Vazgen: No, you're deliberately stretching my statement out of proportion.

Vexed: You're right, I forgot about the Greybeard's dialogue with that.

I mentioned walls chanting and transferring knowledge to the Dragonborn. You then proceeded to say that you think that I'm "mixing gameplay mechanics with storyline". Then I bring Nightingales and Soul Cairn examples to which you respond that I'm "deliberately stretching your statement out of proportion".

So, if I understand you correctly, you choose which gameplay elements to accept and which to ignore when discussing lore? 

I feel like I’ve been making an ass of myself stringing together bits and pieces throughout the thread, so I’m compiling my thoughts about the questions posed by the original post into one.

I’m going to address the Draugr problem first, and I think I found the case that’ll prove Jurgen can be entombed in an ancient Nord barrow without having any connection to the Dragon Cult; King Olaf One-Eye.

Olaf One-Eye, High King from 1E 420 to 1E 452 (Olaf’s plaque in Windhelm), his death. Entombed in Dead Men’s Respite, which contains a Word Wall and filled with Draugr, including Olaf himself. Recall that the last known remnants of the Dragon Cult were extinguished in 1E 130-40 by King Harald Skorm (Snow-Strider's Journal), who was surprised to have found it extant to begin with. Recall as well the tale of Olaf One-Eye and the dragon Numinex (Olaf and the Dragon). Living three hundred years after the Dragon Cult was wiped out, and gaining renown for battling and capturing a dragon, I think it’s safe to say he was not a member of the Cult, nor would he worship Dragons. I can strengthen that claim by pointing out that his spirit is in Sovngarde.

We also know that the Draugr are mummified. Why would Olaf be mummified (as he’s a draugr) if that was a practice exclusive to the Cult? I’d like to point out as well that the Halls of the Dead throughout Skyrim contain the same embalming tools as the ancient Nords. I’m not sure how strong of an argument that is, however.

Jurgen Windcaller, participated at the first Battle at Red Mountain in 1E 416 (Pocket Guide to the Empire, 3rd Edition), four years before Olaf became High King. To be explicit, they were alive at the same time.

My second problem is with addressing Jurgen and the Way of the Voice.

The Way of the Voice is summarized in the motto “Sky above, Voice within”. Arngeir says,

“The Way of the Voice teaches that the Voice must be used only for the worship and glory of the gods, and that true mastery of it can only be achieved when one's inner spirit is in harmony with one's actions. Only in the contemplation of the Sky (the domain of Kynareth) and the practice of the Voice can a one achieve this harmony.”

From the very get go, the Way of the Voice is associated with the mother goddess of the Nords, Kyne. From ESO,

"Mother of Men, who steels us with her icy breath

 Warrior-Wife, who sanctifies every axe-edge

 Goddess of the Storm, who gifted us with voice

 Bless us, Kyne; may we serve you with every word"

This is not a philosophy that worships or exemplifies dragons. First and foremost is Kyne. The history of the Dragon Cult is not forgotten in Skyrim, as recounted on the tablets II-V leading up to High Hrothgar. The idea of Paarthurnax attempting to restore the Dragon Cult is based off one line of dialogue from Odahviing but is a non sequitur.

But I doubt many will wish to exchange Alduin’s lordship for the tyranny of Paarthurnax’s “Way of the Voice.”

Paarthurnax did not invent the Way of the Voice either, he is a convert. Jurgen came up with that philosophy.

About word walls, there is a book The Dragon Language Myth No More which asserts that even an ordinary person can feel the power pulsing from these walls.

All this is known and is probably the biggest reason we are having this discussion in the first place. We could have gone down the route of "the game is contradicting itself so it's the writers fault" but instead we have chosen to treat it like an archaeological dig and examine the evidence as if it were real.

These discrepancies have led us to conclude that what the game, npc's texts etcc tell us can't be correct - no surprises there then.

So, to look at Olaf One Eye and the way his burial was carried out centuries after the fall of the Cult, what conclusions can we draw? The most obvious being that the old practices associated with the Cult were either still in practice or going through a mini revival. Hell, the guy even put a word wall in there.

So why do we see him in Sovngarde if the ancient practices were used in his tomb? Hard one Tom. I propose that the shambling rotter we fought wasn't Olaf at all. Or at least, not the one who captured the Dragon. See, the controversy surrounding King Olaf points to him being a fraud and his response to this was swift and brutal. Maybe there were two people - the hero who captured the dragon and the jarl who claimed the capture as his own deed.

The king wanted to go to Sovngarde but he also wanted to strengthen the legend which connects him with dragons. Reviving the old ways and getting a burial in that style reinforces his legend. The Olaf we see in Sovngarde is the hero who should have taken the credit for Numinex's capture.

The problem with Jurgen Windcaller is that after his epiphany Skyrim's mightiest weapons were silent. Since when did Kyne become a peace-loving hippie? She is a Goddess of War and storms, she's not Kynareth.

Speculation without evidence.

You've provided nothing to suggest any of your points are or could be true.

EDIT: I'm not referring to Kyne. I'll address that tomorrow when I have internet.

I wouldn't credit the modern generation of Nords neglecting the Thu'um because they didn't care anymore, they just didn't have to time to renounce the world and study. And everybody who already knew who to shout probably died in a war lol. There was the Oblivion Crisis, the Great War, Winterhold fell off Skyrim- then the Civil War. Generations have been fighting wars. To learn even a single shout takes years(IIRC???) of practice and effort.

While Ulfric did it, he had the luxury of being raised as nobility before the Civil War. Other Nords often have farms and families to be responsible for. Or wars to deal with, or natural crises lol. Once everything calms down in Skyrim, maybe the WotV will see a heritage revival. Or just shouting in general.

For you ESO players, do you see any shouting in game?  

I wouldn't credit the modern generation of Nords neglecting the Thu'um because they didn't care anymore

I didn't say that. I was actually refuting that assertion.

We also know that the Draugr are mummified. Why would Olaf be mummified (as he’s a draugr) if that was a practice exclusive to the Cult?

I don't think any claims were made that mummification was exclusive to the Dragon Cult, and as Phil pointed out, there's no reason to assume that it's anything more than a continued tradition of burial. To really deconstruct it, we'd have to determine the difference between modern and ancient Nord burial methods, and when and how changes in belief affected them.

The idea of Paarthurnax attempting to restore the Dragon Cult is based off one line of dialogue from Odahviing but is a non sequitur.

I can't speak for the others, but for the purposes of my suggestion, you've taken it too literally. As I've said, I don't think that Paarthurnax is trying to restore the Dragon Cult, but beliefs can be distorted and the approach Paarth takes at the end of the game leaves it hanging what it could lead to. Additionally, this isn't based solely on Odahviing's words, but Paarthurnax's own as well:

Paarthurnax: "Many of the dovahheare now scattered across Keizaal. Without Alduin's lordship, they may yet bow to the vahzen[truth]... rightness of my Thu'um."

Paarthurnax pauses in mid-air, and will face the Dragonborn.

Paarthurnax: But willing or no, they will hear it! Fare thee well, Dovahkiin!"

Paarthurnax did not invent the Way of the Voice either, he is a convert. Jurgen came up with that philosophy.

I didn't see anyone make that claim, either.

Ah, I shoulda clarified, I was just speculating as to the reason behind the seeming widespread abandonment of the Voice. I have been thinking about it for a few days actually. The most sensible answer I could think of was entire generations busy warring... But thats pretty much the story of the Nords isn't it lol.