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Nocturnal: Goddess of Witches

Tags: #Phil  #Daedra  #Nocturnal 
  • Member
    October 31, 2018

    A single tall tree stood in the middle of the clearing, every branch thick with crows, watching the procession without moving. The lead witch placed the torch at the base of the tree, and her seventeen followers formed a circle and began their slow, strange, wailing chant.

    As they sang, the glow of the torch began to change. It did not diminish at all, but its color became more and more grey, so it seemed a pulsating wave of ash had fallen on the witches. Then it grew darker still, so that for a moment, though the fire yet burned, it was darkest night in the forest. The penumbra continued until the torch was burning with a color without a name, emptiness beyond mere blackness. It cast a glow, but it was an unnatural scintillation falling on the witches. Their robes of white became black. The Dunmer among them had eyes of green, and ivory white flesh. The Nords appeared black as coal. The crows watching overhead were as pure white as the witches' cloaks...

    ...The Daedra Princess Nocturnal stepped out of the pit of uncolor. ~ Purloined Shadows

    Nocturnal, Daedric Princess of Night and Darkness, has many names: The Mistress of Shadows, the Unfathomable, the Empress of Murk, the Daughter of Twilight, the Mistress of Mystery, Lady Luck, the Saint of Suspicion, and the Ur-Dra. The last title, the Ur-dra, is accorded her by nearly all the Royalty of Oblivion. As the mother of night, she claims to be an aspect of the original Void itself, and it is generally deemed best to fortify this declaration in one’s evening prayers. ~ Imperial Census of Daedra Lords

    Her devotees range from thieves and smugglers to witches and Daedrologists. We know her best from TES IV and V as the goddess of the Thieves Guild but, as it's Halloween and we're celebrating Tamriel's Witches Festival, I'd like to shift focus onto her connections with witchcraft.

    The book quoted above, Purloined Shadows, reminds us Nocturnal was into  more than thieves and contracts, harking back to when she would lead covens of women who would dance skyclad in the woods, cloaked only by the black of night. The sound of their feet as they danced, and their vocal chant only punctuated by the cries of ravens and crows, as if they too had been called to that sacred grove, deep in some ancient forest.

    So disrobe, sing a song of mystery, of veiled beauty, of eternal shadows and a divine future when the sun burns no more as we explore Nocturnal in all her dark galore...

    It was in an old and profane tome that I came upon the name of Nocturnal-Nocturnal the Night Mistress, Nocturnal the Unfathomable. As the book prescribed, I called to her on her holy day, the 3rd of Hearth Fire. At last I had found the personal mistress I had so long desired. I strove to understand her labyrinthine philosophy, the source of her mysterious pain. Everything about her was dark and shrouded, even the way she spoke and the acts she required of me. It took years for me to understand the simple fact that I could never understand Nocturnal. Her mystery was as essential to her as savagery was to Boethiah or treachery was to Molag Bal. To understand Nocturnal is to negate her, to pull back the curtains cloaking her realm of darkness. As much as I loved her, I recognized the futility of unraveling her enigmas. ~ Invocation of Azura

    Mystery and secrets are things of power, they are a veil like the very doors of night or the dark gown of a lady, filling us with a desire to part the fabric and see what lies beneath. In the above quote we get a glimpse, a tantalising peek, at the being behind the shroud of murk and mystery. We learn that she feels pain and from that we can perhaps sense vulnerability, one hidden by layers of shadow, darkness, and fascinating and compelling power.

    It is no wonder, then, that Nocturnal would resonate with, and be worshipped by, many who seek to understand or feel akin to that power and veiled enigma. In the TES setting, that power is a tangible thing, and we only need look into the nature of Nocturnal as seen by the Reachmen and the many covens and witch cults of northern High Rock to experience that power ourselves.

    The witch grew suddenly still, as if in a trance. At once, a chill wind filled the chamber, and the flame of the braziers turned an unearthly shade of green. Echoing all about, yet seemingly coming from no discernable source, all present heard a guttural, but unmistakably cogent chant, almost like a religious invocation. Upon reflection, I suspect that this was the language of Oblivion; the obscene tongue of the Daedric Princes.

    The iron chains that bound Henghild to the slab crumbled, impossibly, and fell away. Her back arched and her eyes rolled back in her head. Slowly, her body rose with no visible means of levitation, suddenly hovering several feet above the slab.

    After a moment, her mouth opened and she began to speak. But it was not the voice of the crone that issued forth, but rather the voice of a Daedric abomination. Her words were transcribed by no fewer than three witnesses. I record them here, in their entirety:

    "Pain unto innocence. Screams in the dark. Nocturnal is here.

    "My loyal servant is tortured and burned, bound and tormented, bereft of her life.

    "The clan called Direfrost think themselves righteous, but Nocturnal has seen their wickedness.

    "My curse be upon you, and your descendants.

    "Your judgement will first be rendered in the form of an Ice Queen who comes in the guise of a pauper.

    "Your blood shall be frozen. Your torment long and painful.

    "And when your savior comes to release you, know that your true suffering has only just begun.

    "There will be a reckoning between past and present, and the name Direfrost will lie in tatters before the end.

    "A new Ice Queen will bring unto Direfrost all the anguish of Oblivion, and you shall know true suffering."

    At this moment, the crone's body burst into green flame, and crumbled to ash. ~ The Interrogation of Henghild

    "Pain unto innocence. Screams in the dark. Nocturnal is here." In the Interrogation of Henghild we see TES getting grim and gritty as the hounding, torture and subsequent death of the witch brings forth Nocturnal's power and rage as we haven't experienced before. It makes us wonder about the secretive nature of witchcraft and whether these women must practice their art in seclusion to avoid that mistrust, fear, and persecution they would otherwise suffer in the open. It is the pain of her servant that ultimately calls The Mother of Night into that terrible room, almost as though she empathises with the plight of her subject and her response is swift and brutal.

    Is this the nature of Nocturnal's secret pain and the reason for her empathy, the pain of being alone? Nocturnal is mystery, she is darkness, she is unseen. To attempt to understand her is impossible for she cannot ever be understood, and as such she will always be alone.

    Wyresses, Wardens, or Witches, no matter what they're called, all share a common denominator in that their covens are comprised only of women, suffer persecution and superstition, and revere the natural world personified by aspects we refer to by other names. Nocturnal, then, could be seen as another aspect of nature, in this case the night sky. The sky is Kyne's/Kynareth's domain and so it could be theorised that Nocturnal is the literal darker side of this goddess - The sky belongs to kyne, but the sky at night could be when Nocturnal and Kyne meet. And Kyne's pain is visible for all to see in the form of rain.

    For a society who emphasise women to the point where males are excluded must respect and understand this pain. Isolation, loneliness and being misunderstood are what they live with. Where do these ladies come from and how are they chosen? To explore that subject we need to look at another source and shift our focus away from Nocturnal as a singular figure of veneration towards a holistic spirituality in which she is seen as a part of a greater whole. The Glemoril Wyrd and Beldama Wyrd, in my view, perfectly provide that lens with which to view this.

    The Glenmoril Wyrd are a loose association of female witch covens who revere nature and the natural world and incline toward Daedra-worship. Racially they are almost entirely human, though some covens include human hybrids such as hagravens and lamias, who usually rule the covens they live in. Their preference for life in the wilderness means their covens are usually located far from the agricultural or pastoral enclaves of "civilized" people, which contributes to the lack of understanding of their true natures. This has led to the Glenmoril covens nearly always being described in terms such as uncanny, reclusive, dangerous, inimical, and evil.

    In fact, the Glenmoril Wyrd are all of these things—except, I would argue, evil. It is true that they are unswervingly committed to a rejection of civilization and civilized ways; it is true they admit no male members to their covens; it is true they regard themselves as enforcers of certain "laws of nature" which only they recognize. This does not make them evil, just strict adherents to moral codes that are different from our own. ~ The Glenmoril Wyrd

    The Glenmoril Wyrd is like the roots of a tree. The trunk of this Wyrd Tree are the women who comprise it, while the branches are the diverse covens which spread from Hammefell and High Rock to Cyrodiil and Skyrim. Each coven has its own traditions, and each place emphasis on a different aspect of the natural world. Most of the eight or so known covens are adherents of Hircine, but the Hagfeather Coven of western Falkreath reveres Namira, the Markarth Sisters worships Mehrunes Dagon, and the Fen Witches of Hjaalmarch are followers of Molag Bal.

    Each coven is mysterious and reclusive, and in those things we can perhaps get another glimpse at the theme of vulnerability and pain, things which the Wyrd have turned to unity and strength. The newest members, Lady Cinnabar asserts, lead her to "the conclusion that in most cases covens gain new members when unwanted girl-children are brought to them by distressed parents." This shared empathy of rejection may well form the backbone of a coven's bond and be a central theme in their worldwiew and isolationism.

    The Beldama Wyrd is one of the dozen or so known Wyrd covens scattered across Tamriel... Precious few have encountered the Beldama Wyresses (another name for a group of ward-sisters, or witches), but those who have speak of dark encampments under the canopy of ancient oak trees and cavorting rituals to honor Jephre, an aspect of Y'ffre, the most venerated god of the Bosmeri deities.

    The all-female Beldama Wyrd trace their origin to the time Y'ffre transformed himself into the first Ehlnofey (or "Earth Bones") and established the laws of nature... all fiercely believe they are descendants of the Ehlnofey. It is uncertain whether the Wyresses should be considered beneficial or malefic, but all agree they are uncanny and forceful: They see themselves as wardens of the forests with an unwavering reverence for nature. Most Bretons consider them dangerous witches, to be placated rather than revered. It is no wonder, then, that the Beldama Wyrd dwells in the least populated region of High Rock.

    The Beldama tend to congregate around a mysterious and reputedly gigantic Wyrd Tree, which glows with an unnatural light and looks unlike any other tree in the northern forests of Tamriel. Should the Empire consider an invasion, threats of deforestation might be a way to cow the local population, although the Beldama Wyrd may have unknown magic capable of forestalling incursions." ~ Witch Cults of Northern High Rock

    From these two sources we learn that a Wyrd is like a collective term for semi-affiliated covens, and that a Wyress is another name for a witch. Lady Cinnabar's book, The Glenmoril Wyrd, also shows us that there are other covens, such as the Ilessan and Viridian Wyrd who "venerate the less-feral aspects of Hircine, and have even been known to provide cures for lycanthropy, whereas the Reachmen prefer Hircine's more vicious side, celebrating lycanthropy as a gift rather than a curse."

    The Role of Hags

    So listened I to a sermon by the thrice-honorable High Priest Zuladr of the High Temple. And he did inveigh against womanhood and its inherent wickedness, citing the Tale of the Temptress Shakhari, and the bloody crimes of Queen Jezerei. "Consider hags, harpies, and hagravens," quoth he. "Are these monsters not all, each and every one, women—and therefore wicked?" ~ Hags, Harpies and Hagravens

    The appellation of hag carries with it misogynistic connotations as well as a recogonition of the weight mythology and folklore have made to create the image of an old lady or crone living in isolation and wearing a pointy hat an instantly recognisable archetype. From fairy tales of Hansel and Gretel, the Three Fates of Greek myth to Baba Yaga from Slavic follore, the hag is a figure that fills us with childish fear and suspicion. In the quote above and from previous examinations of sources so far, we can see that people in Tamriel also recognise that archetype.

    In fairness it's easy to understand why. TES V: Skyrim introduced us to the repulsive Hagraven who sacrifices Spriggans, creates the unnatural Briarheart Warriors, perpetuates an ancient curse to keep the Companions as servants of Hircine, and other nasty and nightmarish deeds. However, like witchcraft in our own world, the hag or crone represents something of significance to the coven they reside in, and the Hagraven is almost the ultimate expression of apotheosis and transformation.

    “Does not the Song of Hrormir… describe Nocturnal as one of your kin…?” Ingjard asked, her voice trailing off to a slur. Her tea was finished (as was her trust, it soon transpired). She fell forward, now in a stupor. The tea had been dosed, as had the food on offer, and our Argonian friend was flat on his back, sleeping like the dead. We weren’t about to join him. The hag untied her hatchet, her eyes strangely smoking with an unnatural purple vapor, and approached Ingjard’s body. “The first sacrifice to Mother Murk!” The forfeit of reason and higher functions in the pursuit of dark power always results in such devious repugnance...

    We were blanketed by a whirling storm of white-eyed, inky-black ravens.

    This glen had been further polluted by a hagraven, a fiend forsaking Kyne herself... ~ Kyne's Challenge

    It's easy to generalise and say that the hags in any coven hold a position of high status and respect, but the war between the hags of Hag Fen  - who are involved in the sort of ghastly deeds expected of them, such as the capture of young women - and the Beldama Wyrd belies that assertion. Nevertheless, in TES Skyrim we see how it is the Hagravens and older members of a coven who hold sway over the younger apprentices. The reasons are almost self-explanatory as with age comes wisdom and so conventional wisdom dictates there is no one better to lead a coven than the most experienced member.

    On top of that, though, is the idea that for a society made of solely of women who respect and empathise with each other, the process of aging is celebrated rather than rejected. Knowing how they are persecuted and how a more conventional society holds the maiden and mother stages in higher regard, witches choose to instead embrace that final aspect of their femininity.

    Lastly, it could be said that as the matriarch stage of a woman's life represents the final stage of the cycle, it carries with it the symbolism of the chill of winter, the dark of night, and death. In most cases, death is but a transformative phase in the cycle of life and not something to be feared. Considering those concepts associated with the matriarch stage and comparing them to what we have read so far about Nocturnal and the things associated with her, it's almost no surprise that the Hagraven are almost literal embodiments of that transformation.

    I like to think that we can see a little bit of mythology and references to that cycle in the Song of Hrormir. In order to remove night's cowl from Kyne and bring about morning, Dibella the Maiden's realm, Hrormir uses his "Icestaff" and acknowledges the sexuality of Nocturnal the Hag. In some ways, this is like the sovereignty figures from Irish mythology who are old women but, when accepted and loved for who they are, transform into beautiful youths. Also, we can see in the Song of Hrormir that stealing Nocturnal's Cowl is the thing to do:

    "Shadowy Hag, to thee I pledge
    To only honor thy black Words
    To turn my back on Truth
    To aid thy Dark Kings' Ambition
    To divide their Inheritance fairly
    To love thee
    To think thee beautiful."
    Then to the Chamber in the Heart of Night
    Hrormir and the Hag did retire
    Kissed he there her wrinkled Lips
    And her wrinkled, sagging Breasts,
    For ten Days and Nights and three did Hrormir
    And his Icestaff
    Battle thus.

    Then Sweet Kynareth blew honeyed Winds O'er the Hills and Forest Glens of Aelfendor,
    And the Caress of warm blooded Dibella
    Coaxed the Blossoms to wanton Display
    So that Aelfendor became a Garden
    Of all the Senses.
    The frightened Servants of the Dark Kings
    Woke to find there was naught to fear
    And through the once dark Streets of the Village
    Came the Cries of Celebration.
    In the Banquet Hall of the Village
    Hrormir and his boon Companion Darfang
    Embraced and drank of rich Mead.
    The Shadowy Hag too was smiling,
    Sleeping still in her soft Bed,
    Until the morning Sun touched her naked Face
    And she awoke, and saw All,
    And knew All saw her.
    And she cried out:
          "Mortal Man!"

    Night fell fast upon the Land As the Hag flew into the Banquet Hall
    Casting blackest Darkness in her Wake
    But all the Celebrants still could see
    Her Anger
    In her monstrous Face
    And they shook with Fear.
    The Hag had said the Kingdom was
    To be divided among her Heirs.
    But Aelfendor had been kept whole
    While her Children divided,
    Drawn and quartered.
    Hrormir was mightily amused.
    He swallowed his Laughter
    In his Mead,
    For none should laugh outright
    At the Daedra Lord Nocturnal.
    Without her gray Cowl of shadowed Night,
    Her hideous Face forced the Moons
    To hide themselves.
    Hrormir the mighty did not quail.
          "Wherest be thine Hood, shadowy hag?"
          "Mortal Man hast taken it from me unaware.

    For more on Hagravens and the nature of Reachmen magic, we can do a lot worse than turn to Karver's Witchmen of the Reach article.

    In summary, it could be said the way Nocturnal is viewed by witches who follow her is akin to how Hircine is interpreted by these woman in that she is seen as an aspect of the natural world. The many covens and witch cults of Tamriel possibly see in Nocturnal something they understand and live with everyday. Nocturnal is mystery, she is obscured by darkness, she can never be understood and will always be alone. To the witches and wyressess who revere her, Nocturnal could be a figure they empathise with and hold up as a perfect example of a witches' godddess.

    That's just my interpretation, though. More importantly, what is yours? Is there more to Nocturnal than thieves and contracts? 

    I'd like to thank Ilani Silver for breathing new life into this project more than a year after its first draft, for proofreading, offering her insights on the elements I struggled with, and for her support. Thank you. Ilani.

    Thank you DB for ideas and reading it through when it was first posted in the Workshop, and thanks to everyone who commented and supported it back then.

    And thank you for reading!

  • October 31, 2018

    Thank you DB for ideas and reading it through when it was first posted in the Workshop, and thanks to everyone who commented andsupported it back then.

    Shiiiiit, I totally forgot about this one but it was really great to read a Lore Article from you again Phil :D It was just, a really enjoyable fascinating read that I've sort of missed. In particular I have to say that the information on the Covens, Witches and Wyrds was fascinating, it's not something I've spent a lot of time focusing on. I do have to say that the number of connections between Kyne and Nocturnal are rather fascinating, they seem to pop up in relation to each other rather frequently...I remember we had a bit of a discussion about that back then and it's still fascinating

    Great article Phil, kind of has me hankering for a Witch-y build sometime soon...

     

    Plus we get the slew of images that just scream classic Phil :P What's not to love about this article.

  • October 31, 2018

    Yyyyyyeeeessss! This looks fantastic. And thanks for the thanks! It’s a fascinating read-through in its new home, and was almost solely responsible for getting me in the Halloween spirit. That whole “screams in the dark, Nocturnal is here” thing is going to haunt my dreams, more than likely. It still gives me chills. And thank you for letting me be a little part of this, it was a blast.

  • Member
    November 1, 2018

    Dragonborn2021 said:

    Thank you DB for ideas and reading it through when it was first posted in the Workshop, and thanks to everyone who commented andsupported it back then.

    Shiiiiit, I totally forgot about this one but it was really great to read a Lore Article from you again Phil :D It was just, a really enjoyable fascinating read that I've sort of missed. In particular I have to say that the information on the Covens, Witches and Wyrds was fascinating, it's not something I've spent a lot of time focusing on. I do have to say that the number of connections between Kyne and Nocturnal are rather fascinating, they seem to pop up in relation to each other rather frequently...I remember we had a bit of a discussion about that back then and it's still fascinating

    Great article Phil, kind of has me hankering for a Witch-y build sometime soon...

     

    Plus we get the slew of images that just scream classic Phil :P What's not to love about this article.

    Thankee Deebee! I took your advice (along with ilani's) and stripped it back to just focus on a bit of witchy stuff. The original was too clunky and boring. Who needs to know what the thieves guild quests will have already imparted? Plus, there was a very real danger of delving into too much Summerset story which would have altered the course of this.

    Anyway, do it! Get witchy and bring Wyressess into Skyrim :D

    ilanisilver said:

    Yyyyyyeeeessss! This looks fantastic. And thanks for the thanks! It’s a fascinating read-through in its new home, and was almost solely responsible for getting me in the Halloween spirit. That whole “screams in the dark, Nocturnal is here” thing is going to haunt my dreams, more than likely. It still gives me chills. And thank you for letting me be a little part of this, it was a blast.

    Thank you Ilani! I decided not to pursue the Evergloam stuff, mostly because it's a whole different kettle of fish with lots of questions. In ESO, we get to visit it and some of its pocket realms. It's like perpetually Halloween there, with crumbling ruins, scarecrows, ghostly hags, and Shrikes. these Shrikes (second picture down) are pretty hot! They also raise the question of witchy after-life. I mean, we know what happens to thieves sworn to her. But what of those worshippers who aren't thieves? Maybe Shrikes are their fate.

    Anyway, thanks again for your input and helping change the tone from femininity to something subtler and yet more emapthetic, and for the enthusiasm :)

  • November 1, 2018

    Thankee Deebee! I took your advice (along with ilani's) and stripped it back to just focus on a bit of witchy stuff. The original was too clunky and boring. Who needs to know what the thieves guild quests will have already imparted? Plus, there was a very real danger of delving into too much Summerset story which would have altered the course of this.

    Ah glad I could help then. I would be fairly interested in the Summerset story though, haven't spent any time absorbing recent ESO knowledge, and if there's a link with Nocturnal at all that would be rather interesting. As far as I knew the Altmer aren't really the most connected with Daedra so, sounds like some interesting stuff :)

    Anyway, do it! Get witchy and bring Wyressess into Skyrim :D

    The flaw is I have to play Skyrim if I do that, which is the part where all my builds die these days. Hmm, maybe, I might give it a shot to develop something for it becuase I've still got a few ideas rolling around :)

    It's like perpetually Halloween there, with crumbling ruins, scarecrows, ghostly hags, and Shrikes. these Shrikes (second picture down) are pretty hot! They also raise the question of witchy after-life. I mean, we know what happens to thieves sworn to her. But what of those worshippers who aren't thieves? Maybe Shrikes are their fate.

    It's interesting that the first shot looks an awfully lot like the Reach (at least in Skyrim)...But the rocky hills, the sparse vegetation, it just very much gives me the same vibe as the Reach does. Could be the aim there if it's some sort of pocket realm (one for each of the regions her Covens hold power with the Reach obviously being a major source) but interesting regardless. 

  • November 1, 2018

    Never thought of Nocturnal as Baba Yaga, lol. It's a hilarious idea)))

  • November 1, 2018
    I think my favorite part is the idea that you can’t know her. To know her would be to unmake her; her mystery is an inherent part of her being. Aaaannd...as I was trying to fall asleep last night, Hermaeus Mora’s incessant drive to obtain forbidden knowledge popped into my head, how he’s been stalking the Skaal forever, etc. I did a quick search to see if there’s anything on Mora’s inherent makeup warring with Nocturnal’s inherent makeup, but found nothing. It would be an interesting story, though.
  • November 1, 2018

    The thing may be that even if you gather all the facts about Nocturnal, you still won't understand her. Understanding is more than just knowledge.

  • November 1, 2018
    Yeah, well, I mean, this is Hermaeus Mora we’re talking about. He could probably glean all the facts, just the facts, in his sleep. Probably standing on his head and singing “I’m Gonna Be” by the Proclaimers at the same time. But to truly know Nocturnal - not just know ABOUT her - in my mind, WOULD be to understand her. So I’m imagining Mora with some little itchy, nagging thought. He knows something’s missing, something he just can’t quite see. Like a shadow at the corner of his eye, and when he turns to see it, it disappears. Something like that. If his thirst for knowledge encompasses a drive to understand as well, it would be interesting to see how a being like Mora deals with the fact that he can’t obtain that understanding.
  • November 1, 2018

    But does he want to understand? Or knowing is enough to him?