The Elder Scrolls provides plenty of material for lore fans. Especially regarding the creation of the game world, as it would not have been possible without the sacred gods. Often, people pray to these figures and hear legends about their forms, but only a few know how powerful they are.
How is the ranking structured? In the world of The Elder Scrolls, there are two types of gods – the Aedra (sacred gods) and the Daedra (selfish gods). In our list, we refer to the 9 existing sacred gods who contributed to the creation of Mundus (the game world and the universe of mortals) and sacrificed themselves.
Only eight sacred gods are actually documented, but we also count Talos as the ninth, as he has a strong presence in Skyrim and is indispensable. The criteria of our ranking mainly focus on the functions and powers the gods possess. We compare these and evaluate them against each other.
If you have objections to our placement, feel free to suggest changes in the comments – we look forward to it! But now let’s get to our ranking.
Rank 9: Dibella – The Goddess of Beauty
Dibella represents beauty and art and is usually worshiped when it comes to sexual interactions between mortal beings. Naturally, she holds an important place regarding the culture of various peoples in Nirn, but when comparing her influence on a cosmological and physical level with that of the other gods, she falls somewhat short.
Rank 8: Zenithar – The God of Work
Zenithar is known for work, economy, and craftsmanship in Nirn. His values create order in society regarding the structures of everyday life. For the many peoples in The Elder Scrolls, he is certainly indispensable, but his power has more logical aspects that steer life towards harmonious paths. Without work and economy, there would of course be no functioning civilizations.
Rank 7: Mara – The Goddess of Love
Those who wish to marry and procreate cannot bypass Mara. She is the mother of love and responsible for the growth of Nirn. If you now wonder why Dibella is not the same as Mara, you overlook a fine difference: Dibella represents more the fun and pleasure in the sexual lives of the peoples. Mara, on the other hand, is actively there to help civilizations grow through love, fidelity, and procreation.
Rank 6: Arkay – The God of Life and Death
Life and death are essential in the mortal world, as they provide balance within civilizations. Arkay is the god who oversees this change and ensures that beings who are dead remain dead. He also manages the souls of the deceased peoples. One might think of him as the master of undertakers. Since he merely oversees this natural process and does not actually initiate it, he takes rank 6 in our ranking.
Rank 5: Julianos – The God of Knowledge
Those who are curious will sooner or later turn to Julianos. The god of knowledge, laws, and magic is a beacon for flourishing civilizations because without knowledge there can be no progress. For many mortals, he is therefore hardly dispensable, as he is also associated with fields such as alchemy, sorcery, and enchanting.
Rank 4: Stendarr – The God of Justice
Surely you have already come across the guardians of Stendarr. These paladins and their god fight for justice, as they ensure that Daedra are kept in check and all things occult are eliminated – for the benefit of mortals, of course. Even though he is not such a powerful figure, Stendarr ensures justice and order, and thus balance in the respective civilizations.
Rank 3: Kynareth – The Goddess of the Elements
Kynareth could be seen as Mother Nature, as she is the goddess of air, sky, wind, and elements. Her power ensures that life in Nirn is even possible. This fact alone makes her one of the most powerful goddesses in The Elder Scrolls.
Rank 2: Talos – The God of War and the People
Talos is a contentious topic in the world of The Elder Scrolls. He was not significantly involved in the creation of Mundus, as he only emerged in the Third Era. It all started with Hjalti Earlybeard, a mortal general of the Second Era.
The Greybeards called him to High Hrothgar to crown him as Dragonborn and to teach him the way of the Voice. Later, he fought further battles as a general, even in Cyrodiil. He also helped his king, Cuhlecain, to the imperial throne. However, the success was only short-lived: Cuhlecain died in an assassination and Hjalti Earlybeard had his throat slit – but he survived.
As Tiber Septim, he took the throne and aimed to unite Tamriel. With the help of the Numidium (a giant Dwemer robot), Tiber Septim managed to unite Tamriel and crowned himself emperor of Tamriel.
After his death, he was glorified by the Nords for his successes as Talos. Only in the Fourth Era did other peoples begin to see him as a god, except for the Thalmor (a group of High Elves). Even though he is not part of the Aedra, his achievements and efforts in Tamriel have ensured that he could achieve godhood.
It is also rumored that Tiber Septim was one of the three Shezarrine (mortal reincarnations or aspects of Lorkhan). Lorkhan was the one who initiated the idea of Mundus. However, before Tamriel was united, the Aedra Auriel and Trinimac defeated him. One might say that Talos is a reincarnation of Lorkhan so that he also finds a place in the circle of sacred gods.
Rank 1: Akatosh – The Dragon God of Time
Akatosh, also known as the Dragon God of Time, is the most powerful of the nine gods. He is the protector of Mundus, and without his powers, the Daedra would have an easy time invading this world and causing chaos and destruction.
Before Akatosh existed, the universe was in a chaotic, timeless state of the Dawn Era. Through him, Mundus could maintain a linear timeline for life to develop. Thus, he represents the anchor of the world that keeps everything running.
Accordingly, he uses his power to keep the dangers of the Daedra at bay and is not averse to intervening in order to ensure the safety of the many peoples in Tamriel. In Oblivion, he took the form of a dragon, defeated Mehrunes Dagon, and sealed the Daedric Prince’s barrier forever.
No existing god (except Talos) has had such a powerful influence in Tamriel as Akatosh, which is why he belongs in first place with his power.
Of course, there are other gods in Tamriel, but they do not belong to the sacred circle of those worshiped by mortals.
The lore of The Elder Scrolls is very complex, and those who want to know what is happening in Nirn must speak extensively with the inhabitants and read books. Do you also know about the lore, or have you just joined us? The Elder Scrolls: Online is a strong title if you want to enter the world of Tamriel, especially if you love MMORPGs: Starting today, it is particularly worthwhile to play The Elder Scrolls Online because something is happening that has never happened in 11 years
