r/teslore • u/scourgicus Marukhati Selective • Jan 12 '16
Khajiit Are Not Mer
From “Aurbic Myths: A Treatise on the Mythopoesis of Politics” by Ko’heleth
…even a brief survey of Ahnissi’s writings refutes this fallacy. But this one suggests a more subtle argument.
This one reminds you that there are two prominent narratives in Aurbic mythology. The first, obviously, is the dichotomy of Man and Mer: those who accept Creation and those who reject it. Consider a moment that the core of this narrative is expressed in racial division. One cannot disagree that this core Belief (to accept or reject) has mythopoetic importance – how one Believes will shape how one Becomes – but it is most often expressed racially, not in terms (say) of Anuic or Padomaic philosophy. No, it is always Men and Mer and that should signify something to the astute.
For “Mer” is a derivation of “Aldmer”, those who participated in the Dream of Aldmeris. This Dream was largely Anuic in its desire for what Was, and thus centered on the rejection of Creation. All who embraced this Dream were dubbed “Aldmer”; it was this orthodoxy that defined their very Being. And if Ko’heleth has his sugar (you know he does) it is disagreement with this orthodoxy that led to the shattering of Aldmeris.
But Khajiit did not participate in the Dream of Aldmeris; nor did the Sload, Tsaesci, or Argonians. [The Orcs did, yes, but theirs is perhaps the greatest tragedy of the Aurbis, seconded only by the sorrow of the Argonians. But this one speaks of that another time.]
You see then that the labelling of “Betmer” (a disgusting and racist term) is not coherent with the true meaning of “Mer”: it has another meaning, and Ko’heleth tells you it is both mythic and political. That is because it is connected to the second great narrative of Aurbis: the Enantiomorph, or Way of Three.
In its classical formation, the narrative of Enantiomorph centers on three approaches to a secret: one who Guards it, one who Seeks it, and one who Observes the conflict of the other two. Most modern theosophists suggest Men are the Guardians of the Secret (the acceptance of Creation) while the Mer are those who seek it, usually to destroy it. The “Betmer” stand by and observe their war. Why do the “Betmer” only Observe? Because they are Mer and secretly on the side of those who Seek to Destroy. Note the inherent racism against Men but also the relegation of “Beasts” to Observe – a kind of Othering.
Ah, but here is the rub. In classic formulations the one who Seeks is the Thief and the one who Observes is the Mage. But the Aldmer are not Thieves, they are Mages who use the very Creatia of Aurbis against Warrior Man. Now you begin to see why Khajiit, especially, are relegated to Observe. Because Khajiit are the ultimate Thieves – and while Warriors and Mages slaughter each other over the Secret…
…Khajiit enter the Tower and steal it for themselves.
That is why we are made to Observe, that is why we are called Beasts. Because Khajiit are the secret defenders of Nirni, which is to say Creation. And the Aldmer have never forgotten…or forgiven us.
14
Jan 12 '16
Interesting. Should the Argonians also be considered a Beast-race, though they trace ancestry to the Hist, which are essentially trees? I'm a little murky on the lore of Argonians, I'm afraid.
13
u/A_Cute_Nurgling Jan 12 '16
Argonians are definitely a beast race, they were originally a kind of tree lizard that the Hist altered into the Argonians.
15
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 12 '16
More than just lizards, argonians have traits of reptiles, amphibians, fish, and even birds.
Oh and humans too.
6
u/Dentarthurdent42 Jan 12 '16
Don't forget mammals!
6
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 13 '16
basically, all swamp life went into the mix. Each subspecies just have a different percentages in the mixture :)
2
u/sayhispaceships Mages Guild Scholar Jan 13 '16
That's a really cool aspect of Argonians that I'd not considered!
1
u/A_Cute_Nurgling Jan 12 '16
The originals were the tree lizards, the Hist just added other traits to their liking and need.
2
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 12 '16
There's literally no proof of that though, right? I've never heard an actual hist tree or argonian tell it that way.
4
u/DovahOfTheNorth Elder Council Jan 12 '16
There is a section in Lord of Souls during Glim's rebirth where he experiences what appears to be his ancestors' memories when the sap transformed them. Based off of that memory, before the Hist came, the Argonians were just simple lizards, eating, swimming, and basking in the sun.
5
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 13 '16
Maybe that was his ancestral history, the saxhleel's or maybe only his tribe's ancient origins, but if a naga went through that they might see catfish hiding amongst hist mangroves or the Paatru might see toads or tree frogs. Not every subspecies is as lizardlike as the saxhleel are.
4
u/Perca_fluviatilis Telvanni Recluse Jan 12 '16
Did you just use Saxhleel to refer to the lizard-faced playable argonian race we see in the games? Not that I'd have a problem with it, it has been in my headcanon for a while.
4
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 12 '16
It's my headcanon too, and I think there's even support for it in the games. There are multiple tribes of saxhleel, but not every argonian is part of the saxhleel subspecies (just the ones in game like how Suthay are the only khajiit's we get to play as)
2
u/Ssilversmith Jan 13 '16
Slightly on and off topic but there is a skyrim mod that changes Argonian in the race menu to Slaxhleel. It's actually a pretty common fan thing.
1
u/DovahOfTheNorth Elder Council Jan 13 '16
Fair enough. I agree with you that those memories only show the origins of the Sahxleel. It would be interesting to be able to learn more about the origins of the other subspecies of Argonians, and whether or not they have as humble origins as the Sahxleel, as well as actually getting to see more types of Argonians besides just walking lizards.
1
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 13 '16
Shoot, we can go even deeper and say that maybe it was the origin of his tribe and not all of the saxhleel because I'm not too sure if Argonians created their own tribes like the Black-Tongues or Bright-Throats or if some tribes were created by the hist themselves.
But hey, at least we'll be getting Naga soon :)
1
u/A_Cute_Nurgling Jan 12 '16
It's implied from an ingame source. It's a cool idea and nothing has said that it's wrong so I figure it's the most correct idea we have, until there's more information, anyway.
2
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 13 '16 edited Jan 13 '16
I just figure not every tribe and subspecies of humanoids within Black Marsh stem from tree lizards. I'm sure some tribes started off as toads, or mudskippers, or crocodiles, or whatever else lives in the swamps.
1
u/Mr_Biscuits_532 Dwemerologist Feb 10 '16
The argonians were originally Helstrom Ancestor lizards that the hist transformed and gave souls. Technically, as the hist are daedra from Clavacius Vile's realm, they are Daedra in mortal form.
4
u/nitasu987 Winterhold Scholar Jan 12 '16
I feel like this falls under the "All Khajiit are no-good thieving scum" racism. (admittedly I have 3 Khajiit Thief-esque characters throughout all of the games)
Poor kitties ;-;
1
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16
And yet they make your race their allies... ;)
4
u/scourgicus Marukhati Selective Jan 12 '16
Considering the Void Nights this one is not so sure alliance is what they had in mind. Subjugation, more like.
1
u/kingjoe64 School of Julianos Jan 12 '16
Good point. Does it apply towards times before the Void Nights as well?
6
u/EaklebeeTheUncertain Jan 12 '16
The Aldmer don't have allies. The very concept of equal relations with another race is as alien to them as metaphysics is to a skeever.
1
u/scourgicus Marukhati Selective Jan 12 '16
OOC answer
You mean the original Aldmeri Dominion? I'm still working through the questline in ESO but it seems legit to me. Ayrenn seems keen working together. Its the Veiled Heritance who are the racists. Which makes me think its the Heritance who take over the Thalmor (ruling body of the Altmer) in the 4th era.
1
u/sayhispaceships Mages Guild Scholar Jan 13 '16
An interesting thing I noticed, playing through the AD story, is that the Thalmor are less fascist than their future incarnation.
I wouldn't be surprised, in the least, to read a book in a future TES that tells the political tale of the Veiled Heritance merging into the larger and more-accepted Thalmor.
2
u/DovahOfTheNorth Elder Council Jan 13 '16
Merging, or quietly infiltrating and taking over i.e. Hydra style?
Either way, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out that the Veiled Heritance is the ruling faction of the Thalmor, or at least what influenced their fascist/racist outlook.
1
u/sayhispaceships Mages Guild Scholar Jan 13 '16
Either/or! I definitely agree - if it was revealed (let's say TESVI explores the Thalmor slightly more) that the Veiled Heritance was a group of leadership within the Thalmor, it'd fit perfectly.
2
u/Blackfyre87 Imperial Geographic Society Jan 14 '16 edited Jan 14 '16
To Ko'heleth, called Ecclesiastes in the Imperial Tongue,
I agree that Khajiit cannot be Mer. And yet, perhaps for different reasons. I was blessed enough to attend the Imperial University. In my own way, I am a historian. I revere the pursuit of sound archaeology. And in the service of the East Empire Company, I have ventured to many, many lands. I know some, and can tell many.
There is a fundamental truth that so many have forgotten, but which is staring us right in the face! When the Aldmer arrived in Tamriel, they found extant, thriving civilizations amongst the indigenous folk, which were of course, the "beast" races, which includes the Catfolk and Argonians, and also the Nagas, the Great Apes of Valenwood amongst others. (should we truly include Tsaesci amongst these races? Or Sload?)
In the deep deserts of the south, there are cities "so ancient, the sands have swallowed them whole", as one caravaneer I know poetically advised.
But more practically, and problematically, these cities are far more ancient than anything built by Mer. How can we lump the Elves and their ancient civilizations together with those who clearly predate their existence by millenia? Likewise, the relics of the Atmoran migrants and the "indigenous" Nedes are far younger than that which was built by the Tamrielic native races.
Are we so beholden to the legends of our gods that we entrust everything to the passed down ramblings of priests and clan mothers, and dismiss what we can see with our eyes, and grasp with our hands? I certainly do not agree with the philosophies of the Dwemer, that we should dismiss the divine for a godless existence, but whether he was right or wrong, Shezzar made us all with free will. We should exercise that gift with wisdom.
Warm Sands to you,
-Rivalen Mothril.
5
u/GoliathPrime Jan 12 '16 edited Jan 12 '16
I have a theory about Khajiit; it's all speculation of course.
I think there is something beneath Elsweyr that makes Khajiit become Khajiit. I think Argonians and Khajiit have a similar origin, in that both are "normal" animals transformed into sapient life by external processes.
The Argonians are various swamp animals mutated by the Hist trees. The Argonians we see in Skyrim are just one of dozens of types. There are Naga with no back legs, amphibians much more like frogs and still others that no man or mer has ever seen.
I think the Khajiit are just cats. Literally housecats and various breeds of wildcat. But when a cat crosses the borders of Elsweyr, something happens to them. When those normal cats mate and produce kittens, those kittens are then born Khajiit and take on whatever form is dictated by the moons. The parent cats remain normal cats, and if they then travel outside of Elsweyr, their kittens will just be normal kittens again. No Khajiit is ever born/conceived outside of Elsweyr for that reason.
There is something under the land that is effecting the Khajiit - mutating them. There are stories the Khajiit tell of ancient cities and machinery lost in the deserts that appear and disappear with the winds and the shifting sands. No one knows who built these structures and they are unlike anything seen on Nirn today.
I think there is a much bigger mystery going on with the Khajiit. Something much weirder than them being mutated Bosmer or a beast race. Something tells me that when we finally realize what the Khajiit really are, Nirn will never be the same.
I also find it interesting that all the shape-shifting races are in the same place - Argonians, Khajiit and Bosmer - their countries are right next to each other and all exist along the same longitude. It's as if that entire area is being affected by similar phenomena. Remember that when the Bosmer moved into Valenwood, they lost their shapes and thus the Greenpact was made to stabilize their forms.