Dragon Tongue Reveals Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's World Eater

[Tom Goldman]

Dragon Tongue Reveals Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's World Eater

A poem written in Elder Scrolls V's language of dragons appears to tell us something more about the upcoming RPG.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106052-Elder-Scrolls-Turns-V-at-Spike-VGAs] was a bit mysterious in its reveal of anything about the game other than the existence of "dragons," and the latest information follows that same trend. The cover of the February issue of Game Informer is set to feature Skyrim, with a cryptic poem about the game on the reverse side.

The poem is written in the "tongue of the dragons," a new language created by Bethesda for use in the game. In the Skyrim trailer, it's the language being sung towards the end. GI says the tongue plays an "integral role in the story and gameplay of the upcoming epic, and introduces an intriguing new facet to the Elder Scrolls mythology."

Thankfully for the lazy among us, internet cryptographers have already translated the poem. One such translation says:


Dragonborn Dragonborn
By his honor is sworn
To keep evil forever at bay
And the fiercest foes rout
When they hear triumph's shout
Dragonborn for hunger blessing we pray

And the scrolls have fortold
Of black wings in the cold
That when brothers wage war come unfurled
Alduin, bane of kings
Ancient shadow unbound
With a hunger to swallow the world


Alduin's identity seems a bit complicated, but he's apparently [http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Alduin] the Nordic version of Elder Scrolls' Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time. The Nords call Alduin the World Eater, and believe him to be a "ravaging firestorm that destroyed the last world to create this one." The Nords will likely play an important part in Skyrim, as their home is the region that shares the same name.

It's not much more to go on, but at least we have a hint towards one of the major evils players will face in Elder Scrolls V. It'll just be a dragon god that can control time and swallow the world whole. No big deal.

Source: GI [http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2011/01/06/translating-the-cover.aspx]


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[Darth IB]

The second verse breaks the rhyme!

Verse 1 goes AABCCB, and verse 2 mostly follows suit, but 'kings' and 'unbound' do not rhyme!
This bugs me to no end. which is a shame, because otherwise the poem was very cool.

 

[FlashHero]

The second verse breaks the rhyme!

Verse 1 goes AABCCB, and verse 2 mostly follows suit, but 'kings' and 'unbound' do not rhyme!
This bugs me to no end. which is a shame, because otherwise the poem was very cool.

Maybe it rhymes when you speak it in dragon language thing they invented?

 

[unacomn]

I wonder if there'll be an alternative ending where said Alduin eats the world. That would be awesome. Multiple endings in general would be awesome, I've been missing them since Daggerfall. You know what would be fun, another Dragon Tear

In regards to the rhyme, the way they sing it in the trailer fits even with the lack of rhyme in between those verses.

 

[EnigmaticSevens]

*cough* Ahem: SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQUUUUUUUUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh do I dare dream, of a world wherein confronting evil does not mean I must plod through a dozen shades of Oblivion? Besides, I'm liking the world-eating dragon compared to our former 'ashura looking' prince of darkness or what have you.... Hmm... and perhaps if we are indeed Dragonborn... our ingame self-esteem might get a wee boost. It's always been one the schism points between a Bethesda RPG and say a Bioware RPG.

With Bioware you're always THE ONE AND ONLY, you're the god of this shit, and without you, all creation goes kablooie, and admittedly, that's nice every now and then. However, I've always felt Bethesda's approach was 'You're some dude, do some stuff, or don't, whatever.' Like you're just this tosser going about his life, and you could do some epic stuff, or you could spend your time repairing junk. Yeah the world may be doomed, but some other bloke could probably do the job just as well while you attend to your knitting. To be honest, that was pretty fun too. Oh well, guess it's win/win then.

 

[TheElkMechanic]

The last line of the first stanza should read, "Dragonborn for YOUR blessing we pray."

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

I'm looking forward to an issue of Game Informer now. This has never happened before.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Akatosh is the bad guy?

Eh?

How can he be the bane of kings, they're all descended from him? Hell, Martin turned into an avatar of him in Oblivion.

They've put more effort into the plot than they did for oblivion if this is anything to go by.

And I thought Nords called him Ysmir? To the wikimobile! DA NA NA NA NA NA NA DA NA NA NA NA NA NA...

 

[ike42]

Akatosh is the bad guy?

Eh?

How can he be the bane of kings, they're all descended from him? Hell, Martin turned into an avatar of him in Oblivion.

They've put more effort into the plot than they did for oblivion if this is anything to go by.

And I thought Nords called him Ysmir? To the wikimobile! DA NA NA NA NA NA NA DA NA NA NA NA NA NA...

I hope the main plot is better. I loved Oblivion, but thought the main story was really mediocre. The best parts were definitely the guild quests. I hope they fix the leveling system too.

 

[Ranchcroutons]

I wonder if there'll be an alternative ending where said Alduin eats the world. That would be awesome. Multiple endings in general would be awesome, I've been missing them since Daggerfall. You know what would be fun, another Dragon Tear

In regards to the rhyme, the way they sing it in the trailer fits even with the lack of rhyme in between those verses.

Sounds like they would create the same problem they did with Fallout 3 where the game just ends. Most people would want to keep playing long after the main quest.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Perhaps its the cynic in me, but why do I get the feeling they're pulling the "Dragon Card" only because Bioware did it last year?

EDIT: Reading it over once more, it appears to reference Akatosh's demise, and the creation of a new big bad in the form of a black dragon.

If the combat is anything like Oblivion, this end in the most anti-climatic battle with a dragon in the history of gaming.

 

[Baresark]

Haha, the comments here are priceless. It doesnt' have to rhyme, first of all, most poetry does not rhyme. Second, if "With a hunger to swallow the world" is not analogical in nature, they have actually missed the whole point poetry.

OT: I am still completely looking forward to the game, even though no one is sure what the game engine is actually going to be. Though I do feel it is time they put that dead horse to rest finally.

 

[Rusty Bucket]

From what I can hear, it sounds like this poem thing is the same thing that gets chanted at the end of the trailer. Well, they at least say Dohvakiin twice, which is apprently dragon tongue for Dragonborn.

Looking forward to hearing about some gameplay stuff.

 

[PurpleLeafRave]

When does this issue of game informer come out in the UK?
I'm so excited.
First sceens of a new engine.
I'm off to run around excitedly.
I suppose you can tell by my short sentances, I can't concentrate. It's all too much.
An Elder Scrolls language. That is cool. A world eating dragon.
THIS IS FUCKING AWESOME!

 

[GonzoGamer]

Dragons in this one?
I might get it if I upgrade my PC.

 

[Killersamman]

Oh i was thinking it would be the akaviri returning? maybe with dragons?
Because you know, i was a nerd and read books in TES IV and their land name actually means "dragon land"... which one of the emperors made a failed invasion off - revenge? the trailer shows soldiers fighting too?

just putting it out there...

 

[Airsoftslayer93]

last line is actually 'your' instead of 'a'

 

[Banter]

I'm just impressed that a poem translated to english from dragon manages to rhyme so well. Kind of like the ancient egyptian puzzles in the Yugioh anime that also rhyme.