Sovngarde

For other uses, see Sovngarde (Disambiguation).

**Sovngarde** is the Nordic afterlife created by Shor that exists in Aetherius. Warriors who have proven their mettle in battle arrive in Sovngarde after death. Fleshly pain and maladies evaporate upon entering its Hall of Valor. Spirits here enjoy mead-drinking and contests of physical prowess. Sovngarde is only for Nordic and Atmoran warriors—other groups have their own afterlives. For example, when Nordic Werewolves die, Hircine claims their soul for his Great Hunt just as he would with any other Werewolf, thus preventing them from reaching Sovngarde.

## History

 File:Sovngarde - Ethereal Sky (Skyrim).png
Stories of Sovngarde have been told since the early Merethic Era. Since then, scholars have attempted to study Sovngarde, looking for tangible evidence of its existence. Many more paradise-seekers sought an entrance to Sovngarde other than the traditional mode—death. One such explorer, Rolf the Large, failed to discover Sovngarde after a lifetime of searching. Defeated, he returned to Skyrim, where he was slain by Giants. After passing into Sovngarde, he wrote letters of correspondence with a psychic medium named Felga Four-Fingers, detailing the existence of this Nordic paradise of drinking and merriment. The letters were discovered in the medium's residence in Cyrodiil.

Except in rare cases where one forces a way into Sovngarde, it can supposedly only be reached by true Nords who die valiantly or in battle, regardless of personality. This excludes those afflicted with Lycanthropy, as Hircine takes them to his Hunting Grounds instead.

In 2E 582, Fildgor Orc-Thane used his royal blood to enter Sovngarde, and attempted to fuse his soul with that of his dead sister Hurnhilde in order to usurp the throne.

In 4E 201, Alduin retreated there to ensnare and feast upon the souls of the dead. He was killed by the Marcella Septim, who fought alongside the spirits of Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Felldir the Old and Hakon One-Eye.

### Always present

* Felldir the Old, Ancient Nordic hero.
* Gormlaith Golden-Hilt, Ancient Nordic hero.
* Hakon One-Eye, Ancient Nordic hero.
* Jurgen Windcaller, founder of the Greybeards.
* Olaf One-Eye, former Jarl of Whiterun.
* Torygg, former High King of Skyrim.
* Tsun, Nordic God of Trials, guards the whalebone bridge.
* Ysgramor, Atmoran warrior and Harbinger of the Five Hundred Companions.
* Erlendr, Nikulas and Hunroor, who were turned to stone by the wizard Grimkell while on a quest to find Sovngarde.
* Ulfgar the Unending, the hero who defeated Grimkell.
* Ancient heroes in the Hall of Valor, generic male and female Nordic warriors and mages wearing random armor or clothes.
* Stormcloak soldier, generic Nord male member of the Stormcloak Rebellion.
* Imperial soldier, generic Nord male member of the Cyrodiilic Legion.

### Conditional

 File:TESV Banner Sovngarde.png
* Ulfric Stormcloak, leader of the Stormcloak Rebellion. (Only appears if the Imperial Legion won the Skyrim Civil War.)
* Galmar Stone-Fist, second in command of Ulfric Stormcloak. (If the Imperial Legion won the Civil War.)
* Legate Rikke, Chief Lieutenant of the Imperial Legion in Skyrim. (Only appears if the Stormcloaks won the Civil War.)
* Froki Whetted-Blade, male Elder. (If killed in his home, Froki's Shack.)
* Svaknir, Bard to Olaf One-Eye. (If the quest "Tending the Flames" is completed.)
* Kodlak Whitemane, the former Companions' Harbinger. (If the Companions questline is completed.)

### Temporary

* Marcella Septim, Dragonborn and Empress of Cyrodiil.
* Alduin, Nordic God of Destruction
* The Last Dragonborn

## Trivia

* Projected across the sky of Sovngarde are the three constellations: The Thief, The Mage, and The Warrior. They appear in the sky exactly as they appear in the Skill Menu, circling around a great ball of light.
* Spirits of Nord soldiers from the Stormcloak Rebellion and the Imperial Legion are seen to make the journey to the legendary Hall of Valor, signifying that Shor shows little interest in the earthly cause a Nord fought for; only in the bravery they demonstrated in their final moments.
* Fast traveling to another place is not possible from this location. Entry and exit are entirely scripted and cannot be done more than once.
* Using the map while in Sovngarde shows the map centered on Riverwood.
* The statues of hooded and bearded men found all over the area will change their orientation to face the player when the player isn't looking directly at them. Furthermore, if Alduin dies close enough to one of them, it will crumble into large chunks of rubble.Template:Conf
* Sovngarde has many similarities to Asgard, the home of the gods in real world Norse mythology. However, other aspects of it are more similar to Valhalla.
* "Søvn" or "sov" in several Scandinavian languages means "Sleep" (as a noun), and "Gard" means an enclosed space; "Sovngarde" almost translates into "a place for sleep," or "resting place."
* Much like werewolves of Nordic origin find their souls belong to the Daedric Prince Hircine, Nord members of the Nightingales discover they are barred from entry into Sovngarde; as they are sworn to serve Nocturnal and guard the Twilight Sepulcher and Evergloam upon death. This is verified in dialogue options with Tsun, in which the Dragonborn states they are a Nightingale. Tsun will respond with contempt, proclaiming that for a Nord to have died while attempting thievery is not an honorable right of passage to Sovngarde, and that the Nightingales' "contract" binds their souls to the Evergloam.
* Despite having completed countless quests and defeated several opponents and openly wishing to join the Nords in their paradise, the Ebony Warrior never appears in Sovngarde if the Dragonborn reaches player level 80 and slays him before the main quest Sovngarde.
* The phrase *"Victory or Sovngarde!"* is only used by Nords voiced by Michael Gough.

## Gallery

Sovngarde.pngSovngarde with the Hall of Valor in the distance.Sovngardeconcept3.jpgSovngarde concept art.Sovngardeconcept2.jpgConcept art for the bone bridge leading the Hall of Valor.Sovngardeconcept.jpgHall of Valor concept art.Sovngardehallconcept.jpgHall of Valor interior concept art.SovngardeSky.pngThe Sovngarde Sky.
## Appearances

* *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*
* *The Elder Scrolls VI: Invasion*
* Template:Online

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Sovngarde, a Reexamination*
2. ↑ *Kodlak's Journal*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 *A Dream of Sovngarde*
4. ↑ Events of Alduin's Bane
5. ↑ Events of Alduin's Bane
6. ↑ *Marcella and Alduin*