Vivec ( Master of Morrowind ) : Warrior - poet god of the Dunmer . Vivec is the invisible keeper of the holy land , ever vigilant against the dark gods of the Volcano . He / she has saved the Dunmeri people from certain death on numerous occasions , most notably when he / she taught them how to breathe water for a day so that he / she could flood Morrowind and kill the Akaviri invaders , ca . 2E 572 . Xarxes : Xarxes is the god of ancestry and secret knowledge . He began as a scribe to Auri - El , and has kept track of all Aldmer i accomplishments , large and small , since the beginning of time . He created his wife , Oghma , from his favorite moments in history . Y ' ffre ( God of the Forest ) : Most important deity of the Bosmer i pantheon . While Auri - El Time Dragon might be the king of the gods , the Bosmer revere Y ' ffre as the spirit of ' the now ' . According to the Wood Elves , after the creation of the mortal plane everything was in chaos . The first mortals were turning into plants and animals and back again . Then Y ' ffre transformed himself into the first of the Ehlnofey , or ' Earth Bones ' . After these laws of nature were established , mortals had a semblance of safety in the new world , because they could finally understand it . Y ' ffre is sometimes called the Storyteller , for the lessons he taught the first Bosmer . Some Bosmer still possess the knowledge of the chaos times , which they can use to great effect ( the Wild Hunt ) . Ysmir ( Dragon of the North ) : The Nordic aspect of Talos . He withstood the power of the Greybeards ' voices long enough to hear their prophecy . Later , many Nords could not look on him without seeing a dragon . Z ' en ( God of Toil ) : Bosmer i god of payment in kind . Studies indicate origins in both Argonian and Akaviri mythologies , perhaps introduced into Valenwood by Kothringi sailors . Ostensibly an agriculture deity , Z ' en sometimes proves to be an entity of a much higher cosmic order . His worship died out shortly after the Knhaten Flu . Zeht ( God of Farms ) : Yokuda n god of agriculture . Renounced his father after the world was created , which is why Tall Papa makes it so hard to grow food . Zenithar ( God of Work and Commerce , Trader God ) : Member of the Nine Divines , Zenithar is understandably associated with Z ' en . In the Empire , however , he is a far more cultivated god of merchants and middle nobility . His worshippers say , despite his mysterious origins , Zenithar is the god ' that will always win ' .